ellen_datlow | Reading

(For some California local definition of 'morning'!)

About 30 minutes ago one of our databases (sb-db03) locked up and stopped serving traffic. This was an active database, so the site quickly stopped when it could no longer serve requests. Alas.

I have failed us over to a backup database and now everything should be working again.

I'm not sure yet what happened to db03, but am currently investigating and will update this post if I come up with a root cause for the problem. Edit: It's back up and doesn't have any visible problems. Disks are fine, data's intact, etc. The graphs and logs show nothing. We'll have to keep an eye on it and see if it manifests further issues.

Sorry for the trouble, please let me know if you still see any problems!

The contract for Gin & Tonic #3-#4 arrived in my inbox, and has been gone over. I will say that reading the marked-up pdf on my iPad mini was more enjoyable than trying to wrangle the legal-size paper Simon & Schuster still uses. Anyway, it reminded me that #3 is due in SEPTEMBER, not October as I had in my mind, so the pace on that's been picked up a bit.

I'm still knee-deep in reading submissions for Entangled, trying to get back into the editorial mindset of "scan-for-brilliance." I know the skill set's intact, it's just taking a while to reclaim. Two projects that were almost-but-not-quite, and one that's probably-not-sorry. This is the brutal part of the editorial job, and the one that many people sneer at, but my job here is to find the best stories I think will sell the best, not to make allowances or be gentle. :-(

Meanwhile, I'm working on the on-spec manuscript, and juggling my two long-term freelance clients, and going through the final stages of production for PROMISES TO KEEP for the kickstarter release.

So yeah... if I've been quiet lately, all that would be why.

I still haven't seen either Iron Man #3 or the new Trek, mainly because I'm a social movie-going creature and nobody's schedule seems to be syncing up with mine. *sighs* But soon.

Coming up: BEA and the related chaos thereof, and then a brief pause before I'm into the whirlwind of HEART OF BRIAR's release, and the related book-pimping. The sightings-and-signings page has been updated, and will continue to be updated on a probably-weekly basis... (so if you have a bookstore or book festival you think I should swing by, let me know!)

Not much serious here, just some stuff to enhance your day!

First up, "El Martillo de Thor se queda Pendejo." While taking a little break from grading final projects, I stumbled across this insane video about a cultural phenomenon I was not aware of, but now must learn EVERYTHING about. Whoah. You gotta respect Mjölnir, else it tries to launch you into space. Seriously, though, what kind of festivals do they celebrate south of the border?

(Okay, I'd go watch this. Wearing eye protection. And a helmet. And body armor.)

Next, OMG am I charmed half-to-death by "Star Trek: The Middle School Musical":

Finally, if you're local, here are a few upcoming area SF events you don't want to miss:

Spectrum Fantastic Art Live, the most amazing SF art show anywhere, THIS weekend. In its second year.

ConQuesT, the Kansas City SF convention, on Memorial Day weekend.

And of course in a month is the Campbell Conference. Newly confirmed guest authors include Kevin J. Anderson and Robert J. Sawyer, plus we'll host a screening of Destination Planet Negro, among other things:

This year's theme is "To the Stars," an SFnal play on the Kansas state motto. June 13-16.

Okay, I'm either diving back into grading or else going out to the garage to install the fuel pump for the Hot Rod Newport's new fuel-injection rig... decisions, decisions....

Best,
Chris

Tags:

( What my life is like right now )

Current Mood: calm
Crossposts: http://rosefox.livejournal.com/1787672.html

At Writer. Editor. Tired Person.

When I first started out in this biz, I heard a lot of writers talking about “casting” their books, and researching for visuals (typically actors, but not always) as part of their research prep.

And this struck me as strange (then again, I don’t create playlists for projects, either. So I may be an outlier.)

Y’see, I don’t ‘cast’ my books before/while I’m writing them – or even after, honestly*. It’s not because it wouldn’t be fun, or because I don’t think about what my characters look like… it’s just that I have to wait until they tell me what they look like.

Crossposted to BookView Cafe, if you prefer to comment there.

Another issue of #24MAG is done! And gorgeous! And full of data and genders and PTSD and color and theater and physics and cows! Read it for free here or buy a glorious tangible print copy at http://24mag.org/ .

This continues to be my absolute favorite freelance gig. I had to leave the last issue after 13 hours because I was unwell, and tearing myself away made me so sad. This time I did about 28 hours onsite (with a two-hour break and maybe four total hours of sleep), came home, and kept working in between naps and baths and meals. I made my last edits from my bed at 3:30 this morning. I think it ended up being something like #47MAG for the design team. Worth it, though. I'm really pleased with the piece I wrote about my sleep statistics, and everyone else's contributions are superb, as always.

As much as I loved the intense magazine atmosphere, when I got home I was suddenly awash in clingy love for J and X and utter deep joy at being home with them. I kept saying "I love you and I missed you" like I'd been gone for weeks. Since then I have been fed excellent tasty food, and there has been a great deal of cuddling and cuddling++, and the cats are their usual selves (which is good, as Java was briefly but worryingly ill on Thursday and Friday), and I took a long oatmeal bath, and I have gotten a whole lot of sleep. Today I slept from 4 until noon, and then again until 15:00 or so, so I think I'm more or less caught up. Super wacky dreams, of course. (I would have a dream and then have the bad porn fanfic version of the same dream. It was ridiculous.)

It has been a most splendid weekend, and I'm glad I have the whole week to recover from it.

Current Mood: glowing
Crossposts: http://rosefox.livejournal.com/1787442.html

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Downtime this morning

The State of the Meerkat, Saturday Edition

Three-plus things make a post!

"A day in the life"

On “casting” while you write. Or not.

"Trust, limits, failure, audience, and data"

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