Listening for the storm

Home in the Rookery, Writing

We have a tropical storm, wannabe hurricane, headed our way.  Outside it is dark and the wind soughs through the wet leaves in the trees.  The birds are quiet, but the cicadas sing. I’ve been thinking how important sound is.  We know, instantly, on entering a room how comfortable the people in it feel with

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Tuning out Irving Berlin

Home in the Rookery

Since early childhood I have been a night owl, and sung the Irving Berlin song “Oh how I hate to get up in the morning”, to anyone who tried to argue me out of bed.  I can remember pleading with my mom, late at night, to ‘just let me come to a stopping place’ in whatever

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Popular opinion put to the test

The Human Condition

Scientists will study anything that earns grant money, it appears.  Popular Science’s article Science Confirms the Obvious! is a list of no-duh studies and what their researchers had to say about it.  I’m in accord with #3’s findings that too many meetings are considered a hassle.  I can count on one hand the meetings I’ve attended that left me

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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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