The aliens are here! And they're offering you an all-expenses paid trip to their home planet, where you will spend a mutually agreeable amount of time learning from their advanced culture before doing whatever it is you do after the aliens bring you back. Because they're friendly, they say you can bring three changes of clothing, basic toiletries (toothbrush, hairbrush, etc.), food samples for their replicators, your laptop computer (if you have one), and any pets you absolutely must have to remain essentially sane. They're also willing to let you bring ten "personal items" on your trip, since you'll be out of contact with Earth until you get back.

So what do you bring?

I'd have to take Lilly and Alice, of course, so my first two items go them. Under the "care and feeding" clauses, their food and litter box don't count; instead, I'm bringing their orange cat tree (necessary for their mental health) and Alice's squid on a stick, which both of them can play with for hours and which can be easily repaired.

That leaves me with eight. First up, my iPod. It doesn't fall under the "sanity" heading, but it definitely falls under the "keep Seanan from killing anyone" setting. Next, a copy of IT by Stephen King (ultimate comfort book), my plush velociraptor, and a bottle of Bad Luck Woman Blues from the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. I'm going to call my little pen case one item, despite it containing multiple pens, because these are generous aliens; that, and a sketchbook, will see me through a lot.

With two items remaining, I'm going to bring my planner and my turtle bag. I am now ready for an alien field trip. How about you?

So y'all probably remember my deep and abiding love of the amazing wearable fairy tales made by chimera_fancies. Let's just say that if I have an impractical retail addiction, it's this woman's jewelry. (Also art supplies and BPAL, but that's another matter.) Every piece she makes is unique and incredible, and the fact that she has used my art to create her art makes me believe that the world can be a better place.

Well, starting tomorrow (at 7AM PST), she's going to be doing her Valentine's Day/Spring sale. You can see some amazing preview pictures by clicking here; these are but a small taste of the gorgeous wonder that is to come. To quote the lady herself:

"Like last sale, I'll put up several batches over a couple of days at different times so people in different time zones and on different work/life schedules have a chance to look. Will be first come/first purchased based on email only. Doing this one in plenty of time to get things out for Valentine's, I think. I will mail directly to gift recipients if you like, with notes included if you wish."

Her prices are reasonable, her pieces are amazing (and surprisingly sturdy; note that the cats have as yet failed in their many, many attempts at killing mine), and these are some of the best Valentine gifts I've seen in a long while. Seriously, look and be amazed.

Wow.

It's time for the fortieth essay in my ongoing series about the art, craft, business, and mild insanity known as "writing." We're in the home stretch now; ten more essays and I'm done with the series. Kate and Amy are watching me like hawks to be sure I don't start something else insane. All the essays in this series are based around my original fifty thoughts on writing, which were written in no particular order. That explains a lot. Here's today's thought:

Thoughts on Writing #40: Starting the Discussion.

As always, context is our friend, and the thought needs to be expanded on. So here's today's expansion:

Talk to other writers about what works for them. Half the things on this list may be pure crap from your perspective; that's okay, because in order to decide that they were crap, you had to think about them. You have put thought into what kind of writer you want to be, and how you want to work. That's fantastic. Listen to everyone, and decide for yourself what you want to take to heart.

The thing about writing is that it's a weird combination of "learn by doing" and "learn by discussing." You have to understand certain things before they can be done; you have to do certain things before you'll understand why the way you're trying to do them is completely wrong. I learned to write a novel by writing a novel. I learned a lot of the things I needed to be watching for by discussing writing with other writers. But how do you filter the good from the bad? How do you justify rejecting advice from someone more successful than you are, or learn to take it from someone who seems to be less successful?

The lines are different for everyone, but let's talk about where to find them, and what they really mean. Ready? Good. Let's begin.

( My thoughts are not your thoughts; my process is not your process; my ideas are not your ideas; my method is not your method. All these things are totally right for me, and may be just as totally wrong for you. So please don't stress if the things I'm saying don't apply to you -- I promise, there is no One True Way. This way for my thoughts on conversation.Collapse )