What’s Up Wednesday? Back from Kansas

What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly blogfest to share the answers to a few simple questions… Join us! I’m glad to be back after spending a few weeks away at the Young Gunns workshop in Kansas.

What I’m reading:

Wow, what haven’t I been reading? 😉 I’m about half-way through the audible version of Jim Butcher’s “Skin Game”, and also been listening to Sophie Kinsella’s “I’ve got your number” as a pre-loaded audiobook from the local library.

I read three books while I was in Kansas, and enjoyed them all: Diana Wynne Jones’ “Cart and Cwidder”, Ben Bova’s “The Silent War”, and “Magic Burns” from the Kate Daniels series. I’m still working on “Dark Lord of Derkholm” (also by Wynne Jones,) started the new Veronica Mars book “Thousand Dollar Tan Line”, and Elizabeth Moon’s “Command Decision.” Oh, and since I got back I’ve finished the first Angel&Faith graphic novel, “Live Through This.”

What I’m writing:

Umm, well. I revose another draft of “TimeBubble Blues” while I was in Kansas. I want to work more on revising all three stories I took to the workshop, and I’ve started to write something based on my Magic Milkshake idea from April. But I’ve been taking a little break from writing while I recover from the two weeks of breathing writing and spending time with nobody but writers!

What inspires me right now:

Spending two weeks of breathing writing and spending time with nobody but writers! Also Storywonk talking about Cabin in the Woods–I need to make sure to make time to listen to their commentary track over the weekend.

What else I’ve been up to:

Getting used to being back in Ontario, going to work every day, and preparing a lecture for the TNEO workshop. Yeah, my first time going back after Odyssey, and Jeanne asked me to teach a class! I’m excited and really nervous all at once. Need to decide on a title for my lesson and send it out by tomorrow.

What about you? Click here to join the hop or check in with some other great writers.

The Veronica Mars post. (Spoilers)

Storywonk Sunday talked a lot about the Veronica Mars movie on this week’s episode, and when I checked my archives for the last week of March, I was surprised to find out that I actually hadn’t talked much about the movie, just gave it a brief shout-out in a ‘What’s up Wednesday’ post. So here is where I ramble at length about the film. As stated in the title, beware the spoilers.

O is for the Omnivorous Octopus

For the A to Z challenge this year, I’m sharing science fiction and fantasy story ideas…

Well, I’ve run out of the best ideas I came up with in March, really. I should be able to spend some more time brain-storming over the long weekend, but for now–I have some words I scribbled into a notebook while waiting for the Veronica Mars movie to start, and one or two real ideas.

I was thinking about O’s in the shower this morning, actually; started with Octopus because they’re always fun and pretty strange. Tried a few adjectives that didn’t really make sense, and then hit on ‘omnivorous octopus.’ I wasn’t sure if octopuses(/octopodes) are generally omnivorous in the standard biological sense, (eating both animals and plants,) but I liked the idea of a story about ‘the octopus that ate everything!’ People, computers, water or mud, it eats it all. Depending on what it eats and how you describe it, that could be a fantastic horror tale or a funny picture book for kids!

According to wikipedia, octopuses appear to be generally carnivorous, they generally don’t snack on seaweed or anything else green. And octopodes is ‘infrequent’ while octopi is generally ‘incorrect.’

If you’re interested enough to pick this up and write your own version, feel free; ideas are cheap. And let me know! I’ll be keeping the notions vague enough that lots of different stories might be written from them.

Thanks for visiting!

What’s Up Wednesday? It doesn’t look like spring yet

What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly blogfest to share the answers to a few simple questions… Join us!

What I’m reading:

Mostly short stories, from PodCastle, Shimmer, and Andromeda Spaceways. Still listening to ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and ‘Culture: Excession’ on Audible. I found myself without my Kindle and tablet yesterday, still wanted to get some reading done. I stopped at a bookstore and considered picking up “Witches Abroad,” “Small Gods,” or “Magic Burns,” but ended up going home and reading a chapter and a half from “Knot Gneiss.”

What I’m writing:

NaNoEdMo hour counter is at 39 hours, 48 minutes, and I haven’t done any editing for today! The big changes to Orpheus/Underworld are underway, and I’ve broken ground on “The Time Bubble Blues.” Haven’t gotten much done on HTRYN and “The Angel’s Charlie” since last week.

What inspires me right now:

The Veronica Mars movie, whoohoo! Shiny new Chromebooks for Camp Nanowrimo. The lecture notes I brought back from Odyssey and the prospect of this year’s summer workshops coming.

What else I’ve been up to:

Getting locked out of my office, which is why I don’t have the Kindle or lots of my other gear which is locked inside. 😉 Checking out my assigned cabin and trying to get a little family reunion together.

What about you? Click here to join the hop or check in with some other great writers.