Life
The Saga of Hippo
My friend Shelli was living with her cat-allergic mother and needed someone to take care of her cat until she was once again in her own place. I was more than willing, in fact I campaigned for the honor. I’d Read more…
Announcement
Pre-order Galactic Hellcats
One may now pre-order Galactic Hellcats on Kindle. Here is the saucy back cover copy: Ki is a petty thief. Her best friend wills her his solo-flyer—call it a space motorcycle: temperamental, fast as hell, and expensive to maintain. Any Read more…
Life
Everything I’ve Bought in the Pandemic
March 13, we were sent home from work. That was a weird day and a weird week, and I recall mostly being impressed how the headlines kept updating just like in a novel about a pandemic, getting steadily worse. The Read more…
Writing
Does Class Affect Writing?
I was at a con, talking to a lady who runs a grant program for under-represented and minority writers, and she said, “Oh you totally count. You’re still working-class in background, even if you’re white-collar now.” I demurred, and said Read more…
Writing
How to Revise to Critique: A Case Study
Vera asked me to show how I change a story from one draft to another, so she could see clearly what happens. The concrete, bones-and-sinew workings! Bad news: I do not save drafts. I edit in the same file, deleting Read more…
Blathering
How Not to Be Bitter
Growing up poor, I knew a lot about bitterness. I was bitter that other kids got to go on vacations, got to have cable TV, got air conditioning and dinner served every night. Mine was the pure bitterness of a Read more…
Life
Day 146
“For the quarantine,” I said, “I can run the workshop via zoom.” “Yes, I’ll run the game devs meetup on zoom. For the quarantine. Sure, I’ll do the excuse-to-create meetings, too.”After all, it was temporary. I could run a few Read more…