Friday, March 31, 2006
A list
I really hate to travel. I hate making the arrangements, I hate paying for airfare and other travel expenses, I hate packing, I hate each and every moment when I think, ohmygod I almost forgot that! I hate that I overpack, I hate leaving the cats and the puppy, I hate leaving my son and nagging my brothers to spend some time with my son while I'm gone. I hate getting to the airport, standing in line, taking off my shoes and then sitting around waiting. I hate expensive airport food and worse coffee. I hate flying because it's boring. I hate getting out of the airport in some city I don't live in and dealing with public tranportation.
However, I do generally like being someplace else.
But then I hate all stuff in the first para, only in reverse.
Have you guessed? Tomorrow, I'm flying to Long Beach CA to Celebrate Romance and talk about Crimson City. I'm returning Sunday because there's a book signing (Please! Let my books be there!) I'm not bringing the laptop because it's too much darn trouble. I'm bringing paper copy to read and edit the heck out of.
And now, I need to thnk about starting to print stuff because I have to get up at 3:30am. But first, I'm going to read Miss Snark.
However, I do generally like being someplace else.
But then I hate all stuff in the first para, only in reverse.
Have you guessed? Tomorrow, I'm flying to Long Beach CA to Celebrate Romance and talk about Crimson City. I'm returning Sunday because there's a book signing (Please! Let my books be there!) I'm not bringing the laptop because it's too much darn trouble. I'm bringing paper copy to read and edit the heck out of.
And now, I need to thnk about starting to print stuff because I have to get up at 3:30am. But first, I'm going to read Miss Snark.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/31/2006 08:02:00 PM Permalink
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Coherent not
Nope. Ain't gonna happen. Since that last post I got my son to bed, wrote the president's message for The Beau Monde, did some Crimson City blogging and um, no writing. I'm reading my son this book I am developing a true ahborrance for. It's NOT Harry Potter, we still haven't read that because we're slogging through this one. It's wordy and worse, full of 10 cent words and a bunch of made up words (its Fantasy) that are maybe easy to read out loud if your native language is Old Icelandic Runes. I've taken to using the easiest mispronunciation and sticking with it. (If I don't he notices and corrects me.) And tonight, tonight I started looking for paragraphs I could just skip and I did. Were this guy's editors afraid to tell him to knock it off with the ten syllable words people use ONLY when they're trying to win the Bulwer-Lytton bad writing contest? Oh, please please please let this book end so we can read Harry Potter or maybe Bartimaeus.
OK, now I'm going to try to write. Tootles.
See? Not coherent. It's been a rough day.
OK, now I'm going to try to write. Tootles.
See? Not coherent. It's been a rough day.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/30/2006 10:00:00 PM Permalink
working rhymes with
smirking, lurking, jerking and perking. But it feels like torture some days. I've taken to getting out the laptop and sitting in the back of my car at lunch time to get some verk done. I dropped off chapters for the Prof to read. I've been working on this other project because, well, I have to in order not to be in a disastrous position later. So, today I sat in the car, typed away in time with the rain hitting the car. Then I went to the gym later and realized that chances are I'll be re-writing everything I have. Why is everthing such a MUDDLE at the start? Oh, anyway, I should never blog this early in the evening. Maybe I'll say something coherent later.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/30/2006 06:58:00 PM Permalink
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Let's have a quicke!
Ok, so there's this book that got nominated for some award (NOT the RITA) but some other award thing and that book was so boring I could not finish it. Could not. How does this happen?
posted by Carolyn @ 3/28/2006 06:17:00 PM Permalink
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Oh, what a beautiful Morning!
Oh, what a beautiful day. Today, it did not rain. We had blue skies and warm sun. I went out several times just to marvel in the miracle. Then I hauled very heavy paving stones to make a path from the side of the house to the green house and the aviary so that we no longer have to squelch through the mud to get there. Course I only moved the ones that were small enough for a normal person to pick up, but it looks good and I placed them very cleverly so they almost look like they fit that way on purpose.
In writing news, I worked on -- gee what did I work on? Right. Shift. That went OK. But mostly on this other project which I have code named Demonexter. I wrote quite a bit because I need to have a solid start on it just in case. I did some other stuff, too, but all I can remember is the feel of the warm sun.
In writing news, I worked on -- gee what did I work on? Right. Shift. That went OK. But mostly on this other project which I have code named Demonexter. I wrote quite a bit because I need to have a solid start on it just in case. I did some other stuff, too, but all I can remember is the feel of the warm sun.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/26/2006 10:18:00 PM Permalink
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Rain rain go away... I mean it this time!
So yeah, today it rained. And when it wasn't raining, the sky was ominously grey. There was a mishap involving a gate, a tractor (just a little one) a soggy field, sheep and rose bushes that are not in the field, and I made the mistake of running outside with my sissy indoor shoes on. Oh, ick. Anyway, with the help of the neurotic border collie and a bucket of grain, the sheep saw reason and decided to go back into the field field while the tractor was extracted.
Today I worked on Shift. It's better now than it was. Now, I am going to sleep.
Today I worked on Shift. It's better now than it was. Now, I am going to sleep.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/25/2006 09:55:00 PM Permalink
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Oh, and another thing
There's also possibly this thing I'm maybe supposed to be writing with a deadline such that actually, I should be writing it now. I guess I should at least start that.
