Lusty Literati

New URL!

2011-03-06T20:03:00.000-06:00

The Wordpress switchover went easier than expected! The entirety of this blog is now available at http://dorlamoorehouse.com. I'll leave this site up for awhile, but please update any necessary RSS feeds. I look forward to seeing you over at the new site!

Excuse my dust!

2011-03-06T19:52:00.000-06:00

I'm going switch to Wordpress and get a stable URL. And there's big news coming soon!

Further bulletins as events warrant.

Free SXSW Literary Event!

2011-03-06T09:55:00.008-06:00

A couple of posts back, I was bemoaning the cost of South by Southwest Interactive, and thus my ability to attend any literary events. But as luck would have it, Kirkus Reviews is sponsoring a FREE four-hour publication camp on Friday, March 11th. I'm so excited! Now I don't feel quite so left out of the whole thing. I'm especially interested to see what advice they offer given how much time I've spent reading Dean Wesley Smith's Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing series.

You have to register in advance, so if you're interested, don't delay!

Congratulations to Jonathan Pinnock!

2011-03-03T09:46:00.008-06:00

Writer Jonathan Pinnock has just found out that he's been shortlisted for Salt Publishing's Scott Prize, an award given for a debut collection of short stories. There were 60 entries and now 10 authors remain on the shortlist. Winners will be announced in April. Congratulations, Jonathan, and good luck on the next round!

Submissions in 2011

2011-03-02T09:39:00.000-06:00

I'm a maniac! While my goal of getting all my old work back out into the publishing ether by the end of the weekend was far too ambitious, I'm still submitting like I've never submitted before, and I'm quite proud of myself for it. I've spent too much time in recent months not living up to my submission potential, and part of that was due to disorganization. But now I seem to be getting back on track. Now if only I would hear back from editors one way or another!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-02T09:32:00.002-06:00

I am continually amazed by celebrity egos

2011-02-27T14:13:00.000-06:00

Via The A.V. Club:

The Tarzana-based Columbia (school motto: “No, not that one”) has announced via press release that it is launching a course entitled “Master Class: Editing James Franco…with James Franco,” in which students will come to a deeper understanding of Franco by compiling a 30-minute documentary on Franco, using footage of Franco supplied by Franco, all in the academic pursuit of Franco. Overseen by Franco’s right-hand Franco, Tyler Danna, the class will ask student editors to “create a cinematic image of James Franco”—a task akin to producing a rainstorm on paper—using Franco-chosen behind-the-scenes videos from the short films that Franco has directed.

I've always admired Franco's acting ability, but I keep hoping that this is a hoax. It's just too over-the-top. I mean, I wouldn't mind if one day I wrote a novel that was studied in a college class. And I've taken courses on writers who are still alive (Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje) - but this seems different. It's not a film analysis class; it's not a film-as-text class; this seems more to me like studies in egotism. And students are paying a lot of money to feel Franco's ego.

Sunday Pleasures

2011-02-27T13:42:00.000-06:00

I'm having a relaxing Sunday as a way to round off a wonderful weekend. My spouse and I spent yesterday evening watching most of the 2011 Oscar-nominated short films. Our theater wasn't screening the documentaries, but we did see the animated and the live-action shorts. My favorite animated short was Madagascar: A Travel Journal, though I think The Gruffalo is a shoe-in for the Oscar. After much deliberation, Wish 143 was my favorite of the live-action films (though they are really all quite stellar), though Na WeWe, my least-favorite film due to what I felt was a cop-out ending, seems nonetheless most likely to win.

In other media news, I'm currently making my way through season 2 of Breaking Bad. This is one of the most emotionally intense shows I have ever watched, and I can't get enough of it.

And going back to Friday night, J and I had a fabulously unhealthy dinner at Johnny T's BBQ up in Round Rock. It's cheap and the food is delicious. They put more efforts into their delicious meats than they do their side dishes, but it's all-around delicious. Unless you're a vegetarian, that is.

The Poetry Table, Stage 1

2011-02-24T07:57:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday, I realized that in 48 hours, I would be hosting the first meeting of my new poetry critique group, and that I really needed to have some kind of coffee table in the living room.

Target didn't have anything I liked in a price I wanted to pay. Goodwill didn't have anything I liked. So although I'm not a big fan of the Salvation Army, I went there in desperation and found a table in the size and shape I wanted for a whopping $20. One of the shelves was broken and the cheap black paint was peeling, but I figured I could throw a tablecloth over it and nobody at poetry group would be the wiser. Problem solved!

But then I began thinking about all the ways I could take this table and make it pretty. And I settled on a poetry table. This is going to be a bit of a slow process, but here is what I've done so far:

First, I started stripping the paint. Unfortunately, the previous owners used latex paint, which is kind of a pain in the ass to remove. I've found that a razor blade is working pretty well. It's resulted in a few nicks in the wood, but those won't matter in the end. I hope to finish this phase of the project by the end of the month, so I can have the table completed before a big party I'm having in mid-March. Here's the table, partially stripped:

I plan to cover the table in poetry. Here are some of the poems I've cut out or printed off my computer that I plan on shellacking to the table once the paint is all gone.

And here is last year's Texas Poetry Calendar, which I am using as source material. I'm so glad I can do something with this used-up planner and it doesn't have to go to waste!

Thankful Thursday

2011-02-24T07:32:00.000-06:00

It's been a tough week, but I'm thankful for my great friends and my wonderful spouse who have all helped me out.

I'm thankful that I have a two-hour massage scheduled tonight.

I'm thankful I was able to reschedule the appointment I had to cancel due to this week's (still ongoing) car trouble, so I didn't actually lose the opportunity to make money.

I'm thankful that neither mechanic has charged me for a diagnostic fee on my car. Now if they could just get her fixed . . .

I'm thankful that although I haven't been sleeping well, at least I've been able to get a LOT of writing and submitting done this week. I'm thankful that the weekend is almost here. Things will definitely get easier.

Submissions in 2011

2011-02-23T08:19:00.000-06:00

So I admit, I went a little crazy on submissions yesterday.

First off, last week: In addition to submitting my one-act, I submitted my novella to a second publisher. I need to get it into more markets. I can't be lazy about this. Then, on Sunday, a story I submitted in 2010 got rejected. Now, I really try not to take rejections personally. I try not to let them affect me. But this one did. This story means a lot to me on an emotional level, it's one of my best pieces, and having it rejected really stung. So how did I deal with it? By going a little crazy and submitting it to 5 new markets. This might have been a touch of overkill, I admit. But it made me feel better!

Yesterday, I also submitted three erotica pieces - one a story I finished Monday, and two stories I finished yesterday morning.

Although I've neglected my big novel project this week, I've done a really good job of clearing out a backlog of stories that were nearing the final stages of revision but had yet to be completed. I only have one left, which I plan to finish today, especially because, due to my car being in the shop, I had to cancel some appointments due to transportation issues.

I also came to the hard realization that I have a lot of stories that have been out for over a year but not formally rejected but need to be resubmitted. After a year, you can be pretty sure they weren't taken, for one reason or another. I've kept them out in hopes that they might still be accepted, even though I know darn well it's unlikely at this point. Unfortunately, I did a bad job of keeping an up-do-date submission spreadsheet last year (part of why I'm publishing it on the blog this year - keeps me accountable). And the "fiction" folder in my hard drive? A total mess. So my goal for the weekend is to get my old stories organized and submitted. By Sunday night, I'd like it if I didn't have any old work lying around, languishing on my computer. My goal is for everything to be out somewhere.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-23T08:02:00.002-06:00

Literary Events at SxSW Interactive

2011-02-22T05:27:00.000-06:00

If you were able to blow the money on a pass for South by Southwest, there are a ton of great literary events at the Interactive portion of the festival. Literary Austin has a rundown of all the book readings and other literary celebrations.

As much as I'd like to be able to attend some of these, I don't have several hundred dollars to blow on a pass, even not an Interactive pass, which is much cheaper than the cost to attend the music or film portions of the festival. I'm especially bummed at how expensive the Interactive festival is. Music and film are great, sure, but the Interactive portion has panels on the future of publishing and other aspects of literary culture that are important to me as a writer. But I just don't have the cash to spend.

Festivals always seem to have this aim of bringing people together, and yet SxSW seems to do a pretty good job of only letting monied people in. Yeah, I'm grumpy about it. I hate missing out on fun just because I don't have an extra $400-$700 lying around in my bank account.

Confession Tuesday

2011-02-22T05:15:00.000-06:00

I confess that I haven't submitted any new writing this week and I'm feeling anxious about it. I know, I know, it's Tuesday. But I seem to be having one of those weeks, and I'm paranoid it just won't get done. I confess that of all the monthly goals I let slide, doing one new submission a week is not one that I'm okay slacking off on.

I confess that my car's check engine light came on yesterday and I got more upset than I probably should have. I confess that it's just a bad week for my car to need work. But that's always the way, isn't it? I'm sure by the time next week rolls around, something else will have happened that makes it inconvenient for me to have car trouble.

I confess that I wish Autozone opened sooner than 7:30. I'm wide awake after a nightmare and want to get this taken care of NOW.

I confess I'm the impatient type.

I confess that a hot cup of tea is making this seem a teensy bit better.

LGBT Reading Challenge 2011: Unspeakable Horror

2011-02-20T08:51:00.000-06:00

I'm not much of a horror fan - it's not that I don't like the genre, I just never had much of an interest in it. But last year, I bought a copy of this book when I found out my friend Reesa Brown was published in it. And because I always have more unread books on hand than ones I've read, this one languished in my ever-growing "to read" stack until I decided to pick it up and read it for this challenge.

Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet is an anthology of queer-themed horror stories. The horrors here aren't just the ghosts that haunt you, the spirits that possess you, or the evil people who persecute you. The real horrors are instead the oppression and repression these characters face, and the lengths they have to go in order to hide their sexualities, protect themselves, stay closeted. The fear of the thought of having to deny one's self, to deny one's love, and the consequences of all that denial. There are ghouls and goblins here, sure - but the psychological torture and trauma these characters experience is far greater than any harm the creatures could cause them.

Although, as I mentioned above, I found Unspeakable Horror to be a good introduction to the genre. It provides a mix of "things that go bump in the night" with pure psychological stuff, and gave me a good feel for what I like and don't like in terms of horror stories. It taught me that horror writing isn't all blood and guts, and in fact is far more insidious. And as a bisexual woman in an open marriage and trying to balance (and occasionally hide) that with a family who refuses to understand her life, I found something of myself in most of these.

But I think Unspeakable Horror is relevant even for those who are not LGBT. We all have our secrets, and those secrets can haunt us. Anyone who reads these stories will understand the feelings of alienation and repression that come from hiding, that come from having to pretend you're somebody you're not. This is a fantastic anthology, and I highly recommend it.

