Category: Uncategorized

On Applying for Grants: Part One

After yesterday’s fantastic news – which still hasn’t quite sunk in, to be honest – several people mentioned that they’d like to know how I went about getting this funding. So I thought I’d do a series of blog posts on applying for grants – with a few caveats. Caveat the First: I’m no expert.…… Continue reading On Applying for Grants: Part One

Three Cheers for Arts SA!!

THIS JUST IN: HOORAY HOORAY HOORAY FOR ARTS SA!!! I got the grant I applied for — not all that I requested (my budget was a bit cheeky), but all that I need to write full time for much of next year!! Goodbye daydrudgery, hello novel!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂  

Regency Fairies, Midnight & Moonshine, and other writing matters

‘Tis the season to be writing! Dayjobbery is pretty much finished until after Christmas — yay! — and this morning I did the final edits on ‘Drinks and Measures’, a Regency fairy story I’ve been working on for the past few of weeks. It’s full of wigs and frocks and food and manors (and manners!)…… Continue reading Regency Fairies, Midnight & Moonshine, and other writing matters

The Weird West in Fiction

This week, a feature post I wrote about the Weird West in fiction is up on suduvu.com — Random House’s site about all things science fiction and fantasy (books, movies, games, comics, manga — yeah, pretty much everything). Thinking of the American mid-West conjures up images of cowboys and desperadoes, dusty plains and wild mountain…… Continue reading The Weird West in Fiction

Ann VanderMeer’s Introduction to Bluegrass Symphony

Ann VanderMeer’s wonderful introduction to Bluegrass Symphony is now up at Ecstatic Days! Jeff kicks things off with a little stroll down memory lane… I first met Lisa L. Hannett when I taught at Clarion South in 2009, and I was impressed with her originality and her prose. (She also looked like she could kick…… Continue reading Ann VanderMeer’s Introduction to Bluegrass Symphony

Uncanny Ink: The Weird Illustrations of Beardsley, Niffenegger and Gorey

While I was off getting Doctorified today (HOORAY HOORAY HOORAY!), my essay on the weird illustrations of Beardsley, Niffenegger and Gorey went up over at the Weird Fiction Review website. As most of you probably know, judging by how much I gush about painting and sculptures and exhibits on this site, I adore visual arts…… Continue reading Uncanny Ink: The Weird Illustrations of Beardsley, Niffenegger and Gorey

Two Kims, Two Sets of Great Advice

Kim the First: The prolific Kim Wilkins offers six excellent tips over at Ian Irvine’s website — especially handy for new novelists, but as Ian points out they are worth revisiting whether you’ve written two or twenty books… Kim the Second: And this afternoon on her website, Kim Falconer encouraged new writers to go for…… Continue reading Two Kims, Two Sets of Great Advice

Tuesday Therapy: Banishing Obsessive Demons

For the third installment of the Tuesday Therapy series, Kirstyn McDermott shares some advice that makes me think she’s worked out some magical way to SEE INSIDE MY HEAD. Seriously. (*knocks on forehead* Kirstyn? Are you in there?) I wouldn’t put it past her — the way she multi-tasks, it would come as no surprise…… Continue reading Tuesday Therapy: Banishing Obsessive Demons