Me And My Creative Brain: A Dialogue.

Brain: Ooh ooh ooh!
Me: What? It’s three in the morning.
Brain: I figured out the whole unicorn thing.
Me: What? The? Hell?
Brain: No, it’s great.
Me: It’s not great, it’s three in the morning.
Brain: No, I’ve got this.
Me: All right, It’s obvious you won’t let me sleep. Tell me.
Brain: *assuming an erudite English accent* It’s the equinox!
Me: …the hell.
Brain: *in accent* You see, the mistake is easy. Vernal instead of virginal. Right?
Me: *blinking* Not sure where you’re going with this…
Brain: *in accent* And equinox. Equi meaning center and nox…well, it doesn’t mean horn, but it sounds like ox and oxes have horns. Easy mistake.
Me: *in accent* First, it’s oxen…oh gods, now I’m doing it.
Brain: *in accent* See! It makes perfect sense. Vernal equinox and virginal unicorns.
Me: Go back to sleep, brain.
Brain: *drops accent* Not till we tell Laura, she’s going to want to hear this.
Me: Not at three in the morning.
Brain: Sure she will.
Me: I may not be _good_ at self preservation but I’m pretty sure on this one.
Brain: *pouts*
Me: *sigh* All right, I promise I’ll jot it all down and we can tell her first thing in the morning.
Brain:
Me: Brain?
Brain:
Me: You’re asleep already aren’t you?
Brain: *snores*
Me: Fucker.

Addendum from a few hours later with Laura.

Me: *sighs* My fucking brain.
Her: That’d be a good autobiography title for you.
Me: O.o
Her: *chuckles*

Friday Cat Blogging

Just take the damn picture and let me get back to sleep.

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Like dis!

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Even looking at that makes me all yaaaaaaaaaaawnie.

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You McCullough cats are super lazy.

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Daily Writing Habits

I was asked when I write and for how long, but there’s no simple answer because time at keyboard has never been my writing metric. So, it can vary quite a bit day-to-day and has varied even more over time.
 
When I was starting out I wrote mostly in the late afternoons and evenings after my college coursework, from 4-6 hours. While Laura was in grad school I wrote 6-8 hours a day most days while she was at school—basically 10-6.
 
For the early Blade books I was writing mostly 9-12 in the morning with a second, smaller bite at the apple starting around 2. With the later Blade books and middle grade stuff I’ve often been doing most of my writing 3-5 in afternoon.
 
Some of the variability is writing speed. When I was starting out I wrote 2-4k words in 6-8 hours, of which maybe 1-2 was ultimately salvageable. Now I typically need to write 1-2k words a day for a deadline and I can use 85-95% of what goes on the page in a session. That can take anywhere from 1-6 hours to write depending on whether I know what happens next or not and if I’m in flow state.
 
I also used to do most of my thinking about the book while I was at the keyboard and trying to write. These days, that part of the work is quite often a separate step that involves walking and talking to myself. That, and I have a lot more non-writing tasks that are part of my job these days.

Friday Cat Blogging

So, I’ve been thinking about running for president…

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We will totally vote for you!

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Wait, was that hive full of angry bees?

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We’re in too!

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That’s like ten pounds of hen of the woods mushrooms.

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Well, actually, mushrooms are known for being informed voters.

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Wait, who’s the frog voting for?

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Friday Cat Blogging

Fly, my steed! Run like the wind!

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That is soooo undignified. Monkeys were made to bring food, not ride.

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Also, you can eat them in case of emergency.

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I am intrigued by your ideas. Do you perchance have recipes?

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You can’t eat monkeys! They bring the duckies!

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Also, as noted above, they make epic mounts!

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Who needs a mount when you have this excellent frog launching pad?

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Why the hell is there a frog in this story? Cats and caterpillars only, man!

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I am skeptical of the caterpillar half of that statement…

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On second thought, screw it, you do what you have to. Ima  take a nap.

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Again, thanks to Matt Kuchta, Mandy Little, Neil Gaiman, and Frogdor the Ribbinator for various guest appearances.

Friday Cat Blogging

Hooray for Friday Caterpillar Blogging!

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Da hell?*

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This isn’t going to end well…

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I like caterpillars. They are delicious!

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Dat not so bad.

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What about frogs?

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Frogs are also delicious!

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I would not eat a frog. Not with a dog. Not in a bog.

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Only if someone else catches it for me. Because I ain’t amovin.

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Man, it’s a good thing cats are so lazy.

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Not all cats!

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Thanks to Matt Kuchta, Mandy Little, Neil Gaiman, and the Hot Tub Frog for various guest animals.

Friday Cat Blogging

Froggy went a catting…

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Just no.

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I’d love to participate in this, but…well, no. Ima just gonna nap here.

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I find the entire exercise distate…distava…in poor taste.

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You nap-tay-toh. I say nap-tah-to…

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Belated Friday Cat Blogging

Is today the day for the competitive sleep off?

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I don’t know, it’s too bright out to check the roster.

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I’m going to throw down just in case. 3.2.1. zzzzz….

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I call this one Cannonball Z

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Dance party and sleep off in one move!

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Did someone say dance party?

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Oooh, I’m always in for dancing I’ve got the legs for it. 200 of them!

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I’ve got the disco floor lit up!

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…the hell?

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Don’t ask me, I was hired for the sleep off, as a couch…

Photo on 8-14-16 at 9.26 AM 9.46.59 AM

Friday Cat Blogging

Is it just me or is this gravity poorly adjusted?

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I’m ready, I have feathers!

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I’m not quite sure that’s how it works…

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I am going to cling to the thumb-monkey just in case.

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In proper cat household, thumb-monkey clings to you.

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I think I will cling to this plate of tuna.

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With thanks to Matt, Mandy, and Neil for the extra cats.