Natter

Random crap I ramble on about.

Good reads of many kinds

Over on LJ, author Cat Valente is going through some hard times, and is offering a novel literary experiment to make ends meet. Basically, she’ll post her latest chapters of her latest work for people to read and pay for as she goes along. I can’t donate at the moment because I’m kind of struggling myself, but I’m spreading the word. I loved Valente’s The Orphan’s Tales stuff, so I suspect anyone who can participate will get something beautiful for their money. Speaking of something beautiful, have recently discovered Goodreads. Where have you been all my life?? I like it, […]

Good reads of many kinds KEEP READING

Wow.

From the Tokyo Fantasy Show as reported at Pink Tentacle, images of a post-apocalyptic, empty Tokyo. My favorite is Shinjuku — an area of Tokyo that I visited when I went there several years ago, which is amazingly sleazy and yet also surreal. Later I learned that Shinjuku is considered the “spiritual” center of Tokyo, i.e., the most likely part of the city to suffer some kind of supernatural/magical apocalypse. And this is what it might look like: Just a thought — how come the apocalypse is considered science fiction? I mean, what, people think magic can’t blow stuff up

Wow. KEEP READING

Spock and Biraciality

Went to see Star Trek last week. Quite liked it, despite problems like the women of the series still getting short shrift in the agency department, and much of the frenetic action having no real purpose. (Why did Young Kirk trash that beautiful car? I cannot condone random destruction of works of art, not even as characterization shorthand.) But have seen several convos on the ‘net that triggered some thoughts. Namely — whoops, spoiler-cut —

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Tired, but happy

I love my writing group! Last week we went on a retreat, taking over a farm in western Pennsylvania (near Gettysburg), where we spent 5 days doing nothing but writing and hanging out. I have to tell you, I’m not the sort of person who hangs out with a bunch of people easily for 5 hours, let alone 5 days, but this was worth gold.

Tired, but happy KEEP READING

The Cloisters

Now that the bliss of completing Book 2 has worn off, I’m suffering serious existential angst. Part of me wants to immediately start Book 3; part of me wants to immediately revise Book 2; and part of me wants a vacation. For the moment I’m listening to the lattermost part of me, since that’s the part that’s making the most sense — after cranking out 100+ thousand words, anyone would need a vacation. It cleanses the mental palate, so to speak. However, since I’m planning to attend a number of conventions this year, I don’t feel quite justified in gallivanting

The Cloisters KEEP READING

What I’ve been doing lately

1. Writing! Have passed the 50K mark on BrightGod (halfway done!) and also penned a 7K-word short story. The short story’s current title (subject to change, ’cause that’s what I do) is “Sinners, Saints, Dragons, and Haints, in the City Beside the Still Waters”, and it’s inspired by a documentary I recently saw: Trouble the Water, about Hurricane Katrina’s effect on New Orleans — during the storm and years after — through the eyes of its poorest residents. Some of ya’ll know I went to college in New Orleans, so this is something I care about a lot. 2. Apartment

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Happy birthday to me! Hour of the Wolf. Appendix!

I have to admit, the past year has been a good one. I’m loving NYC, I’ve got great friends and my family’s well, the book deal was a lifelong dream come true, and now here I am living another dream: I’m a full-time writer! There are, of course, the usual snafus that come with these kinds of major lifestyle changes. Had one yesterday that I’m too embarassed to relate in public, but I’m past the freakout stage now. It helps to remember that these things are minor in the grand scheme of life. There are a few more things I

Happy birthday to me! Hour of the Wolf. Appendix! KEEP READING

Happy Monday!

First thing this morning I opened my inbox to find this, courtesy of my friend K. (Worksafe, but sanity-safe? I’m not so sure.) She sent it to me because I’ve been reminiscing on the game Final Fantasy 7, which really was phenomenally well-made. It had some flaws, of course — Lego-people character design, and speaking of character design, Barrett, anyone? (groan) — but it was more beautiful, more emotionally gripping, and more memorable than many fantasy novels I’ve read. What is it doing right that so many novels get wrong? It can’t be just graphics. (Though I’ll admit Nobuo Uematsu’s

Happy Monday! KEEP READING

Weekly catch-up

Belated writing report! I’m up to 14,000 words on BrightGod, the tentatively-named sequel to 100K. (For the confused, “BrightGod” is Bright God’s Bane, and “100K” is The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. Pay attention. I might spring a quiz.) Have also finally resumed regular submissions to short story markets. Got a rejection already from Apex Digest on my “aliens want our women” story, “Commission Report on the Establishment of Extrasolar Trade: Evaluation”. But I am undeterred! I made a special effort to write more science fiction this year past, and by gum I’m going to sell some of it. Eventually. Reviewing! Spent

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Saaaay. Why AREN’T there brown elves?

Was trying to think of something to write for a blog post, and all I can come up with are reactions to stuff other people have written. Pathetic! What kind of writer am I? Must try harder. Anyway, one reaction is to this article, written by the ever-thought-provoking “coffeeandink”, though quoting another gentleman: Also, fantasy and sci-fi does frequently explore issues of racism, disability, addiction, etcetera, but through analogies, metaphors or substitutes. A story about a half-elf who feels as though she’s not fully accepted by either humans or elves can convey similar feelings as a literary novel about a

Saaaay. Why AREN’T there brown elves? KEEP READING

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