Anah Crow

from TSN.ca:

The youngest son of Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke has died in a car crash.

The team said 21-year-old Brendan Burke was fatally injured in an accident Friday in Wayne County, Indiana.

Police told a Daytona, Ohio television station a black jeep lost control in poor weather and slid into oncoming traffic, hitting another vehicle head on and killing Burke as well as another passenger.

Brendan Burke made headlines in November after he discussed being gay in an ESPN.com story.

Brian Burke, who is also the general manager of the U.S. Olympic team, told ESPN, “I simply could not be more proud of Brendan than I am, and I love him as much as I admire him.”

I am so sad for the Burke family’s loss, and I am reminded at the the same time how blessed we are to live in a time when Brendan Burke could be out at all, and when his father could be forthright about his pride in his son.  Because that’s not the world where I grew up. What Brendan accomplished just by being who he was has the opportunity to make life a little better for other people in a sphere where being openly queer is still less acceptable than it is in the mainstream (which is still not nearly accepting enough).

Thank you, Brendan, for being yourself.  And thank you, Mr. Burke, for whatever contribution you made to that and for your public support of your son.  I hope that some little good comes of this in time, whatever can be gleaned from it.  But right now, I’m just sad and angry that we have so horribly much to lose when we lose even one of us who has made some progress in the world, and I am sad and angry that bad things have to happen to good people.

Originally published at anahcrow.com. You can comment here or there.

Tags:
 
 
Anah Crow
20 January 2010 @ 12:44 pm
...a return to the analog world in search of better edits.

When editing, I often change things back and forth and worry my ass off. And, other times, I go on a blitz and change all sorts of sh*t that didn't need changing, like some kind of natural disaster hit my work. So, I've developed a method of getting around the editing fidgets. I've started keeping an editing log, and not touching the document the first few reads.

I was using other e-methods of tracking edits and notes at first, but I often think better when I'm AFK. Also, the physical process of writing out problems and solutions makes me file them mentally and I am less likely to make that mistake later. I haven't settled on 'one chapter per sheet of paper with different reads in pen', or 'columns of notes for parallel comparison', or just 'write all that sh*t down, then do it again', or 'index cards'.

So far, 'index cards' are winning for a few reasons:

-index cards are fun and relatively cheap and come in all kinds of colours (colours amuse me no end, so you have no idea what a plus this is)
-the ink from my endless supply of markers doesn't soak through index cards
-index cards don't crumple as badly when I fall asleep on them (yes, this is a consideration)
-index cards can be re-ordered easily as I add new notes, or sorted by 'issue' after the fact
-index cards are easy to store (1): I can pick up a holder for 100+ for $2 that's brightly coloured and I can throw it in my bag, or I can clip a few together with a binder clip
--- this matters because I will often make notes about things I'm stuck on and look at them when I'm AFK and even out of the house; solutions can be kept on other cards
-index cards are easy to store (2): some of the notes I make are applicable to more than one instance and are worth keeping in my main index card box (a gunmetal green ancient steel box that holds 100s)

When I'm done making notes to myself, I can go back through the document, referencing my notes, and make changes as I go. I often argue with myself when editing -- this way, all my arguing is done. I don't end up with layered changes in a document, which honestly makes me crazed. Finally, I think my final edit is smoother and more exacting when I'm editing from past notes on an untouched document.
 
 
Anah Crow
27 November 2009 @ 02:31 pm
ffi 1. Wait! Wait, don't forget your phone.
2. CRASH followed at once by Mooooommmyyyy!.
3. The trouble is usually me.
4. Most of the people I love are many miles away.
5. With a faint pop the needle goes through.
6. The horizon is shadowy and ominous.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to resting, tomorrow my plans include cooking and Sunday, I want to visit with family!
 
 
Anah Crow
17 November 2009 @ 09:33 pm
I regret not actually doing NNWM. I don't think I actually wanted to do it. I think I more wanted to get something DONE. But, maybe I do miss the thrill a little (as jaded and grumpy as I am about NNWM).

So. A poll.


Poll #1486950 How's your Nano?
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 6

My Nano is...

Great!
0 (0.0%)

Don't mention it. *blergh*
1 (16.7%)

I can get it done! Put more coffee on!
0 (0.0%)

Why do I do this to myself?
1 (16.7%)

Crap, but I have WORDS.
0 (0.0%)

Hahahahaha... no.
2 (33.3%)

I didn't start.
1 (16.7%)

I learned my lesson, not doing it again!
1 (16.7%)

My plans for my finished Nano are...

