tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-156495192011-11-30T06:46:01.164-08:00Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.comBlogger5081100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-85421530019245378232008-09-12T06:45:00.001-07:002008-09-12T06:53:54.863-07:00

...I'm assuming some people are still finding me through here first. If so, here's some links of interest for you if you care to continue stalking me for my body:MyLifeComics: This is where I post my daily journal comic, which details the minute and mundane moments of my life, as well as the crazyfuntimes. Yes, that's one word.Words and stuff: This is my now public LiveJournal, where I do most of

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-13725199501384927242008-05-27T21:00:00.000-07:002008-05-28T19:14:49.337-07:00

Five hundred and twenty-six posts later...I'm putting Wistful Writings on official hiatus.I've come to discover that I really and wholly do not enjoy writing about writing. It always felt like a chore or that I was just being a writerly sheep, baa baa baa-ing along with everybody else. So I'm stopping for now. Well, I'm not gonna stop writing, but you get what I'm saying. Right?Anyways, thanks

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-27022852797761714972008-04-16T22:37:00.000-07:002008-04-16T19:39:47.520-07:00

Hi, blog! I kind of hate you at the moment. And blogging. It is draining me. Blog blog blog blogblgobgoblgoblgbogbgoblgoblog. So I'm taking a break.See you on the flipside, blog.Peace, love, and naps,Paul

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-46705891892008687872008-04-13T19:00:00.000-07:002008-04-13T16:01:14.505-07:00

My review of City Slab #12 is now live at The Fix Online. Go on, check it out.I worked on artsy stuff for most of the weekend. Got some comics done for the ones for The Stars Down Under, as well as MyLifeComics. I even doodled! It's been ages since I just sat and...doodled! Today I went to the park for the first time in many months. To say it was divine would not even come close to describing the

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-24076516627065459722008-04-11T10:01:00.000-07:002008-11-18T22:33:13.072-08:00

#13. The Situation by Jeff VanderMeerThis is, in short, weirdly fascinating. It's also not really a book, but rather a novelette packaged like one so for the sake of my sanity I'm just going to count it here among the others. The Situation is the story of an office's innards and its quirky employees, an account of a place both strikingly different than what we might know and yet all-too-familiar

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-65592096860955608882008-04-09T13:30:00.000-07:002008-11-18T22:33:13.312-08:00

Just saw that the cover for Kaleidotrope #4, which contains my short story "She's a Hearth", is now up:As a fan of pipes and robots, I must say that I approve. What do you think?

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-36394906211664572342008-04-06T19:56:00.000-07:002008-04-06T16:57:02.233-07:00

#12. A Walk in the Woods by Bill BrysonFeeling the urge to get better in touch with nature, Bill Bryson, after spending some twenty plus years in Great Britain, decides to walk what many see as not walkable: the Appalachian Trail. It is a stretch of path that goes on for 2,100 miles, from Maine to Georgia, and is brimming with trees, bears, and history. Joining him on the trek is his pal Katz, a

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-44857399610730579922008-04-06T19:08:00.000-07:002008-04-06T16:09:33.510-07:00

Well, here's the TOC for the fourth issue of Kaleidotrope, which looks like it'll be coming out shortly:Fiction"Molting" by Andrew Howard"Word Count: Negative 1" by Ashley Arnold"The Three Wishes of Miles Vander" by Bill Ward"Premature" by Mark Rich"Paradise" by Adam Lowe"White Sheets" by Mike Driver"Rome (a Metrophilia)" by Brendan Connell"Half-Sneeze Johnny" by Kurt Kirchmeier"My Cthulhu Story"

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-41735255851353624052008-04-04T09:51:00.000-07:002008-04-04T06:52:41.570-07:00

Here's seven weird superheroes that will, unfortunately, or maybe rather fortunately, never make it to big screen. I think I used to room with #4 in college...

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-47755982488952905132008-04-03T22:15:00.000-07:002008-04-03T19:16:23.685-07:00

Ah, so I couldn't not start a new story. I'm telling you, it's an addiction at times...Progress notes for 03 April 2008"The Surviving Skalds"New words: 223Total wordage: 223Deadline: May 16Reason for stopping: Just plain ol' tired, folks.Actually, I need to figure out how the surviving skalds actually play a part in this thing. See, I originally wrote about 500 words from the title itself, my

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-2451525852501836122008-04-02T18:53:00.000-07:002008-04-02T15:55:55.387-07:00

Well, here's some Hump Day news:79-day SALE of my short story "Imaginary Puissance" to Fictitious Force.Editor Jonathan Laden has asked for a light rewrite, which will be no problem at all. His eyes caught some parts of my story's world that could be strengthened and I'm glad to have the chance to touch it up. I also just found a Word file that I saved where I defined over a dozen of terms used

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-17575464426093703302008-03-31T14:17:00.000-07:002008-03-31T11:18:30.216-07:00

No letter of suck yet from Polyphony 7. I'll take that as a sign that I've maybe, perhaps, who in all of mighty Arda knows, survived the first round of readings. I could be totally jinxing myself here.

