On writing
[writing|process] Language, language, and the temptations of etymology by
jaylake - I love reading Jay Lake's posts, no matter what the topic. In this one he ponders word choice in fiction, and when a word's etymology makes it inappropriate to use in a story. This is something that keeps me up at night - Good to know that I'm not (completely) insane.
Coll-ab-o-ration by Rachel Swirsky - I had always wondered how authors collaborate on a story.
Yaoi, slash, and characterisation by
![](http://s.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lanjelin - Thoughts on yaoi - Let me show them to you. I'm interested how the gay experience compares and relates to slash/yaoi (fan)fiction, and this essay brings up some good points about how authors characterize their characters through sexual tropes and labels.
Real world stuff
A Host of Mummies, a Forest of Secrets from The NY Times - Chinese archaeologists discovered an amazing cemetery in the middle of a desert in Xinjiang. What makes the find even more interesting is that the 4,000 year old corpses are from European descent. The whole article is great - I love reading about burial customs, and the fact that the bodies were buried in boats in the middle of a desert really fascinates me.
The Ides of March - and Caesar's Comet by
dr-nebula - On comets and Cesar's assassination.