Novels and novelists:
Nutmeglit. I read about Stewart O'Nan's latest book and thought I wonder if he based it on the Red Lobster in Torrington. Gold star for me! Also: don't yawn at his readings.
Callie does her report thing about Junot Diaz doing his reading thing.
It's also National No Writing Month, of course.
Gwenda continues to trademark "process porn" with Elizabeth Knox.
Six novelist interviews and good advice on character building.
Short stories:
BASS + New Yorker = list of online reading.
Jeff VanderMeer's Conversations with the Bookless: Rachel Swirsky, Nathan Ballingrud, Paul Jessup.
Larry Dark says they are alive and well, provides lots of links. Also, MFAs don't suck.
Lots on Roy Kesey, including one of my favorite stories of his. (And plenty out there about Dzanc.)
Max on Pastoralia.
I wish all anthologies in online bookstores provided a table of contents. I have no idea where that responsibility lies -- I'm guessing a little with the publisher, a little with the bookseller. But as one of the 216 people in this country who regularly flip through short story anthologies at the bookstore? I will wager that at least 200 of the other ones also look at the table of contents, rather than relying solely on the back of the book. That said, it was a very nice surprise to buy a copy of Best American Fantasy and discover that one of my favorite stories from 2006 is in it.
Craft and other writerly issues:
Quit your job and write your book. Or, don't!
Why to support the WGA strike, even if you'll miss The Office, and how it affects more people than you think.
On (not) giving up.
Lots and lots of books for writers.
Rejection slip postscript...still interesting when you didn't submit (though in this particular case, I did think about it).
My research rabbit hole:
Guppy syndrome.
In defense of the mall.
Speculations about Ymir, aka Gliese 581c.
Video games:
I haven't played WoW since early July. Hellgate London, mentioned here, is by no means a replacement, but I'm enjoying the hell out of it.
