Thursday, June 29, 2006

WIP-it

Got the writing schedule made up. Monday - Thursday evenings, 3 hours or 1500 words. Not super-demanding, but much more than I regularly write now. I started last night and once I finally tore myself away from internet distractions I got the first scene re-written with my new stuff added. I'm happy with the way it turned out and it was much less painful that I had feared. In fact, it worked in pretty seamlessly, I think.

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
14,077 / 100,000
(14.1%)

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Zebrawatch 2006

When one applies a sunless tanning spray to one's legs, one should not then decide that the solution to zebraleg syndrome is... more sunless tanning spray. To, you know, fill in the blanks. Yeah. Apparently it doesn’t work like that. I look like I’ve never washed my legs before in my life. And of course it’s summer so if I wear anything but jeans, which it’s too hot and humid to wear, then everyone can see my bruised-looking, splotchy brown legs. And you know everyone is always staring at my legs because they are so fine. (Insert riotous laughter here.)

My solution is to stay parked at my desk and think up excuses in case anyone asks. So far I have: Genetic disorder; Finalist in statewide shin-kicking contest; Bush's fault (haven’t worked out the details on that one yet); Descended from a long line of unwashed hippies, and finally: Something to do with the depletion of the ozone layer.

In other news, the writing schedule has been made. And already I plan to ignore it next week. Go me! But I have a good excuse. My sista and niece will be visiting for a few days and I want to spend as much time with them as possible. I haven’t seen them since Christmas. I miss them.

So now we’ll see how well this whole “organization” thing goes. I have high hopes for it. It occurs to me that tracking what I eat has helped me to lose weight, so perhaps tracking how often I write will help me stay on track with that as well. It’s a crazy notion but it just might work.

Now, I am off to find a loofa and remove the top layer of skin from my legs.

Monday, June 26, 2006

I thought you were my friend, TV. WTF?

I'm having a difficult time getting focused on my writing. I want to write. But I find I want to do a lot of other things as well. I lack focus. I think I need a schedule. Not just some vague notion of a schedule I keep in the back of my head, but an actual written-in-real-ink-or-possibly-pencil-depending-on-what-I-have-handy-and-somewhere-there-will-be-paper-involved schedule. And also I need to follow this schedule. I'm learning as of late that I can, indeed, stick to a plan. It's just really, really hard sometimes.

On a completely unrelated topic, I thought I would be smart and use a sunless tanner to deflect some of the blinding white light that reflects off my legs during the summertime. That worked out not so very well. It was Neutrogena's MicroMist airbrush spray on tan and the nice lady on TV promised me even coverage. She lied. Unless by "even" she meant "zebralike."

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Dear subconscious: Thank you!

The other night I was lying in bed, very nearly asleep, vaguely thinking about my current writing project and its bland state when it occurred to me what was missing. Conflict. I knew that vital ingredient was lacking all along, but I never knew quite how to throw it into the mix. Now I do. I'm excited to get started adding this new dimension, but it's going to be a lot of work. I'm sitting at about 14000 words at the moment and all of it needs to be reworked. It will be worth it though.

Also giving me a boost of excitement for this project is Holly Lisle's Create a Language Clinic. Holy wow. Not only is it funny and smart and a great place to start if you want to build your own language, but I am learning a lot about the English language and its indescriminate past. I've spent hours working on my new language, Sujuq, and just learning the language of the world I've created has helped me work out numerous details about the people who live there. So, that's why I joined Holly's affiliate program and posted a link to the eBook in my sidebar. If you're a nerd (like me) and/or an aspiring sci-fi/fantasy writer (also like me) then you must read this book. Go on. I'll wait here.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

And don't forget the sunscreen

Last Saturday I, along with my husband and his partner in crime, traveled through the wilds of New Jersey to attend the Bridgeton Folk Festival. The drive down Route 49 through the scenic swampland just off the Delaware Bay seemed longer than it should have been. I kept thinking surely we should be there by now. After a quick stop for directions and a near run-in with an extra from Deliverance, we made it to the amphitheater. The guys lugged our ice chest in (no glass bottles – they do check your coolers) and we looked around for somewhere to sit. The venue was pretty small so, even though we were fairly high up, the view was great.

