So far today, I've spent an hour on the phone with tech support walking me through the operating system (OS) install on the new hard drive. Then I've been reinstalling everything. It took the first four hours just to get Windows updated and mostly back to where I liked it before and a lot of data files copied back onto the new drive from the external backup drive. (Remember kiddies: Always back up your data. Frequently.)
In addition to the in-progress reinstalls, I've taken Miss Whizzer to the vet and it turns out that she has cystitis, which may be why she's been peeing so much. Last night she missed the litter box and pissed all over the carpet in front of it. She was standing inside of the box at the time...
I have all the big programs to reinstall now, then to get the data files back where the programs like them. Bleh. But the pain is about a third over now...
However, it does turn out that if you uninstall your MS Office while on line, you can reinstall without problems. Or it worked this time. But I still hate Microsoft. Two plus hours just getting the fucking thing updated. How many reboots does one need to do in order to add all the hotfixes? MS thinks every time you add a fix! *gnashing of teeth*
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Effusiveness, neediness, misanthropy and self loathing
What I have never quite understood about writing is this: an author's relationship to the work in progress. Sometimes it seems promising, sometimes brilliant, sometimes just plain stupid. And that may be the same piece on alternate days. This is not a reaction by the self-critic who dwells inside. Well, at least not entirely. We read from a personal perspective that moves the goalposts by the day. Hell, by the moment. Jane Yolen
I find that the inner writer is having a sulk. She's 'not in the mood' and quite effusive about why. For one thing, she'd got a rabid case of the I don't wannas because she wants to play with new ideas instead of knuckling down to one damned thing for more than a week. For another, she's decided that she wants to be hateful about people in general because they seem to be that way toward her today. She's stubborn, childish, pouty and snarly-- essentially, the two-year-old me with a gun to my head. Because I can't stand her whinging today.
So I want to disassociate from that part of me. Makes me feel like the two-headed guy: Each head only controls half the body...and both sides want to do different things. Or siamese twins. Or desperately in need of alcohol, prozac or both.
Besides, I have a headache and they make both of me cranky.
Vampire Story WIP: 22300 words.
I find that the inner writer is having a sulk. She's 'not in the mood' and quite effusive about why. For one thing, she'd got a rabid case of the I don't wannas because she wants to play with new ideas instead of knuckling down to one damned thing for more than a week. For another, she's decided that she wants to be hateful about people in general because they seem to be that way toward her today. She's stubborn, childish, pouty and snarly-- essentially, the two-year-old me with a gun to my head. Because I can't stand her whinging today.
So I want to disassociate from that part of me. Makes me feel like the two-headed guy: Each head only controls half the body...and both sides want to do different things. Or siamese twins. Or desperately in need of alcohol, prozac or both.
Besides, I have a headache and they make both of me cranky.
Vampire Story WIP: 22300 words.
Cool Site - Artist & Web Designer Theo Black
I am in love with this fella's artistic abilities. Theo Black of The Black Arts is an awesome web designer. Check out his customer list and his sample digital and electronic artwork. Gorgeous! Melissa Marr's cool website is among his web site design clients, and I love her site.
Explosive decompression
Reading The Thinking Blog can be useful. Today I find a blow-by-blow description of explosive decompression-- your body's reaction to vacuum. Useful for sf writers.
What's In A Name?
A question for the ages.
The answer, however, is fairly obvious: Plenty. Names can set a tone, set readers' expectations, distinguish between groups and factions. Names can provide comic relief, as in the planet Nikkeldepain in Witches of Karres. Names can show relationships (casual names for friends, titles for formality, etc.).
What do you call stuff?
You might use stand-in names while you write, but eventually you will be developing final names for things and characters. And all these various names add up to a huge pile in a work of speculative fiction-- and are a significant part of your worldbuilding effort. Do not underestimate how the sound and shape of the names you use influence your fictional dream.
Consider: The amount of items and beings who receive names are endless. You have the 1) book or story title; 2) character names; 3) cultural, social, religious and political groups & terms; 4) everyday things including clothing, foodstuffs, animals, the planet(s), technology, etc. Keeping track of these myriad elements is bad enough; but the most important factor is whether or not they fit your tale.
In short, names are more important than we often consider.
Everyman, anyone?
You can understand a bit of the historic value of names in literature when considering some older works, such as the morality plays starring characters like Everyman. The name said it all to the audience. Similarly, when Orson Scott Card named his character Ender, and he was the one who ended the long war with the alien bugs, the name promised something to the audience of readers. Generally, however, names have a more subtle effect. And in the movie, My Name Is Nobody, the entire plot and its inherent joke depends upon the name of a single individual calling himself Nobody. As writers, we need to be aware of these effects and incorporate or avoid them as part of the construction strategy of our work.
Finding the right name.
It can be a pain to get names for characters, particularly if you are creating a nine-hundred-plus-years-old vampire or an alien from a culture that cannot pronounce all the sounds we can.
In my particular case, I am trying to name a vampire. He's slavic, probably Estonian; although I haven't decided. The name choice will probably dictate that bit, though, because in this particular situation I consider the name more important than the origin. In other cases, the choice is different. But the sound and feel of the name is more important to me right now in order to establish a confederation of vampire dudes. Get the name right, then I'll develop their backstory to work in that setting. If I had a setting that I felt must dictate terms, then the situation would be reversed.
Search tip.
So, anyhow, what sparked this particular topic was that I was just seeking a Slavic name for one of my vampires, and found this site. Pretty cool and useful. Also, there is the names database site, where you can find variant spellings for names. And there are plenty more sites where that came from, thanks to search engines.
The answer, however, is fairly obvious: Plenty. Names can set a tone, set readers' expectations, distinguish between groups and factions. Names can provide comic relief, as in the planet Nikkeldepain in Witches of Karres. Names can show relationships (casual names for friends, titles for formality, etc.).
What do you call stuff?
You might use stand-in names while you write, but eventually you will be developing final names for things and characters. And all these various names add up to a huge pile in a work of speculative fiction-- and are a significant part of your worldbuilding effort. Do not underestimate how the sound and shape of the names you use influence your fictional dream.
Consider: The amount of items and beings who receive names are endless. You have the 1) book or story title; 2) character names; 3) cultural, social, religious and political groups & terms; 4) everyday things including clothing, foodstuffs, animals, the planet(s), technology, etc. Keeping track of these myriad elements is bad enough; but the most important factor is whether or not they fit your tale.
In short, names are more important than we often consider.
Everyman, anyone?
You can understand a bit of the historic value of names in literature when considering some older works, such as the morality plays starring characters like Everyman. The name said it all to the audience. Similarly, when Orson Scott Card named his character Ender, and he was the one who ended the long war with the alien bugs, the name promised something to the audience of readers. Generally, however, names have a more subtle effect. And in the movie, My Name Is Nobody, the entire plot and its inherent joke depends upon the name of a single individual calling himself Nobody. As writers, we need to be aware of these effects and incorporate or avoid them as part of the construction strategy of our work.
Finding the right name.
It can be a pain to get names for characters, particularly if you are creating a nine-hundred-plus-years-old vampire or an alien from a culture that cannot pronounce all the sounds we can.
In my particular case, I am trying to name a vampire. He's slavic, probably Estonian; although I haven't decided. The name choice will probably dictate that bit, though, because in this particular situation I consider the name more important than the origin. In other cases, the choice is different. But the sound and feel of the name is more important to me right now in order to establish a confederation of vampire dudes. Get the name right, then I'll develop their backstory to work in that setting. If I had a setting that I felt must dictate terms, then the situation would be reversed.
Search tip.
So, anyhow, what sparked this particular topic was that I was just seeking a Slavic name for one of my vampires, and found this site. Pretty cool and useful. Also, there is the names database site, where you can find variant spellings for names. And there are plenty more sites where that came from, thanks to search engines.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
A Provocative Line
I was afraid I was going to say something like, 'I named my fetal pig after you!' Today's Overheard in New York
I was just pondering an idea I'd had for a YA chick lit sort of paranormal romance. It was sparked by a typo, of all things, which gave me the title: The Boyfiend. Then I read Overheard In New York and realized I was making that girl a character. Probably the Despisable Blonde (usually a cheerleader or evil clique girl).
I was just pondering an idea I'd had for a YA chick lit sort of paranormal romance. It was sparked by a typo, of all things, which gave me the title: The Boyfiend. Then I read Overheard In New York and realized I was making that girl a character. Probably the Despisable Blonde (usually a cheerleader or evil clique girl).
