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December 30, 2004

REVISIONS and headaches

Hello, headache. You've been chasing me all day. Lucky for you I'm going to bed soon.

More minor revisions and reworking of concepts. Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh.

I bought a copy of The Valdemar Companion for my story-writing efforts as I'm not sure I want to wade through all the books (for the however-manyth time) to find one little detail when someone has already done it for me. At the very least it should tell me WHERE to look if I need elaboration.

I'm not going to whine about worldbuilding. I'm not going to whine about worldbuilding. I'm not going to whine about worldbuilding. But I'm hating myself right now for having left so many concepts nebulous when I should have had them down on a page somewhere before I even started the monster.

Posted by sdshaver at 12:52 AM

December 28, 2004

the fifth ring of hell is an airport

Got stuck in Sky Harbor for way too long, got to bed way too late. The cats were starving but they forgave me when I plugged in the electric blanket.

One thing about storm systems in NoCal disrupting my flight patterns, I got a lot of hand-written notes down. I've been pondering a contemporary story -- I've actually come up with two so far -- but I don't know if anything will ever come of it. Anything I write in the here and now would be heavily autobiographical, and I have to wonder if I can make my life interesting enough that a publisher would want to buy it.

Halfway through She is the Darkness. Glen Cook hit me with two surprises, and he is awesome.

I now have a copy of The Dark Tower sitting on my desk. It's pretty thick and I know I'm going to lose many favorite characters by the end of it. I think I'll reward/punish myself with it after I finish the book.

Posted by sdshaver at 01:26 PM

December 27, 2004

REVISIONS - home betrayal

The litany anew:

I love my family, but it's time to go home.

I miss my family, but it's time to go home.

Every time I do this I feel like I'm betraying them a little. I keep telling myself that maybe someday I'll earn a living doing this writing gig thing and be able to visit them all the time.

Anyway. Enough moody.

Zipped up tonight's version of the book and gmailed it to my bad self. Almost done with revisions, and yes, we've heard this before, but this time I really think I am. Sticking points of the story are no longer sticking. I just want this thing done so I can kick it out the door and tell it to come back when it's made a living, ya lazy bum.

Posted by sdshaver at 04:05 AM

December 26, 2004

REVISIONS and hanuchristmasolsticezaa

Minor tweaks done. I have a laundry list of fixes. Some are continuity (the Red Walls temple layout changes from chapter to chapter -- bad Steph), some are name changes, and some are story threads. The more I knit, the more I feel like my story is a big ball of yarn that I'm working to untangle.

Long conversation tonight with my cousin about the whole idea of just writing ("At least an hour a day, every day. I don't care what's going on. If you want it, you'll find the time to do it.") and the state of my life the last year.

Man, I really wanted this thing done by the end of this month, but I wrote too much story. I at least simplified one of the things that was sticking in my side. YAY FOR THAT.

Master and Commander was really good, and now I want to read the Patrick O'Brian books (and hope they're not dry as hardtack) or revisit the Binder world. My stepdad's a Navyman and a naval history buff, so he knows all the cool info about this stuff. I smell potential.

Posted by sdshaver at 04:09 AM

December 23, 2004

REVISIONS - many

Updates, minor tweaks, and I am now going to go back to the printed copy to revise.

So...close....

Another late night that should not be. I need to go to bed early tomorrow, or I fear the motherly repercussions. G'night.

Posted by sdshaver at 05:17 AM

December 22, 2004

REVISIONS

Pshaw. Should not be up, but....

Anyway. Updated! Deus ex machina is being defeated! Yay! It was never one anyway, but I was holding the cards too close to my chest....

And saw cool friends today. Hi, cool friends!

Mmm. Sleep.

Posted by sdshaver at 04:24 AM

December 21, 2004

REVISIONS - ch. 22 and 23

Yep, back to this sucker. You could infer from the amount of work that's been done to 22 and 23 that something something significant happens in those two chapters, and you might be right. The itchy feeling is going away when I touch this part of the story.

I have done more hand-written note-taking in the last three days than I have all year. My cursive still sucks.

Watched a show on Ye Olde History Channel about motte-and-bailey structures in Dark Ages England. Bored my poor mother to tears.

