Ten things you ought to know.: seanan

Ten things you ought to know.

1. Yes, I really am as organized as I appear, largely because I live my life in a constant whirl of checklists, to do lists, and lists detailing my lists. I am, sad to say, really the kind of person who makes lists of her pending lists so as to avoid accidental dropping of important things. This would be less bothersome to the world around me if I didn't forget things anyway. Ah, well.

2. Part of my list-making obsession stems from the fact that I have one of the worst short-term memories in the universe. It's actually borderline impressive. I am fully capable of looking at someone I was talking to an hour ago, smiling brightly, and introducing myself. Consequentially, I write everything down to avoid embarrassing situations in public places.

3. I really do read as much as the book review posts imply. Actually, I read substantially more than that. It's not just my 'only review books you like' policy; it's the fact that if I reviewed every book I read and enjoy, this really would become the all-reviews, all-the-time channel. Since it's regularly in danger of becoming the all-word count, all-the-time channel, I'm avoiding that.

4. At present, I am actively writing two books (The Mourning Edition and Discount Armageddon), rewriting two books (Late Eclipses of the Sun and Lycanthropy and Other Personal Issues), and waiting for final edits on two books (An Artificial Night and Newsflesh). There isn't an intentional tropism towards twos around here, it just happens.

5. Like many authors, I am a cat person. More specifically, however, I am a Siamese cat person. Siamese cats are not like normal cats. Siamese cats are the megalomaniacal mad scientists of the cat world. It's entirely possible that Lilly will one day be spotted atop a national monument, cackling and calling down bolts of lightning. I'm basically okay with that.

6. I watch a lot of television. I mean I watch a lot of television. During the summer, it's mostly bad horror movies on the Science-Fiction Channel and random reality shows. During the regular TV season, it's all over the map. Since I process edits and ink my comic strip while watching television, I don't feel the time is entirely wasted, but it's fun to watch people cringe when I say I follow America's Next Top Model.

7. Besides, it's all research. Verity 'Very' Price (the main character of Discount Armageddon and Midnight Blue-Light Special) was a contestant on Dance Your Pants Off, the reality show where they search for America's most favorite dance person. Yes. She's a demon hunter who fights through the awesome power of ballroom dance. Fear her.

8. I am basically incapable of writing books that don't have sequels. I've managed a couple of duologies, but at the end of the day, I'm a trilogy-or-more kind of a girl, even when I try not to be. This gets faintly annoying at times. At least I enjoy them, which is a good thing.

9. As far as I know, I'm the only person to ever write super-peppy Schoolhouse Rock about the epidemiology of the Black Death in Europe. As 'only person ever to...' labels go, this one strikes me as being needlessly weird.

10. I have personified my muse, because that gives me someone to get mad at. Her name is Jane.

I love ten things lists.

Re 9.

science_vixen

August 22 2008, 15:50:31 UTC 8 years ago

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You might be the only person that has ever written a "peppy Schoolhouse Rock about the epidemiology of the Black Death in Europe".
You're not the only one happily singing about serious pandemics.
"The Flying Fish Sailors" have a song about the Spanish flu called "The Flu Pandemic"

Re: Re 9.

seanan_mcguire

August 23 2008, 00:29:46 UTC 8 years ago

Lady Mondegreen -- the vocal group I belong to -- has actually been known to perform that one! It's all circular. And awesome.

8 years ago

erinwrites

August 22 2008, 16:01:16 UTC 8 years ago

Honey, when do you *sleep*? ;)

mariadkins

August 22 2008, 18:44:08 UTC 8 years ago

I've wondered the same thing since you posted the link at TC and I started reading here. ROFL (erm. it was you, right? :goes all embarrassed:)

August 22 2008, 18:49:49 UTC 8 years ago

Yeah, it was me. ;)

August 23 2008, 00:31:04 UTC 8 years ago

I am regularly daunting in my apparent lack of slumber. It doesn't help that a) I write books, b) I write poetry -- I'm in the middle of an Iron Poet round the size of Kansas, c) I write songs, d) I make albums, and e) I have a comic strip.

I think I steal the hours of others.

August 23 2008, 00:30:03 UTC 8 years ago

Most of today, following my epidural!

kyrielle

August 22 2008, 16:19:18 UTC 8 years ago

9. As far as I know, I'm the only person to ever write super-peppy Schoolhouse Rock about the epidemiology of the Black Death in Europe. As 'only person ever to...' labels go, this one strikes me as being needlessly weird.

And yet, we're glad you did it, and it is shiny and nifty wonderful. I suppose you could encourage other people to write super-peppy Schoolhouse Rock songs about the epidemiology of the Black Death in Europe, to get rid of the 'only person ever to' label, but that strikes me as an area that will only yield so many songs, and one may in fact be all it had pending. *wry grin*

August 23 2008, 00:31:33 UTC 8 years ago

Yeah, it may very well be the only one the world ever needed. Next up, a super-peppy song about MRSA.

axejudge

August 22 2008, 17:27:45 UTC 8 years ago

Yes to lists! They have saved my bacon more than once.

