Time flies

A web, taken on my iPhone last week. It's all connected.

It used to be just you and me...

...hanging out over here, me writing something terribly earnest about Joss, or The Guild, or Firefly, or something geeky, and you reading it and moving on. I've been a terrible host recently. I never write. I never call. I never send flowers...

In good company

Louis Gray (I value his opinion on most matters) wrote a post this week about how he hasn't blogged much recently. Louis now works for Google+ and is doing a fantastic job for them. It tweaked my conscience, and then today I had to look up when the IAWTV elections were, so I headed over here and realised how long it's been.

Gone, but not forgotten

Blogging here started me on a path that has taken me to many, many places I never thought I would go. Just over a week ago I sat next JANE ESPENSON on a panel about webseries at Geek Girl Con, after she accepted my invitation to share her experiences on her new series, HUSBANDS. On the panel were amazingly talented and passionate creators. If you had told me that would happen four years ago I would have made you a nice cup of tea to soothe your obviously over-worked imagination. I've written about Jane here because she has had such a huge impact on my life and writing. I didn't get to tell her that at the panel, but one day...

One day...

Dudes, I'm sorry for neglecting you. Seriously. This blog will never go away, even if I have to abandon it from time to time while life gets in the way. Don't forget I am all over the place and I love to hear from people. I usually respond pretty quickly and if I don't, give me a nudge. So come and find me if you ever want a natter:

http://twitter.com/#!/worldofhiglet

http://mindmybrains.com/

http://higletfilms.com

http://maryhigginsconsultancy.com

http://maryhigginswriter.com

https://plus.google.com/u/0/113137518938994935016 (which is my unweildy Google+ profile URL)

The 'Women in Webseries' panel, parts 1 & 2 from @Ackernon

The Guild, Celebrate The Web and SDCC

The Guild is rocking San Diego Comic Con
...which is no surprise to anyone who followed them last year. Their signings have been packed and everyone is wondering what is going to be revealed at the panel tomorrow. The full schedule for The Guild at SDCC is up at WatchTheGuild.com.

And to get into the mood for tomorrow's panel, why not relive the excitement and wonder of last year? PinkRaygun have been publishing a chapter from one of the non-fiction books I've written. "From Cheetos to Stripper Bus: The Ultimate Fan Guide to how Felicia Day built The Guild Empire Level by Level." follows Felicia from her post-Buffy doldrums to the triumph of SDCC, the release of "Do you Wanna Date My Avatar" and beyond. Since agents feel it's "too niche" (ironic, no?) I'm looking at other ways to publish it. In the meantime you can get a flavour here:

Part 1  - follows the preparations The Guild and fans made for Comic Con and the amazing happenings of the first days.

Part 2 - follows the build up to The Guild Panel including the extraordinary transport provided by Microsoft.

Part 3  - Main event - The Guild Panel, the stunning revelations and the aftermath of SDCC

I'm really interested to hear you thoughts and comments so let me know what you think of it!

Celebrate The Web

Ah, the sadness of not being at SDCC is tempered slightly by the fact that one of the must-see events in San Diego this weekend is being streamed live! Celebrate The Web 2 (CTW2) is being held tomorrow afternoon at The Bristol Hotel in the Ballroom.

Since Jenni Powell and Kim Evey set up Celebrate The Web to honour the Streamy winners, it has blossomed with the support of the community. For CTW2 Jenni, along with Taryn O'Neill and Stephanie Thorpe have organised a great line up which includes a mixer, some web series previews, a sci-fi/horror panel and a fantasy/ gaming panel. See the program here.

It all starts at 3:30 tomorrow and promises to be an amazing event. For all the latest details you can follow @CelebrateTheWeb on twitter.

And you can join Jenni, Taryn and Stephanie on Yowie this afternoon at 1:30 PST for a live streamed interview  and discussion all about Celebrate The Web.

NaNoWri - Wut? It's that time again, writerly folks!

NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month

Yesterday heralded the holt-anticipated start of NaNoWriMo - where otherwise level-headed folk attempt to do the impossible task of writing a novel in a month. Yes, that's right - in the space of 30 days thousands of people will be pounding their keyboards and scribbling in notebooks in order to reach the goal of 50, 000 words. And that is a short novel. In a month.

WHY?

Because! On the NaNo site there is a list of FAQs and this is near the top. I love the answers they give - because the deadline makes you do it, because so many people are striving together to achieve the same thing, because it lets you stamp down that internal critic that insists you make it perfect before you write it...

Are you NaNoWriMoing?

If you are let me know and we can be writing buddies. You can find my NaNo page here, and I'm hoping to work out how to get the word count widget to work so you can check out my awesome progress. So many things are happening with my writing at the moment it's a really exciting time - now I'd better get back and do some more!

Podcast Mania! Chapter One now live :)

Work *can* be fun!

I've not slept much over the last few days, but I couldn't be happier. Chapter One of my novel "Turning Left at Albuquerque" is now up as a podcast on turningleft.podbean.com. I've been working on it with my wonderful hubby and it's been lots of fun. Years ago we were in a band and spent many long hours in various studios recording. It was a very different experience - we still have the enormous 24-track tapes in the garage from one session (yes - actual tapes!). But the thrill of producing something hasn't faded over time, and I hope you enjoy the results.

