Heretic Spire, a Damn Lie

May 16, 2008

2008-05-17T00:32:37Z

I spent most of the day out of the house, because how could I not? It’s beautiful out there. As I’ve learned the hard way, I must take advantage of it while I can, because God knows it won’t last long.

During my morning circuit of the post office, the eyeglasses shop (to get mine tightened up), the drug store, and the pet store … I ran into Psynde — which was delightful, as always. We hung around and chatted for awhile, and then I came home to clean the apartment from top to bottom except for the floors — which I simply couldn’t be bothered with. Even Howard got a thorough tank cleaning to go with his spanky new plants.

Right now, the handy-dandy thermometer mounted above my desk says it’s 77 degrees. All the windows are open, and the cat is whoring herself out to a sunbeam. All things considered, life could be worse.

I’ve posted pictures after the following word count statistics. Click the jump to see Spain the Cat belly-up and toasty, and Howard the Fish checking out his new, freshly scrubbed digs.

But first, here’s today’s progress on the west coast steampunk Victoriana book with zombies, air ships, toxic gas clouds, mad scientists, dead folk heroes, secret criminal societies, and Bonus! extended deleted scenes from the Civil War:

Project: The Boneshaker
New Words: 2418 (in a very brief period of time this afternoon, so this is good)
Present Total Word Count: 129,987 words
Goal: 135,000 words by July 1st.

Observations: I know, I know. I keep saying, “Maybe it’ll be just a little bit longer than projected — and yes, I’m about to say that again. But this time, I mean it. I only have a scene and a half left to write, and I honestly think I can make it happen in less than 5000 words. I love this story so much that it almost pains me to finish composing its content. I won’t say it pains me to “finish it” because that’s not what I mean; once it’s a Draft Zero, it’s all trimming, polishing, and fine-tuning from there. It doesn’t remotely mean that anything is “finished.” But Draft Zero does mean that the story has been fully told.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Everything you see above in the first couple of paragraphs, plus I sat down with Zeke’s parallel storyline and shuffled it into Briar’s narrative. I think I split it up/arranged it/organized it fairly well. Of course, I might re-read this bad boy from start to finish and conclude that I’m crazy.

Reason for Stopping: Husband came home from work. Reached a good stopping place. It’s Friday afternoon and dammit, I deserve a little break.

Total Fiction Words Composed in 2008: 198,553
And now, click the link for pictures of Cat and Feesh.

Cat. Cat. Cat. Fish. Fish. Cat. »

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

May 15, 2008

2008-05-15T22:56:57Z

I didn’t get much fiction work done yesterday — only a few hundred words. Instead, my husband took a “working from home” day, wherein I tagged along while he ran a bunch of errands. None of it was very interesting, but it was all pleasant and different, which was helpful. Sometimes I just need to get out of the house, you know?

Today the weather is beautiful, and it’s going to continue to be beautiful for another 3 or 4 days before the sky once again descends into its perennial suck. I have all the windows open, and the front door as well (save the screen). The cat is asleep beside me, lounging on the back of the couch and catching the first sunbeam she’s seen in weeks. It’s nice. When I finish this post, I think I’m going to make myself a snack. That will be nice, too.

But anyway, here’s today’s progress on the west coast steampunk Victoriana book with zombies, air ships, toxic gas clouds, mad scientists, dead folk heroes, secret criminal societies, and Bonus! extended deleted scenes from the Civil War:

Project: The Boneshaker
New Words: 4293 (most of that today, so it’s pretty good)
Present Total Word Count: 127,560 words
Goal: 130,000 words by July 1st.

Observations: It’s going to be wicked trouble blending these two POVs, but I think it’ll be worth it. I finished Zeke’s perspective this afternoon — reaching the point at which his narrative and his mother’s narrative will reunite into one story. The end really is in sight. I just need to kill off one more guy and make an awkward getaway that may or may not be wholly successful. Then there’s just the wind-down, and the fat lady sings. Man. I can’t believe it. I love this project so much; I’m so proud of it — it’s the most ambitious thing I’ve ever tried to write, and I think it works.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Not much, honestly. Batted some email correspondence back and forth; received, signed, and sent back a contract for my employment at the Evil Empire (as I jokingly call it). This was a good thing. There’d been some paperwork tangles, and several invoices have logjammed to the point where I’m expecting several thousand dollars spread across several invoices, sometime in the next week or two. Ah, the life of a freelancer.

Reason for Stopping: Got to a good stopping spot. Getting munchy. Want to pry myself away from Twitter and go run around outside while it’s pretty enough for me to do so.