Sunday Pleasures: Belated Post-Marfa Edition

2011-02-20T08:27:00.000-06:00

I actually dreamed about being in Marfa last night, probably because I spent part of yesterday evening working on a collage of our trip. Nearly two weeks post-vacation, here are some of the lovely places we visited out west.

We were supposed to stay at the adorable and cheap STAY Marfa, but due to a freeze, their plumbing burst. Although we were bummed about not being able to stay in these cool apartments, we didn't complain when we found out we'd been put up in the historic Hotel Paisano for no extra charge. After a long day of driving, we got a few groceries from the Get Go and settled into our room to drink boxed wine and watch bad cable TV.

On Saturday we drove out to Prada Marfa and had fun fooling around taking pretentious photos. On our way back into Marfa proper we got absolutely delicious (and cheap!) tacos at Tacos Del Norte. Even better than many of the tacos you can get in Austin. Back in town, we walked around taking photos of Marfa and stopped in at Marfa Book Company, where I dropped far more money than I'd budgeted. Dinner that night was at Pizza Foundation, which has a fantastic array of toppings to make the pie of your dreams. And after getting lost and having to drive up a mountain in the dark, we finally made it out to the McDonald Observatory, where we got to look through powerful telescopes and have an astronomer point out constellations with the most badass laser pointer I have ever seen.

Sunday was all about hiking in Big Bend National Park. After breakfast at the Austin Street Cafe, we drove two hours (and went through a border patrol checkpoint) to have an adventure. We went down into a canyon and could see Mexico across the Rio Grande - and the river was so low that if we'd wanted to risk getting in trouble with border patrol, I would have run across and touched it. We spent the entire afternoon being floored by the beauty of the Texas mountains. I can't wait to go back so I can see them again. After getting dusty and dirty while hiking (and realizing the hard way that you really can't go off-roading in a Honda Civic), we stopped in at the Terlingua ghost town and went on the walking tour. Then we stopped in for a beer at the Starlight Theatre before heading back to our hotel to be lazy after a busy day.

On Monday morning we took a yoga class at Marfa Yoga, checked out of the hotel, and headed out to Chinati Hot Springs. We had to drive up a mountain again, but this time it was a totally unpaved mountain. After a slightly stressful trip up, we found ourselves in a beautiful, remote place without wifi or cell phone signal. We hiked, we cooked in the communal kitchen, and we spent a nice long time soaking in the springs. It was a great way to cap off our West Texas adventure.

Vote in Smut Marathon Round 10

2011-02-17T16:18:00.000-06:00

Just because I'm out of Smut Marathon doesn't mean I'm done supporting it! Round 10 is up and ready for votes!

For round 10, the remaining four contestants were asked to revise and expand one of their earlier pieces. Alison Tyler put up each piece as its own post. Joss Lockwood revised "Something Like Love," Angell Brooks revised "Fucked to Death," May Deva revised "Overtime," and Emma Hillman revised "In the Middle."

Check out each story and then vote for your favorite!

Thankful Thursday

2011-02-17T16:06:00.000-06:00

I'm thankful that after my stressed-out post on Tuesday, I'm starting to feel like my life is back on track.

I'm thankful for two new tutoring clients.

I'm thankful that Texas has warm weather again.

I'm thankful that I get to go dancing tonight.

I'm thankful that I get to go home with someone special after dancing . . .

I'm thankful that my spouse and I finally have health insurance.

Italy Reading Challenge 2011: Baudolino

2011-02-16T08:21:00.000-06:00

The second book I chose for the Italy in Books Reading Challenge was Baudolino by Umberto Eco. Although the book is only set in Italy some of the time (it is also set in Constantinople, Paris, and the Far East), a major plot point occurs in Italy and the title character was born there.

The novel is set in 1204, with Constantinople being raided during the 4th Crusade. Baudolino, at this point an old man, saves a court official and historian named Niketas from certain death, and as they flee to safety, Baudolino narrates his entire life story and his adventures.

Theoretically, I should have loved this book. It's historical fiction, and I love historical fiction. It's about religion, and while I'm not religious, I love stories about religion. It's also about storytelling and the ways in which history and myth are told, retold, and established. And Baudolino is an unreliable narrator - I love a story with an unreliable narrator, when I can't be sure if he's telling me the truth or if he's telling me a lie.

However, I just couldn't get into Baudolino. It's a good story, and the translation is beautiful, but for some reason, the book failed to captivate my interest or keep my attention. In fact, there was one point at which I considered giving up - it was really only this reading challenge that kept me motivated to make it to the last page. And the frustrating part is that I can't really explain why I didn't like it. Intellectually, I know it's a good book. But it didn't do anything for me on an emotional level.

I've heard from more than one person that Baudolino is not Eco's best work, and that I'd like his other writings much more. I haven't written Eco off yet, and I'm going to guess that my friends are right; that Eco is a wonderful writer, but Baudolino is not the place to start.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-16T08:09:00.000-06:00

Submissions in 2011

2011-02-15T08:01:00.000-06:00

This week I sent off the one-act I've been working on. It's been a long, slow road to get this piece up and running, but I've loved the journey.

I can't believe we're 11 weeks into the new year and so many of my submissions are still up in the air. I am so tired of the waiting game. Not to mention that I'm still waiting to hear back from pieces I submitted at the end of 2010. Granted, the waiting game is nothing new. It's a natural part of publishing life. But patience has never been my strong suit.

Confession Tuesday

2011-02-15T07:53:00.000-06:00

I confess that I feel horribly behind on life. I don't remember I put serious effort into my novel. I have a mountain of short stories building up. And life just sort of keeps interfering. The West Texas road trip was the start of me getting behind schedule (though I don't regret a thing). The day after I got back, I got sick, and spent the entire day unable to do much more than watch TV or read. Then there was just one day until the weekend, which involved more social events than usual. Plus I've picked up two new tutoring clients. I'm not going to bemoan the presence of new clients in my life, because I can fit them into my schedule and I need the money, but I'm nonetheless frustrated by the fact that I have a deadline for the first draft of my novel (April 11th) and I'm worried that I'm not going to meet it, plus the fact that my output has been lower than usual. After several weeks of not seeing any calls for submissions that piqued my interest, I'm now seeing two or three a day. I know there's no way I could meet them all even if I had all the time in the world, so I shouldn't be frustrated, but it doesn't help.

I confess that I know that the problem of feeling behind and overwhelmed is not a new one, and it will pass. It helps to air it anyway.

I confess that I crashed at 9:30 pm last night and slept for 10 hours and in fact am feeling much more optimistic about all this, so hopefully my creative life will turn around soon.

New Musical Obsession

2011-02-10T07:21:00.000-06:00

Entirely apropos of the general theme of this blog, I have to share this video. My friend introduced me to the band Hello Saferide on our road trip, and I nearly drove her crazy asking her to play the EP we were listening to over and over. So here's the first track from "Would You Let Me Play This EP 10 Times a Day?" Because I'm obsessed.

Thankful Thursday

2011-02-10T07:15:00.000-06:00

I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to spend 5 days traveling around West Texas. To have a wonderful traveling companion with a good music collection and a hybrid. To finally get to see Marfa. To hike through Big Bend and get closer to Mexico than I ever have before. Thankful that the ice in Austin on Friday didn't prevent us from getting out of town, and that driving conditions were wonderful for the rest of the trip.

I'm thankful that we made it back to Austin in time for me to go dancing.

I'm thankful that the virus I began suffering from at three o'clock on Wednesday morning was short-lived and that I now feel great.

I'm thankful that I have a busy, fun-filled weekend ahead.

Submissions in 2011

2011-02-09T07:47:00.002-06:00

Despite spending the first part of the week on the road and falling behind in some goals, I've still managed to keep up with my weekly submission goal. I sent out a flash fiction piece this week! Would love to hear back on older submissions soon as well.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-09T07:41:00.000-06:00

Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing

2011-02-03T08:54:00.000-06:00

I'm currently making my way (slowly) through Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing, a series that Dean Wesley Smith created for his blog. In this series, Smith deconstructs major myths about writing and publishing that hold writers back or cause them to make bad business decisions. It has been an eye-opening experience and even though I'm less than halfway through, has already taught me a lot.

So far, the articles that have been most helpful are "Writing is Hard" and "Can't Make Money In Fiction." While the articles on agents, editors, and publishers have given me the most information that I didn't have before, these two pieces, about the writing progress and making money, have given me more in terms of motivation. I've realized just how much myths about how difficult writing should be and how little I can expect to make are holding me back. I don't expect instant turnaround success now that I've finished these pieces, but they've taught me more about what I should expect from myself.

Dean Wesley Smith won't teach you about style or grammar in this series. It's not one of those fluffy writing guides. And yet I'm learning a lot, and I think once it's done, I will emerge a better writer.

Thankful Thursday

2011-02-03T08:41:00.000-06:00

I'm thankful because tomorrow I get to leave for 5 days in Marfa. I'll be farther west than I've ever been before! I'll get to see the desert! I get 5 whole days with my best friend and her adorable pug! I'll hopefully be inspired and write a lot! (And now I need to think about packing and what stuff I should by for the trip . . . .)

I'm thankful that Sugar & Spice has been published. This is my biggest career accomplishment to date. I'm so proud of myself, my fellow writers, Mira Paul, and everyone else at Ravenous Romance who put this together.

I'm thankful that nothing in life is permanent and soon enough this cold weather will break. I'm thankful for tea, hot cocoa, and hot buttered rum for helping me through this. I'm also thankful for central heating.

Submissions in 2011

2011-02-02T08:45:00.003-06:00

Nothing new this week in terms of acceptances or rejections, but I did get new work out on Monday! Well, I submitted a previously-published story to Best Lesbian Erotica 2012. "Enforcement in the story that was just published in Sugar and Spice, and it's one of my best pieces of erotica. Since BLE2012 accepts previously-published work, and since I consider it one of my three best stories of my career so far, I decided to see if it would make the cut for the anthology.

I'm pleased that despite all the various business and schedule changes life has thrown my way, I've managed to nonetheless meet my goal of submitting work once a week. I do hate playing the waiting game, though.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-02T08:41:00.001-06:00

Sugar and Spice is Out!!

2011-02-01T08:35:00.000-06:00

I'm proud to announce the publication of Sugar and Spice, a brand-new e-anthology of lesbian erotic romance. Edited by Mira Paul and published by Ravenous Romance, this collection includes hot, sweet, and sexy writing by a bunch of fantastic erotica and erotic romance authors - one of them being me! I'm really proud to be included in this collection alongside the likes of Elizabeth Thorne, Xan West, and others.

