So I didn't post a con report for CONvergence ... and now that' it happened over a week ago I find bits of it to be a bit fuzzy. Ah, well. I'll do the best I can: we drove. We met up with old friends. I finally got to meet Lyda Morehouse. I told Patrick Rothfuss not to get herpes. I had pictures taken with lots of fish (which will hopefully be posted soon). I drank beer. I hung out with writer friends. I was amazed at costumes (apparently CONvergence is like a three-day Halloween party for geeks). I attended a Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog showing that was modeled after Rocky Horror (there was no toast, but there was lots of singing and booing and cheering). We drove home. I had a great time and I can't wait until GenCon so I can do it all again, except I'll be on panels and signing books and otherwise Playing Author.

Oh, yeah: got 1000 words on TDP yesterday. Here's hoping I can get that tonight, too.

Tags: con talk, the daphne project
Where am I again?: Ken's den
How does that make you feel?: content
What's that noise?: silence

Get Your Cyborg Name

Tags: internet fun
Where am I again?: Ken's den
How does that make you feel?: silly
What's that noise?: shower

Headin' up to Minnesota in a few days. I'm completely stoked to hook up with my writer buds and hang out and talk about books and writing and life. I'm not on any panels, so I'll have plenty of time to do just that.

Tags: con talk
Where am I again?: living room
How does that make you feel?: excited
What's that noise?: Can You Duet

"Quit murdering me with your eyes."

"BLT without mayo? That's like a day without sunshine."



Hear that? That's the sound of my mental filing cabinet opening. These gems will make their way into a story or book someday, I'm willing to bet.

Tags: conversations
Where am I again?: Ken's den
How does that make you feel?: calm
What's that noise?: ceiling fan

I'm saddened to hear about Michael Jackson's passing. Thriller was the first album I owned (on vinyl!). It was a birthday gift from my Aunt Jan, and I played it constantly. Oddly, the first song I think of from that album is "Pretty Young Thing" before the more obvious "Billie Jean" or "Thriller" or "Beat It."  I tried to Moonwalk without success (while wearing Madonna-esque black rubber bracelets and lace hair ribbons, I might add).

Perhaps a trip to the iTunes store is in order.

Tags: music, rip
Where am I again?: living room
How does that make you feel?: sad
What's that noise?: Science channel

1. Just submitted my World Domination short story to the Shine anthology. Fingers crossed and all that.

2. Life in general has messed up my sleep/writing/exercise schedule, but I'm hoping to go for a run tonight. The 1/2 marathon looms ... and it won't train for itself.

3. Just watched The Hangover. Frickin' brilliant and hysterical. I'd pay full price to see it again. It's funny and dirty without being over the top. Need two hours of comedy with happy endings all around? This one is for you.

4. Just finished reading After the First Death by Robert Cormier. It was published in 1979, and while it was good, I don't think it would be published today. Terrorists take over a school bus full of children. While relevent today, stylistically it'd have a hard time in today's market. It's good to read if one wants to study characterization. Plot-wise not much happens; most of the story is carried by the internal dialogue of the characters. Cormier is known for his realistic endings (read: unhappy), but that's what makes this book so thought-provoking.

Tags: blogginess, book review, movie review
Where am I again?: living room
How does that make you feel?: calm
What's that noise?: silence

I can't believe I missed Blog Like It's The End Of the World. I was so looking forward to it, too ... but stupid life got in the way. Bah. Though, from what I understand, they were doing a Tweet Like It's The End Of The World, too, which I bet was fun. Ah, well. There's always next year's zombie invasion.

Tags: bliteotw, blogginess
Where am I again?: living room
How does that make you feel?: cranky
What's that noise?: xm radio

1. 800 more words on The Daphne Project. Good words, too, I think, which is always a plus. It's been awhile since I've worked on the YA project and so it took me a bit to get into the swing of things, but it feels great to be back. I'm in the dreaded middle part of the story, which historically has always given me trouble, but there's nothing to do but power through it and fix the broken bits later. Onward!

2. Baked home made biscuits for the first time ever today. They turned out well, and are particularly tasty with homemade strawberry jam. The proof:


Note the two ugly-duckling leftover-scrap biscuits. Mmmmmm.

3. I visited my dad a few days ago and brought home cherries from his cherry tree. What to do with five cups of pitted fresh cherries? Make a pie, of course. Think I'll be taking this into work tomorrow. The proof:


Perhaps later this week I'll make a strawberry pie.

4. Worked on the knitting this morning. The baby blanket is almost half-way done.

5. I had hoped to have a slimy Sunday but Ken wants to go see Wolverine ... and gee, twist my arm already, I'll go see it. So soon a shower and lunch before the movie.

6. Writing group tonight. Maybe I'll even get more words on TDP in before hand.


... and that's my day. What about you guys?

Tags: blogginess, laundry list
Where am I again?: castle room
How does that make you feel?: busy
What's that noise?: Call of Duty 5

I got another shout-out for "Three Wishes" in Terribly Twisted Tales here. Thanks to jimhines  for the heads-up.

I'm still waiting for the bubble to burst.

I have got to get my butt in the chair.

Tags: terribly twisted tales, writer euphoria
Where am I again?: Ken's den
What's that noise?: ceiling fan

My half-marathon training is going well, I think--today I almost made six miles and will shoot for that again Friday--but the result is my writing productivity is in the toilet. I'm ashamed to say my word output for May was 4K. Seriously, 4K? One short story? Not good, not good at all. I feel the scales of balance tipping too far away from the writing, so my goal for June is to rectify that. I'd like to get a good chunk of The Daphne Project under my belt as well as another short story done buy the end of June. Just typing that goal makes me feel more in control.

Deep breaths. Balance.

Tags: exercise angst, writer angst
Where am I again?: living room
How does that make you feel?: contemplative
What's that noise?: Call of Duty 5