Total Fiction Words Composed in 2008: 196,135

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Christ, I love Keith Olbermann

2008-05-15T19:35:28Z

Listen.

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

If your grammar skills aren’t becoming to you, you should be coming to us

2008-05-14T16:54:08Z

Last night The Helvetica Quartet* won second place in a pub quiz, and today we proudly sport our victory trophies — alcohol-themed tee shirts. Mine is a kicky baby-doll number with a Jameson logo splashed across my boobs. Do I drink Irish Whiskey? Generally speaking, no. But I do look smashing in a good emerald green, so I’m pleased all the same.

I’m really enjoying these quiz nights, but this most recent installment of trivia and strife may have cost me a little faith in the process … even though I understand that the M.C. had no way of knowing that — lurking within the seething throngs of cheerfully drunk trivia aficionados — she had a small table that was populated with grammar pseudo dominatrices.

I say “pseudo” because it’s like this: having a well-versed and thorough understanding of correct grammar does not mean that any given one of us is (necessarily) likely to use it. We aren’t the sort of folks who go around with red pens, correcting the spelling inside bathroom stalls; and we aren’t even the kind of people who can remember, off the top of our heads, the rest of that whole “i” before “e” except after “c” rule.

Nay. We are the kind of dorks who find it damn near hilarious to talk out loud in LOLCAT. So let it not be said that we are Accuracy Nazis when it comes to English language usage.

HOWEVER. As we learned last night, if you sufficiently liquor up a woman with a master’s degree in that subject who furthermore writes for a living, and then you try to dock her team points over a correctly deduced apostrophe misfire, then by God you’d better be prepared to run faster and climb higher than a drunkenly irate author with a belly full of hard cider and jalepeno poppers.

It was not my finest hour.
But. For the record.

Correct: The trivia question and its potential answers were unclear at best.
Incorrect: Cherie chewed on the M.C.’s microphone and it’s stand.

Correct: This is about honor. It’s not about inebriated indignation.
Incorrect: Well, I got this question off an English website so its right.

Correct: Use that excuse all you want, but it’s not going to cut it at the MLA.
Incorrect: But its just a trivia question. Its no big deal!

Correct: Of course it’s a big deal! There are free tee-shirts at stake!
Incorrect: Fine. I guess its a bad question and we’ll throw it out.

Cherie: Wiktory!
M.C.: (mutters) Jesus H. Christ in a chicken bucket …

* Me, Aric, Ellen, and Maudelynn.

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

OMGWTFBBQ??? Yes. Precisely.

2008-05-14T00:47:59Z

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

May 13, 2008

2008-05-14T00:01:40Z

Here’s today’s progress on the west coast steampunk Victoriana book with zombies, air ships, toxic gas clouds, mad scientists, dead folk heroes, secret criminal societies, and Bonus! extended deleted scenes from the Civil War:

Project: The Boneshaker
New Words: 3510 (pretty good!)
Present Total Word Count: 123,267 words
Goal: 130,000 words by July 1st.

Observations: Steampunk is fun to write. It is also complicated, and reaching the end of this book has started to feel like a sisyphean undertaking. But if nothing happens to eat my life during the rest of this week, I might be able to cough up a Draft Zero by Friday afternoon. Then again, I might be an overly optimistic liar. Stay tuned.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Two loads of laundry, including bedding; sent off book review; corresponded extensively with distant friends and colleagues; learned my way around my twitter account a little better; determined that I might be far too boring to maintain this twitter account; decided that maybe I’d just use it as a link dump or something, but I don’t want to ditch it yet; spent a downright silly amount of time chatting in gmail with my college roommate and a fashion-fixated Australian woman.

Reason for Stopping: Came to the end of my chapter. Also, it’s Tuesday night — and that means that The Helvetica Quartet shall ride again … or at least, we shall drink and giggle and participate in a pub quiz over in West Seattle. Ergo, I ought to brush my hair or throw on some respectable clothes or something. Also [:: glances out the window ::] I need to drag out my rain boots. The weather is sucking ass.*

Total Fiction Words Composed in 2008: 191,842

* I hear that — starting tomorrow — it’s supposed to get pretty for three or four days in a row … but then the weather will return to its regularly scheduled ass sucking. Oh yes. You can count on it.

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Cat Blogging, As Promised

2008-05-13T01:36:37Z

Spain the Cat has developed a real fondness for cheese slices — which she prefers to consume directly off the couch. Yes, that’s right. I have to tear the cheese into pieces and let her lick them off the leather. Gruesome? Perhaps. But it beats the hell out of shoelaces and hair twisties.

