Laura Anne Gilman's Blog, page 21
December 23, 2015
Finding Wonderland, and writer joy
After the first month or so post-release, generally, the excitement over a new book dies down as the first wave of eager fans (bless them every one) get their hands on the book, read it, and then...move on to the next book they're eager about.
This is the natural life cycle. The writer will still check for new reviews, but you understand that they will become fewer and farther between, as time goes on.
But when one does appear, your heart beats a little faster - a new blip! is it a positive blip? Oh please, let it be something new I can crow about!
This morning's discovery is a definite crow. Finding Wonderland says of SILVER ON THE ROAD, "I read it -- passed it along to Tech Boy who also read it and said, "Wow, it just... worked." What's harder to say is... why. And we aren't the only ones - NPR's book reviewer had the same reaction: wow, this is cool, wonder what makes it so? In some ways, it's a simple Hero(ine)'s Journey adventure... and in other ways, not so much...
Though this is the first novel in a series, it ends as if it's the entire story told - which is a lovely extra. Isobel is a confused, conflicted, resentful, hopeful, frightened girl who is just driven to do a good job, and teen readers will relate with her desperate desire to be seen as an adult and capable, and not one of the kids anymore. I am eager for the next book in this series....
This novel isn't marketed to YA, but can be considered another crossover for older readers not afraid of reading a book with big ideas and sturdy vocabulary, and who enjoy adventurous females who dream bigger for themselves than they imagined."
LAG again. Is it immodest to admit that I love hearing people say "I don't know why this was so good?" Because I do. Because it means I made all the sweat and swearing and revisions disappear under a seamless exterior, and all you saw was Story.
(if you then felt the urge to check under the hood and see how the engine worked, that's fun too!)
This is the natural life cycle. The writer will still check for new reviews, but you understand that they will become fewer and farther between, as time goes on.
But when one does appear, your heart beats a little faster - a new blip! is it a positive blip? Oh please, let it be something new I can crow about!
This morning's discovery is a definite crow. Finding Wonderland says of SILVER ON THE ROAD, "I read it -- passed it along to Tech Boy who also read it and said, "Wow, it just... worked." What's harder to say is... why. And we aren't the only ones - NPR's book reviewer had the same reaction: wow, this is cool, wonder what makes it so? In some ways, it's a simple Hero(ine)'s Journey adventure... and in other ways, not so much...
Though this is the first novel in a series, it ends as if it's the entire story told - which is a lovely extra. Isobel is a confused, conflicted, resentful, hopeful, frightened girl who is just driven to do a good job, and teen readers will relate with her desperate desire to be seen as an adult and capable, and not one of the kids anymore. I am eager for the next book in this series....
This novel isn't marketed to YA, but can be considered another crossover for older readers not afraid of reading a book with big ideas and sturdy vocabulary, and who enjoy adventurous females who dream bigger for themselves than they imagined."
LAG again. Is it immodest to admit that I love hearing people say "I don't know why this was so good?" Because I do. Because it means I made all the sweat and swearing and revisions disappear under a seamless exterior, and all you saw was Story.
(if you then felt the urge to check under the hood and see how the engine worked, that's fun too!)
December 19, 2015
Life in the Pacific NorthWet, an updatery
It's strange, living outside a major city for the first time in over a decade.
But there are benefits, too. If I walk 15 minutes in one direction, I'm in the middle of a thriving small city, with all the conveniences thereof. And if I turn the other direction, just a few steps away, there's the North Creek trail.
It made me think of what the NJ meadowlands could have been, if they'd listened to conservationists before pouring everything over with concrete and turning it into The Meadowlands - ducks and coho thriving, and hikers/dogs-with-humans sharing the path, with office buildings on the other side and down an embankment (and not landscaped monstrosity corporate parks, thank ghu). And nice to see water levels looking healthier.
Best use of land? I don't know. But starting with a compromise is better than having to play fixit later. And having this be my backyard does a lot to offset the annoyance at not having a supermarket within an easy walk (it's 3 miles away, which is a smidge beyond my defintion of a reasonable walk, carrying things).
But there are benefits, too. If I walk 15 minutes in one direction, I'm in the middle of a thriving small city, with all the conveniences thereof. And if I turn the other direction, just a few steps away, there's the North Creek trail.
It made me think of what the NJ meadowlands could have been, if they'd listened to conservationists before pouring everything over with concrete and turning it into The Meadowlands - ducks and coho thriving, and hikers/dogs-with-humans sharing the path, with office buildings on the other side and down an embankment (and not landscaped monstrosity corporate parks, thank ghu). And nice to see water levels looking healthier.
