Author: Nathan J Phillips

So its been a minute since the last blog, right? February I think? Aaaaand a few things have happened in that time. Job changes. Car crashes. All sorts of nasty things. But of the better occurrences was the Aurealis Awards – the first in person Speculative Fiction awards since 2019. Unfortunately, still being in the middle of a pandemic, there were plenty of people who couldn’t make it, but it was a start to getting back to seeing each other in person. For me, that was pretty exciting.

The other exciting bit was that with a few weeks notice and a number of YouTube tutorials later, we were still able to stream it via Facebook and Zoom, with (hopefully) the video going up on Aurealis Awards YouTube channel soon. Despite being somewhat on the stressful side, I think it was the good, exciting kind of stress, rather than the expectational and existential kind of stress.

The list of winners and finalists can be found on the Aurealis Awards website, and it was great to see so many people and works celebrated. Highlights included seeing current and former Canberrans (respectively) Lisa Fuller and Kathryn Barker take home a couple each, second placed member of the Most-Nominations-Without-A-Win Club Alan Baxter win a well deserved Aurealis for The Gulp, and the late Aiki Flinthart picking up an award for Best Anthology. If only have a few minutes to watch the Awards on YouTube or Facebook later, I highly recommend you watch the tributes to Aiki delivered by Pamela Jeffs and Gene Flynn. Heartfelt, a little sweary (by the request of Aiki’s family), and an incredibly just way to celebrate a wonderful person.

From a personal perspective, its was a little odd to realise that the vast majority of people in the room I had only ever known online. See, I was kind of part of the spec fic crowd before I moved back to Canberra, but I was more someone sticking their toe in the door and heading to the back of the room. I had made an effort to volunteer where I could for a few things, but it was only really when I moved back that I really got involved.

That of course, was in mid-2019. I attended one convention, and then the country/world shut down. Which meant that all the people I’ve spo

ken to, interviewed, profiled, or otherwise come across over the last few years – I have, as a general rule, never met until now. It was more than a little surreal.

I’m really looking forward to doing this again next year. There are no plans yet as to what form it will take (the active committee was not huge, and we need a break!), and with the world throwing plenty of curveballs, there is always a risk to events either in person or online. But likewise, the global situations may take a turn for the better, and it may mean more people can safely join in by then. It’s very much a ‘who knows’ scenario, another reason I’m glad we were able to get some of us together while we could. Hopefully next year, we can get even more.

~Nathan

Its February! Its the Fourteenth! Its. . .another day?

Look, anyone who knows me (or knows my partner) knows that 14 Feb is not a particularly special day for us. We’re not particularly romantically inclined (which made it really awkward when I handed in my YA fantasy romance for the belated Secret Santa Stories one of my writing groups did this year. Don’t worry, it’s never seeing the light of day past that one reader, who knows who they are, and I sincerely apologies for them having to read it).

But this year is DIFFERENT!

This year, human extraordinaire and a good friend, Dr Nikki Coleman released her book, Military Space Ethics! And I got to contribute a couple chapters! Its not my usual thing, as it’s completely non-fiction, but its an opportunity I thoroughly relished and appreciated. The book covers a bunch of topics, including; the concept of ‘Just War’ in the space domain (in an odd twist, written by Dr Stephen Coleman, my lecturer from <redacted> years ago when I was an undergrad); looking at what a Mars colony would possible look like (Dr Evie Kendal); and examining how the US Space Force and associated projects will interact as they move forward (some random ex-military spec fic writer – I’m just glad I got in a General Naird quote).

There were challenges in writing this one. First of all, the other contributors are waaaay more qualified than me. Also, writing non-fic is not something I’m particularly experienced in. And probably the most awkward part was writing objectively from an outside perspective about militaries. I don’t often discuss my military career here, because quite frankly, its not the place that I’m comfortable discussing it in depth. But after sixteen years of service, it was nice to delve back into the field from a different perspective.

I’ve put a link in the ‘Links to buying things‘, but if I’m honest, I’m not posting this to sell you anything. Its a niche topic, and by all means, I wholeheartedly recommend it if this is your niche. Buts its been a rough few months/years for everyone, and sometimes it just feels good to share a win.

Even if technically, it’s Nikki’s win 😀

Recently I’ve been lucky enough to start recording some regular author interviews for The Regular, a Words and Nerds spinoff podcast. I like to think I’m semi-competent when it comes to tech. Still, this was a far greater learning curve than I expected. With podcasts becoming more and more popular, as well as becoming more numerous in the various lock downs over the last couple of years, I figured it might be worth discussing what I’ve learnt in my short time so far. This isn’t a Golden Rules of Podcasting post. More a ‘what I’ve learned in the early stages’ post, including some simple lessons that would have made life a lot easier had I known them a few short months go.

