Stuff – Page 3 – Peter M. Ball

Journal

Why do you get a random photo of bookshelves, you ask?

So I finally got around to uploading the WordPress app onto my android, allowing me to update the blog remotely using my dodgy smartphone keyboard and a 3g connection. Somehow I doubt this will be massively life changing, although it does seem to be a faster way of uploading photos to the site. Not good photos, mind, nor photos of anything interesting for the moment, but its an option that may come in handy eventually.

PeterMBall 14/02/2012

Works in Progress

The internet knows everything, and so I ask…

I was at work today, innocently doing my job, when one of my co-workers turned around asked “have you ever come across a transgender zombie story?” At which point I allowed that a) I had not, b) google wasn’t inclined to find me one, and c) I adore my new dayjob more than any other dayjob I’ve ever had. Still, it’s a vexing kind of question to be unable to answer in the affirmative. I fired off the question to a couple of friends in the hopes that they’ve heard something, then figured I’d ask the question here just in case someone had come across such a thing. Transgender zombies and/or protagonists appear to be fair game, so far as such things go, so if you’ve come across such a thing in your readings please drop by the comments and let me know. In short: help me, Obi-net-kenobi, you’re my only hope. # I’d be linking you to Catherynne Valentes not-quite-review of

PeterMBall 28/07/2011

Journal

An eclectic kind of music night

Last night I faced the question: what happens when Peter comes home from work, discovers he’s sold a story, and pours an overly generous snifter of porter as part of his celebration? The answer seems to involve dancing to Justin Timblerlake’s I’m Bringing Sexy back in a manner that makes it extraordinarily clear that there is no sexy being brought anywhere in my general vicinity. Through a series of events – relatively sober events, since I stopped drinking after the first class – this led me back some some of the truly tragic dance music of my younger days. Apparently I will still bust a very limp and wheezy move if someone puts on , say, East 17’s House of Love. And I’m still far fonder of the Utah Saints Something Good than is reasonable. ‘Course, this all ended up going nuts to Atari Teenage Riot, so I try not to feel too bad about indulging in a few moments naffness. # I

PeterMBall 30/06/2011

Journal

Still Alive

Today was a very good day. I didn’t really sleep a lot last night, because today was also my first day at the new dayjob, and that’s the kind of thing that makes me restless and afflicted with the kind of nervous insomnia that means you sleep without really sleeping. I rose before seven AM for the first time in a week, shaved off the remnants of my most-unmanly-neckbeard, got dressed in an outfit that did not involve ties or dress pants, then caught an early train into the Cultural Precinct on the Brisbane River. I arrived far earlier than I needed to, so I stopped at the cafe beneath the State Library and drank coffee while reading and idling away the spare half-hour. All in all, this proved to be a remarkably pleasant and civilized way to start the working day. Then, around nine o’clock, I went and started work (I’m still struggling with that, really. Having a good

PeterMBall 28/06/2011

Works in Progress

On the…

A few years ago I wrote a story titled On the Finding of Photographs of My Former Loves, which eventually found its way into Fantasy Magazine in 2008. About a year after that I wrote On the Destruction of Copenhagen by the War Machines of the Merfolk, which showed up in Strange Horizons in 2009 and then went on to be reprinted in a years best collection and pod-casted and other such things. I didn’t write an On The… story in 2010, despite my best intentions to do so. This makes me a little sad, ’cause it’s one of those things that I meant to do and simply didn’t find the time for. In my head they’re part of an ongoing series, albeit a rather slow-moving one, and there’s a file on my computer where I put notes regarding possible titles. Every now and then I’d open the file, pick a title, and start writing, and somehow the story would always mutate

PeterMBall 01/03/2011

Conspicuous Acts of Cultural Consumption

Sexy Batman

So I was going to rant tonight, because it appears there’s things in the blogosphere to rant about, but then I thought better of it all. Instead I’m just going to suggest that you all go and read the latest installment of Hark, A Vagrant and catch up with Sexy, Sexy Batman. I find myself wishing more Batman comics were like this. And now I’m going to eat leftover prawn and feta pizza from lunch.

PeterMBall 24/01/2011

Works in Progress

On the Appeal of Easy Targets

So I’ve set myself some modest goals this week: 500 words a day of writing; three blog posts*; at least one day where I limit myself to two coffees**; buy one Christmas present so I don’t get stuck shopping during the evil December shopping crush. Thus far, I’ve failed horribly at all three, although I can at least make progress the first of my list by clicking publish. This is the curse of modest goals – it’s too easy to let them slide, figuring there will always be a moment later where you can get things done, but for the moment they’re a necessary evil because the immodest goals were just too damn intimidating for me. Monday was a rough day for writing; Tuesday was much improved, largely courtesy of a 3k night at write club, but today I’ve been letting the side down again, focusing more on planning than writing new words. Still time to rectify that before bed,

PeterMBall 17/11/2010

News & Upcoming Events

Reviews and Other Stuff

Today has been long and slightly odd and overburdened with irritating moments and it involves me cutting back on coffee (which is somewhat akin to saying “flee, mortals, for I will lay waste to your world”), so for obvious reasons there will not be much by way of bloggage this evening. So instead I’m going to point you towards Narelle Harris’s review of Bleed and another review of the same over on Averagely Inadequate. And if you remember the mysterious squee and snoopy-dance of acceptance that I was being very vague about just prior to Worldcon, there might be a clue as to what I was freaking out in the last paragraph of today’s post on Jonothan Strahan’s Coode Street blog.

