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I have fallen off the edge of the world, and I can’t get up. I think that’s vaguely mythological.

Here’s what’s happening, people! I want to write a thoughtful post in reaction to Sean Craven’s recent Renaissance Oaf post on Martin Gladwell. I can’t right now because the day job and the writing and the ill father-in-law are devouring my time resource.

All to the good. While I have to scramble to teach a phonetics class I hadn’t planned on, I think I’m really going to enjoy doing it. While the FiL has been roller-coastering, the current prognosis is on a hill. (He didn’t have cancer in his lymph nodes. Did you even know about that? And they’re starting to irradiate that bad boy tumor.) And the writing, well, so far 28 hours in two weeks. I’ve got half an hour in tonight, and I’ll get back to the editing for the Vegas workshop very shortly.

All that said, I will be back. Freakin’ Phew, but I will be back.

***

Meanwhile, since things are so hectic right now, I have to credit Matt Hughes for making my day. My week. Currently, maybe even my month.

Matt has written a review of Hulk Hercules over at Adventures in Sci Fi Publishing that makes me both elated and embarrassed, which means I am a total noob still, at heart. Thanks, Matt!

Right. Time to edit the donuts. I edited the donuts.

Catherine

I’m hitching my horse up to the rebellion wagon. My brain is day-job tired, and I need a break. There’s a task before me on my desk that I pulled out to start at 10:30. In the intervening time, I have counseled, cajoled, congratulated, re-hired, sent out feelers for new employees, diplomatized, and eaten my lunch in 2 hours and 35 minutes.

Honestly, who’d want to quit a day job like that? *blink*

Now, normally, I’d go home, put my feet up and watch the latest in the Netflix hit parade (“The Big Lebowski” for the curious.) But I’ve made this New Year’s resolution about writing 12 hours a week, you see, and by damn, tonight’s 1.5 hours are going down!!!

Some people find that it’s not helpful to tell other people about their resolutions. I disagree. I have broadcasted all over the Internet and creation that I’m doing this, and the world is watching. My boss knows. My spouse knows. My co-workers know. Everyone thinks it’s cool. *

*transcript of two real co-worker conversations follows (yes, they remarkably similar):

“Oh,” they said. “That’s interesting. What are you writing?”
“Whatever comes out,” I said. “The point is that I’m working on something, that I’m putting in the time.”
*Gears turn.* “Oh,” they said. “That’s really cool.”
“Yes,” I said. “I’m trying to be a writer by making it part of my life and committing to it.”
“That’s really cool,” they said.

Later, one of those co-workers stopped by to say something like, “You’ve really inspired me. I’m going to see if I can find a project I can work on like that.”

So you see why I can’t let those people down. I can’t let you all down either. I can’t let me down either. And yes, this has turned into a pep talk about how I need to do this after a long, tiring day of having my extrovert batteries drained.

I knew there were times when this would be a struggle. But I’m not giving in, even if tonight I end up just going through the motions. And if I can do this, you can do this. Really! Never surrender! Dr. Writer is in the house!

Or she will be, as soon as she gets out of the office. Oh look, ANOTHER student!

Cath

Barack Obama is Luke Skywalker courtesy of Jon Stewart.

***

A well-tempered consideration of the clean-up of Huck Finn from Jim Hines.

***

Kirkwood is delving into the world of writing scholarships for creative writing outreach. More on this when it actually occurs next month. Also begun the planning of Cat and my Scandinavian research trip. I’m learning a lot about Oslo right now.

***

Life is a little turvey at the moment. Bryon and I are surrounded by a sea of grim, mishaps happening to our family and friends. His dad’s condition is eroding the tiny little island we’re on. I have one hand firmly wrapped around the island’s one palm tree, and the other clutching onto him, but he’s still attracted by the glimmering waters. And then I watch our friends also drift off the shore, but I’m out of hands.

Hiding this under a cut, because this smacks a bit of emo. In general, I know more than a few people who could use your good thoughts.

Continue reading “Randomness is Random”

I finished The God Engines by John Scalzi over Christmas break. It was a short read. At first, I didn’t like it, but I myself returning to it in a thinky sort of way. And here we are.

Scalzi’s book isn’t a pleasant read. The book is set in a faith-based society where one god has usurped and enslaved all other gods. The people in the society are ethnocentric. There actions are justified quite literally because God is on their side. When the machinations of the church become involved in conversion for the god’s personal purposes, and when our protagonist discovers that his god isn’t what he though it was, events unravel. We have a skillful tale of cultural examination, faith disillusionment, and at what cost belief is bought.

I’m not sure how much of this Scalzi set out to do on purpose. I’d love to ask him how and why this book came about, and what he is trying to say. What I’d really love is to have him come and sit in one of our Disciple Groups discussions about Old Testament God and add to it.

I’m in the most intellectual Disciple group. We’re liberal Christians. We don’t believe in hell. We do believe in evolution. And when we study the Bible, we have lots of questions about who wrote it and to what end. This semester’s course is an overview, and we’ve been looking at Old Testament Jehovah. He’s one contrary dude.

