Posted by Nicky Drayden on Mar 14, 2013 in
Writer's Life I feel like I’m finally making progress on some of my Somewhat Nonsensical Challenges! Today I planted a cauliflower seedling and some seeds, as well as some old giant pumpkin seeds. Hopefully something will grow! I just have to remember to water them everyday, which shouldn’t be a problem with the weather being as gorgeous as it is. Also, I’m nearing the completion of reading “Rendezvous with Rama.” The climax is starting to build, I can’t believe how much I’ve missed reading something other than slush! I’ve got a solid outline for my March story, another shape-shiter adventure requested by my dad. And finally, my fro is getting hugemongous! That’s good progress on four out of ten goals!
In other news, the second story in the Women and Alien Appreciation series is up! A Riddle in Nine Syllables by Carrie Vaughn featuring a full cast reading to boot!
Posted by Nicky Drayden on Mar 8, 2013 in
Writer's Life Women and Aliens Month is officially live at the Drabblecast! This is my second year gathering up a great lineup of alien stories written by women authors. Our first story “Amid the Words of War” is by recent Nebula nominee Cat Rambo. This is one of those stories that drew me in from the first line, and had me hooked by the end of the first paragraph…the kind of story beginning that has you grinning with anticipation because you just know it’s going to be good. And this one did not disappoint. Here’s a little sneak:
Every few day-cycles, it receives hate-scented lace in anonymous packages. It opens the bland plastic envelope to pull one out, holding the delicate fragment between two forelimbs. Contemplating it before folding it again to put away in a drawer. Four drawers filled so far; the fifth is halfway there.
“Traitor,” say some of the smells, rotting fruit and acid. “Betrayer. Turncoat. One who eats their own young.” Others are simply soaked in emotion: hate and anger, and underneath the odor of fear. It lets the thoughts, the smells, the tastes fill it, set its own thoughts in motion. Then it goes downstairs and sits with the other whores, who make room uneasily for it.
Hope you enjoy! Let the festivities begin!
Posted by Nicky Drayden on Feb 27, 2013 in
Writer's Life 
Photo by David Pursehouse, Creative Commons
Or rather, Raman for my noodle! So the selection process for THE novel I’m reading this year was brutal. There was a lot of pressure, since there’s so little time to squeeze in the little pleasures in life, and I didn’t want to waste my time on a mediocre book. So I decided to go with a classic, “Rendezvous with Rama” and I made it past page 50 and am digging it so far. (See how the noodles are shaped like Rama? Get it?)
In other news, my yearly pet project at The Drabblecast, Women and Aliens Month, is upon us! We’ve got some good selections coming up starting next week, so be sure to check out the feed and spread the weird. I mean word. Also going on is the People’s Choice Award, so if you’re a listener, you can nominate your favorites here! We’ve had some phenomenal cover art this year as well, and you can nominate those too.