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

May 12, 2008

2008-05-13T00:17:24Z

(1). Those of you who’ve read or seen Dreadful Skin may remember that it was illustrated by a guy named Mark Geyer — the same fellow who illustrated Stephen King’s The Green Mile. If you’d like to get an advance peek at some of the artwork for my next Subterranean offering, Those Who Went Remain There Still, then you should click this link and go looking for the hillbillies and the bird monsters.

(2). Because I am a procrastinating dork, I spent a frankly ridiculous amount of time today noodling with my livejournal’s settings and appearance. Now, I think, its color scheme and general mood is more in tune with my formal webpage. Erm. Sorta.

(3). I have succumbed to peer pressure and started a Twitter account. I’m not sure how useful I’ll find it, or how often I’ll use it, but here it is, if you’re interested. Feel free to add me. I’m sure it’ll become less of a mystery to me over the next few days.

(4). Here’s today’s progress on the west coast steampunk Victoriana book with zombies, air ships, toxic gas clouds, mad scientists, dead folk heroes, secret criminal societies, and Bonus! extended deleted scenes from the Civil War:

Project: The Boneshaker
New Words: 1879 (meh)
Present Total Word Count: 119,757 words
Goal: 130,000 words by July 1st.

119,757 / 130,000
(92.1%)

Observations: I’m almost to the point where Zeke and Briar’s narratives will knit back together again. This is trickier to navigate than I expected, but I think it’ll work out all right. I’ve started making lists of the things that need to occur in this chaotic pre-reunion scene — who lives, who dies, who gets eaten by zombies … etc.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: I spent the weekend preoccupied with freelance work and Emerald City Comic Con [see previous post], but today I got Draft Zero accomplished on all outgoing independent projects.

Reason for Stopping: I’d like to see Draft One accomplished on two of the three projects by this evening. Also, I’m trying to upload a video of Spain the Cat licking cheese off the couch, because it is gently hilarious. In the event that YouTube ever agrees to host the damn thing, I’ll post it here this evening.

Total Fiction Words Composed in 2008: 188,332

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

May 11, 2008

2008-05-11T20:23:18Z

Yesterday I did Emerald City Comic Con; but alas, I will not be attending Day Two. I have deadlines which must be addressed, and besides — my phone number has been dispersed like so many dandelion seeds, so if anyone wants to tear up the town after convention hours, I’m easy to find. For now, I have a book to finish reading, a review to write, and two small articles to tackle.

Yes, I’m blogging instead. I know.

So yesterday was damn-near perfect. I arrived at the convention floor fairly early, and immediately commenced Internet Bingo … which involved a series of text messages back and forth between the pre-approved Yeah Let’s Totally Meet Up or Something crew and standing in a few lines. In this manner, I was able to visit briefly with Ed, a man with a most excellent hat, and Joanne, who had promised to grievously abuse my phone number.

I roamed around with Joanne and her boyfriend Mark for awhile, including a jaunt through a line to see Jamie Barber; but it cost $25 to have him sign his name on anything, so I bowed out of that queue. Unless he was signing his name on a check made out to me for $25, I couldn’t see the point.*

Likewise, Julie Bentz was in attendance, and I felt like a total dumbass when I realized that she was both Rita on Dexter and Darla on Buffy/Angel. How I never made that connection (since I’m a fan of both franchises) I have no earthly idea. I saw her when she was pretty much alone, and I kind of wanted to approach her and do a little “OH HAI! You’re really great!” … but I got the impression that maybe she wasn’t feeling well, so I didn’t want to bother her.

And, of course, I waited my turn to chat up Wil. He and I have a few friends in common, and we’d exchanged a brief comment or two here and there online, so I figured it wouldn’t be the weirdest of all possible things if I just waited through the crowds and said something awkward like, “Erm, I believe we’ve met on the internets.” And then I assumed he’d make a politely confused face and say, “Oh yes. Miss …um … well, it’s quite nice to meet you. Gosh, look at that line. Well, moving right along … ”

But instead, I got a marvelous warm welcome that revealed he knew who I was(?!) he’d read my books(!?!) and Jesus H. Christ in a little red hat, he’s been known to read this blog(!?!?!). Only sheer astonishment prevented me from doing a little bootydance right there in front of God and everybody. And as if these revelations weren’t enough to make my afternoon, he was warm and friendly and funny, too.