Best use of land? I don't know. But starting with a compromise is better than having to play fixit later. And having this be my backyard does a lot to offset the annoyance at not having a supermarket within an easy walk (it's 3 miles away, which is a smidge beyond my defintion of a reasonable walk, carrying things).
December 17, 2015
Goal not reached, and yet... goal more than reached.
Sadly, we did not make the cutoff point for a new #willwrite2feedothers story this year (falling 4 short). Possibly my responsibility for not pushing the link hard and often enough, or maybe it just wasn't enticement enough, or there were simply too many other places for donations to go.
But I do want to thank everyone who contributed - a rough count of donations informs me that we raised almost $1400 (estimated, with currency fluctuations) to help feed those in need, in three different countries.
(and that doesn't count the incredibly generous donation that was made just before we began this year. If I count that...well. Yeah.)
When you consider that a $10 donation has the purchasing power of nearly $100, I think it's safe to say we made a difference in someone's day. And I'll try to find some way to thank you guys personally, even if we didn't get a story out of it....
But I do want to thank everyone who contributed - a rough count of donations informs me that we raised almost $1400 (estimated, with currency fluctuations) to help feed those in need, in three different countries.
(and that doesn't count the incredibly generous donation that was made just before we began this year. If I count that...well. Yeah.)
When you consider that a $10 donation has the purchasing power of nearly $100, I think it's safe to say we made a difference in someone's day. And I'll try to find some way to thank you guys personally, even if we didn't get a story out of it....
December 15, 2015
People are (still) talking about SILVER ON THE ROAD (and this makes me happy)
Silver on the Road Review: The Devil’s in the Deals
An interestingly critical (in the taking-apart sense, not the negative sense) review from GeeklyInc that left me with the Happy Writer sensation of “yeah, you got it, go me.” :-) And today, when I'm feeling low-energy and low-enthusiasm, this kept me from pulling the covers over my head and calling in out-of-everything.
Excerpting some of my favorite bits…
“…. It was a wise choice to play on the eeriness of all that wide-open sky and endless open road: this book will make an agoraphobic of you before it’s done, and make you fear magic as much as you might enjoy it.
The magic system here isn’t Sandersonian, aka with prerequisites in engineering or linguistics. It’s more of the kind of magic I’d actually call magic–not a science with repeatable, testable results, but the bastard offspring of instinct, feeling, and ritual….
Accomplishing that kind of magic without making it seem foolish requires some top-notch writing, and Gilman delivers. The prose is evocative without being purple and the dialogue is period-appropriate without being hokey. Hardest of all, Gilman makes me believe that there’s no romantic yearning on either Isobel or Gabriel’s part–and thank goodness. A well-written romance is fine, but a perfunctory one is hellish, and there’s nothing more perfunctory than “two people on a long, hard journey take solace in each other,” or, more ickily, “male teacher and female student find common ground.” Hooray for Gabriel and Isobel having better things to do, and hooray for the neglected platonic male-female bond.”
An interestingly critical (in the taking-apart sense, not the negative sense) review from GeeklyInc that left me with the Happy Writer sensation of “yeah, you got it, go me.” :-) And today, when I'm feeling low-energy and low-enthusiasm, this kept me from pulling the covers over my head and calling in out-of-everything.
Excerpting some of my favorite bits…
“…. It was a wise choice to play on the eeriness of all that wide-open sky and endless open road: this book will make an agoraphobic of you before it’s done, and make you fear magic as much as you might enjoy it.
The magic system here isn’t Sandersonian, aka with prerequisites in engineering or linguistics. It’s more of the kind of magic I’d actually call magic–not a science with repeatable, testable results, but the bastard offspring of instinct, feeling, and ritual….
Accomplishing that kind of magic without making it seem foolish requires some top-notch writing, and Gilman delivers. The prose is evocative without being purple and the dialogue is period-appropriate without being hokey. Hardest of all, Gilman makes me believe that there’s no romantic yearning on either Isobel or Gabriel’s part–and thank goodness. A well-written romance is fine, but a perfunctory one is hellish, and there’s nothing more perfunctory than “two people on a long, hard journey take solace in each other,” or, more ickily, “male teacher and female student find common ground.” Hooray for Gabriel and Isobel having better things to do, and hooray for the neglected platonic male-female bond.”
December 13, 2015
7 inches of rain so far this month in the Seattle area.No...
7 inches of rain so far this month in the Seattle area.
Normal, I am told, would be closer to 2" for the first two weeks of December.
