Kelly McCullough's Blog, page 46

Friday Cat Blogging

Move me and die hairless ape!



If you loved me, you'd pick me up and put me in your lap.



Kiss me, you fool.



Nose and toes, nose and toes.



Methinks I saw a treat come this way.



Hellooo, Beautiful.



I like you, you may refer to me as your majesty.

Writing is Hard, Barbie

Probably most of you don't remember that stink several years ago now over some talking Barbie doll that said, "Math is hard!" But, it is to that which the subject header makes a reference.

I don't always think writing is hard, but I sure did yesterday. I'm doing something lately that I don't attempt very often. I'm writing a short story.

Worse, yesterday, I met some writer friends per usual at our traditional coffee shop and, by chance, the owner had scheduled an author event. A gentleman read from his memoirs, and... well... I'm not fan of memoirs, frankly, but it was also really difficult to write my own words while desperately trying to tune out another's. Also, I'm at that point in the short story (about half way or 2/3rds way through) where I think it completely sucks.

But, today I will try again.

Because that's what it's all about. (Well, that and the hokey-pokey, of course.)

Friday Cat Blogging

I ignore you from between your knees.



From hell's heart I…Okay, from between your knees I…



I catched the sun in my paws. Now what?



I know why the whales beach themselves.
It's because they feel like I feel now.



I defy you to put clever words in this mouth.



You fill tub with treats now, yes?



Just heating the water with mah laser eyes before drinking.

Speaking of the Stars

Big, bright, and beautiful, spiral galaxy M83 lies a mere twelve million light-years away, near the southeastern tip of the very long constellation Hydra. This cosmic close-up, a mosaic based on data from the Hubble Legacy Archive, traces dark dust and young, blue star clusters along prominent spiral arms that lend M83 its nickname, The Southern Pinwheel. Typically found near the edges of the thick dust lanes, a wealth of reddish star forming regions also suggest another popular moniker for M83, The Thousand-Ruby Galaxy. Dominated by light from older stars, the bright yellowish core of M83 lies at the upper right. The core is also bright at x-ray energies that reveal a high concentration of neutron stars and black holes left from an intense burst of star formation. In fact, M83 is a member of a group of galaxies that includes active galaxy Centaurus A. The close-up field of view spans over 25,000 light-years at the estimated distance of M83

Writing Group

A very nice meeting of the Wyrdsmiths last night. There were only four of us. Doug was writing against a Monday deadline. Kelly was madly revising. Adam was in Las Vegas. Bill was in the east.

I was in a miserable mood, because my partner Patrick has just lost his part-time job, which was all the money he had coming in. And the day was gray and bleak.

But the other three -- Naomi, Sean and Lyda -- liked my story. That, plus simply chatting with them, moved my mood into happiness.

Sartre said hell is other people. I would say happiness is other people -- and nature -- and the stars.

Character on Board!

SF Signals had another Mind Meld question that they posed (and kindly asked if I would answer) "What are the advantages of character driven science fiction stories over stories that emphasize technology and sense of wonder? Can you provide some examples of stories that deliver both in a satisfying way?"

To which I (and many others) responded....

DONE!

What are the two best words in the writerly vocabulary? THE END

Woohoo! Done!

Done! Done! Done!

3 novels, 300,000 words of fiction, in a bit under 18 months.

Still done!

All three will have gone in under deadline.

Did I mention still done?

Smart Things

Jay Lake saying smart thing about not following every bit of writing advice you get, a sentiment I firmly agree with. It's too easy to lose your own writing process in the sea of advice that may or may not suit you. Then, to balance himself out, he goes on to be smart about the idea that some advice you should follow.

Dean Wesley Smith saying smart things about the inherent conflict of interest in agent as e-publisher. I know this is a touchy subject for many, but I think that Dean is right here that no matter how good your relationship is with your agent this is very shaky ground. I also suspect that sometime real soon here agents as publishers is going to result in ugly lawsuits for some.

Richard Parks saying smart things about getting hung up on language to the detriment of story, or as he puts it, "analyzing the leaves and missing the forest."

For Halloween, agent Kristin Nelson says smart things about scary bad contract clauses that every author and agent should be on lookout for.

Finally, via our mutual editor the marvelous Anne Sowards, Jim Butcher saying smart things about what it takes to make it as an author.

Friday Cat Blogging

Care to dance?



Halp, mah bed isn't big enough and I falled out!



Pardon me do you have any gray…ah, I just can't do it.



Wise cat loves the sun.



Well, I never!



I did, and I enjoyed every second of it.



Wish I could unsee that!



Gratuitous extra Meglet pic because she's having surgery today and I'm worried about her.

Dead Again

Probably most of you have already heard this, but for those who haven't: Realms of Fantasy is dead (again.)