The Trombone Slide, or, So Long As It Works
You can ...start out in omniscient narration and then ease into a specific third-person point of view, in effect the literary equivalent of a camera moving from a long shot to gradually close the distance from the actor. Self-Editing For Fiction Writers by Browne & King
It occurs to me that one frequently hears yowls of outrage on Evil Editor and other critiquing sites regarding the choice to begin a story with anything less than a life-or-death situation. In media res is a lovely concept, but methinks that a lot of folks are taking this concept a little too literally.
Yes, there are some old and trite devices that were worn out decades ago and are thus much more difficult to use effectively. These would be the waking up scene, the car crash scene, the traffic scene, the travelling and considering scene, as well as many others. (Please do give me more and I'll make a list some time.)
However, what is wrong with a slower start, one where the action isn't the midst of a crisis but a slower leading-in to the meat of the story? The function of an opening is to engage the reader. Why in flipping hell is it required that we do so with one, single effect? To insist that all books begin in a certain manner is defining the method and not the result. It is a quantifiable fascism in that it insists that creative efforts be defined too straitly. Writing fiction is not writing sonnets or other rigidly defined forms of poetry; and to treat fiction writing as if it were codified in such a manner is mean in the selfish sense, denying writers their own version of events, their own creativity.
The trombone slide, that zooming-in approach from omniscient to third person pov, can be a good device for the beginning of a novel. It's been used to good effect over and over. It will be used again and succeed despite prejudice against it. And I am left wondering why people are frequenly so rabid in their insistance that it or other beginning techniques are 'wrong.'
Possibly the real problem is the need to be correct and smarter than the person we are critiquing. (Know-it-all syndrome, anyone?) We have probably all allowed ourselves a bit of that smug supercilliousness at one time or other. But we need to let that go as best we can, to allow others their choices and put those choices in proper perspective. So, please, when critiquing, allow others the opportunity to succeed in their own manner. If it does not work, it may be because of their choice of method, but it may be something entirely different.
And by retaining these trendy prejudices, we are perhaps keeping ourselves from seeing the truth of why a piece of fiction fails to engage. It's one of those double-edged bits of blindness.
It occurs to me that one frequently hears yowls of outrage on Evil Editor and other critiquing sites regarding the choice to begin a story with anything less than a life-or-death situation. In media res is a lovely concept, but methinks that a lot of folks are taking this concept a little too literally.
Yes, there are some old and trite devices that were worn out decades ago and are thus much more difficult to use effectively. These would be the waking up scene, the car crash scene, the traffic scene, the travelling and considering scene, as well as many others. (Please do give me more and I'll make a list some time.)
However, what is wrong with a slower start, one where the action isn't the midst of a crisis but a slower leading-in to the meat of the story? The function of an opening is to engage the reader. Why in flipping hell is it required that we do so with one, single effect? To insist that all books begin in a certain manner is defining the method and not the result. It is a quantifiable fascism in that it insists that creative efforts be defined too straitly. Writing fiction is not writing sonnets or other rigidly defined forms of poetry; and to treat fiction writing as if it were codified in such a manner is mean in the selfish sense, denying writers their own version of events, their own creativity.
The trombone slide, that zooming-in approach from omniscient to third person pov, can be a good device for the beginning of a novel. It's been used to good effect over and over. It will be used again and succeed despite prejudice against it. And I am left wondering why people are frequenly so rabid in their insistance that it or other beginning techniques are 'wrong.'
Possibly the real problem is the need to be correct and smarter than the person we are critiquing. (Know-it-all syndrome, anyone?) We have probably all allowed ourselves a bit of that smug supercilliousness at one time or other. But we need to let that go as best we can, to allow others their choices and put those choices in proper perspective. So, please, when critiquing, allow others the opportunity to succeed in their own manner. If it does not work, it may be because of their choice of method, but it may be something entirely different.
And by retaining these trendy prejudices, we are perhaps keeping ourselves from seeing the truth of why a piece of fiction fails to engage. It's one of those double-edged bits of blindness.
Genre - Cosy Catastrophe
In an effort to understand my chosen genre of speculative fiction, I frequently entertain myself with Wikipedia's articles on the various sub-genres. (Just search on "genre science fiction", or follow this link.)
So, today's educational term is Cosy Catastrophe. What? You've never heard of this either? Glad I'm not alone.
However, apparently the Cosy Catastrophe was a common type of novel in post-WWII Britain.
Wiki defines it as "a style of post-apocalyptic science fiction that was particularly prevalent after the Second World War and among British science fiction writers." The term was coined by Brian Aldiss in Billion Year Spree: The History of Science Fiction. (And now I think I want to buy that book, too.)
So, today's educational term is Cosy Catastrophe. What? You've never heard of this either? Glad I'm not alone.
However, apparently the Cosy Catastrophe was a common type of novel in post-WWII Britain.
Wiki defines it as "a style of post-apocalyptic science fiction that was particularly prevalent after the Second World War and among British science fiction writers." The term was coined by Brian Aldiss in Billion Year Spree: The History of Science Fiction. (And now I think I want to buy that book, too.)
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Quote for the day
Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man. Francis Bacon
Catitudes and Platitudes
Old Guy Cat, aka Cosmo the Tuxedo Boy, is doing mighty fine now that he's off the thyroid meds. He's still got a pulse of over 200, but it's keeping the congestive heart failure down and his borderline failing kidneys flushed out. Or so the vet said. Eventually, something will go wrong, but in the meantime, he's felt well enough to bite me when I pet him and to tease the dog. So he's doing okay.
The side effect of his problems, however, is an odor problem. He has the faintest odor of pee now. And, worse, he has a wonderful capacity to become the next great weapon of mass destruction with the Death Gas Poop Farts. OMG there is no describing this. Just let me say that I wear that CPAP to sleep now (a mask) and even with that on I tend to wake up gagging because the, um, cat box stench has infiltrated the entire upstairs of the house. Bleh.
But no my woes are not over. Then there is The Cuteness. She's so darned cute! And it's all part of her evil, evil bitch kitty plan of world domination. I left all the annoying bits out when I talked about her in that first post. Sad to say, she's been peeing on my bed since I can't remember when. Only it gets much worse as time goes on! Gak! (Of course, I tried to deconstruct the cuteness thing for us here, but didn't apply it to cats. I should have.)
Because, as I have bitched previously on this blog, The Cuteness, aka Miss Whizzer Morgan, is busy peeing on my bed several times a week, thus necessitating the new theme of my bedroom decor: Blue Tarp. This week, however, is the record: Six times in five days. Mmmm-hmmm, six. *gnashing of teeth ensues yet again* Thank goodness for the tarp. I've only had to wash the linens twice this week! Ooooh, lucky me.
It's only recently she's been this bad. It used to be really rarely. Until mom moved in and the dog came with her. So now I have a tarp. And I don't like blue. My bedroom is a soft olive, a very pretty pastel green with black wrought iron and natural wood accents. I have a green quilt I made on the bed. I have green sheers at the window. I have a lovely berber carpet, too.
And I have cat pee in that carpet because she's also gone and done the Really Unforgiveable Thing: She's pissed on it!
To sum up: Cats, The Other White Meat.
I will be steam cleaning the carpet on my next weekend. But tell me, why do I love this little creature who is so cute and sweet when I am actually around her, but who pisses on my stuff when I am not? Oh, I'm masochistic you say? Is there, by any chance, a cure for that?
Mikey, the big grey lunk, is still as sweet and self-deprecating as ever. He's about 20 pounds of scared-of-his-shadow and a total pussycat in the best sense of the word. And he's deathly afraid of His Pugness, who is much smaller than Mikey. Too hilarious.
I console myself. I console myself mightily in the knowing that Mikey will eventually be the only cat in the house. Then I'll get a kitten and start the cycle of woe all over again.
The side effect of his problems, however, is an odor problem. He has the faintest odor of pee now. And, worse, he has a wonderful capacity to become the next great weapon of mass destruction with the Death Gas Poop Farts. OMG there is no describing this. Just let me say that I wear that CPAP to sleep now (a mask) and even with that on I tend to wake up gagging because the, um, cat box stench has infiltrated the entire upstairs of the house. Bleh.
