Amanda Frederickson's Blog: Musings - Posts Tagged "writing"
Big Hairy Ambitious Goals 2013
First, a moment. *Squee!* I have an author blog! *Dance dance dance.*
Ok. The theory here is that the more people I tell about my goals, the more driven I'll be to accomplish them. Couldn't hurt, right? Especially this year, because I've got some whopping goals.
The Big Hairy Ambitious Goals for 2013? Three books. Yup. Three whole books ready for print, one way or another. Not just any books either.
I currently have two manuscripts in the works: The Masquerade and Kingstone. Masquerade is a fantasy epic with a little intrigue and a lot of romance (or should that be the other way around?). It's literally the longest manuscript I've ever written and might as much as double before I'm finished revising it. Kingstone is book two in the Gatewalkers trilogy and it's about halfway through its first draft.
The goal is to revise Masquerade, finish Kingstone's first draft and revise/polish it, and after that write almost the entirety of Cornerstone (book three, Gatewalkers), revise and polish it before the end of the year.
It's already halfway through February.
Ok. The theory here is that the more people I tell about my goals, the more driven I'll be to accomplish them. Couldn't hurt, right? Especially this year, because I've got some whopping goals.
The Big Hairy Ambitious Goals for 2013? Three books. Yup. Three whole books ready for print, one way or another. Not just any books either.
I currently have two manuscripts in the works: The Masquerade and Kingstone. Masquerade is a fantasy epic with a little intrigue and a lot of romance (or should that be the other way around?). It's literally the longest manuscript I've ever written and might as much as double before I'm finished revising it. Kingstone is book two in the Gatewalkers trilogy and it's about halfway through its first draft.
The goal is to revise Masquerade, finish Kingstone's first draft and revise/polish it, and after that write almost the entirety of Cornerstone (book three, Gatewalkers), revise and polish it before the end of the year.
It's already halfway through February.
The Payoff
Think about your job. Love it or hate it, why do you work at your job?
Let’s face it, even if you adore what you do and can’t wait to bounce out of bed in the morning to go do it, what separates a job from a hobby is that little thing that comes in periodically as a tangible representation of the worth of your work: a paycheck.
If it came in at half what you expected, you would be pretty hopping mad. You would feel cheated. On the other hand, if it turned out to be twice as much as expected, boy, can we say glee? I don’t know about you, but I’d be doing some dancing.
I recently got hooked on a Korean historical drama (bear with me) and it does a fabulous job with cliffhanger endings for each episode. In the last few moments, there is always a dramatic twist or a face we haven’t seen in a while that promises trouble for our heroine, or the villain reveals a new dastardly scheme…. But. After the first few episodes, those little dramatic hints and implied promises didn’t really go anywhere. Schemes fizzled, faces disappeared again or weren’t recognized. It started getting boring. There was no payoff.
Then finally after twenty episodes, the carefully stacked house of cards has its entire foundation whipped out from under it, reducing our heroine to a wailing wreck, questioning her entire life’s purpose. Now we’re getting somewhere!
How many people are willing to wait twenty episodes (adding up to more than twenty hours, because those suckers are long!) for a plot to move forward?
Granted, the biggest payoff should be the ending or anything else will seem anticlimactic. But there should be movement in the middle too. Fulfilling smaller promises, like the cliffhanger endings, shows that the bigger promise (the ending) will also be fulfilled. If those promises are left hanging, you start wondering what you’re hanging around for.
And what about that ending? Have you ever gotten to the end of a book and said, “What? That’s it?” I know you have. I’ve been known to throw a book across the room, or at least to the floor. (Though these days I’m trying to break the habit since e-readers are more delicate than paperbacks.) For one reason or another, the paycheck wasn’t enough.
When I finished the first draft of my book Keystone, my beta readers gave me the same complaint in surround sound. There was a certain conflict I didn’t resolve in the framework of book one. They wanted that promise fulfilled now! So I did. I went back and added an entire component to the ending and I even played in another little twist that will have ramifications later. The result was a more satisfying ending and happy readers – always the most important part. Happy readers are my payoff.