I'm going to laugh and put it away. Forever.
2 (50.0%)

I'm hoping to brush it up and sell it.
1 (25.0%)

I'm going to sell it as it is.
0 (0.0%)

I'm going to frame it!
0 (0.0%)

I'm going to self-publish it.
0 (0.0%)

I'm going to take it out in six months and we'll see.
1 (25.0%)




Sick little egger, all clickies welcome: Adopt one today! (I can never resist when I see a little one sitting there sick and abandoned. I always have to pick it up. :p But, maybe the little guy will be okay.) Neevermind. Little dude hatched. Awww. Saved!

Optional: Pitch me your Nano in comments! No more than five sentences (and I'm being generous because it's Nano).
 
 
Anah Crow

cover-runawaystar-smallDianne and I just got the news that Runaway Star, the first of the Pandora Stories, has been selected as a finalist in its category (E7) Science Fiction/Erotic Romance. Unlike other awards, the Eppies handle all eligible books in each category equally, whether the characters are queer or straight. We especially appreciate EPIC’s decision to try this way of doing the awards.

EPICAWARDS2010-finalist-sm

The finalists are listed here; our category is the very last on the page. We’re up against some books that have received very positive reviews this year, which is a huge compliment in and of itself. If you haven’t read Runaway Star, now’s your chance! Just click the cover icon to go straight to the purchase page at Torquere.

Also, check Pandora Stories.com on the last Monday of November to enjoy the Blue Monday offering, a new Space Trash story that brings the relationship between Tal and Ceb to a happy ending and new beginning.

You can also find Runaway Star at Fictionwise and All Romance Ebooks.

Originally published at anahcrow.com. You can comment here or there.

 
 
Anah Crow
12 November 2009 @ 03:28 pm
Today, it's about whether or not you'd live in the house of your dreams -- for free, even! -- if you knew there had been a murder there, or if the neighbors said it was haunted. Really, LJ?

What a silly question. Anywhere you're standing on the earth, something has died there. Maybe even savage murder with suffering and mutilation. Of course, if you're assuming that humans are the only things that can suffer, maybe there'd be some point to being anxious. Even so, you're breathing in molecules that have been intimately involved in bodies of those who are long-dead now. The only reason I can think of that I wouldn't want the house in that case would be if it was a tourist attraction or the killer (who was alive and either not in custody or eligible for parole) had some kind of obsession with the house.

My neighbors' last house was previously owned by a gang leader from the nearby large city, and he housed one of his "wives" there and visited her from time to time. They found out when their house was fire-bombed. No, really. More than once. Among other things. The police had to arrange an interview for them with one of the larger local papers where they were profiled and it was noted, repeatedly, that the house had been sold to them recently. The gang task force also had a word with a few ranking members of the various gangs in the area.

The fire-bombs and graffiti and stones through the windows stopped. However, they moved shortly after and keep at least one other home elsewhere as the mother is terrified of settling down anywhere now. At least a murder has a certain finality to it.
 
 
Anah Crow
10 November 2009 @ 09:51 am
1. What is the color of your toothbrush? Clear yellow acrylic w/ white rubber?
2. Name one person who made you smile today. Kiddo, as we were trying to find her a cardi to go with her skirt.
3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? Drinking coffee and knitting while saying goodbye to the family.
4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Making coffee and finding the materials for a bracelet.
5. What is your favorite candy bar? 3 Musketeers (mint)!
6. Have you ever been to a strip club? Not during business hours.
7. What is the last thing you said aloud? Who's a good dog?
8. What is your favorite ice cream? Chocolate or coffee.
9. What was the last thing you had to drink? Diet cola.
10. Do you like your wallet? I'm reconsidering it, but it's good for now. (recycled plastic snap case.)
11. What was the last thing you ate? A potato chip... just one..
12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? No, I rarely purchase clothing..
13. The last sporting event you watched? Cowboys last night.
14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? A mix of cheddar and caramel (not on the same pieces, two kinds together).
15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? Kiddo.
16. Ever go camping? Yes! I really enjoy it, but I prefer to have a cabin to fall back on.
17. Do you take vitamins daily? Yes. Quite a few. I have a schedule for meds and vitamins.
18. Do you go to church every Sunday? No. I'm atheist.
19. Do you have a tan? No. I break out in eczema from sun exposure.
20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza? Yes, since I can't eat pizza at all.
21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? Rarely; it interferes with the flavours.
22. What did your last text message say? "call b4 u come home"
23. What are you doing tomorrow? No idea. My body, she so crazy.
24. Favorite color? Black.
25. Look to your left; what do you see? Hot pack, empty glass from my soda, Playstation drum kit, end table w/ yarn, Poang black leather chair with yarn winder clamped on the arm, white cotton drapes.