I hope he doesn’t read this and conclude that he’s narrowly escaped from a fangirlish freak-out or anything. It’s not like that; I was just so thoroughly charmed to learn that he was every bit as pleasant as I’d been promised. It really did make my day.**

Following this delightful development, I left the premises in search of lunch. I moseyed over to Pacific Place (because it was close and I am lazy), and there I visited with Psynde — who was rocking out in the Barnes & Noble. She made me sign books on my day off, that tricky little tyrant! But she was so much fun to chat with that I’m prepared to forgive her, just this once. And maybe next time. We shall see.***

Later, my husband appeared and together the pair of us wandered the convention floor in search of schwag and toys. This incarnation of ECCC was much bigger than the year before last — which was the last time I attended — and I was pleased with the offerings. But eventually we called the convention “Done” and went back home, where we ate chips and salsa, goofed off on the internet, watched TV, and awaited further instruction from the out-of-towners.

Further instruction came around 6:30 when Wil called about drinks and supper. Down at the Tap House we met up with him, and Joanna and Mark again, plus Bill and Henrietta. The Tap House was crowded and loud, but posh in an odd way that included Wheel of Fortune being played on very expensive TVs over a glorious glass-and-brass bar … which is to say, it was peculiarly swank. I dug it. The beer selection featured an assortment of tasty flavored ciders (SCORE), and the food was good and reasonably quick.

It would be no exaggeration to say that copious geekery did fill the next few hours.

In case I haven’t said so lately, sometimes I feel like I really am the luckiest girl in the world. I love these events, and I feel deeply privileged to be even the most minor, peripheral part of this convention community. The weekends may wear me out, but they make me so ridiculously damn happy that Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, I’ll be attending ’till I’m old and gray.

It took me long enough, but I finally found my tribe; and all omens to the contrary, it turns out that we’re all right after all.

* As we learned later, this arrangement might have been imposed upon him — and not his personal preference. I don’t know, and I’m not judging. The practice is pretty common.
** Some years ago I was very excited by the opportunity to meet and briefly work with a writer whose work I really adored … and let’s just say it made me wary about the differences between an online persona and meatspace manners. Don’t start guessing. It’s no one I would claim to know or be friends with, and no one you’ve ever heard me talk about here.
*** Because I can never trust the internet to accurately convey jocularity, let the record reflect that I am kidding and Psynde is completely awesome. She’s highly supportive of local authors and very enthusiastic; we think of her as the B&N version of Duane over at the University District bookstore.

[crossposted to/from my website.]

EC CC

2008-05-10T23:25:58Z

Wil Wheaton totally made my day.

[crossposted to/from my website.]

Radio Silence

2008-05-10T15:52:14Z

Sorry about the quiet over the last couple of days — I’ve been working, that’s all. But today, I’m going to squeeze in a little playtime. If you’re here in Seattle, come on out to Emerald City Comic Con,* at the trade center downtown.

I’m a shortish, skinnyish, 30-something with glasses and bright orange hair. If you see me, say hello or something.

* I’d link them, but their site seems to be b0rked at the moment.

[crossposted to/from my website.]

May 8, 2008

2008-05-08T23:02:34Z

Project: The Boneshaker
New Words: 4037 (v. good)
Present Total Word Count: 117,878 words
Goal: 130,000 words by July 1st.

Observations: Behold, I waffle. Now that I look at where I am relative to where I’m going with the story, I think that 130,000 words is quite doable. My problem is that I keep distracting myself with the worldbuilding … and then suddenly I notice that I’ve gone five pages and nothing has really happened. I’m going to have to be careful with the way I handle that stuff in my revisions; I don’t want to strip the world-feel, but I need to keep the story rolling forward, too.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: More freelancery; minor grocery shopping; kitty pestering; researching. I’ve promised a certain fine independent press an air pirates novella set in my Boneshaker world, and since I’m fond of dragging historical characters through the fantasy mud, I’ve been hunting for one to play with. And … I think I’ve found somebody. No, I won’t tell you who. Not yet.

Reason for Stopping: My house is filthy, and it’s sort of a nice day outside. I think I’m going to open the windows and vacuum/dust the hell out of the premises. Maybe, if there’s time, I’ll even do a load of sheets/towels — for Maximum Springtime Freshness. Anyway, the sun is out and I don’t feel like sitting here on the couch typing anymore. I suppose it doesn’t really need to be any more complicated than that, does it?

Total Fiction Words Composed in 2008: 186,453

[crossposted to/from my website.]

Yes, yes.

2008-05-08T20:50:21Z

And I love you all, but I have most assuredly seen this news story and do not require yet another link to it. I really do appreciate all fourteen of you who thought of me and passed the article along this morning — but I have now most thoroughly read it; and future notice of this mainstream piece on steampunk aesthetics is henceforth unnecessary.

This having been said, I send my thanks to everyone who shared it — and my congratulations to Seattle locals Molly Friedrich* and Abney Park for the nod in the New York Times. Good on ya.