Considering how much of the state went up in flames this summer, I'm not going to complain about getting extra rain, so long as it's also creating snowpack in the mountains (so far, so good). But I keep thinking - if the temperature dropped, that would be about 5 feet of snow.
I miss snow.
I don't know that I miss it that much. But I do miss it.
Normal, I am told, would be closer to 2" for the first two weeks of December.
Considering how much of the state went up in flames this summer, I'm not going to complain about getting extra rain, so long as it's also creating snowpack in the mountains (so far, so good). But I keep thinking - if the temperature dropped, that would be about 5 feet of snow.
I miss snow.
I don't know that I miss it that much. But I do miss it.
Long Time No Post....
Mainly, there was Thanksgiving, and a trip back to EnWhyCee to see the family-as-gathered, then I came back and was dropped into the December work schedule (many people taking vacation this month, so I'm picking up extra shifts), plus I have two editorial clients pending, and a novella to fix the ending of, and yeah, still waiting on my revisions letter for THE COLD EYE. Yes, the book I handed in back in August.
Yes, as soon as that's done, I start work on the 3rd book. But I can't start until I'm certain I know where book 2 ends off, which requires editorial feedback....
Also, waiting to see if we're going to have a #willwrite2feedothers story this year. Two days to go and it's looking bleak... (we're still 6 donors down).
Oh yeah, and in there somewhere I moved to a new apartment. Much larger, not quite so perfectly located, and no view of the Sound, but did I mention much larger? And also, 1/3 the commute to the side gig. So more time/more energy on shift-days, which is always a plus.
So yeah, there we are. I'm entirely NOT ready for the end of the year to be upon us, but Time didn't ask my opinion about that....
BTW, if you've subscribed to the Gilman Quarterly newsletter, you'll be getting a sneak peak at THE COLD EYE in January. Just sayin'...
Reminders:
The sale on SILVER ON THE ROAD's ebook continues!
So does the sale on the first two Sylvan Investiations novellas!
and THE WORK OF HUNTERS (the 3rd Sylvan Investigations novella) is available at Book View Cafe!
Yes, as soon as that's done, I start work on the 3rd book. But I can't start until I'm certain I know where book 2 ends off, which requires editorial feedback....
Also, waiting to see if we're going to have a #willwrite2feedothers story this year. Two days to go and it's looking bleak... (we're still 6 donors down).
Oh yeah, and in there somewhere I moved to a new apartment. Much larger, not quite so perfectly located, and no view of the Sound, but did I mention much larger? And also, 1/3 the commute to the side gig. So more time/more energy on shift-days, which is always a plus.
So yeah, there we are. I'm entirely NOT ready for the end of the year to be upon us, but Time didn't ask my opinion about that....
BTW, if you've subscribed to the Gilman Quarterly newsletter, you'll be getting a sneak peak at THE COLD EYE in January. Just sayin'...
Reminders:
The sale on SILVER ON THE ROAD's ebook continues!
So does the sale on the first two Sylvan Investiations novellas!
and THE WORK OF HUNTERS (the 3rd Sylvan Investigations novella) is available at Book View Cafe!
December 7, 2015
to quote Catie, "well that's a bit of all right, then."
Okay, so BookwormBlues' "Epic Best Books of 2015" is an awesome selection, and I'm honored to be on it. And you should probably check out every single one of them on the list, if you haven't already.
But I'm just gonna cut and paste one section, 'cause this is my blog and my happy glow, 'k?
(of SILVER ON THE ROAD): This is another book that, like the one before it, would absolutely be ranked somewhere in my top five read this year. Amazing in every sense. I’m a sucker for the weird west books, probably because I live out here in the weird west, but Gilman did everything right in this book. I couldn’t get enough of it. Everything about this book is polished to a bright shine. The world is fabulous, the magic is unique and deep, the characters are just as shiny and unique as the book itself and the plot is absolutely relentless. Mixed into this is mythology and lore, and a feel that Gilman really is only scratching the surface of something incredible. I liked it so much I started re-reading it two days ago. Crazy, right? Sometimes a girl just needs something incredible in her life.
*glows indecently for so early on a Monday morning*
But I'm just gonna cut and paste one section, 'cause this is my blog and my happy glow, 'k?
