My Tab Habit

I have a really bad habit.

I use Firefox for my internet browser…and I do this thing where I leave a bunch of tabs open because there are 1.)stories I want to read 2.) things I want to blog about 3.) reference notes I want to make 4.) stories I want to write or venues to submit to…the list goes on. And so do the tabs. It gets to the point where I’m so incredibly, terribly behind that the tabs — like emails festering in my inbox — start to stress me out when I look at them. So I thought I would share my open tabs with you today so that I might take care of #2 on my list…and then get rid of some stress.

Tab 1: This one’s been up for a while, and I’m embarrassed that I just haven’t taken the time to read it. It’s Ted Kosmatka’s story “In Fall” that recently appeared in Lightspeed Magazine. I met Ted through the Codex Writers Group, and I’ve come to really appreciate his writing. Which is why I clicked on the link in the first place. *sigh* Ted, I promise…I’ll read this. Soon. I encourage any of you who aren’t familiar with Ted to go read it now…if only because you’ll have a chance to make me look bad.

Tab 2: Small Press Paper Golem is opening up to submissions next month for their Cucurbital anthology. Stories must include: a watermelon, a turtle, and a sex worker. Obviously, I’m still stewing on those idea seeds.Feel free to join me.

Tab 3: “The Secret Language of the Fan” — The fabulous Suzanne Lazear hosted this on her STEAMED blog back in…oh my god…January. (I promise I discovered it after that.) In it, Victorian costume expert Karlee Etter explains the various ways that the body language of a fan would be interpreted in Victorian society. TELL me you don’t want to use this in a story? Exactly. Brilliant. And tabbed.

Tab 4: Author Maya Lassiter hosted an interview with me on her “Mayaland” blog in a series called “Why Writers Do What They Do.” In it, I discuss why I don’t believe in Writers Block…despite the fact that I’ve had it once and lived to tell the tale. I might have mentioned this on Facebook and/or Twitter, but Mom doesn’t have Facebook or Twitter, so I try to make sure I always stick these very important sorts of things on my blog. Tab.

Tab 5: SF Signal’s “Mind Meld.” Jason Sizemore suggested a Mind Meld topic on Dystopias. Wikipedia defines Dystopia as “an often futuristic society that has degraded into a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian” – an idea that if often leveraged in science fiction. So what are some of the best ones to read? A bunch of really cool SF authors answered this question, and I was one of them. (No, my answer was NOT 1984.)

Tab 6: I’m bidding on something on eBay. The auction ends tomorrow. And NO, I’m not going to tell you what this one is, because you might bid against me.

Besides…I know for a fact that you have at least five really cool tabs open on your browser now with stuff you plan on checking out. You’re welcome!