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In retrospect, I understand that I am tired. I think that’s why it’s hard for me to crank out the troll story as fast as I would like. I think that’s also why I haven’t been motivated to do the other creative non-writing project I had on tap for this summer.

I am a slogger. I make good on my threat to have a chapter of the troll story done a week in the revision. I have an agent waiting for some pages, which should motivate me to finish it sooner. But I’m tired. Still, this is not unreasonable progress. It’s just not my usual progress, and Type A woman feels inadequate.

I also feel that way about the curriculum I need to get done at work as well. I have made a great deal of progress given what they’ve had me doing otherwise, but not enough to meet my unforgivable and unforgiving personal deadlines.

Justification to self: Last year was a very full year so far, as far as writing went. I think the creative well needs to refresh a little, bounce back. This year’s been a very full year emotionally, and work has never slowed down. There’s a lot to wrangle to the ground. I shouldn’t feel inadequate. I am moving forward. Yeah. That’s it.

There’s that nagging voice in the back of my mind that tells me an editor wouldn’t care about my full plate, and I should be cranking it out anyway. I really hate the workaholic monkey when he decides to camp out on my shoulders. He’s full of deadlines and demands, not to mention unreasonable expectations.

It is true that we are hardest on ourselves. I have to keep repeating the mantra that I am moving forward steadily. I am not goofing off. Better to produce something good that takes time, than something fast, just because you are goal driven.

Inching. Not a Chinese fortune telling method. I hope you are all writing faster than I am, and feel good about what you’re writing.

Meanwhile, I keep trying to feed the Type A monkey bananas. I need a vacation from the monkey, but instead I’m retreating to the curriculum bunker. Because someone has to meet those work goals no later than the end of July, and Momma’s gotta keep her cats in tuna fish.

Catherine

I’m singing the chapter 3 is done song. I cut a scene for cliff hanger purposes.

I really need to think about which parts of this I want to read at Convergence. It’s a toss up between introducing our villain or our hero. The spooky stuff at the beginning pulls you in, but the troll stuff is fun and likable.

What do you think? Spooky or likable?

Word Count for part one:

11565 / 45000 words. 26% done!

Scene Count:

14 / 53 words. 26% done!

Will I get to start next week’s chapter tomorrow? Yeah, pretty much. No suspense there.

Catherine

You may have noticed from the Publications page that Hulk Hercules: Professional Wrestler has been pushed back to January, 2010. That’s okay. I will bide my time.

There are some very good reasons. Cat’s Curious editor Sonya Sipes thinks we can do a better publicity campaign for it if we have more time to play with. I can handle positive publicity.

I have pretty much determined to be easy-going in my writing life. (Alternately, I almost busted a sprocket in my day job life last week, so perhaps I should apply this lesson more broadly.) If I had any good advice to give a new writer going in, it would now be this: expect wait times. Take the longest wait time you can imagine, and cube it. That’s your minimal wait time for any project.

This isn’t a complaining piece. It’s a cultural piece. It just took me a while to understand this piece of the culture. Mind you, I do find it frustrating sometimes, but you’ll be better prepared than me, because you’ve read this and other commentaries like it.

Let’s take a look at some time frames.

Continue reading “Delays and Patience”

Word is spreading through the internet of another writer who is offering a serialized novel and hopes for some support. Tim Pratt will be publishing chapters of Bone Shop, a prequel novella about his character Marla Mason.

Tim explains what’s happening in this post. I am not fond of seeing anyone’s circumstances alter, but I begin to wonder if this current economic crunch is beginning a resurgence in serial fiction.

Mondays may become serial Mondays.

Catherine

Gibbs is often in the habit of linking to journal articles he’s enjoyed in the past week, or he thinks are useful, so turn around is fair play. Here he has outlined some ideas about writing group etiquette, based on a visit J. Kathleen Cheney took to a recent local chapter’s RWA meeting.

I think in any new group there may be a tendency to stick with what you know, but if you are interested in attracting new members, what Jon suggests makes a lot of sense. Over on his blog, he’s having a nice discussion about it. Check it out.

A couple more messages. Today looks spammy!

Catherine

More Blood is Thicker than Water. Today, the voodoo special.

***

We’re back in the saddle at work. It’s another scorcher in Iowa, but I see that surrounding states are also doing the heat advisory thing late into the evening. Today was ab day, so less melting than yesterday.

***

And now…

Mahabharata: The first generation.

Continue reading “Mahabharata: Generation 1”

This post covers many updates: reading at Convergence, an update on the physical, and an update on the writing. I intend to get back to a little folklore this week. The troll story is about to take a turn into a little Mexican folklore, and I’ve promised for a while to write that up. I also need to give you guys some summaries of the Mahabharata.

Since this got long, I’ll spare you and put in a cut. If you’re interested, you know where to go. If you’re not, well, this is much more skim-able.

***

Continue reading “A Day in the Life of”

Nick found the right door. He knocked. The door was opened by a boy, not a woman. Nick smiled toothily. He extended a hand to the boy. “Stan,” he said. The boy was one of his, although the woman he was looking for didn’t know it. It was important that the people at Luther didn’t know it either. They might unjustly try to convert the boy. So much for freedom of religion in the new world.

“Mr. Scratch,” said Stan. He clamped Nick’s hand with a hearty sideways handshake. “We salute you, our half-inflated dark lord.”?

“I appreciate the film reference. We get so few.” Nick glanced at the office door. “Is Dr. Quartz here?”

“She has an 8 o’clock.”

“You’re working for her now?” said Nick.

“God bless financial aid. Oops.”

Nick winced and shook his head. “Watch your language, young man.”

“Sorry.”

“So,” said Nick, “has she done anything peculiar? Noticed anything? Talked to anyone?”

“Not yet. I’ll keep my eyes open. Are you looking for anything in particular?”

“Yup. Messages from the Invisible Court. Visiting troll garrisons. Any unusual elven behavior.”

“Should I let her know you stopped by?”

“Absolutely. And tell her I’ll stop by again. Just mention my name. She’s clever enough to figure me out eventually.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “Although you probably shouldn’t let on you know anything about, you know, me.” He flipped out a business card.

Stan took it. “I don’t know anything.”

Nick wiggled his fingers in parting, and closed the door to Dr. Quartz’s office. As he walked away, Nick glanced at his watch. He probably had time today to go see trolls.

***

Word count meter. Remember, scenes, not words of part one.

12 / 55 words. 22% done!

Drollerie has authorized me to give a free copy of Needles and Bones to a lucky individual that would review the anthology and post that review on their website/journal/blog/billboard.

Does that sound like you? If it does, just let me know. First come, first served.

AND if you need a review copy for a website that does such things, I am happy to hook you up with the right contact.

You know you want to read this. You know you want to.

***

Meanwhile, our heroine has to go out and run errands for the Season of the Toe. I hope to do some writing later. Chapter 3’s order keeps morphing, but I think I almost have it sussed out.

Catherine

Let me share the latest Drollerie releases with you.

You might notice that you can now purchase Needles and Bones. Here’s the description:

This collection of poems and short fiction by a double handful of brilliant and creative artists-with-words is a collection of myth. It begins gently, with fairy tales, but its tendrils of surreality spread from the stories of our childhood, into our adult world, and on to places beyond our own. We visit heaven, and hell, and places we might never imagine peopled by creatures who are only sometimes like us.

Deena Fisher has created a beautiful cover for Needles and Bones, and the Drollerie staff has worked very hard on all these projects. I hope you enjoy the stories.

Catherine