Saturday 29 August 2009

Writers of the Future 25

Everything is gearing up for the award ceremony in about 5 hours. It takes place in the Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard, in the same room that hosted the first ever Oscars. There's cameras and lighting and technology and makeup artists... it is really quite intimidating. But for now, for the first time this week, I have time on my hands. Enough to rack-up the apprehension levels.
The ceremony goes out live on www.writersofthefuture.com/w25/live.html
It has been an intense week, with workshops and interviews and not a lot of sleep. This morning I was interview by Tony C Smith for the Sofanauts podcast, along with CL Holland and Sean Williams. The Sean Williams - Australia's biggest SF writer. The podcast goes out on Friday (or a week Friday - can't remember - brain's failing fast.) There's a link on www.starshipsofa.com.
This week I've been tutored by Tim Powers and KD Wentworth. I've met the coolest, most talented group of hot new SF writers around, and met some of the past and present's SF greats - Robert J Sawyer, Kevin J Anderson, Steve Saville, Sean Williams, Dave Wolverton, Jerry Pournell... it's a long long list.
Five hours. Getting nervous now. Sarah's as nervous as me - she only has to sit there. I have stairs to climb in a Tux and shoes not yet broken-in. There is potential for pratt-falls and internationally recognised emabarrasment.
Deep breaths.
So, before the big prize is announced, here's the roll call for the Writers of the Future 25. I'm proud to have shared this last week with them. Some of these guys are going to be big, big names in the coming years:
Matthew Rotundo
Gary Kloster
Fiona Lehn
Donald Mead
Gra Linnaea
Jordan Lapp
CL Holland
Schon Zwakman
Emery Huang
Heather McDougal
Krista Hoeppner Leahy

4 comments:

Jordan Lapp said...

Omigod you STILL haven't changed it.

-The neurotic.

Jordan Lapp said...

PS, Risqueman was truly excellent. I can see why you've won both Writers of the Future, and Jim Baen's.

Mjke Wood said...

Jordan - thanks for the kind comments on Risquemnan. I've now fixed the blog. I do this for you while sitting at work at what seems like Five AM. And it's COLD here! I haven't read any of the anthology yet - I need to be able to give it my full attention, which means to stay awake and stop halucinating first. OMG jet lag sucks.

Krista said...

Mike!
I found you online!
Makes me miss you.
Hugs to you and Sarah.