(of SILVER ON THE ROAD): This is another book that, like the one before it, would absolutely be ranked somewhere in my top five read this year. Amazing in every sense. I’m a sucker for the weird west books, probably because I live out here in the weird west, but Gilman did everything right in this book. I couldn’t get enough of it. Everything about this book is polished to a bright shine. The world is fabulous, the magic is unique and deep, the characters are just as shiny and unique as the book itself and the plot is absolutely relentless. Mixed into this is mythology and lore, and a feel that Gilman really is only scratching the surface of something incredible. I liked it so much I started re-reading it two days ago. Crazy, right? Sometimes a girl just needs something incredible in her life.
*glows indecently for so early on a Monday morning*
December 6, 2015
A handful of SILVER
Woot! Got my first 1-star rating on Goodreads for SILVER ON THE ROAD! No idea why I got that rating, of course...people who downrate books on Goodreads tend not to explain why. Which leads me to wonder if they read the book and didn't like it (fair), decided they wouldn't like it based on the cover or copy or price (kinda foolish), or were letting me know they didn't like my politics (I had at least one reader rate me on that, but they were honest enough to say so in their review).
Sadly, this means SILVER has dropped in overall ratings. On behalf of the book, I'm very sad. *sads*
On the plus side, with 37 reviews so far, the Amazon ratings still seem to be pleased - a weighted average of 4.6/5 stars. <3 to everyone.
(still only one lovely but lonely review at bn.com)
Meanwhile, in Library news, the farthest library to have copies is now Perth (Tammin and South Perth locations), 9200 miles from me. The most holds still seems to be Seattle Public Library, with 23 holds on 7 copies. I feel like I should hold a special giveaway for the incredibly patient readers of Seattle....
Sadly, this means SILVER has dropped in overall ratings. On behalf of the book, I'm very sad. *sads*
On the plus side, with 37 reviews so far, the Amazon ratings still seem to be pleased - a weighted average of 4.6/5 stars. <3 to everyone.
(still only one lovely but lonely review at bn.com)
Meanwhile, in Library news, the farthest library to have copies is now Perth (Tammin and South Perth locations), 9200 miles from me. The most holds still seems to be Seattle Public Library, with 23 holds on 7 copies. I feel like I should hold a special giveaway for the incredibly patient readers of Seattle....
December 3, 2015
they're not even pretending any more....
To the surprise of nobody paying attention, senators who received very large checks from the NRA over the past year or so just voted against tightening the existing gun control laws, despite 14 people murdered yesterday, despite the appalling number of gun-related murders every single day in this country, despite popular and repeated calls for those laws to be tightened.
Oh, and the Senate just voted to defund Planned Parenthood again, too. And they're aiming at the ACA (again), despite the fact that it's a) working and b) certified legal by SCOTUS.
So. More guns, less health care, is that what they're saying?
Oh, wait, right. Just less actual health care for people who are middle class or below. But we can kill each other off, that's okay.
The Hunger Games, like The Handmaid's Tale, was not supposed to be a fucking MANUAL.
(Obama can and will veto the defunding. But this is what awaits us if the GOP takes the White House in 2016. And all you conservatives earning under 100,000/year? Or, god forbid, underemployed, or actually unemployed? You're going to be fucked over just as badly as the liberals. Don't kid yourself that you're going to get the golden key to the Well-To-Do Club just because you voted for them.)
All Present and Accounted For
We three are all together in the new place, and the cats - after a period of pissed-offedness - have been bunting and sideswiping me to make sure I Smell Right again. And it's all good, except none of us seem to know what to do with so much room again, after a year in the wee studio. I'm unable to settle, and the cats follow me from room to room, and occasionally yowl into the space just to hear the echoes...
I suspect once all the bits and pieces of furniture are arranged and the art is in place, it will feel more-right. But the oh-my-god spaciousness isn't going to go away any time soon. And I think that's good. I want to be aware of my space, how strange it is, how wonderfully odd to have 800+ square feet just for me (and the cats) to live in. It's a privilege to have this personal space, and awareness of that is important.
(I think back to when I lived in an 11 room house, and how much of a cage it felt toward the end, and compare it to the feeling of a 1 bedroom apartment, and understand the appeal of small houses all over again. There's a freedom in limits, too. )
I suspect once all the bits and pieces of furniture are arranged and the art is in place, it will feel more-right. But the oh-my-god spaciousness isn't going to go away any time soon. And I think that's good. I want to be aware of my space, how strange it is, how wonderfully odd to have 800+ square feet just for me (and the cats) to live in. It's a privilege to have this personal space, and awareness of that is important.
(I think back to when I lived in an 11 room house, and how much of a cage it felt toward the end, and compare it to the feeling of a 1 bedroom apartment, and understand the appeal of small houses all over again. There's a freedom in limits, too. )