I’ll warn you that there might be some God Engines spoilers under here, and there are certainly some Bible spoilers. Also, if you tend toward a literal interpretation of the Bible, you probably don’t want to look under here.

Continue reading “The God Engines and the Old Testament God”

I have finished reviewing a novel for a friend, and one of the questions she asked me is whether I thought she should work on her novel before sending it out, or if she should send it out anyway. That’s a really good question. It is, in fact, a question I’ve been pondering for myself.

Back when I was a baby writer my first draft was the coup-de-grace. It had taken me all that time to write a book, and of course I wanted to get it out into the world. Yes, I would have others look at my work. Generally, these were folks at the same baby writer level as me, or interested readers. I would also proof my work, and off it would go.

Now that I’m a toddler writer, I send out my books after multiple drafts and multiple viewings. They get rejected, I revise them substantially, if I decide they are salvageable. Eventually they’ll go out again. This is the strategy I wonder about. It seems a reasonable strategy from the perspective that while I am getting rejected, I am also getting asked for partials and fulls. I am also learning about rejection and developing a thicker skin. Some writers of my acquaintance tell me that this phase is vital. You have to begin sending work out and getting rejected. It’s an important part of writing.

That said, I never send out a work when I think that I could do better. Perhaps as I am sending out the work and I begin to get the feedback, I think I can do better. However, I never send out a work with the idea that it’s not the best I can do with the time and resources I have. The scenario I really want to avoid is that of the person who works on one work over and over, trying to turn it into a masterpiece in a vacuum.

There is one other piece of the puzzle. What if someone publishes something of mine that isn’t very good? You may scoff at this, but publishing is not the vanguard some propose it to be. Writers who are fortunate to work with good editors, agents, and publishers can put together a great book, but writers aren’t always well-edited. I know the difference between a book that I don’t like which is well-crafted, and a book that has issues with technique. I think it terribly natural that writers may be underwhelmed by their early works when they look at them through a later lens. I am already experiencing this.

I guess the short answer is this: I do think there is some value in sending your work out sooner rather than later. It gives you a chance to build your skills and get feedback about what is successful. I do think that as you progress as a writer, sooner doesn’t mean right now. It might mean after your second or third draft that has been read by several friends. I am also a fan of re-tooling, and I think that if you’re going to be successful, you can’t write in a vacuum, whether you are pre-famous or are currently published.

I think I might actually be learning patience. I plan to take a long time to work on the Klarion books and let lots of eyes see them. I have a different concept of what a manuscript can and should be when I started out.

Expect this to change. Change is the only constant as we learn more about the game.

Catherine

I’m back at work. So far my major endeavor has been being on hold with Barnes and Noble. That’s what I get for ordering the new testament…BUT that’s been straightened out.

I don’t get to write or exercise for the next two days. I have an online meeting tonight, and a board meeting tomorrow, and putting in the full day of administration beforehand makes it awfully hard to squeeze anything in. I’m glad I planned ahead this week for such an emergency.

All the writing time is about discovery, and I’m reinforcing something I suspected. I hit a two-hour wall. That’s the place where my ideas are pumped up and flowing, but my fingers and my thoughts turn to mush. So, it’ll be hard to get any concrete writing down after two hours, but there’s lots of images and thoughts about stories in my head after those two hours are through.

It would be cool if one of you out there could invent a head camera, and then I could take the snapshots to remind myself of what I was thinking later.

I also come back to a writing session the next time and find myself thinking–wow. I wrote that, huh? So, it’s a good thing to have those breaks, because at the end of two hours, I’m not even finishing words sometimes!

I’m also finding that I am more productive away from home. It makes my writing feel more like a job, and I am less likely to get distracted by all the cool things I have at home.

I’m very curious about your writing habits. Here’s a short poll.

1. How often do you write during the week?
2. How long do you write for a typical session?
3. Do you have a time of day you prefer to write?
4. Do you write best at home or away from home?
5. Do you have any favorite objects that you write with?
6. Do you have any particular programs you like, or strategies you use?

I’ll be interested in your answers.

Catherine

You wouldn’t think I could find an hour of writer administrivia to do, but I have. Still, that’s a legit hour of author time. It’s just not the kind of kewl productivity that we imagined for today.

***

Smart and skilled writer Ekaterina Sedia’s new book The House of Discarded Dreams needs a little more traction. Do you remember how I was whining about unskillful writing recently? Sedia is the opposite end of the spectrum. Her work makes you think and opens you up.

***

So far, cats and kittens, I have put in 19 hours of professional writing time. What have I learned?

1. It’s hell getting started.
2. It feels good when you do.
3. Character analyses are good filler when you are stumped with a plot.

I must needs have me some lunch, and then I must actually put some words down on paper. I have 5600 words ready, more or less, for the Vegas Workshop, and I need about 4400 more with a spit and a polish.

***

I am ready for communications, publishing world. Whatever you got. Limbo isn’t a fun place to spend your vacation.

We USAians like a clean start, don’t we? Culturally, we like the chance to pretend that all our previous efforts were rubbish, but this time, this time for sure!

