Barbara Hambly's Blog, page 40
July 10, 2011
Further Adventures Of...
Whoo-hoo! Deb tells me that my short story (well, not so very short) "Sunrise On Running Water" is now on the website.
As I said, this was published in 2008, in the Dark Delicacies 2 anthology; I'd hoped to get an all-new Antryg story finished, but I want to get the next Asher-Ysidro novel in better shape before turning my concentration to "Corridor." (And to the Sunwolf-Starhawk story that's up next).
"Sunrise" is my vampire-on-the-Titanic tale. Ysidro makes a VERY small cameo appearance, though the narrator is a vampire friend of his. It's one of my favorite short stories.
Hope you all enjoy it!
As I said, this was published in 2008, in the Dark Delicacies 2 anthology; I'd hoped to get an all-new Antryg story finished, but I want to get the next Asher-Ysidro novel in better shape before turning my concentration to "Corridor." (And to the Sunwolf-Starhawk story that's up next).
"Sunrise" is my vampire-on-the-Titanic tale. Ysidro makes a VERY small cameo appearance, though the narrator is a vampire friend of his. It's one of my favorite short stories.
Hope you all enjoy it!
Yet More Sheets of Paper...
Five more sheets of paper on the pile. (Actually, under the pile, because they're printy-side-up). I love it when all the stuff I've been meticulously piecing together for fifteen chapters finally starts to pull itself together.
A tedious and vexting day tomorrow, but something that has to be done. Can I take the evening off and play Tomb Raider?
A tedious and vexting day tomorrow, but something that has to be done. Can I take the evening off and play Tomb Raider?
July 9, 2011
Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time
More adventures in research. At odd moments between working, have started assembling books for another purge, and I realize how many books I buy for a particular project (usually for a dollar or two plus postage from abebooks.com). But, not only are those projects done, but I'm unlikely to write another book about Abraham Lincoln, and if I do, do I REALLY need to know about his behind-the-scenes political mentor, David Davis? Probably not.
As libraries close down - and existing collections purge seldom-read volumes to make room for yet another copy of the latest bestseller - I find myself relying more and more on buying what I need, for as long as I need it, then letting it go, usually to the local Goodwill. (Friends have given me reasons why there are worthier or more politically correct charities to donate to, but the thing about the local Goodwill is it's LOCAL. I can get rid of the stuff and still have an afternoon to work). Back when I was with George, between us we had a collection about the size of a moderate city library; most of that went away (along with EIGHT GARBAGE-BAGS FULL of "collectible" Barbie-dolls which had turned out to be not so very collectible after all, and FOURTEEN BANANA-CRATES of mid-80s to mid-90s not-in-the-SLIGHTEST collectible baseball-cards). (Ah, George...)
The "letting-it-go" part is the trick. And making the correct decision what NOT to let go of (like the sleazy French bodice-rippers I figured I'd never read again, and then had to hunt all over the Internet for when I got a craving for that particular brand of trash...) I have about a wall of fiction these days, and it's getting smaller, as I realize there's a lot of this stuff that I will never want to read again. I'd rather keep that room clear, open, and friendly as a guest-room, that oppressively cluttered with the detriutus of bygone research.
That's what the Goodwill is for. Things that Seemed Like A Good Idea at the Time.
As libraries close down - and existing collections purge seldom-read volumes to make room for yet another copy of the latest bestseller - I find myself relying more and more on buying what I need, for as long as I need it, then letting it go, usually to the local Goodwill. (Friends have given me reasons why there are worthier or more politically correct charities to donate to, but the thing about the local Goodwill is it's LOCAL. I can get rid of the stuff and still have an afternoon to work). Back when I was with George, between us we had a collection about the size of a moderate city library; most of that went away (along with EIGHT GARBAGE-BAGS FULL of "collectible" Barbie-dolls which had turned out to be not so very collectible after all, and FOURTEEN BANANA-CRATES of mid-80s to mid-90s not-in-the-SLIGHTEST collectible baseball-cards). (Ah, George...)
