Lawrence Watt-Evans
@wattevans.bsky.social
Fantasy novelist & other stuff
There's no tidy ending beyond that. Jack had never actually started on an autobiography. I never heard from any of his family again. He's just gone.
It was a lousy way to lose my childhood friend. I still miss him.
It was a lousy way to lose my childhood friend. I still miss him.
December 2, 2025 at 7:04 AM
There's no tidy ending beyond that. Jack had never actually started on an autobiography. I never heard from any of his family again. He's just gone.
It was a lousy way to lose my childhood friend. I still miss him.
It was a lousy way to lose my childhood friend. I still miss him.
Nothing ever came of his lawsuit; I'm not sure it was ever actually filed. Firing someone for having AIDS was pretty common then.
His mother called me a year or two after the book came out; she had finally read it. "It's about Jack, isn't it?" she asked.
I said yes, of course it was.
His mother called me a year or two after the book came out; she had finally read it. "It's about Jack, isn't it?" she asked.
I said yes, of course it was.
December 2, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Nothing ever came of his lawsuit; I'm not sure it was ever actually filed. Firing someone for having AIDS was pretty common then.
His mother called me a year or two after the book came out; she had finally read it. "It's about Jack, isn't it?" she asked.
I said yes, of course it was.
His mother called me a year or two after the book came out; she had finally read it. "It's about Jack, isn't it?" she asked.
I said yes, of course it was.
I wanted to have it done while Jack still had a chance to read it. I wrote it in ten weeks.
I didn't make it. A mutual friend let me know Jack had died in the ninth of those ten weeks.
It's dedicated to Jack, of course. I sent a copy to his mother, the only family of his I knew.
I didn't make it. A mutual friend let me know Jack had died in the ninth of those ten weeks.
It's dedicated to Jack, of course. I sent a copy to his mother, the only family of his I knew.
December 2, 2025 at 6:54 AM
I wanted to have it done while Jack still had a chance to read it. I wrote it in ten weeks.
I didn't make it. A mutual friend let me know Jack had died in the ninth of those ten weeks.
It's dedicated to Jack, of course. I sent a copy to his mother, the only family of his I knew.
I didn't make it. A mutual friend let me know Jack had died in the ninth of those ten weeks.
It's dedicated to Jack, of course. I sent a copy to his mother, the only family of his I knew.
He said he'd give me a call when he was ready to get started. I waited for that call.
It never came. While I was waiting I started writing a short fantasy novel, The Rebirth of Wonder, that was largely based on our shared experiences in our teens; I wrote it as quickly as I could.
It never came. While I was waiting I started writing a short fantasy novel, The Rebirth of Wonder, that was largely based on our shared experiences in our teens; I wrote it as quickly as I could.
December 2, 2025 at 6:50 AM
He said he'd give me a call when he was ready to get started. I waited for that call.
It never came. While I was waiting I started writing a short fantasy novel, The Rebirth of Wonder, that was largely based on our shared experiences in our teens; I wrote it as quickly as I could.
It never came. While I was waiting I started writing a short fantasy novel, The Rebirth of Wonder, that was largely based on our shared experiences in our teens; I wrote it as quickly as I could.
What other things? Well, he was suing Continental Airlines for wrongful termination; they had fired him when they found out he had AIDS. He thought I might be useful in that, though I'm not sure how.
I said sure, I'd help any way I could. Just tell me what to do.
I said sure, I'd help any way I could. Just tell me what to do.
December 2, 2025 at 6:47 AM
What other things? Well, he was suing Continental Airlines for wrongful termination; they had fired him when they found out he had AIDS. He thought I might be useful in that, though I'm not sure how.
I said sure, I'd help any way I could. Just tell me what to do.
I said sure, I'd help any way I could. Just tell me what to do.
We lost touch with each other after high school. I went to college; Jack didn't. I became a writer; he became a flight attendant.
In 1991, out of the blue, I got a phone call from him. He wanted me to help him write his autobiography, and maybe with some other things.
In 1991, out of the blue, I got a phone call from him. He wanted me to help him write his autobiography, and maybe with some other things.
