Writer News and Social Media

I have two humorous short shorts forthcoming in the spring issue of Dawn Vogel and Jeremy Zimmerman's Mad Scientist Journal, which are prequels to the story I wrote for them last year, "Monsters of the Id".  Eventually the series may grow into a novella or novel.

Also forthcoming is a speculative poem in David Kopaska-Merkel's Dreams & Nightmares.

Writers are caught in a curious trap:  They're told, on the one hand, to self-promote.  On the other, if they self-promote, it's self-aggrandizing. Ploughshares posted a humorous piece about Facebook folks for whom it appears it's all about ego-stroking.

Let's skip to the subtext.  I don't often post about my own writing.  The blog didn't even have my name on it until last year, so this is not self-defense but a defense of other writers with much to announce. It's curious that the article's complaints are only things writers would care and grow jealous about. Regular folks will think "I ain't never heard of that writer dude, so he must be a nobody."

Most writers are human beings, and human beings need validation. Why do people post videos and pictures of their kids?  "Behold:  My kid walks!  Isn't my kid the awesomest ever!"  (And you respond, "Who'da thunk a kid of yours could ever walk?"  or possibly, "It's alive!  Alive!")

Celebrate life's triumphs, big and small. (I probably will throw in the joke on your status, after celebrating.)

Some folks need more validation than others, which isn't to say that some overdo it. But who cares? Are any of us card-carrying officers in the morality police? Either celebrate with people or unfriend them. Jealousy will eat you up.

In terms of etiquette--not that there is any or should be--if you wanted to be safe, you could build up your news over the week.  But news tends to come in waves, with peaks and troughs--troughs that could last months or more--so this is not a prescription.

Writers on Technology

Charlie Stross on the Future of Books

Tad Williams on "The price of creating a connected future"

Simon Owens first broke this story about those doctoring Wikipedia.

Does this undermine Wikipedia's credibility?  Only with corporations.  And those have been corrected.

Oh, Internet, my Internet (the most vehement garners attention)

Overreaction now the standard reaction 

"Professor Henry Brubaker said: “Everyone is constantly freaking out, it’s like we’re a land of teenage girls."

10 photos that will make you angry (The Onion)

Marly Youmans with leavened opinion on David Gilmour (writer, not Pink Floyd dude ["Wish You Were Here"--still great voice]):

"Love one another and stay out of trouble (i.e. go read a book or write one, quick! )"

Writers, Writing, Free, Movies, Art, Science, Philosophy and Education

Writers and Writing:

Kristine Ong Muslim sample from her collection, We Bury the Landscape.

• Be one of the annoying cool kids to discover her before everyone else, and you'll say, "Oh, yeah. You mean you haven't read her?"

Submissions Grinder

Daniel Marcus calls for submissions to Geek Haiku

Rudy Rucker on Charles Stross

David Farland on setting accomplishable goals

Free ebooks:

David Farland story

Islamic SF

Movies

Film about writer Jay Lake's life & fight against cancer (Kickstarter/support)

Jay Lake has stage IV cancer and has a fundraiser for new treatment.

Petition to restore missing 25-min to Clive Barker's Nightbreed

Art and Artists (one's a fine writer, too)

Waiter Kevin Fair turns your guest checks into art

Mark Ferrari's art, writing and blog

Science, Philosophy and Education:

Giant squid

Future travelers to Mars may have to have psychological toughness.

Brain implant for depression.

The probable improbable?

Interesting link says, "[M]any students abandon their pursuit of science and engineering majors [because t]heir professors are grading too hard."

Comment: What this link doesn't show (and what I tell students) is that while students may get lower grades here, they may get higher pay/demand outside of college.  

On Social Media (gives partial perspective on where our electronic culture is headed):