Patronage from an unexpected source

And you might notice that the podcast has a sponsor, British Radioweb Entertainment Worldwide. Their spokesperson, Lord Poncenby, has assumed the role of Master of Ceremonies, a role he is more than fit for. 

Knights of The Guild news!

And at the end of Chapter one you will hear a promo for the Knights of The Guild podcast. This is essential listening for any fan of The Guild as it covers news of the cast and crew, interviews and also fan interviews. Last night I was very privileged to be interview by Kenny and Jenni for the forthcoming episode. It was lots of fun! I'll let you know when that episode is up.

Putting it out there

Aside from the work involved in doing something like writing a book or producing a podcast/webseries/art is the risk involved. People might not like it or be indifferent. It might change the way people think about you. For me this podcast is bringing together my online life and my 'real' life. That's a little bit scary. But it's worth it. 

Joining in

If you enjoy the podcast you can comment on the Podbean site, make a comment here, join the Face group or @ me on Twitter. I'd really like to know what you think! Chapter two will be out on Friday 8th May, so not much time to wait to find out what happens to Jason next....!

ELE Application Processing - want to see some scripts?

It's a difficult one to judge.

I love to read scripts, to see how things have been produced and where the ideas came from. I'm not sure if other people share this interest, though. Just in case you do, I've uploaded the scripts for Season 1 of the ELE Application Processing Office onto my new blog and you can download them from there.

A new blog?

Well yes. You might be aware that I've written a novel (!) and I'm now trying to find an agent so I can market it. In order to do that I need to decloak and be a real person. Well, for some of the time, anyway. It's not been an easy road, from closet nerd to full-on geek, and I'm not sure I'm fully out yet. Some days it's scary. Will people understand? Will I be accepted? Will the soccer-mums shun me (more)? 

So....who is WorldofHiglet? 

I'm who I always was. WorldofHiglet is not going away. And neither is this blog. All is well, no need to fret. I'll be blogging here and on the other blog and other places, too (hello Pink Raygun!). And as soon as I have any news on the book I'll let you know asap. Isn't life exciting?

P.S.

If you do go to the other blog, and you want to, please leave a comment or two over there. It'll make the place look like someone has been there! Thank you :)

Contagious: Scott Sigler does it again!

Do you like Sci-fi? How about horror? 

If you like either then you will almost certainly love 'Contagious'. And if you like both then you will want to add Contagious to your collection. I first heard of Scott Sigler last year via Buffy: Between the Lines and Tabz. B:BtL had information on their website about this author who was giving away free downloads of their book before the print release and, on a whim, I downloaded the PDF of 'Infected'.  After I had read a couple of chapters I ordered the book - I wanted to see it in print and have the pleasure of dreading to turn the next page!

Follow up to Infected

Contagious carries on where Infected ends, and we find out more about the deadly triangles and where they have come from, and what they are capable of. One of the effective and joyous aspects of Scott's writing is the way he uses scientific principles to underscore the story. For me there was a real thrill in reading and imagining the terrible twists in function that the infection undergoes. The vivid descriptions put you right in the action and no splatter or gout is wasted. As with 'Infected', the pace is breath-taking and I read 'Contagious' in little over a day. You'll want to know how it all turns out! And it was a great reward for finishing the first draft of my novel - thank you Scott!

Try before you buy

Maybe I haven't convinced you that you should buy Contagious. Fair enough. How about if you sampled it for yourself? Because not only is Mr Sigler a formidable writer he is also a highly successful podcaster, and you can listen to the first chapters for free, read by the Future Dark Overlord (tm) himself. You can download that and more of his work from his website. Scott is also on Twitter and writes a regular column for AMC, delving into the underbelly of horror in all it's gory.

Numfar: Do the Dance of Joy!

It's done! First Draft is Complete!

Heh. Just over a year ago I started this blog and my first post was titled 'Numfar: do the dance of shame' . (The wonderful picture is of Joss holding up a custom Numfar figure made by Sasha Powell as seen on her blog) So it seems fitting that now I can post this because I am now a writer - I have finished my first book! Now, let me enjoy this feeling for a little bit. I know there is much to do. A first draft is a long way from a finished book. But, as Joss himself says, the first rule is FINISH IT! And I have :)

What now?

Okay, I have my draft and it's going away for a little bit. Then I will do the first sweep of edits and get it out to some beta readers. Beta readers, you say? Yes. I have some people lined up who are willing to sacrifice some time to read the 140,000+ words in this mighty tome. And then...well, we'll have to see. I want this puppy published but how that might be achieved remains to be finalised.

Er, what's it about, anyway?

