Archive for the ‘Dear Diary’ Category

The Scotch Challenge

I blame Rob Ziegler.

The first thing you should know is that I normally don’t drink much.

And yet, I was at World Fantasy Convention, standing in the … uh, some party … maybe Tor‘s? I dunno, I was a little drunk.

Anyway, Rob was hard-timing me about the YA novel I was supposed to finish months ago and I was thinking about NaNoWriMo and I (reportedly, I was a little drunk) said, “If I don’t finish this book by December 1st, I’ll buy you something.”

Somehow, something became a bottle of Lagavulin.

Apparently I agreed, since I later found an email to myself, “i owe rob one bottle of lagavulin if i don’t finsh stupid book by dec.”

Lagavulin, in case you’re not classy, turns out to be EIGHTY DOLLAR SCOTCH WHISKEY.

If I were smart, I would’ve told Rob that drunk email contracts aren’t binding and it wasn’t fair anyway because I thought Lagavulin was some sort of fruity wine.

Instead, I complained to Bill Shunn the next morning (perfectly sober) and Bill took ruthless advantage of my hangover. “Oh, well, you can by me a bottle of Ardbeg Uigeadail if you fail.”

And I (perfectly sober) said, “Fine, I’ll do that, Bill Shunn!”

I’m pretty sure he smirked.

.

I’ve been informed that Ardbeg Uigeadail is not in fact cheap drinking chocolate but is ALSO AN EIGHTY DOLLAR BOTTLE OF SCOTCH.

The details are fuzzy, but sometime in the next hour I offered Eden Robins a bottle of A’bunadh ($72)

This was the point where I realized I had a problem and needed help. Interventions were staged before I could offer Bradley Beaulieu a bottle of Old Pulteney.

Still, I find myself encumbered with at least $250 worth of alcohol bets.

But, screw it. I’ll just finish the book, right? We’re talking about 45,000 to 60,000 words in the next month. That’s basically NaNoWriMo anyway. Peice of cake.

Of course I’ll be whining about this all month. Updates to follow.

Oh, I’ve also suggested to Rob, Bill and Eden that if I DO succeed in finishing this book in the next month, maybe the three of them should buy me some really good wine.

World Fantasy 2011!

Gawd, it’s been forever since I’ve posted.

Fortunately it’s been for good reasons and I have much to report, but more presently, I’m at World Fantasy this weekend!

I’ll mostly be bopping around with friends, but if you’d like to see me try to make coherent sentences on a panel, you can find me at:

5:00 PM
Pacific 2/3: Who Wants to Live Forever?: Immortals

Much of fantasy literature posits immortal beings, even civilizations of immortals. How would that change . . . well . . . everything: a person’s psychology, relationships, social structure, even economics? Are the gods different because they are powerful or just because they’ve been around so long?

Elizabeth Bear (M), Rhiannon Held, Grá Linnaea, James Sutter, Dave Trowbridge

Open for bidness.

OMG, I almost forgot to squee about my new business cards!

I liked my old cards, I was pretty proud of my design, but the contact information was all out of date. I was thinking about redoing them, but I was already drowning in design work for other people and I was thinking a classic minimal design felt more appropriate to where I’m at these days.

… then I stumbled upon this video of Evan Calkins at hobanpress.com

I’m incredibly into letter press. I love the natural embossing the process creates. Evan has a 1500 lb 1902 Chandler & Price 10 x 15 letterpress and his stuff is beautiful. He’s frankly incredibly friendly, professional and flexible.

The cards are just gorgeous.

mah new card

These are from his sweet deal on preset designed cards. (Also available through his etsy store.) This card would have had a capital GL at the top, but I thought it might be neat to extenuate the accented á in my name as a sort of logo. Evan was completely accommodating and I love the results.

Anyway, I love these and Evan was a complete joy to work with. Give him all your business. Now! Go!

Of what and when and where to share?

I work best when I’m showing off.

When I tell people what I’m doing, I get valuable feedback, I become accountable. “I’m doing THIS today!”

… then at the end of the day I get to say, “I did it! I did THIS. Love me?”

… or I have to say, “Um, I did NOT do this. I … I’m sorry.”

And I hate that. I hate it so much that I usually get off my butt and I DO THE THING.

Sometimes I con my friends into letting me send them an email check-in every day. That’s been kind of cool.

But what’s worked best is when I write to the WHOLE FLIPPIN’ INTERNET, “Hey! Look at me! I DID THE THING! … Love Me!”

—

So, the question is … is that cool?

Seriously, I’m asking. I have profiles on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Livejournal and my personal site. Is it cool to share daily updates about what I’m getting done? (Or when I’ve failed.) Would you be annoyed to see it every day? Would you defriend me? (Stop following me, Block me, etc etc etc.)

I’d love to hear what you think is appropriate to share. What do you enjoy seeing? (as a friend/peer/colleague/stranger/curious passer by) What are you indifferent to? What would annoy you? (What would make you hunt me down and slap me?)

Just as some framing, I’m thinking things like my daily wordcount, maybe in the context of the larger work I’m on. Maybe a bit about what music I’m writing or what art project I’m in the middle of. I’d love to add a small bit about my exercise routine. Basically the main pieces of my larger goals.

What do you think? Okay as a one sentence tweet? But annoying as a wall update? Only okay as a side note to a more substantive blog post? When is it good to share?

Your thoughts, share them please.