* Yes, the same Molly I interviewed for Weird Tales.

[crossposted to/from my website.]

May 7, 2008

2008-05-08T01:53:14Z

No fiction writing done today, I’m afraid. I had other projects to eat my attention, but that’s just how it goes. Nonetheless, I’m pretty happy with my productivity. I’ve gotten a solid Draft Zero on one project, and finished Draft One on a second one. It took me all damn day, just about, but I’d rather get it right than rush it.

Last Night: Went to an Irish pub out in West Seattle with Aric, Ellen, and the lovely Maudelynn — who was kind enough to invite us out in the first place. Together, we were THE HELVETICA QUARTET. We successfully placed in the top three in three out of four rounds, but the MC got us on the “movie quotes” category. Last time I did the quiz (with Maudelynn alone) we ROCKED THAT MOFO. This time, strangely enough, we blew it like a birthday candle. Ah, well. There’s always next time.

Today: In addition to the freelancery, I got to go visit with Kat Richardson and serve as her personal Ferret Taxi. The divine Ms. Kat is leaving the country for a couple of weeks, and those ferrets needed some TLC from the boarding shelter at their vet’s place; so I was on the receiving end of some exceedingly cute ferret kisses before waving them goodbye. Afterwards, Kat and I did McDonald’s before calling it an afternoon. So bon voyage to you too, Kat! Take lots of pictures and collect lots of gossip and stories to share with Team Seattle upon your return!

And now, because I’ve been lax in this area lately, I give you Cat Blogging. Behold, my husband’s new desk. Behold, the feline who is strictly forbidden from going anywhere near it, for she’s been known to nibble exposed monitor and speaker cables.

Eh. Whatchagonnado?

[crossposted to/from my website.]

May 6, 2008

2008-05-06T22:45:32Z

Interstitial Arts Foundation Auctions: To celebrate the first anniversary of the release of INTERFICTIONS, the IAF has invited jewelry makers to create original pieces inspired by the stories in this ground-breaking anthology. New pieces are going up every other day, and are being auctioned off to benefit IAF beginning May 5th. Get clicking!

Apex Digest Subscription Drive: They’re serious, and they’re getting silly. Click the link to find out how the publisher is sweetening the pot for potential subscribers.

But anyway, here’s recent progress on the west coast steampunk Victoriana book with zombies, air ships, toxic gas clouds, mad scientists, dead folk heroes, secret criminal societies, and Bonus! extended deleted scenes from the Civil War:

Project: The Boneshaker
New Words: 5887 (meh, considering it’s the total over several days)
Present Total Word Count: 113,841 words
Goal: 130,000 words by July 1st.

Observations: 130,000 words might still be a low-ball guess figure. When all is said and done, dare I suggest it? 150,000 perhaps, for Draft Zero. Mind you, I can trim all this down to something more manageable. I always tend to overwrite to get my way to the meat of the story, and this is no exception. I hope I’m wrong. I hope I can keep it under control.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Finished up freelance work from last week; went to Olympia for author playdate; did some research and did some paperwork; got sick and then more or less got better, but still feel rather run-down.

Reason for Stopping: I need to get started on another freelance project. It’s a fun one, and I’ll enjoy noodling with it, but that doesn’t change the fact that it really must get done this week. Also, I need to freshen up for tonight’s pub quiz out in West Seattle. Time to change out of jammies, make up a silly team name, and test my trivia knowledge.

Total Fiction Words Composed in 2008: 182,416

[crossposted to/from my website.]

Dear Interwebs

2008-05-06T01:04:26Z

This is the old Olympia Brewery building in Tumwater, Washington. I’ve been reading up on its woes, its uncertain state of ownership, the bickering over the water rights accompanying it, etcetera, etcetera. But what I’d really like to know is if there’s any safe, legal way for an enterprising young author to find her way inside.*

Email me at cherie . priest @ gmail . com
(Remove spaces in address.)

* My definitions of “safe” might be a smidge flexible. “Legal” of course is non negotiable.

[crossposted to/from my website.]

Two Very Good Things and One Less-Good Thing

2008-05-05T20:27:42Z

Chasing Ray: Colleen Mondor is talking about Those Who Went Remain There Still, and I swear to you — I don’t have the words to thank her enough. She likes me! She really likes me! Better still, she gets me.

Crypticon: I awoke this morning to an invitation to participate in this very local, very cool-sounding event later on this month. And I accepted the invitation. OMG how could I refuse to be in this kind of company??? I have no details yet, but when I do, I’ll share.