Good question. It's a humorous novel about...well, think Tom Sharpe meets Ben Elton during a mid-life crisis and spawns a mutant love-child with him and Grant Naylor. But now with added Internets. Yeah, that about sums it up. It's a humourous novel about a 37 yr old geeky guy, separated from his wife, who loses his job and decides to go to University to get an IT degree. He is a decent guy, hooked on nerd culture but completely set in his ways, bogged down by daily life and acceptance of less-than-best. His gaming addiction doesn't help, either. And when his separated wife becomes pregnant, his life takes on a new turn. 

And now...?

Sleep. And maybe a glass of wine. And much rejoicing. It feels good.

Also, a Thank You

Over the last few months many people on Twitter, The Guild chat, Facebook, Friendfeed and all over the internet have encouraged, cajoled and helped me. A huge thank you to all of you. I can't tell you how much it really helped. You rock!

Dr Horrible Awards, Castle etc....Another post of last resort *sigh*

I really haven't abandoned blogging

Everyday I think about my lovely little blog here and resolve to blog. But, gosh darn it, I am trying so hard to finish my book (116,500 words and counting) that I don't have the time to sit and blog. Normal service will be resumed very shortly.

In the meantime here's some things you might have missed:

The voting for the Horrible Awards is now open!

With lots of great people to vote for make sure you look through all the entries. If you wanted to vote for Evil WorldofHiglet (and who wouldn't!) scroll down to the 'Best Non-ELE' award. It's the first time I (I mean, my Evil twin) has ever been nominated for an award, so it would be great if I got more than one vote. No pressure. But if you wanted to spread the word then that would be cool, too. And Tabz is up for 'Best Non-Musical Vid' with 'The Destroyer - MyboyfriendCat'.

Felicia Day explains Twitter

Felicia and Tabz are the two people who got me into Twitter in the first place. 2600+ Tweets later and I love using it in conjunction with FriendFeed. Lots of people are confused by it, though, and Felicia has written a very good introduction to get you started.

Nathan Fillion talks Castle

The great Castle fan site http://castletv.net/ have a wonderful interview with Nathan Fillion today. Ahh, Nathan....er, anyway, it's well worth a look!

I'm hoping the first draft of my book will be finished by next week, and then we can get back to some sense of normalcy. Anyone know any literary agents.....?

Podcasting Your Novel: Publishing's Next Wave? Plus more Erotic Zoe...

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Horrible Awards - Nominate your fav Dr Horrible fan creation

Exciting news!

Do you love the fantastic Internet (and now DVD) sensation Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog? Do you love all the wonderful, imaginative fan creations that have poured onto the Internet as a result of this ground-breaking production? If so, here's your chance to nominate and vote for all your favourite fan activity. Lots of categories to get nominating! This is the wonderful idea of snowpuppies and id bound to be very popular with fans.

You might recognise some of the Nominees...

I've put a badge on the left that says 'nominee' because, yes, I've been lucky enough to be nominated in two categories already - 

•  The Everyone's a Hero Award - Best Non-ELE Vid
• The Caring Hands Award - Best Fandom Supporter

It's a real honour and I am very grateful to the nominator (you know who you are!). Take a look at the other people who have been nominated and you ahould recognise some names: Tabz, Dr Blog Bot, Irrel, Beth Nelson and The One True b!X (creator of  http://www.evilleagueofevil.com website) have been nominated along with many other very deserving people. Nominations are still open so if you have a favourite Fan Fic, Video or Picture relating to Dr Horrible get nominating the creator. I'll keep you posted and let you know when the voting begins.

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Cory Doctorow: Writing in the Age of Distraction

Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing blogger and author of "Little Brother," offers practical advice on using the Internet to aid your writing while ensuring its manifold temptations don't derail your latest project. Thanks to Felicia for the link - it's food for thought for those of us attempting to GET THAT BOOK FINISHED!

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Writing, Erotic Fiction and Zoe Winters

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So much to tell, so little time...

It's the 1st November, let's start the month well!

I have a big backlog of mini-posts and snippets for you. The list is now so long that I have 2 choices. Either just list them with links so you can pick out the ones of interest yourself or just do a series of short blogs. Decisions, decisions!

I suppose you will just have to wait until the next post to find out what I decided, but as a teaser here are some of the topics: new independent book publisher, new internet video channel, Dr Horrible, The Guild, Kim Evey, Vincent Caro, GTCMS, NaNoWriMo, Dr Who, Buffy: Between the Lines, Metamor City, Scott Sigler, Seth Harwood...

Evil League Applications update

Over on Whedonage.com...

there's a new article up today (by yours truly) about the ELE Applications. Rachel Rhee, the new Dr Horrible Project Manager, has been interviewed on drhorrible.net. She confirmed that every single application will be viewed by team:

"I keep an eye out on the Whedonesque message board to see what fans are saying and I’ve read that a lot of people are feeling like their applications might not get selected because they are not getting written up about by some of the press the ELE has received. I just want to reassure everyone out there that every, single application is being reviewed. If you submitted to us before the deadline, it will definitely get seen by the Dr. Horrible Team."

This is good news, but most people do not have the time to sift through the 650 applications so this is a chance for everyone to put forward their favourites with reasons why they think they are good. Pop over to Whedonage.com and add your comment and share your favourite videos with us all.