Also, bought cool gifts for family members. San Clemente has changed since I saw it last, but not too much (Fatburger and the Rib Trader, thank the saints, are still there).

Will see the good folks at S.E.O. tomorrow and cruise the intergalactic battleship that is their headquarters. Will, no doubt, write more tomorrow. Zzzzz.

Posted by sdshaver at 04:17 AM

December 18, 2004

note-taking, book-reading

I finished reading Song of Susannah today, which means when I go back to Lud I'll be borrowing the final Dark Tower book from sai Meyer. Say thank ya big-big.

Okay, enough of that.

Much note-taking today as I continued to mull over and refine the unifying theories of the story. In the light of the full night's sleep, my idea was not a bad one, but I think I may be mulling too much. Still, there are definite speedbumps; I can feel them on my skin every time I pick up the story. I wish I could explain it any other way, but I can't. Errors in a storyline are physical sensations to me. That's how I know things need fixin'.

I spent part of today keeping an eye on my nephew, who has the drawring bug. We exchanged sketches. I drew his face and shoulders, he added arms, hands, and a waist. He's nine. I hope he keeps at it. I'll be sure to make regular checkups on his growing artistic talent.

The boxers are curled up behind me, and making snuffling noises in their sleep. Positively adorable.

Posted by sdshaver at 02:19 AM

December 17, 2004

REVISIONS - ch. 22 and 23

I made it through 22 and 23 yesterday before passing out on the plane. I deplaned in Phoenix, sat around for thirty minutes, and then was informed that my connecting flight had been canceled and no further flights were going out that night. But not after I wrote one song, retitled the book, and came up with a way to do away with my deus ex machina problem.

Productivity in the Harbor of the Sky...we'll see, though, if it still looks productive in the saner light of a full night's rest.

On the bright side, Southwest Did the Right Thang by giving me a room voucher (something Continental Did Not Do five years ago, and hence the reason I no longer fly them). I also got to witness firsthand a high speed pursuit with my friend Michael (Who-is-not-Mikey). I counted fourteen police cars. Michael, being a good driver, stopped when he heard the sirens. Otherwise, we'd have been creamed by some dumbass going 90 down 44th Street. As it is, I was not killed, and so instead of being an intensely bad experience it was an awesome/scary one instead. Such is life!

The only bad thing about my comfy room was a total lack of shampoo and conditioner. My hair looked like a rats nest by Thursday afternoon, reminding me of why it is I usually pack this stuff (and why my main character is a bathing freak).

I have had more than enough adventure in the last 24 hours to satisfy the rest of my year. I blame Arizona. Thanks, Arizona!

Posted by sdshaver at 02:12 AM

December 15, 2004

oh, Earthsea

I watched 45 minutes of the Earthsea miniseries, and now I must turn it off. I'll probably finish watching it when I get back from California, but for now I just can't bear it.

I'm the first person to get in line and agree that translation from page to screen means some of the delicate nature of the story gets lost, but that doesn't mean I like it. And when they go to the bother of making it a four-hour extravaganza -- why did they have to deviate so much?

I didn't like A Wizard of Earthsea when I first read it (at the all-knowing age of 14), but I have a feeling if I read it today my attitude might be different. I have come to truly admire the writers like LeGuin and McKillip who can write these poetic, elemental works of fantasy fiction. Probably because I don't have the voice for it. But boy, do I love reading it.

I have about four chapters I'm taking on the flight tomorrow (today) with me. Between reading and napping (I am one of those wonders of human engineering who can not only sleep on planes, but tends to pass out the instant she takes her seat), I'll get some editing done, I'm sure.

The official antholgoy invite came in the mail. The deadline is very generous. It makes me very happy. Personal deadline for that is end of January, with February to revise, revise, revise! (YAY!)

Posted by sdshaver at 01:02 AM

December 13, 2004

REVISIONS - ch. 1 - 7

Minor retouches.

Uck. It's 3 AM. I went to bed at 5 AM the day before and 4 AM the day before that. My late hour was 2; now it's 4. It just keeps getting later. My grandfather was a late night person (going to bed usually at the hour my grandmother was getting up). He was also the family storyteller. Coincidence? I think not.