Also, I believe this makes post number 600 in this blog. That's if the bloogger statistics are correct. Not sure they are come to think of it, considering I've been doing this since 2001. Whatever. Happy 600th post!
Spoiled by Writer's Neurosis. What a party pooper. Just a warning, this is why it's dangerous to make friends with a writer. You just never know if you're going to meet the happy artist or the depressed artiste. Back to see if I can make chapter 18 of The Rake (needs at better title!) resemble professional writing.
Also, I believe this makes post number 600 in this blog. That's if the bloogger statistics are correct. Not sure they are come to think of it, considering I've been doing this since 2001. Whatever. Happy 600th post!
Spoiled by Writer's Neurosis. What a party pooper. Just a warning, this is why it's dangerous to make friends with a writer. You just never know if you're going to meet the happy artist or the depressed artiste. Back to see if I can make chapter 18 of The Rake (needs at better title!) resemble professional writing.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/23/2006 10:18:00 PM Permalink
Sigh Day
I'm in a funk today. At the gym, I tried to work on the New Historical, but it didn't go well. Everything seemed really hey-no-chemistry here. Then later at home I started working on The Rake (need a better title!) and the resurrected chapter needed more work than I had hoped, which means I still haven't really gotten to writing much of the new chapter. Sigh. And also, is there something wrong with me that I get nervous and anxious when someone, pretend it's someone who maybe read some chapters I wrote, seems to be saying the work is good.
Seriously, that makes me think 1) this person must be either lying to me out of pity (yeah, she's running off to some other blog I don't know about or else calling her Real Writer friends and snickering) or 2) just not a good judge of writing, (Sorry, Trusted Reader, but as you can see writer's neurosis is in full effect Run for your lives!) or 3) well, even if she's right and the chapters don't totally suck, now I'm in danger of thinking I'm good at this and then will become so in love with my writing that I wouldn't recognize crappy writing if it bit me on the butt. I mean, so much of what I write actually is crap at first, that there's no reason to think that new chapters are any good.
Sigh. It's a hideous endless round of just, ick.
Sigh.
Seriously, that makes me think 1) this person must be either lying to me out of pity (yeah, she's running off to some other blog I don't know about or else calling her Real Writer friends and snickering) or 2) just not a good judge of writing, (Sorry, Trusted Reader, but as you can see writer's neurosis is in full effect Run for your lives!) or 3) well, even if she's right and the chapters don't totally suck, now I'm in danger of thinking I'm good at this and then will become so in love with my writing that I wouldn't recognize crappy writing if it bit me on the butt. I mean, so much of what I write actually is crap at first, that there's no reason to think that new chapters are any good.
Sigh. It's a hideous endless round of just, ick.
Sigh.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/23/2006 09:56:00 PM Permalink
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Remember what I said about doing stuff too quick?
I went back to work too soon. I should have stayed home today, too. But I didn't, and so by early afternoon I felt crappy. I feel kind of crappy now. Oh. well.
I have reations from a trusted reader on Dark Elf and I just finished addressing all that. I've sent her Shift, so now we'll see about that. Today at the gym, I tweaked chapter 17 of the Rake (awesome!) and realized I could with excellent effect resurrect a chapter I whacked. So, now I'm going to go do that.
It didn't rain today. Everything here is wet, wet wet. But incredibly green. I have more tulips in my room and they look very spring-like. My sister was an ornamental horticulture major at Cal Poly so we're guaranteed good flowers around here. She knows all these tricks about plants. Last year, though, she bought this tulip mix and they all came up white. She was pretty mad. This year, the mix is actually mixed. Pink, red, purple, yellow and some stripy ones. She gives me the catalogue, tells me what pages to look at and I point and say, ohh, pretty. Get me some of those! It's working well. Did you know, for example, that you should plant your bulbs at different depths so that when the first round is done there's another behind? It's more complicated than that, but as I said, my job is to say, ooh, pretty, get that, and then later go out with the clippers. I get to skip the dirt part. When I'm out with the clippers, I pretend I'm a heroine having a conversation with a Rake. That's why I like Spring. For the Rakes. And, there is so little actual work involved!
I have reations from a trusted reader on Dark Elf and I just finished addressing all that. I've sent her Shift, so now we'll see about that. Today at the gym, I tweaked chapter 17 of the Rake (awesome!) and realized I could with excellent effect resurrect a chapter I whacked. So, now I'm going to go do that.
It didn't rain today. Everything here is wet, wet wet. But incredibly green. I have more tulips in my room and they look very spring-like. My sister was an ornamental horticulture major at Cal Poly so we're guaranteed good flowers around here. She knows all these tricks about plants. Last year, though, she bought this tulip mix and they all came up white. She was pretty mad. This year, the mix is actually mixed. Pink, red, purple, yellow and some stripy ones. She gives me the catalogue, tells me what pages to look at and I point and say, ohh, pretty. Get me some of those! It's working well. Did you know, for example, that you should plant your bulbs at different depths so that when the first round is done there's another behind? It's more complicated than that, but as I said, my job is to say, ooh, pretty, get that, and then later go out with the clippers. I get to skip the dirt part. When I'm out with the clippers, I pretend I'm a heroine having a conversation with a Rake. That's why I like Spring. For the Rakes. And, there is so little actual work involved!
posted by Carolyn @ 3/22/2006 09:31:00 PM Permalink
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Once I was Lost...