Dragonet Daycare -- Look at them in their ickle playpens!
Adopt one today!Adopt one today!Adopt one today!Adopt one today!Adopt one today!
 
 
Anah Crow
08 November 2009 @ 08:54 pm
Adopt one today! <-- foundling with only 3 days left. :(

Tomorrow is Monday. I slept ALL DAY yesterday. I lost the whole day and most of this morning to a migraine. Ugh. I object.

On the upside, my lesbian contemp. Christmas short story was finished (thanks to M for an extension) between the cold or whatever I had last week and the migraine I had yesterday. It's also been accepted. So, Sam and Rose will be back for Christmas. This means that Dianne and I have provided three of the Christmas Sip offerings. One together, and one each on our own. Tomorrow, back to novel-ville.

I got 10hrs sleep last night. Why am I ready for bed again?

Time for some quality time with the family in front of the Sunday Night Football game. Am doing some 'accessibility testing' on a knitting loom, to see if it's suitable for use by those of us who struggle with our hands sometimes. It's going well so far.
 
 
Anah Crow
First impressions of Brian Kiteley's The 4 A.M. Breakthrough: Nice follow up to The 3 A.M. Epiphany (reviewed here), which remains the sole (until now) book of writing exercises to get any use at my house.  A more involved set of exercises, very interesting.  It's a book that assumes a greater degree of investment in the craft and process of writing.  In some ways, it's a 'smarter' book.  I'm a fairly intelligent person and, sometimes, I found myself challenged in terms of grasping the entire concept of each exercise, but only in a good way.  That's an excellent thing because it means that my conceptualization of my writing as a whole is being pushed in new directions.

I also found more exercises to which I was resistant, my brain shying away from them for fear of failure.  Again a very good thing.  This is precisely the kind of thing books like this should do.  The exercises in them should force me down the dark alleys in the city of my mind, into the places I scurry past for fear of what I might find there.  It's too easy for me to stick to the routes I know, because they've worked for me for so long and writing is hard.  When a book gets down to making me do things I'm bad at (or just think I am), it's worth my money.

You'll pay around $20Cdn each (more or less for you depending on your exchange rate) for The 3 A.M. Epiphany and The 4 A.M. Breakthrough at your local bookstore.  Both books are published through Writer's Digest, so you should be able to order them in anywhere. 3 A.M. will give you 201 exercises with commentary on each, and some excellent advice on writing and critiquing, 4 A.M. will give you 200 exercises with commentary on each, heaps of references, and some interesting discussion on teaching writing that is also useful to the solitary student.

(Still heteronormative, just like almost every other book on writing out there -- in most parts, though I did notice some exceptions to that.  I know it may be weird to harp on, to some, but having to make constant alterations of available material to suit the world as it really is becomes really frickin' wearing.  One of these days, maybe I'll write "Writing Exercises just for Queers, Fags, Trannies, Swingers, Pervs, and other Normal People".)

Dragon Playpen: Click to pet! (Dragons do not bite.)
Adopt one today!Adopt one today!Adopt one today!Adopt one today!Adopt one today!Adopt one today!Adopt one today!



 
 
Anah Crow
03 November 2009 @ 08:12 pm
A sludgy pink pile of gooooo. I wish I were a real... Adopt one today! ...and then I wouldn't have to work.

I hate when I need to get writing done and my brain turns into a puddle.

/whine

(On the upside, Dianne's Holiday short story and our Holiday Short Story got accepted. I am ALMOST omg ALMOST done mine. Was derailed by the goop/flu/cold/whatever but was already committed to the story for the holiday blitz. *snuffle* Will not let side down.)
 
 
Anah Crow
03 November 2009 @ 08:13 am
Okay, so I've completely slacked off on these postings, for complex reasons that -- surprisingly -- did not involve being lazy or running out of books. However, now is as good a time as any to review this book, as it is the antithesis of NNWM. The full title of the book is: The Clockwork Muse: a practical guide to writing theses, dissertations, and books. This book is inspiring and radical in a way that will become obvious when I share a little bit from the first chapter.

