Category: Uncategorized

The Care and Feeding of Ugly Duckling Drafts

Many writers talk about “Shitty First Drafts,” to use the term coined by Anne Lamott in Bird by Bird. These are your horrific first attempts at your story. They’re hairy with adjectives, and stumble about on improperly placed limbs. I like to call them “ugly duckling” drafts because, despite their deformity, they are merely good …

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Science Tidbits: Moon Colonies, Genetic Circuits, and Throwing Rocks at Earth

On Bad Astronomy, I found this video featuring Phil Plait and Dr. Karin Bondar. In the video, Phil speaks briefly on the possibility of applying 3-D printing technology to building settlements on the moon—an option actually under development by NASA. Karin follows up with an equally fascinating development: biologists are manipulating DNA in a manner …

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SFWC, Self-Publishing and the Second Renaissance

I just returned from the San Francisco Writer’s Conference. This is my first year in attendance, and in the aftermath I have so much to say that my thoughts render me mute. What do I feel? I think I feel like I have finally come home. The conference is of too great a scope for …

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This Week on Runicfire: Feb 18 – 24

Runicfire is entering its second week, and we have another roster of posts. Here’s what to expect: Today, Monday the 18th, I reflect on the San Francisco Writer’s Conference and the possibility of a second Renaissance. This Wednesday, the 20th, a brief post on recent developments in science. And for Friday the 22nd I explore the …

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