06/28/00 -- Maids heard the goblins cry

Come buy our orchard fruits, Come buy, come buy

Another note to future Clarionettes:  If you're going to bring microwave popcorn, get a hold of the smaller packages--the ones that are sort of half-size bags--because the full sized ones just do not pop completely in these tiny little microwaves.  I've tried twice and only got about half of the bag to pop... and there were still a few that wound up burned in there.  Icky.  Also, the frig that you can rent is a little cube-sized frig.  If you want to totally stock up on stuff that needs to be refrigerated, well, I'd suggest bringing something bigger.  Or renting two.  My otter pops still aren't frozen. :P  I'm planning (if I can ever remember at an opportune time) to take them down to one of the instructor apartments and shove them in the freezer there so they'll be frozen.

Turned in "Switched to Overload" this morning.  I'd planned to read something in the Connie Willis collection or in Silver Birch, Blood Moon anthology before I edited the story and turned it in, but I wound up not.  I needed sleep.  I gave it an edit and then another one this morning before I printed it out and turned it in.  With any luck it won't be as much of a failure as I'm fearing it is.

So we critiqued.  But before that Tananrive talked a little bit about the writing life and her experiences in getting published.  And I think that the thing I can say is most apparent to me is that there is no typical way to get published.  Every writer's experience seems to be unique.  Sean didn't sell a novel until his, what, fifth book?  Something like that.  Tananrive sold her first one.  And then her second right off, as well.  She got book tours for both of them, lots of marketing push.  So nothing's certain.

I think I knew that, but it's interesting to see it get driven home in person, by one writer after another.

And to be reminded day after day and week after week by different voices just how much luck plays a part in it all.

 

Got a bummed out email from a friend of mine today... Sometimes it kinda sucks being far away from people.  Like now.  I wish there was something I could do, but I'm not sure if there would be even if I was at home.

I wish I could say fuck it, quit my day job, and become a full time writer.  But I can't.  And, much as I might want to, I won't.  I need my day job.  I like my day job, but I want to write.  This is my big frustration.  Especially since I'm not certain I'd get anymore writing done if I didn't have a day job than I do with a day job.

 

Okay... enough angst.  Honest.

I'm thinking about the story challenge Tananrive gave to us yesterday.  Write a story in the style of a writer you like a whole heck of a lot.  I'm thinking about Tanith Lee.  And I'm thinking about a story idea that I've wanted to try for quite some time but never felt ready to tackle.  Maybe I'll tackle it now.  No better time to try and fail than the present.  And I guess I can go three stories in a row for failure ("PaP, RaR", "Switched to Overload", and whatever I write for this story).

This will definitely be a challenge for me, too.  Because I'm going to try to retell an old poem as a story.  So I have a structure.  I have the starting point, what has to happen along the way, and the end point.  I may tweak it a little here and there, but for the most part, I don't have to do any structure work.  I just have to come up with a realistic retelling of the tale to fit into the structure.  This should be easy, right?

God, I hope so.

Probably won't be, however.  I'm thinking quasi-futuristic-horror retelling.  Should work.  In theory.  But a lot of things work in theory.

Practically?  Hell, if I can pull it off I'll be impressed with myself.  If everyone else thinks I pulled it off, I'll be doubly impressed.  I'll probably fall over dead in the critique room. Guess I won't plan for my funeral until I've turned out a draft of the story, though.

Had dinner at Taco Bell with Mark, Jennifer, Linda and Tananrive.  Mark had his usual affect on restaurants.  Taco Bell was insane and it took forever for us to get food and they got his order wrong.  Jennifer and I were going to work out after we got back, but it didn't happen.  Back, biceps, and legs tomorrow.  Honest.

Wrote like hell.  Made sure I was getting up and walking around, though.  Back still aches. :/  I should probably do something about it, but .... Feh.  I hate doctors.  And I don't want to spend time dealing with it when I could be spending the time doing something else.

Talked with Karen during one of my walk-and-stretch breaks about wandering Grand River on Saturday and going to Curious (one of the bookstores) and Tower Records and maybe finding the ice cream shop.

Wrote s'more.

Critiqued.

Was going to write s'more, but I went to bed.

Oh!  Got mail today, too. :)  Thanks for the postcard, Hmm!  The picture on it reminded me of one of the stories one of us turned in... to the amusement of many. :)  And got another cute kitty cat card from Chrysalis--thanks, sweetie!  You're great.  *hugs*  And thanks, Michael, for the encouragement in your postcard, too!  Said encouragement has been duly passed on to the rest of us. :)

A care package came from home yesterday, too.  Mmmm, beef jerky.  Yum.  I'm set for lunches or dinners if I don't want to go anywhere. :)

 

Okay, so other folks are talking about their productivity here.  I decided I may as well, too. This list (and my productivity) is subject to change without notice. :)
Title	Word Count	Finished	Critiqued?
"Where the Blood Roses Grow" Week one, first story.  Wahoo.  And I was worried that something wouldn't come.	5000	6/13	6/15
"Uprooting the Tree" Will probably change the title at some point.	3400	6/16	6/19
"Mockingbird Girl" I think I'm happiest with this story, so far.	2800	6/19	6/26
"Poor as Paupers, Rich as Royalty" My challenge story from Sean's week.  I hated writing it.  It gave me a toothache.	2000	6/22
That fucking first person narrative (not yet complete) - May never be completed.  Don't I feel like an idiot...	(400)
"Switched to Overload"  (That other fucking first person narrative) Actually, I like this one better than the one above it ...  Even if it did wind up being two first person narratives in one story.  o.O	4900	6/27
The Tananrive Due challenge story.  Write a story in the style of an author whose work you admire.  Aieee! (not yet compete)	(1126)