But no my woes are not over. Then there is The Cuteness. She's so darned cute! And it's all part of her evil, evil bitch kitty plan of world domination. I left all the annoying bits out when I talked about her in that first post. Sad to say, she's been peeing on my bed since I can't remember when. Only it gets much worse as time goes on! Gak! (Of course, I tried to deconstruct the cuteness thing for us here, but didn't apply it to cats. I should have.)
Because, as I have bitched previously on this blog, The Cuteness, aka Miss Whizzer Morgan, is busy peeing on my bed several times a week, thus necessitating the new theme of my bedroom decor: Blue Tarp. This week, however, is the record: Six times in five days. Mmmm-hmmm, six. *gnashing of teeth ensues yet again* Thank goodness for the tarp. I've only had to wash the linens twice this week! Ooooh, lucky me.
It's only recently she's been this bad. It used to be really rarely. Until mom moved in and the dog came with her. So now I have a tarp. And I don't like blue. My bedroom is a soft olive, a very pretty pastel green with black wrought iron and natural wood accents. I have a green quilt I made on the bed. I have green sheers at the window. I have a lovely berber carpet, too.
And I have cat pee in that carpet because she's also gone and done the Really Unforgiveable Thing: She's pissed on it!
To sum up: Cats, The Other White Meat.
I will be steam cleaning the carpet on my next weekend. But tell me, why do I love this little creature who is so cute and sweet when I am actually around her, but who pisses on my stuff when I am not? Oh, I'm masochistic you say? Is there, by any chance, a cure for that?
Mikey, the big grey lunk, is still as sweet and self-deprecating as ever. He's about 20 pounds of scared-of-his-shadow and a total pussycat in the best sense of the word. And he's deathly afraid of His Pugness, who is much smaller than Mikey. Too hilarious.
I console myself. I console myself mightily in the knowing that Mikey will eventually be the only cat in the house. Then I'll get a kitten and start the cycle of woe all over again.
The Swivet - Cool site
I was checking out the MyBlogLog world (out of sheer boredom, I assure you) and discovered a reports feature which tells me where visitors are arriving from. Which led me to discover I'd been linked to by the blog of The Swivet, which is run by La Gringa, who is a book world person of unknown type.
Interviews and interesting stuff. You can check out old blogs here. But the current blog is interesting enough, with plenty of interviews and interesting tidbits. Besides, she is enslaved by cats. And I can relate.
Also, an added bonus: The Swivit hosts numerous links to bookish places. A great resource!
Interviews and interesting stuff. You can check out old blogs here. But the current blog is interesting enough, with plenty of interviews and interesting tidbits. Besides, she is enslaved by cats. And I can relate.
Also, an added bonus: The Swivit hosts numerous links to bookish places. A great resource!
Idea - The Future of Body Armor
Magneto-rheological (MR) fluids react to magnetic fields undergoing changes in their mechanical characteristics, viscosity in particular. abstract
Here's a new technological development I just heard about.
On tv the other day (How Stuff Works) I heard about liquid body armor. Not sure how this is formed-- perhaps the MR fluid is more of a viscous colloid or gelatin?-- but these panels will be thin and flexible, and potentially capable of being made into full body armor, apparently about the consistency of neoprene. When hit with massive kinetic energy (e.g. a bullet or blast) the MR fluid stiffens, thus absorbing the kinetic energy (shock).
This is particularly cool, because the biggest problems with traditional body armor (speaking as one who has worn vests) are that 1) they are very bulky and uncomfortable at best, in particular during hot weather; and 2) the vest may stop a bullet's penetrating, but won't prevent the transfer of kinetic energy. So, the thing can inhibit the penetration of some pistol rounds and some shrapnel, but you can still break bones or have internal bleeding when wearing a traditional vest. Not a perfect solution, is it? But, as they say in the police biz, it's better to wear one and go home to your family at the end of the day. (Sadly, I can't find a link to the actual flexible MR stiffening fabric.)
Applications in futuristic fiction.
This stiffening fluid, still in development, may very well revolutionize the nature of war and weaponry. I mean, consider the applications! Full body armor that makes individual soldiers more like tanks. Space suits (or space fighting armor). The hulls of space craft. Armor for vehicles on land, sea, air. If they can make it transparent...windows! Or if they can make it change its transparency (which they can already do with windows using an electric current) it can be changeable. Possibly have "tunable" density changes as well as viscosity changes.
And, in the law enforcement department, it would fit with a certain binding application that I've already used in my own science fiction. Wouldn't damage your wrists like handcuffs can. (Mine, for example, are damaged from wearing handcuffs in training.) But if you have a fabric that under stress becomes rigid...heh, no fast moves then, me bucco. Gotta love that, a rambunctious prisoner working against himself. Made me happy, because like anyone else, I much preferred to keep my teeth in my jaw and the rest of me unbruised unless absolutely needful. But with restraints that work against the struggling prisoner by getting tighter... Hmmm...
All sorts of possibilities with this one. And instead of calling it magneto rheological fluid, you can call it a jazzy sounding product name, like Flexan (which is a trademarked name for a plastic product). So, although I love that name, it's used already. But what else implies flexibility as well as stiffness? (Snort. Not the sexual reference. Too easy by far, lol.) Stressweave? Gods only know. It would take me a while to work that one out, so I won't bore you with my process. Do let me know if you think up something good, however.
Ceramic armor.
Also, there was mention of Dragon Scale armor, armor in testing made of rigid ceramic plates. The trick with ceramics is that it is very hard, but brittle as hell. Thus, they had to develop a ceramic laminate (neoprene like backing) and them form the rigid plates into armor. They chose something resembling a traditional scale armor pattern. Which is cool, in that it is retro. You could get the Star Trek sort of thing with gladiatorial looking dudes with ray guns. AND have the science to back up the silly choice! Gotta love that!
So, just passing this info along for the sf writers, because our imaginary futuristic armies may benefit from this detail.
.
Here's a new technological development I just heard about.
On tv the other day (How Stuff Works) I heard about liquid body armor. Not sure how this is formed-- perhaps the MR fluid is more of a viscous colloid or gelatin?-- but these panels will be thin and flexible, and potentially capable of being made into full body armor, apparently about the consistency of neoprene. When hit with massive kinetic energy (e.g. a bullet or blast) the MR fluid stiffens, thus absorbing the kinetic energy (shock).
This is particularly cool, because the biggest problems with traditional body armor (speaking as one who has worn vests) are that 1) they are very bulky and uncomfortable at best, in particular during hot weather; and 2) the vest may stop a bullet's penetrating, but won't prevent the transfer of kinetic energy. So, the thing can inhibit the penetration of some pistol rounds and some shrapnel, but you can still break bones or have internal bleeding when wearing a traditional vest. Not a perfect solution, is it? But, as they say in the police biz, it's better to wear one and go home to your family at the end of the day. (Sadly, I can't find a link to the actual flexible MR stiffening fabric.)
Applications in futuristic fiction.
This stiffening fluid, still in development, may very well revolutionize the nature of war and weaponry. I mean, consider the applications! Full body armor that makes individual soldiers more like tanks. Space suits (or space fighting armor). The hulls of space craft. Armor for vehicles on land, sea, air. If they can make it transparent...windows! Or if they can make it change its transparency (which they can already do with windows using an electric current) it can be changeable. Possibly have "tunable" density changes as well as viscosity changes.
And, in the law enforcement department, it would fit with a certain binding application that I've already used in my own science fiction. Wouldn't damage your wrists like handcuffs can. (Mine, for example, are damaged from wearing handcuffs in training.) But if you have a fabric that under stress becomes rigid...heh, no fast moves then, me bucco. Gotta love that, a rambunctious prisoner working against himself. Made me happy, because like anyone else, I much preferred to keep my teeth in my jaw and the rest of me unbruised unless absolutely needful. But with restraints that work against the struggling prisoner by getting tighter... Hmmm...
All sorts of possibilities with this one. And instead of calling it magneto rheological fluid, you can call it a jazzy sounding product name, like Flexan (which is a trademarked name for a plastic product). So, although I love that name, it's used already. But what else implies flexibility as well as stiffness? (Snort. Not the sexual reference. Too easy by far, lol.) Stressweave? Gods only know. It would take me a while to work that one out, so I won't bore you with my process. Do let me know if you think up something good, however.
Ceramic armor.
Also, there was mention of Dragon Scale armor, armor in testing made of rigid ceramic plates. The trick with ceramics is that it is very hard, but brittle as hell. Thus, they had to develop a ceramic laminate (neoprene like backing) and them form the rigid plates into armor. They chose something resembling a traditional scale armor pattern. Which is cool, in that it is retro. You could get the Star Trek sort of thing with gladiatorial looking dudes with ray guns. AND have the science to back up the silly choice! Gotta love that!
