Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff's Blog: #42 Pencil: A Writer's Life, the Universe, and Everything, page 80

Kids’ Letters

Kids’ Letters

by Ursula K. Le Guin

People sometimes look surprised when I say that I love to get fan letters from children. I’m surprised that they’re surprised.

I get some very lovable letters from kids under ten who write me on their own, mostly with a little parental input. They often describe themselves as “Your Hugest Fan,” which makes me imagine them as towering amiably over the Empire State Building. But most of the letters come from school classes that read the Catwings books. I try to a...

Kid’s Letters

Kid’s Letters

by Ursula K. Le Guin

People sometimes look surprised when I say that I love to get fan letters from children. I’m surprised that they’re surprised.

I get some very lovable letters from kids under ten who write me on their own, mostly with a little parental input. They often describe themselves as “Your Hugest Fan,” which makes me imagine them as towering amiably over the Empire State Building. But most of the letters come from school classes that read the Catwings books. I try to a...

Story Inspiration Sunday

Starting sometime next week, I’m going to be given writing assignments.

Why am I turning away from the novel, you may ask.

Good question!

Come February 2014, I’m attending the anthology workshop, listed here. For this workshop, I must write the stories ahead of time.

What are the stories, you may ask. What am I supposed to be writing?

I haven’t a clue. Won’t know what the first story is supposed to be about until I receive the first assignment.

Am I worried about coming up with a story idea? No...

The Eighth of December

In the fall of 1974, about a week after I had moved into on-campus housing at Sonoma State University, I walked from my apartment to the main building to check for mail, then re-traced my steps to go to my car. My route skirted the pool. Many of my classmates were enjoying the California sunshine. That early in the semester few had coursework to shackle them to their desks, and these were the days before the dire warnings of skin cancer sounded a deathknell to the fashion of getting a “health...

My Very Dear Reader . . .

It is scarcely the province of an author to refute the arguments of his censors and vindicate his own productions, but I may be allowed to make here a few observations with which I would have prefaced the first edition had I foreseen that the necessity of such precautions against the misapprehensions of those who would read it with a prejudiced mind or be content to judge it by a hasty glance.

In other words: “If I’d known you critics were going to slamdunk my novel, I would have put in a fore...

In The Beginning: Begin, and then Begin Again.

by Laura Anne Gilman

Every story opens in its own way, with the slow lead-in or the sudden drop into action, the burst of dialogue or a detailed description of the setting. But when I write that first line, the very first time I open a file, and type “chapter one?” I always (okay, 98% of the time) start with dialogue.

“Hi. Bet you didn’t expect to see me here, did you?”

My POV character takes the stage, holds forth on it, owns it as much as they can, forcing the other characters, the action, to...

Call for Poetry

I’ve started a journal of LaTex poetry. I’m not real sure what LaTex poetry is. Free verse using LaTex tags, epic tales of conquering the steep slope of LaTex learning, jokey odes to floating tables, or maybe even observations on special characters. Whatever, I feel there’s a need so I’m forging ahead.

So far I only have one contributor: me. And so far I only have one poem. Since the volume is slim at this point, I figured I’d just publish it right here. If you have anything to contribute to...

If Space Is the Final Frontier, Why Aren’t We There Yet?

Most of the time when I wear my Occupy Mars t-shirt (available from Space X), I get a thumbs up from people I meet. But awhile back a woman took a look and said, “No, no. Don’t occupy Mars.”

She was just passing by, so I didn’t get a chance to ask her what her objection was. Did she think humans would mess up Mars? Or did she think exploring space was a luxury we can’t afford? I’d disagree either way, though I’d be willing to have a thoughtful conversation on whether we humans, with all our fl...

WWW Wednesday 12-04-2013

WWW Wednesday. This meme is from shouldbereading.

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

• What are you currently reading?

I am reading My Girlfriend Bites by Doug Solter. I am reading it in my car. I am reading it standing in line at the Records Building in Downtown Dallas. I am reading it standing in line to pick up a prescription.

I am reading it whenever I am sta...

BVC Eats: Cheesy hash brown casserole

Here is a tump* recipe I got off the back of a bag of hash browns and then messed with. There are no rules with tump recipes. Change the ingredients, the proportions, the oven temperature—this is your recipe now.

This version makes a rilly big shoo. Cook it for a crowd or just admit that you want it all yourself.

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

6 large eggs

1 cup milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream

1 pint sour cream

2 lbs. frozen shredded hash brown potatoes

or “a bag” – quantity flexible!

1 large onion,...