words, if you let them, will do what they want to do and what they have to do.

[chaentics]

- anne carson, autobiography of red

an introduction of sorts.

freya (chaentics is also perfectly fine, or rozzed—whatever works!). i think that's all you really need to know about me, but you can always ask if you are curious about stuff. any pronouns.

what i am reading lately: recently finished beartown by fredrik backman, as well as an absurd amount of hrpf (500k in like 5 days). this is like mcr all over again! i have purchased the dragonriders of pern by anne mcaffrey and am slowly but steadily making my way through we breed lions by rick westhead. of course, i must also read private rites by julia armfield at some point, which is sitting unopened and staring back at me...

what i am writing lately: i have decided not to beat myself over the head with revisions on any of my original fiction until i feel compelled to do so. however i would like to work my way through a novella at some point this year. the problem is i am entirely too preoccupied with the delight of heated rivalry and the mess there in order to get my head on straight. i am sure whatever i write will have the afterimage of those guys all over it. it is inevitable!

as for fic, well, of course i am trying to finish chapter 4 of at pinpoint, which is planned out, but plans are known to change. as is evident by the spike from 2 chapters to 4. and the inevitable shane pov follow-up... i am also very much excited for the aptly named wip "raw meat & retirement" in which i return to my favorite: body horror, magical realism, and then the "rookie ilya captain shane hockey and magical powers magic realism slow burn summer party vibes" wip might get written. less succinctly named. if something else strikes my fancy i will pursue that first.

what i am listening to: soulwax dj, thanks to salad

what you should tell me if you read this: writing craft things that intrigue you! craft things you want to work on! i miss lecturing and would like to discuss writing and improving writing and cool wriitng things again but somewhere outside my usual avenues (tumblr, twitter) so maybe i will make some "craft posts" here... put it in the comments, friends and strangers!!

Comments

[chaentics]

the joys of a tbr list... i think i have 200 books at home unfinished. this has not stopped me from purchasing more on apple books, obviously. so i can get away with reading on the clock. i'm not terribly far into we breed lions but i can say it is dense and it is visceral. but should be a required read, honestly, especially for anyone veering into the Real Hockey of it all.

and well, you're speaking to the experimental lit enthusiast. as much as i joke about pretentiousness i think experimental fiction is one of the most genuine strands of fiction—it does exactly what it means to do. try new things! some of which fail and some which do not. it is a brave genre. in a way, it veers away from the trends that frequently plague publishing, digital and traditional alike. reading like a writer is a wonderful addition to any writer's library. and i don't think anyone can ever be too dumb to "get the point" of a book. a book is not a test. a book is an experience. you get out of a book something unique to you. sometimes that is a word you like or a quote you remember, sometimes it is a metaphor. not much more complicated or simple than that.

[kostas]

i think my physical tbr is around 150. my e-book.... i am scared to look, actually. i might have to just order myself a copy of we breed lions - it's weeks upon weeks of waiting at my local library. which is good, i guess, that so many people are reading it!

no, you're right, sometimes there isn't a point but maybe it's a sticking point leftover from my university days where i had to glean some deeper meaning in every text for an assignment or essay so my mind instantly turns to that analytical side that has a clear and defined purpose. and sometimes i really do just read a piece of work because i love the syntax or the prose. sometimes it's just the joy of words aside from any underlying purpose.

and i use the word pretentious but i don't hate the word. i don't really use it to be self-deprecating. i love being a bit pretentious. i love taking myself a bit too seriously. i love taking pride in my creative endeavours, i love being a bit ostentatious with it all.

[chaentics]

i think anything worth doing is worth doing with some seriousness. writing fanfiction included.