Confession Tuesday

2011-02-01T08:21:00.000-06:00

We have genuine winter weather in Austin this morning. Not as extreme as the real winters up north, but it's icy out there. I'm starting my day with cocoa instead of tea, and I confess that I might actually have a second cup.

In Austin (as in many other parts of Texas), the plumbing isn't insulated, on the grounds that we hardly ever have winter weather. However, on the occasions that we do, this means that we have to leave our faucets dripping to ensure the pipes don't freeze. I confess that I hate this. I confess that it's driving me crazy. I confess that I hate the sound of dripping coming from all three taps in the house.

I confess that I feel a bit judgmental towards Texas right now. I confess I'm irritated at the thought of how much water is being wasted by the entire city having their taps running. Wouldn't it be better for the environment to start putting insulated plumbing into new buildings?

I confess that my spouse set the thermostat at 81 and I flipped a little bit and wondered what planet he might be from. Yes, it's cold, but not cold enough for the thermostat to be above 75.

I confess that I can't wait for sun and warmth.

Robert Swartwood's Q & A With Grand Mal Press

2011-01-30T09:25:00.000-06:00

Via Robert Swartwood: Q & A With Grand Mal Press

In December, Robert Swartwood wrote a post about Grand Mal Press, in which, after going through their information about the submission process, royalty rates, etc., and pointing out the problematic aspects, advised writers to stay away from this publisher.

After seeing the blog post, Darren Heath of Grand Mal Press contacted Swartwood, addressing his concerns. This resulted in a great Q&A about publishing that you should definitely check out.

Sunday Pleasures

2011-01-30T09:15:00.000-06:00

On Friday night, I celebrated my friend's birthday by taking her to dinner at Cru. The food was delicious and the wine flights excellent. I also had the best red wine I have ever tasted - El Picaro de Matsu. I dropped a bit of extra money to get a bottle to take home. So worth it! After dinner, we got drinks at The Highball and then saw The King's Speech at the Alamo Drafthouse. A great start to a great weekend.

Yesterday was the Free Day of Dance in Austin, Texas. Although I didn't have time to go to every single class I wanted to attend, I got the chance to take some great free lessons and hang out with wonderful people!

I spent last night celebrating at the Austin City Dance Club 1st Anniversary Party. I took a fantastic workshop and then danced all night. I absolutely love this club, and am excited to dance with them as they move into their second year.

This afternoon, I'll be helping out with inventory at BookWoman. Although inventory is a lot of work, the atmosphere is actually really fun. This will be my third year doing inventory, and my second as a volunteer rather than an employee. Yep, I do it even though I don't get paid!

Calling Austin Book Lovers

2011-01-27T14:22:00.000-06:00

The staff at BookWoman are doing their annual inventory, and they need your help! There simply aren't enough staff members to get it all done in one day. They need volunteers to help get everything squared away.

Inventory will take place on Sunday, January 30th, starting at 9 a.m., with a shift change at noon. I've done it two years in a row now, and while there is some hard work, it's a wonderful atmosphere, and I always end up having fun. If you're able to come for one of the shifts, call the store at 512-472-2785 to let them know.

Thankful Thursday

2011-01-27T13:51:00.000-06:00

So much to be thankful for this week!!

1. My settlement money came in. The ordeal from the accident is OVER. And I don't have to worry about money at all for the next few months. And I might splurge on Lasik. Such a happy week.

2. Some excellent career news that I shouldn't say too much about at the moment. But it's good. And exciting. And scary. And awesome. And has hijacked my whole writing schedule this week. And is more than worth it.

3. I got my email inbox down to fewer than 10 messages. This seems like a small thing, but is really quite cool, considering the backlog I had.

4. I got a free smartphone! A friend of mine got one free with a new plan, didn't want it, and just gave it to me. So now I have a shiny new Palm Pre! and I didn't have to pay for it!

So yes. Lots of wonderful things all around. 2011 is going great so far.

Submissions in 2011

2011-01-26T18:01:00.003-06:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I got my first acceptance of 2011! I've published a second story up at Tinglemedia.com.

I also got a submission out this week, despite being really busy with another big project (more details on that later). But I revised an old story and sent it off to the Filament magazine fiction competition. Submissions are open until January 31st, so check out the guidelines and submit!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-26T17:54:00.004-06:00

New story up at Tinglemedia.com!

2011-01-25T17:53:00.000-06:00

My first publication of 2011 is up! I have a story entitled "Breakup/Hookup" available for purchase at Tinglemedia.com. You'll need to set up an account and a queue in order to read it, but the rates are cheap! Tinglemedia.com is a great venture for erotica, and I encourage you to check it out.

Confession Tuesday

2011-01-25T17:49:00.000-06:00

I confess that 2011 is going great so far.

I confess that I cashed the settlement money from my scooter accident today. Even after lawyer's fees and covering the medical expenses, I came away with a good chunk of change - enough that I don't need to worry about money for about a year, maybe a little less (as I plan on doing significant traveling this year).

I confess that I made a few impulse buys this afternoon with my new funds, including some jewelry and a new pizza stone to replace the one that got damaged in the oven fire over Christmas.

I confess that I got a new smartphone (a Palm Pre Plus), and I am in love with it. Best of all, I got it for free when it came included in a friend's plan and he decided he didn't want it anymore.

I confess that I am working on an outline for a novel and I'm going to submit it to a publisher by February 1st. I am so excited.

Submissions in 2011

2011-01-20T08:18:00.006-06:00

This week, I sent a story to Tinglemedia.com. I have a story up on the site already, and I love the Tinglemedia venture - small bits of erotic fiction delivered to your cell phone or other mobile device. Since I want to support the site's success, I decided to send over another piece.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-19T08:16:00.000-06:00

Smut Marathon 9 Results

2011-01-19T08:11:00.000-06:00

It was a pretty close race - I lost round 9 by two votes. On the one hand, I'm disappointed. I've really been enjoying this challenge, and was of course hoping to continue on. But on the other hand, I'm pretty pleased with myself. We started with 17 writers and I made it into the top five. That's nothing to sneeze at. I'm really proud that I made it that far, especially dealing with a personal setback that affected my motivation and inspiration.

As a result of participating in Smut Marathon, I've started doubting myself a little less. I'm always my own worst critic, but I made it into the top 5 of this contest; I'm good. Not the best. There's room for improvement. I still need to hone my skills. But when you get right down to it, I'm good.

Participating in this competition also reinforced the importance of writing even when you don't feel like it. Been dumped and don't feel like writing a frisky sex story? Too bad, you have a deadline. I wasn't about to drop out of the competition - not when I had already come so far. Having these contest deadlines every few weeks reinforced that, while you might need a break from time to time due to certain life circumstances, if you want to be a writer you can't let those bad experiences overwhelm you forever. You need to write despite all of that. You can't give up that essence of yourself for very long. Besides, having something to focus on other than the problems at hand is often quite helpful.

So while I'm a little bummed to be leaving, I'm proud of myself, and I'm very happy that I participated. Congrats to all the winners! I look forward to seeing how this contest ends.

Small press publishers offer lifetime subscriptions to readers who get tattoos inspired by their books | MLive.com

2011-01-18T10:48:00.000-06:00

Via the Hayden's Ferry Review blog: Small press publishers offer lifetime subscriptions to readers who get tattoos inspired by their books | MLive.com

Think that the University of Pittsburgh Press will give me a lifetime subscription because I have a few lines from Barbara Hamby's All Night Lingo Tango inked onto my right bicep? It's great publicity! I always have people coming up and reading my tattoo, asking me what it means, where it came from, etc.

Confession Tuesday

2011-01-18T10:19:00.000-06:00

I confess that though I'm trying to eat out less often, my main downfall is breakfast tacos. For some reason, my brain doesn't consider grabbing some tacos while I'm out doing my morning errands as "eating out." "Eating out" connotes a full sit-down meal in a restaurant, or ordering appetizers while out on drinks with friends - not grabbing some tacos to-go while on a grocery run. I think this is because I don't eat fast food. I haven't been through a real drive-thru in nearly five years at this point. And while taco places aren't drive-thrus (typically, at least, though there are a few exceptions around town), it's the same principle: I'm just grabbing some (cheap) tacos as I go about my day. That's not really eating out. Except it is. While tacos are cheap, they would be even cheaper to make at home. They're not especially time-consuming, either. I need to remember that getting tacos really does count as eating out.

Totally unrelated to tacos, I confess that I've been having trouble getting back in my writing routine since getting sick. About a week and a half ago, I got severe food poisoning that had me out of commission for 3 days. For some reason, it's been really hard to get back in my routine. I think it's because the day before I got sick, I had family in town for 9 days. And while I did an admirable job of writing every day despite the distraction, I was still distracted. Add that to being sick and not being able to write at all (it was too much effort for my body to sit upright and focus on the computer screen), and you have a perfect recipe for losing track. Since then, I have been prone to distraction - and a weekend-long dance competition this past weekend didn't help. I'm hoping to get my chores done early this morning and then focus intently on writing for 5 solid hours this afternoon, until it's time to go to dance.

I also confess to feeling lost in my work because I have so many incomplete projects. There's a new novel I'm drafting and I'm not sure where it's going. The more I work on it, the more things fall into place, but it's still very fresh, new, and unfinished, and it makes me nervous. And I have two characters I want to write a story about, but the story itself is slow in coming together. I have a lot of projects undergoing revision, but nothing close to being done. It's frustrating to feel like I don't know the next time I'll see a completed piece. I know it's nothing about my value as a writer, because I know I can finish and submit projects. I know that I will soon enough. I know that sometimes, these phases happen, and that sooner or later I'll have a lot of finished pieces and be freaking out about where my next idea is going to come from. It's just weird to have so little finished right now. It makes me feel insecure.

Submissions in 2011

2011-01-13T08:37:00.000-06:00

Three poems out this week to the Austin International Poetry Festival anthology. Still no response on my other submissions, but it's been too soon.

I notice I've been submitting a lot of poetry lately. I haven't been writing as much fiction, instead focusing on drafting my new novel project. But I do have a piece up for revision. I should focus on that after my competition and get it out.

Thankful Thursday

2011-01-13T08:25:00.000-06:00

I'm thankful that I'm learning how to rest when I need to - especially if I'm sick - rather than trying to power through and risking making things worse.

I'm thankful that I'm learning to let go of certain goals when certain unexpected events (such as getting sick) prevent me from meeting them - my bout with food poisoning cause me to fail to meet one of my monthly goals for January. But it's okay. It wasn't my fault. Things happen. I'm grateful that I'm learning to accept such realities of life.

I'm thankful that I've still managed to accomplish 11 of 25 goals so far this month.

I'm thankful that all of my motorcycle accident insurance settlement stuff is about to get resolved. It's not quite done yet, but there is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel.