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-32000362299223564582008-03-30T18:55:00.000-07:002008-03-30T15:55:35.262-07:00

...further proof that the world is out to get me.The Discovery Channel has been running a marathon of kickass Mythbusters episodes all day long, on the day I planned to get lots of worky work done.Ugh.I am weak to Jamie Hyneman's walrus moustache. As well as fun science.

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-29401629787396764722008-03-27T19:06:00.000-07:002008-03-27T16:07:05.188-07:00

I was going to post about something else, probably book-related because gee I don't talk about books enough y'know, but this is cooler...40-day SALE of my melting animals short story "Pigment" to Farrago's Wainscot.Yay! Don't know the exact issue it'll be in, but when I do I shall most certainly let y'all know. Between the sale to Black Gate, finishing a few new short stories, and getting a bunch

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-11479568374063504762008-03-26T22:25:00.000-07:002008-03-26T19:25:30.726-07:00

#11. The Beach by Alex GarlandA very impressive first novel that mixes Lord of the Flies with Heart of Darkness and one seriously bad acid trip. While vacationing in Bangkok, Richard learns of a secret Eden-like island and convinces a French couple to join him in his search of it. Once found he believes he's entered paradise. And he can stay there, forever, that is unless the Thai men with guns

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-67070525894981714642008-03-25T23:55:00.000-07:002008-03-25T20:55:45.736-07:00

Ah, just finished the first draft of the civilized cannibals story. Clocks in at 5,500 words. I seem to be writing longer stories lately. It is either flash fiction or longer stories. Can't I get a "in-between" up in here?Anyways, the ending is complete crap and needs a lot of tightening up, but I love everything up to it (and why shouldn't I? I wrote the dang thing). I wrote this with a target

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-22413353789500030172008-03-25T10:36:00.000-07:002008-03-25T07:37:45.475-07:00

Yes, another grand post about...mail! Settle down, settle down!Received my contributor copy and check (mmm money) for the beach-themed anthology Strange Stories of Sand and Sea, which contains my short story "Birds, Gods, and the Naming of Things"...and boy is it a big book. Over 300 pages. Lots of stories in here and I'm looking forward to sitting down with it and checking the others out. I

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-71683983291258215112008-03-20T22:47:00.000-07:002008-03-20T19:48:48.093-07:00

Not #11. Cast in Courtlight by Michelle SagaraTwo hundred pages in and I have to come clean...I'm bored beyond belief. The excitement and intrigue that caught me offguard in Cast in Shadow is so not found in this one. Kaylin is back with her attitude in full swing as she tries to find more answers about things I originally thought were cleared up in her first adventure. She quickly ends up being

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-73602293760130992182008-03-19T20:19:00.000-07:002008-03-19T17:19:29.249-07:00

Having wrapped up my WOTF story, which is ready to go out in the mail this weekend, I'm trying to decide what I want to work on next. I need to be working on something because all work and no play make Paul a dull boy. Hmm, okay wait. That quote doesn't make any sense. I like staying busy. Moving on...The novel is still on hiatus while I try and wrap my head around why it isn't working for me.

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-13245103549419735422008-03-18T19:06:00.000-07:002008-11-18T22:33:14.305-08:00

Click the above image to head over to the Brimstone Press website where you can learn more about the 2-disk Black Box e-anthology edited by Shane Jiraiya Cummings, which features my horror piece "Something" as well as some 99 other stories from a whomping gathering of 80 kickass writers like Lucy Sussex, Mikal Trimm, Jay Caselberg, Lee Battersby, Jason Sizemore, and more! (I feel like a tiny

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-37363293286037862462008-03-17T11:13:00.000-07:002008-03-17T08:14:24.733-07:00

So, I woke up to good news this morning (and not that it was the greenest day of the year):469(!)-day SALE of my short story "So Go the Seasons" to an upcoming issue of Black Gate! Whew. I think I can finally exhale. And yes, I'm a very patient man, and I think, in this business, one really needs to be in order to stay sane. A long wait, but completely worth it. Black Gate is a great magazine,

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-38558754688586398382008-03-16T20:56:00.000-07:002008-03-16T17:56:30.968-07:00

#10. The Golden Compass by Philip PullmanThis is actually a re-read. I wanted to revisit the book after seeing the family-friendly film version of Pullman's story, and am glad I did so. As I remembered, the world that Lyra Belacqua lives in is a dark, dark place, filled with violence and gore and wondrous soul-beings called daemons. She eventually finds herself on a mission to deliver the golden

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-61046691852295625152008-03-16T09:57:00.000-07:002008-03-16T06:57:38.273-07:00

Just finished typing up my line edits for the second draft of the WOTF story, and I'm going to say it is done. That is, of course, unless first readers tell me otherwise. If anyone is interested in offering a critique, please let me know. I'll gladly return the favor.The only problem is that I'm hoping to mail the story out by this upcoming Saturday to meet the March 31 deadline. So you'd kind of

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-1123216281799184552008-03-13T23:52:00.000-07:002008-03-13T20:54:49.878-07:00

First draft done for the WOTF story.5,400 words. I crawled through the final thousand or so, scrapping my elbows up and getting a bit dirty, but it was worth it. Definitely needs a second read through, with a bunch of things cleared up and hopefully a few too many details dropped. But I'll worry about that later.For now, I go sleep.

