Kickin’ It Old School

We’ve all been so proud of our blindness
No kindness to share
I used to cry for the lost
Until I had to turn away
Then I looked inside
Past the fool
And found some deeper words to say

-Chicago, “Cry for the Lost”

Since LoudTwitter is dead, I’ve shunted my Twitter feed over to a widget on the sidebar. Just as well, really. I’ve been feeling the itch to bust out of the 140-character mode and stretch a little.

We’ll see how long it lasts.

“All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit”

  • 03:54 "Four in the morning came without a warning…" #lyrics #insomnia ♫ blip.fm/~92i50 #
  • 04:01 On page 36 of 256 of We Never Talk About My Brother by Peter S. Beagle. 5* for "Uncle Chaim and Aunt Rifke and the Angel." Slow pace paid… #
  • 07:26 3 hours of sleep. God, why?? Oh yeah, the coffee I drank while cleaning out the closet 🙁 #
  • 07:52 Damn you, red-eye. You are a cruel mistress. Yet, I always come back… 🙁 #
  • 07:56 twitpic.com/8r0hw – Sure it doesn’t look like much now. It took culling of 4 yrs worth of BS to get here. #
  • 09:20 FTW: Thursday off for a 3 day work week! Thinking I should’ve taken today off and gone back to bed, but this works, too. 🙂 #
  • 09:53 My birthday gift to myself! It’ll be a literal Xmas in July! bit.ly/6EzH4 #
  • 11:47 Yesterday’s crit group evisceration posted, incl. the best advice I’ve gotten in awhile. bit.ly/Od21C #
  • 13:13 Cafe where I’m eating lunch isn’t helping my sleep deprivation playing the slow version of "Valerie." Hence… ♫ blip.fm/~935hw #
  • 13:43 Got caught in the rain sans umbrella twice in as many days. Am soaked and unhappy! OTOH I am more awake. #
  • 16:59 Got to leave work early. Bypassed PM writing spot. Need bed….zzzz. #
  • 17:11 Letting playlist of missed podcasts lull me to naptime. #
  • 19:12 Had a nap & dinner. Almost feel like a real human being again :). #
  • 19:19 Lots of good stuff in this Odyssey podcast: Bruce Holland Rogers on Flash Fic Structures, Pt. 2 bit.ly/WoQPm #mp3 #

Via LoudTwitter

Tough Love

The Critique

Yesterday’s crit group crucixion–painful as ever, but it was one of those sessions where a lightbulb went off in my head that will affect my writing positively from here on out.

I attempted two things with this story: (a) to finally break down whatever wall that’s prevented me from writing something connected to my Asian-American experience ( as well as develop another niche to pimp out my stories) and (b) to write about a fascinating sub-culture that I’ve only a passing familiarity with.

How did I do, according to my critique group?

FTW

  • Set-up was “intriguing”
  • Usual compliment re: my “hip rhythm,” esp. w/dialogue
  • A sci-fi story w/a lot of tech stuff, but still about people/characters having to make particular choices.
  • One reader got “everything I need to know about the [protagonist’s] family [of origin] dynamic.”

Fail!

  • (From the tech guy in the group, keeping me honest) Nix the term “RFID,” which is already dated (my story takes place, oh, about 15 minutes in the future).
  • Need to be clearer what I’m talking about when I make other references (e.g. to cochlear implants, etc.)
  • Not really clear how pervasive and powerful the tech is that I’m writing about.
  • Protagonist’s motivations unclear–is what the protagonist doing legal? How does he feel about the world he’s about to step into? Why’s he stepping into it? (Grrr!)
  • Short debate about expanding/expounding on technical descriptions but being careful not to do that at the expense of character.
  • The most helpful comment and the one I’ll take to heart for the rest of forever: To make the world of my story as clear as I made the protagonist’s family-of-origin dynamic!

Duh! Not that I didn’t know I should do that, but it helps to have an example to point to in my head.

“All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit”

  • 09:01 Looking at yesterday’s 1.1k words. Need at least one scene more for crit group today. #wip #
  • 09:27 Last min crit-group writing playlist: my British Blue-Eyed Soul station on Pandora. #
  • 09:50 Vid of last nite’s @sufferjets bout. Man, that was fun! www.vimeo.com/5359976 #
  • 16:34 Back from biweekly crit group evisceration. Painful but badly-needed feedback, as usual. Blow-by-blow to come…. #
  • 16:42 W00t!! Since everything’s signed and official, I can announce this: bit.ly/f5peK #blog #
  • 19:18 Leave my Google Reader alone for 2 days and I’ve got 350+ unread items?? Oh, hell no. Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut…. #
  • 19:19 Time to finish cleaning out office closet. The one I made the mistake of telling gay coworkers about. /Still/ haven’t heard the end of it. #
  • 19:27 Closet Cleaning/Going In/Coming Out Playlist: Cole Porter–no, I mean CHICAGO XXXII:STONE OF SISYPHUS. #
  • 21:10 Closet-cleaning experience: "Or I stumble through the doorway to space and time." #lyrics bit.ly/vv4YN #