I'm thankful for 2 hours of Thai massage yesterday.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-12T17:34:00.002-06:00

LGBT Reading Challenge 2011: Swan by Mary Oliver

2011-01-12T17:33:00.001-06:00

For my first book in the LGBT Reading Challenge 2011, I chose Swan, Mary Oliver's newest poetry collection. ~~Unfortunately, to be entered in the monthly prize drawing, we have to read fiction or non-fiction, which I totally forgot about when I selected the book, but oh well.~~ [Edit: Nevermind! It's all good!] Hopefully I can take a break from my novel research to get a good LGBT novel in before the end of the month! If not, no worries.

Anyway, to the review. Mary Oliver's poetry is not especially political. There are moments when politics shows up, but it takes the form largely of peace activism and war protest - I have read nearly all of her collections, and never seen an overt reference to issues she's faced as a lesbian. But I chose to read the book anyway because (1) she's my favorite poet, and (2) because I don't believe LGBTQ authors have to carry the political label all the time.

One of the things that has especially fascinated me about Mary Oliver is the way she uses the masculine pronoun (he) for almost everything - animals, plants, whatever doesn't have a concept of gender the way we do. I understand why she wouldn't want to use "it" (while I have no problem with that, I know that many people find it objectifying), as someone who cut her teeth on feminist rhetoric, I'm not really used to seeing late-twentieth and twenty-first century women writers using the masculine pronoun as the default. Often, it irritates me. I admit, I don't like it. I don't mind that she's apolitical, but I do mind that masculine pronouns are neutral to her. But that doesn't change how I feel about Mary Oliver's poetry as a whole, so I read anyway.

Unfortunately, I really didn't connect with Swan as I've connected with Oliver's other books. In the first poem, entitled "What Can I Say?," she writes:

What can I say that I have not said before?

So I'll say it again.

What bothers me not is that she revisits old themes - what I have always loved about her work is the emphasis on nature and peace, and I appreciate that she writes about both frequently. What bothers me is that her thoughts seem repetitive this time around. While in her previous books, Oliver has found the ability to talk about the same ideas in new ways, she does not appear to be thinking anything innovative this time around. Further, her style appears to lack a certain intangible spark that her other collections have had. I feel like she's more imitating herself than anything else. Whereas in her other books every other poem has lines bracketed or highlighted because they've overwhelmed me or spoken some truth, in this collection there are only three poems with such annotation. Whereas in other collections I have often been moved to tears, only the afterword, "Percy," makes me cry.

I feel almost guilty in writing this. Mary Oliver has been my favorite poet since 2004. She's something of an institution. But Swan simply lacks the qualities that made me fall in love with her work in the first place.

Italy Reading Challenge 2011: The English Patient

2011-01-11T17:12:00.001-06:00

My first book of the Italy Reading Challenge 2011 was a re-read of Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient - which, despite the title, is actually set in an Italian villa. I first read it six years ago (holy cow! I feel old!) in an undergraduate literature course which consisted entirely of works by Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje. To this day, it remains one of the most memorable classes I ever took in college; I loved everything we read, every class discussion, and every paper. So I was excited to re-read this novel with a new perspective.

However, I found The English Patient far less engaging than I did in college, and it took me awhile to figure out why. But finally, I understood. While The English Patient is not a mystery novel in the genre sense, there is a lot of concealment. There are twists, hidden identities, and all sorts of other intrigues. Part of what drew me in back in college was the mystery behind the title character, as well as all the others holed up with him in the villa. Going back to re-read it, there was really no mystery. I knew everything that was going to happen, everything about all the characters - I will never be able to reclaim the feelings I had during that first read, because they were based so much on the discovery process.

Which is not to say that The English Patient is boring the second time around. Ondaatje writes some of the most elegant prose I have ever encountered. I enjoyed being swept up in his writing style. And as I continue to work through a breakup, I found the title character's meditation's on heartbreak to be far more poignant and relevant than they were back when I was an undergrad. Ondaatje can write about lost love without being sentimental or ridiculous; his words ring perfectly true, especially now that I have experienced it firsthand.

Italy, however, is more of a backdrop in this novel than anything else. We see a lot of countryside, but little local color. I'm hoping the next book I pick really gives me a sense of the country as well as narrative.

Confession Tuesday

2011-01-11T16:54:00.000-06:00

I confess that I'm a little stressed this week. I got horrible food poisoning on Thursday night that put me under until Monday morning, so I'm behind on stuff I had to do last week. And of course, I'm trying to stay on top of all of the stuff I already had to do this week, including getting ready for a major dance competition this weekend. It's one of those situations where I feel like I'm just holding on. It's not that bad, it will pass, but it's definitely frustrating.

I confess that I've made progress in terms of actually taking time to rest when I'm sick, and that's good. While in other years, I would have tried to power through and work through my illness, I just let my body rest and take all the time it needed to heal, rather than trying to push myself to get things done when I wasn't really up to it. While my productivity took a hit, it's good that I've finally learned to slow down when I'm not well.

Poetry Exercise

2011-01-09T09:37:00.016-06:00

Caveat: This is an exercise. It's a response to Elizabeth Bishop's "One Art" that uses the same form and borrows many of the same words. I did it for both poetic and personal reasons, and it was immensely helpful in both regards. Normally, I don't like to post exercises, especially rough ones, but I feel compelled to do so this time around. I feel the need to put this one out there.

Lost Art
I thought that loss would be easier to master
Especially when it wasn't my intent
But it seems I just create disaster

It's been five months; no day regains its luster
I wonder where my optimism went
I thought that loss would be easier to master

They're all surprised I don't recover faster
That I let me sorrow be so evident
That I let myself create disaster

And every time I try to make a gesture
Of forgiveness, it only sparks dissent -
I thought that loss would be easier to master

But the pain, it seems, only grows vaster
And it seems more energy is spent
On creating (or trying to clean up after) disaster

Recovery is sealed away in plaster -
But in my weakness, feels hard as cement -
I thought that loss would be easier to master
But it seems I just create disaster

Smut Marathon #9!

2011-01-06T09:34:00.000-06:00

After a break for the holidays, Smut Marathon 9 is up! This time around, we were instructed to write a 2,000-3,000 word story (the longest challenge yet), as well as include a photo of our inspirations. This was a really fun challenge, and provided a nice break from the holiday stress.

Voting will run until January 18th (extra time because the stories are longer), so go vote!

Thankful Thursday

2011-01-06T09:27:00.000-06:00

Sad as I am to see my brother in law head back to Louisiana, I am thankful to have the house to just me and my husband again. And I'm thankful that we finally get some couple time. It's been nearly 2 weeks! But I'm also thankful we got to spend so much time together.

I'm thankful that I finally got things together and sent out a book proposal! My very first book proposal! Wahoo!

I'm thankful that three of my avocado plants are growing strong; two are definitely going to be repotted this weekend because they've outgrown their starter containers. I hope that in 5-7 years I'll have some fruit!

I'm thankful that I've managed to be productive in terms of accomplishing weekly and monthly goals so early in the new year. I know that there will be hiccups along the way, but last week the only thing I didn't accomplish was my fitness goals (and I at least got those partially done). And I've already accomplished 6 of 25 monthly goals. I'm reveling in productivity now, in hopes that if a slow period hits, I can look back on how much I already accomplished.

I'm thankful that I've been getting sleep recently.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-05T08:59:00.002-06:00

Filmpoem

2011-01-05T08:56:00.009-06:00

Via dumbfoundry:

Filmpoem, a project by poet and artist Alastair Cook, is an endeavor dedicated to the filming of poetry. The pieces he has up there so far are entrancing - in fact, have eaten up more of my morning than I care to admit. His work is just beautiful. Check it out!

Submissions in 2011

2011-01-04T08:50:00.000-06:00

I'm going to try an experiment in 2011, in which I keep track of all of my submissions on this blog. Since I am supposed to be submitting once a week, we'll all know if I flake out. And since I'm generally bad at updating any submission tracker I attempt to maintain, it might help if said tracker was on display. Look for weekly updates on my submissions as the year goes on!

So here is what I have so far:

Confession Tuesday

2011-01-04T08:17:00.000-06:00

I confess that as much as I love having my brother-in-law here, I look forward to having more space in the apartment in a few days. And also some quiet time.

I confess that I'm not getting much writing or reading done while my brother-in-law is visiting, and I look forward to getting my routine back.

I confess that even at 26, I still have trouble with "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

I confess that I'm stressed out because though our health insurance was supposed to kick in 4 days ago, we haven't gotten our cards yet. My husband is handling this one because I can't do everything. The HR department is hard to reach. Blah. I feel scattered and worried.

I confess that 2011 started with a bang in both a good way and a bad way, and I'm hoping for a more peaceful New Year.

New Year's Goals

2011-01-02T08:10:00.016-06:00

I'm not a big fan of resolutions, when you get right down to it. Largely because I've never been able to accomplish these mysterious New Year's Resolutions. But I'm great at setting goals! So here are my plans for my writing life in 2011:

Continue with a semi-regular blogging schedule.
Make a concerted effort to secure a publisher for my novella. If I feel I've put forth a good effort and it's just not working, self-publish.
Accomplish certain milestones for my super-secret anthology project. I wish I could elaborate more here, but that would kill the secrecy. I do have them written down elsewhere, though.
Have a rough draft of my newest novel finished by my birthday in April; have a draft ready to submit to agents and publishers by the end of the year.
Get my one-act play produced and/or published.
Submit one poem, story, or nonfiction piece per week to either a journal or a contest.

I'm sure new goals will creep up throughout the year. But these are going to be my priority.

Happy New Year, everyone! I wish you well on your own writing endeavors.

Year in Review

2010-12-30T07:58:00.000-06:00

2010 was a difficult year for me on a personal and emotional level. A car accident, a breakup, and writer's block in the wake of both upheavals threatened my year professionally. But overall, I did quite well for myself in 2010. So here's a summary of my writing life.

I didn't do a very good job of keeping track of just how many pieces I submitted this year. However, I do know that I got 16 acceptances this year, mostly erotic fiction, but also one piece of nonfiction and one piece of poetry.
Of those 16 acceptances, 13 were published in 2010, and the remaining three will appear early in the New Year.
I made my first appearances in anthologies. Up till this point, I'd only gotten published on web sites. Now I'm in some e-books!
I didn't make anything resembling a living wage when it came to my creative endeavors, but I still made more money from my writing this year than I have at any other year in my life.
I made it through the first eight rounds of Smut Marathon, putting me in the top 5 competitors - and we started with 17! Look for round 9 early in the New Year!
I completed a novella and submitted it to a publisher.
I took an erotic writing course with Shanna Germain, which really helped me refine my craft.
I joined a writing group, which has been tough, humbling, motivating, and inspiring.

