Picture this: me, face down in my carry case... a fluffy rug on top of me... Ellen holding me down by the shoulders... the vet nurse holding down my hind legs under a second towel... the vet peels back a corner of the rug and jabs not one, but TWO separate needles into my back. … Continue reading Diary of a Devilcat: Telling the vet what’s what
Donning my resolved-and-determined hat (at Continuum)
Last weekend I attended the Continuum 8 convention, which this year was the Australian national science fiction (and fantasy and horror) convention, held in Melbourne. It's an event where writers and fans of the speculative fiction genre come together and pow-wow. We're not a large community, so our natcon is always a fabulous opportunity to catch … Continue reading Donning my resolved-and-determined hat (at Continuum)
Word of the day: Cunctator
Cunctator noun: One who hesitates; a procrastinator or delayer When I saw this word hit my inbox (from A.Word.A.Day) last week, I knew I had to share it -- even if only as a reminder to myself that I must not embody its meaning. This evening, however, I fear I deserve it as a descriptor. … Continue reading Word of the day: Cunctator
10K a day
The challenge is 10K a day -- but for once it's not words that are the target, but steps. I'm currently participating in the Global Corporate Challenge as part of a work initiative. It aims to get slothful desk workers out of their chairs and moving towards improved health and productivity. The challenge has been going … Continue reading 10K a day
Every day is new, with no mistakes in it
"Every day is new, with no mistakes in it." This is the first of two powerful life lessons I learnt long ago from the novel Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. I quote it to myself often, especially when I find myself getting frustrated about falling behind in my daily goals and not achieving … Continue reading Every day is new, with no mistakes in it
Let there be L words
There's a meme going around the blogosphere at the moment, where you're given a letter and challenged to come up with 10 things you love, beginning with that letter. I thought, why not? This will be easy. So I commented on Tami Clayton's post on the letter A; and she subsequently challenged me with the … Continue reading Let there be L words
How reviews influence my choice of books
Once upon a time it seemed as though I had hours and hours a day in which to read. I devoured books at an impressive rate. Although I'm not a particularly fast reader, I made up for it in sheer number of hours devoted to the cause. But that was before I started writing in the evenings, … Continue reading How reviews influence my choice of books
D&D chronicles: the novice
You may be surprised to hear that, despite my being an avid fantasy reader for the vast majority of my life, I have never much been into gaming and had never ever played the iconic role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons, until last weekend. We were a group of mixed experience, two of us novices, and, … Continue reading D&D chronicles: the novice
Reading places and spaces
Reading is what it's all about, isn't it? That's why we writers turn up to the computer, day after day, to grind out the words. In fact, reading invariably came first. As children we devoured books; at least I did. Now I look back at those days with yearning, because I seemed to have so … Continue reading Reading places and spaces
The Octopus Knows – part 7
Today it's my turn to write an installment of the progressive story, The Octopus Knows, another creation of Laird Sapir. I'll admit I've been panicking er contemplating this over past couple of days... There have been six very creative installments to-date (links to all can be found on Laird's round robin page) and they're a … Continue reading The Octopus Knows – part 7
Ellen Gregory 