Date: 2008-05-14 07:03 Subject: Another Plaguism Security: Public Mood: amused Tags: plague

The Plague has the plague. Actually, both boys are home from school today, which is . . . not what I had planned.

Yesterday I sent the Plague into the bathroom to wash his hands. The water ran for a very long time--long enough to penetrate the story fog and make me nervous.

Me: [Plague]? What are you doing in there?
Plague: [appears in doorway of office] Uh, Mom? I screwed up. I broke the sink. It's all [handwavy motions] off on the side.

As it turned out, he'd only found out that half the faucet handle unscrews. No permanent damage, no water spraying over the bathroom. But I'm still looking forward to the day when I send him to wash his hands and he just, you know, washes his hands.

Date: 2008-05-10 06:33 Subject: Poem up! (not quite a GIP) Security: Public Mood: cheerful Tags: publications

My poem "Thousand Flower Sun" is live at Strange Horizons this week.

And the eerily appropriate icon is by unamaga at Fandom Wank.

Date: 2008-05-08 09:12 Subject: Drive-by blogging Security: Public Mood: awake

Still alive. Fell down stairs. No major injuries (except to ego).

Story draft progressing. Must get scary military stories from friends.

Reading John Perkins' Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. Very interesting. Also reading manga and graphic novels (Vampire Knight and Sandman. Any other recs?)

Mood good. Unnerving.

Date: 2008-05-01 17:23 Subject: Now what? Security: Public Mood: busy Tags: draft report, real writer now

Surprise awesomeness: tithenai sent me camels! From Syria! How cool is that?

Regularly scheduled awesomeness (sorta): I reached 30,000 words on the new novel, which is about 1/3 of the total planned length for the draft. I've reached the first big turning-point, there have been Nasty Surprises, and the body count is rising rapidly. I'm taking a break from that to write a short story, and that one's starting to come together, too.

I have some writing news I'll share in the next day or so, but first I have to get back to some people. (Who knew that becoming a writer would ruin my communication skills?)

Date: 2008-04-26 13:43 Subject: I love the smell of research in the morning--scary medical edition Security: Public Mood: dorky Tags: book mutterings

I've got a couple of cool books in my possession--Pope Brock's Charlatan, which I'm just finishing up; and A Sense of the World by Jason Roberts, which I've read about half of so far. Both deal at least peripherally with medical issues of the past. Brock's book is subtitled America's Most Dangerous Huckster, the Man Who Pursued Him, and the Age of Flimflam. It's about "Dr." J.R. Brinkley, who ran rejuvenation clinics in the midwestern U.S. during the 1920's and 30's. He started out by implanting goat testicles into men who desperately wanted a little more, uh, vitality in their lives, and moved on to 'curing' prostate troubles and other ills. (I guess it could sort of be curing if the patient ends up dead.) The book also talks about the rise of radio advertising and the AMA--it's an interesting picture of medical care--or lack thereof--in the early decades of the 20th century.

One interesting aspect of Brinkley's career is the impact his developments in advertising, radio station operations, and politics have had even in modern times. The guy was definitely brilliant--a pity he couldn't have used that in a more honest fashion.

A Sense of the World, on the other hand, is a biography of James Holman, who was one of the great travelers of the 19th century despite becoming blind in his twenties. The story is an inspirational one, without being cloying. What's struck me most, as a writer, is Roberts' discussion of both medical treatments of the day (not very helpful), and the way people who could see reacted to those who could not. There's some interesting psychology there. Also, I would really not want to have 19th century cataract treatments. *shudders*

Anyway, I recommend both these books--they're well-written and have a lot of interesting detail. If I start writing a lot about eyeballs, you'll know why.

Date: 2008-04-25 15:18 Subject: Two good things Security: Public Mood: cheerful Tags: real writer now, woo hoo

One on the writing front: I just got an invitation to the national Joint Mathematics Meetings in Washington, D.C., to do a reading of my poem "Mathematics". It's in honor of an anthology of mathematics poems called Strange Attractors: Poems of Love and Mathematics. The meeting's not until January of next year, so I'm hoping I can make arrangements to attend. How cool is that?

One on the personal front: You know that feeling you get when someone unexpectedly refers to you as 'a good friend'? And then listens to your troubles, and then tells you some sekrit troubles of their own? I got to have that feeling yesterday. It was awesome.

Date: 2008-04-21 12:50 Subject: I have returned Security: Public Mood: blah Tags: con

Back from EerieCon 10. Rather tired. There were many things about it that were fun, and I got to participate in some really interesting panels. The poetry round robin was one of my favorite parts--David Clink, Herb Kauderer, Carolyn Clink, and Darrell Schweitzer all read, as well as yours truly. I got the best reaction from my silly vampire poem ("I do not reflect on you/because I do not reflect at all"). Maybe I need to do some non-serious stuff just for readings.

I just feel like a failure at self-promotion. And I am so uncomfortable with the big-name writers--it's like I'm this sneaky imposter.

