shout out for science

ScienceMarch was this past weekend and I attended one of the 600+ satellite marches. It was thrilling to see so many people come out for science (and in many places, in the rain, undeterred).

Science should be available to everyone. We should all think critically and check our sources. It is when we blindly follow along that trouble happens. To everyone out there who is pro-science, thank you, and keep on citing those sources and checking your references!

As a writer, I very often write things that are not science based at all. I've written a few ficlets of science fiction (not really my strong genre) and quite a bit in fantasy. You would think that fantasy writing would be entirely the opposite of science, but it isn't. It is a place if imagining, where the mind can make connections that propel forward our understanding of science, of ourselves, of our strengths and weaknesses.

Take benzene for example. The story of Kekule's dream of a snake eating its own tail (the ouroboros that is so famous) helped him finally figure out the molecular structure. (Although some say the story was a hoax. But even if it was -- it just adds another layer of imagination to that of science.)

Here's a link to a nifty doodle on it: https://web.chemdoodle.com/kekules-dream/

11 things

https://www.littlethings.com/things-women-couldnt-do-50s/?utm_source=cool&utm_medium=Facebook

Just the bank account situation along made me angry. I don't need anyone's permission to have my own autonomy.

flash fic

QSF is doing their annual contest again this year: https://queerscifi.com/renewal-qsfs-2017-flash-fiction-contest/
This year's theme is "Renewal".

I've had stories in two of the previous anthologies. Stronger Than Flight for their Flight theme, and Lost in Translation for their theme of Discovery.

The deadline is coming up and I've been working hard. 300 words is both a lot of words and hardly enough.

a rare free day

It is raining out today and the roads are slick with ice. I'm staying home for once instead of going out either to work or get something done, so I'm enjoying this very rare day of having no agenda.

So far I've written 1000 words on a new story I'd been thinking about (publishing In Anger Blooming yesterday was very galvanizing!) and have taken an awesome nap. I'm now post-lunch and back to my computer. I'm stalling a little right now, but in a few minutes I am going to get back to the actual hard work of writing!

In Anger Blooming (free fic!)

I am very excited to announce that I have a short story now available through smashwords: In Anger Blooming.

Please go here for the downloads: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/714024

Summary:

Hayden's hair-trigger temperament blows up spectacularly and he storms out of the house he shares with his boyfriend, Russ. To calm down he sets off for a hike on a nearby trail. Partway up Hayden meets another hiker, Griege, who seems like a friend, but who has a dark side. Griege has been waiting for Hayden and planning his revenge.

I'd like to give a gracious thank you to both my cover artist, RJ, who is highly talented, and also to AM Leibowitz, who can be found at http://amleibowitz.com/ for gracing me with some editing help. (Any mistakes left in are mine to claim, of course.) It was through the generosity of these kind people, and others who helped along the way, that the story was made better.



It is my hope that if you like my writing, you'll be interested in some of the longer projects I've had published with Dreamspinner, which can be found here:

https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/tray-ellis-483-a

deep into edits

Things accomplished this weekend:

1) started on the third edit of my upcoming novella with Dreamspinner Press, Pyresnakes
I am so excited to keep working on this. It'll be the longest piece I've ever published and one of the most exciting, adventure-based stories.

2) made a list of all the other stories that I should remember to work on. I have some great ideas and some great works in progress, but I need to focus and concentrate and get the work done on them. This list will help me remember what it is I have ready for construction.

napping

I did have aspirations to get some writing in today, but it is such a dreary day and I am in front of a fire. The couch is extra comfy. So, I think I am going to worry about writing a bit later and take a really nice nap right now. Napping opportunities come too far and few between.

And it's certainly been stressful for several weeks now. A good nap can solve a lot of problems.