PeterMBall 21/09/2010

Madcap Adventures and Distracting Hijinx

Still at Aussiecon 4

Today’s the last day of Aussiecon 4 and I’ll be kicking around the convention centre for most of the day, soaking up the remaining hours of the geek-nirvana that is the worldcon. I have also hit the part of the con where I’m surviving on about four hours of sleep a night, but that’s a good thing. Other good things: – I met Rob Shearman early in the con and he misheard my name. This, in and of itself, isn’t the stuff that squee is made of, but when I later bought a copy of his short story collection and he was doing the signing I was given the opportunity to tell him I was a Peter, not a Paul. Still not squee-worthy? Bare with me, for the next thing that happened was awesome. Rob Shearman glanced at my namebadge and was all “Wait, Peter M Ball? The unicorn porn guy? I really liked Horn” (actual wordage may be slightly

PeterMBall 06/09/2010

Conspicuous Acts of Cultural Consumption

Angela Slatter’s Sourdough: Pre-order details

Okay peeps, for your edification I’m going to mention that Angela Slatter’s new short story collection, Sourdough and other stories, is avialble for pre-order from Tartarus Press. It’ll be a limited edition of 300 copies, and I heartily recommend it (I’ve read much of the collection, which is a themed series of linked story, and it moves beyond the realm of awesome and into the realm of quite extraordinary). “But Peter,” I hear you cry, “you already mentioned Angela’s short story collection was available for pre-order a few weeks ago.” “Nay,” I tell you, “a few weeks ago I mentioned that her OTHER short story collection, The Girl with No Hands, is available for pre-order from Ticonderoga Press. Sourdough is a completely seperate book, being put out by a boutique press that does glorious hardcovers full of win. Trust me, though. You cannot go wrong by doubling the ammount of Slatter works you’re planning to add to your bookshelf.” “What?”

PeterMBall 12/07/2010

Madcap Adventures and Distracting Hijinx

Adventures in Cat-Sitting, a Play in One Act

Peter sits at the table, trying to work. He is grumpy and irritable after being woken two hours early by a deranged cat yowling at the bedroom door. The Cat jumps on the table and sits on the computer keyboard. Peter moves The Cat. Peter: What do you want, cat? The Cat: Feed me, mortal. Peter: Dude, I fed you ten minutes ago. You ate. There is no more food. The Cat: FEED ME. Peter: No. The Cat: I stare at you. Peter: Totally cool with me. The Cat:I stare with mighty stareness. Peter: Huh. The Cat: FEEL THE WEIGHT OF MY DISPLEASURE Peter: Got it. Trying to work. The Cat: I savage your toe. Peter: Fuck. Shit. Rack off, I was using that. The Cat: FEEEEEEEED ME! Peter: TRYING TO WORK. The Cat: Holy shit, there’s birds in the yard. Peter:They’re chickens. They’re there every day. You know this, because I pull you away from their pen every morning.

PeterMBall 11/07/2010

Works in Progress

July Plans

And lo, the edits are sent back to the editor and the novella once titled Cold Cases is going through the various transmogrifications it goes through to become a book titled Bleed instead. Various things contribute to the feeling of done-ness – seeing concept sketches for the cover art, finally settling on the new title, hearing that the ISBN-type stuff is being put into motion. There will still be work to go, presumably edits and proofs, but this book has officially evacuated the portion of my brain that requires tinkering and subconscious thought. It’s no longer a project. Which means it’s time to get started on what comes next: rewriting Black Candy. And since I’m house-sitting this month, taking care of the cats and chickens that belong to some friends who have dissappeared into the wilds of Europe, I’m going to try and pack the bulk of the rewrite into July. Once more into the breach and all that.

PeterMBall 05/07/2010

Tag: Stuff

Why do you get a random photo of bookshelves, you ask?

The internet knows everything, and so I ask…

An eclectic kind of music night

Still Alive

On the…

Sexy Batman

On the Appeal of Easy Targets

Reviews and Other Stuff

Still at Aussiecon 4

Angela Slatter’s Sourdough: Pre-order details

Adventures in Cat-Sitting, a Play in One Act

July Plans

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