So, just passing this info along for the sf writers, because our imaginary futuristic armies may benefit from this detail.
.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Splogging
Bernita's post today reminded me of a pernicious problem on the net: Splogging. My initial post is here, with another one here.
However, for your viewing pleasure, you may be interested in this post and its links.
What is Splogging?
Splogging is when your site content is ripped off, stripped of identifying information, and posted at another location. The sites are usually referral sites, listing information that comes up on a search. If your post or web page has that search string, then it might get a google hit to the splogging site. And these sites make money by having related ad links. The links make them money. Your content gets the people there.
Wikipedia defines splogging thusly: Spam blogs are usually a type of scraper site, where content is often either Inauthentic Text or merely stolen (see blog scraping) from other websites. These blogs usually contain a high number of links to sites associated with the splog creator which are often disreputable or otherwise useless websites.
If you google yourself you can find splogging sites. These are the odd ones that list your search string (in my case, writtenwyrdd) yet when you go there, there is nothing with your string! That is because they have gotten smarter and the page you go to when you hit the link is not the same one any longer; it apparently changes with each visit!
What splogging is not.
Splogging is often confused with blog spam in comments. Sping and blog commentary spam are not splogging.
What might be splogging.
Here's a site, Sphere, which is more or less a splog so far as I can tell...although it proclaims itself a search engine "connecting blogs and news." By any other name, eh?
However, for your viewing pleasure, you may be interested in this post and its links.
What is Splogging?
Splogging is when your site content is ripped off, stripped of identifying information, and posted at another location. The sites are usually referral sites, listing information that comes up on a search. If your post or web page has that search string, then it might get a google hit to the splogging site. And these sites make money by having related ad links. The links make them money. Your content gets the people there.
Wikipedia defines splogging thusly: Spam blogs are usually a type of scraper site, where content is often either Inauthentic Text or merely stolen (see blog scraping) from other websites. These blogs usually contain a high number of links to sites associated with the splog creator which are often disreputable or otherwise useless websites.
If you google yourself you can find splogging sites. These are the odd ones that list your search string (in my case, writtenwyrdd) yet when you go there, there is nothing with your string! That is because they have gotten smarter and the page you go to when you hit the link is not the same one any longer; it apparently changes with each visit!
What splogging is not.
Splogging is often confused with blog spam in comments. Sping and blog commentary spam are not splogging.
What might be splogging.
Here's a site, Sphere, which is more or less a splog so far as I can tell...although it proclaims itself a search engine "connecting blogs and news." By any other name, eh?
What can you do with this one?
Hmmm...I am picturing the characters involved in this dynamic. Imagine the scene: It's pre dawn, grey sky, chilly air. Dew beads on the pickup's windows and dark paint. Someone emerges around the hedges to the side of the driveway, wearing their slippers and pj's. Who do you see crouching so they are level with the pick up bed, giggling silently as he/she pastes the bumper sticker on the truck? Tell me!
Image from this week's Post Secret.
Oh what fun we had.
I got up waaaay early (4:30am) to write this morning. Then I remembered I needed to gas up the car before my car pool buddy arrived; the catboxes stink and need changing; the trash has to go out; the dishes need doing; and I have to pack a bunch of stuff off for work.
Long and short: I one-more-thinged myself into about half an hour of writing before I have to pack up. Of course, that's in five or so minutes, so I cut the writing even shorter by blogging! I hope I can get some work done later.
The folk festival was fun, btw. It was hellaciously humid and we sweated like pigs. My friends, Martha Stewart (no, not that Martha Stewart) and Karen were with me and we sat in the hot sun and watched some good music. Never heard of any of them except for the Buddhist Monks. I wanted more throat singing, but they did some of their ritual dances for us.
Which made me wonder: How do these gentlemen feel about performing their sacred religious rituals for an audience? As outreach? Or as prostituting their religion? That there's a fine line to walk, I'd think...
Anyhow, the fair was great except for the torrential downpour at 9pm, which had us scrambling to pack up and leave. I've seen 4" of rain in half an hour here, so you have to believe me, I really mean torrential downpour. It doesn't last long like that, but we were soaked. There's nothing like sopping blue jeans for a 120 mile drive home!
Oh, and speaking of cool giveaways (which I wasn't) I picked up a free CD from the Maine Public Radio booth, and I really like it: Michael Toicher's "I Am." Mellow rock. I would call it alternative, but that's a rather 90s term and I am afraid I am too out of touch to be sure that's still in vogue, lol.
Long and short: I one-more-thinged myself into about half an hour of writing before I have to pack up. Of course, that's in five or so minutes, so I cut the writing even shorter by blogging! I hope I can get some work done later.
The folk festival was fun, btw. It was hellaciously humid and we sweated like pigs. My friends, Martha Stewart (no, not that Martha Stewart) and Karen were with me and we sat in the hot sun and watched some good music. Never heard of any of them except for the Buddhist Monks. I wanted more throat singing, but they did some of their ritual dances for us.
Which made me wonder: How do these gentlemen feel about performing their sacred religious rituals for an audience? As outreach? Or as prostituting their religion? That there's a fine line to walk, I'd think...
Anyhow, the fair was great except for the torrential downpour at 9pm, which had us scrambling to pack up and leave. I've seen 4" of rain in half an hour here, so you have to believe me, I really mean torrential downpour. It doesn't last long like that, but we were soaked. There's nothing like sopping blue jeans for a 120 mile drive home!
Oh, and speaking of cool giveaways (which I wasn't) I picked up a free CD from the Maine Public Radio booth, and I really like it: Michael Toicher's "I Am." Mellow rock. I would call it alternative, but that's a rather 90s term and I am afraid I am too out of touch to be sure that's still in vogue, lol.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Saturday, August 25, 2007
The faster I go...
Well, my writing has been nil for three days now. Today, I am going to a music festival in Bangor, so there's no complaint about that! However, I am also doing household chores, prepping to go, paying bills, dealing with medicating cats, and dealing with the dying hard drive
The computer is the biggest pain in the ass, though. I need to replace the drive (3 hours on line with Dell convincing them I didn't just need to reinstall, the drive really is failing) which will entail reinstalling the operating system, about 140 CDs, all my data, all the programs that I have on it, and about a thousand photos. Resetting the system to work the way I want it to. Updating all the drivers and software. Defragging multiple times. Reinstalling the backup files so my programs like my email system, Quicken, Turbo Tax and Power Writer have the files to hand. Which means getting the keys, getting the disks, and generally uninstalling so I can reinstall. (Just so you know, if you don't uninstall first, the software may not reinstall without lots of calls and begging to the software company. And be hooked to the internet when you do this so the software tells them that you did indeed uninstall. I know because when I had a drive fail, I had some explaining to do. So...ALWAYS UNINSTALL SOFTWARE IF AT ALL POSSIBLE!!) I just hope this reinstall process doesn't lose me Office 2003 because I truly cannot stand 2007. Don't buy it. But I've had to uninstall and reinstall several times on the same hard drive; and this isn't going to be the same hard drive, so they'll know the diff! Wish me luck! (Have I mentioned I dislike Microsoft? Well, I do. big megacorporation doing things their way and being despisingly incompetent at it the while. Snark.)
Meanwhile, getting behinder and behinder because I've been blogging. Gosh, and I could have been writing!
The computer is the biggest pain in the ass, though. I need to replace the drive (3 hours on line with Dell convincing them I didn't just need to reinstall, the drive really is failing) which will entail reinstalling the operating system, about 140 CDs, all my data, all the programs that I have on it, and about a thousand photos. Resetting the system to work the way I want it to. Updating all the drivers and software. Defragging multiple times. Reinstalling the backup files so my programs like my email system, Quicken, Turbo Tax and Power Writer have the files to hand. Which means getting the keys, getting the disks, and generally uninstalling so I can reinstall. (Just so you know, if you don't uninstall first, the software may not reinstall without lots of calls and begging to the software company. And be hooked to the internet when you do this so the software tells them that you did indeed uninstall. I know because when I had a drive fail, I had some explaining to do. So...ALWAYS UNINSTALL SOFTWARE IF AT ALL POSSIBLE!!) I just hope this reinstall process doesn't lose me Office 2003 because I truly cannot stand 2007. Don't buy it. But I've had to uninstall and reinstall several times on the same hard drive; and this isn't going to be the same hard drive, so they'll know the diff! Wish me luck! (Have I mentioned I dislike Microsoft? Well, I do. big megacorporation doing things their way and being despisingly incompetent at it the while. Snark.)