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-77916791122905197272008-03-13T18:27:00.000-07:002008-11-18T22:33:14.757-08:00

Look at what arrived in the mail today:What's that? You can't read that really long Italian name on the cover? Oh, here let me help:::pets::::looks at some more::::keeps on petting it::

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-71870492478493534782008-03-12T09:54:00.000-07:002008-03-12T06:55:09.611-07:00

The WOTF story that's been kicking my ass lately is finally shaping up to be something whole. I figured out how it'll tie up in the end last night, and now just need to pump out about another 2,000 to 3,000 words to bring it to a close. Unfortunately, the March 31 deadline approaches, but I have high hopes that I'll finish it in time. The editing-as-I-go plan is, not surprisingly, very

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-84158456448367036892008-03-10T23:37:00.000-07:002008-03-10T20:37:47.973-07:00

If you were to hide porn on your computer, what would you name the folder they'd go under so as not to warrant suspicion?Again, check the subject line. This is a pertinent plot point here for the work-in-progress.

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-4381450507237766062008-03-06T10:13:00.000-08:002008-03-06T07:12:28.747-08:00

Here's some thingies that I should post about before I forget:My review of Black Static #3 is now live over at The Fix Online. A very stylized magazine that focuses on horror fiction. I really liked a few stories, and others did absolutely nothing for me. Or the genre, if you want to look at it that way.This week, I pushed past my 300th comic for MyLifeComics. Kinda neat.I, um, also beat Final

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-65351622861774449932008-03-03T20:27:00.000-08:002008-03-03T17:29:38.667-08:00

Reading the latest issue of Black Static has taught me one thing...I do not like the British spelling of tire as tyre. I cannot explain why. It just bothers me. Bring on the colours, centres, and bloody blokes. Just no more screeching tyres.That is all.

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-56923833912804947512008-03-02T09:52:00.000-08:002008-11-18T22:33:14.931-08:00

Hmm, I don't get to make too many of these so I'll revel in them while I can.Let's see...Strange Stories of Sand & Sea, which has my short story "Birds, Gods, and the Naming of Things" in it, is almost out. The ISBN is 978-0-9794770-5-8. The book will be distributed exclusively by Ingram to bookstores, both online and brick and board. It will be available online at www.amazon.com and Barnes &

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-88506096738300698782008-03-01T10:43:00.000-08:002008-03-01T07:43:32.766-08:00

Last night it was cold. Then it snowed and stuck. I've woken up to sunshine and no snow on the grass anymore. How odd.I need nicer weather as soon as possible. Not the blistering dry heat of the summer, but nice park weather. I want to go sit on the grass and finish all these books I have piled up here. Staying inside all this time is making me cranky.

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-31140534706701175842008-02-29T10:02:00.000-08:002008-11-18T22:33:15.104-08:00

#9. The Fart Party by Julia WertzSimilar to Jeffrey Brown's work, The Fart Party is a slightly skewed autobiographical account of a young woman living in San Fran at the time and dealing with issues of self-doubt, the monotony of daily life, and, of course, love. The artwork is simple, but the heart of the book lies in the way Wertz does not shy away from being vulgar, rude, crude, and

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-66052681327667641452008-02-25T18:42:00.000-08:002008-02-25T15:42:31.552-08:00

...my 300th rejection. Didn't even sting.Onwards we go...

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-90853573336091007022008-02-24T22:42:00.000-08:002008-11-18T22:33:15.244-08:00

#8. Clumsy by Jeffrey BrownRead this in one sitting. Brown has a way of just sucking a reader in, despite the loose artwork and constant self-obsession, and the story he tells touches on a myriad of relationshippy things. Clumsy is the story of a doomed love, of a deep look into sex, intimacy, and heartache. It is an autobiographical account of Brown's...er, involvement...with a girl named

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-81807330678076884682008-02-24T16:29:00.000-08:002008-02-24T13:30:02.723-08:00

Holy spinach dip, I just finally beat Rogue Galaxy.Whew. When I say finally, I mean finally. Hours logged: over 75. I became too OCD with this game, having to complete nearly every aspect before taking on the last boss. That meant making every item in the factory, forging every weapon I could, and finding the nine rare artifacts spanning the galaxy. Plus, the last time I took on the end boss it

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-77347504531123454312008-02-24T08:38:00.000-08:002008-11-18T22:33:15.378-08:00

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-92759425073525682008-02-22T09:34:00.000-08:002008-11-18T22:33:15.453-08:00

Looks like Akira is being made into a live-action film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Please, Hollywood...just stop. Go read a book or something. Don't do this to one of my favorite mangas, a great anime. Just leave it alone. How about you go do a live-action Pokemon film starring Brad Pitt as Ash? I'd rather see that than this. Please, please, please. I'm begging you. Leave Tetsuo, Kaneda, and the

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-38006766431532338542008-02-20T20:04:00.000-08:002008-02-20T17:05:55.686-08:00

