Things you don't always get briefed on when you start your journey as a writer
13.03.2026 04:14
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Things you don't always get briefed on when you start your journey as a writer
Good news, everyone
A sketch from a few years back. Got to get back into practice, getting rusty
"Don't forget your boots during the SnowLaopocalypse, St. Paul edition, by Camino for the Laomagination Project, ca. 2019
16-bit sprites for a Lao RPG concept we were considering back in the day with the old RPGMaker software for the Laomagination Project
The Flying Tigress vs. Werewolves was a work in progress for the Laomagination project in the late 2010s but now seems timely enough to revisit this year. "As we mark the 45th anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark" 😜
Yer & The Tiger: The Rematch, 2019 by Camino for the Laomagination Project back in the day
Congratulations to these Asian American books of poetry that are turning 10 this year! What a journey! And where did that time go? Let me know if I missed any, because this is always an incomplete process.
Rude, but fine
Chumbawumba is exactly the band that I was told about along with Psy where I had to start up a new playlist to re-evaluate a lot of bands I thought I knew. I guess They Might Be Giants has actually done way more since that's still super solid.
I used to teach refugee, immigrant, and adoptee students that a crucial way to see where you fit within mainstream society is to write down just a basic description of your family's stories and see how much of it spellcheck suggests is an error.
Noting the passing of Alfredo Bryce Echenique in Peru. A big thanks to the writers at Pakistan Today for bringing this to our attention, it seems almost completely ignored in the USA
www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2026/03/11/p...
Looking at 35 years of poetry across the globe, now, I think an important part was an indifference to presenting in the expected places, but seeking unexpected ones.
Like the Buddhist monk who was asked why he was going to Hell when he died: "Because that's where I'm needed most."
Hey, grads, always remember to check how your profile looks on different devices while choosing what to lead with in your skill sets and expertise. And for some of you, double-check if you really intend to pitch your pubic relations skills to prospective employers. I'm not saying "no" just ... check
One tricky part of language in SFF is deciding when you need to repurpose a term or you've space to coin a neologism or portmanteau. When do you go with, say, Bradbury's fireman, or Lucas' jedi? Do we tell a tale of an avatar, or a Dalek?
Bad writers' advice you've gotten over the years?
For me, reading only the good stuff. That's already obviously such a loaded question, especially for those of us on the margins, but in general, you need a healthy layer of manure to appreciate a rose that pops up, for lack of a better metaphor.
Putting together a new playlist, looking for suggestions.
What bands come to mind where they were "popular" for a particular song. but their larger and arguably better body of work was actually more interesting but ignored by most of the public?
charging up for the weekend
how it should be done: William Hoare's portrait of Christopher and Mary Ann Anstey, from 1776. Though I'll always say Joseph Ducreux is the absolute master of the style
Handy advice
Most Lao poets today exist outside of the MFA & English major set. You can't find much of their work in bookstores & libraries, but there's a commitment to create and many go on to international acclaim even if US & AAPINH institutions rarely recognize them.
In the aftermath of the war, Lao poets found themselves in a strange position, adrift from their traditional roles, especially in diaspora. There were conventional roads we could have taken but most of us said fuck that & your reindeer games when I look at our last 50 years of literary production
For those of you who need to hear it?
"War is the unfolding of miscalculations," Barbara Tuchman said in 1962.
If you get visited by a Lao poet, there's a non-zero chance VERY hot sauce will be stashed in your refrigerator at some point. I don't make the rules.
Never a dull day in the life of a Lao poet.
good news everyone
just putting it out there