So all in all, despite a number of setbacks, it was a fantastic year for me professionally. Certainly an improvement on last year, and last year was not too shabby at all. My hope is that 2011 is even better!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-29T09:27:00.001-06:00

My Year in Reading

2010-12-29T08:57:00.020-06:00

I firmly believe that being am avid reader is the first step to being a good writer. And at the end of every year, I like to look back on everything I read. So here are the highlights of my reading year.

Best New Poetry Collection: Okay, I admit it. I didn't read any new poetry this year. I read a lot of poetry, actually - just nothing that was published in 2010. This was a year of discovery for me, rather than a year of jumping towards new works.

Best Discovered Poetry Collection: New Collected Poems by Eavan Boland. I'd been exposed to Boland's poems in college, but never took the time to really read them. This year, I finally gave myself the chance to be immersed in her work.

Best New Novel: Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. It's a tough book for me, emotionally. It sometimes hits my triggers. But it's brilliant - definitely his best.

Best Discovered Novel: Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz. This was an unsolicited loan. A friend of mine finished the book, was convinced I'd like it, and brought it to me to borrow. And she was right! I love it when someone actually knows my taste.

Best New Nonfiction Book: Just like in 2009, I didn't actually read any new nonfiction. I read quite a bit of older nonfiction as research for various novels, but nothing new. Maybe next year.

Best Discovered Nonfiction Book: The Last Madame of New Orleans by Christina Wiltz. While Wiltz is not the best prose stylist I've ever encountered, she tells a great story, and writes on a fascinating subject.

Best New Collection or Anthology: Alison's Wonderland, edited by Alison Tyler. I wasn't quite sure I was going to like it, but it's proving to be one of my favorite anthologies, erotic or otherwise, of all time.

Best Discovered Collection or Anthology: Cathedral by Raymond Carver. While the feminist in me gets frustrated by Carver's relentless focus on white, lower-middle-class men, he's a brilliant stylist and he really knows how to write heartbreak.

Best New Short Story: "That Girl" by Cherry Bomb (from Fast Girls, edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel). This is the first fiction piece with a character I could identify with completely. I'd never seen my sexual self represented in fiction before - hell, even my own characters aren't quite me. But the protagonist of "That Girl" resonated with me so much that I've probably read the story ten times already.

Best Discovered Short Story: "Fever" by Raymond Carver. A moving depiction of lost love that came to me right at a time when I really needed it. This piece will always stay with me.

Best New Periodical: Filament Magazine, without question. I aspire to have one of my stories grace their pages.

Best Discovered Periodical: Actually, I didn't really discover any established periodicals this year. I picked up Filament, but didn't look into other established periodicals beyond The Kenyon Review, which I read regularly.

Robert Lee Brewer's Facebook Tips for Writers

2010-12-28T07:52:00.000-06:00

Over at My Name Is Not Bob, Robert Lee Brewer has a list of ten ways for writers to optimize their Facebook usage:Complete your profile. You don't have to include EVERYTHING, but I'd suggest at least covering these bases: Current City, Birthday (you don't have to include the year), Bio, Education and Work, Contact Information.

Make everything public. As a writer, you should be using sites like Facebook and Twitter to connect with other writers, editors, agents, and your audience. So make it easy for them to find you and learn more about you by making everything available to the public. That said...
Think about your audience, friends, family, boss, former teachers, etc., in everything you do on Facebook. Like it or not, you have to understand that if you are completely public on Facebook (and you should be if you want to connect with your audience) that you need to think about what you do on Facebook before you do it. Because Facebook ain't like Vegas: What happens on Facebook could easily go viral. But don't get paranoid; just use common sense.
Include a profile pic of yourself. Don't use a picture of a cute animal, house pet, your children, an animated character, a famous celebrity, a model, etc. Just a nice pic of yourself. Even though it's virtual, you want your profile to be as human as possible so that you can connect with others.
Update your status regularly. You shouldn't update your status every hour, but once a day is a good pace. This just lets others on Facebook know that you are actively using the site.
Communicate with friends on Facebook. Don't stalk your friends; communicate with them. If you like a friend's status update, comment on it--or at the very least, click the Like button (to acknowledge that you liked their update). Speaking of friends...
Be selective about friends you add. Don't blindly accept every friend request, because some may be bogus, and others may be from serial frienders (people who are trying to hit their friend limits). You want quality friends who share your interests or who you know from the "real world."
Be selective about adding apps. I'm not a huge fan of apps, because they are a distraction and time killer on Facebook. But there are some that could be useful. However, don't waste a month of your life playing Farmville or Mafia Wars; you'd be better off completing a crossword or sudoku puzzle.
Join relevant groups. For writers, there are an abundance of groups you could join, from professional organizations to those based around magazines, publishers and literary events. These are great places to connect with other writers. On that same note...
Follow relevant fan pages. There are many who once had groups that migrated over to using fan pages, so there are fan pages for writing organizations, magazines, publishers, literary events, and more.

When looking at my own Facebook usage, I find that I'm not really doing all I can. My profile is public and complete, and I learned the hard way about being selective about the friends I add and groups I join. But I admit that I do not communicate with friends on Facebook (I prefer Gchat, text messaging, and email), and I think I actually visit the site twice a month. The majority of my Facebook posts are fed over from my Twitter account, which I use almost as infrequently - once every ten days or so. I just don't want to have to be bothered to log into Facebook (or Twitter) every single day to tell people what I'm doing.

As I think about it more, Facebook just seems silly to me. I have a (fairly) regular posting schedule with this blog - some weeks are better than others, but I'm a pretty diligent blogger. I've had this blog since before I've had a Facebook account. Blogging is more satisfying than Facebook status updates. I have better conversations in blog comment threads than on Facebook threads.

I'm just not that much of a Facebooker, and that's okay. I'll still keep my profile. I like having it. But I just can't bring myself to post an update there every single day, because it feels like work and it ultimately distracts me from my writing. I'll focus on maintaining a good blog, and Facebook will be incidental.

However, I was really excited after reading Brewer's bonus tip:

If you have a blog, you can feed your Facebook profile automatically by using the Notes function. All you have to do is go to Notes, click the "Edit import settings" link, and enter your blog url in the correct field. (Note: I had to enter my full url, including the forward slash at the end, before the Notes function accepted my url.)

Enthused about a hands-off way to participate in Facebook, I went to my Notes function, tried to import several times . . . and could not get it to work. I tried using my blog URL as well as my RSS feed URL - nothing worked. Even after making sure that I had the forward slash at the end of the URL, I couldn't get it to work. *sigh*

It's not that I'm not optimized for Facebook. It's that Facebook isn't optimized for me.

Confession Tuesday

2010-12-28T07:01:00.000-06:00

I confess that I spent the night sleeping on the couch. My husband was (and hopefully will no longer be when his alarm goes off in a few minutes) suffering from what is either a migraine or the flu (his have the same symptoms), and either way, neither of us sleeps well in the same bed if he is sick. But my brother in law (who I really am glad is visiting) is in the other bedroom. So couch for me, because I am not about to make my guest sleep in the living room, where the degus will be up running around all night. Turns out that the brother in law has some late-night cough that echoes throughout the house.

I confess I am a bit of a zombie today. But when am I not, really? I feel like at least 50% of the time, I'm blogging from the throes of insomnia.

I confess that while of course I should not have made my guest sleep in the room with the degus that stay up till all hours (they're supposedly diurnal, but really, they operate on a cycle of doing whatever they want whenever they want, and this frequently means running on their wheels until 3 a.m.), I confess that I'm more glad that I didn't subject my poor pets to someone who would be coughing all night once they actually settled down to sleep.

I confess that I might take a nap soon.

I confess that though I'm wide awake, the house is still completely dark because the degus are sleeping and I don't want to wake them up early. Yes, I am one of *those* pet parents.

I confess that while it's bad for my eyesight and my posture, typing in a pitch-dark room while reclining on a seriously comfy couch is pretty cool. Or maybe that's the insomnia talking.

Sunday Pleasures

2010-12-26T09:01:00.000-06:00

Lots of things making me happy this week!

My brother in law being in town. And getting to play tourist and show him all of our favorite places in Austin.
Spinach-mushroom lasagna with a ricotta-chevre cheese blend and tomato vodka sauce. I'm awesome.
Bourbon Street Vanilla Rooibos from Bottom of the Cup Tea Room. I love having relatives in New Orleans.
Girls With Slingshots. It's my new webcomic of choice!
Having plans to see Cake do a show on New Year's Eve.
Also, I have plans to attend a 2-hour restorative yoga class on New Year's Eve afternoon over at East Side Yoga.
The anticipation I always feel looking at my new day planner, knowing that it's almost time to use it. For 2011, I'm going with the Working Writer's Day Planner from Small Beer Press.

Profile at Erotica For All!

2010-12-26T08:49:00.000-06:00

Erotica For All is a great new venture by author Lucy Felthouse, and I'm thrilled to say that I now have an author profile up on the site. I'm keeping good company there, and excited to be a part of this site. If you haven't done so already, go check it out!

Congratulations to Lyn Lifshin

2010-12-23T09:34:00.000-06:00

Poet Lyn Lifshin has a new book available. Ballroom is a collection that focuses on dance as a metaphor for sex, regression, love, desire, change, growth, and a multitude of other states, actions, and emotions. You can read sample poems from the collection here.

I first encountered Lyn's work when I was editing Gloom Cupboard, and have always loved her emphasis on dance. As a dancer myself, I love how she writes movement, and all the emotions, thoughts, and actions that come with it.

Ballroom is available for purchase at Amazon.com.

Thankful Thursday

2010-12-23T07:52:00.000-06:00

It's a gloomy morning. I'm feeling like a zombie because I was up till all hours with my brain still processing things from my breakup in July (it's been a long, slow road and last week I was stupid enough to read a series of emails he and I had exchanged two years ago, when we were first together and falling in love; it pretty much messed up my brain for the rest of the night; I knew better than to do that, but too late now). My brother in law will be here in 48 hours and the house is still a mess. My husband forgot to finish his chores last night, which interferes with my ability to get my own housework done.

But I have quite a bit to be thankful for, so I will elaborate on it here.

Indoor plumbing. Words cannot express how much I love indoor plumbing.
Tea. It de-zombies me.
I have three avocado plants sprouting up from the seeds I planted, and possibly a fourth sprouting as well.
Bagels from scratch. I haven't quite perfected my bagel-making technique yet, but I'm starting to get pretty good.
The Working Writer's Daily Planner 2011. I admit that I'd already purchased a calendar for the year, but after reading about this one at Book of Kells, I couldn't resist. And BookWoman managed to get it for me super-fast!
Tutoring work. It's fulfilling and it doesn't distract me too much from my writing.
That the novel I started at the beginning of the month seems to be coming together somewhat. I'm hoping to have a rough draft by my birthday in April.
My brother in law gets here on Saturday! I haven't seen him in over a year! I can't wait!

