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Posted in Funny, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity on April 7, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, Thoughts, yay on April 3, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Like most kids I spent a lot of time on road trips asking, “Are we there yet?” It wasn’t that I wanted to arrive, necessarily. I liked the road part of road trips, with the ever-changing scenery, the usually forbidden foods from exotic restaurants like McDonald’s, and the sense of making progress.
I enjoy progress, the sense of action, of leveling up. I also really like finishing things, but some days that’s not in the cards. That’s particularly true on days when I am learning a new genre, a new technique, or a new idea. Those days, I have to be satisfied with knowing that I’ve moved that much farther down the road.
I spent much of my fun time today learning more about designing for 3D objects. By the end of the afternoon my screen looked like this:

Yes, my brain is now as scrambled as you might think, but it’s a fun project. And soon I won’t just be moving toward my destination, I’ll be there.
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Posted in Food and..., Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, chocolate, creativity, food, inspiration, Thoughts, work on March 29, 2022| Leave a Comment »
I spent a little time last night working out a new recipe for the mocha tofu pudding. What’s different? Double the espresso.
And am I using post-lunch dessert as an excuse to test the caffeine-fueled recipe results right now, on this busy busy Tuesday?
Why yes! Yes I am.
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, design, sim racing, Thoughts on March 27, 2022| 1 Comment »
Slow: I’m learning a new kind of art, two dimensional design for three-dimensional objects, in this case digital race cars.
Fast: Watching actual cars in today’s F1 race.*
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I’ve always liked speed. I had motorcycles once upon a time and my favorite part of any plane ride is still the acceleration on take-off. That said, I really don’t like crashing.
Digital art is a fun, non-contact way to learn new approaches to design. I spent a lot of time today working on a new technique for metallic paint surfaces. Here’s my current favorite outfit for my virtual car.
Looks fast, I think:)
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* Still Team Hamilton!
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, Fiction, flash fiction, genre fiction, inspiration, sff, Writers, writing, writing contest on March 21, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Tap into your inner Hemingway* with this (very) short story contest:
Enter the Incredible Six Word Wonder Contest 2022 – Doug Weller Writer
This is the place for you to enter your absolute best six word stories, memoirs, poems, and jokes, with the chance of winning $100, getting published, and being named the Six Word Wonder!
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* Ok, Hemingway probably didn’t write that classic six-word story, but the example (and its supposed author) occupy an established place in the heart of flash fiction.
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, #Ukraine, creativity, emotion, inspiration, music, Thoughts on March 20, 2022| Leave a Comment »
I am partial to the written word, of course, but there are times when words can fail us. That’s where music comes in.
Ukrainian violinist Illia Bondarenko made a recording of himself playing in a shelter in Kyiv. Since posting, he has been joined by musicians around the world…
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Do you play? You can join in by downloading the score and making your own recording:
Violinists Support Ukraine – Participate
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, Fiction, free fiction, genre fiction, inspiration, Murderbot, Nebula Awards, sff, Writers, writing on March 18, 2022| 1 Comment »
The Nebula Award finalists for 2021 have been announced! (Actually, they were announced over a week ago but I missed it because there’s a lot going on in the world right now, you know? It’s still nice to take a little time for new fiction.)
What’s on the list? Is Uncanny still killing it? (They are.) Are the good folks at Diabolical Plots represented? (They are.) How much of it is free to read right this very? (Links below!) And what do you mean, no Murderbot? Read on!
