megwrites

I guess that solves that problem. Also, less gloom and doom and more fuzzy.

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 19:14:02 GMT

Behold, my writing woes are over! Why didn't I think of it. Can't write? Just get a cat! It worked for me, see?

[Image: A close up of two fuzzy orange paws belonging my cat on top of a white Mac laptop on a very messy desk.]

[Image: A picture taken from above of a very fuzzy orange cat sitting on top of my white laptop atop my messy desk.]

That's my cat, known as Orange Cat (or Hawkeye). He provides a lot of useful services around here. Sunlight absorption, ankle attack readiness consultation, encrypted cat butt code-writing, and late night shelf-clearing.

[Image: A short haired blonde/yellow dog laying down in front of a black bookcase full of books.]

And I think Girlie!Dog wants to be a librarian. She has great taste in literature (literally. She's eaten a lot of my best books!). Given that she's named after a book (Coraline), that makes sense. She likes to sneak them off the shelf when I'm not looking, which is ironic when she silently makes off with a copy of The Art of the Steal.

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OH MY GOD

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 17:13:19 GMT

OH MY GOD. Somebody put money in the tip jar for cityofthehand. OH MY GOD. I'm freaking out and having like hyperventilations of joy.

Whoever you are that put a tenner in the tip jar, I LOVE YOU FOREVER. I never thought anyone would, really. I only checked paypal on a lark. I was just glad to have the story out there and have a few people following it. Seriously. I just cannot even express how awesome this is.

I wrote a story and somebody liked it enough to give me money. This has never happened before.

This is seriously a big high point for me.

Also, my husband suggested that I offer those who put money in the tip jar the opportunity to get the entire novel as an ebook file (pdf or something) so they don't have to wait for the entire thing. Anyone think this is a good idea or not?

I kind of like the idea of having something to say, "Thank you person who put your hard earned money in my tip jar."

Thoughts?

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Because I'm in that kind of mood lately

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:54:48 GMT

I've been on a letter writing kick, but I'm running out of folks to write letters to. So I'm asking if anyone wants letters from me.

Addresses, names, etc will be screened and kept strictly private unless you tell me otherwise. Feel free to ask me anything, request anything, or otherwise say what you want in your letter. (Or don't want). I'm willing to send anywhere in the world that can receive letters/post.

So, just let me know. You can also just say you want the letter sent to a pseudonym if you like. I don't need legal names, just a valid address. So if you want me to send a letter to Seymour Buttz of Butte, Montana, I will gladly do so.

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When it rains...

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:44:32 GMT

Talk about your two-fers. So not only was I sick and dealing with clueless people in comments, but I found out last night that my great-grandfather passed away.

So now I have to get on a plane tomorrow, go through the world's most nonsensical layover so I can attend his funeral and be there for my mother.

I'll be writing the NaPoWriMo poems, but they may not get posted and comments may not get modded or responded to until next week. Sorry.

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How NOT to gain readers and influence bloggers

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 05:40:21 GMT

I post this mostly as a cautionary tale to any eager beaver new authors who want to get into the self-publishing game and also as a warning, in general, of how not to approach people.

Three days ago, a person I didn't know came up to me, held out three one dollar bills (US) and wanted to pay me to download his self published books from Amazon.

( The tale of the most awkward attempt to shill a book I've ever seen in my life. )

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Buying books and not buying books

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:57:13 GMT

I had something of an illuminating experience at the Borders "going out of business" sale this weekend.

For those who don't know, Borders is (was) one of the major brick and mortar retailers here in the U.S. They've been fighting bankruptcy and financial woes for years, but it's finally caught up to them. They're going under and individual locations are going out like light bulbs.

Here have a link about it from the Wall Street Journal.

This is very bad for the employees who are losing jobs. I feel genuine and deep sympathy for them, especially with the way job markets are right now.

But as a person who buys books and is deeply interested in book retail and the publishing industry, it was something of an instructive experience.

( Discussion of book buying habits, stores, economies and other things that might not be interesting. Also, very U.S.-centric, with my apologies! )

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Things! Things!

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 21:51:08 GMT

1. Schoolbook by ephemere is razored, sharp, searing, and true.

2. Conservation of Shadows by Yoon Ha Lee. Everything I've come to expect from this writer who is always lyrical, definitely surprising, never fails to be heartbreaking, and captivates me fully. This story is SO EXCELLENT.

3. I don't post advice from agent/slush reader types on writing much anymore because I think as a writer you can read too much of such things. It can convince you that writing is only good if it is saleable (false) and that good writing and good marketing potential are the same thing (also false).

