If you're brave enough to fly

Mirrored from Stephanie Gunn.

Link filched from The Chaos Witch.

Mirrored from Stephanie Gunn.

So, yesterday Spotify launched in Australia.  I pounced joined up and am now happily enjoying streaming music.  Not sure as of yet if it’s going to be worth paying for a subscription.  I don’t mind ads.  We’ll see.

Another glorious day in Perth today: clear blue skies, though it’s cold this morning (where cold is a value of less than 10C for us, which is probably warm for some of you reading this.  Remember, it gets to 40C here in summer, we don’t do cold that well!).  There’s some frost on the lawn this morning, too, which always looks gorgeous.

I am meandering my way towards the end of this draft of Never and am reminded, as always, by how much I hate writing endings.  I am sorely tempted to just outline these last few scenes and go back and start editing.  I’ve written this in an odd way – I’m working from an outline, but I’m doing a fair bit of pantsing in between my outline points.  It means that I have a few subplots to go and put in and stuff to clarify.  Plus, I need to do some scene rearranging.  Luckily I love editing

Mirrored from Stephanie Gunn.

Still one of my favourite songs and video clips.

Mirrored from Stephanie Gunn.

Mirrored from Stephanie Gunn.

Mirrored from Stephanie Gunn.

I’m trying to get back in the habit of blogging publicly every day, as well as actually commenting on those blogs that inspire me.

It’s about connection, about weaving the web between us as we sit alone in our rooms, spinning invisible threads of story and wonder.  It’s about being a part of it all.

Meanwhile, my heart is going out to all those affected by the earthquake in Christchurch.  I have to force myself to step away from the television, get into the normal routine.  But all the while, my heart is aching for such loss.

Mirrored from Stephanie Gunn.

As I sit here typing this, the voices of Catherynne M. Valente and S.J. Tucker fill the room.

I have spent a good chunk of the weekend watching the live feed from Strowlercon.  Which has been amazing and inspiring and incredible.  I wish that I could have been there so, so much.  I am so thankful for whoever decided to set up the live feed, which has allowed people around the world to take part in this amazing event.

I always knew that it would be a great thing.  I make no effort to hide how much of a fan I am of Cat and Sooj’s work.  The other artists involved were just as incredible.  I have a feeling that I’m going to be watching the archived videos as long as they’re available, and probably purchasing music from all of the other musicians.  And probably buying some of the video from the con if it’s made available.

A special shout out to Shira‘s daughter Elayna, who sang in the last section of the con and was just radiant and amazing and luminous.  She’s inherited every scrap of her mother’s presence, and I can only begin to imagine the kind of energy that fills a room when they’re both present.

The whole thing got me thinking about why I admire this group of people so much.  Yes, they’re all incredibly talented.  But they’re also firebirds.  They live their truth.  They don’t hide themselves, they create and fly and burn and burn and live again.

Thank you, to all of you, for sharing your fire.  Maybe next year I can find a way to be there and burn and fly with you.

Mirrored from Stephanie Gunn.

I’ve been working on The White Raven, and, along with writing a very detailed outline (in which the book is becoming very, very different from its last incarnation), I’m also putting together a new playlist.

This is Alanna’s song:

I’m not sure what I’m looking for anymore
I just know that I’m harder to console
I don’t see who I’m trying to be instead of me

All this running around, well it’s getting me down
Just give me a pain that I’m used to
I don’t need to believe all the dreams you conceive
You just need to achieve something that rings true

There’s a hole in your soul like an animal
With no conscience, repentance unknown
Close your eyes, pay the price for your paradise
Devils feed on the seeds that are sown

Mirrored from Stephanie Gunn.

What are the most inspirational soundtracks to write to?

Some of my favourites – Solaris, The Fountain, Ink.

Mirrored from Stephanie Gunn.