Meanwhile, getting behinder and behinder because I've been blogging. Gosh, and I could have been writing!
Public Service Announcement - Control Keys for Windows
Okay, this is for those of you who have grown up without learning some of the time saving quick keys that can be used in most Windows applications but definitely in MS Office applications.
CTL+Z = Undo last move (even after you have saved, most times.)
CTL+C = Copy highlighted section
CTL+V = Paste copied section
CTL+X = Cut highlighted section
CTL+F = Find
CTL+U = Underline (this may be nonfunctional; seems not to work in Office 2003 and later editions)
CTL+I = Italics
CTL+B = Bold
CTL+S = Save file
CTL+P = Print file
CTL+A = Select All
CTL+H = Replace
ATL+Tab = takes you to the next open application. Repeat to cycle through them.
Ctl+Alt+Delete = Opens the Windows Task Manager. Do this twice and the computer shuts down in XP and later versions.
There are more, but these are the most common and the most useful that I've found.
AND, FROM BLOGGER:
Can I use keyboard shortcuts while posting?
Blogger has several keyboard shortcuts for use while editing posts. They definitely work in Internet Explorer 5.5+/Windows and the Mozilla family (1.6+ and Firefox 0.9+), and might work in other browsers. Here they are:
control + b = Bold
control + i = Italic
control + l = Blockquote (when in HTML-mode only)
control + z = Undo
control + y = Redo
control + shift + a = Link
control + shift + p = Preview
control + d = Save as Draft
control + p = Publish Post
control + s = Autosave and keep editing
control + g = Hindi transliteration
CTL+Z = Undo last move (even after you have saved, most times.)
CTL+C = Copy highlighted section
CTL+V = Paste copied section
CTL+X = Cut highlighted section
CTL+F = Find
CTL+U = Underline (this may be nonfunctional; seems not to work in Office 2003 and later editions)
CTL+I = Italics
CTL+B = Bold
CTL+S = Save file
CTL+P = Print file
CTL+A = Select All
CTL+H = Replace
ATL+Tab = takes you to the next open application. Repeat to cycle through them.
Ctl+Alt+Delete = Opens the Windows Task Manager. Do this twice and the computer shuts down in XP and later versions.
There are more, but these are the most common and the most useful that I've found.
AND, FROM BLOGGER:
Can I use keyboard shortcuts while posting?
Blogger has several keyboard shortcuts for use while editing posts. They definitely work in Internet Explorer 5.5+/Windows and the Mozilla family (1.6+ and Firefox 0.9+), and might work in other browsers. Here they are:
control + b = Bold
control + i = Italic
control + l = Blockquote (when in HTML-mode only)
control + z = Undo
control + y = Redo
control + shift + a = Link
control + shift + p = Preview
control + d = Save as Draft
control + p = Publish Post
control + s = Autosave and keep editing
control + g = Hindi transliteration
Friday, August 24, 2007
What Agents Want
Agent Kristin has a great post on PubRants about what will make her pass on sample pages. Check it out here.
Awesome information!
Awesome information!
Mysteries of Book Covers Unveiled
Checking out a few new blogs I've found via the ol' blog-hopping habit. Found, via Books Taste Good, a blog called Novel & Short Story Market Editor's blog. Check out this post on demystifying the book cover creation process.
PS the Writer's Market blog has links to Evil Editor and Miss Snark. I guess they have a bit of taste!
PS the Writer's Market blog has links to Evil Editor and Miss Snark. I guess they have a bit of taste!
Now's Your Chance! Evil Editor Needs Material!
I know I don't get boundless traffic here on this blog, but if you stop by and see this post, do sashay on over to Evil Editor's blog and see what it's all about. Then submit the first 150 words of your big project and/or your query letter for review.
Yes, you will have people making fun of you, but generally it is in good spirits with helpful intentions. And you will be helpful for others who might possibly learn from your mistakes.
Yes, you will have people making fun of you, but generally it is in good spirits with helpful intentions. And you will be helpful for others who might possibly learn from your mistakes.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Off to a bad start
Some days, I swear, you can see events are not going to go your way. I was all set to write, had it settled in my mind that I'd don the headphones, listen to something loud and head banging like Nickelback, Marilyn Manson, AC/DC or whatever obnoxiously hard-driving album came to mind...and write. I haven't written hardly anything in two days and I was salivating for it like you do when you are jonesing for a piece of dessert...only to have it denied as you are about to take that first, luscious bite...
My 15-year-old cat has become a total bitch the past few years, necessitating I keep a tarp on the bed any time I'm not actually in it because she pees on it for some unknown reason. Just my bed or any clothes that might drop to the floor.
She did it again, for the third time this week. She's got a new trick though, because sometimes she crawls under the tarp. Like yesterday. Now I have to do four loads of laundry for the second time this week. And, next to vacuuming, I really hate changing the sheets. At least I do not have to go to the laundry mat. That was a real nightmare, when I was working 70-80 hours per week and hadn't gotten a washer and dryer yet.
Another thing that isn't going my way is that there's this hard disk problem that's recently cropped up. And as you all know, that is nothing to ignore, lest you suffer long and loudly for the neglect when catastrophic failure loses you 70GB of data. So now I have to do a full backup, which takes at least 12 hours. So I started it last night when I got home from work at 8pm. And I half shut the laptop so the cat, who also likes to upchuck hairballs onto my computer if it's left open, jumped on top, causing it to shut off. The mapping wasn't even finished when I woke up this morning! Argh. Now, I love my cat, but I can really picture some of the things in my favorite humor book, 101 Uses For a Dead Cat...
I wanted to go to a local coffeehouse and write this morning. Now I can't even migrate to the kitchen, where I had my heart all set on for the closeness to coffee. No, I have to feel all resentful and listen to the infernal humming of the usb drive all freaking day long as I sit my ass in the bedroom at my desk.
Oh, and then I have to run chkdsk which will take hours on a massive hard drive like mine. I don't even know if it will fix the stupid thing.
Additionally, and this is going to drive me bugfuck all morning, I had to unplug my mouse in the attempt to figure out which of the four usb items plugged in was the printer so I could remove it to plug in the thumbdrive and backup the WIP. (I always back up my writing to a thumbdrive. If I make a change, it goes on the thumbdrive, too.) And now, the mouse won't reactivate! So I'm stuck using the loathsome, hated, obscenely idiotic piece of crap touchpad! I HATE touchpads. Worst piece of crap technology ever developed for computers if you are trying to actually write and cut and paste.
Argh, snarfle, snarl and bitch moan gripe rant.
Now I get to go do laundry, feed the cats, clean the catboxes...
Yannow, I have been up an hour and still haven't sat down to write a word. Except for this rant.
My 15-year-old cat has become a total bitch the past few years, necessitating I keep a tarp on the bed any time I'm not actually in it because she pees on it for some unknown reason. Just my bed or any clothes that might drop to the floor.
She did it again, for the third time this week. She's got a new trick though, because sometimes she crawls under the tarp. Like yesterday. Now I have to do four loads of laundry for the second time this week. And, next to vacuuming, I really hate changing the sheets. At least I do not have to go to the laundry mat. That was a real nightmare, when I was working 70-80 hours per week and hadn't gotten a washer and dryer yet.
Another thing that isn't going my way is that there's this hard disk problem that's recently cropped up. And as you all know, that is nothing to ignore, lest you suffer long and loudly for the neglect when catastrophic failure loses you 70GB of data. So now I have to do a full backup, which takes at least 12 hours. So I started it last night when I got home from work at 8pm. And I half shut the laptop so the cat, who also likes to upchuck hairballs onto my computer if it's left open, jumped on top, causing it to shut off. The mapping wasn't even finished when I woke up this morning! Argh. Now, I love my cat, but I can really picture some of the things in my favorite humor book, 101 Uses For a Dead Cat...
I wanted to go to a local coffeehouse and write this morning. Now I can't even migrate to the kitchen, where I had my heart all set on for the closeness to coffee. No, I have to feel all resentful and listen to the infernal humming of the usb drive all freaking day long as I sit my ass in the bedroom at my desk.
