Empathy. In writer terms, if you don't have it your characters suck. In human terms, it's just a good idea.

In other news, I got invited to a big time reading--for me, anyway. Even had a sound system!

At one of Mary Anne Mohanraj's SH rapid fire readings I met Charlie Anders, who organizes "Writer with Drinks," a monthly reading in SF at the Makeout Room. And yes, the writers do have drinks. There were six of us and the last fellow was on his third beer and starting to feel it. His reading was fantastic, though--a rather grim fable from the book he just turned in ("Hence the beer," he said), and there was a poet, a standup comedian who started out a little rocky but finished strong, a hilarious performance artist who read (and relived her act for us) about the day she won the Gong Show, an erotica writer, and me! It was a ton of fun.

Tim and Heather came with Susan Groppi and a friend whose name I've blanked on because I was rather nervous, and Dave and Darrend (also from my writing group) came. It felt really good to have friends there, especially since just before the reading I was sitting next to Gary and laughing because I felt so damned out of place.

But I think my bit went okay. And the rest of it was so much fun it would have been worth it even if I'd bombed.

Now I just have to finish the story.