He drink whiskey, Poncho drink the wine
Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 07:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rolanniMy goodness, where did the weekend go?
Saturday -- early haircuts, then breakfast at Tim Horton's, a stop at the auto supply store for a replacement headlight, then the grocery store, and home. Only got a couple pages written on Ghost Ship, not sure why -- oh. Because I was starting work on my presentation for the panel I'm on in February at the day-job.
Academic panels are not the same as science fiction convention panels. In the latter, four-to-six of us are gathered 'round a table, and provided with a topic, which we proceed to argue about for an hour. The result is, at best, lively and informative (and, at worst, a complete hash), and if any one panelist decides to hold forth for 15 minutes altogether, his fellows pummel him with the microphone.
The academic panels I've seen seat four-to-six panelists, and they take turns speaking on their topic (or their particular take on the Ubertopic) for 15 to 20 minutes, with Power Point presentations. All very civilized.
Since I never, ever talk for 15 minutes altogether if I can possibly avoid it, the academic format presents several challenges. None of them are insurmountable (well, OK, maybe the Power Point presentation is insurmountable), but it does mean that I need to write, in essence, a speech. Then I need to deliver the speech, which is the other challenge. Those of you who have seen me at cons know that I don't have a particularly carrying voice. Maybe the committee will allow a microphone, if I promise not to pummel anybody with it.
Which brings us to -- today! We slept late, and ate a leisurely breakfast in our bathrobes. So sue us. We then repaired to our offices to write. Steve made spaghetti and a salad for dinner. We met over the kitchen table, then returned to our offices to write. I did the dishes, then came back to my office to finish the scene I was working on. Which is now complete, for better or for worse, and I am about to seek my couch and read for a bit.
Tomorrow is Monday. I am reconciled only because next week is a mere three days long, and there's a party at the end of it.
So, who else has Exciting Plans?
Progress on Ghost Ship
Saturday -- early haircuts, then breakfast at Tim Horton's, a stop at the auto supply store for a replacement headlight, then the grocery store, and home. Only got a couple pages written on Ghost Ship, not sure why -- oh. Because I was starting work on my presentation for the panel I'm on in February at the day-job.
Academic panels are not the same as science fiction convention panels. In the latter, four-to-six of us are gathered 'round a table, and provided with a topic, which we proceed to argue about for an hour. The result is, at best, lively and informative (and, at worst, a complete hash), and if any one panelist decides to hold forth for 15 minutes altogether, his fellows pummel him with the microphone.
The academic panels I've seen seat four-to-six panelists, and they take turns speaking on their topic (or their particular take on the Ubertopic) for 15 to 20 minutes, with Power Point presentations. All very civilized.
Since I never, ever talk for 15 minutes altogether if I can possibly avoid it, the academic format presents several challenges. None of them are insurmountable (well, OK, maybe the Power Point presentation is insurmountable), but it does mean that I need to write, in essence, a speech. Then I need to deliver the speech, which is the other challenge. Those of you who have seen me at cons know that I don't have a particularly carrying voice. Maybe the committee will allow a microphone, if I promise not to pummel anybody with it.
Which brings us to -- today! We slept late, and ate a leisurely breakfast in our bathrobes. So sue us. We then repaired to our offices to write. Steve made spaghetti and a salad for dinner. We met over the kitchen table, then returned to our offices to write. I did the dishes, then came back to my office to finish the scene I was working on. Which is now complete, for better or for worse, and I am about to seek my couch and read for a bit.
Tomorrow is Monday. I am reconciled only because next week is a mere three days long, and there's a party at the end of it.
So, who else has Exciting Plans?
5486 / 100000
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-11-23 02:06 am (UTC)Monday: Pick up Susan Boyle CD for gift, monthly co-op dinner with ex co-corkers, my turn for bread.
Tuesday: final clean up on house for company arrival in late pm, wrap b-day gifts. Dinner leftovers.
Wednesday: Entertain guests during day (movies & reading) dinner at Outback to celebrate Mom's 80th B-day.
Thursday: Games & football. I am responsible for veggies, salad, & mashed potatoes.
Friday: Movies, reading & leftovers
Saturday: Craft faire at which I should be able to pick up last 2 needed Xmas gifts (yes, then I'll be done shopping!) Let the wrapping to TV Xmas specials begin!
Oh yeah, I'm coming down with a killer cold (thanks Mom!) So I'll be sleeping a lot around all of the above.
