Sep 03
I say that too often for my own liking, but sometimes I guess you simply can’t control it. Good news is new kitchen finally looks like one! Not finished, but I have an oven and a dishwasher that work, and I can’t tell you all how good that is! Bad news is still too uncertain to talk about, but once we know what’s happening hopefully it too will become good news. It’s all in the telling.
Right now, I think I might watch Hot Fuzz and try to chill out without feeling guilty.
Aug 26
I have been a bad blog-keeper-upper/website-updater, haven’t I. What can I use as my excuse? Growing another year older? Kitchen renovations and the running around after plumbers, electricians, builders, and delivery people this brings with it?
How about lying face-down in the revision muck? Yes, that will do nicely.
Today, I had a moment. One of those you only find in revising a first draft. When you come to a sentence and no matter how hard you stare at it, poke at it, bash it over the metaphorical head with the metaphorical blunt instrument, you just can’t work out what on earth you were trying to say. Those moments of wtf?
For your entertainment: “She snapped shut over her cried as soon as my light touched her.”
See. Wtf?
Aug 02
I remember attending a panel at a con a few years ago where an author (really wish I remember who it was…) spoke about how important exercise is in the writing life. Keeping your body in shape as you do your mind. Something like that. When my back broke down and I couldn’t sit in a chair long enough to produce anything, this concept was reinforced. So I’ve done the swimming gig (but now it’s cold) and always walk the dog (although standing still and kicking pine cones for him to chase gives him far more exercise than actual walking) and do a bit of yoga here and there.
Then a week ago my husband bought me a mountain bike, and today we rode to a local park and did lots, and lots of cycling. And ya know, it’s kinda addictive. Sure, my legs have been reduced to jelly. And yes, most of my arse is numb. Shoulders stiff. And I’m very, very unfit. But it was fun. Exercise that was actually fun.
Now if I can only get to the point where a bit of sand doesn’t leave me struggling for breath and fighting to pedal, it’ll be great!
Jul 29
This is something my father (an academic) told me a very long time ago. It resonates with the writer too.
Except in my case it’s closer to: ‘Just because a writer is lying in a hot bath on a cold winter night, doesn’t mean she isn’t revising.’ Sometimes that nice, comfortable, long bath is just what you need to tease out the problem chapter opening that won’t work, no matter how long you stare at it, or hold cold your fingers become. And when that moment of revelation comes it conveniently wipes away all the guilt spending an evening in the bath and not on the computer would usually bring.
Now, if I could only find a way to rig up the computer so I didn’t have to get out…
Jul 27
Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik: a perfect example of why I can’t write reviews. Because ‘OMG I love Temeraire and I want a dragon and he would be my friend and Laurence is funny and I love Temeraire!’
Told you.
The Dark Knight: I thought that with all the hype Heath’s performance would be disappointing. It really wasn’t. Not just that, he was the only thing that made this movie watchable. For everything else I have one word. Craptastic.
