A full-time, part-time writer.

That’s what I am. I think it’s just about time that I fully embrace the mantle of the part-time writer, without passing a value judgment on this decision.

In the spirit of both embracing the reality of things as they are (and in an effort to act decisively instead of dithering around, as I have been), I’ve decided to use this space as a kind of amalgam of what my Goodreads account used to be, and what my more informal blogs ought to be. I’ll record here what I’m reading–or, more accurately, what I’m listening to, as most of the fiction I consume currently comes to me in podcast format–and also discuss, a bit, my existing writing projects.

I know. Groundbreaking stuff. Throw a rock into the internet ether, and you’ll hit at least a dozen blogs just like this one. That’s all right; fortunately, this exercise is more for me, and to keep me motivated to critically analyze my tastes and my fiction-writing habits. Think of it as a meandering roadtrip; I’m happy to have guests along for the ride, but it is, at the end of the day, my ride, and I’m behind the steering wheel. Don’t touch the radio.

Speaking of what is on the radio, here are a couple channels my radio is most often tuned into:

• Pseudopod, hosted by Alasdair Stuart and part of EscapeArtists, Inc., a podcast devoted to short works of original horror fiction. All podcasts produced by EA, Inc. are excellent, but I discovered Pseudopod first and, as such, it will always be my favorite. Each week, different voice talent is brought on to narrate stories, and I especially appreciate Pseudopod’s willingness to seek out narrators from diverse backgrounds. The stories published to Pseudopod are different flavors of frightening and include elements of Lovecraftian horror alongside the things that unnerve us about every day living. Nothing published here is horror for the sake of shock value, which I appreciate, and works with particularly disturbing content come with trigger warnings.
  • “Night’s Foul Bird,” by Orrin Grey
• The Clarkesworld Podcast, hosted and narrated by Kate Baker, is a podcast produced by Clarkesworld Magazine, which publishes works of original science fiction and fantasy. Clarkesworld stories run the emotional gamut and often playfully bend genres in order to tell a compelling story, but the ones that most stick with me are the ones that end with optimism. Kate Baker is gifted at conveying each character she voices.
  • “Postcards from Monster Island,” Emily Devenport
  • “Laika’s Ghost,” Karl Schroeder

My personal writing projects (both in progress, and what’s coming down the tubes) will have to wait for the next leg of this weird trip. There’s lots to talk about–fun stuff, silly stuff, gratingly intolerable stuff–and this was just supposed to be my way of saying hi/hello/get out while you still can, etc.