Wednesday writing wire - clean $$ edition

I'm not really much of a Christmas person. Though I did send out cards this year (real mail forever!) Anyway, happy Christkwanzakahsolsticewhatever, if you're reading this. 

What I'm reading

Currently on my bookshelf: Trouble Is My Business, a collection of Raymond Chandler's short stories. Some editions of this book contain 4 or 5 stories but mine has 12, so yay! Chandler later transformed many of these stories into novels: The Big Sleep is based on "Killer in the Rain" and "The Curtain"; Farewell, My Lovely is based on "Try the Girl", "Mandarin's Jade", and "The Man Who Liked Dogs"; The Lady in the Lake is based on "The Lady in the Lake" and "No Crime in the Mountains", and I forget what else. In some of the tales, Philip Marlowe's name is Carmady, but it's the same character, or a version of him. Anyway, reading this is giving me lots of deja vu (as I've read most of his novels), and making me want to read them all again.

I'm still reading Pre Historic Times too--I actually started again from page 1, because previously I'd been reading my ebook version and the experience was just too disjointed. For example when reading the text, the relevant illustrations might be on a different page, so I'd have to "e" turn the page and then turn back... very annoying. You know what? I don't think I'm a fan of ebooks any more, for the most part, unless there's no other alternative. Especially for any book with maps or illustrations. It's just awkward. Plus when the zombies come, and society falls, and all my ebooks disappear in a puff of electrons, tree books will still be there. Long live tree books!

What I'm writing

Yep, still working on The Free City. Sometimes it starts feeling pretty discouraging; how long this is taking me, and how in the meantime "everybody else" seems to be publishing constant books and receiving giant sky-high accolades. Yah yah, I know, that's not really how it is. It's just how it feels sometimes. Blargh. Well, enough of that. Onward!

What else I've been doing

Working. Played a really fun house show with my band. Working. Work work work. Ninja training. Band practice. Cooking food. Went out to see some bands. Work work work. Write letters. Work. Many relaxing hikes with 35-lb backpack. #amwriting #amreading #amrucking #screwwork

What's inspiring me right now

Seen on the way to work:

My work is more aggravating than actually hard--and my boss is pretty chill--but I can relate to the sentiment.