Our good intentions to be there by noon went unmet (I do regret missing Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, but what can ya do?) and we got there around two o’clock, just in time to see C.J. Chenier and The Red Hot Louisiana Band. This was my first foray into live zydeco music, honestly my first time really listening to it at all, but I have to say I was very impressed. I couldn’t help but want to move my feet. And when they did Jambalaya I even sang along (a little).

Next up was Danielia Cotton, a local NJ girl who was much less folk and much more rock and roll. Her set ranged from Hendrix’s Red House to a haunting Delta gospel inspired homage to post-Katrina New Orleans and finished up with a helping of AC/DC’s Back in Black. While I’m not a huge AC/DC fan, she nailed it and made it fun to listen to.

After a rocking performance by Danielia, Paul Barrere and Fred Tackett took the stage for an acoustic set. I don’t really know anything about these guys and I can’t say I particularly enjoyed their set. It seemed a bit of a lull in the lineup, plus I was anxious for the headliner, who was up next.

Ani Difranco, our reason for being there, finally woke up (she later said she’d been trying to nap all day) and came on stage at around 6:15. She played a few new, unreleased songs, as well as some old (and beloved) staples. She also paused midway through the set, handed off her guitar and recited her poem Grand Canyon. Even with carpal tunnel-related wrist pain and her lack of recent on-stage performance, she put on a great show and I can’t wait to see her again.

Now let me tell you a few things about the festival itself, in case you decide to go next year. Do bring a lawn chair, preferably one that is close to the ground, but don’t go there expecting everyone to be focused on the music at the same time you are. The adorable two-year-old on the blanket next to you will cry at some point. The little boy behind you will stand up several times and yell for his big sister (Abby! Aaaaaabbbbbyyyyyy!!) while the act on stage is singing soulfully about some soulful subject. And finally, several people all around you will get up, fold away their lawn chairs and inexplicably leave while the headliner is on stage. And most of these people will be in their bathing suits because the show is right on Sunset Lake and there is a Lifeguard on duty. I wish we’d have known this before we got there - we might’ve been some of the people in swimsuits.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Name Game

PBW posted a little writing exercise a few days ago and I decided to give it a go. The idea is you get a few random names (courtesy of Kleimo in this case) and write a short paragraph about the person with the random name. Then you write about why you gave him/her that particular personality. Then you flip it around and make the person completely opposite (or at least different). My paragraph is slightly longer than the ones she used as examples, but what can you do? So...

Maricela Ferrin wanted to dance. She sat at her table on the edge of the dance floor nursing the same pink fruity drink she’d purchased over an hour ago from the cute blond bartender. It was hard to stick to a budget and still have a social life. She kept hoping some interested man would send a drink her way, but so far no luck. She’d gotten up several times, intending to sashay onto the dance floor alone but at the last minute chickened out and pretended to straighten her skirt or move to a different table on the other side of the club.

The first thing that popped into my head when I saw this name was, “Maricela Ferrin wanted to trip the light fantastic.” The problem was, however, that I had no clue what that meant. So, I googled it. Apparently it means she wanted to dance. (Only it turns out no one wanted to dance with her. Poor girl.) Moving on...

Maricela Ferrin drained the last of her Tequila shot, slammed the glass down on the bar and strutted fearlessly onto the empty dance floor. She’d finally rid herself of Titus and was ready to shake her ass. And if she’d left him in a pathetic heap on the floor of their apartment crying and shaking a pill bottle at her as she took her suitcase and left, well, that wasn’t her problem. And if the thought of him doing anything crazy was eating her up inside, all she had to do was focus on the pulsing, blaring music and moving her hips, shoulders, arms. And if that didn’t work, there was always more Tequila.

The major differences in the scenarios are that while Maricela still wanted to shake her groove thang, in the first she was meek, shy, a little frumpy, and I kind of felt sorry for her. In fact I think she’s a bit clueless, not even realizing she’s in a gay bar. Maybe that’s why none of the men wanted to buy her a drink. In the second scenario Maricela was bold, if not a little skanky, and had an agenda that did not include meeting a man but rather forgetting one.