St. Paddy’s Day was a good one this year. I ended up going out with Kathryn’s cousin, her cousin’s brother-in-law, and her sister’s boyfriend. Just the boys, in other words. We went to a bar downtown, managed to snag the best table in the place out of sheer good timing, and spent the night drinking and schmoozing. I walked home, since I live so close by, and went directly to bed. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200.
Woke up this morning sans hangover, which is always a plus, and caught up on some all-important crocheting. I really have to post a picture of my afghan. It’s coming along nicely. And remember that freaky, straight-out-of-the-Matrix coffeemaker? Well, we have this humidifier, and it’s pretty bizarre, as well. Something I took particular notice of last night when I was sleeping by myself. Whereas the coffeemaker has that green witchlight, the humidifier has this eldritch blue glow. Yeah, this is what happens when Kat leaves me alone for a couple of days…
I meant to report that on Friday I received an e-mail from the editor of the Touched By Wonder anthology. She sent the final edits for “The Currents,” including a suggestion that I change the title as the story is more about the man who rides the currents as opposed to the currents themselves. I agreed but I didn’t think much of her new title, “Travelling Man.” I suggested a compromise, “The Man from the Currents,” which she went for, and now everyone is happy. My cheque should be arriving any day now, and the book is still on schedule for a summer/fall release.
Also, Kathryn returned from London this afternoon with a surprise for me. To celebrate my permanent job she gave me The Departed on DVD. “I even remembered to get you the special edition,” she pointed out.
That, my friends, is love.
A legal remedy for hangovers is available in the US and–I think–in Canada. Remind me next weekend. It might be necessary.
I woke up this morning at 7 A.M., because my brother was going to pick me up at 8 so that we could go move my mother from one apartment to another across town. I turned off my alarm and went to the bathroom to shower – and when I got out and dried off, my wife had made breakfast for me. A can of corned beef hash and wheat toast with homemade raspberry jam, a can of Coke and the Sunday paper.
And then she went back to bed.
We married ourselves a couple of winners, Ian.
I love The Departed. It was the only thing that kept me sane on the flight from Hong Kong.
9 days to go to WHC!
Sam – Sounds good. It’s important to pack all the necessities.
John – Sounds like it. You gotta find the right one and not settle for anything less, that’s for certain.
Ally – I’ve heard it’s quite excellent. One of the many films I never got around to seeing at the theatre this past winter. And yes! Only 9 days to go! The countdown has begun!
Hehe. “Traveling Man” is kind of hokey.
You know, I kind of like the idea of a story about appliances from hell. (would go nicely with the monster-purse story I’ve been working on off and on for about a year now)
Yeah, it’s not really a bad title; I just didn’t think it fit my story. I was telling my dad about it last night and he said it sounded like a Bob Dylan song. I think he pegged it right. I was going for more of a modern folklore feel as opposed to a folk rock vibe. :)
You should run with that appliances from hell story. It could be a goodie. I think the best horror stories are the ones that are rooted in reality, where some normalcy is tweaked ever so lightly. I think that’s what makes Stephen King’s work so great, that depth of the fantastic in the ordinary.
Here’s some potential titles for you:
To the Devil a Dishwasher
Rosemary’s Babyback Ribs
The Slow Cooker That Dripped Blood
Heheh…I can see a commercial for that second one…Think of that “chili’s babyback ribs” commercial and song they had a few years ago..
Please take your baby back, baby back, baby back, baby back…
Exactly. See how scary that would be?
Although I got to tell you, I look at things like “Where the Sun Don’t Shine” and it kind of scares me, makes me worry about myself.
That’s what us writers do. Amaze ourselves, scare ourselves, worry ourselves. It’s all part of the job. ;)
That’s why we are writers because we worry so much. We suck in like a sponge. If I didn’t think about writing instead of real problems I’d be insane by now. Diversionary tactics – if is happening to a character – it isn’t happening to you – right? :>)
That’s a good way to think. I’m very thankful I don’t suffer through the things I put my characters through. I guess that makes me something of an evil god (although that would imply I control the story, which I often don’t), but hey, no conflict, no story. :)
Glad to know I’m not the only one who’s sometimes surprised by the things his characters do. I read an interview with CS Friedman a few weeks ago, and she was saying how she pretty well knows what her people are going to do and she’s got them all under control.
Kinda made me a little sick.
I suppose it’s different for every writer, but I don’t think characters are that interesting unless they’re capable of doing things outside of the writer’s purview. Same goes with plot. I’ve always felt that the story is the boss, not the writer, and it should be allowed to roam wherever it wants.
Laurell K. Hamilton mentioned on her blog recently how she is reluctant to kill off any of her rather hefty cast of characters because they’re so close to her. To me that is the greatest interference of all. They’re not real people, first of all, and second, it’s not up to the writer to decide who lives and dies. Some writers think it is up to them, but I tend think that speaks more about the person than the story. If you know what I mean.
Jennifer Brozek was talking about the flip side of that coin on her blog recently. She said one of her characters killed another, and she never saw it coming.
In my case, it’s actually more about what they don’t do. Oh, they’ll occasionally throw out something I wasn’t expecting, but it’s more often a case of I’ve got a scene in mind, and I start steering toward it only to have the characters venture off in another direction. And I’ve found in every case I can think of, it actually helped the story (it’s usually one of those situations where it’s a cool scene, but doesn’t really do anything for the story).
See, I like that. The way the characters or the story itself can surprise the writer. I think that’s part of the fun of writing. We worry ourselves, we shock ourselves, but we also surprise ourselves. To me that’s a sign the writer is doing something right. The stories I end up dropping are the ones that stop popping, the ones that start to feel like work and no longer amuse me. Writing is hard work, no doubt about it, but it shouldn’t necessarily feel like work, not every inch of the way.
I read the blog of a writer/editor who complained that writing had always been difficult for him and that he didn’t really like it that much. Kinda sad, really, since he never followed up with why he bothered doing it in the first place (which was the thought going through my mind, and probably the minds of the other people who read that post).
I write outlines for many of my stories, but they’re not usually extensive and they’re never, ever written in stone. When it comes to actually writing the story, all bets are off. I feel less like a writer than I do a courtroom stenographer capturing the action going on around me. Or more accurately, the action going on in my imagination.
Just out of curiosity, what do you spend your writing money on? Is it re-invested in equipment/books/cabin retreats to help with your writing? Do you have an investment plan? Or is it soundly invested in crack and ladies of the night?
Or do you just cave, and finally get Thor that negligee he’s always wanted? (So THAT’s why there’s a bunch of Victoria’s Secret catalogues lying around, suspiciously opened to the same page…)
I ask, not because I’m into your financial deets. Rather, I bet that most writers don’t know what to do with their first couple of paydays, since it’s not quite a steady thing. And hey…. I never know what to do with the few extra bucks I infrequently get…
Well, there isn’t much money in the stories I’ve sold to date. So I don’t do very much with it. :) I try and spend it on specific things — rewards, as it were — so I can feel some sense of accomplishment. Usually it’s books, DVDS, and writing supplies. If/When I make more money, I’d spend it on things like cabin retreats, trips, and the like. Including crack and ladies of the night, of course.
Thor the whore doesn’t go much for the negligee, alas. He keeps asking for a Speedo, though…