man bites world

I’m already off course for the day.

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We had a slushing of snow last night (which is like a dusting, but sloppier) which we weren’t expecting and only discovered when we received an automated call telling us school would be starting 2 hours late.

Now I’m behind on everything I need to do today. For instance:

I have to finish up the chili I put in the crockpot last night and jam it into our refridgerator somehow.

I have to vacuum. A good half hour was spent fixing the damn thing yesterday, and that’s after more than a week of struggling with it. Our carpet is really, really in need of a vacuuming right now, and that’s what I’m going to do next.

Recycling needs to be done.

And so on.

But before I get to the vacuuming and writing my words for today, I have to post this for geniusofevil:

When I came back to writing as an adult, and decided to pursue it seriously, I was trying to write for the movies. I wrote thrillers and zombie space comedies and alien invader scripts and so on. Twice I tried to make the move to L.A. but punked out both times. Once back in Seattle, I got together with a friend to make our own low budget horror films, but that didn’t work out well for me.

And I realized I had changed in the last few years. I now preferred books to movies and so I went back to writing fiction.

So! When I received a note from my editor that I should hold off on writing book three because she had a concern about the proposal, I felt a little sick. I couldn’t help thinking of that scene in SUNSET BOULEVARD where the producer wants to change the writer’s submarine thriller in a comedy about women’s baseball. And I was remembering going through the script I wrote for our horror film with my director, and all the changes he wanted me to make.

But I was startled by the notes I actually received. It wasn’t “Make sure [supporting character x] appears by page fifty and stays through to the end. We like that character.” Nor was it “This setting won’t work for us. What else do you have?”

It was all suggestions about making the book work. Very polite suggestions, too, (which makes me want to take them all the more). “This sounds interesting and should make a good contrast with the previous books.’ “Will this character be appearing?” “Be sure to tell us if [minor character y] survived book two.” “I’d like to see more exploration of the group they belong to.”

And so on. All good ideas, even if I’m not sure I have room in the book to implement them, and all designed to make it a deeper book than I would have written otherwise. Not once did she suggest that I add a sexy, sexy love interest or a zany chimp, and Pikachu help me, I don’t know why I expected it.

Okay. I’m off to work.

A couple things, quickly

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And it has to be quick because I’m sick and sleep-deprived. I slept 9 hours last night and I’m already fading.

I felt like the crap yesterday, but we still went out. I had to cut less from Man Bites World than I expected, and instead spent most of my time filling in paragraphs that had been too sketchy. I must remember to write when I’m writing.

After that, we all went out to the REI flagship store for various things. I could not buy a Wenger backpack (they had none, which surprised me) but I did get a nice one out of the clearance bin for under $20 bucks. We also picked up new shoes for the boy, he did an ascent on the climbing… thingee (and did I remember the camera? I did not. Shame shame). And we went out to dinner.

Now, I was feeling extremely run down, but we ate a Racha Noodles on Queen Anne, which is nice without being too too nice. I had the Duck Curry, which was spicy and fantastic. I left there feeling better than I’d felt all day.

Then the sleeping, which I already mentioned. Today I did the cleaning we didn’t get to yesterday, and I fixed the vacuum cleaner. With fire.

That’s right. There aren’t many problems in the modern world that you can fix with an open flame, and even fewer you can write about in your blog without terrible consequences, but long hairs jamming up the roller brush is one of them.

Now: two links. The first is for Affinity8: The the impotence of proofreading, which is pretty funny.

The second is about a guy who used Google AdWords to test market his book’s title to good effect. (Quick disclaimer: I haven’t watched the video on that site because it’s an hour long). Considering how much trouble I had picking a title for Child of Fire, and since Everyone Loves Blue Dog looks like it might have the same problems, I just might let the reading public decide for me.

OMG. To bed. I’ll try to be more interesting tomorrow.

I’m posting this the night before, just because

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I have a bit of a day planned for tomorrow. First thing in the morning I have to delete a bunch of the work I’ve done on Man Bites World, then try again. As I mentioned, I received my notes for this one, and they were not what I expected.

After that, I have to run some errands, eat lunch, and then the family and I will head out to REI’s flagship store. I’ll dig up a new backpack (hopefully a Wegner’s–thanks for the suggestions!) and the boy will get new shoes.