Dean Young Needs Your Help

2010-12-22T06:55:00.000-06:00

Poet Dean Young, currently the William Livingston Chair of Poetry at UT-Austin, needs your help. He's been suffering from a degenerative heart condition for over a decade, and has been placed on the transplant list at a local hospital. If he can't get a transplant, he'll need mechanical intervention. Either way, the cost will be enormous. Poet Tony Hoagland has written an open letter on Young's behalf:

Dear Friends,

If you are reading this, you are probably a friend of Dean Young and/or a friend of poetry. And you may have heard that our friend is in a precarious position. Dean needs a heart transplant now. He also needs your assistance now.

Over the past 10 or 15 years, Dean has lived with a degenerative heart condition--congestive heart failure due to idiopathic hypotropic cardiomyopathy. After periods of more-or-less remission, in which his heart was stabilized and improved with the help of medications, the function of his heart has worsened. Now, radically.

For the last two years he has had periods in which he cannot walk a block without resting. Medications which once worked have lost their efficacy. He is in and out of the hospital, unable to breathe without discomfort, etc. Currently, Dean's heart is pumping at an estimated 8% of normal volume.

In the past, doctors have been impressed with his ability to function in this condition. But now things are getting quickly worse. Dean has been placed on the transplant list at Seton Medical Center Austin, and has just been upgraded to a very critical category. He's got to get a heart soon, or go to intermediate drastic measures like a mechanical external pump.

Whatever the scenario, the financial expenses, both direct and collateral, will be massive. Yes, he has sound health insurance, but even so, he will have enormous bills not covered by insurance--which is where you can help, with your financial support.

If you know Dean, you know that his non-anatomical heart, though hardly normal, is not malfunctioning, but great in scope, affectionate and loyal. And you know that his poetry is what the Elizabethans would have called "one of the ornaments of our era"--hilarious, heartbreaking, courageous, brilliant and already a part of the American canon.

His 10-plus books, his long career of passionate and brilliant teaching, most recently as William Livingston Chair of Poetry at the University of Texas at Austin; his instruction and mentorship of hundreds of younger poets; his many friendships; his high, reckless and uncompromised vision of what art is: all these are reasons for us to gather together now in his defense and support.

Joe Di Prisco, one of Dean's oldest friends, is chairing a fundraising campaign conducted through the National Foundation for Transplants (NFT). NFT is a nonprofit organization that has been assisting transplant patients with advocacy and fundraising support since 1983.

If you have any questions about NFT, feel free to contact the staff at 800-489-3863. You may also contact Joe personally at jdiprisco@earthlink.net.

On behalf of Dean, myself, and the principle of all our friendships in art, I ask you to give all you can. Thanks, my friends.

Yours,

Tony Hoagland

You can help.

To make a donation to NFT in honor of Dean, click the link below his photo. If you'd prefer to send your gift by mail, please send it to the NFT Texas Heart Fund, 5350 Poplar Avenue, Suite 430, Memphis, TN 38119. Please be sure to write "in honor of Dean Young" on the memo line.

Thank you for your generosity!

I saw Dean Young read in 2008, and it was a magical evening. He's a priceless treasure to the American literary community. Consider donating funds to help with his medical expenses; help save a life this holiday.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-22T06:40:00.000-06:00

Reading Challenges!

2010-12-21T09:20:00.000-06:00

Via Over Forty Shades:

Brighton Blogger of Book After Book has set up a series of reading challenges for 2011. You can choose as many or as few as you like! Below are the challenges she's created:

The Italy Reading Challenge

I chose this topic because - as an Italian who has been living abroad for many years now - I feel the need to learn more about my home country and I’m curious to see the difference between the way it is portrayed by native Italians and others.

The LGBT Reading Challenge

LGBT literature is so rich and varied and worth talking more about. That’s why I am hosting this challenge: to keep learning and sharing reading experiences. And, why not, to do my own tiny bit for a more accepting world – one book at a time!

I've decided to sign up for both challenges. I have to read 12 books set in Italy and as many LGBT books as I want. This on top of the research I'm doing for my new novel . . . hopefully I can find a way to combine the two! (This is likely possible.) I look forward to expanding my reading in 2011!

Confession Tuesday

2010-12-21T08:47:00.000-06:00

I confess that the older I get, the less I care about Christmas.

For the record, I'm not actually a Christian. I was raised by a lapsed Catholic and a lapsed Methodist, who during my early years gave lip service to Jesus' birth, but then gave up the pretense entirely when we were teenagers (though my mom still watches the Pope on TV every Christmas Eve). Of course, neither of them is happy that my sister and I are atheists (with tendencies towards agnosticism), but that's the risk you take when you don't indoctrinate children from the moment they're born. Anyway, I stopped caring about Christmas as a religious holiday a decade ago.

For awhile, especially in high school and college, I reveled in the materialistic nature of American Christmas. In college and grad school in particular, I referred to it as "Capitalistmas." But as my identity as a capitalist weakened, so did my desire to participate in a holiday based on consumption. I'm not saying I'm a great sage Buddhist who has renounced all worldly possessions (my Amazon wishlist is prodigious), but I'm just not motivated by a holiday that revolves around giving things. I do appreciate the thoughtfulness of my mother's gifts, I really do - she puts a lot of care into selecting things that we will love and use. But at the same time, I find I'm not really fulfilled by giving people presents. She is, and that's fine. I'm not judging her; it's who she is. Giving people nice presents makes her happy. And I'm not her.

I confess that this year, my sister and I treated ourselves to a nice dinner before she went to visit Mom for Christmas (she's the good daughter). We had time together and a nice meal rather than just another object we probably wouldn't use that much. It was so much more fulfilling than buying the perfect gift would have been.

Honestly, I probably wouldn't even put up my (fake) tree if my mother didn't send me a new Christmas ornament every year. I feel obligated to put it up to give each ornament its moment. (And yes, my sister and I have tried talking to her about how we feel about celebrating Christmas. But she's a die-hard observer, and won't hear of it.)

Right now, I'm pretty much going through the motions to make my mother happy (and I'm not even going home for Christmas this year. I'm 1,500 miles away, and I'm still going through the motions enough to make her happy. Yes. I have a strange relationship with my mother). My sister says that once mom passes on, she's giving up Christmas completely, and I'm inclined to agree with her.

I confess that I was interested in celebrating Solstice, not because I attach any spiritual meaning to it, but because I think it would be cool to celebrate major temporal milestones easily observed in nature. Last night was the longest night of the year. The days will now (slowly) start getting longer. That is something to celebrate! But I always miss the solstices, no matter how interested I am in celebrating them. Yesterday (and today still) I'm battling a virus while finishing a course of antibiotics that gives me nasty side effects. Celebration was not happening.

I confess that this year, I've decided to take a cue from my sister and not send Christmas cards. I'm going to send New Year's cards instead. I've decided that I'm still going to put up the tree out of habit, and I'll visit friends who are hosting Christmas celebrations (I'm not going to miss out on moments of togetherness just because I'm a bit of a Grinch), but I personally will not observe Christmas anymore. Instead, I'm going to celebrate the New Year. It's more my style. It doesn't have religion at it's core. While department stores still build sales around it, it's not the capitalist feeding-frenzy that is Christmas. It's a holiday about fresh starts, about new beginnings, a constant reminder that the past is over and the future is still bright before us.

I confess that this year, I got my mom a Christmas present, and the only other friend who got a Christmas gift is the son of one of our friends (for some reason, giving kids Christmas presents doesn't make me Grinchy). (Okay, I gave my husband a Channukah gift, but he's actually Jewish and does observe Channukah, and it's an entirely different holiday; I don't lump it in with my Christmas angst.) My sister and I are not exchanging gifts. I have a few good friends I would like to give gifts to, but I haven't purchased them yet. I'm saving them for New Year's. I'll give New Year's gifts this year rather than Christmas gifts, and I think I'll make that a permanent change.

I confess that in the New Year, I will try to talk to my mom again about my feelings about Christmas, but I won't be offended if she won't listen. She has her traditions. While she raised me with those traditions, I find they don't fit the woman I have become. So I'm making my own.

(Though I confess that there will always be a place in my December schedule to watch A Christmas Story. Nothing will destroy my love for that film.)

Liquid Story Binder

2010-12-16T16:48:00.000-06:00

I've spent my entire writing life either writing longhand in a notebook or typing using a word processor (Microsoft Office all the way through college; OpenOffice ever since). I've had elaborate filing systems to keep my planning separate for my drafts, and a filename system to distinguish between drafts. And these methods have always worked well for me.

And despite being familiar with the old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," I couldn't help feeling compelled to try something new. I'd been hearing about Liquid Story Binder largely from NaNoWriMo friends, and decided I had to check it out.

My NaNoWriMo 2010 effort is currently in hiding in my hard drive, and I've started a new long project - a novel told in connected short stories (i.e. The Martian Chronicles or I, Robot). So far I have 25 prospective characters. I'm building a near-future world a bit different from the world we have right now. It's pretty complex. And I decided I wanted to see how Liquid Story Binder held up to my regular system when tacking such a project. So earlier this week, I downloaded the trial version.

So far, I'm pretty happy with it! There's a bit of a learning curve, and it's not always intuitive (I still don't understand what the MindMap feature dues, and I can't figure out how to create the Storyboard), but all in all, it's a fantastic way to store research, make little notes to myself about plot development, create an outline, store images, make to-do lists, and draft chapters. And it's pretty navigable even without reading any documentation (I'm pretty sure I could figure out how to work Storyboard if I just did a tutorial or something, but I haven't yet). I like to try to figure out software before I turn to the manual, and I'd say I'm operating it at about 75% efficiency without having glanced at the documentation.

Liquid Story Binder is not really a necessity for my writing. I'm enjoying it, but I would be doing just fine with my old system as well. But LSB is a lot more *fun* than word documents and folders. It's a lot more visual, and all-around cool.

The trial is free and doesn't expire until it's inactive for 30 days, meaning you could theoretically use it forever without paying, pending you didn't let it sit idle that long. I recommend that anyone working on a complex project give it a shot, if for no other reason than you can try fully-functional software to see if it works for you.

Thankful Thursday

2010-12-16T16:34:00.000-06:00

A busy week! Which has resulted in some stress (like an unsightly cyst in my eyelid three days before a dance performance), but many, many good things.

