Public Appearances 2013, Or Lack Thereof
Posted on September 17, 2012 Posted by John Scalzi 16 Comments
Just to have it out there in case people ask: My 2013 public appearance schedule is very sparse at the moment, by intention. I don’t know how many of you folks have been keeping track of these things like I do, but basically for the last three years I’ve had a travel schedule that meant I was traveling close to a week out of every month, and some months — May in 2011 and June this year — I was on the road more often than I was home.
It’s been great, and great for my career, and it’s been totally worth it. But it’s also exhausting and disruptive to my writing schedule; at one point in the last couple of years I went from being a writer who goes places to someone who goes places and then tries to fit writing around that. Eventually that gets old. Dude, I’m tired, you know?
So for the past year (or more in some cases) I’ve been turning down 2013 invitations to conventions and book fairs and such, with an eye toward spending more time at home, staying focused and doing a whole bunch of writing. Not just science fiction novels — although, clearly, I’m going to be doing that — but also other sorts of writing I want to try and/or get better at.
So at this moment, here’s what my 2013 appearance schedule looks like:
Nothing.
And now, because this is how these things work, the fine print:
1. I’ll be at Immortal Confusion in January and may even participate in a little bit of programming, because programming head Dave Klecha is friend of mine and also, dude, check out the Guest of Honor lineup. That said, what I’ll really mostly be doing there is hanging out with friends in the bar.
2. I will be at the Nebula Weekend in San Jose in May, because I will still be President of SFWA at that point.
3. I’m likely to go to Worldcon in San Antonio at the end of August, because Worldcon. My current plan for that is to do very limited programming, if I do any at all.
4. I have let Tor know that if they want/need me to do promotion around The Human Division in 2013, that I would do it, because, and here’s a pro tip, you don’t leave your publisher hanging if you can at all avoid it. So there’s a possibility I might be doing stuff around the hardcover release date, sometime in mid-May. That said, there’s nothing planned at the moment.
Other than that, the travel I have planned for 2013 — and I’m not saying I do have travel planned for 2013 — will be as a normal human being, i.e., I’m not going to announce it to the world. So, for example, I may show up at a convention, but if I do I’m there to see friends and to enjoy myself, not be a performing monkey. Alternately, if I do travel on business, it’s likely to be the sort of business where I have a meeting with a couple of people about future projects, not the sort of business where I stand in front of a room of people and try to entertain them.
But as noted before, my real plan at this point is to stay home, relax a bit, and enjoy long stretches of time to write. And who knows? Maybe this time, that’s what will actually happen! One may hope.
So that’s how my 2013 stands, travel-wise, at least for the moment.
“it’s the most metal con schedule of all!”
Not to be a pessimist (oh, who am I kidding), but I saw what happened to your August Whatever hiatus… Nevertheless, best of luck with keeping the schedule clear and getting writing done. I’m 100% behind that, dude.
The fact that the SFWA inner council knows that the zombie apocalypse is starting sometime in 2013 has nothing to do with it, right?
Completely understandable. I only go to a couple cons each year, and the ones I do are mostly local, but my writing schedule still gets messed around because of them. Considering how much travel you’ve done the last couple years I can only imagine how futzed up your schedule feels right now. It’s unfortunate that there will be less chances for us to see you in preforming monkey mode in 2013, but the trade off is more Scalzi book goodness so I doubt anyone here will be too upset.
Have a great 2013 and may your batteries be fully charged by the end.
Assuming of course the world doesn’t end in 2012.
Totally understandable. And I will say, when we on the ConFusion board were checking out the new hotel, we already placed bets on which corner of the bar will end up being the Scalzi Corner. ;)
So, say …. in June of 2013 ….. if you happen, say, to be in the Chicago area ….. perhaps our book group can tempt you into dropping in for our discussion of Fuzzy Nation? I make an amazing chocolate stout cake with dark chocolate ganache ….. just sayin’…..
Ah, yet another “No, really, I’m going to be a hermit soon! Honest! And I’m using social media interactively to let you all know how serious I am about hermitage! During a month I’m specifically being a hermit on purpose except for that whole frosting thing! Did I mention, hermit!”
Dude, we understand. You have a problem with people. You’re monumentally failing at not hanging out with them. It’s ok. We can get you through this. We have a wonderful 12-step program that starts with buying a spade, continues with digging a small cave on your copious property and ends with your wife posting regular “Have you seen my husband? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?” posts here in your absence.
Alternatively, you can man up and admit that you’re a people person and you adore all the adoration. While eating Pie, at a bar, with Stross and Kowal and Rothfuss, lamenting that you’ve only written a couple thousand words a day over the previous week.
I’m hopeful that I’ll get to head to LoneStarCon for at least a day, because hey it’s only an hour and change from where I live, and my parents are still in San Antonio, so free lodging. Getting to wave in your direction would be a bonus. Plus, you can get a tour from local guide AND HUGO WINNER John Picacio.
Come in to San Jose a day or two early. I hear a rumor that there will be a chance to do the only thing better than hang out with your friends at the bar: hang out with your friends at the distillery!
But don’t quote me. I haven’t made the phone calls to the distiller or the bus company to schedule the distillery tour yet. I suppose I should get that done before WFC so ticket per-orders can happen there.
Andrew: Hangar One?
Denver, kind sir. Why, You ask? Because Denver is awesome, not to mention filled with John Scalzi fans.
@Jen O. I’ll come to your book club meeting from Toronto – the cake and its icing are the icing on that cake..
George: St. George, the people who make Hangar One.
I totally support this for the next year because (1) it means more creative energy for this blog and (2) your family will appreciate it. They are important to me in the order stated. ;) Also, I like stories, which I assume you’ll be writing more of. It’s win-win-win for those of us who don’t attend cons and don’t get to see you in performing monkey mode.
Andrew: I support that product and/or service. And buy and imbibe it. Including some of their small lot experimental stuff, though I haven’t been over there in a year now and am beginning to feel unloved and out of touch with their current experimentation.
@Coxswain: Wow. That is EXACTLY what went through my head when I read that. I thought it would be too random to post though, but hell yeah! Can’t be too many Dethklok fans out there, but awesome!