Posted by Nicky Drayden on Mar 14, 2011 in
Writer's Life 
Whoa! Lots of stuff to mention today. I’ll hurry because it’s late and I’m grumpy that I have to go to work tomorrow.
First off, I was really struck by this beauty, a graphical representation of the History of Science Fiction. It reminded me a lot of the exhibit we went to go see at the Cushing Library. A beautiful work of art, and informative too. I will no longer question why I write science fiction. This is the stuff I love, and this graphic sums it up nicely. (You’ll have to zoom in to get the full effect.)
Second, my writer friends Patrice Sarath and David Chang and I went to go see Endhiran last week at the Alamo Drafthouse, which was a major deal because they didn’t have any old people show times so we stayed out past 1am on a school night for the first time in ages. This Bollywood Sci-Fi movie was hilarious in all the right ways and involved a giant man-robot-snake, which made this a must-see for me. There were some sappy parts and one too many dance numbers, but overall it was quite enjoyable, and I’d definitely recommend it if you’ve got 3 hours on your hands and don’t mind subtitles. The 10-minute trailer itself is a must see, practically a movie in its own right.
Next, while Google Stalking myself, I learned that my story You Had Me at Rarrrgg made the Honorable Mention long list for Best Horror of the Year. This is good news for the under-represented horror-romance genre, and only proves that zombie love deserves to be recognized, too.
And lastly, I’ve enjoyed this meme so far, so I’ll play along:
2011 – Writing has consumed my life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Occasionally I make room for other things like family, friends, and random hobbies like tennis, walking my 11-year-old dog Dana, and riding my bike. Sometimes I go to work, too, because eating and having a roof over my head are sort of important.
2001 – I’m unemployed after a short stint as a programmer at Garden.com. The dotcom bust hits right after I graduate college, but Austin is too cool of a place to leave. Don’t feel sorry for me. I really enjoyed those six months of unemployment before I landed my current job. I adopt a dog, Dana, from Mixed Breed Rescue. Some kind of a sheltie/golden retriever mix.
1991 – I’m in middle school, and my Future Problem Solvers team does well enough to go to the State level competition. The topic is Environmental Protection (which for some reason I equate with the CFCs in Aquanet. Yes, I have poofy bangs.) It’s the first time I’ve been to Austin, and immediately realize how nice the people are here…they look at you and say “hi” and everything. I can’t get Amy Grant’s song Baby, Baby out of my head. Back at home in Houston, I’ve got two dogs, Sandy (AKC name Empress Frisky Sandy — hey, I was a kid when I named her) and Murphy, both Cocker Spaniels. I am a vegetarian. The previous summer, I took a creative writing class, showed some talent, but then promptly discovered boys and the telephone.
1981 – I’m living in Ohio, about to make the big move to Houston. My best friend is Brandon who lives at the end of the street. I carry a stuffed animal orangutan named Freddy everywhere I go. (Still have him, though he doesn’t tag along like he used to.) I love making snow angles, and am convinced I’ll have cactus growing in my new yard in Houston.
Posted by Nicky Drayden on Mar 10, 2011 in
Writer's Life 
This past weekend, I got a chance to step back from writing a bit and explore some other creative pursuits. I had a great time visiting with my artist mother, and we slapped down some clay together Sunday afternoon. We got in our minds that we wanted to do figurines, but I didn’t have anything particular planned.
I let the clay speak to me and made a hollow football shape for the head. I mashed and molded it until a face began to emerge, starting with a pronounced chin and drawn brow. I paid special attention to expression, trying to create movement for the eye, while also maintaining balance. Plus, as often shows up in my work, a touch of whimsy. What emerged was this little wizard guy, Hairy Potter, because he has a hairy chest that you can’t see in the photo, and because you know, he’s made out of clay…
It was great to work with a different medium besides words, and it was good to remind myself that the same principles apply as do for constructing a story. Ceramics, painting, and drawing are my first loves, with writing being a relative latecomer, though it’s managed to take over a huge part of my life. I don’t mind at all, but sometimes it’s easy to get in a creative rut, where writing becomes a chore instead of a form of expression. So it’s important to cleanse the creative palate every once in a while–making art for the sake of art, without thoughts of publication and accolades creeping up in the back of the mind.
So what are your other creative talents? Have they taken a back seat to your writing? And if so, what would it take to renew your interest in dabbling again?
Posted by Nicky Drayden on Feb 27, 2011 in
Writer's Life 
Photo by Keo 101, Creative Commons
February is drawing to a close, another productive month. I got four new short stories written including a 7000-word monster, a couple of flash fiction pieces, and a 3000-word short story I plan to workshop at the Paradise Lost meetup. I have high hopes for the two longer stories. I think I’m starting to see a marked improvement in my short story construction. (About time!)
Submissions weren’t as abundant this month, only 8, which means magazines are holding onto my stuff for a long time, which I guess is a good thing. I got a couple hold requests, and had one acceptance earlier in the month.
Still haven’t missed a day of bike riding this year! I’m not sure how long it will last though, only because if I don’t ride in the morning I have a hard time remembering to do it in the evening, so eventually one sad morning I’ll wake up and realize I’ve ruined my streak. I will admit that four of my “rides” in February took place inside my garage–two because it was 18 degrees outside and I’m really not that crazy, one the day I had my wisdom tooth out, and a recent one where I didn’t get home until after dark and I was already too overwhelmed. March 1st I’ll be upping my goal to three miles a day, and plan to increase a mile each month–a little more aggressive than I set out, but still doable.
My Japanese really lagged this month. I need to get back on it. Still haven’t finished reading my first random book, but I’m slowly plugging away. And I’m getting pretty used to becoming a vegetarian. Our annual chicken and waffle party is fast approaching though. I do plan to have a vegetarian option, but I have a feeling that I will have to sneak a bit of chicken, or it just won’t be the same.
The rest of my resolutions I haven’t touched yet, except I might have a super sappy idea for a screenplay. I plan on starting my search for a sitar in March, maybe try to get to yoga class in May.