Wiscon. I’m seeing lots of folks posting schedules and whatnot for that very fine event, but I’m afraid I really can’t swing it this year. Me and the husband are saving up to buy a place and all, and my out-of-town convention schedule is sort of maxed out from a money and time standpoint. Oh well. Maybe next year.

[crossposted to/from my website.]

Vampires are the new White People*

2008-05-05T03:17:53Z

Hmm. I’m only just now settling down and taking a moment to sit at the internet, and my goodness, I have a lot of catching up to do.

Let’s see. Friday: went to a peculiar, crowded, loud, moderately charming bar with husband and might have overindulged a bit. Saturday: I think Caitlin and Mark covered the situation nicely, and they both posted pictures — so click those links for the full story. After several hours of intense, feverish collective writer-type work,** Caitlin and I did supper, and then for the rest of the evening we hung out at her place, harassed her cats, and watched Balls of Fury.

Aside. Balls of Fury: Every ten minutes you’ll turn to the person next to you and ask, “Hey, is that …[insert cameo’s name here]?” Funnier than you’d expect. Stick around for the Def Leopard karaoke at the end. Good for a rental. “Thanks, Eddie!”

Aside, redux: Caitlin is a most excellent hostess, and I just love visiting her. Her cats are awesome, her house is awesome, and her taste in movies is questionable — just like mine.

Anyway, I returned to Seattle in the wee hours of the morning and crashed. Husband had taken off for Portland earlier in the day. He did not return until this afternoon, at which point we met downtown and caught a showing of Iron Man.

I really dug Iron Man, and yes, we waited for the end of the credits. I’ll try to do a review of it tomorrow, but we’ll see. I have some stuff to read, some reviews to begin, some emails to write, and some fiction writing to do. No promises. But I’ll try to get around to uploading my pictures at the very least.

Okay, yes. Logging off and winding down now.
More later.

* Quote of the Day! Thank you, Mr. Henry!
** It took me three hours to write a thousand words. Yet it was a most entertaining three hours, and I was happy not to work. Mostly we shared kitten and puppy pictures, gossiped about other writers, and made fun of the people around us. Yanno. As you do.

[crossposted to/from my website.]

May 2, 2008

2008-05-03T01:22:57Z

I opted to go cemetery-visiting with my hand-dandy little guide. Unfortunately, my handy-dandy little guide was written twelve years ago — and things have been paved, mowed, and trimmed since the author used trails and trees as landmarks to find graves.

Even so, I found almost everyone I was looking for; and I can always go back. So click the link below. You’ll find pictures of the final resting places of Seattle’s early pioneers, as well as the graves of Bruce Lee and Brandon Lee.

As an aside, there’s a bench that faces the grave of the Lees. I sat on it for a little bit and snapped my pictures; and I watched as a whole flock of enormous crows circled and hollered above me, and in the trees around me.

It was kind of a “moment,” you know?

Click here for pictures and woe »

[crossposted to/from my website.]

Taking the Day Off … Sort of.

2008-05-01T23:57:03Z

For the last few days I’ve felt really bogged down by all the freelance work I let stack up, and that’s no one’s fault but mine. None of it will go unattended, I assure you — but I’ve felt the need to step back from the fiction writing in order to play catch up on … well … everything else. And ever since yesterday morning, that’s what I’ve been doing.

I’m able to indulge this hiatus because I’m well ahead of deadline for The Boneshaker — which doesn’t require a full, readable draft until the beginning of July; and besides, I was starting to make myself crazy. I don’t know how it works for you other writers out there, but the closer I get to the end the MORE I want to write ALL THE TIME until I FINISH THE DAMN THING. And I hit that point last week.

But deadlines are deadlines, and many other deadlines fall between now and July. So it’s my fiction that’s been temporarily shunted aside, and that’s how it works sometimes.

I’ve really made a compost pile of that New Year’s Resolution, haven’t I?

It’s not a big deal. If I can take a week to hunker down and work on nothing but Boneshaker, I can finish Draft Zero without a problem, so there’s nothing but time. I’ll get back to work on it next week, when I’ll have the schedule space and presence of mind to be more careful. I’d become terribly navel-gazey about it, and I’m afraid the story was going to suffer for it if I kept up my maniacal NOSE TO GRINDSTONE, MONKEY attitude. I’m not one of those people who can sit inside all day, every day, for weeks at a time, and still produce good material — especially not when other projects are hollering for my attention, and those other projects (a). pay sooner and (b). are due earlier.

Ergo, just since yesterday I’ve wrapped up two 1000+ word freelance research/writing projects* and finished reading one book for web copy. I still have one book to read (but I’ve got a couple of weeks on it) and web copy to write for the freshly consumed tome, but these are tasks that are generally pleasurable or leisurely — and they’re easy to work around a schedule of fiction output.

