Lilith Saintcrow's Blog, page 224

* I'm cutting way back on my Internet usage. Way, way back–to the tune of putting parental controls on my laptop. The timer is working, but not enough. Wireless is just too easy. And with all the upheaval in my personal life lately, the feeling of being "connected" is acquiring a lot of importance–but how "connected" am I if I'm just aimlessly surfing? Work's got to get done, and if it takes this to do it, well, then, this is what it takes.

I feel like an idiot weakling for reducing myself to par

I've mentioned before that my online acquaintance Wolfinthewood (Gillian Spraggs, for those of you just joining us) has turned her considerable academic talents to the Google Book Settlement. She has a paper explaining aspects of the settlement you can download in PDF. While I am not sure I agree with her contention that the settlement may not be such a hot idea (again, I will NOT argue about it here) there's something about this that is causing me a great deal of concern.

Wolf mentioned last wee

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Everyone here is cranky this morning. Including me.

I wouldn't be keeping up my end of the Friday post bargain if I didn't tell you something right now. I'm having trouble with the latest book. Coyote Boy (the UnSullen, for those of you who keep track of such things) informs me that it's the same trouble I have every book.

I can't help it if it feels like different trouble every time.

Here'

The Selkie sent me a link to Eugie Foster's story Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast, in Apex Magazine, this morning. I read it before coffee–it reminded me quite a bit of Tanith Lee's Four-BEE series, the one starting with Don't Bite The Sun. I'm a huge Lee fan–she's my favorite author–so I was disposed to like the Foster story. Barring a few jarring word choices (fabulists who throw in modern jargon take that risk) it was awesome. The fact that it kept me a

Wolfinthewood (whose LJ I read pretty religiously, and who I think is pretty cool) has put together a paper on the Google Book Settlement. It's downloadable in PDF format, and, I think, worth reading.

Again, I am not going to have a shouting match here. Be civil. And I will thank you kindly if you are nice and polite over at her place too. I offer this as FYI, and because I respect Wolf's opinions. She's spent a lot of time thinking about this, and has a great deal of critical analysis to offer.

It's amazing how, with no real effort on my part, a troll will step forward and prove the point about fear and nuttery.

"Liberal" and "egalitarian" are supposed to be bad words now? Hm. Well, not to me. So thanks for the compliment.

*laughs quietly*

It's been the sort of morning where PMS hangs on the horizon. I'll just let you think about that and thank God you're not living with me. Heh. The kids are oblivious, but the UnSullen, after shoving a cup of coffee into my hands, has found other things to do at a distance from me.

Wise, wise kid.

Let's see…there's this excellent post by Maggie Stiefvater (whose newest, Shiver, is now out, by the way) about How To Write A Novel. It is boiled down to: 1. Decide to do it and then 2. Put your ass in t

I just received this from the Author's Guild (of which I am a proud dues-paying member.) It's a response to William Morris Endeavor's stance on the Google Book Settlement. It says to feel free to forward or post it, so that's just what I'll be doing here. This is FYI only; I am not going to get drawn into a discussion or shouting match about the Google settlement. Discussion needs to be civil. That being said, I'll post the entirety of the email I received below.

Memo to Agents (and Authors)

Willi

Last night finished off with me spilling almost a full cup of water at my place at the table, over a pile of paperwork.

Yeah, that was my whole weekend right there. It almost reduced me to tears. An emotionally brutal weekend, going from unpleasant things to pleasant but OMG stressful things, with various chores in between. The great things were great but exhausting, the bad things were verreh verreh bad and exhausting.

I woke up this morning feeling like it was Monday, and also feeling like it wa

Crossposted to the Deadline Dames, where you can find giveaways and tons more writing advice from the trenches. Check us out!

Ever since I can remember, I have been measured and found wanting.

I was either too X or not enough Y. Too fat, too weak-eyed, too loud, too dreamy, too smart, too stubborn, too artsy. Not practical enough, not obedient enough, not pretty enough, not quiet enough, not thin enough, not smart enough. Nobody was ever entirely pleased with me, and every praise had sting in the