…according to my boss, who saw me eating sushi for lunch again. I asked him what on earth one was supposed to eat for lunch–ham and cheese? (Most likely with my eyebrow raised.) And thus, another delightful epithet to add to my little collection (which, in case it is not obvious, consists of insults that actually bolster my self-opinion). How did I ever last in the wild? I have nothing at all to report from the front. I am vacationing someplace far behind the lines right now. No writing is required until my (figurative) stitches come out, and so I am lounging around my clean house, julienning vegetables and watching Queer as Folk. (When I am not working at my actual job, of course, which does not give extra vac days to recover from the brain-fever of novel-completion.) For Olinka: the Final Chapter Playlist. I thought about annotating these a bit, since some of them are there for abstruse creative reasons; then I decided instead just to let you wonder. “Go Into the Water” – Dethklok“The Gem” – Priestess“Pharaoh” – Richard Thompson“Real Thing” – Cypress Hill and Pearl Jam“Kryptonite” – Three Doors Down“Sing a Little Hymn” – Two Hours Traffic“Tonight, […]
In which I am abject
I have not eaten and I cannot be bothered to eat. My eyes ache, and I cannot be bothered to take out my lenses. I almost didn’t bother to shower, but the pleasure I take in scented soaps is a pleasure that rarely fails me. I cannot even say I haven’t been working. I have been. It just hasn’t been enough, and it hasn’t opened the trapdoor in the upper reaches of my brain. I’m addicted to a drug of my own making. And once in a very great while, I cannot supply it for myself, and so I walk around craving, and nothing else suffices. All of which is to say: the post-novel burnout hasn’t gone away yet. One of these days I’m going to wake up with an original thought in my head, and I’m going to put more than a few words in a row again, and it’s going to be absolutely wonderful… and until then, I’m going to ghost around the house and eat stale crackers for lunch and listen to Wilco all day. Kids: just say no to writing. […]
Story Day: “Who in Mortal Chains” at Strange Horizons
“Who in Mortal Chains” is live today at Strange Horizons. This story marks the first appearance of Gus Hillyard. She is violent, undisciplined and very old, and she’s a hell of a lot of fun to write. I hope she’s as much fun to read… although “fun” is probably not the right word for something this bleak. Gus also appears in the novel I’ve just finished writing… the novel that is still kicking my brain’s ass, and making me do idiot things like try to pay for my lunch with American money. I hope this aftereffect diminishes quickly, because I have writing days booked later this week, and I would like to finish the next Gus story, so that those of you who enjoy it may have another treat (and those of you who don’t may begin avoiding me at cocktail parties). […]
Ideomancer March issue!
Ideomancer has a new issue, and a new design, which I think is even cooler than before. Stories, poetry and reviews; writers we found first; and a new feature called “Atlas of the Imagination”. Also, if you want to wear your heart on your sleeve (or on your boobs, like me?), we have t-shirts and things! (Admittedly, this may not be the best ever product shot. What can I say–my modeling career consisted of a single church fashion show, when I was thirteen. Hey… you may not be able to see my face, but I’m smiling with great enthusiasm!) […]