Tomorrow I’m going to give these research projects one more read-through and then submit them to the editor. Following that, I’ll noodle with web copy until lunchtime; and after lunch — when I usually turn to Boneshaker — I think I’m going to take an afternoon of Me Time, just to round out the week and recharge my creative batteries. Maybe I’ll walk down to that cemetery I’ve been talking about, depending on the weather. Maybe I’ll go to the pet store and get Howard some new plants, because God knows he needs them. Maybe I’ll take a nap. Yeah. Left to my own devices, I’m not a very exciting sort of soul, I know.

Anyway.
We’ll see.

* It’s not the writing that takes forever on these things. It’s the research, and the time spent making sure that (a). the content is correct and (b). I have permission to use the graphics and photos I need. FWIW, government sites are usually pretty good about this.

[crossposted to/from my website.]

Make Way for Ducklings, Dammit

2008-05-01T19:54:27Z

This is freakin’ adorable. An off-duty cop used his patrol car to stop 3 lanes of traffic … in order to help a mother duck and a row of ducklings cross the highway. He didn’t know he was being watched by a State Department of Transportation camera.

For the impatient: fast-forward it to about 55 seconds.

Warm the burly, cobwebbed cockles of your stone-cold heart with the full story, available here.

[crossposted to/from my website.]

Something New is Coming

2008-04-30T23:44:34Z

As many of you are aware, Tor.com is alive, well, and on the verge of launching into something great. Oh sure, my fine, upstanding publisher has a formal cataloging site over here — and it’s full of many grand things. But the three-letter alternate URL upon which they’ve been sitting for ages will soon blossom into …

“A science fiction and fantasy site not quite like any you’ve seen before, mixing news, commentary, original stories and art, your own comments and conversations, and more. A place on the net you may find yourself wanting to visit—and participate in—every day.”

Sounds good, right? Here’s something better: if you sign up for the mailing list, they’ll send you free digital books. And even better still? This coming Friday, if you answer the call*, you’ll receive a digital copy of Four and Twenty Blackbirds, totally free.

Free free free.
Not a penny, not a dime.
Just thirty seconds of your time.

And the site doesn’t do anything horrible with your email address — I can vouch for that. I signed up weeks ago, myself, and I’ve received nothing more heinous than really groovy wallpapers and free books written by other people. So. If you’ve ever wanted to read one of my books without going all the way and dropping coin for it, this is your chance.

Go here. Enter email address. Sit back and wait for free book.

* You must sign up before tomorrow afternoon in order to be on the list to receive my book. If you join too late, you’ll have to content yourself with the future offerings from other folks.

[crossposted to/from my website.]

On the Nightstand as of Late

2008-04-30T17:56:58Z

As a disclaimer, I did not review any of the following titles for Publishers Weekly. These are the things I’ve grabbed in my spare time, what laughably little of it there is.

The Ghost Map, Steven Johnson. Written by the same gentleman who brought us Everything Bad is Good for You (which is also a good read), Ghost Map is a grisly story told with an odd sort of panache. Not for the faint of stomach, this is the tale of an 1854 cholera outbreak in London — and a couple of guys whose excruciatingly logical methodology gave the world a new way of looking at contagious diseases. Interesting and smoothly shared.

Fangland, John Marks. One of the finer updates of Dracula that I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Fangland deconstructs and reassembles the myth of the Count, shuffling the archetypes and playing tricks with the old tropes. Occasionally a smidge postmodern and hip, Fangland starts out slow … but so did Stoker, so I was prepared to hang on for the ride — and I’m very glad I did.

The Stuff of Thought, Steven Pinker. I’m a big fan of Pinker in general; his Language Instinct was my first foray into pop linguistics, and it remains a personal favorite. But unlike The Blank Slate or How the Mind Works, Stuff turns into something of a slog — and I say that as a someone with a deep-seated love for this sort of theory. It begins intriguingly enough, but bogs down midway — becoming masturbatory geek cud that’s too tough for me to comfortably chew.

Stumbling on Happiness, Daniel Gilbert. As mentioned above, pop theory charms me — and Gilbert has a charming style that’s easy to read. But Stumbling is Exhibit A for how the plural of “anecdote” is not “data.” By the middle of the book I had become intensely ornery about his formula of, “In the event of X, most people do Y” … because about half the time, I would’ve behaved quite differently in his hypothetical scenarios. Lots of cheerful speculation, not a lot of science.

