Month: May 2010

Brain is full of frost elf angst. Must try to capture some of it before I cut out material tonight. I think a different elf gets to go with Manuel on his baby saving journey, but I’m not sure yet.

Still, Angry Elf versus Guilty Elf! Watch the blades fly!

Thinking differently about David and the magic hammer charm. I wonder what will happen when Angry Troll meets Angry Elf? And what about the struggles of Responsible Troll?

Yeah, I need to sit down and watch what happens. You could have done all this crap last draft, you know. It would sure have made my life easier.

Does anyone know why characters change their minds in spite of your best laid plans?

On the other hand, bravo Nick. I wouldn’t have foreseen you mucking up my story so much, but I think you’re truer to your trickster origins than last draft.

Oh writing, I wish I could quit you. You are such a pain.

Catherine

Today a student noticed that I was losing weight.

I haven’t lost that much weight since I began the Wii Fit workouts/anti-sugar regimen. I have lost 6.5 pounds since April 4. That’s not peanuts, but in my experience it’s also not really noticeable.

What is, I think, more to the point, is that my student is seeing the benefits to my body as I have been working out every day.

When I’ve made workout efforts in the past, I’ve followed the outdated 80s model–focusing on burning calories, rather than a more holistic approach. I always figured I could tone after I burned off fat. Yeah, that worked.

The Wii program is very holistic. I cycle through 4 different kinds of exercise emphases. I work out 30 minutes or a little over each day.

Day 1, I work on my balance and a little aerobics.
Day 2, it’s about yoga to increase flexibility and improve balance. I get a few minutes of aerobics in that day as well.
Day 3, it’s all heart thumping, calorie burning aerobics.
Day 4 is strength training, with some lower intensity aerobics at the end.

This work out strategy is holistic, and focuses on a variety of things that keep your body in good shape. I’ve never done much strength training before. With my past dance classes and my current tai chi, I do a great deal for flexibility. Things like peripheral vision and balance I would never have emphasized on my own.

The results are muscles. I am firming up in some…surprising places. Posture is getting better too. As I type this, I am no longer hunched over the laptop. I’m gonna have to turn in my membership to the Igor club.

Exercise isn’t all you need for weight loss. I’m interested in eating better and getting more out of the body I have, trying to be healthy, rather than thin. What I’m finding fascinating on this outing is that I can be toned without being lean.

I am also experiencing more body confidence and a better sense of well-being. While I don’t always have more energy, I do overall. I think exercise is worthwhile based on its own merits, regardless of its impact on weight loss.

It would make it easier for me to do some of those activities if I shed more weight. The plow is pretty hard when you have a tummy.

Catherine

I have many wants.

First of all, I have my Iron Man 2 tickets for Friday at 4:10. I have heard it’s better than the first, continuing in the great tradition of that most awesome of super-hero movies Spider Man 2. I dunno…Tobey Maguire and Alfred Molina aren’t in it. We’ll see.

There seem to be a large number of kids books coming out this summer that I’m really excited about.

Sarah Prineas is publishing Magic Thief: Found soon. Not only is the book a great read, but the book itself is crafted like a little jewel. I already have a red one and a blue one, and now I get one in green.

Greg Van Eekhout is responsible for Kid vs. Squid. I heard Greg read the opener at World Fantasy, and I was hooked. Laura Koenig has great things to say.

Stephanie Burgis’ debut book, A Most Improper Magick isn’t getting to the US until Spring, 2011. I may have to raid Amazon.UK

Caroline Stevermer is releasing Magic Under Stairs on my birthday. That’s timing. Read the blurbs at Amazon.

So yeah, I’ll be loitering outside of bookstores, up to no good, until these books come out. No pressure on the authors or anything, but you have it in your hands to prevent the kind of mischief that results from boredom.

I’ll be posting about other books I’ll be coveting later, those that don’t necessarily fall into the kid genre.

Catherine

I can not tell you how much I was looking forward to this Tuesday writing session. I escaped the gravity of the school at 10 am, and I wrote for two hours at the local Barnes and Noble, and for two hours at Coffee Talk, my favorite local place.

I don’t usually write at Coffee Talk because I am well known here. I like talking to people and they like talking to me, so the amount of work that gets done isn’t always high. At B&N, I can be much more anonymous, especially if I avoid the coffee shop. But it seems after lunch, Coffee Talk is just as effective.

Deena Fisher reminded me that Coyote Con has word wars, so I headed over there at noon. I had two scenes I had to trash from the novel and start over with, and thanks to word wars, I replaced them with 2300 words from the new POV. I was going to try to get back to word wars on Thursday, but it turns out I have to get a picture for the KFA exec board right after a curricular meeting. Maybe I can make half?

Here come the bragging rights for today: I revised 7 pages of text, wrote 2300 new words, and increased the overall size of the story to 41.7K. We’re on page 47 of the rewrite. I’m happy with the characterizations that are emerging this time around. Much more teen-aged.

Off to pick up the man. Besides working out, tonight’s goal is to get the pattern for WQ’s medieval dress ready for cutting on Thursday. The cats will love it. Wrinkling tissue and laying on things they don’t need to will totally make their night.

Catherine

I want to remind everyone that Coyote Con is up and running, and people are having a good time. Go and join them.

I’ve registered on the off chance that I might have a spare moment in the last month to pop in, but I’ve got to do…some things.

At work, I have to finish a health care communication syllabus and I have lots of little projects.

On writer days, I still have the troll novel.

And there’s sewing at night.

May is a full month, with one semester closing and one semester opening, with heavy revisions on the novel, and hopes for a costume at Convergence.

But you know, if it’s worth doing…

Take care, and I wish you much writing.

Catherine