I'm feeling much better today, at least since early this afternoon anyway. Most of the morning I didn't feel so great and couldn't find any writing I was excited about working on. Naturally, I tinkered instead. I reinstalled WP x3 and everything seems to be working. I haven't redone the customizations though and I'm irritated they're gone. But, things are stable. So, I ended up working on The Rake and decided to write chapter 17, which was just a place holder with a two sentence description of what's supposed to happen. But it's going well. Then my day got busy. I had to pick up my son from school and go to the post office to mail books, then take the puppy to the vet then go order my son's soccer uniform, then make dinner and clean up.
I have reaction back from the Dark Elf chapters and am busy addressing that stuff now.
Also, I have now affixed museum glue-stuff to my clock. Let's see, I can't move anything on my dresser, can't open anything with a lid, can't move the clock. OK. On the bright side, devil cat hasn't pushed anything off the dresser lately, and now he can't push the clock off the table. Take that, you devil! This morning when I woke up, he was curled up with the puppy.
Today, it rained. Gasp! Really? But when I was driving home from something or other (see list above) there was a big HUGE rainbow right through the clouds. Pretty. The contractors have hung all the doors, put up all the new light fixtures and said, hey, we're done here! Yay! Back to Dark Elf stuff and maybe another crack at The Rake, chapter 17. And hey, I still need a better title.
I have reaction back from the Dark Elf chapters and am busy addressing that stuff now.
Also, I have now affixed museum glue-stuff to my clock. Let's see, I can't move anything on my dresser, can't open anything with a lid, can't move the clock. OK. On the bright side, devil cat hasn't pushed anything off the dresser lately, and now he can't push the clock off the table. Take that, you devil! This morning when I woke up, he was curled up with the puppy.
Today, it rained. Gasp! Really? But when I was driving home from something or other (see list above) there was a big HUGE rainbow right through the clouds. Pretty. The contractors have hung all the doors, put up all the new light fixtures and said, hey, we're done here! Yay! Back to Dark Elf stuff and maybe another crack at The Rake, chapter 17. And hey, I still need a better title.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/21/2006 09:29:00 PM Permalink
Monday, March 20, 2006
Ick
First off, it's supposedly Spring, but it's cold and rainy so this is my official complaint about that. Second off, I have a hideous cold. Back off or I'll sneeze on you or worse. Third off, read second off.
Slept most of the day, after I came home from work, but did get a good amount done in the car at soccer practice because Moms don't get sick days.
Slept most of the day, after I came home from work, but did get a good amount done in the car at soccer practice because Moms don't get sick days.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/20/2006 09:06:00 PM Permalink
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Progress Was Had By All
From bitter experience, I know I do just about everything too soon. Too bad. My computer is relatively stable today and I got through all the chapters of Dark Elf and fixed stuff. So, I've sent that off to be read before it (maybe, unless it totally sucks) goes off to my agent. Next, I'm going to work on Shift because I think that's actually pretty close to done although mostly (oh no!) I have to fix the synopsis. So I'll do that because I am brave and courageous and because you can't sell a novel without one.
Today, I helped my son clean out his room. We practically needed a bulldozer. But many old toys were discarded and we culled out a large number of books he has grown out of which made room for the ones he hasn't. It was hard work but now it's done until the next time. I played with the puppy and worked on Dark Elf and wished someone had helped me shovel out my room.
Then, I went out and picked tulips and daffodils. The puppy came with me and barked at the sheep. One or two looked up, as if to say, "Huh?" and the rest were blissfully ignorant of the danger. The tulips are in my room, the yellow daffodils are on the piano outside my door and the white ones (probably there's some offical flower name for these) are in the kitchen.
Today, I helped my son clean out his room. We practically needed a bulldozer. But many old toys were discarded and we culled out a large number of books he has grown out of which made room for the ones he hasn't. It was hard work but now it's done until the next time. I played with the puppy and worked on Dark Elf and wished someone had helped me shovel out my room.
Then, I went out and picked tulips and daffodils. The puppy came with me and barked at the sheep. One or two looked up, as if to say, "Huh?" and the rest were blissfully ignorant of the danger. The tulips are in my room, the yellow daffodils are on the piano outside my door and the white ones (probably there's some offical flower name for these) are in the kitchen.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/19/2006 08:37:00 PM Permalink
Saturday, March 18, 2006
The Dumb Day Tales
Today was a dumb day. My son spent the night at his cousin's last night, so you'd think I'd be all excited about an evening to write and then a whole morning, too, because my brother said he'd bring my son home. And you'd be right. Only my computer started misbehaving and I ended up trying to head off disaster instead of writing. Last night WPX3 stopped working. So I used WP 12, but then whatever was freaking X3 started freaking WP12 this morning. My son gets home and plainly, he has not slept any more than, say, 5 mintues the whole night. My computer was still unreliable and trashing files (erk!!) so I started hacking the registry and there was an awful moment when I thought I'd disabled part of the OS, even though that didn't make sense considering I was just deleting all the x3 registry entries left behind after the so-called "uninstall". But then instead of getting myself even more hot and bothered, I turned off the computer and took my soon to the movies.