Up to about 1,600 words on the WOTF story. I'm aiming for maybe 5K or 6K, knowing that this contest actually prefers longer stories over shorter ones. Basically, I'm really writing this one specifically for them. Normally, it'd be darker or harsher, and a lot more concise. I prefer brevity over longwindedness. Not that my current writing is longwinded. Eh, you get what I mean.Anyways, the writing

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-65012756108434495462008-02-19T21:58:00.000-08:002008-02-19T18:59:50.303-08:00

#7. High Fidelity by Nick HornbyI can't really go into details about this book. I'm too bloody close to it. Or it to me. There really can be no explaining. Hornby channels through Rob Fleming these sad, wistful things about sex, love, relationships, parents, birthdays, music, heartache, childhood, adulthood, life and everything good and bad in it...and I get it. All of it. Each and every word is

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-836445217383755752008-02-19T15:09:00.000-08:002008-02-19T12:17:24.902-08:00

This has been bothering me lately, but I'm not sure why, and I'm pretty sure no one else will know why either...What happened to Tangent Online?After being diligently run by Eugie Foster, Dave Truesdale came back in mid-September 2007 to reclaim his baby. Dismissed from her editing job, Foster strolled over to head up the revitalized Fix Online, where I now review short fiction and the like.

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-31275270958154998422008-02-19T11:25:00.000-08:002008-02-19T08:25:54.554-08:00

Well, I've gotten a few more Nintendo DS games since my last roundup. Here's what I've been playing (and not playing) over the last few months.The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass - Mmm, Zelda. This is a very fun game that truly uses the stylus and touch screen to its best capacity. Drawing on the map and making teeny notations is fun, and besides...it's Zelda! ZELDA! Hack-and-slash, baby!

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-90489579343118385622008-02-18T08:44:00.000-08:002008-02-18T05:45:11.768-08:00

It's a cold, rainy morning here in New Jersey. And no work today. Woo! I still got up early because I have lots of things that need working on today. MyLifeComics, the Outback Guide comics, the WOTF story, the review of Black Static #3 for The Fix, and some Nintendo DS-ing. Yes, I have to consider DS-ing work just to make time for it. Oh well. Coffee's made, I'm in my comfy clothes, and ready to

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-2567661462677620532008-02-16T10:09:00.000-08:002008-02-16T07:10:51.829-08:00

I've been thinking about what I want to do about the upcoming quarter for WOTF. I guess I knew all along that I wanted to write a new story since nothing in my collection really called to me. So, a few minutes before Thursday's LOST came on, a first sentence came flying out of nowhere and smacked me across the face. You know how they can be, sometimes. I didn't get to do much with it until this

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-19016750237268398912008-02-15T10:55:00.000-08:002008-11-18T22:33:15.700-08:00

Some of these designs are crazy looking. The future is coming sooner than later...but when are we going to get flying cars? Huh? I'd rather have that than a building shaped like a giant drill.

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-28742738436653112842008-02-14T19:30:00.000-08:002008-02-14T16:33:00.327-08:00

I received a phone call last night from Joni Labaqui of the WOTF contest letting me know my submission was an Honorable Mention for the first quarter of the year. I didn't get to return her call till this evening, but man...it's weird to be talking on the phone about a story. A story that didn't win, let alone, but still...HMs aren't too shabby. I'll keep trying.My name, along with other winners,

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-50103047796180264382008-02-14T11:22:00.000-08:002008-11-18T22:33:15.809-08:00

Remember, couples everywhere, that...Heh.

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-83601746303915673842008-02-13T19:01:00.000-08:002008-02-13T16:01:29.837-08:00

After 100 days, the writers' strike is over.Thank goodness.Not that is matters, considering I watch one or two shows total. But this should hopefully lower the number of dance contests, singing bees, and game shows built to embarrass and ruin lives that I have to flip past before landing on Mythbusters to take me away to a happy place.

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-8363223981145849902008-02-13T11:37:00.000-08:002008-02-13T08:37:51.838-08:00

#6. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi PicoultI've noticed something about Picoult's novels, something that I've absolutely grown to hate. The twist endings. Hate, hate, hate them. This is the third book of hers that I've read, and so far she seems to hang every outcome on something that is both jarring and completely out there that it nearly ruins the book for me. Note: I said nearly, not that it

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-35863423313683833012008-02-13T10:03:00.000-08:002008-02-13T07:03:53.301-08:00

I've added a Flash widget for my GoodReads profile to the right-sided column of Wistful Writings. Scroll down until you see it. If you're on the site, feel free to add me as a friend! If you're not on the site, er, sign up. It's free, fun, and you get to geek out about books with an entire community that are they themselves geeking out just as hard.I've been using the site for some time now, but

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-73572132637034178292008-02-12T21:07:00.000-08:002008-02-12T18:08:09.547-08:00

George R.R. Martin is asking his fans to vote on the next set of miniatures featuring the cast from A Song of Ice and Fire.It was a tough call for me, but I picked the Red Viper of Dorne over Samwell Tarly, simply for the fact that I can't get that momentous battle between him and the Mountain out of my head.Who are you voting for?

