...it seemed pretty clear to me that if there are so many brothels in space, there has to be an entire social and economic structure to support them. In most of human history, that structure was deeply entwined with sexism. -- Malinda Lo, "On Space Opera: Why so many brothels in … [Read more...] about Why are there so many brothels in space opera?
Amazon and fan fiction
The internet is buzzing this morning about Amazon's attempt to monetize fan fiction with their new Kindle Worlds venture. Malinda Lo has read the terms, and because she is smart, she has figured out that "fan fiction" does not mean what Amazon thinks it means. She … [Read more...] about Amazon and fan fiction
The Fake Geek Girl problem in WordPress
Over the weekend, at WordCamp Austin, I had a conversation that I think a lot of women in WordPress will recognize. I introduced myself to a male developer, and he asked if I was speaking later in the day. I said yes, and he asked about the topic of my talk. (All normal so far.) … [Read more...] about The Fake Geek Girl problem in WordPress
Recommended WordPress plugins
Here's the enormous list of WordPress plugins I mentioned at today's WordCamp Austin session. Huge thanks to Christopher Schmitt for putting this together during last year's WP Summit! … [Read more...] about Recommended WordPress plugins
WordPress for Web Developers available for pre-order
My new book, WordPress for Web Developers, is now available for pre-order from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The various ebook formats aren't listed yet, but they'll turn up eventually. It's a real book, and not just files on my laptop! … [Read more...] about WordPress for Web Developers available for pre-order
Werewolves, wolf packs, and discredited science
The fiction I'm working on at the moment involves werewolves. I hadn't revisited the premise in a while (this is a reworking of a very old piece), and I knew that I needed to look up modern views on wolf pack hierarchy because the "alpha wolf" notion has been discredited. It … [Read more...] about Werewolves, wolf packs, and discredited science
That’s what she said
This kind of crap went on and on. It was exhausting. Exhausting to figure out how to respond to the relentless misogyny from men who are otherwise kind and educated, who would never think of themselves as chauvinist assholes. ... A big pile of reasonably aware and … [Read more...] about That’s what she said
Lying to Ourselves
Not surprisingly, seeing as writers lie for money, we lie to ourselves all the damn time. You start off pretending a project doesn’t mean that much to you, or that you’re writing it to learn, or that you’re writing it for art, or that you need to do something during your lunch … [Read more...] about Lying to Ourselves
WordCamp Austin ticket giveaway
Howdy! I have one extra ticket for the sold-out WordCamp Austin this weekend, and I'm giving it away. To win it, just leave a comment here. The winner will be drawn (via random number generator) at 4pm Central. … [Read more...] about WordCamp Austin ticket giveaway
new in the Content Audit plugin: export your report as CSV
I've updated the Content Audit plugin to include a requested feature: the ability to export a report as CSV. This lets you build a more traditional content inventory spreadsheet using WordPress's data as a starting point. … [Read more...] about new in the Content Audit plugin: export your report as CSV