December 2, 2025 at 6:45 AM
We lost touch with each other after high school. I went to college; Jack didn't. I became a writer; he became a flight attendant.
In 1991, out of the blue, I got a phone call from him. He wanted me to help him write his autobiography, and maybe with some other things.
In 1991, out of the blue, I got a phone call from him. He wanted me to help him write his autobiography, and maybe with some other things.
He could be. He could also be a wonderful guy. I've seen it suggested he was bipolar, and I can believe it. I had a fair number of interactions with him and only got to see the jerk side once.
November 30, 2025 at 5:25 PM
He could be. He could also be a wonderful guy. I've seen it suggested he was bipolar, and I can believe it. I had a fair number of interactions with him and only got to see the jerk side once.
I wear a fedora sometimes. What unfortunate connotations does that have?
Or a fishing hat. I have one of those, too.
Or a fishing hat. I have one of those, too.
November 23, 2025 at 12:40 AM
I wear a fedora sometimes. What unfortunate connotations does that have?
Or a fishing hat. I have one of those, too.
Or a fishing hat. I have one of those, too.
It wasn't that bad. I wrote my first six and a half on typewriters.
November 22, 2025 at 6:35 PM
It wasn't that bad. I wrote my first six and a half on typewriters.
Or overly subtle.
November 21, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Or overly subtle.
That's not a warning, it's advice.
November 20, 2025 at 11:40 PM
That's not a warning, it's advice.
Reposted by Lawrence Watt-Evans
Also, though... people spend way too much time worrying about 'their style'.
Your 'style' is what comes out when you get out of your own way and just draw with the tools that you're comfortable with.
Your 'style' is what comes out when you get out of your own way and just draw with the tools that you're comfortable with.
November 14, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Also, though... people spend way too much time worrying about 'their style'.
Your 'style' is what comes out when you get out of your own way and just draw with the tools that you're comfortable with.
Your 'style' is what comes out when you get out of your own way and just draw with the tools that you're comfortable with.
I know you weren't asking me, but I've talked with plenty of cishet male writers who got "So you think you're better than us?" from their parents.
(My own parents strongly advised me to keep writing a mere hobby and not think I could make a living at it, but had no problem with the basic idea.)
(My own parents strongly advised me to keep writing a mere hobby and not think I could make a living at it, but had no problem with the basic idea.)
November 13, 2025 at 12:01 AM
I know you weren't asking me, but I've talked with plenty of cishet male writers who got "So you think you're better than us?" from their parents.
(My own parents strongly advised me to keep writing a mere hobby and not think I could make a living at it, but had no problem with the basic idea.)
(My own parents strongly advised me to keep writing a mere hobby and not think I could make a living at it, but had no problem with the basic idea.)
We can but hope.
November 12, 2025 at 11:35 PM
We can but hope.
Yeah, I never tried to hide that the only reason I could afford to be a full-time writer was that my wife had a good job, good enough to support us both. And I was a pretty successful novelist.
November 2, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Yeah, I never tried to hide that the only reason I could afford to be a full-time writer was that my wife had a good job, good enough to support us both. And I was a pretty successful novelist.
In my family we called my mother's cousins "cousin," not "aunt." I do know not all cultures work that way, though.
October 28, 2025 at 4:00 PM
In my family we called my mother's cousins "cousin," not "aunt." I do know not all cultures work that way, though.
Yeah, I thought it was in that, but my copy is in a box in the garage, not handy to check.
October 25, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Yeah, I thought it was in that, but my copy is in a box in the garage, not handy to check.
I remember TV Guide featuring an article by Isaac Asimov, while TOS was still in first run, trying humorously to explain why women found Spock so sexy. Female Trekkies aren't new. Heck, my wife, who was in middle school, played out Trek roles with her female friends. My MOTHER was a Trekkie.
October 25, 2025 at 3:52 PM
I remember TV Guide featuring an article by Isaac Asimov, while TOS was still in first run, trying humorously to explain why women found Spock so sexy. Female Trekkies aren't new. Heck, my wife, who was in middle school, played out Trek roles with her female friends. My MOTHER was a Trekkie.