Questions for the General FAQ.

We've done music. We've done (and are still doing) horror. Writing is pretty solid. Now here's the amorphous one:

Who has questions for my GENERAL FAQ?

Be creative, but also ask what you'd like to know that isn't directly tied to music, horror movies, or writing. Thank you all so much for your help!

Thoughts on Writing #24: Revise or Die.

Hello, and welcome to the twenty-fourth essay in my ongoing series of essays on the art and craft of writing. We're almost halfway through the original set of fifty thoughts on writing, which is a slightly awe-inspiring thought if I think about it too hard. These essays will eventually touch on as many aspects of the art of writing as I can think of, and may occasionally seem to be self-contradictory. Writing is like that.

Here's our thought for the day:

Thoughts on Writing #24: Revise or Die.

Now, those of you who have been following this series may look at today's topic and find yourselves scratching your heads. 'But wait,' you might say, 'wasn't essay twenty-three about revision?' You'd be right. Because here's the thing: we're going to be circling back to editing, revision, and critique quite a bit as this essay series goes on. It's that important. Which brings us to today's expanded topic:

Anyone who tells you that your first draft is brilliant, perfect poetry and deserves to be published just as it is and you shouldn't change a word and oh, you're going to be famous and make enough money to buy a desert island is either a) lying, b) delusional, or c) your mother.

Does it seem like I'm harping on this? That's because I am, a bit. We all have cheerleaders. We all have people who believe, truly and deeply, that we are the perfect special snowflakes to end all perfect special snowflakes, and that because we are perfect special snowflakes, we need a constant stream of validation, love, and affirmation, because otherwise we might melt. Those are wonderful people. Those are important people. And sometimes, those are the people we need to listen to the least.

We're all special snowflakes. We all need to turn on the heat. Ready? Excellent. Now let's begin.

( My thoughts are not your thoughts; my process is not your process; my ideas are not your ideas; my method is not your method. All these things are totally right for me, and may be just as totally wrong for you. So please don't stress if the things I'm saying don't apply to you -- I promise, there is no One True Way. This way for my thoughts on the art of revision, take two. )

Wondercon art cards, part two.

Since tomorrow is the official beginning of Wondercon, this seemed like a good time to go ahead and post the remaining four cards. (In addition to forcing myself to be strong and not do 'one little replacement card,' I had to keep reminding myself that ten was a nice, round number of cards, even if it didn't give me a nice, even number in the two scans. Sometimes living inside my brain can be a real merry-go-round of mathematical fun.)

As always, clicking the image will take you to a bigger version. I give you the final four cards:



Just to restate the rules, cards will be available for the first ten people who find me at the convention and ask about Rosemary and Rue [Amazon][Mysterious Galaxies]. I'm intending to be at-con for at least part of all three days. And yes, after you ask me about the book, you do actually have to stand there and listen to me talk about it before I'll let you have your card. No reservations for specific cards are being taken.

Let the games begin!

Word count -- Discount Armageddon.

Current stats:

Words: 6,075.
Total words: 30,086.
Reason for stopping: finished chapter eight.
Music: my ass-kicking Verity dance music play list.
Lilly: dead to the world.

Behold! For now I wear the human pants! Cryptid pants. Whatever. Now with extra ballroom dance, thanks to subject-matter expert Betsy Tinney.

I love my creepy cryptozoologists so hard.