The longest night

Happy Solstice, everyone!

I'm now very glad I gave myself a vacation--despite getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night this week, I've been exhausted every day. A double-shot cappucino is keeping me upright at the moment, but barely more. I'm not sure if I'm just this unused to mornings now, or if the meatpuppet is upset about something. It would be nice to do something for the solstice, but at this rate I'll be lucky if I clean the catbox before passing out. :P

Next week I must really stop being lazy and bake some Christopsomo, or gingerbread. Or both.

I thought I had something else to say, but it escapes me...

Nope, still can't remember, but here's a hedgehog in a hat.

Short stories

Justine Larbalestier posed the question of whether short stories are necessary to a novel-writing career, and many people have chimed in, including scalzi and truepenny. All of these people's opinions are probably worth more than mine by the simple fact that they've sold novels. But Teh Mighty Intarwebs were created to let us all express our opinions, of however little worth they may be, so here's mine: (based only on my own experiences, of course)

( Short stories may not be necessary, but they are hella useful. )

Enough rambling for a while. Next year, I really will finish more shorts. Really.

Kill the king when love is the law

So I was poking at the Prague Book tonight, and I think I came up with a working title. (I can do this because I am on vacation. If I were not on vacation, this is Not The Book I Should Be Writing.)

I think it shall be known as Spiral henceforth. The runner-up was Chorea. This may not survive contact with the plot, whatever that may be, but it's nice to have a decent placeholder.

I loff my byakhee so. The trick will be writing sorcerous hive-minded constructs that manage a smidge of personality. Cause the one in "The Salvation Game" is kind of a dick, moreso even than the one in Dreams. Between Hastur and his cultists, though, I suspect anyone could be driven to dickery. All you want to do is fly around and drink space mead, but it's always Iä this and Hastur cf'ayak that and you never get any peace.

I really wish it had a plot.