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-41799797559130776902008-02-12T20:51:00.000-08:002008-02-12T17:52:02.270-08:00

In comparison to the thousands of other bloggers out in the e-world, I'm pretty terrible. I post sparingly, and generally it is just a long review that I'm mostly positive no more than three people read. And what's worse, I put a lot of time into them, really try and think about what I've read, and then worry what others will do to my feeble thoughts. Why? It doesn't matter, really.With that said

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-47172070609813933652008-02-12T13:25:00.000-08:002008-02-12T10:25:22.075-08:00

Hi World and Everybody In It,Please stop talking about the rise of the genre ezine. Just let sleeping dogs lie. Also, me thinks, it doesn't matter.Thank you,Paul

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-52541236513316415302008-02-09T16:48:00.000-08:002008-02-09T13:48:11.398-08:00

#5. Lace and Blade edited by Deborah J. Ross "Lace and blade," as per Vera Nazarian in the publisher's note, is a term meant to cover a softer subform of the subgenre of adventurous sword and sorcery that is synonymous with names such as Michael Moorcock, Fritz Leiber, and Robert E. Howard. Aggression and over-the-top violence is left behind in preference for a more romantic look on the

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-25191271180351692922008-02-07T11:23:00.000-08:002008-02-07T08:24:11.039-08:00

I don't read as much in the winter, nor do I have the same passion for reading in the winter as I do in the spring, summer, and fall when I can go to the park, curl up on a patch of grass, and immerse myself in a book for hours.I need to add a third POV to the Novel. It has to be done because, right now, I feel like some stuff is too hard to explain without it and also I'd like to have a more

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-1644845719800812102008-02-06T20:39:00.000-08:002008-02-06T17:41:53.531-08:00

#4. Isaac Asimov's Halloween edited by Gardner Dozois and Sheila WilliamsOkay, the funny thing about this book is that I started to read it early on in October 2007, hoping to publish a review before the titular holiday arrived. Then, uh, I got busy. Doing something. I think writing shtuff. Oh well, I finally finished up the remaining stories so here's what I thought of them a few months later…

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-8124412023600914442008-02-05T21:23:00.000-08:002008-02-05T18:27:12.896-08:00

Surfacing briefly to let y'all know that my review of City Slab #11 is now live over at the Fix Online. If you like your horror stories subtle, atmospheric, and not there simply for people to bleed and have their intestines ripped out, well you just very well might like this magazine.Tomorrow I'll probably post a review of a book published in 2001 that no one will be truly interested in. I don't

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-22877507096526596672008-02-03T20:22:00.000-08:002008-11-18T22:33:16.187-08:00

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-88303483204025482142008-01-28T13:41:00.000-08:002008-02-09T13:55:11.870-08:00

It is time yet again for my current to-do-list. Yes, those with breaths bated may now release them and take in the sweet taste of air. So, I have some things that need doing, and as always a few are more pressing than others. Let's take a look, shall we?Things To Do Sooner than LaterReview City Slab #11 for The FixReview Lace and Blade edited by Deborah J. RossThe next set of comics for The

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-8583400696449262132008-01-28T10:28:00.000-08:002008-01-28T07:28:00.790-08:00

Sporty Spec: Games of the Fantastic edited by Karen A. Romanko has just gotten reviewed over at The Fix. Of my story, reviewer Kimberly Lundstrom says the following:Sporty Spec opens with Paul Abbamondi's "The Sport of Kings," in which a young man bets against the odds on a natural born horse, untainted by "enhancements or cyber-widgets." This tale is interesting enough, but relies on a deus ex

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-64451756332628235612008-01-24T09:19:00.000-08:002008-01-24T06:25:41.412-08:00

I'm pretty positive that Professor Layton and the Curious Village will be the next purchase for my Nintendo DS. Need to see why? Watch below: Oh god. Did you see those puzzles? There's like a thousand of 'em. Yes, yes. And it's like some sort of weird cross between anime and a Victorian tale of mystery. Mmm. Hurry up and be released! I wanna play.

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-35122982213649874512008-01-23T21:18:00.000-08:002008-01-25T06:55:25.661-08:00

So, I've gotten a few things in the mail lately. The first is from J. Kathleen Cheney, a nice hardback copy of Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. This one is for my Hugo-awarding winning books project and is much appreciated. But dang. 'Tis a big book. Might save it for summertime, considering everything else I want to get through at the moment.Next, Paul Jessup sent me the

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-90407669279142415532008-01-22T20:55:00.000-08:002008-01-22T18:03:38.302-08:00

I wanted to post something today. I really did. I have things to talk about, things to work out with words.But I'm not going to now. Except for this little thing. How's that for cryptic?