This week, I'm thankful for:

Long talks with long-lost friends. It's nice to know that some connections don't wither with time or distance.
Nice tech support representatives who realize that sometimes, their customers are actually intelligent when it comes to computers. Lenovo customer service rocks!
My friend finishing grad school (while working at a full-time job) unscathed!
Getting to meet the executive chef at one of my favorite hangouts.
A tutoring job! Yay money! And yay for students who pay in advance!
Rediscovering that I have not lost all my tutoring skills in the 2.5 years since I last worked with students. My skills are a tad rusty, but they're coming back fast.
Rediscovering that I LOVE tutoring. Why didn't I try to get into it as a career sooner?
Casual, stress-free holiday celebrations with family and friends.
Having more story ideas than I have time. Frustrating that I can't get them all on paper rightthissecond, but it's so nice to have lots of inspiration.

52 Stitches Memorial Fund

2010-12-15T08:43:00.000-06:00

Via Robert Swartwood: 52 Stitches Memorial Fund

Horror writer Jamie Eyeberg died earlier this year, overcome by gas as he worked on a well at his home. His wife, Ann, had also been working on the well, and died in the accident as well. They left behind two children.

Aaron Polson is dedicating the most recent issue of 52 Stitches to Eyeberg, and donating proceeds to a fund for the children. And to encourage sales, Cate Gardner is offering a free copy of her book if you but 52 Stitches from Amazon.

Please consider buying a copy of this great anthology in order to remember a great writer and to help his family.

Roach-O-Rama!

2010-12-15T08:37:00.000-06:00

I encourage everyone who reads this blog to check out Roach-O-Rama! A collaboration between Ben Smith and Richard Wink, Roach-O-Rama is described as "the last punk zine." A print-only project, it's accepting submissions for the first edition until June 1st, 2011.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-15T08:29:00.000-06:00

The writing space journey

2010-12-15T08:25:00.000-06:00

I admit, progress on my workspace has gone much slower than it should. But hey, as long as progress happens at all, it's better than nothing!

I've mentioned recently that my old netbook died. When I bought a new computer, I actually went out and bought a real laptop this time. I know, there are things to be said for desktop systems, but I'm a mobile writer and I need a computer that can go everywhere. So laptop it is, with a bigger screen and keyboard. It's better on my eyes, and I don't need to hunch over so far to type.

Another major change happened yesterday. Though my yoga teacher told me months ago that writing from bed all day long was not good for my back and aggravating my problems, I could not bring myself to invest in a desk and chair, because I hate sitting in chairs. Even ergonomic chairs feel confining and uncomfortable. So yesterday, I asked her what specifically I should do instead. She suggested a medicine ball. I just so happen to have one, a gift I got in college. I've had it for six years, though haven't used it as much recently. I added air to it and started sitting on it to write yesterday afternoon - I can already feel the difference in my back! Granted, it's not nearly as cozy as writing in bed all day, but the lack of back pain is well-worth it!

The next obstacle is to find a desk that works well with the medicine ball. Right now I am making do with the end of my bed and a lap desk, but this is not an ideal solution. However, the only desk in the house is too tall to work with the medicine ball I have. I'm sure a solution will reveal itself in time. Certainly there might be a medium-height table at Goodwill that would work. I just need to think about it.

Disappointing news

2010-12-02T08:19:00.000-06:00

I used to be a big fan of Flatmancrooked. They were one of the first literary sites I started reading regularly once I decided in earnest to begin a writing career. I've submitted work to them twice (rejected both times). But I don't plan on submitting with them again. Because they've now decided to offer expedited publishing for a $5 reading fee. And I'm not okay with that.

First off, I have problems enough with contests charging entry fees - and I'll occasionally pay to enter those, if I have the funds, and if it's a contest I want to support. Although I'm not a fan of contests charging money, intellectually, I understand why you need to collect funds to support the contest, especially if you're a struggling publication trying to keep your regular business practices going as well. So while I'm not a huge fan of them, contest entry fees are not a major crime against writers. But charging submission fees for regular publication? I'm not okay with that. Even if it's just $5, because $5 can really add up for struggling writers. We're struggling enough as it is; we shouldn't have to pay just to have our work considered for regular publication. We may little enough on our work as it is; if we pay for regular submissions, we'll barely break even.

But I think what bothers me the most about all this is that Flatmancrooked is willing to take your money to respond to your submission faster - but they don't pay their writers. They will pay writers semi-pro rates for the special anthologies, but for the regular website? Nope. Not one cent. They want you to pay them for expedited response time, but if your work is accepted, you don't get any money. You've been published at a loss. At least with most contests that charge entry fees, there's enough prize money to make a tiny profit or at least break even (and if there isn't, that's a contest I would never consider submitting to). I refuse to be published at a loss. That's just exploitation. A minor form of exploitation, to be sure, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a crappy business practice.

Granted, I could continue to submit to Flatmancrooked and not pay, and wait the 4-5 months (rather than 14 working days) to hear back. But I don't think I want to offer my work to any site or publication that would exploit writers in this way. And I don't think I want to pay for their anthologies, either. If they're going to charge for submissions, even an optional charge, they need to pay writers enough to at least break even (though they really should offer semi-pro rates). I will probably still read the free content online, because it's quite good, but if they want my dollars, they're going to have to treat writers better.

Thankful Thursday

2010-12-02T08:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Channukah, everyone! Just a week after Thanksgiving, and already more to celebrate. I love being in a multifaith marriage - it means I get even more holidays! While this week's gratitude list isn't especially inspired by Channukah, I'm especially mindful of the fact that I'm giving thanks during a time when we're celebrating a miracle.

This week, I'm thankful for:

Breakfast tacos! They're my favorite way to start the day.
Avocados! My absolute favorite fruit.
A kiss 10 years in the making.
My hardy immune system (knock on wood . . .)
Excellent tattoo artists.
New ideas and constant inspiration.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-01T11:17:00.000-06:00

NaNoWriMo Reflections

2010-12-01T11:11:00.000-06:00

NaNoWriMo is over for another year. I got a nearly-completed draft of a novel, and won with just over 55,000 words. And as always, I learned a few things along the way.

The first big thing I discovered is how naturally I gravitate towards short fiction. It is easy for me to tell a full story in 5,000 words (or even fewer than that!). But I have a lot of trouble sustaining my arc and my characters over the long haul. I know that this is something I can improve upon with practice and extensive revision, and it's something I plan to work on - I want to have a wide range of talents and not just limit myself to writing short pieces. But it's interesting for me to notice just how natural short stories feel to me.

The second big thing I learned relates to the first. This year, I realized that I am very bad at pacing myself. Well, maybe "very bad" is a bit of an overstatement. Again, this relates to my natural talent for short stories, whereas my struggle to learn to write long pieces. When I start a new project, I immerse myself in it. I let it consume my time. I throw myself into research, drafting, and revision until it's done. Well, sort of. This works really well for short stories. But with novels, I throw myself in completely, and then burn out. The frantic pace at which I like to work is great for writing short pieces because the short story is done before I get tired of it. But a novel, on the other hand? Not so much. I need to learn how to write long pieces in a way that's efficient, but won't leave me burned out halfway through.

Anyway, I had a great year, and I'm already worldbuilding and researching for NaNo 2011!

Another Victory!

2010-12-01T11:01:00.000-06:00

I made it through Smut Marathon Round 8 by the skin of my teeth! I tied for last place with the fabulous Willsin Rowe, and we had to hold a runoff to decide the winner. Thankfully, I won. Thanks for everyone who voted for my story! (Though I admit, I would not have been ashamed to lose to Willsin and his excellent "Holed Up."

Now time to prepare for Round 9! It's going to be an interesting challenge, and Alison Tyler is giving us until after the holidays to finish it. Hooray for suspense!

Sunday Pleasures

2010-11-28T10:07:00.000-06:00

I haven't spent much time being out and about this week. Writing, getting ready for the holiday, and spending time in the homes of friends. So today's pleasures are internet-based.

"Love is always a palimpsest" by Anton Gourman. I happened upon this on the internet via twitter and I absolutely adore it.

Salacious: A Queer Feminist Sex Magazine. I need to submit to this one! And so do you! It's going to be great!

The Cleveland Review. Nice to see a literary publication emerging from my hometown. And one of my friends from graduate school is the poetry editor. I can't wait for the first issue!

The Sinfest comic from November 24th. (Not to mention the one from November 23rd). They made my whole week!

The Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal comic from November 26th. When did journalism in general stop having standards?

Jonathan Franzen will deliver the commencement address at Kenyon College this year. I am so jealous! Though I doubt anything could ever beat David Foster Wallace's address from 2005.

The Walking Deadline. A meditation on zombies, death, and writing. One of the best things I have read this week.

NaNoWriMo Days 21-27

2010-11-28T09:47:00.000-06:00

So . . . I burned out early this year. I haven't touched the novel in a week, nor been to a write-in in a week and a half. I've thrown myself into other projects - drafts that need revising before deadlines, new stories that I want to get down before I lose momentum, etc. And of course, the holiday took away from my writing. But really, it's that I'm bad at pacing myself, and I burned out.

And that's okay. It happens. I still have 55,000 words of a novel completed. I have all the chapters down. It's a very, very rough draft, but it's a draft nonetheless. And though I need a break from it now, and that break might last a long time, I have written something new. I put a lot of work into it, I learned a lot about history and poets and my own process, and I met my goal yet again.

Tinglmedia.com - Official Launch

2010-11-28T09:26:00.000-06:00

As you might remember, this summer I published a story called "Parting Gift" at Tinglemedia.com, a startup venture that was still in beta at the time. While it can be risky to invest one's work with fledgling ventures, especially when one is still in the early stages of her career and struggling to get paid for her writing, I loved the concept of the site and couldn't resist taking a chance with it. So I sent out a story, it was accepted, and I'm glad such an intensely-personal piece found a home there.

Today, I'm pleased to announce that Tinglemedia is out of beta. Yep! It's now fully launched! I'm glad that founder/editor Scarlett's investment has paid off! Congratulations to Scarlett and all of us writers who took a chance on this one!

NaNoWriMo Days 19-20

2010-11-21T09:43:00.000-06:00

I admit it. I've been a bad novelist. I took a whopping two days off in a row, and haven't written a word since Thursday. In fact, I've hardly written at all; a few fragments of a short story, but not much else. We've just been so busy celebrating my husband's birthday that I haven't made the time (okay, I've also gotten quite absorbed in Eavan Boland's New Collected Poems and have been spending much more time reading than writing). Hopefully I'll make it to a write-in today, and even if I don't, that's okay; I need to stop castigating myself for taking breaks. And I'll definitely get some writing done on it tomorrow; it's going to be a butt-in-chair day with a friend!

Sunday Pleasures

2010-11-21T09:38:00.000-06:00

(Slightly hungover, post-birthday bash edition.)

