stonetable.org

I’m busy finalizing my preparations for NaNoWriMo but I wanted share a link.

Requiem for Prey by Sarah Monette. Go forth and enjoy.

Vertigo has released PDF versions of the first issue of many of their classic graphic novels.

I’m reading Y on the recommendation of a friend. It’s got a monkey, so it can’t be bad, right?

Since all the cool kids are doing it, here’s are my results from the Aspie Quiz:

Your Aspie score: 162 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 52 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie

So, err, yeah.

Time for a weekly update, since I’ve been slacking. Work is still trying to kick my ass but I’m giving as good as I’m getting. This is the month of two or three major updates that will make my job much easier. I still have to let go and delegate the work, but the tools are now there for other people to use.

I’ve been weighing the benefits of participating in this years NaNoWriMo. I really need to get back into a regular writing schedule and NaNo would sort of force that. On the other hand, I could take that same amount of time working on a couple of shorts and accomplish the same thing. It really comes down to prioritizing my time and forcing myself to set and follow a schedule.

I finished another Flash Fiction and an entry in Jim Van Pelt’s 7 sentence story contest over the weekend. Nothing serious, but fun to do and it reminds me how much I love this. I’ve got a few stories bouncing around in my head that I’ve been neglecting, so I’m going to focus on writing until I clear them out.

My monthly subscription buy continues, this time with an old favorite, Asimov’s Science Fiction.

I’ve picked up a couple anthologies since last month’s subscription: The Best American Short Stories 2007 edited by Stephen King and This is my Funniest, edited by Mike Resnick. The second edition, This Is My Funniest 2, was just released and contains a story by one of my IRC buddies, Deirdre Moen, so go pick up a copy.

It’s been a busy couple weeks (as evidence by the fact that I’m still awake and working). I did want to share one small thing. My prose tends to be minimalistic. I don’t pad my word count with flowery language or filler. I’ve tried. It just doesn’t work well for me. I look at writing like painting a picture. I start by sketching out the framework. Next I fill in the major elements, define the lines and highlight the edges. From there, it’s a matter of filling in the gaps, some strokes broad and others very thin, laying on the paint until I have a picture I’m satisfied with.

One of the forms I’ve enjoyed reading is the six word story. To me, it’s an awesome example of the art of sparsity. Hemingway once wrote “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Six words, but the story it tells!

There’s an ongoing thread of six word stories over at Absolute Write. Here was mine:

Moon falling. Earth colliding. Sudden death.

Now, back to work.