Okay, these are flipping funny. Stephen Colbert is interviewing Maurice Sendak in a two part interview. OMG. I was weeping, it was so funny. You must watch. really.

Part the first

Part the second

I saw this and it is seriously the coolest thing ever.

I’m over at Magical Words today talking about creating flawed characters. Come over and take a look.

I have had good news today that I am not allowed to share for another 2 weeks, but I will as soon as I can. In the meantime, I’m over the moon. Whoohoo!

I’ve a post today up on Magical Words on Finding your Character Voices. Have a read!

Worldcon Reno (Renovation) is scheduled for August 16th-21st. I’m going to be there and I’ll be doing a writers workshop on a signing on Saturday at 1:00. If you’re going to be around and want to get together or hang out, let me know.

Using a random number generator, the following have one a copy of Crimson Wind. You need to email me with your address at: dpf AT dianapfrancis DOT com (replacing the AT with and @ and Dot with a . of course).

And the winners are . . .

Cheryl (commented on the webpage)
Mikaela_l (LJ)
wombat_kombat (LJ)
and one extra just for fun: ladyofshadow (LJ)

If I haven’t heard from you by Weds a.m., I’m redrawing your spot, so let me know quick!

Finally finished my grading. Turned in my final grades from last block and am three days into this block. And I’m exhausted. Hopefully I’ll catch up on sleep soon.

In the meantime, last call: Rosie and mallie_kite you won ARCs of Bitter Night. I need to hear from you by Friday noon or I’ll have to draw new names. At that time I’ll also draw for winners of the cover flats.

Starting tomorrow, at about 2:00 Mountain time, I’m going to start inhabiting the War Room again. Do you remember what this is? that’s where we go into the chat room, talk a few minutes, then write fast for 1/2 hour or so, then report back on progress, then chat, then do it again. I’ll be in there for a few hours each day, unless I have a meeting. Hopefully more on weekends. I hope to get some good work done, and I hope some of you will join me.

Jim Hines as an incredibly funny slush poem, Seussian style. A quote:

Would you like a hot sex scene?
I wrote it for my online ‘zine!

I do not like your pervy tale.
Your metaphors make readers pale.
Your paragraphs are pages long.
Your bad sex scene is oh so wrong!
Can people do that with their lips???
I do not like your manuscripts.

Go read it. Beverage warning. I bet you did know loo and poo rhyme, didn’t you?

I’ll hopefully see some of you tomorrow in the war room.

So there were 38 entries on the ARC contest (entries on my main site here and on my livejournal blog), plus one emailed because she couldn’t get access for some reason–sorry about that Patty! I used Random.org to generate the numbers, and so without further ado, the winnders are:

Rosie and mallie_kite

Please send me your snail mail addresses to dpf @ dianapfrancis DOT com If I don’t hear from you by Monday midnight, I’ll draw again.

Thanks eveyrone for playing! Oh, and yes, later today after I finish grading (could be tomorrow) I will randomly generate winners for cover flats. So keep your eyes peeled for that because I’ll need more winners’ addresses)

So I’ve been working on grading and wrapping the block and prepping the next block. I also have an idea for a new book that I can’t write and am trying to get everything down because it will. be. awesome. Seriously. Dark and gritty and epic. And the magic is cooooooooool. Now to propose it and sell it and of course find time to write it. I told my agent about it a little and she said it gave her goose pimples.

This is your reminder about the contest. Your titles have made me giggle on a few occasions. You people amuse me. Thank you. So anyhow, go to the post and propose a title and you’ll be entered. You have til 9 a.m. Friday Mountain Time. And for you anonymous folks, do include some sort of name for me, would you?

I also have post up on sfnovelists about where novelists get our ideas.