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-91239919825852205552008-01-18T15:05:00.000-08:002008-01-18T12:05:42.593-08:00

Lately, I've watched some movies. Five, to be exact. Two of them I owe thanks to the awesomeness that is called the Internet. May you always give me free stuff...and may you grow old and have lots of birthdays and cake!Juno. It's about a high school girl who mistakenly gets preggers and then makes the conscious decision to give it up for adoption to a couple she found in the personal ads. Along

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-73198169737927428802008-01-18T10:19:00.000-08:002008-01-18T07:19:50.331-08:00

This list has been popping up a bunch of places. I feel like I've done it before, but can't seem to find any confirmation of this. Hmm.Bold are ones I've read, italicized (and blue!) are ones I want to read, and the rest have just fallen to wayside.1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) (high school assignment, but I loved it

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-16590410166767874712008-01-14T20:05:00.000-08:002008-01-14T17:05:41.784-08:00

The Waterways Novel60,084 / 80,000 words. 75% done!Whew. It's been interesting getting back into the Novel. I took a break from it for all of December, focusing more on short stories and comics. It continued to hover in the back of my mind though, poking at me, reminding me that it was still alive and needed its litterbox changed at some point. Then I went on vacation and thought very little

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-66499396577104271522008-01-12T13:40:00.000-08:002008-01-12T10:40:18.099-08:00

#3. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. MartinPhew. Nearly 1,000 pages long, brimming with battles and betrayals and bloody stumps, A Feast for Crows sort of reminds me of the second movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Two Towers. A lot is happening the entire time, building and building up to something big yet unknown, everybody is off separated and whatnot and then...the credits roll.Which

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-15091079250696631982008-01-10T20:13:00.000-08:002008-01-10T17:13:19.070-08:00

"The Brazen Bug-blesser"New Words: 1,318Total Words: 3,359Deadline: February 29, 2008Reason for stopping: DONE!Stimulants: Two cups of coffee, plus a cup of yogurtSongs played loudly: "Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner" by Fall Out Boy, "Hold Me Down" by Motion City Soundtrack, "Samson" by Regina SpektorExercise: Nothing, been sick all morning, might go for a quick walk soonishMail: 60-day

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-17074838739766356642008-01-09T21:56:00.000-08:002008-01-09T18:56:22.407-08:00

I went to the bookstore tonight and did not buy a single thing.:: beams with pride ::

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-70984754394981269622008-01-08T22:01:00.000-08:002008-01-08T19:04:46.130-08:00

"The Brazen Bug-blesser"New Words: 541Total Words: 2,040Deadline: February 29, 2008Reason for stopping: End of scene, a scene brimming with exposition so yeah, that needs some workStimulants: Four cups of coffee in total for the day, y'ouchSongs played loudly: "Fewer Moving Parts" by David Bazan, "The Feelings Show" by Colbie Caillat, "Voice on Tape" by Jenny Owen YoungsExercise: A walk, some

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-13746059133659410222008-01-08T14:59:00.000-08:002008-01-08T12:00:34.555-08:00

Back in July, I did a sort of roundup of my Nintendo DS collection and said this of a game titled Animal Crossing: Wild World:I can't even figure out why I bought this. I think, possibly, maybe, who really knows, that I thought I was buying a Harvest Moon game. You know, the farming simulation thingy. Instead, I got the Sims with all the fun ripped out of it only to be replaced by animals with

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-6231799001733183202008-01-07T14:50:00.000-08:002008-01-07T11:47:32.072-08:00

About a week ago when I announced that Aoife's Kiss was buying my short story "After Effects" I made a side reference that the piece contained "a teeny homage to the Robot Man." Since nobody asked me what that meant, I figured I'd talk a bit about what I like to do with my short stories. Namely, I like to put in little bits of adulation for writers, musicians, artists, and a thousand of others

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-40598193158058648212008-01-07T10:52:00.000-08:002008-01-07T07:50:39.154-08:00

#2. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. HeinleinSo, this was pretty good...up to a point. Meaning once I realized the novel wasn't really going to about Valentine Michael Smith, but rather how others around him used his stature and fame to further themselves onward I began growing restless. I wasn't interested in politics, in religion, in deep thoughts. Aliens and First Contact moments,

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-57592355021184342612008-01-06T14:14:00.000-08:002008-01-06T11:14:18.277-08:00

"The Brazen Bug-blesser"New Words: 529Total Words: 1,499Deadline: February 29, 2008Reason for stopping: Need to figure out exactly how to distract our dear Josephine long enough for a termite to bite her hand. No, really. I mean that.Stimulants: A diet snapple, w00tSongs played loudly: "Nth Degree" by MorningwoodExercise: Going for a quick walk, right now!Mail: No snail mail on Sundays, and no

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-63087012020993486172008-01-05T19:58:00.000-08:002008-01-05T17:01:19.050-08:00

Just got back from spending my Best Buy gift card. I purchased three movies I've never, ever seen before: Blade Runner (The Final Cut), The Thing, and 28 Days Later. Hooray for catching up with the world! Also, it has just started to rain. The sounds outside are marvelously mesmerizing.But they shall not stop me from spending the night in a geekified haze.