Via LoudTwitter

“All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit”

  • 08:23 On page 15 of 256 of We Never Talk About My Brother by Peter S. Beagle. 1/2way thru "Uncle Chaim and Aunt Rifke and the Angel." Usu don’t… #
  • 08:28 Going to @ithacamarket this morning. Haven’t been in weeks. Miss the food & the people-watching. My stories need characters ;). #
  • 10:29 Can actually see spots of blue sky here @ithacamarket! And the people-watching hasn’t disappointed ;). #
  • 12:33 When we’re not crucifying ourselves on Easter: RT @melvingibbs Filipino prisoners reprise cellblock ‘Thriller’ dance… bit.ly/a1hMP #
  • 12:41 Accomplished a few non-writing tasks this AM: @ithacamarket, haircut, shopping, & found missing cell. #
  • 12:43 Wimbledon distracting me from the writing I need to get done before watching @sufferjets tonite. 🙁 #
  • 14:10 OK, I gotta get out of here if I’m gonna get writing done. Can’t afford to be this absorbed in Wimbledon–it’s only the 3rd round!! #
  • 14:40 Good news: scored table w/outlet at cafe. Bad news: wifi enables me to listen to Radio Wimbledon. #
  • 14:44 You heard ’em, folks! RT @sufferjets @DonP uh oh…better get some writing done so you can come to the game tonight! #
  • 15:29 Was working at a good clip until the drama at the Ferrero/Gonzalez match. Hawkeye taken out of service. #wimbledon #
  • 15:45 Ferrero wins after a double-fault. I can get back to work, now :). #wimbledon #
  • 16:05 @Catrambo My pleasure :). #
  • 16:06 RT @Catrambo I have been videocast! blip.tv/file/2290230 #
  • 16:07 Pasting the last week’s worth of #wip puke drafting together to see what sort of Frankenstein’s Monster results. #
  • 17:07 I’m #reading 2033: Future of Misbehavior by Nerve.com – tinyurl.com/lm649o #
  • 17:11 On page 14 of 200 of 2033: Future of Misbehavior by Nerve.com. Needed research material for current #wip! Serendipitous find at $5.99. #
  • 18:14 RT @sfwa If you want to follow along, @brendacooper is tweeting the Locus Awards live. #
  • 18:15 Unfortunately, I can’t follow along. I’m so close to finishing the first 1k words of the #wip. Then, dinner, then off to @sufferjets game! #
  • 22:10 Had a total blast attending my first bout! RT @sufferjets 248 sufferjets 102 Ottawa #

Via LoudTwitter

“All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit”

  • 08:37 On page 103 of 400 of Conjunctions: 52, Betwixt the Between by Bradford Morrow. Think I’m going to put this one on the back burner for a … #
  • 09:00 Chastized my coworkers–there will be no #MichaelJackson songs sung in tribute around me. #
  • 09:48 Control of the work CD player = Sugarman 3! 🙂 #
  • 10:29 #followfriday Keeping me productive, as much as they can, anyway: @portableapps @TiddlyWiki @gtdguy #
  • 10:47 Because I love circumventing The Man: Use Gmail Drafts to Mail Yourself Unallowed Files bit.ly/HWbph #
  • 11:28 Some days at work, I feel like an air traffic controller. From 1981, all frustrated and stuff. 🙁 #
  • 11:41 God, this was me last crit group. Probably the next one, too 🙂 RT @inkyelbows The Writing Critique: ow.ly/fV9L #
  • 12:23 @ColleenLindsay I’m keeping such things at bay with Miles Davis’s version of "Human Nature." 😉 #
  • 12:27 Turns out the 250+ words from last night will probably be the new intro to current #wip. #
  • 13:30 Business about to pick up at work. Not in a good way. #
  • 14:52 "A plastic face on satellite TV/ Says, ‘Life is filled with give & take’/ He’s takin’ & I’m givin/ So I dance" #lyrics bit.ly/xVlai #
  • 14:55 RT @goodreads 5 more days to win a free copy of Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout bit.ly/6LdS0 #giveaway #
  • 15:51 @inkyelbows You hit so close to home with that critique one, I couldn’t help it :D. #
  • 17:38 Idea so nice, I’m tweeting it twice: RT @Lifehacker Use Gmail Drafts to Mail Yourself Unallowed Files tinyurl.com/mwves7 #
  • 17:42 #followfriday Places kind enough to publish me online: @McSweeneysBooks @fantasymagazine @sixsentences #
  • 18:16 Planning to go: RT @sufferjets Game tomorrow, can’t wait! It will be a great day for the SufferJets to Celebrate the Right to Roll! #
  • 18:18 FTW: Short story contract in my email inbox! W00t!! #
  • 21:40 RT @fantasymagazine #Fantasy #Magazine #editor @catrambo interviewed on the Novy Mirror blip.tv/file/2290230 #interviews #publishing #
  • 21:40 Story contract signed and back out in the (e)mail!! Double w00t! #

