Singing Kaijus

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Mine was filled with writing which is, I know, as it should be.

Among the things I wrote was a guest post over at Books Make Me Happy about music and writing. And the news that is big news is also mentioned in that post. So, you know, head on over and have a looksee. And then plan to head over tomorrow for a REAL looksee. An Alien Research related looksee, by the way.

Next, head over to Nocturnal Book Reviews to see what she thinks of the whole Alien/Katherine "Kitty" Katt series.

Then, check out this great video about Kaiju Rising edited by the wonderful Michael Edstrom, who's also a part of the anthology. And there's even a kaiju song, courtesy of awesome author Natania Barron. (Yes, it's a musical Monday over here at Alien Collective Headquarters.) 

Speaking of which, have you funded the Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters Kickstarter yet? We've unlocked every author so far, and now only have one amazing artwork level yet. Can we hit it? I hope so. Have you funded? I hope so again! Because it's gonna be not just huge, but kaiju huge! Which, as we all know, is huger than huge! So if you haven't gotten kaiju fever yet, visit the Kickstarter, check it out, and fund if you can, because it's going to be so very, very worth it. BTW, there are still tuckerizations left -- not mine, but you can't go wrong with any of the authors involved. So if you want to be in a story that's in a wicked cool anthology, check out the remaining options and get yourself kaijued!

Well, that's it for today, but as always, more's on the way. So enjoy the start of the week and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

My New Year's Resolutions

Seeing as it's that time of year again, when everyone makes resolutions they'll break by January 10th, I figured I'd get mine out of the way early.

This year, in no particular order, I resolve to:

1. Put off until tomorrow what I could do today
2. Possibly eat right and exercise, but resent it when I do
3. Do the things I enjoy a lot and the things I don't as little as possible; this includes cleaning the house (guess which side that one falls on)
4. Re-read all of the Discworld books by Terry Pratchett while hoping I get to meet him one day
5. Consider reading the various nonfiction books I own, and then going back and re-reading 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' by Lemony Snicket instead, who, based on his 'life story' I don't think I actually want to meet
6. Avoid the news as much as humanly possible, under the continually-proved theory that if it's really important someone will tell me about it, and if no one tells me about it, it probably doesn't matter
7. Consider catching up on my collection of Details magazines but instead merely thumb through and look at all the pictures of hot-looking men, frequently
8. Think about getting a place for everything and putting everything in its place, then move the stuff on my desk into different piles and call it good
9. Consider watching all the new DVDs we got over the holidays, but instead end up watching the same dozen I adore over and over and over again
10. Listen to lots of music from a wide variety of genres and decades as constantly as possible while purchasing new music as often as I can
11. Consider telling every blowhard in my life where to stick it then write an action scene instead
12. Consider catching up on all the literary bestsellers but then re-reading every book by P.J. O'Rourke instead while hoping I get to meet him one day
13. Worship Aerosmith while hoping I get to meet Steven Tyler and Joe Perry one day

There you go, a baker's dozen. I should be able to carry these through without a problem for all of 2009. After all, I've been doing most of them for most of my life.

Love,
Gini

Music and Writing

I happen to be one of those writers who has to have music playing when I create.

Boy, that sounds lofty.

Let me be more honest. I’m someone who has to have music playing all the time or I risk going insane. I am not one with the sounds of silence, no matter what Alanis Morissette might want to say about it.

My issue isn’t that I’m not comfortable in silence. Well, okay, I’m not. But I’m not comfortable in silence because unless you’re in a soundproofed room all alone, there is no such thing in our world today as ‘silent’. And I have good hearing. And it’s selective. And worse, I have a vivid imagination. And it’s not selective at all.

Little tinkle that could mean the wind’s blowing the chimes or could mean someone just broke the basement window? Odd sound that might be the dog’s tummy rumbling or could indicate immediate danger of the earth opening up and swallowing the city whole? Repetitive sound the fans and air conditioning make? I hear all of them. And they distract me.

But if I put music on…then I only hear what I want to hear. And it’s not always the music.

For example, I play music when I’m on the telephone. So that I actually pay attention to the person I’m speaking with. Otherwise, they’re telling me about their latest brush with the law and I’m thinking, “Was that…was that a bug knocking against the window, or is a zombie about to attack?”

So music’s an integral part of my life. Therefore and by obvious extension, it’s a huge part of my writing life.

I need music not only to drown out the other things -- like the TV, the husband, the daughter, the pets, those damned fans -- that will distract me, but to inspire. And said music had darned well better have lyrics. In fact, I was originally going to title this Music and Lyrics, but didn’t want to make Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore all jealous. (But, I have to admit…I LOVE that movie. *cough* Okay, yeah, back to the topic. Whatever it actually is.)

I’m not a classical music kind of girl. Oh, I like plenty of it, but not to write to. With no lyrics, the music ends up, for me, just like the stupid fan -- I hear it and start going, “Is that…is that a bassoon or an oboe? I have no idea, but I think it’s a bassoon. No, oboe. No, French Horn.” That way lies madness. Trust me.

All this is to explain why I, a writer, have an entire page devoted to my playlists. And why some of my links are to band sites. (Because there is nothing cooler in this entire world than Aerosmith, okay?!? *cough* Sorry.) Because I can’t survive or create without them.

What about you? Strong, silent type, or rock ‘n’ roller all the way? No worries if you’re the former…we serve all kinds here.

Love, Gini