I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Three French Hens Linkee-poo- Working backward

Hey, Jim Hines is giving away books again. And all you need to do is write a little comment on which book and why. It couldn't be simpler.

Justine Larbalestier muses a little on the planning and what to write next. Two thoughts here. First, her quote, "Because it’s not about the ideas, it’s about what you do with them," no truer words have been spoken (and muchg of what's behind the whole story bones thing). And two, write them down. In the past three days I've had excellent ideas all three days, bits of dialog and action. And I didn't write them down. Now they're gone. Do not do likewise.

And Jeff VanderMeer on paying it forward, backward, and using leverage. I certainly have benefited from all of the above. It also plays to Wil's Law, "Don't be a dick." I sometimes worry that this philosophy will go the way of motorcyclists waving at each other. You can always tell the weekenders, they never wave. And now there are newer riders who don't know it's customary to wave.

5 comments:

Jim C. Hines said...

Thanks for the shout-out, Steve!

Steve Buchheit said...

No worries, Jim. And if I haven't said it lately, I really do like your stories. And for everybody else out there, if you like old fashion dungeon crawl romps and you haven't read Jim's Goblin Books, you're missing out.

Jarrett Rush said...

It's really customary to wave? I don't ride but I had no idea.

We did have a letter to the editor in the newspaper the other day about Saab drivers starting to wave at each other as they pass. Maybe those are the folks who have traded two wheels for four.

Steve Buchheit said...

Jarrett, yes, it is customary to wave. It's a small gesture, normally done with the left hand (clutch). Some just make a peace sign under the handle bar, some hold their hands out a little more in a flat hand wave. We don't move the hand back and forth, so it's not like a Queen's Parade Review kind of hand movement. More like a high-five down-low as we pass.

Jarrett Rush said...

You really should try and get the queen's wave to be the customary gesture.

I would love to see that.