The Dead Beat, Marilyn Johnson. Visit the world of obituary writers and aficionados with this strangely chipper read that’s downright adorable more often than not. I like Johnson’s fondness for synchronicity and her tender treatment of sensitive subjects; but the most interesting bits are the obituaries themselves, which condense into a paragraph the lives of fascinating, beloved, reviled, and dearly missed personalities.

Tales Behind the Tombstones, Chris Enss. Across the American West, strange tombstones with remarkable stories abound. Here’s a collection of them, as well as the available background information of the personalities interred beneath them. Not altogether different from The Dead Beat, but with older subject matter and a gritty sensibility that’s only occasionally chipper. Fascinating, nonetheless.

The Somnabulist, Jonathan Barnes. The speculative fiction community has embraced this quasi-steampunk pseudo-mystery like a long-lost child, so my hopes were high. And I confess, the first 100 pages are downright sublime. However, after those first hundred pages the tone, quality, and caliber of the story take a nosedive off a cliff. It’s as if someone exquisitely talented wrote the first three chapters and then died … leaving a lesser cousin to finish the manuscript. The most interesting questions are never answered; and the concluding absurdities stack up so high that the story makes a jailbreak over genre walls, landing on the other side in an embarrassing tangle of nonsense.

Next in the Queue:

Night Life, by Caitlin Kittredge
The Alchemy of Stone, by Ekaterina Sedia
The Adventures of Langdon St. Ives, by James P. Blaylock

[crossposted to/from my website.]

April 29, 2008

2008-04-29T23:00:05Z

BOOYAH. Behold, I give you … Spain the Cat approving of an ARC. But it’s not just any ARC — oh no. This is the much-anticipated ARC of my upcoming Subterranean Press project, Those Who Went Remain There Still.

I’m so excited! These floppy advanced copies look so good — I can’t wait to see the real thing! But alas, I will not get a peek at the real thing until the middle of this coming winter.

Le sigh.

Project: The Boneshaker
New Words: 3734 (pretty good)
Present Total Word Count: 107,954 words
Goal: 130,000 words by July 1st.

Things Accomplished in Fiction: I’m afraid that, no matter how surreal I get about it, this section has become too revealing. Therefore, I must henceforth discontinue it.

Observations: My Lode Bearing Boss isn’t getting enough face time. That’s going to get fixed in Zeke’s next section or two, but I’m not quite there yet. Hmm. There’s SO MUCH to wrap up in this story — I feel like it’s overflowing at the seams. I guess the only thing to do is start drawing up plans for a sequel.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Completed Draft Zero of one freelance assignment and instigated research for a second assignment; corrected an invoice I botched; cleaned house in the wake of Aric’s new computer desk and its dust-bunny-stirring assembly; did dishes; changed litterbox.

Reason for Stopping: The ARCs arrived, and I was too giddy to continue. Anyway, it’s time for me to work in some reading time — so that I can begin on freelance assignment #3. Yes, these things do sort of stack up while you’re not looking.

Total Fiction Words Composed in 2008: 176,529

[crossposted to/from my website.]

April 28, 2008

2008-04-28T23:17:05Z

Project: The Boneshaker
New Words: 2670 (meh, but I’ve been otherwise preoccupied today)
Present Total Word Count: 104,220 words
Goal: 130,000 words by July 1st.

Things Accomplished in Fiction: Up up and away; hey, is this your first day in this bird? because you guys don’t seem to know what you’re doing; drive it like you stole it, mofos; do NOT throw up inside a gas mask — I mean seriously, don’t do it.

Other Observations: I think Zeke is going to end up with 5 segments, not four (as planned). You could reasonably argue that maybe I ought to just break this into two books, but no, that will not be necessary. This is still Briar’s book with Zeke’s seasoning, though Zeke now has about 22,000 words of seasoning to contribute at this point.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Cleaned up and submitted 2 reviews; submitted invoice; chatted at different editor about different payment issues; took another small freelance gig; took another review assignment; fielded several phone calls from several friends.

Reason for Stopping: I want to get one of the freelance assignments underway this afternoon, so I’m going to start surfing and taking notes for it. Also, am getting hungry. I think perhaps a grilled cheese sandwich (stuffed with American and provolone and maybe a tomato slice or two) with a side order of ketchup is in my immediate future.

Total Fiction Words Composed in 2008: 172,795

And now, just because it amuses me to do so, I invite you to click the link below for a few pictures taken over the last few days. Give it a tap to see Aric noodling with the coffee roasting machine of doom, me in my new top hat, and Spain the cat emitting a ferocious yawn. [Click the thumbnails to embiggen.]

Coffee and cats and hats, oh my ... »

[crossposted to/from my website.]