We saw Failure to Launch and every time I thought the movie was going to crash and burn, it didn't. It had its dumb parts, but it was really a good, enjoyable movie that I would not have minded paying a non-matinee price for. First off, I never thought Matthew MacConneghy was all that great until this movie. He's a hottie. And, it was a buddie film and the buddies were hot, too. And interesting and intelligent! And, it was a chick film and Sarah Jessica Parker is too damn skinny. But her roommate was hilarious. I'd go see anything with her in it. And, Terry Bradshaw, who I never liked because he just didn't want to like Joe Montana, was great and so was Kathy Bates. Yay all around!
So then we got home from the movie, I turned on the computer and it worked just fine. I reconnected the wpd extension to wp12 and got some extra work done because my son fell asleep so I didn't have to make him dinner when I expected. Just fed him now, but I got some good stuff done in that hour and a half. The puppy is asleep on my lap, the utility room tile is down and looks even better than I imagined. Even the tile guy liked what I did (blackish gray tiles from Italy, but polished and unpolished squares laid down in a checkerboard.) Very good for hiding dirt and yet, it doesn't look like utility room crap. You'd think we were from Marin County or something. Very cool. Back to writing.
We saw Failure to Launch and every time I thought the movie was going to crash and burn, it didn't. It had its dumb parts, but it was really a good, enjoyable movie that I would not have minded paying a non-matinee price for. First off, I never thought Matthew MacConneghy was all that great until this movie. He's a hottie. And, it was a buddie film and the buddies were hot, too. And interesting and intelligent! And, it was a chick film and Sarah Jessica Parker is too damn skinny. But her roommate was hilarious. I'd go see anything with her in it. And, Terry Bradshaw, who I never liked because he just didn't want to like Joe Montana, was great and so was Kathy Bates. Yay all around!
So then we got home from the movie, I turned on the computer and it worked just fine. I reconnected the wpd extension to wp12 and got some extra work done because my son fell asleep so I didn't have to make him dinner when I expected. Just fed him now, but I got some good stuff done in that hour and a half. The puppy is asleep on my lap, the utility room tile is down and looks even better than I imagined. Even the tile guy liked what I did (blackish gray tiles from Italy, but polished and unpolished squares laid down in a checkerboard.) Very good for hiding dirt and yet, it doesn't look like utility room crap. You'd think we were from Marin County or something. Very cool. Back to writing.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/18/2006 08:01:00 PM Permalink
Thursday, March 16, 2006
work was done
My son had a fever and had to stay home from school, so not so much work done today. We watched a DVD on the Ocean which was cool and we watched March of the Penguins, also good. Then I had to run out to the Univ to chat with my prof about my dark elf chapters. I was worried they were boring, but she seemed to like them. She did mention an idea about the ways in which "othering" ocurs that was fabulous. I'm excited about going back to add that in. I'm trying to get through getting in the paper edits. Finished for DE yesterday, got an OK amount done for Shift.
I've discovered the puppy loves popcorn (No oil added!) I mean really really loves it, but it makes a mess. So I went to get the broom but the tile guy FINALLY!! was able to come today so we can finish the repairs after the tile was walked here from Texas, apparently by someone taking frequent breaks along the way. So anyway, we told the tile guy to come whenever he could, we didn't care as long as he arrived ready to lay some tile. So then I had to quick clear out the utility room and now I don't know where the broom is. My room looks god awful. Maybe the broom will show up tomorrow. Meanwhile, I'm trying not to look at the floor.
No pirates like yesterday, but then I had to go home because my son was sick. Probably they came after I left and looked like Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom.
I've discovered the puppy loves popcorn (No oil added!) I mean really really loves it, but it makes a mess. So I went to get the broom but the tile guy FINALLY!! was able to come today so we can finish the repairs after the tile was walked here from Texas, apparently by someone taking frequent breaks along the way. So anyway, we told the tile guy to come whenever he could, we didn't care as long as he arrived ready to lay some tile. So then I had to quick clear out the utility room and now I don't know where the broom is. My room looks god awful. Maybe the broom will show up tomorrow. Meanwhile, I'm trying not to look at the floor.
No pirates like yesterday, but then I had to go home because my son was sick. Probably they came after I left and looked like Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/16/2006 10:24:00 PM Permalink
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Row Row Row Your Novel....
So, paper edits on Dark Elf proposal chapters are done. I think one more read through and it goes off to some trusted readers. Shift is next. Notebooked the new more better plot for Possession. Yes. Much better.
Oh, and today we had sunshine and I, who am not much of a sunshine person, was very very happy to see blue sky.
I have nothing interesting to say today.
OK. There's no excuse for this blah of a blog. Today at work pirates attacked the evil moron employee and made him walk the plank. After the Aliens arrived at 11:30am, everyone got raises except the mangerial types. The noisy copy machine died a horrible death and spewed dark chocolate on the floor (wrapped, no harm no foul there). I went to the gym and magically looked like a super model while I delicately bench pressed 250. I saw the gym elf and he declared his undying love and desire to be my personal cover model. I won the lottery and found out I'm adopted and my real parents are the King and Queen of Lower Silenieisa, who have been looking for me for years. My son cleaned his room. Other than that, nothing happened.
Oh, and today we had sunshine and I, who am not much of a sunshine person, was very very happy to see blue sky.
I have nothing interesting to say today.
