I first met Eric Griffith at WorldCon in 2009, when he and a gaggle of alumni from a workshop I’d been to took me—fledgling Con attendee that I was—under their wings and showed me the ropes. As a fellow Viable Paradise graduate I’m especially pleased to be showcasing Eric’s debut novel on Prime Writing. Here’s Eric to tell you all about it.

How my book BETA TEST came to be is a mix of an idea that came to me in a flash, which I then tried to ignore for 14 years, and then finally made use of when I needed it (and not when the story needed me, thankfully, for stories should not have that kind of power outside of stories about stories).

The germ of the idea hit like a bullet as I stood on a Metro North train platform at some point in 1993. I was commuting every day for a ridiculously large amount of time into and out of Manhattan, to my job at a computer magazine where I had to write about Windows 3.1, of all horrors.

At the time, the term “beta test” was pretty new, or at least new to 23-year-old me. For those not technology product oriented, it refers to one of the stages of development software (and now Web sites) goes through. The “alpha” stage comes even earlier, when people get to use a product before it’s finished; “beta” was generally for more thorough testing of a program that was feature complete, but unreleased.

(Since those days, the term “beta” has become almost meaningless, especially when a company like Google can keep a product in beta testing by the public for years and years. Grumble, cough, get off my lawn, you kids.)

The idea for BETA TEST just popped into my atheistic-but-maybe-more-agnostic-out-of-fear brain as the train pulled in: “What if there is a God and we’re all just part of a program he’s beta testing?”

Once I got over the initial adrenal rush (Ooh, new idea! Shiny!), it sounded derivative. Even back then. So I filed it away. But it stuck somewhere in my think-meat and never got lost like so many other ideas of brilliance I’m totally, absolutely positive happened even though I can’t remember them.

The spring of 2007 arrived. I needed something new to write because I wanted a cool project that would get me into a week-long writing workshop to which I planned to apply that summer. I settled on that old idea as the one to work on, even though there wasn’t much to it. Yet once I opened myself up to the possibility, there they came: the tumult of more and more ideas, all of which I allowed to percolate just long enough to see if they fit. For example:

• Hey, what if the book were from God’s point-of-view?
• What if it involved a mass disappearance, a so-called “Rapture-like event”? (That term may be copyright Tom Perotta now, but I swear I wrote this years ago.)
• What if that horrible event was just the beginning, a little preview of horror just before our so-called beta test of the universe was to be shut down?

Then I realized I wasn’t going to take any of this very seriously. I can’t do “end of the world” without some snark.

So I considered: What if I had the least heroic-seeming protagonist going—an over-weight, shy, computer programmer named Sam Terra, a man in love with one of those people who disappear?

Once I knew Sam, I knew everything I needed to get started. Which is how it goes sometimes.

I wrote a couple chapters. I got accepted to the workshop (thank you, Viable Paradise!). The critiquers hated the God POV. Absolutely hated it. But they loved Sam, who had become almost MacGuyver-esque in his focus on finding his lost love. That encouragement from pros and peers was the incentive I needed to keep going. I took out God’s voiceover and put Sam front and center, surrounded by misfits who love him and offer questionable help on his quest to find out what happened and then, how to save the world (with God’s eventual appearance). Because that is also how it goes sometimes. Big ideas need a lot of little ancillary ideas to get off the ground.

Eric Griffith lives in Ithaca, New York, with his girlfriend and anywhere from three to five dogs, depending on the day. He writes features for www.PCMag.com but refuses to do your tech support.

Website: http://egriffith.info

BETA TEST for sale:

Hadley Rille Books: http://www.hadleyrillebooks.com/betatest.html
Amazon.com: www.amazon.com/Beta-Test-Eric-Griffith/dp/0983953104/
Barnes & Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beta-test-eric-griffith/1107954178

Look for BETA TEST on Amazon Kindle and BN Nook in mid December 2011!

Perdido Street Station, by China Miéville

Weird, shocking, horrific, vivid and wondrous. Fucked up and fabulous.

Shades of Milk and Honey, by Mary Robinette Kowal

Slowly and gracefully works its way towards a highly satisfying Jane Austen-like ending.

Fuzzy Nation, by John Scalzi

I blitzed through this one in a day. Fun & funny, entertaining summer read with a moral bite.

Up Against It, by M.J. Locke

Well-plotted hard science political space thriller, set in the asteroid belt.

7th Sigma, by Steven Gould

Looking for a good book for boys (not that girls won’t like this too)? You might want to try this one if the sparkly vampire scene has got your reluctant reader a little down. Martial arts, the New Old West, and strange bug-like machines.

The Song and The Sorceress, by Kim Vandervort

First in a series, with not-your-average fantasy heroine princess. Went in directions I wasn’t expecting, which is always good.

The Broken Kingdoms, by N.K. Jemisin

I LOVED the first book in this series (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms) and after reading this second installment, am eagerly looking forward to the third (The Kingdom of Gods). These books are re-instilling that sense of wonder I’ve been missing in various reads.

