Category: Blog

“If there were a TV show you could have written for… which one would it be?”

Obviously, Deep Space Nine.

When I was in high school and DS9 & Voyager were on the air, they were still open to looking at freelance scripts. My mom told me that, yes, if I wrote one, sent it, and got invited to join the writers room, she’d move down to LA with me so I could. Continue reading “Highest Aspirations”

I grew up watching The Wonder Years, and some years ago, I wanted to be able to share that show with my spouse.

It wasn’t available. Why? The songs and copyright.

The songs in The Wonder Years — and they had so many good songs; they’re such a part of the texture and meaning of the show — hadn’t been purchased with DVD or streaming rights in mind or somesuch. Because of course, DVDs and streaming didn’t exist when the show was made. Continue reading “The Wonder Years and Copyright”

The eight-year-old loves Minecraft and wants me to play it with them… but I just don’t get it.

But now we’ve found Terraria — it’s basically 2D Minecraft, and that means it looks like the side scrollers I loved when I was a kid. Continue reading “Terraria”

Years ago, I was in a World of Warcraft guild, & right as we beat a big raid boss, one of the paladins said, “I hope it drops paladin gear!”

Everyone jumped on him, like he’d broken a taboo.

We were all hoping for new gear but, apparently, weren’t supposed to speak that truth. Continue reading “Hoping the Loot is For You”

Years ago, after finishing Otters In Space 3, I began outlining Otters In Space 4.

I am not good at outlining.

My outlines tend to look like a bag of small toys, a pile of tarot cards, a playlist of songs, or a vague gesture at several seemingly incompatible movies. Continue reading “Reaching the Heart of Otters In Space 4”

The eight-year-old was complaining about their homework, which just involved writing down one thought about something they’d read in class.

They claimed to have no thoughts on it. Whatsoever.

So I asked what it was about. Continue reading “The Inspiration Behind “Lizard Talked to a Porcupine””

This year, I received nine nominations across four categories—more nominations than I’ve ever received in a single year before. Probably more nominations than anyone has received in a single year before.
It also brings me up to a total of 52 nominations across the last 11 years.

Let’s talk about these nominations. Continue reading “Nine Ursa Major Nominations”

One of the costs I’ve found of being autistic is that I have to get REALLY REALLY good at managing, understanding, and explaining my emotions to others.

I see other people work out their emotions through the process of interacting with others… I rarely have that privilege. Continue reading “Working Out Emotions Through Fiction Instead of Reality”

There are people who I thought were friends but who I’ve learned cannot be trusted with anything under the social mask I wear.

In the past, people like this ended up being my enemies… Continue reading “The Weight of a Mask”

That feeling when you see a mainstream sf/f writer stumble on the history of Rainfurrest & discuss it with the kind of cold analysis that comes from not missing it still.

I owe so much of my career as a writer and most of my biggest successes to Rainfurrest. It left a huge hole. Continue reading “The Effect of the Pandemic on Furry Writing”