But first of all, how the heck did I get into podcasting?

Origin Story

A few years back, a very wise author gave me some sage advice regarding how to start out in the writing industry. Volunteer for everything, she told me. Throw yourself at opportunities.

I’ve never stopped being grateful for that advice, and I’ve never forgiven her for it either. On the one hand, following a Yes Man style mantra has given me some wonderful experiences. It’s also lead to some steep learning curves, few more so than podcasting.

It started with a comfy chair an a needle in my arm (plasma donation – nothing serious) making phone operations somewhat difficult. I received an email from Dani Vee of Words and Nerds fame inviting me to participate in a spin-off series, and I went straight back to that mantra. Terrified and well aware of my ignorance and complete lack of skills, I sent back something quite composed and professional along the lines of OMG YES YES A THOUSAND TIMES YES!!

See? Professional.

But still, there was much I didn’t know about how to interview, or produce an episode. While I think I‘m getting the hang of it after a few eps, there’s obviously still much more to learn. Yet with three episodes of The Regular out, a couple sitting in the queue waiting for release, and a couple more released as Listener Takeovers, I figured it’s a good chance to share the lessons that are starting to emerge in these early days.

Test the equipment

I’m not going to name who, (I’m hoping they’ll come back for a return interview) but before our local lock down, I had a great interview. Australian spec fic royalty. One of my favourite authors and people. It was great. We had a chat about some really interesting styles of storytelling, how fiction impacted reality, and the impacts of lock down on authors. It was my first in-person interview as well. I was pretty excited about releasing this one.

Then  I listened back; my questions came through clear as day. The answers? Muffled by café background, almost inaudible. Completely unsalvageable.

I lost a great chat, but also wasted the time of a friend and an author I have the utmost respect for. Yep. Learnt my lesson from that one.

Tangents are fun!

For my first few interviews, I stuck almost religiously to the script. I read the media pieces, wrote a few of my own questions, and then asked them. Nothing wrong with that approach, but in the last couple of chats there have been some unexpected journeys in the conversations. Not only are these far more enjoyable and natural, but listening back there is a certain something in the voices that a straight-up interview doesn’t get. It takes an interview from a formal back and forth to a relaxed, friendly chat. I don’t think I’ve quite his the exact sweet-spot yet, but as someone who instinctively follows the plan, I’ve learned that sometimes, going a little off the beaten track can make everything better.

Editing takes longer than you think

Imagine, if you will, a confident Nathan with about five or six episodes all recorded. The first couple are edited and sent odd, good to go. Editing was a breeze, barely took any time. Add a beginning, add an ending, and make sure the conversation flows as best as possible. Simple, right?

Well, for the first couple, it actually was. Then I heard the release along with all the mistakes still present.

Meticulous edits of the next few interviews ensued. I’m getting quicker, but those early few took a long time to get right. Editing is important, and like in writing, the difference between poor and good editing is the difference between an amateur and professional sound. I’m still on the amateur end of the spectrum. But learning to pay attention to editing has made a huge difference to the response to the podcast so far.

Preparation is key.

Alright, so tangents are great and all, but they need to come from somewhere. Also, if they go nowhere, they need somewhere to come back to.

I’ve only had one interview that I didn’t properly prepare for. A number of miscommunications meant that the author and I had different times for the interview. I had another interview that day, and got a little caught up in the first one. As a result, I went into this interview with a broad idea, but no specifics on what we were going to chat about.

The result? It was . . .awkward. Not interview-destroying awkward, and thankfully the author was quite forgiving of the situation, and we managed to cut most of the awkwardness in the editing. Still, a simpler solution would have been to do the requisite preparation.

Press record at the start.

I feel like this one doesn’t really need an explanation . . .but yeah, after a Certain Incident™ it is now something I always check. Luckily the author involved in this Certain Incident™ had a great sense of humour about the whole thing.

I’m hoping that people have enjoyed the podcast so far, and aren’t picking up the errors with the same hyper-critical glaringness that I cast upon myself. In the end, all of these are recoverable with the

Teletubbies embodying classic horror films, authors falling for their villains over their protagonists, and a list of dinosaurs that would have had 10 year old Nathan more excited that if he’d had nothing but snakes and red cordial for a week. After my local speculative fiction convention, Conflux, was cancelled thanks to the pandemic, Octocon proved a more than apt alternative. Weird in the best ways, full of wonderful people, and the opportunity to meet/fan-out over amazing authors. How much better can a weekend in Ireland get?

