No, not me. I have deadlines. But notable writer Steph Swainston, who was in my Campbell Award class, is stepping back from writing to become a chemistry teacher. Why is she doing so? The Independent has the story, and in it Swainston has a lot to say about the pressures writers face both from publishers, fans, and in making enough money to make enough books to keep both publishers and readers happy. It’s worth a read, and if nothing else it reinforces my reminder to people that writers are not in fact text-extruding black boxes; they have real lives and real life concerns, both of which sometimes get in the way of the writing.

In any event, good luck to Ms. Swainston, and I hope that she is eventually able to get back to writing, on her own terms. She writes good stuff. It’d be good to have more one day.

Sort of the flipside to this. It’s also worth remembering that if you do decide to attend an argument, you don’t have to stay until the end; you can get out early, before everyone else is rushing for the door.

(Click the illustration to go to the site I found it on.)

And I am proud to introduce my new Google+ circle:

Who is in it? Everyone in my contacts whose last name starts with a “B,” of course. Also, those who are bees. Of which at this point admittedly there are not many. But when there are, I am ready.