Kelly McCullough's Blog, page 112

Fast writing and ball dropping

I'm working on a new book proposal, about which more later. My current self-imposed deadline is tomorrow so I can give it to the Wyrdsmiths before I send it off to my agent. The process has me really thinking about writing again for the first time in a while. I'm writing fast at the moment which means that I'm dropping some of the balls I'm juggling. This is not a big deal, as I will pick them up again on the polish pass--as I usually do--but it's very interesting to see which balls are getti...

Smart Things

J Steven York on the value of covers and how that can be lost with ebooks.

Mari Mancusi guest posting at Kristin Nelson's blog: Never give up. Never surrender.

Lilith Saintcrow on how writing (producing art) can save your life. Smart and wise and may I note that what you write can save other's lives as well. I'm pretty sure books saved mine.

Kris Rusch writing about careers and setbacks and how things may not look the same from the inside as they do from the outside. Much here to think about in...

Storyline vs. Plot, part 1

(The following is cross-posted from my LiveJournal.)

A little while back, I made comment about having a storyline for my next book, but not a plot. I have since realized that may be causing some people to scratch their heads as to what the difference is between the two. Then again, maybe no one is wondering. I don't know. But, for the sake of the narrative ploy, let's assume that at least one of the five people who read this blog regularly are, indeed, perplexed, and not merely plagued by dry ...

Stotyline vs. Plot, part 1

(The following is cross-posted from my LiveJournal.)

A little while back, I made comment about having a storyline for my next book, but not a plot. I have since realized that may be causing some people to scratch their heads as to what the difference is between the two. Then again, maybe no one is wondering. I don't know. But, for the sake of the narrative ploy, let's assume that at least one of the five people who read this blog regularly are, indeed, perplexed, and not merely plagued by dry ...

The Adventures of Lil' Cthulhu

I feel very strongly that everyone needs to watch this. Via Kelly on Facebook, via Doug.

Friday Cat Blogging

That cat-carrier's not here for moi, is it?



Groovy napping here



Nothing this cute should ever have to go to the vet



For Meglet it's always casual day



I don't think I should have eaten the whole turkey



Is my inner beauty shining through again? Sorry if I blinded you.

The Future is Not Now

I'm back to writing science fiction, and yesterday I wrote a scene in which our hero completely botches a rescue to the point of the whole thing becoming physical comedy. I find myself wanting him, in his sarcastic internal dialogue, say, "Willy E. Coyote to the rescue!"

There are so many reasons why I can't.

The biggest is the most obvious. This is the future. My son only knows about Willy E. Coyote because he's been watching the DVDs of the Warner Brothers cartoons via Netflix (which he ...

Smart Things

My friend Pat Rothfuss: Everyone Hates Their Job Sometimes.

Kate Astres posts: The Unpublished Author's Guide to Convention Schmoozing. I am not in total agreement with this post, but it's mostly good advice and it's also funny.

Kristin Nelson on Macmillan's new move to pay authors less for e-rights. And why that might not be the best idea they've ever had.

Speaking of contract grabs, how about this language: "edited, in all media, throughout the universe, in perpetuity." from America's got tale...

Monday morning WIP thread

I'm home for a while after being gone for 3 weeks of October. I've got a proposal that needs writing, a trunk novel to finish resurrecting, a sink and countertop to install and blogging to catch up with. Friday cat blogging for example as well as trip blogging and car blogging to do, plus maybe even a little writing blogging, oh and smart things so I can close a bunch of tabs. How about y'all?

Note to Editor

"Would you convey my compliments to the purist who reads your proofs and tell him or her that I write in a sort of broken-down patois which is something like the way a Swiss waiter talks, and that when I split an infinitive, God damn it, I split it so it will stay split."
—Raymond Chandler