This weekend we've been celebrating my husband's birthday. The actual day is tomorrow, but yesterday was our primary celebration.

The day started off when his girlfriend came by with breakfast tacos and queso from Tacodeli. (I admit that I'm a die-hard Torchy's fanatic, but I can very much appreciate Tacodeli and their dona salsa.) After breakfast, we went to the grand opening of Pinballz Arcade, a new place in town for classic and new pinball games and other arcade fare. Unfortunately, a lot of the games weren't holding up too well under the stress of the first day, and there were a lot of broken ones. But the owner is really nice, you can tell he's passionate about this place, and I think that once he works through the kinks, Pinballs will be a great place.

Once we were done with games, we headed over to Vino Vino for a wine tasting - $10 per person to taste 35 wines! We got a great sampling of new wines we'd never tasted before, and came home with a few bottles. Slightly tipsy and needing to sober up, we stopped by NewWorld Deli, which is one of my favorite places in town. My husband had never been there before, and was duly impressed.

Fortified by excellent sandwiches, we went to BookPeople for a reading by Gabrielle Faust and Skyler White. They were there promoting new books, and it was a great chance to hear some great writing, drink tea, admire steampunk outfits, and hang out with friends. And then after the reading, it was time to head home and prep for the party we hosted, which lasted till nearly 3:30 a.m.

Today will be more laid back. We're going to GameStop to pick up the copy of Donkey Kong Country Returns that I ordered him as a birthday gift. At which point, he will probably play all day. I might play a bit, but I don't like most video games other than Tetris. I'll probably go to a NaNoWriMo Write-In at Cafe Caffeine before heading to my fiction group to have one of my new stories picked apart so I can actually fix the problems in my draft.

Tomorrow, on his actual birthday, we're celebrating by going to an open mic at House Wine, and he's going to play some new stuff. Should be a great set! I haven't seen him play live in a long time, and I'm looking forward to it.

NaNoWriMo Days 17-18

2010-11-18T14:09:00.000-06:00

Well, yesterday, I worked on various projects, sat down in the afternoon to work on the novel - and just didn't feel like it. At all. Just going into my Documents folder and clicking on the document to open it seemed like a momentous chore. So I took the day off, and focused entirely on other projects.

This morning, I woke up still not wanting to write. But I had a write-in to attend, darn it. And I wasn't about to let that go. So I got my butt out of bed, drove to south Austin, and parked myself in a chair for 2 hours. And wrote a little over 2,000 words. Go me!

The weekend forecast is not conducive to writing: party prep (including housecleaning) tomorrow; a party on Saturday as well as a number of other things during the day; and recovery on Sunday. I'm hoping to knock out another 2k over the weekend, though. We'll see!

Thankful Thursday

2010-11-18T13:59:00.000-06:00

Good week this week! Lots of writing, lots of fun, lots of things to be thankful for!

Finishing NaNoWriMo! Well, sort of. I got to 50,000 words, meaning I completed the challenge! I still need to finish the rest of the story, though, so I'm still writing! Hopefully I'll have finished the book by the end of the month!
Job interview this afternoon, for something part-time that won't probably interfere with my writing or dancing schedule too much. Here's hoping it goes well! I could use the money.
An excellent story acceptance and contract sent out this week!
Husband's birthday this weekend; fun plans all day Saturday, with something special on his actual birthday Monday night. I absolutely love birthdays, more so than any other holiday.
Good hang-out time with a good friend, and a fun evening with someone special.

NaNoWriMo Day 16

2010-11-17T08:52:00.000-06:00

Up to 54k as of yesterday, and my goal is to get to 55k by the time I go to bed tonight. Yes, my progress is much slower, but as I mentioned yesterday, I am trying to strike a balance between the novel and other projects now that I've gotten the initial words out of the way.

The novel is still going in fits and starts. Some chapters still aren't complete, even foundational ones - for some reason, I haven't been in the mood to write the big sex scene. I've written plenty of smaller ones, but for whatever reason, I'm intellectually and emotionally resistant to the definitive one. It's a fear thing. I need to get over it. Maybe I will commit to writing it at the write-in tomorrow.

Funny how I've managed to write so much in such a short time, and yet I'm still having hang-ups that revolve around fear. Some things never change. And you just have to deal with them as they come.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-17T08:44:00.000-06:00

NaNoWriMo Days 14-15

2010-11-16T08:22:00.000-06:00

Progress has slowed substantially since crossing the 50k mark. I want to finish the story, of course, but I also want to strike a better balance between the novel and my other projects - this isn't the only piece that requires my time and attention. I'm now content to write 1,000 words per day for the novel, leaving the rest of my writing time for short pieces, a new nonfiction project, and some poetry. I've managed to stick with this goal, and it's working well for me. I plan to attend at least one write-in this week as well. As I've said before, those are my favorite part of NaNoWriMo: coming together as a community to write!

Confession Tuesday

2010-11-16T08:16:00.000-06:00

I confess that my room/workspace has become such a mess that I'm having trouble functioning in it, and yet, I'm still not motivated to clean it.

I confess that I moved the plants indoor for the winter, because I'm trying to grow avocados and they don't do especially well in cooler temperatures. The only place where I had room for all of them was my room/workspace, thus contributing to an already-cramped environment. On the one hand, this compounds my frustration. On the other hand, it's really nice to have all that green in my room!

I confess that I want to make tea, but since the plants are in the way of the kettle outlet, I can't at the moment. At least not until I clean the room enough to find the 3-prong adapters so my kettle can work in the 2-prong outlet.

I confess I might be blogging when I really should be cleaning my room.

Sunday Pleasures

2010-11-14T09:13:00.000-06:00

It's been a busy week, filled with various life stresses, more computer problems, and winning NaNoWriMo! (but not being finished with the story yet). Here's a look at some of the things that brightened my week.

The Lenovo X-Series. Boxy and ugly, but with just the specs this writer needs, it will be saving me from my ongoing computer woes in approximately 10 days. Those 10 days cannot come soon enough. And I can upgrade that boring black exterior with a custom skin. I'm thinking leopard print.

My spouse's new LG computer monitor. He got it for the PC he's building piece by piece, but he's already hooked it up to his laptop, so he currently has a dual-screen setup. We use the LJ to watch TV online, and it is lovely.

Red Table Coffee. This is the coffee shop that hosts my regular Thursday morning write-ins during the month of November. It's on the opposite side of town, but it's totally worth the drive for the super-friendly wait staff, the company of NaNo-ers, and the 20% discount they're giving to write-in participants.

Opal Divine's. I've probably put it in Sunday Pleasures before, but if I have, it bears mentioning again. This is by far one of my favorite bars in Texas. I spent last night there and had some fantastic drinks.

And while I'm mentioning Opal's, I should mention that I love Geeks Who Drink trivia nights. We had a blast last night drinking at Opal's and playing the trivia game. And our team took 3rd, which got us $10 off our bar tab! A truly excellent Saturday night.

NaNoWriMo Days 11-13

2010-11-14T08:55:00.000-06:00

Truly epic!

Things really took off for me over the start of this weekend. I went to a write-in on Thursday morning and knocked out about 2,500 words in two hours, then added about 1,500 more throughout the day. Friday was not actually a great writing day - my husband has Fridays off and we spent this one getting tacos, going for walks, and going to the movies - but I managed to get in just a little over the 1,667 word minimum (not that I needed it at that point). Yesterday morning I woke up in the vicinity of 38,500 and breezed into 40,000 words pretty easily - and then did not stop writing. Yes, I put in just 12,000 words in one day, and crossed the finish line. Currently sitting at just over 50,000 words!

Of course, I plan to keep writing. The story is not done yet. I have a bunch of half-written beginning chapters, and I still don't quite know where the end is going. But I won the official challenge!

As my computer problems seem to be getting worse before they get better, I probably won't work on the novel much today. (I only have computer access at the moment right now because my husband is asleep and therefore has no need for his machine's power supply.) I was hoping to go to a write-in, but barring someone being able to loan me an A/C adapter (I'm not borrowing one for a loaner laptop that is not exactly in the greatest shape ever), it looks like I'll be spending the afternoon reading rather than writing. Which is a bummer, because I love going to write-ins and hanging out with NaNo people. But it isn't too terrible, because I think I could stand a day off before I forage ahead to figure out how this book is going to end.

Literotica Holiday Contest

2010-11-14T08:45:00.000-06:00

I'm participating in the Literotica.com Holiday Contest this year! This event will run through December with new entries being added daily. My story, "Spin the Driedel," is a sexy take on the celebration of Channukah. I encourage everyone to read it and rate it - even if they don't love it, any rating helps!

What I like best about the Literotica contests is that you don't have to vote for just one story. You can read all the stories and give them ratings, but if you have two or three strong favorites, you don't have to choose just one; you can give them all high marks. So please go through the stories and rate them. Help make this contest a great one!

Bad Girl's Sweet Kiss now available!

2010-11-14T08:27:00.000-06:00

Huzzah! Just a reminder that The Bad Girl's Sweet Kiss is now available for sale on Xcite! I am so proud to be part of this anthology, especially because it's exciting to have some nonfiction erotica out there. Writing "Reclamation" was a great way to stretch my creative muscles, and I'm glad I have had the opportunity to tell my story for anyone interested in

NaNoWriMo Days 7-10

2010-11-11T07:57:00.000-06:00

I had a mammoth writing day on Sunday the 7th, knocking out 5,000 words in 2.5 hours and putting me squarely at the halfway point of 25,000 words. Since then, the writing has gone a bit slower, as other projects have occupied my time (plus after writing that much on Sunday, my brain was totally shot on Monday). But I continue on, and finished at just over 32,000 words yesterday afternoon.

I should mention at this point that I'm now officially writing the whole novel without my outline. Although some wonderful professionals were able to recover my data from my broken computer, the outline file got corrupted at some point - meaning I have no outline. And it would take up too much precious writing time to actually try to re-create it. But I'm totally writing without a map. It's a little scary. But I seem to be doing okay.

Thankful Thursday

2010-11-11T07:49:00.000-06:00

It's been a rough week. But there are definitely things to be thankful for.

1. A wonderful, supportive husband, sister, and friends.
2. Finding a stray unopened bag of my (now discontinued) favorite rooibos in the back of my tea closet
3. Having written 32,000 words of my NaNoWriMo novel
4. Having a write-in to go to today
5. Being sore in the good kind of way from strenuous yoga and dancing last night
6. Skipping a write-in last night to go have drinks with one of my closest friends, and getting to play skee-ball at the bar
7. An overwhelming amount of creativity at the moment
8. An idea (and a draft!) for the next round of Smut Marathon
9. Not needing to shower today if I don't want to