Jun 25 2014

The Return of Writerly Links, Proudly Prevented by World Cup and Other Friendly Diversions

Author: Anne MacLachlan • Discussion: No Comments
World Cup
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So it’s been a month-long hiatus.

Classes full of summer-happy students were taught, babies were born (not mine), and most ominously (for my writing productivity, at least) World Cup 2014 began. I…can’t look away. As we speak. Brazil & Cameroon play the final group game and…David Luiz to Fred…he scores!!!

It is a sickness.

In my (desperate) defense, there’s an awful lot of colourful characters and dramatic narratives playing out. Could be considered…research…?

In more writerly news, I did do some useful stuff this month. My short story “Black as Sin” received honourable mention in the WCDR Short Story Contest (yay!). I’ve bought my airfare and registration for 2014 World Fantasy Convention in November. The 2012 Toronto version was so awesome, and I know SO much more useful writer-y stuff now. All that remains is to excise “stuff” and undictionary-certified “-y” words from my vocabulary so I can masquerade as an adult, and all will be well!

OH! And I totally signed up to do a slam performance. Anyone (local…or hey, with an over-large travel budget) that wishes to watch me be talk-y on stage, do come out on July 7th to the Bear and Firkin at 1294 Kingston Road, Pickering. You *might* catch the encore at the WCDR July Breakfast, but only if I manage to sound entertaining the first time round.

And now, back to our wishful-thinking-y regularly scheduled program:

Classic Fantasy Quote of the Week:

“If reassurances could dull pain, nobody would ever go to the trouble of pressing grapes.”      ~ The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Writerly Wisdom of the Week:

“I think it’s fairly common for writers to be afflicted with two simultaneous yet contradictory delusions: the burning certainty that we’re unique geniuses, and the constant fear that we’re witless frauds who are speeding toward epic failure.”     ~ Scott Lynch

Links on Writing:

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May 21 2014

Writerly Links of the Week

Author: Anne MacLachlan • Discussion: No Comments
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Classic Fantasy Quote of the Week:

Days of Creation by Sir Edward-Burne-JonesDays of Creation by Sir Edward-Burne-Jones

Epic Pin of the Week!

“It is harder to kill a whisper than even a shouted calumny.”      ~ by Mary Stewart

Writerly Wisdom of the Week:

“There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.”     ~ W. Somerset Maugham

Links on Writing:

Prefer your writer links fresh from the source? Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest (that’s where I share my most favourite

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May 19 2014

Why My Mornings Tend to Start Slow (plus pancrepes recipe!)

Author: Anne MacLachlan • Discussion: No Comments
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Welcome to another edition of “Why Anne’s Not Writing.”

 

I decided to celebrate the day with pancrepes. For the uninitiated, pancrepes are pancakes whipped extra thin and poured into the bottom of a frying pan all giant and delicious-looking.

 

So I got down to business. Set the kettle boiling and snatched ingredients, gaily kicking the cupboard door almost-but-not-quite closed with my heel.

 

“Eggs, flour, miii-iiilk,” I warbled, a la the fairies from Sleeping Beauty (all concoctions containing these ingredients require singing).


 

Just as I pour the batter into the butter-crackling pan, I hear a clatter from the cupboard.

 

Sadly, I was unable to capture the moment when the dust was (quite literally) still settling, but when it cleared, it revealed the culprit. (Though honestly, the fact that the culprit had been foolish enough to stick around already told me who I was going to see.)

Mystra 0, Baking Soda 1

Yep.

Powdery cat

Trying not to awaken Husband (who has elected to celebrate the holiday by sleeping through it), we began to wash floor and cat.

Mystra remained pretty sure the powdery mess was all my fault and proceeded to maintain an air of injured dignity while running around the apartment getting baking soda on everything.

Mystra's Stink Eye

It was around this moment (when I was bribing the cat back to the scene of the crime for a better photo op…er…to clean her) that the pancrepes burned.

Cat Bribery

Anyway. That’s why I’m not writing yet (or at least not about what I’m supposed to be writing).

 

For those interested in the pancrepe recipe, here you go:

Ingredients:

20140519_113500

  • a hunk of butter
  • an egg
  • a pour of sugar
  • a sprinkle of salt
  • 4 heaping soup spoons of flour
  • a bunch of milk until it’s all crepe-y
  • like a dozen chocolate chips

Prep:

Collect ingredients. Ensure cupboard doors are firmly closed. Turn on a frying pan to a pretty low heat. Lock cats in bedroom.

Directions:

Melt butter in glass measuring thingy. Whisk in egg. Pour in some sugar and spinkle on some salt. Whisk some more. Flump in the flour. Add milk until it’s all nice a crepe-y and whip until smooth. Melt a smidge of butter in pan. Pour in batter. Add some chocolate chips. Flip as soon as you can without it all smooshing apart. Keep cooking until it’s not batter anymore.

Enjoy!

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