Podcast, Dopamine, And Nonexistent Mafias  I am currently
stamping on some flaming revisions at the moment, hoping I can
put them out in time to make deadline. So just a few things
today:  * Yes, I’ve started a podcast! I can treat you all to
long rambling rants about nothing in my screechy caw, not to
mention try to get over my fear of speaking into a microphone.
* Chuck Wendig on how not to starve and die as a writer, and on
what dopamine is and why writers need it. I should just steal
all his writing posts and pass them off as mine.  * Holly Black
on the (nonexistent) YA mafia. John Scalzi on the (nonexistent)
YA mafia. For Christ’s sake, there is no YA mafia. This is just
the latest iteration of the “gatekeeper” myth–the idea that
there is a secret cabal somewhere that you have to kiss up to or
figure out the secret handshake for in order to break into
publishing. There is none. There is quality control and business
practices, but no fricking gatekeepers, keymasters, Zuuls, Viggo
the Carpathians, or Stay