Via LoudTwitter

“All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit”

  • 07:38 On page 97 of 400 of Conjunctions: 52, Betwixt the Between by Bradford Morrow. 5* for China Mieville’s exerpt of THE CITY & THE CITY. Sli… #
  • 07:42 I want to read: The Museum of Dr. Moses: Tales of Mys… by Joyce Carol Oates – tinyurl.com/lndbs6 #
  • 07:54 E55th & Cedar=Memories! RT @WEWS Area Of Cleveland On Most Dangerous Neighborhood List www.newsnet5.com/station/19844389/detail.html #
  • 09:07 Obviously, this recorded webinar I’m required to watch has my /full/ attention. :p #
  • 09:13 RT @jdwcornell slashdot article on #CornellFAIL sensitive data loss is.gd/1cxvj #
  • 10:01 You know those folks who stare out the rainy windows in ads for antidepressants? That’s what this dayjob webinar is doing to me. #
  • 12:12 RT @tinytempest comics #racefail – JLA fans don’t deserve to have McDuffie writing for them. assholes. ow.ly/15G7xn #
  • 12:24 Lunchtime writing plan: plotting & research. #wip #
  • 14:52 Just heard how a friend got the #CornellFAIL email /after/ hearing about it on the radio! Lovely. #
  • 14:54 Best resource I’ve found for the current #wip is @hplusmagazine! Finished reading all 3 issues. #
  • 14:55 Overwhelmed myself w/online research for #wip. Solution: taking pen to paper to organize & mindmap. #gtd #
  • 16:44 RT @gudmagazine RT @apexjason Apex Magazine coming out of hiatus: bit.ly/RRoMo #
  • 17:52 Hi-tailed it home after work in the torrential rain. Might’ve been a little premature. Gonna get food & maybe head to the PM writng spot. #
  • 17:55 100 Awesome Open Source Tools for Writers, Journalists, and Bloggers bit.ly/Jbgsw #
  • 18:33 Thought the news about #michaeljackson broke Twitter for a second 🙁 #
  • 21:16 Had to go back to dayjob for my forgotten USB drive and ended up writing somewhere w/no WiFi. Good news: +250 words! #wip #
  • 21:26 Ending my nite with #BurnNotice :D. #

Via LoudTwitter

“All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit”

  • 07:25 On page 81 of 400 of Conjunctions: 52, Betwixt the Between by Bradford Morrow. 3.5* for "Uranus" by Joyce Carol Oates. Smooth prose that … #
  • 07:27 Writing goal for today: Get a puke draft started for last Saturday’s new story idea. #
  • 10:48 Some fcking wizard at the day job lost a laptop w/my PERSONAL F’ING DATA on it!! Where can I lead the lynchmob? *fckinghategasm* #
  • 10:52 God motherf’ing dammit! bit.ly/Vc2xh #
  • 11:44 FAIL! "The computer…was stolen earlier this month, though University officials only became aware…late last week." bit.ly/A9U6R #
  • 12:24 @Catrambo Lucky!! 🙂 #
  • 12:27 Trying to put the dayjob’s Epic Fail behind me so I can concentrate on the #wip at lunch. *grrrHATE* #
  • 13:17 240 words of puke draft at lunch!! Feel I’ve accomplilshed something today 🙂 #wip #
  • 14:24 "Given the importance that Cornell places on data security, this is truly an unfortunate situation." Oh, ya THINK? bit.ly/3eBr8 #fail #
  • 15:02 RT @adeniro On the blog: 10 Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions: tinyurl.com/klycsk #
  • 16:43 Gonna aim for another 200+ words of puke draft after work. #wip #
  • 17:48 Puke draft playlist: FOR ALL I CARE by The Bad Plus. Raw and disjointed, just like my thoughts about this #wip. #
  • 18:41 Way short of tonite’s planned wordcount. But I am reviewing the *gasp* research I’ve collected for this #wip. (Research? WTF’s that? :)) #
  • 19:23 Spat out 185 puke draft words. Trouble is, they were just unconnected bits of scenes. Still, better than nothing. #wip #
  • 21:23 @JohnAnealio Just as impressive are their covers of "Chariots of Fire" and "How Deep Is Your Love" by the Bee Gees. #

Via LoudTwitter