Kelly McCullough's Blog, page 101

Charles Stross

The Firedoglake book forum discussed the most recent Merchant Princes novel by Charles Stross yesterday via email with Stross attending and very famous economist Paul Krugman moderating.

I am sick with envy.

In spite of this, I am going to post Krugman's neat quote on science fiction.

...What drew me to science fiction, more than four decades ago – before I got into economics, and in fact part of the reason I went into economics – was a certain kind of possibility: the creation of fictional w...

The Future of Publishing, Forwards and Back

A fun bit about the Future of Publishing, from DK Publishing, by way of SF Signal:

Peter Watts

Via facebook -- the Canadian science fiction writer Peter Watts has been convicted of noncompliance with an order from a US customs guard. He did not lie down on the ground when the guard ordered him to, but kept asking, "What is this about?"

Per Watts, the guard had already hit him in the face, and he was feeling a little dazed.

The crime is a felony. He could be in prison for two years.

He was not coming into the US, for what it's worth, but was leaving.

A disturbing story. These kinds of thin...

Friday Cat Blogging

What deer in headlights?



Come closer, come closer little rabbit.



One of these days I'ma blast you with my laser eyes.



Yeah, laugh it up, you'll pay later.

Confidence

I've been thinking about Sean's post on confidence. I just reread it. I'm not sure I have anything useful to say, but I'm going to try anyway.

I used to do a panel at Minicon called "Psychological Survival for Science Fiction Writers." I had to give it up, because people would leave the room in tears.

Why? Because I would start by discussing what I saw as the reality of being a writer. I see it as not easy. Most of us do not have careers like William Gibson, who wrote a series of dazzling short...

2009 Tiptree Winners Announced

Greer Gilman's Cloud and Ashes: Three Winter's Tales and Fumi Yoshinaga's Ooku: The Inner Chambers are the winners of the 2009 James Tiptree Jr. Award.

Locus Online: Gilman and Yoshinaga Win Tiptree.
Tiptree website.

Things Smart and Interesting

Kristin Nelson doing Q&A: parts one and two.

The ever fabulous Jackie Kessler on never giving up.

S.C. Butler on writing what you don't know.

Justine Larbalestier on bad advice on getting published.

Ruthanne Reid on the secret to getting published, which references Lilith Saintcrow on never knowing if something is good enough. While I think these are both smart posts for many writers they both make me want to point out that you actually don't have to be insecure about your writing either to get b...

Novel Survey Results (Hines)

Jim C. Hines published the first part of his novel survey results over on LJ: http://jimhines.livejournal.com/496760.html. Check it out, it's fascinating stuff. I was surprised/not surprised how perfectly I fit the survey results. (I published exactly 1 short story before professionally selling my novel, submitted through an agent, etc.) Though it seems more people have sold fantasy, and more recently than me.... but all and all, very interesting.

Wishing Out

I have just come back from my first run of 2010, so I can now write this post without (as much) hypocrisy.
___

Writing is primarily a sedentary activity. Now, before you leap down my throat with examples to the contrary, take a good look at the words already on their way up it: I said primarily, and I'll stick by that. It is technically possible to write while walking or gardening, via a recording device or a speech-to-text translator such as Dragon, but I know no one who does. That is not to s...

Friday Cat Blogging

Intrepid explorer cat explores intrepidly



Fat cat slowly and grumpily becoming less fat



I know where you sleep monkey-boy!



I spy with my laser eye…