-
This American Life
An Internet friend mentioned an NPR report on the banking crisis and mortgage scams. I sort of knew what was going on, but wow. The podcast costs money but the .pdf file is free. Here in easy, general terms is a complete explanation of our current money crisis:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/extras/radio/355_transcript.pdf -
Form Letters
Some writers say that you're a professional writer even before you get paid, that it happens when you get your first rejection letter. If so, then I became a professional fiction writer today. I sent out one e-query a fortnight ago and received the form e-letter this morning. I took it well. My stomach complained, but I'm okay. I just have to ( Read more... ) -
Musicals--love them or hate them?
I have a love-hate relationship with musicals. I'm too cynical or at least pragmatic for most of the happy-happy fluff stuff. Jazz hands make me hurl. But I love song and dance, creative self-expression, and prefer something with a little more meaning than a music video celebrating the howl of the raging hormones, but a little less arty or self- ( Read more... ) -
Fondue Foodgasm
Last night I revisited the wonderful Rockin'Crepes place that donaithan and I discovered by accident. Here's a little restaurant that really gets it right in terms of theme and fresh menu items: nothing but crepes, fondue, heavy metal and free wireless Internet access.
Our first time there we did the crepes and drooled over the fondue. Last night I ( Read more... ) -
Dollhouse, Groceries & Free-Floating Anxiety
I'm looking forward to Joss Whedon's new series, Dollhouse, which premieres this Friday. I trust Whedon's treatment of female characters. He obviously likes women for all the right reasons. But when I first read about the premise of the new series I had to wonder if he's taken on a bit much. I mean, a customizable escort with no personality of her ( Read more... ) -
Warming up...
Writing hasn't been my main focus for awhile now. Instead, I've been moving, settling in to a smaller room with no backyard for my furkid, and updating my computer's security due to a pesky, recurring Vundo trojan. When it first struck it killed all of my browsers, DVD sound, and then the Internet connection itself. Every time I tried to download ( Read more... ) -
Duh revelation epiphany "here's your sign."
I've been blocked on my novel's ending for a long time now. September, October, November?
First it was what to do instead. There had to be something better. I free associated, brainstormed, considered feelings, the reader's experience, character, theme, symbols, images, and ... nothing.
I wondered for -- a few days? -- how the villain could push ( Read more... ) -
Sade and Phonics
I love interesting names, but I don't like names that are a lot of work. Apparently, most people agree: strange names are one of the top reasons why non-fans refuse to read sci-fi and fantasy. (According to a poll given by the Nebula Award people ( Read more... ) -
Bridging the distance
I occasionally like to hang out with my opposites. There's this saying I took to heart, I forget who said it: we find comfort and healing with people who are just like us, but we find growth with people who are not like us ( Read more... )