I watch America's Next Top Model too, so you're not alone. And yes, most of my friends give me the stinkeye about it.

August 23 2008, 00:32:19 UTC 8 years ago

Without lists, I wouldn't even know where my bacon is, I swear.

Kate and I watch ANTM together and snark constantly. It's actually a really fascinating documentary on Tyra Banks and her slow descent into TOTAL BATSHIT MADNESS.

ayoub

August 22 2008, 17:49:00 UTC 8 years ago

All good things :D

August 23 2008, 00:32:30 UTC 8 years ago

I think so. :)

August 22 2008, 18:43:07 UTC 8 years ago

I've never owned a Siamese, but I have a cousin who had one. And yes, he definitely was a mad-scientist type. For the first time in my entire life, I'm living with a calico. We adopted her as a kitten, six months I believe; we've had her about 18 months now. People when I got her said, "You got a calico! Don't you know calicoes are psychotic?" LOL So we were discussing this with her vet when we took her back for her one week checkup. Vet said, "Well, I wouldn't say, psychotic. Calicoes are 'special'." I swear, you could hear the quote marks. LOL Kitty sure is special. LOL My youngest boy says, "Kitty's short bus is so short, it's actually a foot powered scooter. A wooden one from the fifties."

tibicina

August 22 2008, 23:59:34 UTC 8 years ago

Most calicos (not all, but most) fall into one of two categories: amazingly dumb, but very sweet, just... really, really dumb, or absolutely brilliant, but seriously neurotic and likely to drive you crazy with the things they can figure out how to do. There is very little middle ground. It has to do with the genetics you need to get the calico pattern, I believe.

August 23 2008, 00:33:05 UTC 8 years ago

Dude, your youngest has just made my 'best statements ever' list.

scholarinexile

August 22 2008, 19:19:53 UTC 8 years ago

With your permission, I'd actually like to play your Black Death song for my History of Science class at Duquesne University. I think they'd dig it.

August 23 2008, 00:33:51 UTC 8 years ago

Absolutely. You have one of the live recordings, don't you? Would you like a better-quality recording?

August 23 2008, 04:57:28 UTC 8 years ago

My recording is one you posted on your LJ a year or two back. It's totally a capella. If you've got a better quality recording, I'd love it.

biguglymandoll

August 22 2008, 23:16:07 UTC 8 years ago Edited: August 22 2008, 23:16:47 UTC

Jane. Jane. Hmmmm. I've wondered about my muse's name. She hasn't told me yet. Hmm... This requires thought. Television... I don't watch any. And I don't hear from my muse (Whassername) too often. Maybe I should get out more. ;-)

As for cats, I have a Bengal and a Savannah (Flitwick and Albus, respectively). Bengals are pretty and vocal and cat-like; Ablus is huge and more than a little crazy. But not take-over-the-world crazy.

BTW, I thought of you today - I saw a van with lettering: "Zombie Infestation? Call 703-XXX-XXXX". I didn't get the number; if I see it again I'll try to get a picture. ;->

August 23 2008, 00:34:33 UTC 8 years ago

Ooooooooooh, a Bengal and a Savannah? Pretty! I think those are incredibly gorgeous cats. I'm just not sure they'd mesh well with my all-Siamese household (and besides, I know where my next kittens are coming from).

raelee

August 23 2008, 00:25:43 UTC 8 years ago

I love your ten things lists.

August 23 2008, 00:34:48 UTC 8 years ago

Yay!

Hugs for you.

talithakalago

August 24 2008, 23:48:15 UTC 8 years ago

1. Yes. Without lists, I am nothing.

2. Not so much. I'm just really obsessive compulsive.

3. I read every single day--sometimes twice. I'm just slow.

4. I am writing two too--though they are a second and third book that have to be written at the same time.

5. Three cats, no siameses. All shelter/found-in-dumpster cats.

6. Yes.

7. Yes.

8. Sadly, yes.

9. As far as I know I'm the only person who can't write a novel without having the corpse of an infant appear somewhere in the book.

10. And yes again. His name is Chake and sometimes he hits me.

August 26 2008, 04:29:53 UTC 8 years ago

Oh, believe me, I'm with you on the 'just really obsessive compulsive' side of the scale; it's just that it's partially defense against my own memory. I'd be lost without it.

I do Siamese because after as many as I've had, I'm no longer a cat person; I'm a Siamese person. Their personalities and behavioral tendencies are radically different, and I'm somewhat unfair to standard domestics -- they don't get me, I don't get them.

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Ten things you ought to know.

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