Not to mention that I believe any writing advice is limited in its helpfulness because writing is such an individual thing, and that goes double for advice coming from people who are not speaking as writers to begin with.

That said, sometimes that advice is helpful, even if you're not looking to sell a single word of what you come up with.

So, this bit of advice about "why should I care" is really great.

Bonus points for advice that focuses on the constructively critiquing the writing rather than berating writers or calling them "psycho" or "insane" or "crazy" if they did get something wrong.

4. The Jacksonville Library is still sending me emails. I don't have the heart to try to unsubscribe and tell them that they were TWO CITIES ago, because frankly, Jacksonville had one of the better library systems I've seen. I'm hoping that one of two of the Charlotte branches will live up to the high standard they set.

I try not to be too much of a library snob, because I know that a lot of the problem is money and it's way, way beyond the control of the people who run these places. But still.

When the main branch of your city's library has a smaller SF/F section than you do at home? Something has gone awry. Terribly, terribly awry. And that something is called cutbacks.

5. NK Jemisin is looking for post-colonial SF/F And I am eagerly watching comments to see what recommendations are getting handed out, because that's something I, as well, am always on the look out for to add either to the "buy when as soon as possible" or "to be read" list depending on how easily I can get my hands on it.

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Updates and requests and other sundry items

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 17:38:09 GMT

1. I need a beta-reader/critique partner or two (or three) for the novel I've finished revising. It isn't anything I've shown to anyone yet (besides my husband, which makes me question if letting your partner/spouse critique your manuscripts is strictly healthy for one's marriage).

It is in the 120,000 word neighborhood, it is adult fantasy. Not sure what subgenre of fantasy I'd stick it in. There's people with wings, a really big city, smart ass sorcerers, and an evil forest with trees that eat people. So, yeah. I'm willing to return the favor if possible.

Also, I need at least one person who is really savvy with gender neutral pronouns in English, as they get used frequently in this book because there are a lot of non-binary characters and the world they're in recognizes and commonly uses gender neutral pronouns, but I need to make sure that I did my research right and that I'm using them the way I hope I'm using them (that is to say: in a good way that will make sense to readers).

If these critiques could be on the faster side, that would also be good.

2. We're moving! The Hubs (my socially approved heterosexual life partner) has gotten a new job in Charlotte, North Carolina. We don't know where exactly in the city we're going to be living, but we do know we'll be there by July because he starts work on July 11th.

Which is great, but it also means that I don't know ANYONE in Charlotte, NC. So if anyone knows of any geeky folks or SF/F writer's groups or social justice type writing people that are down there, that'd be great. Because I really would like to, yanno, have friends. Maybe people to hang with.

But this also means we need to cover moving expenses and initial expenses because the new job is paying for exactly squat when it comes to moving and I'm going to be unemployed until I find something down there and going from NYC to North Carolina is a bit of a haul. And it costs money. A lot of money.*

So right now, given that I am once more unemployed, I am considering doing one of two things:

a) Singing (or writing) for my supper by taking requests for short fiction or putting the above novel that needs critiquing out there and seeing if anyone wants to contribute to the tip jar on the model AND/OR b) Selling off some books and blank journals that I've got.

So thoughts, opinions, and suggestions on that would be wonderful!

*FYI - This is why I get really, really pissy when anyone says "just move, go somewhere else if its so bad in your neighborhood/city/state!" when others try to talk about how poor resources, lack of jobs, cost-of-living, etc affect them where they live. It isn't just as simple as pulling up stakes and going somewhere. Unless you fancy leaving all your worldly possessions behind and sleeping on the first street you can find, you need resources to both leave the place you're at and to get established in the place you're going. Which requires a fair amount of privilege, both economic and otherwise.

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Slowly emerging from semi-hibernation

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:57:08 GMT

In case you've noticed (or cared to), I know the postings here have slowed to a veritable crawl and even elsewhere they've slowed in the last couple of months. I'm going to try from here forward to get things going a bit more. Not that I think my wee little DW/LJ is of any major concern to anyone, but I do know it can be a bit of a pain in the butt having someone on your f-list who doesn't post anything or comment a lot.

The reasons for the slow down were that this winter was one of the most difficult I've ever been through, especially mentally. ( The reasons why, skip if you're not super interested in my mental health or anything like that. Trigger warnings for discussion of depression and anxiety. )

So now that you've all been informed of that, which I know you're all richer for having read, the basic idea is that I hope to start posting more. And to get on that giant backlog of book reviews I have and all the other things.

But here in my part of the world, spring is springing (or trying valiantly to, since it's in the 30's here in NYC) and I'm trying to spring with it. If there's anything I've missed since December or didn't comment on that you wanted me to or anything else, let me know.

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