Blog

Brian Kell writes a solid post for those of you in a hurry to send your work out. It’s sage advice.

Not a post about meta. Instead, a post about my new Wii Fit.

This year’s frivolous tax return purchase was a Wii and a Wii Fit. For those who are curious about the cost, the Wii, Wii Fit with software, two controllers with motion plus, a charger and a couple of games ran us around $578 with warranties. We could probably have done the Wii and Wii Fit for around $500.

Our motivation for buying the Wii Fit was to put some jazz back into our exercise life. The bleak Iowa winter had taken us away from our usual early morning commute into the gym. We wanted to get equipment that wouldn’t be repetitive and dull, plus something that would motivate us.

When you sign into the Wii, you create an icon for yourself called the Mii. You can take this little avatar and transfer it into the Wii Fit. Once you’ve calibrated your controller and your Wii board to the Wii, you’re ready for your body test.

Continue reading “Seeking Balance: Wii Fit”

Support rape crisis centers and enter to win an Advance Copy of Red Hood’s Revenge, by Jim C. Hines.

Not only do you want this book, you want to donate to a good cause.

Jim’s entry will tell you more.

Cath

Last night’s board meeting made things official.

I mentioned that I have some good work news. Beginning in September, my job changes radically. What follows is the whole story, including background. I’m hiding this under a cut for those of you who are thinking, not writing, not interested. It’s long. If you’re just looking for good news, rather than the whole sordid analysis, scroll to the bottom.

Continue reading “My New Old Job”

from Jon Gibbs’ article about the James Frey workshop:

1. Sooner or later, you realize your writing stinks, but that’s okay because that’s the point in your career when you decide whether to quit or do what it takes to improve.

Here I am, standing at that very fork in the road. This is probably my evaluation at the end of year 3, usually done in May, coming to a head earlier than usual.

Let’s get a couple of things out of the way. This post is about something. It’s not a pity post. I don’t need to be told my writing doesn’t suck.

And

This isn’t an April Fool’s joke. I really do think my writing sucks. I also think it’s salvageable, but yes, it sucks.

Continue reading “My Writing Sucks”

It’s been a busy morning of meetings that directly affect my future in the workplace at Kirkwood. Many of my fellow writers are rightly excited about when they have writing news that is good, but they can’t divulge it. Similarly, I’m sitting on top of work news that I can’t talk about officially until Friday, until after the board stamp of approval on it.

The reason I’m so bubbly about it is because it is good news for my writing life. It’s also pretty good news for my work life, incidentally. I can tell you that I spent a good part of today making my schedule for next fall, and I’m liking what I’m seeing.

I’m also very focused on the troll novel now. So much so that I find myself sitting down to write an entry here at the Tamago, and realizing that my creativity is elsewhere. I’m certain that the impetus to continue my conversation with the world of the Internet will return in force, but the maxim of having a book out to try to build an audience around is making itself felt in my life.

The weather is good. My prospects are good. My optimism is high. I believe I can dovetail the careers of a professor/administrator and a writer, which I had serious doubts about in recent years.

What’s been making you happy lately?

Catherine

…or rather, Seanan McGuire on she’s gotta be her.

Go read this link. I think it’s very inspiring and helpful.

And I gotta be writing, so I go now…

Catherine

It’s been the usual stuff after returning from a conference, but I think I have the office under control. Except for phone calls, I’ve managed to get caught up from my vacation. Phone calls are next if time remains after writing this little ditty.

After Thursday, I will know officially what’s happening with my position here at Kirkwood. I can’t go into detail until things are official, but it looks like my life will improve substantially starting in September, 2010. It’s not good writing news, but it will be good news that affects my writing, providing everything goes as we think it will.

Tonight our book group meets, and we discuss The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

John Gibbs brings you home a list of 13 things he learned at the James N. Frey workshop.

***

This will be a busy month writing the troll story. I’m cutting here mostly because this is for me. Here’s the plan:

Continue reading “Whack-a-Mole Monday”

In a rented Toyota Yaris, a colleague and I wended our way into the heart of Illinois. The flat landscape lulled us to conversational stupefication with peaks of conversational brilliance. The pattern was much like that of a heart monitor.

Then, we were in Springfield. Lincoln is everywhere! On the walls? Lincoln. Big brass statue in hotel lobby? Lincoln. Restaurant mural? Lincoln with logs. Sure, he’s buried here. Not only is Lincoln here, but also the Museum of Funeral Practices. What would you pay to be admitted to the Museum of Funeral Practices?

I doubt very much I’ll get to keep that trip with destiny, as I will be hanging out with a bunch of college professors and talking the talk about international education. I like this sort of stuff too. I like teaching people from all over the world, talking culture, and thinking about cool ways to bring this into the classroom. It’s a very different kind of positive vibe than writing, but it is something I’m as passionate about.

As a matter of fact, a friend and I were talking about taking a research trip to Scandinavia just last night. Her WIP is a Finnish-based fantasy, and you guys know I’m engaged in troll stories. I’ve been to Decorah where trolls live. I’d like to go to Norway which is closer, methinks, to Alfheim.

To taunt me, because it wouldn’t be in the cards for a bit (must…save…money!) Travelocity alerted me that there is a SALE starting today, and that I could get to Oslo or Helsinki for around $564. Based on the prices I was seeing yesterday, I’m like what is that? One way?

I guess the salient point is I like primary research. Reading about some things in books is great, and since I can’t travel back in time to, say, Victorian England, I have to read about these things. BUT I also like interviewing pro-wrestlers, talking to SCA guys, getting that first hand experience. Whenever I can.

Even the above mentioned museum? That sort of thing is very cool to me. Lots of folklore museums visited when I was doing that Fulbright on Baba Yaga in Russia. Whole great bunches of carved wood and peasant houses. Scary ballets with men dressed as witches. All of which you had to be there for to get the right understanding.

I guess that leads to today’s exploration. We all research. How do you do yours? Are you a visitor, an interviewer, a reader? How much do you do for your projects? I find I do a surprising amount for writing about things that aren’t real. You?

It’s 8:32 pm. I think it’s time to put the computer away. Tomorrow I know it’ll be a big day, but it’s a passive day, and I am hoping that if I type very quietly in the back of the room, I can get some writing in. Except for that cool panel about traveling to Viet Nam to be a visual aid.

Shhh! Don’t tell my fellow profs!

Catherine

ps Yes, I *do* appreciate the irony that I am here, and Obama is in Iowa City. I really do.

Phone calls, students, and instructors have used up my extrovert battery today. Hoping the adrenaline will push me through the teaching.

Tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday this journal will be kind of quiet. I’ll be putting on my professor hat and heading to Springfield, Il for an international ed conference. I’ll be taking the troll story with me.

Since my energy is low, here’s some other people doing some writing work for me. I’m pretending it’s an entry because I’m putting it here.

Jim Hines’ Novel Survey Part III Median=10 years. Sigh.

I’m going to forage for lunch, and then write a couple of letters of recommendation.

Catherine