"Unfortunately, writing is an activity that tends to evoke a considerable amount of anxiety, often resulting in the paralytic condition commonly known as "writer's block".
...
The book builds on the fundamental premise that, unless we learn how to overcome problems having to do with how we write, we may never be able to focus on what we actually want to write about. As such, it dwells specifically on the "procedural" aspects of the process of producing a manuscript. Hence its particular concern with our need to develop better work habits (and, consequently, to also regard "writer's block" and procrastination as technical rather than strictly psychological problems)."
 
(Zerubavel, The Clockwork Muse, p.1-2; emphasis mine)

Yes, there it is. A proposed solution to writer's block and writer's resistance that does not involve intoxicants, self-flagellation, or expensive psychotherapy. Surprisingly, I have found his assessment to be quite correct. Of course, that means that one can apply paralytic anxiety to the organizational process itself, thereby thwarting one's progress once more, but I think it is easier to numb the nattering mind monkeys with regard to making colour-coded charts and graphs than it is when facing word one of 100,000.

Further endearing himself and his book to me, Zerubavel is not in the least an organization fetishist. His approach to scheduling is simple and works for anyone, with a nod going to those in the author's position of parent and spouse. Priorities first, progress second. It is possible to write successfully without imploding one's family or career or grade-point average. Zerubavel provides references from his own life in which his priority-based scheduling allowed him to balance work, commuting, parenting, supporting his spouse's goals, and producing a book. This gives him a certain amount of believability that knocked my inner skeptic back into the corner. I'll quote one of the pieces of advice on scheduling that was most useful to me:

"Paradoxical as it may sound, the best way to begin the process is actually by crossing off your regular daily as well as weekly schedule all the time slots in which you definitely cannot write on a regular basis and which should therefore not even be considered possible writing times!"
(Zerubavel, The Clockwork Muse, p.24)

Seriously, that's pure genius. I'm one of those people whose time spent not writing is infused with guilt over not writing. By refusing to see "all time when I am breathing" as "time I could be writing, if only...", I found that a lot of pressure came off of me.  Humans are poor multitaskers.  By disengaging my mind from writing as much as possible, I become better able to make progress on knitting, sewing, cooking, housework, and parenting.  I'm sure that this would extend to schoolwork and any job I might have, were I physically capable.

From here, Zerubavel goes on to tackle the process of writing a specific novel or book or any long piece of work with the same generous pragmatism.  Zerubavel is an academic who personally knows the trials of being a post-graduate or graduate student, and whose work has given him an opportunity to observe hundreds of students attempting to achieve that holy grail: the completed thesis.  Everything that is applicable to this process is also applicable to writing a novel, from conception through the editing process.  As Zerubavel has also written books, and this book on writing documents his process through developing one of his books, the jump from academic writing to fiction writing is tiny.  There are hundreds of books on how to plot a novel, and very few books on how to survive one.  The Clockwork Muse is the latter.

At a very modest 98 pages + notes/index, with a conversational narrative voice, The Clockwork Muse is an easy read delivering some big ideas.  Even if one doesn't stop and take notes, or implement each suggestion, simply reading the book will help most writers re-imagine the writing process so that they are less bogged down in their internalized mythology about why they write when they write and why they don't when they don't.  If one is looking for a practical way to complete novels in a timely manner while maintaining one's obligations outside the writing room, this is definitely worth reading.

The Clockwork Muse by Eviatar Zerubavel is published by Harvard University Press (http://hup.harvard.edu) and cost me $15.75Cdn at my local bookstore.

Adopt one today! Adopt one today! Adopt one today!
 
 
Anah Crow
02 November 2009 @ 09:05 pm
am having the kind of night defined by needing to pick up 4 things.




knock 1 on floor under table.
pick up 3.
drop 1 on floor.
put down 2.
pick up 1.
2 slide on floor.
pick up 2.
put down 3.
pick up 1 from under table.
pick up 3.
almost drop 1.
drop pen out of 1 instead.
pick up pen.
go downstairs.
put down 4.
1 slides off onto floor.

Adopt one today! Adopt one today! Adopt one today!
 
 
Anah Crow
02 November 2009 @ 10:26 am
Whaddya mean, I'm endangered?!

Whaddya mean, I'm endangered?!

I was going to make a NNWM post, but then I saw this on Animal Planet… MARMOT!