I Am Not A Serial Killer, by Dan Wells

While I admire the author’s amazing ability to characterize a very different type of main character, this book disturbed me in ways that make me unsure if I’ll read the rest of the series. I’m pretty sure the author MEANT these books to be disturbing, so well done on that front. :-)

I picked up one passenger in Seattle, and two in Vancouver, WA, where we all overnighted at The Snout Cave, home of VP XII alumnus Curtis & his wife DeeAnn. On the way down, we stopped in Crater Lake, where I got these fabulous shots. Yes, it really is that pretty, and was probably the best place we could have stopped for lunch.

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The trip went well, although I did figure I’d been driving too long when we pulled up to a construction delay and my eyes went funky, the road appearing to still scroll by me with the car at a full stop. We arrived safely in Reno, where I got upgraded to this completely over-the-top suite. All excesses in taste are forgivable in my book in the presence of a jetted tub.

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Speaking of over-the-top, while there is an explanation for why these lemons might be wearing condoms…

… I’m not sure anyone can explain this ceiling to me. I think it jumped the shark.

I had a great time hooking up with old and new Viable Paradise pals, and am still forever grateful the XIs (Julia, Eric, Chris, Kim, Heather) made me an honorary member of their posse at Anticipation in ’09. I hadn’t seen XIIs Jeff or Pete since VP itself three years ago (more math, Jeff), and it was nice meeting all the new alumni, and even the yet to be (Donnie). I had one of those weird moments at the VP party walking up to Kate Baker and saying “yes, we’ve met on Google Plus”, which was a first for me. Congrats on your Hugo, Kate. And it was fun to make new friends like Warren.

Notable readings include John Scalzi’s from The Work Which Shall Not Be Named On Pain Of Punishment That Swoops Out Of Nowhere To Clock One In The Skull. Mary Robinette Kowal read from an intriguing upcoming work about a black woman using magic to “pass” for white in the vaudeville era. Steven Gould read from his new sequel to Jumper. Connie Willis read from her WIP UFO abduction novel which sounds like a hoot. M.J. Locke’s reading made everyone (including M.J.) cry.

The Hugo awards gave great show. Chris Garcia takes the cake for best acceptance EVAR. I don’t think it’s possible to be happier, and “Oh my fuck!” is my quote of the year. The Best Novel nominees probably think Robert Silverberg is an evil, evil man, but he does it with so much style, how can you stay mad? :-)

A highlight for me was Mary Robinette Kowal’s giving an effective reading talk. Probably the most useful talk of the Con for me. Notable panels included one on novellas, with Dozois, Silverberg, Reed and Strahan as panelists, which made me ponder whether I’m a natural novella writer, as opposed to a novelist. Which kinda sucks, given that novellas are the hardest to sell, but puts a whole new spin on my word count issues. The short story panel was also interesting, and I did learn quite a bit from one panel on travel before the invention of the car. I flitted between too many panels to list here.

My fangirl moment came when I met David Brin, and sheepishly presented him with two tattered and well-worn paperbacks to sign instead of the pristine hardcovers everyone else showed up with. But he apparently likes my smile.

My most unexpected WorldCon moment came from Seanan McGuire, with whom I wound up trading cat pictures and who recommended Maine Coon cat breeder PineCoon in my area who also happens to be in Tricky Pixie. So now when I need to find a companion for my beloved aging Coon Diesel I know where to go.

I think my favourite panelist was Connie Willis. Here she is with her Hugo award for Best Novel. When I found myself in a panel that turned out to be less interesting than advertised, I’d see if Connie was speaking elsewhere and find that room, because she’s just that entertaining.

But it all ended too soon. Our route back took us by Mount Shasta…

… Eugene, OR, where we dined with VP XII alum Kevin and his wife Stephanie, and Powell’s Books in Portland where my brain short-circuited and I had trouble keeping myself from sweeping full shelf-loads of books into my basket…

… and these fittingly à propos chocolate zombie bunnies.

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PS: credit all in-focus shots to Canon and all out-of-focus shots to Apple. And yes, Jeff, my iPhone 3G really takes the gimpy cake. No arguments from me.

I’ve kept that taste for noodles into adulthood. And then I was taken to The Bite, during my stint on Martha’s Vineyard for Viable Paradise. Kidnapped, really. And my tormentors force-fed me deep-fried macaroni & cheese.

I’m ashamed to admit it. I blame Stockholm Syndrome. I partook. And it was fine, oh so fine. More than fine. It’s probably one of the more dangerous substances known to mankind. But it was OK, I told myself. How often will I be back to Martha’s Vineyard? One taste. One taste won’t hurt me.

Except now I find it not 20 km from me in Sidney, BC, from the pushers known as Fish on Fifth. No problem. There’s a large body of water in the way. I only get to Sidney 3 or 4 times a year.

But I can’t escape the deep-fried mac & cheese mob. Fish on Fifth now has an outlet on Pender Island: Fish on Pender. Does the “it followed me home” excuse exonerate me?

I’m also told the “best” deep-fried mac & cheese comes from the cheese factory on Waikiki. Maybe I should set myself up as the judge of what’s “best”.

I sense a future trip to Waikiki to sample and critique the warez. After all, Senhorita Macaroni knows her pasta.