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-42490538695607612722008-01-05T11:40:00.000-08:002008-01-05T08:40:15.703-08:00

"The Brazen Bug-blesser"New Words: 521Total Words: 969Deadline: February 29, 2008Reason for stopping: End of the first scene, pondering the look and opening of a skittish, evil bug-blesser's padStimulants: Two cups of coffeeSongs played loudly: "Bad News" by Owen, "Clouds" by The Morning Light, "So Much Love" by The Rocket SummerExercise: None yet, but tis early. Will walk later today.Mail: A

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-77114338176184015352008-01-04T10:35:00.000-08:002008-01-04T07:32:53.524-08:00

#1. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 1 by Hayao MiyazakiMeh. Not a great start to the new year. This was actually my third or fourth time trying to finish this thing. I'd bought it a few years ago when I sought to get to know manga a bit better and well...I always gave up reading after fifty or so pages. Nausicaä is the story of a girl of the same namesake, a princess in truth, who has

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-61007037785430077732008-01-03T19:01:00.000-08:002008-11-18T22:33:16.758-08:00

73-day rejection from Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, personal and with some comments that the ending felt too abrupt. I have a feeling that January is going to be the month where editors everywhere return to handle any and all submissions in their inboxes. Bring on the responses, I say!And now, my to-read pile:I'll list them in their appropriate groups since I seem to not understand that

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-22585756538019876082008-01-03T09:31:00.000-08:002008-01-03T06:28:33.415-08:00

20-day rejection from Fantasy Magazine that reads, "No on this one, I'm afraid. For me the most effective part of the story were the roommates - they managed to be funny and weird and interesting in a really nice way."I think tonight I'll take some time to send out the stories that have come back to me or the ones that are just sitting around collecting dust because I'm too hard on myself and

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-26420509235412645282008-01-02T19:25:00.000-08:002008-01-02T16:27:13.539-08:00

"The Brazen Bug-blesser"New Words: 448Total Words: 448Deadline: February 29, 2008Reason for stopping: I want to upload photos from my camera while simultaneously set up my new iPod alarm clock thingyStimulants: Cup of coffeeSongs played loudly: "Cuts Marked in the March of Men" by Coheed and Cambria, "Givin' It Up" by Josh Rouse, "Something Isn't Right Here" by The Juliana TheoryExercise: Grocery

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-84808465945150866922008-01-01T11:20:00.000-08:002008-01-01T08:21:35.427-08:00

Happy New Year, everybody! 2008 is in the house..."After Effects," a somewhat dark outerspace drama with a teeny homage to the Robot Man, has sold to Aoife's Kiss #24, March 2008 issue. ::throws confetti::

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-27160699188841645552007-12-23T10:40:00.000-08:002008-11-18T22:33:16.934-08:00

It was pretty to look at, but the story was softened too much to not frighten children like the book properly did. I give it one thumb up, 6 stars out of 10, a score of 5.5, and a couple approving nods at the uber-cool daemons. Other than that, it's sort of familiar fantasy, with the girl playing Lyra the best (and least overly dramatic) acting in the film. I'll probably pick it up on DVD just

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-30272754008401614282007-12-19T16:38:00.000-08:002007-12-19T13:35:18.571-08:00

I don't have any of the latest generation gaming systems. Yay, poor wins! It's just me and my Playstation 2/Nintendo DS hanging out. That's okay. I still like 'em a lot, and there's plenty of fun games to play on them. But this does mean I miss out on the big name games of year as I don't know anyone with a Wii (keep your comments and thoughts clean!), an Xbox 360, or a Playstation 3. So, I

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-24927888527764354112007-12-17T22:32:00.000-08:002007-12-17T19:33:08.346-08:00

Oh, hey. My last review of 2007, of the genre-defying, anarchist Diet Soap #1, is now live at The Fix. Check it out!

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-74974436886676443822007-12-17T15:25:00.000-08:002008-11-18T22:33:17.155-08:00

So, I bought this for $6.00 on a splurge of boredom over the weekend:It's pretty insulting to the films, even more so to Tolkien's work, but it's mostly entertaining. In this linear-as-a-line RPG, a second fellowship follows the path of that of the original one, fighting most of the same baddies and really just making more or less of the same comments that Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, or Boromir

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-48699143447205446632007-12-14T02:14:00.000-08:002008-11-18T22:33:18.809-08:00

It's the end of the year, which means the top so-and-so lists are going to be coming out quicker than a dozen labor-abused elves toasted on extra spiked eggnog. Er, I don't know what that means. This is the first of a few lists I have brewing, and as always, mileage may vary. So many books to read, so little time to read 'em. I tried counting up how many I went through in 2007, but gave up around

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-35042483511476405612007-12-12T11:11:00.000-08:002007-12-12T08:09:55.740-08:00

"w00t" is named the word of year by Merriam-Webster Inc., and all I have to say to that is: Ha, you bunch of grammar n00bz just got pwned big time!But seriously, w00t? I use it all the time, but that doesn't make it good.

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-76743976583283608702007-12-10T20:52:00.000-08:002007-12-10T17:53:39.303-08:00

Hi, blog readers (all four of you). No, I'm not dead. Just very busy, both mentally and physically. Will try and post some things soonish. Blah blah blah...

