I'm back to writing The Old Man in the Void, which (to refresh memories) is a science fiction novel based loosely on Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. Instead of a hero's journey like most modern novels, this is a man-against-nature adventure, in which relic hunter Dex Hollister gets pulled into a black hole by a ship he captures.
I'm having a lot of fun with it, but because I put it away for a month to finish up Neeta Lyffe 2: I Left My Brains in San Francisco, it's been a rough week getting back into the astrophysical saddle. Not only did I have to re-familiarize myself with the plot, but I had to remember all the information about black holes that I'd immersed myself in in the Autumn. In fact, I'm still feeling shaky on it. Right now, I've not had to worry overmuch, because the scenes are taking place inside the ship, but I feel like soon I'll need to re-read all my notes, including following all the links to articles and videos about black holes. (The videos are especially helpful. I'm so glad some folks with better visualization skills than I are thinking about this stuff and taking the time to help others see it, too.)
I must admit, my favorite scene this week was the mythology scene, even though I had to go back three times to look up the names of the god and goddess. My memory has never been great, but as I move through 40 into 50, it's getting worse.
I'm making slower but steady progress. I think once I am back into the characters and the setting, I'll be moving ahead more comfortably. In the meantime, just like Dex and Santiago, I'm feeling my way as I try to claw out of the information well.
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