Oh, and then I have to run chkdsk which will take hours on a massive hard drive like mine. I don't even know if it will fix the stupid thing.
Additionally, and this is going to drive me bugfuck all morning, I had to unplug my mouse in the attempt to figure out which of the four usb items plugged in was the printer so I could remove it to plug in the thumbdrive and backup the WIP. (I always back up my writing to a thumbdrive. If I make a change, it goes on the thumbdrive, too.) And now, the mouse won't reactivate! So I'm stuck using the loathsome, hated, obscenely idiotic piece of crap touchpad! I HATE touchpads. Worst piece of crap technology ever developed for computers if you are trying to actually write and cut and paste.
Argh, snarfle, snarl and bitch moan gripe rant.
Now I get to go do laundry, feed the cats, clean the catboxes...
Yannow, I have been up an hour and still haven't sat down to write a word. Except for this rant.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Editorial Ass - Cool Blog
"Cecelia Ahern. For anyone who's been lucky enough to not have been exposed to any of her books, she's the daughter of a prime minister of Ireland and was somehow able to parley that connection into an unfortunate ongoing book deal. The most unfortunate aspect of Ms. Ahern in general is not her appallingly stereotypical characters or her cringe-worthy prose, but rather the fact that her plots are actually quite clever and that she wastes these perfectly good and potentially quite entertaining ideas by writing them herself. Alas. "
A noteworthy blog, Editorial Ass, by an editor at some small press or other who calls herself Moonie. Snarky, amusing, and worth reading for the insider's view of the editorial life. I don't think you will gain any edge in getting published; but oh gawd it is worth reading just because. Because! That's a legitimate reason! Go look it up, lol. The above quote is what really tickled my fancy. Moonie is going off on books (or in this case, authors) she doesn't plan on reading.
Thanks to Aprilynne Pike for the link.
A noteworthy blog, Editorial Ass, by an editor at some small press or other who calls herself Moonie. Snarky, amusing, and worth reading for the insider's view of the editorial life. I don't think you will gain any edge in getting published; but oh gawd it is worth reading just because. Because! That's a legitimate reason! Go look it up, lol. The above quote is what really tickled my fancy. Moonie is going off on books (or in this case, authors) she doesn't plan on reading.
Thanks to Aprilynne Pike for the link.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Says-It - Cool Site
Always wanted to make your own seal or emblem? Says It gives you the opportunity. Check it out for another means of avoiding writing.
The Gyre that Keeps on Growing
A bit of frightening ecological info here. Ever heard of the Western Gyre? A big patch of plastic garbage that's the largest feature on our entire planet, floating in the Pacific? No kidding. And animals are eating it and dieing.
For post-apocalyptic writers, this should be a useful tidbit.
For the all of us, it should be horrifying. The stuff will last longer than the radiation from nuclear war!
For post-apocalyptic writers, this should be a useful tidbit.
For the all of us, it should be horrifying. The stuff will last longer than the radiation from nuclear war!
Sunday, August 19, 2007
A Tip From Lori Perkins
Check out this blog post by Lori Perkins, who says that multi-million dollar vampire trilogy deals are possible.
There is, to paraphrase her, marrow in those tired old bones. So don't give up on vampire stories because you think we don't need a million-plus of the same genre out there!
There is, to paraphrase her, marrow in those tired old bones. So don't give up on vampire stories because you think we don't need a million-plus of the same genre out there!
I'm in Hog Heaven
Okay, this is both a humor post and a bit of reference for those of us who want crime in our dark fantasy novels. Or space cops in SF. Or whatever. Lee Lofland, whose book Howdunit Police Procedure & Investigation was recently released, is a former detective turned writer who did a guest post on the Lipstick Chronicles.
Thanks to Sue Ann Jaffarian for the link. The story Mr. Lofland relates is one of those bizzare but true tales that we wish were fiction but aren't. There was a guy in Maine a couple of years ago who wanted to bring his "wife" (a German shepherd dog) to court with him, I believe as a witness. Ew. That's all there is to say to something like that...
Forgetting the farmyard for the nonce, I think we should start a new sub-genre: Fantasy noir, which would be mystery crossed with dark fantasy.
Thanks to Sue Ann Jaffarian for the link. The story Mr. Lofland relates is one of those bizzare but true tales that we wish were fiction but aren't. There was a guy in Maine a couple of years ago who wanted to bring his "wife" (a German shepherd dog) to court with him, I believe as a witness. Ew. That's all there is to say to something like that...
Forgetting the farmyard for the nonce, I think we should start a new sub-genre: Fantasy noir, which would be mystery crossed with dark fantasy.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Daily Doodle
I cracked 20,000 on the WIP a couple of days ago. I haven't been able to devote much time to writing between sick cat to vet and dealing with a few household projects on my days off; but today I am just sitting down to a few hours of writing. That's because it is raining and I can neither mow the rest of the lawn nor paint the final coat onto the front porch. (Yay. Didn't want to do those things just now, anyway.)
The old duffer cat hasn't eaten in three days. We've taken him off his thyroid meds, so hopefully his appetite will return. Because I refuse to force feed. He did actually eat this morning, if only a tiny amount; so there's hope the old fur ball will last longer than a week. I've got to say, though: It's difficult to watch him fail like this, especially so rapidly. After sixteen years, one gets attached.
The old duffer cat hasn't eaten in three days. We've taken him off his thyroid meds, so hopefully his appetite will return. Because I refuse to force feed. He did actually eat this morning, if only a tiny amount; so there's hope the old fur ball will last longer than a week. I've got to say, though: It's difficult to watch him fail like this, especially so rapidly. After sixteen years, one gets attached.
Friday, August 17, 2007
When Insults Had Class
A writer friend sent me these.
A member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease." "That depends, Sir, " said Disraeli, "on whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."
"He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr
"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." - Winston Churchill
"A modest little person, with much to be modest about." - Winston Churchill
"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." - Clarence Darrow
"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." - William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)
"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?" - Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)
"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." - Moses Hadas
"He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know." - Abraham Lincoln
"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." - Mark Twain
"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." - Oscar Wilde
"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend.... if you have one." - George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill
"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second... if there is ne." - Winston Churchill, in response.
"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." - Stephen Bishop
"He is a self-made man and worships his creator." - John Bright
"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." - Irvin S. Cobb
"He is not only dull himself, he is the cause of dullness in others." - Samuel Johnson
"He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up." - Paul Keating
"There's nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won't cure." - Jack E. Leonard
"He has the attention span of a lightning bolt." - Robert Redford
"They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge." - Thomas Brackett Reed
"In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily." - Charles, Count Talleyrand
"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." - Forrest Tucker
"Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?" - Mark Twain
"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." - Mae West
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." - Oscar Wilde
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
"He has Van Gogh's ear for music." - Billy Wilder
"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." - Groucho Marx
A member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease." "That depends, Sir, " said Disraeli, "on whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."
"He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr
"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." - Winston Churchill
"A modest little person, with much to be modest about." - Winston Churchill
"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." - Clarence Darrow
"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." - William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)
"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?" - Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)
"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." - Moses Hadas
"He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know." - Abraham Lincoln
"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." - Mark Twain
"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." - Oscar Wilde
"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend.... if you have one." - George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill
"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second... if there is ne." - Winston Churchill, in response.
"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." - Stephen Bishop
"He is a self-made man and worships his creator." - John Bright
"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." - Irvin S. Cobb
"He is not only dull himself, he is the cause of dullness in others." - Samuel Johnson
"He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up." - Paul Keating
"There's nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won't cure." - Jack E. Leonard
"He has the attention span of a lightning bolt." - Robert Redford
"They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge." - Thomas Brackett Reed
"In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily." - Charles, Count Talleyrand
"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." - Forrest Tucker
"Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?" - Mark Twain
"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." - Mae West
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." - Oscar Wilde
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
"He has Van Gogh's ear for music." - Billy Wilder
"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." - Groucho Marx
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Pick Up Your Axe
Bernita posted today about Muses and getting started. The concensus seems to be that the most effective muse is the "butt in chair and actually typing" variety. In other words, actual action.
When I was studying with a woman* some years ago, she told a story about taking positive action even though you have done the mental homework. It goes something like this:
There was a little village troubled by a gigantic, vicious and perpetually hungry crocodile at their water hole. Many tried to kill the animal but were either killed or maimed themselves. Finally, a young hunter went to the local shaman and asked for a spell to rid them of the crocodile. The shaman agreed, taught the young man through much self cleansing and ritual prayer. Finally, he was ready and got up to go use the spell on the crocodile. As he did so, the shaman cried, "Hey! Do not forget your axe!"