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-54096752551744895822007-12-05T09:38:00.000-08:002007-12-05T06:35:33.137-08:00

So, everyone seems to be doing this. Here's what I had published in 2007:Fiction"The Feet Eaters" - Aberrant Dreams (January 2007)"Sonorous" - Apex Digest, #9"67442" - Murky Depths, #1"The Sport of Kings" - Sporty Spec: Games of the Fantastic (November 2007)NonfictionWay too many book reviews and short fiction reviews at FantasyBookSpot, Tangent Online, and The FixI'm pleased with the year, and

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-17819691996585722932007-12-03T23:21:00.000-08:002007-12-03T20:21:36.995-08:00

Well, taking a break from the novel tonight to reach first draft on a new short story, "The Working Girls," at 2,477 words. There's some suck in it still to remove, but it's nice and weird and a little homage to some people I once knew. No worries, they'll never figure it out. I promise you that.Dang, it felt good to write something not set in a magical city of undead people for once in a long

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-32100084043454259712007-12-02T21:17:00.000-08:002007-12-02T18:18:57.968-08:00

Okay, Tin Man sucks. Giving up after 17 minutes. Bad acting, bad dialog, bad plot points. I'd rather be reading...

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-87670553931647552332007-12-01T10:04:00.000-08:002007-12-01T07:05:52.873-08:00

Well, November is over...and with it NaNoWriMo. I did not win. Then again, I did not do NaNoWriMo. I did National Writing Month (or NaWriMo for those that can't get enough acronyms in their daily lives), the goal being to simply write every day for thirty days. I set a minimum of 500 words a day, knowing that if I hit that I'd net myself a nice 15,000 words to the novel-in-progress.Here's my

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-72058474318978969412007-11-29T21:29:00.000-08:002008-11-18T22:33:18.977-08:00

Dune by Frank HerbertA quick summary stolen from the back cover: Here is the novel that will forever be considered a triumph of imagination. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Muad'Dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family--and would bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-53104235967588120542007-11-28T20:23:00.000-08:002007-11-28T17:25:59.202-08:00

I just reached the point in the novel-in-progress (which I'm not talking about yet) where Microsoft Word has informed me that there are too many spelling errors for it to keep track of. Nice! Personally, I was getting tired of seeing those squiggly red lines every time I typed a character's name. Don't blame me for their spelling, Microsoft Word. Blame fantasy as a whole.

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-80293071090220313552007-11-28T10:50:00.000-08:002007-11-28T07:49:19.583-08:00

While home over the Thanksgiving weekend, I went to the local library to check out their book sale. Here's what I got for a grand $0.75, which, truthfully, came from the cup holder in my mother's car. Yes, I'm that poor, people...Misery by Stephen KingMomo by Michael EndeCarson of Venus (Pirates of Venus/Lost on Venus) by Edgar Rice BurroughsI'm mostly interested in seeing how Momo compares to

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-33664244083691570992007-11-26T22:45:00.000-08:002007-11-26T19:45:53.775-08:00

Well, Heroes is still slowly getting a bit more interesting while retaining all the shtupid sludge that is teenage love drama, stolen comic books, and overly dramatic one-two lines that needed to be scrapped as soon as they were conceived. Still, things I liked:Sylar killed someone! He's always more watchable when he's most primalA woman keeping a shotgun in her peaceful gardenElle spilling her

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-91659355513387074062007-11-21T09:52:00.000-08:002007-11-21T06:50:09.394-08:00

Here's some that I've tackled lately and not-so-lately...Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton. In the world of dragons, it is a tradition for family members to eat the dead body of their parents when they've passed. Unfortunately for Bon Agornin's children, Illustrious Daverak, a greedy son-in-law, eats more than he was allowed. This is most upsetting, and eventually the dragon will be taken to court for

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-55651070740641779652007-11-20T20:47:00.000-08:002007-11-20T17:48:13.141-08:00

So, as you know, I'm writing this novel thing and there's quite a few bakeries in my magical city. Why? Well, I like a nice fresh loaf of bread or honey scone just as much as the next fellow. Anyways, I needed to look something up about bakeries and thought to see what Wikipedia had to say on the subject.Not much. But this comment, which has not been edited out yet, has just about made my night:

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-12252648223678799912007-11-19T20:54:00.000-08:002007-11-19T17:55:11.325-08:00

Hey, Paul! Did you write a lot over the weekend? Huh? Huh? Didya?Nope.Friday: 606 wordsSaturday: 0 words (I blame all the beer at PhilCon)Sunday: 548 wordsToday: 524 wordsYeah, I'm basically just hitting quota and stopping at the moment. Too busy with a thousand other things to worry about. Thanksgiving break looks like it'll be relaxing, offering plenty more time to type, type, type.Okay, time

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-70056276069468822152007-11-15T19:09:00.000-08:002007-11-15T16:11:37.797-08:00

Here's what I managed for NaWriMo today: 1,354 wordsAlso, my review for Electric Velocipede #13 is now up over at the Fix. Go on and check it out!Lastly, tonight is the last new episode of "The Office," and while I support the strike I think it'll be a bit sad knowing there's less to look forward to in the upcoming weeks. Well, least I'll get some reading done then.

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15649519.post-17139409484642737242007-11-14T22:06:00.000-08:002007-11-14T19:06:16.597-08:00

Evidently, I'm a semi-finalist for the 4th Quarter. Though the bane that is my last name strikes again! So...someone smarter than me, please tell me what this means.

Paul Abbamondihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16239045242526170020noreply@blogger.com6