I was in second grade, I’m pretty sure, but maybe first. That age where, every week, we had to fold a piece of paper in half, lengthwise, and number ten lines for our spelling test. The teacher would pace sedately down the aisles between desks, watching us bent dutifully with Read more…
When I first heard about fan fiction, I was … oh let’s be honest, I was a kid and I reacted like all the worst, reactionary blowhards you can imagine. “Why would you do that?? Those are SOMEONE ELSE’S CHARACTERS! Where is the creativity? The AUTOUR?” And so on. But Read more…
February 9th, 2005, I sent a draft of a story called “The Falls” to my friend and writing workshop-mate Pat Stansberry. Hey Pat… For what it’s worth I did some editing on the Dead story I wrote. I don’t know if you were still planning on doing anything with the Dead stuff, but I wanted you Read more…
There is a trope in movies were a gorgeous actress wears glasses and baggy clothes in the first act, then someone gives her fashionable clothes, contact lenses, and does her hair, and she spends the rest of the movie acknowledged as pretty. They call this “The Pretty Ugly Girl” and Read more…
It’s time for the annual year-in-review / award eligibility post. Let’s start with the award-eligible list for the convenience of those preparing their Hugo or Nebula ballot or, I dunno, Best Midwestern Author Who Used to Play Football Award? In 2021, I had published: One Novel – My First! Galactic Read more…
I’m at WorldCon in Washington DC from now until Sunday. Looking forward to seeing and hanging out with many of my dear distant friends. Here is my schedule for those interested in finding me: Thursday 10am: Changing Genes – can we, should we?Thursday 10pm: drinks with friends at the hotel Read more…
I felt my hubris, heading to a huge, international event in the midst of a pandemic that is very much heating up. Heck, I was downright terrified, especially for the safety of some of my favorite fellow attendees whose health is more fragile than mine. But I just … HAD Read more…