OK. There's no excuse for this blah of a blog. Today at work pirates attacked the evil moron employee and made him walk the plank. After the Aliens arrived at 11:30am, everyone got raises except the mangerial types. The noisy copy machine died a horrible death and spewed dark chocolate on the floor (wrapped, no harm no foul there). I went to the gym and magically looked like a super model while I delicately bench pressed 250. I saw the gym elf and he declared his undying love and desire to be my personal cover model. I won the lottery and found out I'm adopted and my real parents are the King and Queen of Lower Silenieisa, who have been looking for me for years. My son cleaned his room. Other than that, nothing happened.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/15/2006 09:04:00 PM Permalink
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Soggy Writer
More rain. Ick.
Moving right along. Am done with the paper read throughs and working on getting the edits into the computer. Had a major Doh moment with Possession. The only bad news there is that means I have to strike that, get to rewrite the synopsis. But, really, that is good because it means the story is now even way more betterTM
What else? Nothing. I'm sick of rain. The puppy is asleep on my lap and the big fluffy cat persists in standing in front of the monitor. Mean Orange Cat is asking for more food. Devil cat is asleep. I have temporarily outwitted him in re the devil cattery. I have used that tacky Museum stuff to affix breakables to my dresser. I also had to tack down the lids to the containers. It's not possible to rearrange or open anything now, and there is less for him to break and/or knock over. I know from sad experience that he will soon find a way to make me pay. And despite this, I love him anyway.
Moving right along. Am done with the paper read throughs and working on getting the edits into the computer. Had a major Doh moment with Possession. The only bad news there is that means I have to strike that, get to rewrite the synopsis. But, really, that is good because it means the story is now even way more betterTM
What else? Nothing. I'm sick of rain. The puppy is asleep on my lap and the big fluffy cat persists in standing in front of the monitor. Mean Orange Cat is asking for more food. Devil cat is asleep. I have temporarily outwitted him in re the devil cattery. I have used that tacky Museum stuff to affix breakables to my dresser. I also had to tack down the lids to the containers. It's not possible to rearrange or open anything now, and there is less for him to break and/or knock over. I know from sad experience that he will soon find a way to make me pay. And despite this, I love him anyway.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/14/2006 09:24:00 PM Permalink
Monday, March 13, 2006
things go along
Doing paper read through of the proposals waiting to go out. So far things are better than I expected. Found some important tweaks to make in Dark Elf that will really help out. Chapter 3 is rough, but I expected that. Shift is pretty good and now I'm fixing the POV issues in chapter 5.
I am sick of rain and cold. Make it stop.
I am sick of rain and cold. Make it stop.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/13/2006 09:29:00 PM Permalink
Fore-edge Painting: Frost
This is the absolute coolest thing I've seen in ages. I had NO idea this was ever done, could be done or that it's still done today. I'm talking about painting on the fore-edges of a book. For those on dial up, the video is WORTH it. There's a link to a straight download. There is just so much cool stuff from the past that is getting lost. Check it out.
Read more at www.foredgefrost.co.uk/...
posted by Carolyn @ 3/13/2006 08:15:00 PM Permalink
Sunday, March 12, 2006
More wild weather and writing
Today it snowed on the Sonoma Mountains again and hailed on our house. Most of the rest of the time, it was raining. The lights went out just long enough that we had to reset all the clocks. I was out getting daffodils in between bits of weather and saw Angus the peacock hanging about in all his long-tailed glory. He looked quite striking against the green grass. The puppy thought about barking at him but didn't. Now the house is full of daffodils and it's quite cheerful and lovely to see.
Nobody feels sorry about me being cold or about it snowing. But this is Coastal California! It's not supposed to snow here. We get to go around thinking that bundled up means a sweatshirt over the tee-shirt and maybe a coat. On the other hand, when my brother calls from Santa Barbara and says he had to put on a shirt it was so cold, I don't feel sorry for him either. But I'm still cold.
It turns that yes, indeed, I did start chapter two of the new historical at the wrong place. I fixed that (it was easy, I only had a paragraph) but then just now it turned out my hero is a bit different than I wrote him in Chapter 1, so I have to go change chapter 1 before getting to chapter 2. I have printed out the three proposals I would like to get to my agent sometime very soon (Dark Elf, Possession and Shift) and will be seeing what I have.
Yesterday I read a book (Ok, Ok, it was Micah, by Laurel K. Hamilton) and I also started reading an anthology. I didn't like the first story so I skipped that and started the second which I pretty much like but it's hitting some rough spots where I'm kind of foreseeing a stupid hokey ending. I'm not seeing quite enough command from the writer to make me think I'll be surprised by anything meaty. Kind of too bad. I enjoyed Micah but find myself wondering about why it's so short and double spaced. Maybe it's a story line that got cut from the long Incubus Dreams which I really, really liked. I think they should have left it in. Micah wasn't long enough to really enjoy, it was over too soon. I went through my TBR and put them all in a big box so they won't be such a tripping hazard and then I threw out all my RITA books because NONE of them were keepers. Last time I judged the RITA I got great books and one passed the acid test -- I gave it to my sister to read.
Oh, and today I got a really great email about A Darker Crimson. That made my day. I like when people I don't know say they loved a book of mine.
Nobody feels sorry about me being cold or about it snowing. But this is Coastal California! It's not supposed to snow here. We get to go around thinking that bundled up means a sweatshirt over the tee-shirt and maybe a coat. On the other hand, when my brother calls from Santa Barbara and says he had to put on a shirt it was so cold, I don't feel sorry for him either. But I'm still cold.
