The little Bio-engine that could . . .

Speculative Science

Check out this link on Microscopic Microbe Motors (whew-try saying that fast) and then let your imagination go wild.  Anybody got a sweet tooth?  Obesity on the rise?  Just get yourself a Microbe engine and let the little bacteria eat up your extra sugar.  While they’re in there, they may as well run your music device,

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Catch 22

Writing

I’ve been doing some edits for my first Keela story (a twist on the old mermaid legends) and I’m reminded of some editing advice I’ve recieved. . . Advice #1: Trim, cut, and trim some more.  If it doesn’t hurt to take it out, if you can stomach the thought of cutting it, out it

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O Reader, Reader! Wherefore art thou Reader?

Writing

I’ve been thinking about readers.  Who are they?  Where are they?  How do they make their book purchases?  What do they want from their books?  Why do they choose one book over another? If I knew all the answers, I wouldn’t need to write.  I’d just sell those answers to other wannabes and live on the fortune.  Of

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Carving up the writer’s block

Writing

Writer’s block – the term is enough to send some writers into shivering shakes and quakes of fear.  But what is it?  This definition, found on the SFWA page, has lots of helpful thoughts and links.  My feeling is that yes, writers can get a block, of sorts, which gets in the way of their

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Rotten Spelling

Writing

I think I’ve mentioned before that I have trouble with spelling.  Nothing that a copy editor or a good dictionary can’t fix, but occasionally I find myself forelorn and lonesome without spellcheck or Websters close at hand. At times like that I generally try to word my phrases very creatively, spelling around the pesky words that

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Donuts for dinner

Home in the Rookery

I generally feed my family nutritious and balanced meals, and make a rule of including 2-3 veggies with every dinner – But there’s always the exception to the rule.  Sometimes, when a deadline is pressing, we’ll pass on the pizza and have breakfast for dinner.  Pancakes or french toast, with lots of maple syrup.  Scrambled eggs and

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Locus

Writing

I got my first Locus magazine today.  It’s been a long time coming because I didn’t want to start the subscription until we would be settled in one address for awhile.  The read has been great, and worth the wait, but I find I am incapable of reading about other writer/authors without constantly drawing conclusions and

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Martian geysers

Speculative Science

These lovely geysers reminded me of the fun I’ve had plotting all the things that can go wrong after a colony ship reaches a new planet and gets settled in. Imagine a lovely Martian morning: rising, stretching.  Heating up a cup of cocoa to celebrate the survival of your first month on Mars, then- voomp!  A geyser bursts

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Appeasing the gods

The Human Condition

From a writer’s perspective, I was really struck by this article about the Nepali women plowing naked to appease the rain gods.  I sense a brainstorm coming on . . . just thinking of the story possibilities has me reaching for pen and paper.  But then again, when I list all the things people have done to garner favor

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