I spent some time reworking little pieces of 1 and 7. Going to try and print the bugger tomorrow-ish. On the bright side, all Christmas baking is done.

Sleep sleep!

Posted by sdshaver at 03:05 AM

December 12, 2004

linkin' love

Thanks for the link, Holly!

I did in fact revisit the Valdemar story, and discovered that it really needs work. I haven't received any mention of guidelines or due date yet, though, so I'm not terribly worried. Just glad I have the luxury of time to let the story mellow. Like oak casks to whisky....

I have to find time between now and Weds. to print out the last twenty chapters of Das Book so I can cart them with me to Cali. Unfortunately, between class, party, and work, I don't know when that will be...just that it will be.

Posted by sdshaver at 04:48 PM

December 11, 2004

all undone done

Final wordcount of second revision: 132k. The epilogue went practically untouched. Oi.

Next up: print the second half (which was the most heavily revised -- first half went all but untouched), mark the hell out of it, and let my first readers finally get a peek. And probably revisit that Valdemar story. Because I should.

I thought I could paste linked Word objects into Excel to automate my wordcount woes, but of course I can't. Why? Because Word sucks. Oh well. I found a program that can do it for me, which is nice, but I don't know if it's $25 nice (it would be if it also automagically did page counts).

I'll have eleven days at home with the family in Cali to revise the book, and I plan to do just that. To say nothing of the massive Texas-sized scarf I have to finish.

But for now, I desire...macaroni sculptures! Er, I mean -- food!

Actually, fajitas sound really good right now...too bad I live in Missouri.

Posted by sdshaver at 05:47 PM

REVISIONS - ch. 42

Added more to 42, subtle updates to other parts so that the ending is less "Aaaaah! Where the hell did this come from?". I think I'll finish it (AGAIN) tomorrow providing all goes well. Might be the end of the book, too (thus omitting chapter 43, but not eliminating the "one year later" epilogue).

Wrote down character notes for future works. The question is -- do I start on book 2 of Myr's story, or do I do something completely different? I think I'm going to hedge my bets and go with the latter. I want to try my hand at something more ethereal and serious. Hello, Binder.

Muscles are sore from practice Thursday. Really out of shape. Teh suck.

Posted by sdshaver at 02:39 AM

December 10, 2004

REVISIONS - ch. 15 through 43 - cemetery gates

Update to a storyline. Disentangled another superfluous character and gave her more purpose. Rewrote a bit that always felt staged and fake; it flows better now. I also discovered a piece that was important to the last resolution of the plot, but really isn't anymore. Wondering if I'll keep it.

Trouble with deus ex machina. I hope I haven't fallen for it, but I guess in fantasy novels every now and then an alligator has just got to jump out of the water and seize the bad guy by the balls.

Okay, it's way, way too late and I have to be bright eyed and clever tomorrow, so until anon....

Posted by sdshaver at 03:44 AM

December 09, 2004

revisions - ch. 39-41

Changes, updates, linking pieces, revisions. It was very late when I got to bed.

Posted by sdshaver at 03:35 PM

epic

We went for sushi tonight (a royalty check showed -- whoo!) and I was pondering why it is I'll never be able to write something big and epic and oh-so-Biblical. And I think the reason is...my stupid sense of humor.

See, I read big and epic and oh-so-Biblical fantasies from time to time, primarily because they sell like dime-a-dozen hotcakes on a winter's morning in Siberia, and the curious part of me wonders just what it is about these big, sprawling, cast-of-millions stories that sells so well. They're essentially Tom Clancy in fantasyland -- mind candy with a big moral message. FIGHT EVIL. BE GOOD. ACCEPT YOUR DESTINY IF IT COMES WITH A COOL SWORD OR OTHER ANCIENT AND TASTEFUL ACCESSORY.

See that? Those three sentences up there? That is why I can't be an epic fantasy writer. I have a sense of humor.

If I had a character who found out he/she/it was the Chosen One, he/she/and/or/it would probably wind up making fun of it. That is, after he/she/whatever got over being skeptical and/or scared shitless.