But I did my reading for the one person who showed up, and I don't think I stepped on anyone's toes--either literally or figuratively--and I didn't have to get up at 6 a.m. on Saturday with the Plague. I count that as a win.

Also, I have some gender-related thoughts from one of the panels ("What would the past think of the present?"), but I'll post those later.

Date: 2008-04-18 07:21 Subject: Round table Security: Public Mood: busy Tags: fame and misfortune

First of all, thanks to all who offered good wishes about the book news. For some reason, replying to comments isn't working this morning, but I read them all and felt very grateful to have such awesome LJ friends.

The round table at Borders went pretty well. I saw some familiar faces, pimped the anthologies from Hadley-Rille Books, and didn't talk over anyone who's better known than I. Probably my finest moment was in successfully *not* snarfing whipped cream out my nose while Josepha Sherman was being outrageous. (Those of you who have met Josepha are probably not surprised--when I choked down my mouthful of hot chocolate she said, "Don't you know that whipped cream is for external application only?")

Joe and Gay Haldeman are very nice; Joe Filinger, who's in charge of the con, always makes me feel really welcome despite my lack of fame. Nancy Kress tried valiantly to keep us on topic, but we ended up having a raft of chicken stories, python stories, and general silliness. I wish I'd had a video camera to catch Josepha and Anne Bishop howling to alert the rest of the panel that it was time to join them. Heh.

So, anyway, a fun evening. And it's always nice to feel like one of the big kids.

Date: 2008-04-14 07:11 Subject: Go ahead, dis me. You know you want to. Security: Public Mood: awake Tags: reviews, what passes for life around here, writing

I just have to point out that mistborn got the best book review ever here. Heh.

Also, yesterday I heard the best excuse so far for not attending my roundtable event: "I would be there, but I swore an oath on the United States Constitution . . ." So the rest of you are going to have to come up with something better than that.

So let's hear it, folks. Why won't you be at my roundtable? And I'm warning you, it better be good.

Date: 2008-04-08 17:13 Subject: Plaguisms Security: Public Mood: amused Tags: plague

In an effort to get out of self-pity mode, let me share a few of the amusing things the Plague has said in the last week or so.

His birthday's on Saturday, and when we ask him how old he's going to be, he says, "Eighteen!" (Oh, how I wish!)

He told me the following story at dinner a couple nights ago:

"Once upon a time there was Little Red Riding Hood. And Little Red Riding Hood went closer to the alligator jaws. And the alligator jaws went, "Snap! Snap! Snap!" And Little Red Riding Hood said, "Ouch!" And then Little Red Riding Hood went closer to the dinosaurs. And the dinosaurs were leaf-eaters and they were nice. The end."

Later that evening, as I was trying to corral him for bath time, he came up the stairs with Hubby, who said, "He just needs to finish his cookie."
Me: Did Dad give you a cookie? What a nice dad.
Plague: No, he's a mean dad.
Hubby: Ow!
Me: Oh, you hurt Daddy's feelings. Now he's all sad.
Plague: No, he's happy to be mean.

Date: 2008-04-08 07:32 Subject: Maybe a light Security: Public Mood: tired Tags: what passes for life around here

The Plague and I have an appointment today to check out a possible new school. This one comes highly recommended, and sounds like the kind of structured, academic environment that he seems to thrive in. I hope this works out--to know that he had a place for the fall would take a lot of the burden of worry off me.

Otherwise, I sort of veer between feeling resentful of people, and feeling guilty for feeling resentful . . . I'm trying to focus my thoughts and energies on other things, but that doesn't always work.

At least I'm still writing. I met my rough-draft goal for the week, anyway, though not much else got done. Maybe things will get better. Maybe I can figure out this whole 'life' thing so it's not such a puzzle.

Date: 2008-04-02 15:52 Subject: Five random things Security: Public Mood: random Tags: 5 random things

1. I just got back from giving blood. Homemade lemon meringue pie! Everything's better with pie.

2. I think I know how to fix the end of the new story.

3. I wrote 1000 words yesterday, and I'm looking forward to doing more today. Creepy necromantic rituals FTW!

4. I did some of the stuff I've been procrastinating, so my heart is a bit lighter today. Or maybe that's just the missing pint of blood.

5. The twins have turned into teenagers. How did this happen?

Bonus random thing: The new issue of Lorelei Signal is live, and includes some awesome poetry. "Blooded," the one by seajules is one of my favorites of hers--it's been interesting seeing it go through its different incarnations.

Date: 2008-03-31 15:06 Subject: I wish I could do that Security: Public Mood: contemplative Tags: book mutterings, writing

I just finished Minette Walters' new mystery, The Chameleon's Shadow, and I really liked it. The mystery plot was engaging--I probably liked it best of any since The Ice House--but as usual, what grabbed me about the book was the characters. I'm always amazed at how she can present prickly, offensive (in other words, totally human in the worst sense) characters in such a way that I as a reader care about what happens to them, and how their problems resolve. Walters clearly has a strong grasp of human psychology, but more than that, she has a gift for details that make the characters seem real. They're the sort of people I can imagine meeting (though I'm not sure I'd want to). But even after all these years, I can't quite put my finger on how she does it. I wish I could do that, but I can't yet.