The "letting-it-go" part is the trick. And making the correct decision what NOT to let go of (like the sleazy French bodice-rippers I figured I'd never read again, and then had to hunt all over the Internet for when I got a craving for that particular brand of trash...) I have about a wall of fiction these days, and it's getting smaller, as I realize there's a lot of this stuff that I will never want to read again. I'd rather keep that room clear, open, and friendly as a guest-room, that oppressively cluttered with the detriutus of bygone research.
That's what the Goodwill is for. Things that Seemed Like A Good Idea at the Time.
July 8, 2011
Bad person...
I've missed a couple of days - apologies.
Part of this is because I've been struggling for time to work, and when I'm really working - and working well - there isn't all that much to say except, "I added another 4 single-spaced sheets of paper to the pile!" That gets repetitious. And first draft is always a process of writing a few sentences, then having to go look something up (WHAT kind of trees grow in that part of the country? HOW far is it from Point A to Point B? Had prototype submachine guns been invented by 1912? What was the fashionable shoe-color that year?)(Lydia wouldn't be caught dead in last year's shoes, even if she's fighting vampires in the wilds of wherever).
When a draft is single-spaced, it looks pretty poozley lying there anyway.
Part of this is because I've been struggling for time to work, and when I'm really working - and working well - there isn't all that much to say except, "I added another 4 single-spaced sheets of paper to the pile!" That gets repetitious. And first draft is always a process of writing a few sentences, then having to go look something up (WHAT kind of trees grow in that part of the country? HOW far is it from Point A to Point B? Had prototype submachine guns been invented by 1912? What was the fashionable shoe-color that year?)(Lydia wouldn't be caught dead in last year's shoes, even if she's fighting vampires in the wilds of wherever).
When a draft is single-spaced, it looks pretty poozley lying there anyway.
July 5, 2011
Battlezone!
Well, the 4th of July Family Mini-Reunion and Barbeque went over well. Croquet was played, burgers were eaten, beers were drunk. Talk was talked, a LOT. After everyone left I watched a little TV and listened to the constant, unbroken chatter of fireworks, in all directions around the house, like small-arms fire in the darkness. No big sky-show; just that constant battlefield rattling of explosions, that went on from fall of dark (about 8:30) til nearly 11. A bit spooky.
When I took my morning walk there was fireworks debris in many of the streets near my house. (This despite the fact that I think fireworks of this kind are illegal in LA County?)
It’s hot here now (11 a.m.) and I’ve taken the dog to get a haircut, and will settle in for a quiet day of work.
July 2, 2011
Guilty pleasures
I should be sweeping the patio and washing the patio furniture preparatory to Monday's Family Mini-Reunion bbq: ironing tablecloths, clearing the clutter from the dining-room table, putting the kitchen into order.
Instead I took the afternoon to play hookey and write. People remark (in what I like to think is awe) "Gosh, you have a lot of discipline!" How much discipline does it take to make love on your wedding-night?
That's what writing is to me. Always. Or pretty much always.
Due to the massive amount of work I've had facing me this summer, I haven't pulled together the two short stories for the website that I wanted to put up, so instead (and I'll get to work on them when I have the first draft of Asher-Ysidro-4 in better shape) I've sent Deb a story I did for Dark Delicacies 2 in 2007; it should be on the website in a week or so. It's my vampire-on-the-Titanic story, "Sunlight on Running Water." Don Simon Ysidro makes a VERY brief cameo appearance, but it's mostly about a friend of his.
I'll make an announcement when it appears.
Now I get another 20 minutes of sneaky work before it gets cool enough for me to have to go be a good hostess and wash patio furniture.
Instead I took the afternoon to play hookey and write. People remark (in what I like to think is awe) "Gosh, you have a lot of discipline!" How much discipline does it take to make love on your wedding-night?