It turns that yes, indeed, I did start chapter two of the new historical at the wrong place. I fixed that (it was easy, I only had a paragraph) but then just now it turned out my hero is a bit different than I wrote him in Chapter 1, so I have to go change chapter 1 before getting to chapter 2. I have printed out the three proposals I would like to get to my agent sometime very soon (Dark Elf, Possession and Shift) and will be seeing what I have.
Yesterday I read a book (Ok, Ok, it was Micah, by Laurel K. Hamilton) and I also started reading an anthology. I didn't like the first story so I skipped that and started the second which I pretty much like but it's hitting some rough spots where I'm kind of foreseeing a stupid hokey ending. I'm not seeing quite enough command from the writer to make me think I'll be surprised by anything meaty. Kind of too bad. I enjoyed Micah but find myself wondering about why it's so short and double spaced. Maybe it's a story line that got cut from the long Incubus Dreams which I really, really liked. I think they should have left it in. Micah wasn't long enough to really enjoy, it was over too soon. I went through my TBR and put them all in a big box so they won't be such a tripping hazard and then I threw out all my RITA books because NONE of them were keepers. Last time I judged the RITA I got great books and one passed the acid test -- I gave it to my sister to read.
Oh, and today I got a really great email about A Darker Crimson. That made my day. I like when people I don't know say they loved a book of mine.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/12/2006 09:47:00 PM Permalink
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Wild and boring.
We're having some wild weather here. In this part of California, snow is pretty much unheard of, but yesterday, there was snow on the Sonoma Mountains (Think hill, and you'll have a good idea). Snow level was 500 feet. It snows in the Sierras, home of the Donner party and awesome Lake Tahoe. It does not snow here, and yet, what used to be a once in 10 or 20 years has now become 3 times in 5 years. Oh, no, there's no climate change! Next thing you know, people I know in New York will be saying, "Yeah, it's cold here, I had to put on a jacket." And I'll be saying, "It's -5!" I may actually have to buy a coat. (OK, I feel better, I got my weather snootiness in.)
Went to see Ultraviolet. Weird, weird movie. It's not bad exactly, so much as a genre of movie ahead of its time. It's a comic book, but no director has yet got a handle on how to bring a comic book to the big screen. One of these days someone will get it, and it'll be awesome. Maybe about the time they start involving women in the story and scriptwriting. In this one, there were 2 women characters. (not counting crowd scene extras). The other women said like three words and then got blown away. The closest thing to a male interest was a completely obvious never in a million years airquotes scientist. What's weird, is the cutest guy (extremely cute, by the way) in the whole movie inexplicably had a French accent (tres charmant!) appeared a few times for reasons I can't figure out and looked eerily like Chris Keeslar. Also, stupid vampire teeth. Obviously, they spent oodles on Violet's three hey-look-at-my-navel costumes and special-fu effects, couldn't they have sprung for realstic vampire fangs?
In writing news, I wrote chapter 1 of the New Historical then stalled out on chapter 2. I think I started that chapter with the wrong character. Or maybe in the wrong place. Need to think about that. Worked on Dark Elf and that went well. Went to my local chapter meeting. Hilary Sares of Kensington was speaking. She was really personable and interesting. Now, I think I'm going to read one of the books I bought at the meeting.
Note to Patti: See, this is how me time is handled. Movie AND a Book. Way more than 1/2 hour for me. Because I am a selfish witch. (Anyone, feel free to substitute a rhyming word of your choice.
Went to see Ultraviolet. Weird, weird movie. It's not bad exactly, so much as a genre of movie ahead of its time. It's a comic book, but no director has yet got a handle on how to bring a comic book to the big screen. One of these days someone will get it, and it'll be awesome. Maybe about the time they start involving women in the story and scriptwriting. In this one, there were 2 women characters. (not counting crowd scene extras). The other women said like three words and then got blown away. The closest thing to a male interest was a completely obvious never in a million years airquotes scientist. What's weird, is the cutest guy (extremely cute, by the way) in the whole movie inexplicably had a French accent (tres charmant!) appeared a few times for reasons I can't figure out and looked eerily like Chris Keeslar. Also, stupid vampire teeth. Obviously, they spent oodles on Violet's three hey-look-at-my-navel costumes and special-fu effects, couldn't they have sprung for realstic vampire fangs?
In writing news, I wrote chapter 1 of the New Historical then stalled out on chapter 2. I think I started that chapter with the wrong character. Or maybe in the wrong place. Need to think about that. Worked on Dark Elf and that went well. Went to my local chapter meeting. Hilary Sares of Kensington was speaking. She was really personable and interesting. Now, I think I'm going to read one of the books I bought at the meeting.
Note to Patti: See, this is how me time is handled. Movie AND a Book. Way more than 1/2 hour for me. Because I am a selfish witch. (Anyone, feel free to substitute a rhyming word of your choice.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/11/2006 07:06:00 PM Permalink
Friday, March 10, 2006
Argh!! Plus stuff.
Devil cat is up to deviltry. (What will he break this time?) Big fluffy cat is in front of the monitor so I can only see the top part. Puppy is asleep on my lap. Mean Orange cat is lingering around the food bowl hoping for more. (Sorry, no. We're both on a diet.) Son is watching TV.