Above all, I believe applications are primarily chosen based on the quality of the writing sample you submit. So I wouldn’t fret overly much about the cover letter. I wouldn’t be surprised or offended to discover my cover letter had been tossed aside or skimmed at best, depending on the size of the workshop’s slush pile.

The key notes to hit in my opinion are: be polite, briefly describe your writing sample, the type of writing you do, any past workshop experience, and why you are interested in VP (or whatever workshop you are applying for) in particular. If there are any other instructions on required information to include on the workshop’s website, follow the instructions.

The first bits are me being polite. Note that the title of my WIP is not “Title”, but I’m still feeling a little shy about it, so I took it out of this post, along with certain resume details. :-)

Dear MVSFA,

Please find enclosed my submission for Viable Paradise 2008.

Below is the description of the work. I chose not to do a hook-summary as I would for an agent or editor query. Mine was a novel excerpt, but others submitted short stories.

The submission consists of two chapters from my fantasy novel, Title. I am now working on its second draft, and probably the third by the time the week of Viable Paradise arrives. Title is my second novel. My first was a young adult fantasy, currently making the rounds of agents and editors.

This next paragraph’s all about my prior workshop experience and why to please-oh-please let me in to VP.

I am interested in attending Viable Paradise because I value the in-person feedback and focused, immersed experience that it promises to provide. Also, my novel is at just the right stage to benefit from outside feedback. My workshop experience consists of an online mentorship at the University of British Columbia’s Booming Ground Creative Writing Program, and half-day master classes at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference. I am a member of Marsha Skrypuch’s KidCrit writing group on the CompuServe Books & Writers community. I have been workshopping chapters of Title with KidCrit because I found their feedback on my first novel very valuable, and it has been for this one as well. But as the group’s focus is not SF/F, and Title seems to be skewing towards the older end of YA or even adult fiction, I feel the instructors at Viable Paradise will give me feedback from different perspectives that may be just as valuable to my education as a writer.

Very brief paragraph about me.

When I’m not writing I work three days a week as a software engineer for Local Large Game Studio, a video game maker. In the past, I’ve worked for Renowned Animation Studio, where the most important thing I learned was that the story means everything. I live in Vancouver, BC, Canada, on my sailboat.

Me being polite again.

Thank you very much for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Katrina Archer

I suppose it’s safe to admit now that I had not actually read any of the instructors’ work prior to submitting my application (to my knowledge – I don’t know which authors I’d read prior might have been edited by the editors on the list). I was worried about this, but for me, the workshop was all about getting feedback and criticism on my WIP, and learning something, not about rubbing shoulders with big-name authors (although I did get to do the shoulder-rubbing, and it was really fun! Ahem. Shoulder-rubbing in the metaphorical sense, I mean. Not that the other kind isn’t fun either…). After getting accepted, I promptly went out and tried to buy at least one work by each of the instructors, although here in Canada that wasn’t possible in all cases. This was also so I could be polite at the workshop. Us Canadians. You know. Polite. :-)

I learned tons from VP XII, and made lots of writing friends to boot. Well worth the price of admission if you can afford it. And who can resist Martha’s Vineyard? Mmm. Deep-fried scallops. Deep-fried macaroni. Deep-fried writing brain.

“Sudden Thaw”

Dave Coté discovers fingerprints in his fresh vats of ice cream. High jinks ensue.

Now I’m off to dry out my jeans. It’s wet out there!

She’s involved with an interesting endeavour in interactive storytelling, called Storytron. She hooked up with Chris Crawford of Atari fame because they were both interested in what video games do not do: focus on people and characters. The stories in a video game or book are never interactive – there is always a set outcome determined by the designer or writer. Storytron provides a way to create interesting, complex characters who react to each other based on decisions the user makes.

While I feel the user interface may need work, it’s an interesting concept. Check it out!

VP itself also rocked. I met lots of great people, staff, students and instructors alike. As a Canadian, I found it fun to have a roommate who is a distant cousin to Boom-Boom Geoffrion. I was also the butt of a lot of good-natured Canadian jokes.

I learned a lot, both about writing and about myself.

I learned John Scalzi is a very hard act to follow, when we both played Stephano in The Tempest during Beer With Billy. But I acquitted myself better than I thought I would, so maybe that idea I had about taking some improv courses to better my readings isn’t so far-fetched. I don’t think there is any video of me to come back and haunt me later :-)

I learned I’m capable of writing over 4000 words in one day; my previous record was somewhere near 3000 words, but my usual average is near 1000. They might not have been 4000 quality words but they did form a complete story.

Now I have a ton of work to do. Revisions to contemplate. I’ll let them simmer in the back of my brain for a bit while I try to find a market for the story we did as homework.

Oak Bluffs With a View

Pretty Planters

Gingerbread Cutie

Even the weathervanes are fancy

I think this is the house that suckered in Hansel and Gretel

These are people’s sheds!

They take their parking seriously here. Although if the bullet hole in the sign is any indication, so did the owner of the car in question.

New frontiers in sculpture – peat dogs

And here’s the token boat picture. Because I just gotta.