About Powerpoint. The best advice I ever got about a good powerpoint presentation:
Your audience can read it faster then you can speak it. So content of a slide should be 80-90% picture 0-15% words. The best/most interesting powerpoint presentations I have ever sat through have been totally visual, where the speaker explained verbally what we were looking at. Keeps the audience engaged. Visual jokes are always appreciated, because anything that requires a powerpoint is already too dry.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-23 01:24 pm (UTC)Happy birthday to your mom -- and feel better, you!
no subject
Date: 2009-11-23 03:23 am (UTC)The week is Full.
Monday: friends from out of town over for lunch. I must begin cutting and steaming veggies for the marinade as soon as I finish breakfast (perhaps I can change out of the bathrobe first).
The morning will be spent preparing lunch. Then eating and visiting until goddess knows when.
The rest of Monday, and Tuesday and Wednesday, are Prep Days. We're having a total of 9 for Thanksgiving, so the acorn squashes must be baked and stuffed a day early, the pies made early, etc. - all so the Very Large Turkey can spend Thursday in the oven.
Friday is our Second Thanksgiving, when my kids and their families come over, having spent the actual Day with their father.
Preparation for Friday must also be done on Tuesday or Wednesday - such as baking the cornbread for the stuffing and letting it dry out. And making sure I have plenty of ice cream and pie.
But Friday's biggest plan is to play with my baby grandson, who lives Far Away.
I can't wait.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-23 01:28 pm (UTC)We are one people, and yet our private customs are so different. Breakfast is usually the last thing I do before flying out the door to work, so -- no bathrobe breakfasting during the week. Weekends often involve early errands, so that we can get as many hours together as possible to work, so -- a minimum of bathrobes involved there.
Prepping two Thanksgivings in one week is -- whew. You're a stronger woman than I am.
But Friday's biggest plan is to play with my baby grandson, who lives Far Away.
And there's a good plan :)
15-20 minutes is LONG
Date: 2009-11-23 05:36 am (UTC)min was MAX. Yep, I'm with you on the need to script it out...and don't forget to practise, practise, practise. It was the only way I figured out I was talking too fast or too slow. (I personally hate to vamp until the time limit - makes me feel unprepared.)
Good luck - that's um LONG.
Lauretta@ConstellationBooks
Re: 15-20 minutes is LONG
Date: 2009-11-23 01:44 pm (UTC)Steve and I have done Guest of Honor presentations that were an hour long and longer, but (1) there are two of us, and we can spell each other; and (2) we usually involve the audience as much as possible.
My favorite GoH presentation is when our characters take questions from the audience. The question will come in: "Miri, how do you feel about relocating to Surebleak?" and and one of us will channel Miri for the answer.
It's an interesting exercise (to me, anyway) because some of the characters want to stand, some want to walk around, some evade, some tell it straight out... It's all good. At least, it was until we scared some poor woman who didn't quite understand that she wasn't going to get an explanation of the character's motives, but she was going to get the character -- and she called Kareen yos'Phelium.
That was really interesting. I -- or, actually, Kareen -- came up out of the chair, very straight and stately, looked down her/my nose and demanded, icily, "Who asks?"
The questioner actually turned white. I felt bad; on the other hand -- I'd always known Kareen could do that...
Re: 15-20 minutes is LONG
Date: 2009-11-23 05:02 pm (UTC)sbs
no subject
Date: 2009-11-23 08:59 am (UTC)My lawyer has been so instructed. *g* Not really, but that phrase always makes me want to do it...
The trick (OK, a trick) with doing longish PowerPoint presentations is to have your main points for each one in large (readable) size on the screen, and when you put up the slide you can have a rest for a few seconds while they read it, and then talk about something different. Well, not completely different, but assume that they have read those points and give them details or conclusions. Much the same if the slide contains a chart, explain the parameters and then let the chart speak for itself.
This both reduces boredom (I hate the type of PP presentations which are only the presenter reading exactly what's on the slide -- if they are going to do that, either send me the slides or better a properly-written document and let me read it myself or don't bother with the slides at all) and also gives the presenter a break from speaking continuously.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-23 01:53 pm (UTC)I understand the impulse.
I'm thinking that they're going to have to bear up without a PowerPoint to look at. Steve suggests patching together a slideshow of all our covers and setting it to loop while I'm talking, but I think I'd find that distracting, if I was in the audience.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-23 07:07 pm (UTC)I LOVE the idea of asking the characters questions. Kareen would have scared the pants off me too!
no subject
Date: 2009-11-23 01:59 pm (UTC)