OK, so my schedule and prime writing time seem to have changed a bit. It's earlier in the day, mostly due to my son staying up later. By the time I'm done reading to him, I can't get in more than half an hour of work. It's all coming between 4:30 and 8:30, with a big gap for dinner and family issues. Dark Elf is going OK, but I'm not sure I like the chapters. I think they're boring. Chapter 1 is 12 pages, and that's getting to be a bit too long. There just so much stuff missing. Anyway, plugging away at it.
Yesterday, I got a boffo idea for the Next Historical. I think I may have stumbled upon a faster way of fleshing out ideas. Not sure. The approach needs some thought and work. But it's a cool idea and I'm anxious to map out the structure.
OK, so my schedule and prime writing time seem to have changed a bit. It's earlier in the day, mostly due to my son staying up later. By the time I'm done reading to him, I can't get in more than half an hour of work. It's all coming between 4:30 and 8:30, with a big gap for dinner and family issues. Dark Elf is going OK, but I'm not sure I like the chapters. I think they're boring. Chapter 1 is 12 pages, and that's getting to be a bit too long. There just so much stuff missing. Anyway, plugging away at it.
Yesterday, I got a boffo idea for the Next Historical. I think I may have stumbled upon a faster way of fleshing out ideas. Not sure. The approach needs some thought and work. But it's a cool idea and I'm anxious to map out the structure.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/10/2006 04:50:00 PM Permalink
Slashdot | eBooks - What's Holding You Back?
Interesting Slashdot thread on ebooks. Why /.ers read them or not. And by the way, they do discuss fiction. What about you? Why do you read or not read ebooks?
Read more at ask.slashdot.org/asksla...
Read more at ask.slashdot.org/asksla...
posted by Carolyn @ 3/10/2006 10:06:00 AM Permalink
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Fiction Finder for Library Books Check it out.
Neat Tool for those days when you're performing Stupid Web Tricks. Find out how many libraries have your books. 111 Libraries have The Spare (the book that never shipped...) . In fact, even the really old books, Passion's Song and Stolen Love, are in libraries. A Darker Crimson isn't listed yet.
Read more at www.oclc.org/research/p...
Read more at www.oclc.org/research/p...
posted by Carolyn @ 3/08/2006 08:36:00 PM Permalink
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Cats Puppies and Persistence
Draft Number 6,732 (a very slight exaggeration, I assure you) of the Dark Elf synopsis is going pretty well. But now I'm at the ending part where I've slashed everything I already wrote 6,731 different ways before in favor of ... uh. That's the problem. I hate endings. Which puts me in mind of my puppy, the little cutie, who insists time after time in bouncing over to greet the mean orange cat. Her name is Miss Violet. All 5 times the puppy has bounced over to say hello to Missy Vee, he gets swiped across the nose. And yet, he persist in this apparent delusion that THIS time for SURE, she will decide she likes him. The synopsis is Missy Vee, the mean orange cat. I am the bouncing puppy convinced that at LAST I will have an ending for the stupid synopsis. Why, oh, why, can I not just write: I guarantee this book will end right about here, and that all will come right on the last page. Hankies for everyone.
Every damn time, those endings hurt.
Every damn time, those endings hurt.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/07/2006 10:00:00 PM Permalink
Monday, March 06, 2006
In Which Carolyn Actually Wrestles a Synopsis To the Ground
Could it be true? Here's the newest opening paragraph:
Does it rock, or does it suck? I have to go pick up my son from Aikido. Probably when I get back I'll realize it sucks, but I'm trying to bask in the initial euphoria.
All names subject to change. All the words, too.
Essa Darien is an Elven language Scholar forced to leave her woman-only cloister (and the only home she's known) when she's assigned to interpret for an elf better known to humans as Aric Bloodhand. The decidedly unwordly Essa lands in the middle of a deadly controversy between elves and humans that pits her Scholar's oath to truth against her allegiance to her King. As she struggles to deal with the suspicious and difficult Bloodhand, she learns that how and why she was cloistered lies at the center of a plot to put the King's cousin on the throne.
Does it rock, or does it suck? I have to go pick up my son from Aikido. Probably when I get back I'll realize it sucks, but I'm trying to bask in the initial euphoria.
All names subject to change. All the words, too.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/06/2006 05:15:00 PM Permalink
Sunday, March 05, 2006
It's hard to write when . . .
Your laptop is in the car, you are outside the car, and your son has locked the keys in the trunk. Welcome to the start of my day. The last of the soccer tryouts was at 8:00 am this morning which means we were there at 7:45am. I should also mention that it was raining, it was cold and windy, and my coat was inside the car as was my cell phone. However, my purse was not and I carry a second cell phone for work since my job does not permit employees to conduct a business on a company paid-for cell phone. (I get all my writing calls on my cell.) Plus, it's none of their business who I call anyway, hence the second cell phone. Today that was a good thing, since I was able to call home, explain where the extra key was, and then freeze in the cold windy rain for twenty minutes. I also had the puppy in the doggie purse. The puppy and I stood under some trees and shivered while my son stayed nice and warm running around playing soccer. They ended the tryout 45 minutes early on account of the rain, so I hardly had time to get warm and start up the laptop before he was tapping on the window. He made the team, so that's nice.
