aidian

Read all the time; write all the time.

As far as 'process', play with different stuff and find what works for you. I find it does help to outline a bit -- but only in the most informal way. I edit better on paper. Hunter Thompson actually typed The Great Gatsby to get a feel for Fitzgerald's rhythms. Fuck around until something fits.

Edit your copy ruthlessly. I will routinely change 90% of my copy between first and final drafts.

Keep your audience in mind: who you're writing for should affect every word.

Write as tight as possible.

JB Weld to fill in the old serial numbers, then use number punches to put in new serial.

In Cali, theft of anything under $400 in value is a misdemeanor...that means stealing your typical bike under about $1000 isn't a major crime.

I set up postfix + dovecot (with Squirrel Mail front end) on my own VPS just to see if I could do it, and it worked fine. It was a huge PITA to set up, but I knew that going in. The only problems I ever had was with Craigslist bouncing my email, and I fixed that. BUT this is just a personal email.