The moral: Prayer is all well and good, but do not forget to pick up your axe.
And thus it is with muses, too! Happy writing!
*Francesca deGrandis, whom I believe wrote this, but I am not sure.
When I was studying with a woman* some years ago, she told a story about taking positive action even though you have done the mental homework. It goes something like this:
There was a little village troubled by a gigantic, vicious and perpetually hungry crocodile at their water hole. Many tried to kill the animal but were either killed or maimed themselves. Finally, a young hunter went to the local shaman and asked for a spell to rid them of the crocodile. The shaman agreed, taught the young man through much self cleansing and ritual prayer. Finally, he was ready and got up to go use the spell on the crocodile. As he did so, the shaman cried, "Hey! Do not forget your axe!"
The moral: Prayer is all well and good, but do not forget to pick up your axe.
And thus it is with muses, too! Happy writing!
*Francesca deGrandis, whom I believe wrote this, but I am not sure.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Overheard in New York - Idea
Ideas come in many ways, many fashions. Overheard in New York is one of my favorite sites to vacariously observe people. Funny stuff, dumb stuff, and idea sparking stuff. The quote below is irony. Gotta love irony.
Can't She Just Obsessively View My Facebook Profile Like a Normal Ex?
via Overheard in New York, Aug 12, 2007
Can't She Just Obsessively View My Facebook Profile Like a Normal Ex?
Guy #1: Man, I don't know what to do! I can't get rid of my crazy ex! We've been broken up for almost a year now and I told her, 'I don't want to see you or speak to you any more,' and she said, 'I'm going to make your life miserable.' Then she had the audacity to send my current girlfriend a message on Facebook saying, 'We need to talk' and asked my current girlfriend to call her. Then, a few weeks later, she shows up at my office. And just this week she send me a text saying, 'I know we're not speaking, but do you want to come out to dinner with me and meet my mom?' What do I do?!
Guy #2: Oh my god, restraining order?!
Guy #1: And the sad part is that she has a dating column!
Guy #2: You mean she is giving other people dating advice?
Guy #1: Yup.
--Union Square
via Overheard in New York, Aug 12, 2007
Amazon, a vanity press?
Read something yesterday that says Amazon is going to become a vanity press. If you buy from them in large quantities like I do (rural living at its finest!) this can become a problem. I have had a few really bad POD titles I've purchased because I had no way to tell the book was POD; but now Amazon's vanity titles are going to be treated just like the stuff from regular publishing houses.
Or so the rumor goes.
Pardon me if I don't dredge up links. Lazy. Headache.
Or so the rumor goes.
Pardon me if I don't dredge up links. Lazy. Headache.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Google's other offerings
So, wasting time at work because it is slow. As usual. Only my regular coworker is out from emergency gall bladder surgery, so the relief guy is reading free books on the web. Tells me about Google's book feature, where you can read all sorts of public domain books that have been scanned in.
Here's how you can do it, too.
Here's how you can do it, too.
- Go to http://www.google.com/
- Select 'more' drop down menu.
- Select 'books.'
- Select 'advanced book search' feature
- Select 'full text' so you only find the complete book, not a reference to your search string.
- Enter search criteria. Voila!
Have fun.
Also, a cool line from a book on my neck of the woods, Aroostook County. The settlers were wending their way through the trackless wilderness to join the husband. Travel was by canoe, as there were no roads for 110 miles. They stopped at an inn just before the canoe journey, and it was owned by Quakers. the narrator relates: "A boy was sent for the cows, and came in soon to say he could not find them. "Thee go again," said Mrs. Davis, "and pluck thine eyes open."
Loose Id - Cool Site
Check out this article by Margaret Riley of Changeling Press LLC. It's on a new blog I discovered from December Quinn's having interviewed Ms. Riley's partner in Loose Id, an epublisher.
If you want to know what an epublishing contract will entail, it gives a good idea of what your post contract life will be like. Check it out!
If you want to know what an epublishing contract will entail, it gives a good idea of what your post contract life will be like. Check it out!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Book - Children At War
Doing some reading on children used as soldiers. Found this one, Children At War. Man, will this one piss you off. Children conscripted into battle, the criteria being they are of a size to hold and shoot a weapon. Death or fight? They fight. Hooked on drugs by force, then drugs denied unless they fight? They fight. Threats against family? They fight. And are thus ruined, many of them. If they survive at all.
I was thinking of using the concept in a book, but it sickens me so, reading about these ongoing atrocities, I don't believe I can. Not even to make a statement that child soldiers are wrong. Not even for that. It's child abuse on a massive scale; and I cannot deal with that. I guess we all have limitations; this one appears to be one of mine.
I was thinking of using the concept in a book, but it sickens me so, reading about these ongoing atrocities, I don't believe I can. Not even to make a statement that child soldiers are wrong. Not even for that. It's child abuse on a massive scale; and I cannot deal with that. I guess we all have limitations; this one appears to be one of mine.
Friday, August 10, 2007
OPM
Other People Mentions (not other people's money, sorry)
Bernita had a great post on the sound of voice in your writing, and Pacatrue had a great mention about cultures (in this case, about face) which were both thought provoking. Linkies in the sidebar because I am feeling lazy.
And, on the Vampire story, word count is 17720. I think this wants to become a novel, because I have a couple of subplots, have since I started it. And from what I read about novellas, subplots are not allowed. So, we shall see what happens. So long as I do not let myself go back and change it up. Those thoughts, "but if I did it this way" can kill a project. At least they can if you are me and easily distracted.
Bernita had a great post on the sound of voice in your writing, and Pacatrue had a great mention about cultures (in this case, about face) which were both thought provoking. Linkies in the sidebar because I am feeling lazy.
And, on the Vampire story, word count is 17720. I think this wants to become a novel, because I have a couple of subplots, have since I started it. And from what I read about novellas, subplots are not allowed. So, we shall see what happens. So long as I do not let myself go back and change it up. Those thoughts, "but if I did it this way" can kill a project. At least they can if you are me and easily distracted.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Daily Doodle
Hey, more writing today. 13,241 on the word count. That's about three thousand more words. Just rough stuff today, but I'm plugging away. Get it? Plugging, *snort*. (Vampire smut? Oh, never mind. It wasn't that funny anyway!)
The amusing thing is that, for some reason, the story is really a string of sex scenes with very little plot sketched in yet. Sure the plot's there, but only vaguely. The development is for the revisions, yannow?
Just a curious result of determining the genre is erotica. I don't know if I even care if it has as much plot as December Quinn put in her book, Blood Will Tell, which I haven't quite finished yet. It's a good read and I'm admiring her prose as I go. Oh, and there's sex. That's good too, lol.
Anyhow, it's just one of those odd observations of my own process which has me amused for no good reason.
The amusing thing is that, for some reason, the story is really a string of sex scenes with very little plot sketched in yet. Sure the plot's there, but only vaguely. The development is for the revisions, yannow?
Just a curious result of determining the genre is erotica. I don't know if I even care if it has as much plot as December Quinn put in her book, Blood Will Tell, which I haven't quite finished yet. It's a good read and I'm admiring her prose as I go. Oh, and there's sex. That's good too, lol.
Anyhow, it's just one of those odd observations of my own process which has me amused for no good reason.
Monday, August 06, 2007
progress
I stayed home sick today because I've got some kind of bug. But in between naps I managed to hit 10,000 words on the vampire story. The cats are happy too because I was upstairs in my bedroom (where the dog isn't allowed) and they had me to drape themselves over or cruise by for pets at regular intervals because my desk is in the bedroom as well.
So, whether the best method of progress is to focus on one thing or not, I am electing to go where my intense interest is. I just have to jump around. And, yes, it does keep one from making as much forward progress as one could. But it's just the way I work. Hop, skip, jump.
So far, though, I can't think of a good title for this one. I'm temporarily calling it Blood Shot after the name of the bar where it opens. But I honestly don't like that for a title. Oh well. Something will come to me.
So, whether the best method of progress is to focus on one thing or not, I am electing to go where my intense interest is. I just have to jump around. And, yes, it does keep one from making as much forward progress as one could. But it's just the way I work. Hop, skip, jump.