This afternoon, the darling child had to finish his report on Julius Ceasar (Argh!) I could NOT stop myself from making some corrections on the last pass after he'd fixed most of the issues himself. He'd asked me to proofread and my fingers just went and made changes like they had their own little editing brains. Scary. But first the Julius Ceasar book went missing and he was looking at ending the paper with "and somebody else took over after Caesar died." But then we found it. We made the laurel wreath head thingee and then the toga also went missing for a while. Sigh. Oh, and I showed him my text to speech application and how to make it talk. That was good for nearly an hour of delightful 10 year old boy level humor. Eventually he got bored with that.
So, I got very little writing done today. Plus, it occurs to me that this post represents the most excitement I've had in quite some time. In terms of the blogosphere, that's pretty sad. It's not the Liz Maverick Bikini post (you'll have to scroll down). In terms of life, well, my "excitment" speaks for itself, doesn't it?
I'm going to go see if I can fix my synopsis.
This afternoon, the darling child had to finish his report on Julius Ceasar (Argh!) I could NOT stop myself from making some corrections on the last pass after he'd fixed most of the issues himself. He'd asked me to proofread and my fingers just went and made changes like they had their own little editing brains. Scary. But first the Julius Ceasar book went missing and he was looking at ending the paper with "and somebody else took over after Caesar died." But then we found it. We made the laurel wreath head thingee and then the toga also went missing for a while. Sigh. Oh, and I showed him my text to speech application and how to make it talk. That was good for nearly an hour of delightful 10 year old boy level humor. Eventually he got bored with that.
So, I got very little writing done today. Plus, it occurs to me that this post represents the most excitement I've had in quite some time. In terms of the blogosphere, that's pretty sad. It's not the Liz Maverick Bikini post (you'll have to scroll down). In terms of life, well, my "excitment" speaks for itself, doesn't it?
I'm going to go see if I can fix my synopsis.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/05/2006 07:21:00 PM Permalink
Saturday, March 04, 2006
I've been working on the novel, all the live long day
Right now my son is using my laptop to do a paper for school, every few minutes it's, "Mom? How do you spell..." or "Mom, how do you do .... " He's a terrible speller. (Sheesh! The big fluffy cat has taken to standing directly in front of the monitor!) Plus, I have to force myself not to stand behind him and offer editing advice. I have been working on fixing my Dark Elf mess. It's going OK. I think. Back to it.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/04/2006 05:20:00 PM Permalink
Friday, March 03, 2006
So, like, you know, stuff
Other than stuff and stuff, the writing is going, um, Ok, I think. Still on Dark Elf. 1000+ words yesterday and today (that's each, not total). Yesterday I kept thinking, gee, this just really sucks. Today I think, hey, these are words I can fix! I drop off chapters for the prof next week, so I have til Wed to fix some. It's all really thin and, sucky, basically, but I have AT LAST! been moving the story forward. It's just moving forward in a way currently not reflected in the synopsis. But I suppose no one needs to know that, right? I haven't fixed the gaping irresolution in the synopsis yet, but I will soon.
Things are dull right now. Not really recovered from my issues of the other day. Sigh
Things are dull right now. Not really recovered from my issues of the other day. Sigh
posted by Carolyn @ 3/03/2006 09:52:00 PM Permalink
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Inundated by tasks
I ran out of envelopes a while back and so I ended up with a backlog of author stuff I needed to mail out, and then today there were two more things, so I ended up printing out envelopes, addressing mailers etc and that took longer than I expected. But if someone asks for bookmarks or what have you, I feel bad just stuffing them in an envelope and mailing them off, so I write a little note (really really little) and then stuff it etc. A Waldenbooks also asked for material. That was exciting. I've heard some people say bookstores don't want that stuff, and others do, but don't send a lot or send at least 100 of each. What's a poor author to do? Fortunately, this request came with a number so that was easy. But, I mailed off my taxes to my CPA and now I have to go back to mail all this other stuff. Plus, I have to come up with a Julius Caesar costume for my son. Natually, I googled it. It's appalling how many web sites equate How to make a toga with How to get drunk and party ARGH! But, I do have a diagram that has nothing to do with beer, hooters or parties.
And, today I posted (plogged?) to Amazon Connect about Jade Lee's blog give away (scroll throgh the posts, you'll find it) and today there have been several comments to the that post so even though I was skeptical about Amazon Connect, I guess I that was misplaced.
Lastly, I'm in a mood again, and it's not even dark yet. Why am I in a mood? Because I have heard nothing from editor or agent land and seriously, I've been thinking lately, why am I bothering with this? Obviously no one is paying attention to me. And why should they? Sigh. Sometimes being a writer is difficult in ways you just don't anticipate.
Ok, in writing news, I got a lot done on Dark Elf yesterday and plotted out today's work so I know what I'll be doing tonight, aside from the hopeless hack mind games.
And, today I posted (plogged?) to Amazon Connect about Jade Lee's blog give away (scroll throgh the posts, you'll find it) and today there have been several comments to the that post so even though I was skeptical about Amazon Connect, I guess I that was misplaced.
Lastly, I'm in a mood again, and it's not even dark yet. Why am I in a mood? Because I have heard nothing from editor or agent land and seriously, I've been thinking lately, why am I bothering with this? Obviously no one is paying attention to me. And why should they? Sigh. Sometimes being a writer is difficult in ways you just don't anticipate.
Ok, in writing news, I got a lot done on Dark Elf yesterday and plotted out today's work so I know what I'll be doing tonight, aside from the hopeless hack mind games.
posted by Carolyn @ 3/01/2006 05:30:00 PM Permalink
