This Week's Tidbits · 8 August 2007
It’s time for another post about tidbits.
First up, I’ve posted my review of Crystal Rain by Tobias Buckell in the Reviews Section.
In the interest of full disclosure, I obtained my copy of Crystal Rain directly from the author, under the understanding that I would write a review of it.
Second, I've updated my About section and posted my general review guidelines in it, so if you're interested in reading about my journalistic integrity, check them out there ;).
Third, Dark Orpheus posted her Meez the day after I was talking about them with Jackson, and after seeing how cute hers was, I couldn’t resist making one myself. It’s a bit silly, but it was fun and it actually (sort of) looks like me and my alchemical experiments in the kitchen.
Finally, after being inspired to examine why I blog and recognizing that I’ve been slipping a bit on my creative writing, I did a brief writing exercise. It’s not a story, more of a scene, but it’s in keeping with the “write something everyday” philosophy.
Since it’s not intended for future publication, I thought I’d share it here.
Learned Reflexes.
There was a moment, gone almost quicker than realized, when she thought she might choke. And then, as if she were a fish taking to water, Stella’s reflexes had taken over. Her cerebellum floundered, subsumed by the lower, spinal, nature of the medulla oblongata. And so, instead of gasping for breath, she swallowed. Lemony water slithered down her throat, harmlessly past the passageway to her lungs, a disaster averted without conscious thought.
A three-year-old would have pressed onward, choking and sputtering for air. Stella, a veteran of previous attempts to breath in fishlike fashion, acted against what reason would tell us is instinct, and stopped breathing. And yet, there had been no conscious will guiding the contraction of her throat, the abrupt ceasing of her inhalation. Her mind had been on other things, the plans of the evening, the stack of bills looming in the hallway. Two steps forward, a sip, and then the feeling that not all had gone as planned.
A reaction set in motion too quick for thought or relief. Reflexes called upon from experience, stored unused yet not forgotten.
Truly, we are amazing creatures.
Crystal Rain,
Meez,
My Fiction,
Tobias Buckell
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Dark Orpheus · 9 August 2007, 03:21
Hee hee. I like details with the boiling cauldron. Meez is a great time-waster, isn’t it? ;p
jean pierre · 9 August 2007, 05:24
i love that meez!
and i look forward to reading more writing.
Kim · 9 August 2007, 07:48
Dark Orpheus – Yes, I probably spent an hour browsing the Meez site. It’s a fun idea.
jean pierre – Thanks!
Chris · 9 August 2007, 12:21
Ha!! I love your Meez! It’s great :)
I really enjoy reading your writing. You do it well. I’m sure you’ve mentioned this before, but I have a really horrible memory…are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? You really should!
Kim · 10 August 2007, 00:02
Chris – I’m not doing NaNoWriMo this year. I’m taking 11 units and working almost full-time this fall. I thought about doing it anyway, but I decided that I’d probably end up hurting my GPA too much.
I’ll be cheering you on for sure, and I may do some sort of abbreviated version with short stories.
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