There are other writers who make me say, "I wish I could do that"--George R. R. Martin, Patricia McKillip, and Barry Hughart, for starters. Some writers have moved me since I was a kid (like Tolkien) and others are shiny new discoveries from the past year or so. And though it drives me crazy, I love to find another author who makes me say, "I wish I could do that." It reminds me of what I hope to achieve with my own writing. It keeps me working to learn more and push my limitations.

So who makes you say, "I wish I could do that"?

Date: 2008-03-29 08:55 Subject: Zero draft Security: Public Mood: cranky Tags: what passes for life around here, writing

I finished the butt-kicking story last night (er, I mean the one that was kicking *my* butt, not . . . well, you know). There are magical shadowboxes, and sea witches, and unnatural storms, and ghosts--oh, my! And I think I'll need to add in a scene, and probably discard some verbal driftwood. But I'm pretty happy with the end result.

In other news, the universe continues to conspire against me. And I'm very tired of dealing with teenagers at home and abroad. (The hubby and I were supposed to go to a Renaissance feast this evening to support the Shakespeare in the Park program in Buffalo. But when I called to let the babysitter know when we'd be picking her up, she said, "Oh, I've got something else to go to." Something, I might add, that she would have known about on Sunday, which would have given us a week to find an alternative sitter, rather than 24 hours. Feh.)

And that wasn't even the worst thing that went down yesterday, but I've used up my quota of whine on the sitter issue.

Date: 2008-03-27 08:20 Subject: I was only going to look! Really! Security: Public Tags: book mutterings

It's a totally lame excuse, I know, and seriously overused ("I only wanted a peek at a real opium den, officer! I didn't smoke any! Honest!"). But I went into Borders just looking to kill some time while I waited for the twins to get done playing dodgeball with the kids from church. And of course I came out with the latest book in the series Boy!Twin has been reading (John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice books), and then I had to get Girl!Twin something so she wouldn't be cranky. And then I found Michio Kaku's Physics of the Impossible, which sounded too good to pass up. (His book Hyperspace is interesting, though I confess a lot of it went over my head.)

Hey, it's research material, right?

Date: 2008-03-20 14:39 Subject: Sales and a birthday Security: Public Mood: accomplished Tags: sale

In the past few days, I've had some good poetry news. "Queen of Winter" sold to GUD, and "Another Hunter's Moon" and "In the Garden of Her Desires" to Doorways.

Also, happy birthday to pudges! Where's my cake and silly hat?

Date: 2008-03-18 06:37 Subject: LJ inspiration Security: Public

The Omnivoracious feed had a post on award-winning cookbooks, and I saw one that needs to be turned into a poem at once. Its title is Sweet Myrtle and Bitter Honey.

*sigh*

Date: 2008-03-17 06:26 Subject: Congratulations in order Security: Public

I took a look through the list of Rhysling nominees last night at the SFPA website, and I saw a lot of familiar names (plus I know some editors who are also racking up the cred). Congratulations to you all!

Date: 2008-03-14 10:48 Subject: Progress Security: Public Mood: artistic Tags: writing

Today I finished the second chapter of the new novel draft. Ten thousand words in a bit over two weeks is a pretty good pace for me.

I feel a little guilty over working on rough drafts rather than revising the two that are already done. But I ended up writing this series sort of backward, so the one I'm writing now is actually the first chronologically (my broken brain! let me show you it!), so there's not much point in revising the later stuff before I've thought through the beginning.

Ideally, I'd like each of these stories to be a stand-alone--there will be interconnections, but hopefully a reader could pick up any one of them and be able to figure out what was going on without a steaming mound of backstory.

I'm really enjoying working on this one. I don't know if that should worry me or not.

Date: 2008-03-13 09:59 Subject: Techno-rabblerousing Security: Public Mood: rantastic Tags: crankiness

According to autopope and others, Robin Hobb has made this a sort of unofficial blog-against-blogging week.

For the record, I like blogging. I've made some wonderful connections here, learned lots of new things, and I'm pretty sure I write more than I did in my pre-blog days. Though (unlike Ms. Hobb) I'm willing to admit that *your* mileage may vary.

You know what technology really tweaks me? Call waiting. Nothing makes me feel like the runner-up in a beauty pageant like someone stopping me in mid-sentence to see if there's someone more interesting trying to reach them. If you call me, I promise I will either tell you that I can't talk at that moment, or talk with you until such time as one or both of us is finished. If I'm already talking to someone, you'll get a busy signal until I'm done. Try back later.

/rant

What's your technological pet peeve? What's making you foam at the mouth this morning?

Totally off-topic--you know what's making me *happy* today? The thought that I can go to the bookstore this afternoon and buy Cambrielle her very first book.