Almost 3 weeks ago now, E. C. Myers tagged me in one of those internet memes where you, well, tag other people. And while I don’t normally do things like that these days, I can never resist the incomparable Mr. Myers. And since i just finished revising my middle grade novel, it seemed to make sense. So over two weeks later, here it is. The rules are:

1. Go to the seventh or 77th page of our WIP (or latest book)
2. Count down 7 lines.
3. Copy the 7 sentences that follow and post them.
4. Tag 7 other authors.

I’m not going to tag other authors, but here’s my passage from the MG novel:

Cassian shaded his eyes and looked up at the clouds in the sky. “At least it’s not snowing that would really mess with…”

“What?” Thiel said.

“Look.” Cassian pointed further down the direction of the road where dark-winged birds circled in the sky.

Thiel looked at Cassian wide-eyed. “You don’t think –“

“C’mon,” Cassian said.

Also, if you haven’t already, you should pick up a copy of Fair Coin by the aforementioned  E. C. Myers. I read it back when it was just a wee baby manuscript and I knew the minute I did that it was going to be fantastic. I’m so happy to see it out in the world and doing so well. io9 called it pure awesome crack. It’s well worth your time.

io9 linked to this presentation by John Cleese on Creativity.

I’ve been trying to read (and listen) widely on creativity and creating now that I’m spending more time on my fiction and freelance projects. I love the idea of a Space-Time Oasis.

Also, I love John Cleese. I think I would be a far different person had I not encountered him (and his colleagues) when I was younger.

His point about “playing” with other people is one I resonate with. Recently, I was having trouble coming up with ideas with which to revise my MG novel. Once I brought N into the discussion, they just started flowing.

If anyone has any other links or tips about creativity, please let me know.

So recently Litreactor.com, a really great site that talks about writing and literature, decided to add columnists for Science Fiction and Fantasy. I scored the Fantasy gig and my first column went up yesterday. It’s a kind of introduction to the column. There will be two a month moving forward. I’d love it if you checked it out. Also, if you do, please comment. The idea, for me, is to start a discussion and I’d love to hear from each and every one of you.

I’m currently away from home on a writing retreat in upstate New York. These kinds of excursions are good for getting rid of the distractions of home and focusing on writing. It helps that there are 7 other writers here (all members of Altered Fluid) who are here for the same reason. It’s harder to goof off when there are others writing around you.

Still, there are times when I need a break. And since I’m not at home, those breaks usually take the form of reading. Now I’ve always felt that reading is a good way of recharging my batteries. I get many of my ideas by reading works by other people. I think I’ve talked about it here – it’s not a matter of pulling ideas from other people, but more a process of leapfrogging from them. And idea sparks a related idea that sparks another and so on. Usually the end result is distantly related to the original concept. But it works for me. I’m constantly putting down books that I’m reading just to consider the ideas they’ve sparked in my head.

But just now, while I was taking a break and reading I realized something else. It may seem obvious, but when I’m reading good writing, it makes me fall in love with the language and with the idea of using it to communicate. Really, I know it seems simple. But sometimes in all the effort to work on things and revise and finish, the part about being in love with the writing itself can get lost.

So there I was, on my bed away from home, reading Ian McDonald, and just getting a thrill from reading his sentences, and the way he crafts a narrative. And I kept thinking, I want to do this. And I have been, but it’s always nice to be reminded of how much it thrills me, and how much I enjoy taking my turn at bat, trying to knock it out of the park.

So, that’s what I’m about to do. If you’re wondering where I am, I’ll be swinging.

My narration of Craig DeLancey’s “Asteroid Monte” is now up at Escape Pod. This one was a bit of a challenge for me, but I’m glad that it came out okay. Give it a listen if you have the time.