Storytellersunplugged

By Sephera Giron

It’s funny how writers sometimes get on the same wavelength. My essay or thoughts or musings, whatever you call these writings, are similar in theme to the ones just before mine.

I wanted to talk about the human aspects of writers, artists, celebrity, professionals…

One thing I noticed when I first started attending conventions, oh, about twenty years ago, was how nice MOST people are in the horror field.

It seemed like the bigger the author; the nicer he or she was or is.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but let’s just pretend for now, that all the big name authors are reasonable and kind human beings.

I was nobody, but a voracious reader, a sleep-deprived new mom, and a closet novelist when I first started to go to cons. I treated cons like school. I sat and took notes, took videos, stood quietly in the circles and hung onto every word, mining for golden nuggets of advice, wisdom, tricks of the trade. Anything to figure out how to get into that inner sanctum of professional authors, and how to get published and stay published. All this first hand information that they didn’t teach me in University, I was now learning first hand from the Gods themselves. And they were willing to teach me. Very rarely did I feel snubbed.

I learned that tenacity, patience, talent, and intelligence are major keys. We all knew that anyways.

I learned that some people will use you to get to other people, even if you think you can’t help anyone at all.

I learned that no matter how close you think you are to someone, there will always be jealousy and resentment if one person gets more kicks at the can than another.

Some people feel a sense of entitlement.

Some people feel grateful.

Just like anything else in the world, people are people.

As Mort Castle and countless others have said, “A lot of times success or opportunities boils down to luck.”

Make your own luck.

Having just come from the World Horror Convention, I saw again how people work and tick. A lot of people likely sabotaged their careers before the con by saying stupid things on message boards. Some people may have sabotaged their careers at the con itself by their lack of manners, or their countenance, hygiene, clothes, or general behavior.

I’m not an editor, publisher, or agent, but one thing I do know and understand, is human nature.

How many of you have waited in line to get an autograph from Clive Barker?

I’ve done it many times over the years. I’ve stood there for HOURS waiting for an autograph. When I get to the front, no matter how exhausted or in recent years, ill, the man is, he is always charming and gracious. He speaks to you like you’re the only person in the room. His eyes are caring, his smile is quick. The fact that he has more talent then most of us put together doesn’t even matter. He’s a truly great guy.

He was that way when he was just starting out. I know, because I met him twenty years ago at a B movie festival my husband was running and he was showing Hellraiser. Clive has not publicly changed in twenty years.

How many of you have met John Skipp? He is infectious and fun and witty and always seems sincere and interested in what you have to say. I met him back in Skipp and Spector fame days and they were easy to talk to and gracious. He disappeared for ten years and is back on the scene. Instead of being bitter and callous with a sense of entitlement, he acts as if he’s in the same floundering boat as the rest of us and keeps our morale up by inspiring us to keep our paddles going. In fact, he’s way above most of us in the sheer fact that he was mass market, bestseller, a Hollywood dude. But he’s kind and considerate and minutes standing with him result in laughter and wisdom in a delightful combination.

These are two examples of guys that are down to earth, and treat their peers and public right. God knows, they surely have their temper tantrums and angst and boohooing behind closed doors, but they don’t show it. They spread sunshine wherever they go, ironic as dark fantasists, but they understand human nature.

At World Horror, another bucket of sunshine was artist John Picacio. I remember meeting him for the first time at WHC in Arizona. He was lovely then and even lovelier now even though his fame has grown by leaps and bounds. He’s another one that gives good eye contact, friendly handshakes and sincere questions about what’s going on.

What about Dorchester editor, Don D’Auria? Who wouldn’t think that he would be some crusty old man with a chip on his shoulder and only time for the biggest and the best?

I nearly fell over the first time I met him. Who was this friendly, boyish, handsome and charming man encouraging me to keep submitting to Leisure though he had rejected me countless times? I’ve known Don for nearly ten years now, I think, and even though he brought horror back and has authors chomping on his heels constantly, he is kind, patient, funny and gracious. He is a joy to work with, too.

I got to meet Solaris editor George Mann in Toronto for the very first time. Why did I think he’d be some uptight English guy with impossible standards and a wall to break down?

No, George is fun, and funny, smart and witty, has that English accent thing going on, and isn’t hard on the eyes either!

What’s with all these great horror folk?

There are many, many more men and women I could point out and say they make me laugh and smile and feel like I have a reason to live. But you get the idea.

I try to keep my public face friendly but it’s very hard sometimes when I have other crap rattling around in my head. I so admire these men and women who can smile all the time and act sincere. They spread good feelings around and after talking to people like them, I’m filled with so much enthusiasm and inspiration that I feel that I, too, could move mountains. That maybe one day, I too could stand with the Gods.

I aspire to be smiley, but I know I’m not always. I know I get moody and bitchy. And I hate it when I’m not my best publicly. But the more cons I go to and feel the radiation of the “good ones” the more I feel I can put my own sunshine in a bottle to share with others.

What does this have to do with writing?

Not much and yet everything.

Like I said, I’m not an editor, agent, or publisher, but if I was one, I would surely be looking to work with charismatic, charming people as opposed to surly, trouble makers with a sense of entitlement. There are only so many slots to fill and thousands of writers clambering for those slots. Wouldn’t you rather work with someone who has good manners and makes you feel good about yourself and what you’re doing?

So next time you try to bully your friend to get you work, or you snap at a fan who wants an autograph, or you are too busy getting from point a to b to notice a reader who wants to say hello, slow down and be nice. It goes a long way towards building a fan base, a career, having people wanting to work with you, and being a general, good person with lower blood pressure.

The more work you get, the higher up the ladder you climb, the more you truly see who your friends are, and it never hurts to cultivate a few more…