Laura Anne Gilman's Blog, page 53
October 27, 2014
Monday
Yesterday was spent vising my cousin's new house, out in the semi-wilds of west-central Jersey. It's a lovely house, a two-bedroom with a sunroom and a converted garage-turned-lounge, and a firepit in the garden, and I'd envy her except west-central Jersey is a need-a-car-to-do-anything place, and yeah, no.
Westward Ho! Updatery: Feline transport, arranged. Storage locker, rented (but not yet occupied). Movers, in negotiations. More packing supplies, en route and expected today.
Work update: SILVER ON THE ROAD revisions, finished (for the moment) and sent off to my second-pass betareaders (including my uncle, American history geek and former editor-in-chief of the BOMC history club, eek). I can write new words now? I can!
*gets whiplash trying to shift from 1800' to 2020's....*
Westward Ho! Updatery: Feline transport, arranged. Storage locker, rented (but not yet occupied). Movers, in negotiations. More packing supplies, en route and expected today.
Work update: SILVER ON THE ROAD revisions, finished (for the moment) and sent off to my second-pass betareaders (including my uncle, American history geek and former editor-in-chief of the BOMC history club, eek). I can write new words now? I can!
*gets whiplash trying to shift from 1800' to 2020's....*
October 25, 2014
Proposed:
That I change the name of this blog to "Too Much Coffee And Too Much Deadline…."
Westward Ho! Updatery
Y'know, I lead a relatively minimalist lifestyle. I don't impulse-buy, I clear out the clutter on a regular basis, and if something is neither useful nor personally relevant, I tend to not keep it. Plus, I have a 1 bedroom apartment that is not overcrowded.
So how the hell have I accumulated so much STUFF?
Meanwhile, last night my sub-tenant was approved* by the board (contrary to the horror stories you hear about co-op boards, they mostly spent the interview talking about cats and restaurants. Which actually mirrors my experience with the previous board quite well). The feline transport has been confirmed. And I have a line on movers who are both not-obviously-incompetent** and within my price range, so huzzah!
All I need to do now is finish packing, send things off to storage, and buy a plane ticket. Oh, and finish this book revision and the novella revisions, yeah, that too....
currently under the knife:
The language lesson continued as they passed into the deep valley between two hills, and the trail curved and began to rise again, up into the mountains, until Bernardo, still holding his instrument in both hands, came to stand in front of them, forcing them to rein in the horses.
"Isobel." Her name in his mouth had an almost-familiar lilt to it, the way her father or mother might have said it. "Ready yourself, bruja. It comes."
* we assume, anyway, since they were talking about move-in dates and whatnot, but the Official Word will come on Monday
**really all you can hope for with movers, until they prove otherwise by the actual move
So how the hell have I accumulated so much STUFF?
Meanwhile, last night my sub-tenant was approved* by the board (contrary to the horror stories you hear about co-op boards, they mostly spent the interview talking about cats and restaurants. Which actually mirrors my experience with the previous board quite well). The feline transport has been confirmed. And I have a line on movers who are both not-obviously-incompetent** and within my price range, so huzzah!
All I need to do now is finish packing, send things off to storage, and buy a plane ticket. Oh, and finish this book revision and the novella revisions, yeah, that too....
currently under the knife:
The language lesson continued as they passed into the deep valley between two hills, and the trail curved and began to rise again, up into the mountains, until Bernardo, still holding his instrument in both hands, came to stand in front of them, forcing them to rein in the horses.
"Isobel." Her name in his mouth had an almost-familiar lilt to it, the way her father or mother might have said it. "Ready yourself, bruja. It comes."
* we assume, anyway, since they were talking about move-in dates and whatnot, but the Official Word will come on Monday
**really all you can hope for with movers, until they prove otherwise by the actual move
October 23, 2014
Let the evidence be seen....
So, Felicia Day (an actress and gamer) wrote about her own personal responses to Gamergate, how it's made her change her interactions with people (and it's a painful piece to read), while Chris Kluwe (a football player and gamer) went on a rather delightfully profane rant against the people behind Gamergate.
They went after Felicia, not Chris.
That pretty much tells you everything you need to know about the people behind the (bowel) movement of Gamergate.
Don't identify them as gamers. Their primary affiliation is as pathetic, vicious trolls who get off on causing harm.
They went after Felicia, not Chris.
That pretty much tells you everything you need to know about the people behind the (bowel) movement of Gamergate.
Don't identify them as gamers. Their primary affiliation is as pathetic, vicious trolls who get off on causing harm.
snapshot
Out my window, grey-filtered light picks up the gold of leaves plastered against rain-slick streets.