That's what writing is to me. Always. Or pretty much always.
Due to the massive amount of work I've had facing me this summer, I haven't pulled together the two short stories for the website that I wanted to put up, so instead (and I'll get to work on them when I have the first draft of Asher-Ysidro-4 in better shape) I've sent Deb a story I did for Dark Delicacies 2 in 2007; it should be on the website in a week or so. It's my vampire-on-the-Titanic story, "Sunlight on Running Water." Don Simon Ysidro makes a VERY brief cameo appearance, but it's mostly about a friend of his.
I'll make an announcement when it appears.
Now I get another 20 minutes of sneaky work before it gets cool enough for me to have to go be a good hostess and wash patio furniture.
July 1, 2011
Family bbq coming up. Most of my family lives in the Font...
Family bbq coming up. Most of my family lives in the Fontana Rialto area, where it's hotter than hell's hinges on the 4th of July, so the bbq generally takes place in my back yard, which is about 4 miles from the ocean. A lot of house-tidying and putting-away of school notes, and no real work done today. However, simply the putting-in-order of books - having them where I can find them easily - is a help. Juggling teaching and writing means nothing gets put away.
June 29, 2011
Evening darkening. After a day of working on first draft ...
Evening darkening. After a day of working on first draft - the most tiring phase of a novel - I get to spend the evening doing prep for school, a class I've never taught before, so all the lectures need to be written.
Little snail
climbs Mount Fuji
slowly... slowly...
A haiku by Issa, one of my favorites, and good to remember. In future I'll probably post other haiku. Last year about this time I started collecting my favorites - from the original old haiku masters, not modern or - God help me - "funny" haiku, for which I have little taste. I like Issa because he was quirky, and wrote an enormous number of haiku about his cats. I put them together - about 200 of them - into a little book, with pictures scrounged off the internet. Peaceful to read before bed.
Little snail
climbs Mount Fuji
slowly... slowly...
A haiku by Issa, one of my favorites, and good to remember. In future I'll probably post other haiku. Last year about this time I started collecting my favorites - from the original old haiku masters, not modern or - God help me - "funny" haiku, for which I have little taste. I like Issa because he was quirky, and wrote an enormous number of haiku about his cats. I put them together - about 200 of them - into a little book, with pictures scrounged off the internet. Peaceful to read before bed.
June 28, 2011
Finally took most of a day off to do some serious sewing,...
Finally took most of a day off to do some serious sewing, so I now have an equally serious case of Chair Back. (The chair in the sewing room is worse than the one in the study). But, now have two more pair of my favorite type of pants, very baggy linen drawstring scrubs, and progress on these sort of kimono-oid shirts that may or may not work out. The pattern looked wonderful, and only when it was purchased (for $20!) and opened did it become obvious that the pattern is poorly designed and the instructions are nearly unintelligible. But, washed linen is very forgiving. We'll see what we'll see.
June 27, 2011
Another day of (I hope) unbroken, peaceful work. I keep h...
Another day of (I hope) unbroken, peaceful work. I keep having to remind myself that my first drafts are uniformly TERRIBLE, and that just because this reads like crap NOW, it always smooths out in later drafts.
Just got Trade Paper copies of Blood Maidens, yay!
It's finally settled into sunny brightness here - a situation I hope will hold through the 4th of July BBQ and Family Mini-Reunion. (But that also means I'll have to put work aside later in the week and sweep the patio, wash the plastic chairs, tidy the front room, and iron napkins. Thank God I make my guests put up the shelter and drag the tables out onto the patio and set them).
Just got Trade Paper copies of Blood Maidens, yay!
It's finally settled into sunny brightness here - a situation I hope will hold through the 4th of July BBQ and Family Mini-Reunion. (But that also means I'll have to put work aside later in the week and sweep the patio, wash the plastic chairs, tidy the front room, and iron napkins. Thank God I make my guests put up the shelter and drag the tables out onto the patio and set them).
