OK, I admit it. I am totally uninspired to write this blog post. However, I'm also totally dedicated to giving you, my faithful readers, a post twice a week. (Hello? Is anyone there? Echo!) Thus, for the next 15 minutes, I will simply write whatever comes to mind.
Remember those writing exercises? I never did like them. I always wanted to do something useful with my time. My kids hated them, too. Steven used to write "Nothing!" for 15 minutes. One day he got inspired, "i hate this i have nothing to say." Yep. A budding Nobel laureate in the making.
Of course, if you think about it, how many live journals are just that? "Didn't do much today. Oh, had ham with mustard. Ever try that deli mustard? Now there's mustard. Watched X Files for the 17th time. It's all starting to come together now..."
AARGH! I forgot to start the timer! Well, let's say 3 minutes.
I love having a laptop. I take this baby everywhere. I wake up in the morning and there it is, perched on the ironing table, calling to me. This is a GOOD THING, because my exercise program consists of marching in front of the ironing board while I check my newsgroups and e-mail. Don't laugh. Who was it on Runway who said she goes over her appointments while she jogs--as if that were unusual and innovative? At least I actually get something accomplished, rather than just think about it. Oh, and I have Calves and Fingers of Steel! Now if I could just figure out how to get rid of the belly while typing...
I got great news today. Brother Guy Consolmagno, a Jesuit astronomer and a well-known figure on the SF circuit, agreed to read Infinite Space, Infinite God for a back-cover blurb. I did the happy dance last night when I read his e-mail. (Yep, e-mail at night. E-mail at noon. E-mail in the kitchen, stirring oatmeal with a spoon.) Isn't "Consolmagno" a great name? Great consoler. Well, his e-mail made me feel better!
8 minutes.... get inspired... thinkthinkthink. Winnie the Pooh! Tao of Pooh! Tao or random associations. Rorschach! Rorschach! I'm starting to sound like something in a Terry Pratchett novel. I'll be wearing a duck on my head next!
I love Terry Pratchett. He has such a odd angle on everything. I hope my Vern novels (Dragon Eye, PI www.freewebs.com/dragoneyepi) come off a little like his works. He's much sillier and funnier.
However, my first Vern novel--Magic, Mensa and Mayhem--is going to be a silly book. Two nights ago, I wrote the airship scene (blimp/airplane hybrid) The dwarfs got acrophobia. (It's not natural! We belong underground!) and the pixies got into the gas cells and started sucking the helium. (Their voices got so high only Vern, the dragon, could hear them. No dogs on the ship.) It's been fun to write. Most of my other Vern stuff has funny moments, but is a little more grim. It is fantasy noir, after all. But I do love playing with the cliche's.
OOO--that took up 5 minutes! It's so easy to talk about your books and stories when you're a writer. Yesterday I started telling the exterminator about my book, and he's going to look it up on the Internet. I offered him an autographed copy. Tell you what: if you have read this far and would also like an autographed advanced copy at 10 percent off list price with free shipping, contact me. It'll be your reward for being so patient...or maybe just nuts.
Do you know it will probably take me longer to edit this than it did to write? I am the typo queen--which I'm sure you've noticed. AND my *(^^#@!! computer's shift key is going out again. I need to send it back to HP.
And I'm done. Wow. Better than "nothing."
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