May 2013
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“When was super depressed, I wasn’t working—I was always too depressed. Hemingway...”
– In an interview with The Fix, Mary Karr debunks the toxic mythology that it is necessary to be damaged in order to be creative. My own vehement defiance to that mythology is what led me to choose Ray Bradbury – the ultimate epitome of creating from joy rather than suffering – as the subject of my...
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Shoggoth's Old Peculiar: A Free Short Story by... →
minimal-pilgrim:
Something to make you smile:
A free download from audible.com of Neil Gaiman reading his Peter Cook and Dudley Moore and H.P. Lovecraft inspired short-story ‘Shoggoth’s Old Peculiar’ from his collection “Smoke and Mirrors.”
(It also has a preview of “The Ocean at the End of the Lane.”)
meltingpenguins asked: Not to be rude, but could you specify what makes you uncomfortable? Amazon's monetisation of fanfiction or fanfiction itself? I have met too many people that might take such a quote out of context to attack fanfiction writers and make them feel bad, even though the original author has nothing against fanfiction. Thank you.
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Why I probably do not hate you
Every now and again, like this morning, I get sad/upset/angry/frustrated asks from people whose previous asks I haven’t answered, and who think it’s because I do not like them or their questions. And it’s not either of those things. So…
This is to reiterate:
1) I get about 100 asks in a day. Sometimes more. Never fewer than 50. I can’t answer 50 asks a day. It...
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comtessedebussy asked: Hi Neil! You may or may not have heard about the new fan fiction platform that Amazon is launching (Kindle Worlds, I believe it's called). If you've heard of it (there's a post going around tumblr about it), what are your thoughts? I myself don't like the idea of fan fiction becoming monetized in this way, but am I jumping to conclusions?
misterwil-son asked: The ticket for the Nashville signing covers the book as well, so I'm wondering: will they be hardcovers or paperbacks?
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karinastas asked: Fair warning: This will come across as impertinent, though I don't mean it that way at all. How many times was your first book rejected by agents when you first queried? (I'm asking because I adore your writing. I'm wondering how many people are now kicking themselves for 'what could have been'.)
thebirdofthornfield asked: A little over a year ago, you posted a link to Hot Key Books' first ever contest, The Young Writer's Prize, and I wouldn't have known about it if you hadn't. I entered and made it to the finals, and though I didn't win, I'm now more confident as a writer and feel like this is something I can pursue. Thank you for posting about it, and for continuously supporting young...
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marandaans asked: So I was wondering, I live in the middle of nowhere and really am not able to attended a book signing or event you are at. I know you can get presigned copies of The Ocean at The End of The Lane. Was wondering if you ever presign any of your older books? Stardust is my favorite and would love a signed copy.
shellytotter asked: Audible is offering an excerpt of the audiobook for THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE if you pick up COLD COLORS, which is free. Question: What are the differences between the US & UK versions of the audiobook for THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE, besides the covers?
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The Keep Moving Projects with BlackBerry 10,... →
People have been asking me now for a while about when the Calendar of Tales website would go live. And the answer is, today. It’s really beautiful. They did an amazing job. Go and look.
So much wonderful art was made by people for this project.
(You can see a lot of the art at http://keepmoving.blackberry.com/desktop/en/us/ambassador/neil-gaiman.html along with my comments on the winning...
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Water Tower In Chelsea Manifests A Secret Life →
A water tower atop a neglected building in Chelsea hosted a discreet nightclub for adventurous guests who had been given a mysterious timepiece.
…
And for the record, this was every bit as magical and mysterious and unexpected as you might imagine. The night we were there, the bass-and-accordion band recognised Amanda and told her they knew Missed Me. So I sat in a secret watertower...
sgtsquishy asked: I realize you get many, many asks a day so I might send this multiple times, but I hope I can get an answer. 1. How much will signings cost at Comic Con? 2. Can I get more than one book/item signed?
possum-in-a-jar asked: I made it rebloggable right when it happened, but no one noticed. I guess the sassy gif made all the difference. Life lesson? Yeah.
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shotinthefeels asked: Thoughts on the Yahoo buying Tumblr debate?
“Stop thinking about art works as objects, and start thinking about them as...”
– Brian Eno (via jessiethatcher)
I could reblog/post this every day as a constant reminder.
(via notational)
And I’m sticking it up here for people who define the “good” in Make good art in ways that I definitely didn’t intend…
Amazon's Kindle Worlds: Instant Thoughts →
I’m with Scalzi on this.
Make bad art.
austinkleon:
Neil Gaiman has released a book of his great commencement address, Make Good Art.
When things get tough, this is what you should do: Make good art. I’m serious. Husband runs off with a politician — make good art. Leg crushed and then eaten by a mutated boa constrictor — make good art. IRS on your trail — make good art. Cat exploded — make good art. Someone on the Internet...
maliciousdestin asked: How do you feel about Moffat throwing away the idea that the TARDIS chose the Doctor? Having Clara tell him which one to steal seemed to destroy a lot of canon.
tyger66 asked: How many questions from fans do you get a day? How do you decide which questions get answered and which ones don't? Is it just a matter of which ones are more interesting?
WGBH/PRI: Sound & Spirit: Neil Gaiman talking... →
ellenkushner:
Quite a thrill to see one of my beloved early “Sound & Spirit” programs getting singled out here by SFFaudio! Neil did a terrific interview for that show on “Dreams.” It’s one of our widest-ranging ones, touching on everything from Australian dream time sounds to some astonishly beautiful contemporary music by David Maslanka based on the dreams of Carl Jung’s little girl. Plus...
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How to Talk to Girls at Parties (eBook Original):... →
How to Talk to Girls at Parties (eBook Original): Neil Gaiman: Amazon.com: Kindle Store
It’s my SF short story (currently being adapted into a film by Hedwig’s own John Cameron Mitchell) it’s free, and comes along with an OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE preview — you can read the first 3 chapters, a month before publication. It’s up on Amazon now and you can download...
thievesdrinkscotch asked: Is this really Neil Gaiman?
chuckster-in-221b asked: How do you feel about Moffat retconning on how the Doctor got the TARDIS? You wrote in the Doctor's Wife that TARDIS picked the Doctor but in this new episode, it shows Clara telling the Doctor which TARDIS to pick. I think the general consensus is that we the Fandom are deciding the Doctor didn't go with Clara's advice and Sexy picked the Doctor instead. What do you think?
literal-ghost asked: Was Mr. Nancy at all inspired by Redd Fox and his portrayal of Fred Sanford on Sanford & Son?
micromim asked: Dear Neil, I don't know how to swear and I need to write some swearing. I am obviously aware of many four, five, six, etc letter words that aren't polite, but I feel that if swearing is going to be worthwhile, it should be clever or imaginative. Can you recommend any excellent sources that don't involve picking a fight with articulate people/ authors?
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robertosantana7 asked: Hi, Neil, greetings from Caracas, Venezuela (-: ¿What writing sofware do you use?
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“Laurie Penny’s Saudade
There are more of us than you think, kicking off our...”
– Laurie Penny’s Saudade, from Fifty Shades of Feminism (via mollycrabapple)
So good.
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