Are We Alone?

I stumbled onto a fascinating and entertaining video recently about the Fermi Paradox. I didn't know what that is, although I'd heard about the issue before. Basically it boils down to this: if there are billions of galaxies, each with billions of suns, many of those with planets, why haven't we run across alien life by now?

It's an intriguing question. I always believed it was because the distances are too great, but that's only one facet of a complicated issue.  Here's the video:

It gives you a lot to think about. It's still possible that there's life in those galaxies that are too far away for us to ever reach, but within our own galaxy, is there other life?

If there are other lifeforms out there, I wonder if we could ever safely meet. Think about the havoc that's been caused on our own planet when one species is transplanted to another continent. Either it hunts another species almost to extinction or there are germs that the native species has no defense against or some other calamity. It usually doesn't end well. So what would happen if an entirely new lifeform, something we might not even be able to imagine, showed up in our atmosphere, even with benign intentions? I see why alien invasions make such good scary movies.

On the other hand, could terrestrial life really be the only life out there? That thought fills me with dread. You'd think I'd be more frightened if there were aliens coming at me, but the thought of such an immense void is daunting ... and if we're the only intelligent lifeforms anywhere, that seems to put a big burden on us. We're it. We're responsible for all of the life in the universe! You see why that's a little scary?

And that leads to one idea in the video that really struck me. If Earth holds the only lifeforms in the universe (or even in our corner of the universe), we need to preserve that life. As the narrator says, "The universe is too beautiful not to be experienced by someone."

This is one reason I think space travel and exploration are so important: eventually, we'll need to spread out beyond Earth to preserve the small spark of life we represent. And right now, we need periodic reminders of how absolutely beautiful the universe really is.

Let's experience it.

100th Blog and 4th Title

Believe it or not, this is my 100th blog post! I don't think I quite believed I'd get to this point when I first started blogging, almost two years ago, but here I am. And I want to thank those of you who regularly read these little batches of words.

Here are a few of my favorite posts: Late Bloomers  How to Write a Novel  Taking Flight

Here are some little-known facts about my first novel: Part 1  Part 2

Here's my first Closet Spaceship post: CS Part 1

I intend to keep writing this blog, at least until I publish the fifth novel. Sometimes that thought is a little scary because I can't imagine what I'll have to say for that many posts, but that's what I thought after the first post ... and I'm still going. (Put me in a pink suit, hand me some sunglasses and a drum, and turn me loose!)

Now, as your reward for bearing with me while I indulged in a little nostalgia, I'm going to reveal the title of the upcoming fourth novel. Are you ready?
Here it is: The Other Side

I hope that will pique your interest. None of my novels is the same, but this one is going to be a little different than the others, a little more "out there," I guess you could say.
I tried to stretch myself a bit. Time (and my readers) will tell if I did it successfully.

Thanks again for reading!

Leadership

As part of my job, I have to read "training materials," books that claim to teach me about management and leadership. Some of them are yawn-inducing, some are entertaining, and some of them have at least a few good points to consider.

As I read, I think two things: does this apply to me, and does this apply to Lamont?

I've had several managers over the years, some of them memorable and some forgettable. One of them, a man named Tom, stands above the rest as someone I would have done almost anything for. I drove to work through the snow at 2 a.m. because he asked me to update the software. I did what I thought was impossible because he believed in me.

I was a temp when he saw me sealing envelopes. For reasons I'll never fully understand, he asked me to run the company software. I had no background in computers or electronics or anything relevant. And I'll never know why I said yes, except that I was tired of being a temp.

He told me how good my predecessor was and then he gave me the tools to succeed: he trained me in what he knew and gave me a support line number for the rest. Then he stepped back.

I struggled. There was a lot to know and I was ignorant. It wasn't long before I made a major error because I misunderstood a process. When I took it to him, he didn't get mad. He explained why it was a problem and said, "Fix it." I called the help line, we fixed the problem, and I never made that mistake again.

Every time I had a question or concern, he would listen and either find a solution or tell me I could figure it out. He always trusted me to get it done as well as I could. And after a while, he stopped mentioning my predecessor.

When I write about Lamont, I try to include what I learned from Tom (and the less-successful managers I've had). Some of the things I've learned are these: Help your employees succeed any way you can. Give them the knowledge and tools they need. Stand up for them when they deserve it. Trust them but hold them accountable. Listen to them. Set a good example.

I want Lamont to be the boss that everyone wants to work for, just like Tom was.

Thank you for your example, Tom.

Get It Right

Happy Mother's Day! I want to wish Mom all the best today and every day. I love you very much.