It's a very October-y day....
*makes another pot of coffee, pulls on the fleecy socks, settles back to the revisions*
It's a very October-y day....
*makes another pot of coffee, pulls on the fleecy socks, settles back to the revisions*
October 22, 2014
Revisionary Update
SILVER ON THE ROAD is now, officially, the longest book I've ever written, and I still have another 75 pages to revise (exactly where Mine Editor sayeth "give us more detail!")
So. Yeah.
(for those wondering, that means we're past the 126,000 word mark. Certain Writers may call that a novella, but for me, it's looooooooong. Previous to this my record was 124,000, after edits).
So. Yeah.
(for those wondering, that means we're past the 126,000 word mark. Certain Writers may call that a novella, but for me, it's looooooooong. Previous to this my record was 124,000, after edits).
October 21, 2014
bit by bit, bite by bite...
"Well, foolishness is a sure way to court death," Farron said.
Except that really wasn't quite his voice.
"Well, foolishness's a sure way to court death," Farron said.
Better, but awkward to speak, doesn't quite flow trippingly off the tongue, the way it should.
"Well, that’s a sure way to court death, foolishness," Farron said.
Better. Much better. Slightly arch and archaic, and oh so snide. It may yet be revised further, but I can move on now (thank god).
In other news, NYC-to-Seattle transport for the felines has been locked in. Now I just have to do the same for our furniture, and myself... along with all the other writing that's been back-burnered. urk. *hides under the desk*
I really need that (well-adjusted, lacking-ambition) clone. Why hasn't someone rebuilt the GEnie clone ovens yet?
Except that really wasn't quite his voice.
"Well, foolishness's a sure way to court death," Farron said.
Better, but awkward to speak, doesn't quite flow trippingly off the tongue, the way it should.
"Well, that’s a sure way to court death, foolishness," Farron said.
Better. Much better. Slightly arch and archaic, and oh so snide. It may yet be revised further, but I can move on now (thank god).
In other news, NYC-to-Seattle transport for the felines has been locked in. Now I just have to do the same for our furniture, and myself... along with all the other writing that's been back-burnered. urk. *hides under the desk*
I really need that (well-adjusted, lacking-ambition) clone. Why hasn't someone rebuilt the GEnie clone ovens yet?
October 19, 2014
damn it, Cas...!
Laughing hysterically as the Kitten destroys yet another roll of towels probably won't teach him not to do that...
but when you turn the corner and find a lean black kitten locked in mortal combat with a towel roll slightly bulkier than he is, the hissing slightly in frustration, the floor covered by shredded bits of paper toweling?
it's really, seriously hard not to laugh.
but when you turn the corner and find a lean black kitten locked in mortal combat with a towel roll slightly bulkier than he is, the hissing slightly in frustration, the floor covered by shredded bits of paper toweling?
it's really, seriously hard not to laugh.
October 15, 2014
So, yeah. This is happening.
Where "this" is a leave of absence from NYC.
In December, I'm packing up self, cats, and a limited (!) number of books, and hauling cross-country to Seattle, where I will take up residence for a year (or two).
No, I'm not abandoning NYC. I still own my apartment - a friend is subletting, a time-honored NYC tradition, and I can only do that for two years before the co-op board starts making unhappy noises at me. I'll be back.
But then why? various people have been asking since I first mentioned this scheme.
Well.... mainly because I never intended to be a person who lived her entire life in the same place. And for the past 4 decades, although I've moved about, it's always been within the NY-CT-NJ axis. Mind, I love this area, and my soul belongs to NYC (I can show you the paperwork), but.... I'm not a person for sameness-all-my-life. It makes me itch. And travel only scratches so far. So it felt like it was time for a (temporary) shakeup.
And why Seattle? I like it. I like the Pacific Northwest. I like the combination of city life and waterfront and easy access to mountains, and the sense of flipping everything I know about being on one coast and looking at it from another. I like the fact that new states will now be within driving/exploring distance. And, yep, I like the people there. Well, most of them. Okay, a lot of them.
And there are work-relevant reasons for this location, too. But more on that later, maybe.
So that's what's been in the planning for the past few months, and this week I signed a lease for my apartment there. I'm kinda excited, more than a little stressed, and probably more freaked out than I'm realizing.
But I'm really looking forward to seeing the sun rise and set from a slightly different angle, and hanging with the west coast for a while.
But I'm still not going to root for the Seahawks*.
*I may be not be on speaking terms with the NFL like whoa right now, but Jersey Blue forevah.