Well, for one, it could actually be in Ireland. Not that I have anything against it being online, which was the only reason I could attend, but because I really want to go to Ireland one day. But, like how my study became Wellington for CoNZealand last year, this weekend it was Ireland as far as I was concerned.

Octocon’s other great attraction – apart from books and Irishness – was that it was free. Which meant that it was a pretty easy decision to sign up once Conflux was canned. I didn’t regret it either. It’s back to in-person next year, but if you have a chance, I highly recommend attending. Great content, great people, and as a result, I had a great time.

Panels

I didn’t attend as many as I thought I would, to be honest. In my defence, I was was nocturnal though. Starting around 7-8pm Australian time, through to about 6-7am took its toll. Coffee helped. So did the engaging content, with my favourite happening on the final day.

For anyone who hasn’t read or met Kaaron Warren, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more entertaining (or award-winning) Australian horror writer. So when I saw she was on a panel about reboots, I had to attend. Friends, she did not disappoint. The entire panel was asked about what and how they would reboot, given the chance. After teasing with a creepified version of Mr Squiggle or Liftoff (like it needed to be creepier), be got. . .Teletubbies.

But not as we knew them. Instead, each was twisted transformed to match a classic Horror movie trope. Slasher, pre-colour, psychological, or the grotesque maybe. I can’t remember exactly; all I recallis the idea of kids being lured to watch the television bellies of these foul creatures, only to be sucked inside to be fed on like some kind of It spinoff.

There were other reboots discussed too – a Truman Show/The Professionals mashup, the Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog, and others too. But the Teletubbies one got me. I don’t think there’s any beating that.

Another favourite was a villains focused panel. I love a good villain, and it turns out I’m far from alone. The panel is probably worth its own post all on its own, but that’ll be another time. For now, I’ll just give the main takeaway (from a writer’s perspective); it is a disservice to the reader as much as the character not to make them as well rounded as the hero. And the point of the writer is the reader (thanks Dan Abnett for that one).

On the topic of Dan Abnett. . .

Authors

Peadar Ó Guilín described the world of Warhammer 40k as ‘just shades of bad guys’ (all in good humour), and he’s not far from the truth. Yet as one of the most recognisable Black Library authors, Dan Abnett is far more pleasant than the universe his characters inhabit. I will admit, as a former player of Chaos, his books are generally about blasting my guys to pieces. But I’ll gladly put that to one side to listen to his advice. I was lucky enough to hear several of Dan’s panels and attend a reading. He was also kind enough to provide some advice on writing for branded universes, like Warhammer. Even without an in-depth knowledge of lore (which still helps), Dan mentioned that tone was the important part. As long as an author got that right , they were in with a chance. Unrelated, the Black Library has a call for submissions, if anyone is interested.

Another that I definately didn’t fan-out and embarrass myself over was Aliette de Bodard. I’ve loved her work in the Xuya since I first read The Tea Master and the Detective, and it was an absolute highlight to meet her, even if not quite in person.

DINOSAURS!

Sean ‘The Dino Guy’ Markey’s presentation was everything a 10 yo Nathan would have dreamed about going to. With Jurassic World Dominion just around the corner, Sean went through all the facts and fiction of the dinosaurs presented in the trailer, with a slight detour into a T-Rex vs Giganatosaurus. Now, as probably surprises no-one, I was a massive dino-kid when I was in primary school. I had magazines, models, and took in every bit of info I could about them. Jurassic Park is still one of my favourite movies, and this talk instantly had me back in the mindset of that kid that gave classes to younger grades on all the different types that used to walk the Earth.

But after a whirlwind trip to to the other side of the world/my study, and working off a nocturnal routine for a couple days, I did eventually have to come home. It was a great trip, but work beckoned and some kind of semi-normal sleep structure was probably in order too. I doubt I’ll get to the next Octocon; aside from the travel expenses, its the weekend as my local con and the rest of the committee may be a little annoyed if I choose another con over our own. Plus I really want to see the old crowd there again. But I’m grateful my friend suggested Octocon this year, and I’m glad I took her suggestion. I’m tired, and probably mistyping every second word without realising, but it was absolutley worth it.

By the time it ended, I only had two questions:

1. How long can I sleep in>? and,

2. Is 34 too late to become a paleontologist?

~Nathan