(no subject)

'Where be they beforen us weren' is racketing through my brain.

I'm not nostalgic or any more besotted with history than usual. What I am is confused. Yesterday I had so many minutes and seconds I could sleep in and even watch TV. From 8 ish last night, those minutes and seconds just went somewhere. I need to find them. Where be they?

I would like two hours worth to add to my sleep tally (the weather change hit with glorious thunderstorms at precisely the most inconvenient time), then I would like a half hour worth so I can cook the duck egg and asparagus omelette I had planned for my pre-market and teaching breakfast (lunch will be a rush job and the market is followed by teaching, so I do need food - it's the spoonful of sugar that helps the morning medicines go down, in this case). Then I'm OK till 2 pm, when another half hour would be nice so that I can wash the dishes and tidy a bit before anyone sees just how bad a housekeeper I am. Another hour after that for extra worktime in the day would be good, but I shall feel guilty taking it, since I could have taken just a half day off yesterday and done it then.

Let's see: this means I need 28 hours today. Sounds about right. Anyone want to swap a really nice Medieval poem for 4 hours of very useful time?

Australian Speculative Fiction Blog Carnival - November (special nano-free edition)

Welcome to November's speculative fiction blog carnival. Many of our usuals are off producing many words, just to prove that they can write in November, so some of the regulars aren't going to make an appearance. It is a small but select mob that has undertaken substantial blogging this last month.

I have a farewell to relay from Philologa. She may be fictional, but she has decided to retire from blog carnivalling anyway. This may be related to the fact that this is the last carnival I'll be blogging as carnival owner. Or it may be related to the sad fact that no-one sent her chocolate. Ever.

Nyssa owns the carnival from here on in. Her approach is different from mine, which means you can look forward to exciting futures. Also me as guest host from time to time (when Nyssa persuades me that it's my turn).

If I were a different person I would point out all sorts of personal announcements, but you'll hear them anyway in due course and besides, at least two friends have got quite huffy over the fact that I have a nice new cover and they don't. Instead, let me take you through the month's interesting messages about Australian speculative fiction.

Five myths about being an author, by Jennifer Fallon, who is otherwise engaged in living in Jurassic Park and murdering immortals. If you don't believe me, then check her blog.

DM Cornish tackles the vexed question of consistency in a series. (and I bet he thought my threat of linking to his blog in a carnival was an empty one. It wasn't – but it's too hot and sticky here to insert an evil laugh, so please, cackle hilariously at this point.)

Tillianion talks about her source of creativity.

Sean Williams explains writers using a Venn diagram drawn by Charles Brown. It's a very serious statement about the relationship of art with commerce: I keep wanting someone to do me the cartoon version.

I also wanted to write a long sentence with many redundant modifiers, telling you how the extraordinarily wondrously adjectivally-daring Jenny Fallon has explained why you need to watch your language. I thought better of it.

Deborah Biancotti on writing under a pseudonym.

Aussiecon4 starts raising its head. Expect much more about it next year.

On a strange note, Edwina Gray gets phone calls. This is good, I think. It means that she is developing an identity independent of her creators. This could get interesting.

Satima Flavell looks at length. I am so tempted to make puns about the lengths she will go to in order to write, but I shall be kind and refrain.

And, finally, me on the Sydney Freecon (me at the Sydney Freecon?).

And that's it. Small, as I said, but maybe when people emerge from nanoing or writing tours (at least two of my favourite bloggers were frantically signing books) they will blog muchly once more. If they don't - or in the meantime (whichever you prefer) Martin Livings is producing an interactive, blog-induced novel. Visit him and donate some words to this worthy cause!

ETA: I missed something!! I bet I missed lots of things, but girliejones reminded me of her Wastelands report. Check it out - it makes me rather envious of those westcoastites.