Look at this face! I *heart* marmots.

Saving the endangered Vancouver Island Marmot and completing Nanowrimo have a lot in common. Honestly. It’s not just the lack of coffee talking. The basic premise is to do everything, discount nothing, and then do it again, better. After years of completing Nanowrimo, I can say that the only thing that works for sure is anything you can think of doing. Every time I’ve written a novel in a short period of time or completed NNWM, it feels like I’ve done it differently. But, looking back over time, constants remain.

Concept:
* NNWM is not the same as writing a novel in a month; if you’re not in the habit of writing novels, trying to conflate the two will sink you
*** never confuse word count with ‘progress on a novel’; in NNWM, you are trying to get your word count out and worrying about the novel aspect later (the only times I have failed @ NNWM was when I conflated these things)

Read the rest of this entry » )
Adopt one today! Adopt one today! Adopt one today!

Originally published at anahcrow.com. You can comment here or there.

 
 
Anah Crow
01 November 2009 @ 10:11 pm
Adopt one today!

Adopt one today!

...or two.

Shut up. It was all lonely and abandoned. Shush. Do you want the baby dragons to die? Lie back and think of Pern!

Adopt one today!

Yeah, now you know how we got our youngest dog.
 
 
Anah Crow
Elisa has undertaken a fairly monumental task in organizing and moderating these awards -- begun partly in response to LLF changing its entry requirements and also fulfilling a void in the awards available to all writers of gay romance novels -- and I wish her the best with them going forward.

Click the pic for more info.
 
 
Anah Crow
28 October 2009 @ 11:02 pm
UNEVEN is now available in print, softcover. Uneven is a BDSM romance which was first released in August 2008. You can find links to the reviews, an article I was invited to write about the book, and an excerpt not included on the Torquere website right HERE. The Torquere in-house review and excerpt can be found on the product page. If you'd like to purchase the e-book instead, you can find that e-HERE.


If you'd like to review it, you can come by an e-copy by the usual way if you're on Torquere's distribution list. It's never too late. *g*
 
 
Anah Crow
25 October 2009 @ 10:48 pm
Well, I never went away. But Dianne was here so I was AFK for the weekend. I love having her here, I can't even tell you how much. She is made of awesome and win and chocolates. <3

ANNOUNCEMENT: Dianne and I have signed a contract with Samhain for our novel Tatterdemalion, the first in a queer urban fantasy series we've been working on for quite some time. I think if I were to express myself fully, it would involve marquee tags and sparkle font and the word "squee". So, for reference, see the icon. As Dianne says, thanks to Angie James (who had first eyes on it & gave us some exceptionally succinct and productive advice) and our (new-to-us) editor, Anne Scott, for believing in our story enough to offer a contract for it.

I love this story. I love this story and the characters (and the minor characters, some of them ridiculously so) so much. They are real as real to me. I have dreams about them. I have bad dreams about them when the plot gets tangled. I'm terrifically excited to see how Anne's input shapes the present story and I'm looking forward to writing the final drafts of the series. Now, we get to put those back in the queue.
 
 
Anah Crow
22 October 2009 @ 10:39 am
This post is in response to the recent 'kerfluffle' about lending. Some information on it can be found here: http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2009/10/22/readers-have-copyright-rights-too/

I have no mixed feelings about lending, though I'll admit that my present opinion took some time to mature, and it has to do in part with framing each book's potential not just in terms of the return on the sale but in terms of that book as advertisement or ambassador for the rest of my work. I think people can work out the difference between sharing and piracy. It's not a thin line. If you wouldn't lend someone a book -- you need it for a course, you need it for reference, you're going to read it again right now -- it's easier to get around that with an e-book, but those are small cases.

Book lending was a part of life when I was in university, because we couldn't afford to buy them all the time. Borrowing books made us bigger book buyers in the end, because we wanted that influx of new entertainment. Reading was part of our lives and buying the books ourselves allowed us to shape our available pool of books to our satisfaction.
Read more... )
 
 
 
Anah Crow
18 October 2009 @ 02:37 pm
I'm sitting here eating berries cooked with an oatmeal topping. There's nothing to it but blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, & raspberries covered with oatmeal, organic sugar, and butter. Every bite is like being punched in the mouth with a handful of flavour, the impact barely absorbed by the oatmeal.

This reminds me why writing is tiring. It's hard to punch someone in the mouth with text.