And I'm not saying the writers who write Ye Olde Epics don't have a sense of humor. I'm saying it doesn't come out in their writing. I happen to write songs. They all come out like they were written by Morrissey's illegitimate little sister. I cannot write funny or ironic songs for the life of me. That's just the way the cards fall.

Humor does not belong in epics, not as often as I seek to inject it. But life is funny and personal to me. A great lady named Suz Dodd once told me that life isn't all about tragedies. She delivered that line to me a month after our friend Nora Allen died, and the message has always stuck with me. Especially after Suz passed away long before her meter should have been up.

Especially then.

My grandfather told me a joke the day before he died. Listening to his quavering voice over a thousand miles of telephone wire, I laughed feebly, but I was crying as I stood there, glad that he could only hear my laugh and not see my face. It's the way I wanted his last memory of me to be. I think that's something good.

Even in the face of the Grim Reaper's bag o' tricks, we still laugh. Sometimes that's all you can do. That, and punch the bastard in the throat as he hauls you off.

Anyway.

Where was I?

Maybe someday I can write that epic. If I can ever suppress my need to smirk at prophecy and roll my eyes at destiny, I'm sure I'll whip out something.

Until then -- sarcasm, ho!

Posted by sdshaver at 12:02 AM

December 08, 2004

ch. 42 - points of failure

There are five points of tweaking in the current ending, not the least of which is that I totally forgot one character's usefulness.

Other than that, I'm relatively happy with it. But some scenes are going to need revising. Mostly fight stuff, and progression of bad things happening.

I watched Adaptation. tonight, and thought it captured the struggle to write fairly well. Or maybe it's just me.

I owe tons of people tons of webwork and emails, I owe myself many trips to the dojo, I have fruitcakes and white trash (candy) to make, and caught in the grip of this stupid novel, I have done none of the above. Shit.

Posted by sdshaver at 01:12 AM

December 07, 2004

REVISIONS - ch. 40 and 41 (oh yeah)

Yep. Twelve pages in four hours. FUCK YOU, WRITER'S BLOCK.

40 is done. 41 is over half done. I'm going to go to bed because it's petering out. I think I can finish the book by 42. So I saved a chapter and probably a lot of words, cuz 41, 40, and 39 are well within the 10-page chapter limit I set for myself. (The originals were oh so NOT.)

I am really tired. And I missed class, so I feel like a heel, but I will try to make up for it. Bon soir.

Posted by sdshaver at 02:28 AM

December 06, 2004

REVISIONS - ch. 40

Say hello to a new Chapter 40, now with more assertive, bossy women! Hmmm. I wonder where THOSE came from?

2.5 pages into it. Also finished 39 (1.5 pages) tonight. Plus, I was at work today. Yay.

Sleepy. I need some sleep.

Posted by sdshaver at 02:14 AM

December 05, 2004

REVISIONS - ch. 39 and the flooded engine

I would have finished 39 today -- and I also would have been at the bokken workshop -- but I had to go to the office instead. The engine is flooded. The story is stalled, by dint of my brain being a quagmire of mathematical quandries. It doesn't look like I'll finish it this week.

And I'll be heading in again tomorrow, which is actually today, but who's counting?

Watched Dead Like Me -- well, watched the pilot -- and caught myself thinking, "Goodness, this is like Wonderfalls but weird in a different way and with cussing." And then -- no surprise, the writer/producer/brainchild is Bryan Fuller, who wrote the first Wonderfalls episode. But of course.

Despite all attempts by who knows what power to destroy my writing time, I hammered and wove five pages when I got home from work, and I wrote enough to nearly finish 39. I am trying to break out of the ruts I throw myself into -- the obvious patterns one takes because one reads a lot of adventure fiction and this is how EVERYONE writes this sort of situation. So we'll see.

I know, I am making no sense, but please forgive me. I suffer from a biscuit-induced head injury, received over Thanksgiving.

Monkey.

Posted by sdshaver at 04:01 AM

December 04, 2004

REVISIONS - ch. 39

Okay, I lied about 39.

Amusing writing notes for the night:

BLAH BLAH BLAH

Attack!

Oh nos!

Sometimes I think that could sum up the whole damn book.

Posted by sdshaver at 03:01 AM