I’m almost finished reading Frank McCourt’s ‘Tis. While I hate to make any claims about it when I still have ten pages left… first let me say that I like Frank McCourt. I liked Angela’s Ashes very much, actually– he’s an excellent writer with a hell of a sense of humor about life’s awful disasters, and an amazing story to tell. What’s not to love? So I’m not trying to knock McCourt when I say that Tis isn’t really my thing. I mean just that– it’s not my thing. It’d be rad for most of my family, however, so I plan on reccing it anyhow.

In the meantime, I’ve just finished the first draft of the Audio File thing, which was huge. So now it’s down to getting a little more short fiction out there, which is going smashingly, thanks. I don’t like to say too much about my own writing here, but there is something small I wanted to bring up that I think is pretty awesome and important. I’ve had some badass advice– from experienced friends, from books, from agent and author blogs, from all over the place. But there was one piece I read the other day that struck me as so important I want to stand up and scream it all over the place. And I think this is the place for it.

Neil Gaiman’s blog is among the many I stalk daily. (Who you callin’ fangirl?) He does a lot of questions and answers from emails he gets, which is just another brilliant thing about Neil Gaiman. On father’s day someone was asking him how he was able to deal with all the rejection and pain and frustration of failure as a writer– I assume both in the past as an aspiring writer and now as a writer who probably doesn’t get to do quite everything he wants. And he had the best answer ever. “Write the next thing.”

It’s been a really strange couple of years for me since I ditched grad school and started on this madness in earnest– first supporting myself with any random job that’d give me free nights to write, and now going at it full time. Sometimes I feel like I’m popping the crazy pills, yeah. But that’s what keeps me (admittedly, questionably) sane, what he said.

Part of the fun of reading is seeing stuff you’ve always thought put into a pretty and articulate package by someone else, right? So this is my moment of Zen. I reckon loads of others will get it too.

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Now playing: Scissor Sisters – Ooh
posted with FoxyTunes

Oh the excitement. BUT, site update indeed! I added a page for the current draft-in-progress, The Audio File, which is my first ever not-dark-and-scary attempt. Still firmly in the realm of urban fantasy, though. Spec Fic all the way! I put an excerpt there that I think kinda represents the feeling of the whole book, and gives a little showing of what kind of magic/superpowers exist in that world– which, as we all know, is always the best part.

Also changed the page for the pet project, the vampire madness working-titled-ly called The Family. The first chapter used to be up there, but since I’m in the throes of hacking the whole book at the moment, and not actively searching for representation for it, I thought it would be better served with a shorter excerpt that just speaks to the tone of the whole thing. Which is kinda broody and dark and… Liam. (He does get better though. Sort of. Eventually. Hey, some people are just better human beings once they’re dead, you know? Sad thought, that killing people right and left might make someone more tolerable…)

Also did a few little clean-up things– making text easier to read and such. Hit me up via email, or right here, if you have any suggestions. (Apart from fixing the sidebar. Dammit, why won’t it…? Okay. I’ll stop now. Seriously.)

EDIT: Holy crap, and Becca re-did the whole site! Looks pretty damn sharp, huh? Go Team Becca! You’re the best, man.

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Now playing: Massive Attack – Black Milk
via FoxyTunes