Someone created a Wikipedia page for the Twenty Palaces books. (It wasn’t me and I’m not going to mess with it, not even to add sources or correct errors.) Check it out.
Out comes the bicycle
StandardTwo years ago when I was picking out components for my new bicycle, I had several seats to choose from: The Glide Rider, the Tush Cushion, and the Prostate Bombarder. For the life of me, I can’t remember why I made the choice I did.
But! Now that my job is gone my bus pass is gone, too, so out comes the bike. Yesterday was my first actual pedal ride to the gym (in the dark, ‘natch, because of the time change) and it felt more than a little like punishment. Too bad we’re in a recession or I’d pressure the city to repave those bike paths. Still, it’s good to have worked out (tense choice deliberate), and afterwards I was a couple blocks from my regular Starbucks and library, letting me to a little post-exercise writing. I even met my daily goal and returned home well before my wife had to leave for work.
The downside of all this is that yesterday, for the first time in years–and I wasn’t planning to talk about this, but I’m all about the honesty–I wore sweat pants outside my home.
Yeah, it’s true. Not even a week after I left my job and I’ve already surrendered to fashion lameness. By Christmas I expect to be lazing around the coffee shop all day wearing a green velour track suit with my face half-shaved because I got bored partway through. It’s inevitable.
I’m not online all that much, though. Sorry if I’m not commenting on your posts–I’m falling way behind in my reading.
Things are good. Today or tomorrow I’m hoping to have the boy snap a photo of me in my new home office dress code. I’m sure it would make my former co-workers burn with jealousy.
Randomness for 11/9
Standard1) I haven’t even seen this movie, just the trailer, and I already have my two word review: “Hot mess.” Video.
2) An insider’s take on AFM and the “shadow film industry.”
3) Meritocracy: it doesn’t work the way you expect. via James Nicoll
4) An 8-month old baby’s reaction to his cochlear implant. Video.
5) Teaching equality via the Socratic Method. Video. Gotta tell you, I love this one.
7) This. Is. Hilarious. Our Valued Customers. (NSFW Language). No kidding, I keep going page after page through those comics and I can’t stop laughing. via Seattle Geekly.
Special bonus 8th thing! Watch this high school football play. Video. Jeez, there’s a whole self-help book in that somewhere, and it’s freaking hilarious.
Two things make a pretty awesome post
StandardFirst, anyone who’s ever stood within earshot of me for more than 30 seconds has heard me say that Child of Fire was named to Publishers Weekly’s Best 100 Books of 2009 (hmm, the formatting for that page looks to have been borked at some point, possibly by a change in themes).
Well, Game of Cages didn’t make this years list, but Genreville editor Rose Fox did give it an honorable mention in the fantasy category.
A close but no cigar! Hey, I’m happy to make Miss Congeniality for a book where the protagonist lays into a crowd of people with a length of pipe. Thank you, Rose!
Second, the Twenty Palaces book trailer begins shooting in less than two weeks, and I have permission to link to the photo of the actor who’s been cast as Ray Lilly. Here he is.
What do you think? Does he look like your vision of the character?
Quote of the day: AFM report
Standard“One of the strange things I noticed at one of the places upstairs were two different movies in different genres with the exact same cast, and seemingly the exact same basic location. At first I thought this might be a company trying to sell the same movie twice (not everyone at AFM is honest… actually, few are) but then I realized this was a cost cutting method by the producer. They hired the same cast – including stars – and crew and shot in the same locations for two different movies. They could light one room, shoot all of the scenes for *both* films at the same time, and not waste any time taking down and setting up lights. When the middle dropped out of the business leaving only low budget and big budget films, the medium budget people had to become creative.
In the lobby I bumped into a director I know, Rolfe, who was working on the film from hell… actually, the *films* from hell. He just shot 7 different movies for the same company at the same time. The scripts were written to use the same sets and same actors, so that if 4 of the films had scenes at a police station they could all be shot at the same time. Different actors in the ensemble might play the detective in differently films, and other actors might be suspects in different films, but he had to shoot all of the police station scenes at once… and all of the other locations that each of the films shared at the same time. An actor playing the cop in one film might play the killer in another and a witness in a third film and the District Attorney in a fourth. That actor would be doing costume changes all day, and doing lines from different films all day. I think the idea behind this was for the company to make a whole slate of films at the same time, and be able to sell all of the films *now*, instead of making 7 individual films and having for each to be made before they can sell it. Whatever the reason, Rolfe had to write over 600 pages of screenplays that all used the same locations – and that’s not an easy task. These are the things that we might have to do in the indie world as screenwriters – that kind of assignment may become more common.”
In which I delight myself by sending an email.
StandardYesterday, in the midst of all the usual family stuff, like washing the boy’s bedsheets to get the cracker crumbs out, sweeping the kitchen floor, cleaning the bathroom, and introducing my son to BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA, I submitted a short story for the first time in three years.
First I polished it, then I checked the guidelines, then boom, out goes the email.
I don’t read as much short fiction as I used to, therefore I rarely write it. But it’s nice to have the time to focus on a side project once in a while.
Now back the the Auntie Mame Files.
It comes with every new job…
StandardThe stress dream. I have never in my life started a new job without having a nightmare about it first. Becoming a full time writer/house spouse? No different.
Last night I dreamed that my wife had kicked me out and I’d had to go back east to live. I didn’t see my son for a long time, she’d taken in new roommates to pay the bills, etc. She’d reluctantly agreed to take me back just as I woke up, so I suppose my nightmare had a happy ending.
I forgave her over breakfast. :)
Freedom report, day one
StandardI’m very mildly hung over from the two 22-oz beers I drank last night. Lindsey and Noelle, if you’re reading this, thank you again for those excellent going away gifts. They were complex, rich, and delicious, even if they did give me a bit of a headache today. I don’t want to think about how I’d feel if I hadn’t spread them out over four hours. At least I still have an area of my life where I can legitimately call myself a “lightweight.”
The whole family sat down to watch THE SECRET OF KELLS last night. My wife and son had no idea what to expect, but they were just as blown away as I’d expected them to be. Gorgeous movie. Highly recommended.
Also last night, I talked with the filmmakers making the book trailer. They received my drawing of the ghost knife sigil just fine, and I’ll post a link to imdb page for the actor playing Ray Lilly when they give me permission.
This morning I slept in until the late, late hour of 6:30 am. Luxury! I mailed off the last copies of GAME OF CAGES that I owed folks, and sent one each of my books to Pat Rothfuss for his charity auction. If you have something to donate, please consider doing so. It’s a good cause.
Then I did a bit of writing… but not much, because I’m enjoying this weekend. Next, I’m going to check out my library books and head out to meet a college buddy I barely ever see for a late lunch.
Hope you guys are having a day that’s just as nice.
My creepy request for your personal information
StandardHey, I haven’t mentioned this before, but I have a mailing list.
At this point it’s, like, nine people, but it exists. I’ve used it once so far to announce the pub day of Game of Cages.
If you would like an email letting you know when Circle of Enemies (or anything else of mine) publishes, shoot me an email to harry at the URL above sans double u’s, by which I mean harryjconnolly.com. (I type it that way to avoid spam harvesters, sorry.) Alternately, drop a comment in this thread on the main blog and type out the appropriate email address in indicated form.
And that’s all (for now)
Randomness for 11/5
Standard1) Tired of arguing about science on Twitter? Let a computer program do it for you. via Jay Lake
3) Popping corn in super slow-motion. Video.
5) The many types of author panels.
7) Wasteland the movie trailer. Video, but it doesn’t auto-start. This is a documentary I’ll be watching when I get a chance.