So far, though, I can't think of a good title for this one. I'm temporarily calling it Blood Shot after the name of the bar where it opens. But I honestly don't like that for a title. Oh well. Something will come to me.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Book Review
Wraith, by Pheadra Weldon
Urban fantasy. Penguin trade paperback, 378 pages
Blurb, from Amazon, "Part paranormal whodunit, part urban fantasy, Weldon's lively debut introduces Zoë Martinique, a professional snoop based in Atlanta, Ga., with the ability to project herself out of body and spy on illicit activities. Things get complicated after Zoë becomes an astral witness to murder, and the killer, who can not only see her but also touch her, leaves her branded with a red hand print and a shock of white hair that just keeps getting thicker. Zoë teams up with sexy cop Daniel Frasier, who thinks infamous televangelist Theodore Rollins is somehow behind the murder, but Zoë's also pretty sure that the dead man's boss, Koba Hirokumi, president of Visitar Inc., knows a lot more than he's telling. Before long, what began as an apparent case of industrial espionage turns into a battle against evil from another dimension. Weldon keeps Zoë and her readers off balance with brisk pacing and brain-wrenching plot twists, drawing the story to a satisfying close while leaving enough loose ends to set up Zoë's next adventure. "
Wow! This was a really fresh and entirely original world! I won't tell you anything more about it except to say that it is like nothing else I've ever read. The pov character, Zoe, is a snarky handful, too, and the writing laugh out loud funny at frequent intervals.
There are some things that bugged me in the beginning, in particular how her mother and others mysteriously know things about the paranormal-- implying to me but not our character that there is more going on than Zoe sees and making her look somewhat stupid. But other than that, it's fast paced and interesting with good characterizations. I liked it a lot and look forward to the sequel(s) promised by the ending.
Urban fantasy. Penguin trade paperback, 378 pages
Blurb, from Amazon, "Part paranormal whodunit, part urban fantasy, Weldon's lively debut introduces Zoë Martinique, a professional snoop based in Atlanta, Ga., with the ability to project herself out of body and spy on illicit activities. Things get complicated after Zoë becomes an astral witness to murder, and the killer, who can not only see her but also touch her, leaves her branded with a red hand print and a shock of white hair that just keeps getting thicker. Zoë teams up with sexy cop Daniel Frasier, who thinks infamous televangelist Theodore Rollins is somehow behind the murder, but Zoë's also pretty sure that the dead man's boss, Koba Hirokumi, president of Visitar Inc., knows a lot more than he's telling. Before long, what began as an apparent case of industrial espionage turns into a battle against evil from another dimension. Weldon keeps Zoë and her readers off balance with brisk pacing and brain-wrenching plot twists, drawing the story to a satisfying close while leaving enough loose ends to set up Zoë's next adventure. "
Wow! This was a really fresh and entirely original world! I won't tell you anything more about it except to say that it is like nothing else I've ever read. The pov character, Zoe, is a snarky handful, too, and the writing laugh out loud funny at frequent intervals.
There are some things that bugged me in the beginning, in particular how her mother and others mysteriously know things about the paranormal-- implying to me but not our character that there is more going on than Zoe sees and making her look somewhat stupid. But other than that, it's fast paced and interesting with good characterizations. I liked it a lot and look forward to the sequel(s) promised by the ending.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Daily Doodle
I guess it's true: The more you blog, the less you write. So, I've been writing, not blogging much. I don't really want to make this into an online journal where all I do is spout off about my unspectacular personal life, so when there is nothing to say more or less on the topic of writing, I haven't been posting. This, like my writing, will occur in waves...
And, having said that, on a personal note my old cat is on his last legs. Hyperthyroidism, congestive heart failure, severe arthritis, and early stages of kidney failure. The steroids or the thyroid medication will either kill his heart or his kidneys in a few months to a year. So the old guy will be going to the great litter box in the sky.
In the meantime, however, he's still a little hellion who likes jumping on your head and chewing your hair.
I mention the fur ball because in thinking about his pending demise (hopefully far off in the future, but logically months away) I got to thinking about how one can anticipate failure. I mean, anticipation of a terrible thing (death) is like the way one can anticipate a bad ending, a failure, a disaster. It's a glass half empty approach to thinking about things, isn't it?
When working on a really long project, one of the habits I have needed to overcome is worrying about What If I Fail? As in, what if I do not finish? What if it doesn't sell? What if no one likes it? And the dreaded (and still present) What if it's pure crap?
Truthfully, I'm not really bothered by those sorts of worries, because I don't have a lot at stake if my writing doesn't sell. I don't really want to be known as the author (I hate attention), and I do not really care about the money (I have a well paying day job). However, I do have one thing that I cannot shake: The ego boost and satisfaction that comes when you get that very positive feedback of being published. :)
And, having said that, on a personal note my old cat is on his last legs. Hyperthyroidism, congestive heart failure, severe arthritis, and early stages of kidney failure. The steroids or the thyroid medication will either kill his heart or his kidneys in a few months to a year. So the old guy will be going to the great litter box in the sky.
In the meantime, however, he's still a little hellion who likes jumping on your head and chewing your hair.
I mention the fur ball because in thinking about his pending demise (hopefully far off in the future, but logically months away) I got to thinking about how one can anticipate failure. I mean, anticipation of a terrible thing (death) is like the way one can anticipate a bad ending, a failure, a disaster. It's a glass half empty approach to thinking about things, isn't it?
When working on a really long project, one of the habits I have needed to overcome is worrying about What If I Fail? As in, what if I do not finish? What if it doesn't sell? What if no one likes it? And the dreaded (and still present) What if it's pure crap?
Truthfully, I'm not really bothered by those sorts of worries, because I don't have a lot at stake if my writing doesn't sell. I don't really want to be known as the author (I hate attention), and I do not really care about the money (I have a well paying day job). However, I do have one thing that I cannot shake: The ego boost and satisfaction that comes when you get that very positive feedback of being published. :)
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Help me out here: Gimme Vampire or Paranormal Romance cliches!
Like I mentioned a couple of days ago, making myself a challenge and stuffing in cliches into the vampire story. Want to see if I can manage to make these tired old tropes sit up and sing for their supper. Or, failing that, just entertain myself.
Here's my starting list. Want to have some fun? Gimme some more (Please, sir.)!
Here's my starting list. Want to have some fun? Gimme some more (Please, sir.)!
- Vampires as guardians and good guys (despite the blood to survive thing.)
- Vampires are ultra strong, cannot go out in daylight, and (maybe) react to holy objects.
- They are saved by a mate (the Good Woman).
- Vampire who owns a bar/ nightclub/ all night entertainment place.
- Too good looking to live.
- Really a good guy, but the mortals don't know it.
- Vampires are rich, suave, sophisticated and wear tuxedos.
- A Renfield lurks about someplace, slurping up insects.
- Coffins.
- Goth culture overlapping Vampire culture.
- The innocent woman with psychic powers in the "bad" vampire's clutches. It's love at first boink, despite her many protests that she doesn't want to hook up with him.
Cool Site - Self Promotion!
Here is a nifty idea: Book Tours dot com. Check it out if you are an author who wants to be proactive and flog your books! Brought to you via a Book Square blog article.
Existential Anxiety & Who's on First?
Oh, which project to work on now? How come I keep doing this to myself? I have the main WIP and three other projects which have now caught my attention. Because I jump around a lot, it's hard to get anything accomplished. Which doesn't worry me in the slightest, seeing as I am not writing for the money. (Thank goodness, or I'd be homeless.)
So, anyhow, I am currently working on the smutty vampire sex scenes. I wrote yesterday, and am working on it today as well. Maybe I'll crack 10,000 words today. That's the goal; but I reserve the right to not accomplish it, lol. Because, knowing me, I probably won't.
What is important to me, however, is that I am writing. I remember my professor in college who said you aren't a writer unless you write.
Now I wonder, are you a writer if you don't finish much? If you never finish anything? If you just occasionally write?
What makes a writer a "writer"?
Everybody has an opinion; what's yours?
So, anyhow, I am currently working on the smutty vampire sex scenes. I wrote yesterday, and am working on it today as well. Maybe I'll crack 10,000 words today. That's the goal; but I reserve the right to not accomplish it, lol. Because, knowing me, I probably won't.
What is important to me, however, is that I am writing. I remember my professor in college who said you aren't a writer unless you write.
Now I wonder, are you a writer if you don't finish much? If you never finish anything? If you just occasionally write?
What makes a writer a "writer"?
Everybody has an opinion; what's yours?
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