My allergies have finally calmed down, so to celebrate, I went birding yesterday morning. It has been a rainy weekend, but we were supposed to have a break for a few hours so I headed out to see if I missed all of the warblers that come through Kansas on their way north.

Fortunately, I wasn't too late: I saw prothonotary, Tennessee and yellow-rumped warblers, all of which were beautiful. Along the way, I saw some little thrushes that flitted in and out of my view, so I added "wood thrush" to my list. That evening, I emailed a partial list of my sightings to a friend of mine who has taught me a lot about birding and nature. He's a fellow member of our local Audubon group.

A few hours later, he replied that I did "pretty well" on my solitary walk, but he had a question: was I sure those were wood thrushes, or could they be the more common Swainson's thrushes?

Uh, oh! Many people wouldn't know (or care about) the difference, but I'm a birder so I care. I could easily have said, "Oh, yes, I'm sure they were wood thrushes. How could you question me?" But I didn't do that, mostly because I suddenly suspected that he might be right. I thought back and realized I'd seen the birds in shadow, without taking particular note of their color, and I'd made an assumption. Big mistake! So what to do?

I did the only thing that made sense: I went back this morning. I was very lucky because the rain held off but the sky was ominous enough that there weren't very many people there. My reward for double-checking myself was a perfect morning of birding ... and I saw even more birds than the day before!

Sure enough, my friend was right: those were Swainson's thrushes. I was certain this time and I learned my lesson: don't assume that you know what that bird over there is. Look closely, which is how I saw a hummingbird, an indigo bunting, catbirds and a cedar waxwing. Each time I thought it was something common, but each time my assumption was wrong and it was a good thing I checked with my binoculars.

Now I can feel good about my two-day list of birds because I know it's right. And I thanked my friend for correcting me. That's how I learn.

I just wish the lesson could always be learned in such a beautiful setting, full of birdsong and the occasional rumble of thunder.

Book Signing Advice

You've been asked to do a book signing. Now what?

Well, first of all, don't panic! I'm one of the world's shyest people, so if I can do it, you can do it!

Your next step is to communicate with the people at the venue. Find out several things from them:
Who takes care of publicity? (Usually both of you will contribute to this.)
Where will you be located? (Don't let them stick you in the back. Near the front door is best.)
Will they provide a table? Chair? Book stand(s)? Pen(s)? (I always bring my own pens, just in case.)
Will people purchase the book from you or the store? (The store is better because they can take care of the sales tax.)
What is your share? (I wouldn't worry too much about this because you're really concerned more about publicity than money, but you don't want to get cheated either. If your books are on consignment there, you'll already know this.)

Make sure you tell everyone you know about the upcoming event. Post it everywhere you can online and put up posters wherever you might find book lovers (the library is a great place). Usually the venue will also want you to put up a poster. Make sure it looks good and gives the date, time and location. It should also feature your book(s) and give a teaser so people will want to come learn more about it/them.

As the day approaches, consider what you want to wear. Make it appropriate for the location and your genre. If you're a writer of children's books, I wouldn't recommend fishnet stockings! Don't be too formal because you want people to think you're approachable.

You should also consider how many of your books to bring with you. Often the venue can give advice on this, but you'll also have some idea of what to expect. If you're J.K. Rowling, you'll bring a few more books than if you're Diane McCallum. (I usually take five or ten copies.)

You should get there early so you can set things up the way you like. Arrange your books in a way that catches attention. Spread out any business cards, bookmarks or other materials you have. It's a good idea to have something that people can take with them, even if they don't buy anything. You never know if they might decide later that your book sounds good after all. (I have separate bookmarks for each of my novels.)

Have in mind what you're going to write when you sign the book, but beware: some people only want you to sign it, so ask first! I always get their name (and ask them to spell it, even if it's Jim) and ask who to make it out to, because sometimes the book is a gift. Think about what else you'd like to include to make it more personal. If there isn't a big line waiting, chat with the person to get some ideas. If there's a line (which has never happened to me), then have a fallback phrase that you can sign ("thanks for your support," "thanks for coming to the signing," something like that).

Here's the most important advice, though: make eye contact and smile! And have fun! If you're in a good mood and seem approachable, people will be more likely to step forward to meet you, even if they don't plan to buy a book. Sometimes you can convince them that they want to support you because you're such a nice, outgoing person ... and they'll buy a book. You never know.

With a little preparation, your first book signing will be an enjoyable experience. Even if you don't sell a single copy, you've made yourself available and received some valuable publicity.

Congratulations! This is one step in the process of getting your books discovered. Make the most of it.