In December, I'm packing up self, cats, and a limited (!) number of books, and hauling cross-country to Seattle, where I will take up residence for a year (or two).
No, I'm not abandoning NYC. I still own my apartment - a friend is subletting, a time-honored NYC tradition, and I can only do that for two years before the co-op board starts making unhappy noises at me. I'll be back.
But then why? various people have been asking since I first mentioned this scheme.
Well.... mainly because I never intended to be a person who lived her entire life in the same place. And for the past 4 decades, although I've moved about, it's always been within the NY-CT-NJ axis. Mind, I love this area, and my soul belongs to NYC (I can show you the paperwork), but.... I'm not a person for sameness-all-my-life. It makes me itch. And travel only scratches so far. So it felt like it was time for a (temporary) shakeup.
And why Seattle? I like it. I like the Pacific Northwest. I like the combination of city life and waterfront and easy access to mountains, and the sense of flipping everything I know about being on one coast and looking at it from another. I like the fact that new states will now be within driving/exploring distance. And, yep, I like the people there. Well, most of them. Okay, a lot of them.
And there are work-relevant reasons for this location, too. But more on that later, maybe.
So that's what's been in the planning for the past few months, and this week I signed a lease for my apartment there. I'm kinda excited, more than a little stressed, and probably more freaked out than I'm realizing.
But I'm really looking forward to seeing the sun rise and set from a slightly different angle, and hanging with the west coast for a while.
But I'm still not going to root for the Seahawks*.
Related New Household Rule: If I haven’t used a reference book in 5+ years, I really didn’t need it. No, really. No, don’t put it back on the shelf….
*I may be not be on speaking terms with the NFL like whoa right now, but Jersey Blue forevah.
Read in 2014
If I can get 4 more read in the next few months (damned unlikely, due to deadlines), I'll have managed, roughly, two books a month this year. Not close to my teenaged habits of 1-a-week, but better than I've been doing in recent years....
* means it was on my #TBRin2014 list
20. *THE BLACK COUNTRY, Alex Grecian
19. FIFTH ELEPHANT, Terry Pratchett (re-read)
18. GHOST POINT, James Hetley
17. CLIENT MANUSCRIPT, Unidentified Client
16. *SCANDALOUS, Patricia Burroughs
15. Untitled Manuscript, Dana Stabenow (client editing)
14. THE CLOCKWORK DAGGER, Beth Cato
13. *THE BIG KNOCKOVER, Dashiell Hammett (story collection)
12. CLIENT MANUSCRIPT, Unidentified Client
11. MEMORY OF WATER, Emmi Itärata
10. WATSON AND HOLMES: A STUDY IN BLACK, Karl Bollers, Rick Leonardi, Larry Stroman (graphic novel)
9. CLIENT MANUSCRIPT, Unidentified Client
8. *GARMENT OF SHADOWS, Laurie King
7. *THE LIVES OF TAO, Wes Chu
6. THE GOD OF THE HIVE, Laurie King (re-read)
5. SPIRAL PATH, Katharine Eliska Kimbriel (pre-pub)
4. CLIENT MANUSCRIPT, Unidentified Client
3. *EIFELHEIM, Michael Flynn
2. KNOWN DEVIL, Justin Gustainis
1. *INK, Amanda Sun
* means it was on my #TBRin2014 list
20. *THE BLACK COUNTRY, Alex Grecian
19. FIFTH ELEPHANT, Terry Pratchett (re-read)
18. GHOST POINT, James Hetley
17. CLIENT MANUSCRIPT, Unidentified Client
16. *SCANDALOUS, Patricia Burroughs
15. Untitled Manuscript, Dana Stabenow (client editing)
14. THE CLOCKWORK DAGGER, Beth Cato
13. *THE BIG KNOCKOVER, Dashiell Hammett (story collection)
12. CLIENT MANUSCRIPT, Unidentified Client
11. MEMORY OF WATER, Emmi Itärata
10. WATSON AND HOLMES: A STUDY IN BLACK, Karl Bollers, Rick Leonardi, Larry Stroman (graphic novel)
9. CLIENT MANUSCRIPT, Unidentified Client
8. *GARMENT OF SHADOWS, Laurie King
7. *THE LIVES OF TAO, Wes Chu
6. THE GOD OF THE HIVE, Laurie King (re-read)
5. SPIRAL PATH, Katharine Eliska Kimbriel (pre-pub)
4. CLIENT MANUSCRIPT, Unidentified Client
3. *EIFELHEIM, Michael Flynn
2. KNOWN DEVIL, Justin Gustainis
1. *INK, Amanda Sun