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Nebula Award for Novel
The Unbroken, C.L. Clark (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
A Master of Djinn, P. Djèlí Clark (Tordotcom; Orbit UK)
Machinehood, S.B. Divya (Saga)
A Desolation Called Peace, Arkady Martine (Tor; Tor UK)
Plague Birds, Jason Sanford (Apex)
Nebula Award for Novella
A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Becky Chambers (Tordotcom)
Fireheart Tiger, Aliette de Bodard (Tordotcom)
And What Can We Offer You Tonight, Premee Mohamed (Neon Hemlock)
Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters, Aimee Ogden (Tordotcom)
Flowers for the Sea, Zin E. Rocklyn (Tordotcom)
The Necessity of Stars, E. Catherine Tobler (Neon Hemlock)
“The Giants of the Violet Sea”, Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny 9–10/21)
Nebula Award for Novelette
“O2 Arena”, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki (Galaxy’s Edge 11/21)
“Just Enough Rain”, PH Lee (Giganotosaurus 5/21)
“(emet)”, Lauren Ring (F&SF 7–8/21) [available free for a limited time]
“That Story Isn’t the Story”, John Wiswell (Uncanny 11–12/21)
“Colors of the Immortal Palette”, Caroline M. Yoachim (Uncanny 3–4/21)
Nebula Award for Short Story
“Mr. Death”, Alix E. Harrow (Apex 2/21)
“Proof by Induction”, José Pablo Iriarte (Uncanny 5–6/21)
“Let All the Children Boogie”, Sam J. Miller (Tor.com 1/6/21)
“Laughter Among the Trees”, Suzan Palumbo (The Dark 2/21)
“Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather”, Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny 3–4/21)
“For Lack of a Bed”, John Wiswell (Diabolical Plots 4/21)
Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction
Victories Greater Than Death, Charlie Jane Anders (Tor Teen; Titan)
Thornwood, Leah Cypess (Delacorte)
Redemptor, Jordan Ifueko (Amulet; Hot Key)
A Snake Falls to Earth, Darcie Little Badger (Levine Querido)
Root Magic, Eden Royce (Walden Pond)
Iron Widow, Xiran Jay Zhao (Penguin Teen; Rock the Boat)
Ray Bradbury Nebula Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation
Encanto, Charise Castro Smith, Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Jason Hand, Nancy Kruse, Lin-Manuel Miranda (Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures)
The Green Knight, David Lowery (Sailor Bear, BRON Studios, A24)
Loki: Season 1, Bisha K. Ali, Elissa Karasik, Eric Martin, Michael Waldron, Tom Kauffman, Jess Dweck (Marvel Studios)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Dave Callaham, Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Lanham (Walt Disney Pictures, Marvel Studios)
Space Sweepers, Jo Sung-hee 조성희 (Bidangil Pictures)
WandaVision: Season 1, Peter Cameron, Mackenzie Dohr, Laura Donney, Bobak Esfarjani, Megan McDonnell, Jac Schaeffer, Cameron Squires, Gretchen Enders, Chuck Hayward (Marvel Studios)
What We Do in the Shadows: Season 3, Jake Bender, Zach Dunn, Shana Gohd, Sam Johnson, Chris Marcil, William Meny, Sarah Naftalis, Stefani Robinson, Marika Sawyer, Paul Simms, Lauren Wells (FX Productions, Two Canoes Pictures, 343 Incorporated, FX Network)
Nebula Award for Game Writing
Coyote & Crow, Connor Alexander, William McKay, Weyodi Oldbear, Derek Pounds, Nico Albert, Riana Elliott, Diogo Nogueira, William Thompson (Coyote & Crow, LLC.)
Granma’s Hand, Balogun Ojetade (Balogun Ojetade, Roaring Lion Productions)
Thirsty Sword Lesbians, April Kit Walsh, Whitney Delagio, Dominique Dickey, Jonaya Kemper, Alexis Sara, Rae Nedjadi (Evil Hat Games)
Wanderhome, Jay Dragon (Possum Creek Games)
Wildermyth, Nate Austin, Anne Austin, Douglas Austin (Worldwalker Games, LLC)
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So seriously, you may be asking, no Murderbot? No, but it’s a good thing.
Author Martha Wells graciously declined her nomination as a novella finalist this year for Fugitive Telemetry: Murderbot Diaries, Book 6, published by Tordotcom. Wells felt that the Murderbot Diaries series has already received incredible praise from her industry peers and wanted to open the floor to highlight other works within the community.
— SFWA Announces Nebula Award Finalists – The Nebula Awards®
And that’s that. Go forth and read!
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, inspiration, Thoughts, writing on March 16, 2022| Leave a Comment »
“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, Fiction, genre fiction, sff, Thoughts, writing, yay on March 13, 2022| Leave a Comment »
The world remains a challenging place in many ways but today I’m lucky to be able to carve a bit of calm out of the quagmire, mostly by avoiding the news. I’m working on a cookbook update, paying taxes, continuing yesterday’s fun design project, and helped* disconnect the old dishwasher. I also heard back on one of my favorite stories and was very happy to get an acceptance. It’s always nice to share what you love.
Not too bad for a Sunday. Now, where’s my book?
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* A very little. Mr Man is good enough not to need much help.
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, design, Thoughts, whoops, writing on March 12, 2022| Leave a Comment »
To my family: I must apologize. Today I meant to work on a new version of the family cookbook. I spent the first moments of the day noodling over the updates to be made, recipes to adjust, what to leave in and what to add.
Then I got up and found myself immersed in a fun custom design project for Mr Man.
Ah well! At least I’m getting something done.
And when it comes to getting lucky with creativity, it doesn’t hurt to strike while the iron is hot.
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