Allyson, facile maybe, but a serious suggestion nonetheles because it's so deep in the reality: dressing the part.

Not just the whack of the guys who rubber up in full Klingon foo for Baycon and other conventions; what does one wear? If you're there as a guest and part of a panel, is there the snob factor of looking out at a thirteen year old girl in fishnets and fake fangs as she makes kissyface at James Marsters, and thinking "you dopey little peasant"?

Not to mention the bonding over costuming, for those who participate.

And can you do an interview essay? Cheap, fast and generally wordy and interesting way to eat wordcount in nonfiction.

Gar, Allyson needs an additional 6300 words. Most of the stories Allyson named above were already written months ago.

Allyson, you're going to get it done, and it's going to be great. What you already have is so fun, so readable, and just so good.

Here are ideas in no sort of order. Maybe they could be stories of their own, or included in mini-tangents in stories you've already written:

• Geo

• Zoe and/or Schmoker

• The fifth WITT

• Buffista voting, Bureaucracy, and how you invented the Lightbulb

• Crazy anecdotes from other fandoms (e.g. MsScribe; Victoria Bitters -- Buffistas can link you and/or fill you in, and/or give you contacts from the other fandoms -- the Victoria Bitters one could flesh out the Penlind story)

• Sock puppets: How they were often considered funny at the Bronze (Buffy's bra strap, etc.) vs. how they're seen here, and some discussion of harmful ones (the MsScribe thing I mention above could tie into this).

• A companion piece (or a fleshing out of) "The Internet Wants Your Daughters" (which I haven't yet read), about being Fury's webmistress, and taking the flak when he'd get a bit of truth on fans, about Spike and women who write love letters to the Menendez brothers. Maybe it could be called, "And your Daughters Want the Internet".

Did you do a story about your own move from Boston to L.A.? I'm not seeing it in your list. It's been a long time since I've read your essays, and I don't have a great memory for stories I've read, but it seems to me when I read at least a couple of them, I wanted more of you in them.

Allyson, I can't wait to read this book.

Also, I like deb's idea of an interview.... get the opinion of fandom from someone on the other side of the biz.... Tim springs to mind, of course, but I bet there's several folks who could have an interesting side to the story.

Sorry - I thought everything after daughters was unwritten. What about the "schmoker" kerfuffle here - a sock puppet by a previously banned person.

My drabble for the Garbage Can Challenge:
Clutter

She’s not the type to throw things away lightly and it shows. Her filing cabinet looks like Staples threw up, lying in wait for that moment twice a year when she unearths something “lost” and it vindicates her stepping around all the clutter for the next six months. If she just holds on and looks busy, maybe it’ll all come back. The sense of purpose that made her make all those index cards for the book she never wrote. The love that prompted all those birthday cards from people she hardly sees, these days. If she throws out the physical proof, is it like saying they never existed? She isn’t sure, but after tossing a few token items that aren’t totems, she sifts the stuff and puts it back.

If she throws out the physical proof, is it like saying they never existed? She isn’t sure, but after tossing a few token items that aren’t totems, she sifts the stuff and puts it back.

Jesus, erika. You just nailed one of my single greatest regrets: I didn't put it back.

Allyson, there's a side road from one of Cindy's suggestions: what is it that draws people back to a fandom community, even after it's clear that they've screwed up and aren't wanted, or aren't compatible?

x-posted from my LJ:

I'm not bad at coming up with titles -- as long as they're not for my own books. I suck at that. And I was always better at historical titles than contemporary ones.

And now I need a title for the book I handed in April. The working title is "With Six You Get Murder," which was cute, but I really only used it because it made me giggle. It's not going to work for the book.

Why? Because the title has to convey as much romance as mystery, if not more. It also has to be on the light, funny side, because I know that's how it's going to be marketed.

So, think things like songs titles or movie titles to riff on. Think stuff like "I Love You to Death" (title of last book) or "My Love Life is Killing Me" (title of novella in last book). Right now all I've got is "The Chef Who Loved Me," which is too chick lit for Editor's taste, I think.

Elements are: Manhattan, hotel, British chef, American publicist, sex, murder. Go!

::whimpers:: Please?

"Accent on Murder" (Accent covering both your hottie UK chef and the stuff people sprinkle on food)

"Someone is Kissing the Great Chefs of Europe"

OK, I need more coffee. Will ponder.

British Food Is Killing Me

(I know. No romance. The smart-ass in me insisted on typing it.)

British Food Is Killing Me

Heh.