Then we’re all off to dinner to celebrate the one year anniversary of my publishing contract with Del Rey.

Holy crap. Has it really only been a year?

Two quick writing links

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First, I’m sure Nick Mamatas will mock this article as soon as he hears about it. I haven’t finished it yet (I’m at work) but so far it looks interesting.

This Letter to an MFA is a very interesting little treatise on creating a story. It’s short, too. Check it out.

Both links above are from here. You’re welcome.

And, because I know you’re all dying to know, I received my notes on the book three proposal today. They’re good, too, and not at all what I was expecting. I can’t respond to them here, though, so I have a lot to do tonight.

Ginger ale and progress

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We opened the Alton Brown ginger ale at dinner tonight, and… yeah. There was no fizz, and I know it’s not because the recipe was flawed. It was because we don’t turn on the heat in our apartment. It’s always in the mid-50’s around here, and yeast really wants higher temps than that.

Still, as flat soda, it was pretty amazing–not very sweet, but the ginger flavor was fresh and sharp. I’ll try it again in the spring when things are warmer around here.

And I managed 1,800 words today, which is a hugely productive day for me. I’d love to be able to write 9K in four hours, the way some writers do, but no. I finished my 1.8K in four hours (and they were difficult words, too), and I’m glad. More tomorrow.

Man Bites World won’t start

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I’ve started Man Bites World a few times now, and it doesn’t work.

I should rephrase that. It hasn’t worked so far. It’s been a little frustrating because–as I’ve mentioned so many times around here–I have to give the book to my agent in July. That’s not a lot of time for me.

Anyway, I think I figured out why the opening doesn’t work. Tomorrow, I’m going to rustle myself out of bed before dawn and rush out to the Starbucks. With any luck, I’ll make a good start on this book.

I have a good feeling about this one.

Aaaaaannnnd, I’m going to try the LJ-cut again from my WordPress blog. If the cut shows up, there won’t be anything behind it.

testing testing.

Eight quick notes

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One: my back is much better than it has been the last few days. I’m at the day job, I can move around pretty well, and I’m mostly sitting without pain. Yay for healing.

Two: So much for the rowing machine. I’ve been planning to take the rowing machine out of the back room into the living room (which is the only space big enough for it) but we just don’t have room. Salad Eater has pushed the TV in front of the fireplace and set up her easel, which makes me wildly happy even if she only gets to paint once a week, maybe twice. But there’s no room for the rowing machine out there; I have to let that plan go and do something else for my health. Thanks for the reminder, back pain. Better you than a heart attack or letter from my doctor about diabetes.

Three: Once or twice a week isn’t really enough for her. Once some other crap gets taken care of, we’ll figure ways for her to get more painting time.

Four: Still haven’t heard back about my proposal for Man Bites World and I haven’t gotten my notes for Everyone Loves Blue Dog. For a while, I stressed about this stuff, but at this point I’m going to shrug it off and write book three. It’ll come when it comes.

Five: Last night we made Alton Brown’s ginger ale recipe. It should be ready for tasting Saturday night. I’ll let you know how it comes out.

Six: You know how the economy slows down during a recession? It’s the same for doctors offices, too. The phones have been pretty slow–I guess people have been putting off their routine care.

Seven: On Tuesday, David Frum was on NPR (I know, I know, I forgot to post this earlier. Gimme a break!) to talk about Obama’s economic plan, the recession, and how conservatives can win back the majority in congress. His suggestion for regaining political power? Conservatives need to appeal to working class Americans again, and stop ignoring the wage stagnation of the past decade. His suggested fixes? Anti-immigration and deregulating health care Yeah, he wanted to deregulate. He said government over-regulation had made it impossible for a Sam Walton to create a nation-wide Wal-Mart of affordable health care.

These people are shameless. Worse, this sound bite of his was supposed to appeal to the working class, even though it’s the same old, same old. I guess it’s all about the marketing.

Eight: I’m reading one of Donald Westlake’s “Samuel Holt” novels, but mostly out of a sense of inertia. I’m in one of my book grouch phases; nothing satisfies me and nothing is interesting.