But Enough About Me!

First, if you are interested in Point of View, go over to DeepGenre where our very own sartorias has posted an excellent guide to the basics of pov.


Meanwhile, back at the ranch, where I am composing this lj post as my warm-up to beginning a grueling day of procrasti-writing.

For whatever reason, I have that personality hitch that makes me uncomfortable when people offer me a compliment. My knee jerk reaction is usually to answer with a self deprecatory comment, or to offer criticism of whatever it is I'm being complimented on ("what a fabulous dress!" "Oh, that old thing, it isn't mine, I just inherited it from my sister who has excellent taste in clothing unlike slovenly me.")

I've had to learn to reply with two simple words: "Thank you."

Thus, I can feel awkward when people say nice things about, oh, say, my books. You know, those things I drag myself over red hot oozing lava and pointy steel blades uphill both ways in blizzard and howling tropical storm to create.

So just in the past week a couple of lj people have said nice things about Spirit Gate. Horrors! Blushing! What must I do?!?

Say: Thank you.

Here is jemck

Here oracne

Over at The Wertzone (not on lj), the wert does not love me or Spirit Gate but he respects me, and I can definitely live with that. He also reviewed the entire Crown of Stars series in installments last year.

I may have posted this favorable review from earlier this year at Rambles: a cultural arts magazine.

If you've reviewed one of my books, let me know and I'll highlight it here.

And I'll say: thank you.

I grew up in rural Oregon, outside a small town. For one year, in second grade, I attended a two room schoolhouse out in the country; I have stronger memories from that year than from the rest of my elementary school career (3rd and 4th grades, in this case).

Here's a campaign to save rural schools in Shropshire. Check it out via this link.

I feel pretty strongly that we don't all need to be Walmartized.

I haven't been posting. My head is elsewhere - or I've been busy - or I haven't had much to say - or something.


I have posted today at SFNovelists on What Is Work? in which I briefly discuss work I do as a writer that does not look like work.

I wanted to link to this thoughtful and really interesting post by lilrivkah about her experiences doing corporate artwork for children's entertainment.

It's here.


Kids entertainment in the US is so freakin' PC. One of the things I noticed most were the comments on facial expressions. Nobody can look sad or angry or hurt or disgusted. Some of the best illustrations (IMHO) had people with shocked and surprised expressions. They add a dynamic element to the set and lend diversity. But instead, everybody had to be smiling . . .

Worth reading.