Things like Harvey are gutting. The destruction is everywhere. Even if we’re not directly affected we feel the pain of loss because we can imagine the horror of it all. Some of us know people in the path of the storm. I’m lucky enough to know my friends in Houston are okay (but they are still in Houston itself and more rain is coming). Others still don’t know about their loved ones.

This is not the first (nor will it be the last) time we’ve all witnessed such things. The one thing I loved about fandom is their response to such tragedy, something needed when we have a president too busy fucking about on Twitter to do anything or so-called Christian leaders like Osteen who is quick to quote the Bible when it comes to silencing gays or women but forgets it when it comes time to help.

Fans have come together to raise money to do what little bit they can to help. I remember the charity auctions for Japan after Fukishima and here in the states after Katrina and Sandy. I wish I were still more active in fandoms but mine have gone quiet and I didn’t really follow it to Tumblr much. Though I probably will have friends who’ll direct me to them if they happen.

In the professional writing world we have that same sense of compassion and the desire to help, like last year with all the anthologies sold to help the victims of the Pulse shooting. Already some have gotten a start on helping. You can check out Queer Sci-Fi‘s post on the subject.

Not all of us can run to Texas to help. Not all of us can donate scads of money. But all of us can do a little something.

It’s just a short talk this time as it was a horrendous first week of the semester. It ate up all my time and emotionally left nothing for me when it came to writing.

I’m still waiting to hear back from my beta on whether or not she’ll be reading more of Blood Red Roulette (things are nutso on her end too). So that’s in a holding pattern.

I did however make tons of progress on my steampunk Christmas story. I ‘m already through two rounds of edits and am waiting on copy edits. I’ve finally managed to get all of the author info, cover spec and blurb stuff in. I wasn’t dragging my heels but I was a bit late with it. The first week of school and the week leading up to it are insanely busy so there’s that.

The other writing thing I’ve done was editing on an old fan fic. I don’t hide my fan fic roots. I’m proud of them. I had written a Saiyuki novella for a big bang at least seven years ago (which was the last time I had touched the file) but that challenge failed and it’s been in the forgotten file folder. This year someone else started up another Saiyuki big bang so I blew the dust off the novella. To my shock, for being so old, it’s not actually bad. There are some weak rough spots but when this goes live next week, I’ll be happy for it. I miss doing a lot of fan ficcing. It’s something i only do at the holidays for the various challenges.