There isn’t much that’s exciting or really strange this week. Well, there was my supervisor’s attire on
Wednesday, but that was Halloween and he wasn’t the only one in a different
persona in that office. I was Donovan McNabb complete with cornrows and Campbell's Chunky soup. The kids on Frat row partied so hard that we didn’t see anyone out for the rest of the week. I made my first batch of turkey stock for Thanksgiving. It won’t be the huge meals we did in Playa del Rey, but we will have some company, and they expect the same quality. The apartment smells wonderful with all of those herbs bubbling away. I have also begun my prep for the Great Holiday Bake-off. I’ll make the fruitcakes next weekend. We’ll begin the cookie dough production over the Thanksgiving Holiday. We’re adding two cookies to the repertoire – peanut butter and oatmeal. I’m also adding chocolate truffles and bite-sized baklava to the hot cocoa mix with homemade marshmallows. It’s not mixed together, mind you. All the recipes are super easy and making them is relaxing (save for the attack of molten marshmallows that I plan to avoid this year). I’ve found some nice shipping containers that make for a pretty presentation. Now, don’t think I’m that organized with the holiday. I’ll be running around a few days before Christmas like everyone else. Then, I’ll buy a fistful of gift cards.
Actual Writing News
I’m still working on A Soldier’s Fate. I think it will be out by the end of December though I have had some developments in the story that are forcing me to slow down and go places I wasn’t planning. It’s fun when a story gets a life of its own, so I’m going with the flow. I suspect that Rik and Vincent just want to keep my attention on them (it’s statements like that which make my family worry about my mental state, but most writers understand). I had Jon help me with some military minutia for the chapters involving advanced training and the climax of the novel. The Soldiers books are by no means military thrillers, but I do need for the military and the futuristic aspects of the story to make sense and have an internal consistency. The book has developed some unexpected themes (I won’t reveal them here. I don’t want to spoil things), and my characters have continued to surprise me. All of this is occurring despite a detailed outline for the sequel, but that frequently happens when I write. It is impossible for me to plan for everything in an outline. Each twist in the plot reveals something about a character’s personality that I hadn’t considered. Each new reaction from one character produces a new kind of response from other characters. Even in a sequel, I’m covering a lot of new territory. That makes me happy and keeps me sane or sane-ish.
Leaping Limbo
I’m also working though much more causally on the memoir and the D/s treatment. In late November and through December, I’ll either be on a shoot or writing full time during the holiday breaks. I can’t plan anything until that decision is made. Thus, I’m cramming in writing time everyday before and after work and where I can on weekends in case I’m tied up with the shoots until the end of the year. Have I mentioned how much I hate limbo? Since I don’t know where the shoots will be (not our decision), I can’t even make a packing list. Those who know me well know I MUST have a packing list weeks in advance of a trip, or I get really buggy. Not even the promise of fun with cute actors is enough to overcome my intense loathing for travel without proper prep. But I still have no control over these powers that be. The only good news this week about the shoots is that SAG actors are going to work despite WGA strike looming.
Wednesday, but that was Halloween and he wasn’t the only one in a different
persona in that office. I was Donovan McNabb complete with cornrows and Campbell's Chunky soup. The kids on Frat row partied so hard that we didn’t see anyone out for the rest of the week. I made my first batch of turkey stock for Thanksgiving. It won’t be the huge meals we did in Playa del Rey, but we will have some company, and they expect the same quality. The apartment smells wonderful with all of those herbs bubbling away. I have also begun my prep for the Great Holiday Bake-off. I’ll make the fruitcakes next weekend. We’ll begin the cookie dough production over the Thanksgiving Holiday. We’re adding two cookies to the repertoire – peanut butter and oatmeal. I’m also adding chocolate truffles and bite-sized baklava to the hot cocoa mix with homemade marshmallows. It’s not mixed together, mind you. All the recipes are super easy and making them is relaxing (save for the attack of molten marshmallows that I plan to avoid this year). I’ve found some nice shipping containers that make for a pretty presentation. Now, don’t think I’m that organized with the holiday. I’ll be running around a few days before Christmas like everyone else. Then, I’ll buy a fistful of gift cards.Actual Writing News
I’m still working on A Soldier’s Fate. I think it will be out by the end of December though I have had some developments in the story that are forcing me to slow down and go places I wasn’t planning. It’s fun when a story gets a life of its own, so I’m going with the flow. I suspect that Rik and Vincent just want to keep my attention on them (it’s statements like that which make my family worry about my mental state, but most writers understand). I had Jon help me with some military minutia for the chapters involving advanced training and the climax of the novel. The Soldiers books are by no means military thrillers, but I do need for the military and the futuristic aspects of the story to make sense and have an internal consistency. The book has developed some unexpected themes (I won’t reveal them here. I don’t want to spoil things), and my characters have continued to surprise me. All of this is occurring despite a detailed outline for the sequel, but that frequently happens when I write. It is impossible for me to plan for everything in an outline. Each twist in the plot reveals something about a character’s personality that I hadn’t considered. Each new reaction from one character produces a new kind of response from other characters. Even in a sequel, I’m covering a lot of new territory. That makes me happy and keeps me sane or sane-ish.
Leaping Limbo
I’m also working though much more causally on the memoir and the D/s treatment. In late November and through December, I’ll either be on a shoot or writing full time during the holiday breaks. I can’t plan anything until that decision is made. Thus, I’m cramming in writing time everyday before and after work and where I can on weekends in case I’m tied up with the shoots until the end of the year. Have I mentioned how much I hate limbo? Since I don’t know where the shoots will be (not our decision), I can’t even make a packing list. Those who know me well know I MUST have a packing list weeks in advance of a trip, or I get really buggy. Not even the promise of fun with cute actors is enough to overcome my intense loathing for travel without proper prep. But I still have no control over these powers that be. The only good news this week about the shoots is that SAG actors are going to work despite WGA strike looming.
Weekly Rant
Needless to say, there were no werewolves on CSI: Miami. There was a wolf (four legged), the return of CSI Wolf and a guy who was taking wolf hormones (they explained why but it made no sense, so I forgot what they said). I’m thwarted from the return of regular episodes of a really good show until April. Battlestar Galactica will return for a two part-er (Razor) this month. But that’s not enough, and I don’t see the sense in postponing the rest of the season until April while running such gems as Dinocroc and Dracula 3000 with Coolio.
Needless to say, there were no werewolves on CSI: Miami. There was a wolf (four legged), the return of CSI Wolf and a guy who was taking wolf hormones (they explained why but it made no sense, so I forgot what they said). I’m thwarted from the return of regular episodes of a really good show until April. Battlestar Galactica will return for a two part-er (Razor) this month. But that’s not enough, and I don’t see the sense in postponing the rest of the season until April while running such gems as Dinocroc and Dracula 3000 with Coolio.
The writer’s strike won’t impact weeknight TV for a while, but we will have no Daily Show or Colbert Report for the duration. We’ll also be in for a buttload of Dateline . I support what the issues are fighting for, but geez.
Caption Fun
I see a lot of odd things as I work in the Archive, and I don’t just mean my co-workers. I
’ve decided to share some of the fun. To the right is an illustration from a real book, an American novel from the mid 1800s. Give me a caption to go with it. The best one will win a prize from Sybaritic Press.
Caption Fun
I see a lot of odd things as I work in the Archive, and I don’t just mean my co-workers. I
’ve decided to share some of the fun. To the right is an illustration from a real book, an American novel from the mid 1800s. Give me a caption to go with it. The best one will win a prize from Sybaritic Press. 
1 comment:
Damnit, girl, how many times have I told you! Not haddock, HALIBUT!
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