Welcome, 2011! This year, no rubbish. No, I mean it. Rilly.

***

The concise version of my resolutions.

1. Write at least 12 hours a week (research, draft, plan my own stuff) for a total of 624 this year (or more?)
2. Lose 15 pounds (or more?)
3. See my writing journey as more about being who I am, and less about being a goal-oriented freak.

All the usual stuff applies. You know, hang out with the people I love, continue to teach to make a difference in the world, relax when I need to. It’s a good life. I hope to continue it.

***

Now the sheep part of the post:

10 Things I’ve Done That You Probably Haven’t.

Continue reading “Yet Another Hello 2011 Post!”

Today my house smells delicious. Bryon and I spent this morning spiffing rooms, cutting back on the Christmas decorations, and prepping for big cooking. I began cooking a ham at 1, and I’ll add a turkey breast to that at 2. As the day progresses, there will be a corn casserole and some fresh rolls also in the oven. I’ve got a key lime pie in the fridge, and Bryon will whip up some more rommegrot when it gets closer to time for guests to arrive.

***

I apologize for being critical. No names are mentioned of books or authors, because these are largely issues of taste. However, I find myself wondering about the old convention of point of view.

Within the last couple of months, I’ve read a couple of popular books that are doing things with POV changes that I would have expected an editor to fix. In the instance of the first book, there were so many POVs, the books was choppy, and I couldn’t bring myself to finish it. That, and, honest to God, there was a POV shift within one paragraph.

The second book is one that I’m reading for our SF book group. I’ve just started it, and there were three POV shifts within one chapter, back and forth, without any signaling at all. Doug Lain, a fellow writer, suggests that it might be in part because books are being written for non-readers, and this might be an emulation of television. I have always viewed telly with the idea that POV shifts are signaled, but perhaps I watch telly as a reader, rather than a non-reader, so I don’t know if my perceptions can be accurate.

At any rate, I wonder about this. Have any of the rest of you noticed a change in how POV is written? Most books I read still signal POV change, and try to rein character POV in. In my own writing, POV is a problem, and I’ve become very conscious of reining it in and thinking about it. These books were so commercially popular that I was surprised that these authors were doing things I was being encouraged not to do. Based on a quick glance through Goodreads, a few of their readers minded, but the majority did not. Clearly, it’s not them. It’s me.

And while I’m at it, I’ve found this out: Maybe I am just not a very good reader of paranormal romance, urban fantasy. So much of it seems the same to me, which obviously makes me not the target audience for these books. There are, mind you, notable exceptions (thank you, Ilona and Jeaniene!), as well as many books I have not yet read.

My problem lies in part with the supernatural mish-mash that these books have become. A society must have every kind of supernatural creature now, as one is not enough. I’m not certain where that assumption comes from or why. Maybe today’s writers have too much White Wolf in their background? Or that lots of people are doing it in their books, so now it’s a convention.

And then there’s my steampunk problem. The problem lies in having read so many independent, unattractive spinsters who marry difficult men in about every genre that I’m not sure that idea can be fresh to me any more. Perhaps my problem is that Elizabeth Peters was there first, and she is an impossible standard by which I evaluate other authors, including Elizabeth Peters’ later works.

Frustration abounds in my reading life. Can you tell?

To end, then, on a positive note. I really enjoy an author who gives me something different. Thank you, Cherie Priest. I don’t like zombies and still don’t, but thank you for giving me an independent woman who doesn’t go through the spinster trope, as well as a portrayal of non-stereotypical China men in Bone-shaker. And only ONE kind of supernatural critter at a time.

Oh yeah, and while I’m at it, I’ll thank Jay Lake for Librarian Childress. Who doesn’t define her life by her spinsterhood.

Yes, you can let lose with the guns of anachronism if you want to. I know marriage was how many women defined themselves. It’s just nice to see something different. Even if the stubborn spinster was full of true, rather than spirited regret, well, that would be something…

Catherine

Note: This reviewer will not touch upon her own story in this review. Rather, I will focus on the efforts of my fellow contributors, whose work still crosses over into that literary border from time to time.

About a year ago, I wrote a review of Swill 4. I was delighted with the content. On the current issue’s cover, Matt DiGangi says, ” Swill is what I always thought underground literature should look like” and I agree. Swill is dangerously close to literature.

That said, this issue of Swill is different than its most recent predecessor. Oh, it’s still disturbing bothersome stuff, sort of like a punk album at 78 RPM, but this time the world of the internal is where the magazine spends most of its time. Number 4 played with the outside world. Number 5 plays with the mind. Eight of the eleven stories in this issue are told from a first person perspective. The remaining three stories play their narration on an internal note. The narrators are not all unlikeable, but they are certainly twisted.

It would be hard to pick a favorite piece. Sean Craven’s brutal Jimmy’s Confession scans as torture for a good cause. You realize you sort of approve of the hero’s actions while you wince at him for his violence and at yourself for your approval. Chia Ever’s very dark The Quiet Type is an x-rated Poe with an Evers-eque twist at the end.

Continue reading “Swill Number 5”