Readers pick up a book for the implicit promise of a payoff. It’s the paycheck at the end of that 900 page fantasy epic, the whodunit at the end of the mystery, the culmination of the romantic relationship, the answer to the question, “What happens now?” The medal ceremony at the end of Star Wars, Neo in command of his abilities at the end of The Matrix, and mumblemumble*spoilers* in the Hunger Games.
Without a payoff at the end, the book is seeing airtime. Without smaller payoffs in the middle, the book is set down and forgotten. I think that might be worse.
Let’s face it, even if you adore what you do and can’t wait to bounce out of bed in the morning to go do it, what separates a job from a hobby is that little thing that comes in periodically as a tangible representation of the worth of your work: a paycheck.
If it came in at half what you expected, you would be pretty hopping mad. You would feel cheated. On the other hand, if it turned out to be twice as much as expected, boy, can we say glee? I don’t know about you, but I’d be doing some dancing.
I recently got hooked on a Korean historical drama (bear with me) and it does a fabulous job with cliffhanger endings for each episode. In the last few moments, there is always a dramatic twist or a face we haven’t seen in a while that promises trouble for our heroine, or the villain reveals a new dastardly scheme…. But. After the first few episodes, those little dramatic hints and implied promises didn’t really go anywhere. Schemes fizzled, faces disappeared again or weren’t recognized. It started getting boring. There was no payoff.
Then finally after twenty episodes, the carefully stacked house of cards has its entire foundation whipped out from under it, reducing our heroine to a wailing wreck, questioning her entire life’s purpose. Now we’re getting somewhere!
How many people are willing to wait twenty episodes (adding up to more than twenty hours, because those suckers are long!) for a plot to move forward?
Granted, the biggest payoff should be the ending or anything else will seem anticlimactic. But there should be movement in the middle too. Fulfilling smaller promises, like the cliffhanger endings, shows that the bigger promise (the ending) will also be fulfilled. If those promises are left hanging, you start wondering what you’re hanging around for.
And what about that ending? Have you ever gotten to the end of a book and said, “What? That’s it?” I know you have. I’ve been known to throw a book across the room, or at least to the floor. (Though these days I’m trying to break the habit since e-readers are more delicate than paperbacks.) For one reason or another, the paycheck wasn’t enough.
When I finished the first draft of my book Keystone, my beta readers gave me the same complaint in surround sound. There was a certain conflict I didn’t resolve in the framework of book one. They wanted that promise fulfilled now! So I did. I went back and added an entire component to the ending and I even played in another little twist that will have ramifications later. The result was a more satisfying ending and happy readers – always the most important part. Happy readers are my payoff.
Readers pick up a book for the implicit promise of a payoff. It’s the paycheck at the end of that 900 page fantasy epic, the whodunit at the end of the mystery, the culmination of the romantic relationship, the answer to the question, “What happens now?” The medal ceremony at the end of Star Wars, Neo in command of his abilities at the end of The Matrix, and mumblemumble*spoilers* in the Hunger Games.
Without a payoff at the end, the book is seeing airtime. Without smaller payoffs in the middle, the book is set down and forgotten. I think that might be worse.
2013 Nanowrimo Pitchapalooza
The 25 random pitches for pitchapalooza are live for voting. The voting for "fan favorite" is until March 15th when the Book Doctors name the winners. Take a look and vote for your favorite pitch: http://www.thebookdoctors.com/categor...
Camp Nanowrimo Project Has a Title
Apparently 2013 is just the year for ambitious goals, because the three book goal has turned into a four book goal (sort of).
This year for Camp Nanowrimo (campnanowrimo.org) the folks at the Office of Letters and Light added a new feature: custom word count goals. You can now set your goal to anything from 10,000 to 100,000 words. After much, much consideration and debate, I decided that this chance should not be wasted on the mere 30,000-ish of Kingstone's ending. (Ok, so it was also an excuse to procrastinate the actual writing of said Ending of Doom.)
Instead, I decided to jump sideways to a "little" project that has been swimming around in the back of my head. It's still part of the Gatewalkers universe - in fact, I've thought of a way to tie some lurking foundation into Kingstone - but it's a separate story. I haven't yet figured out a way to summarize the concept in a way that doesn't sound fluffy (which is funny considering the copious amounts of blood I'm planning), but the working title is *drumroll* Rose Among Thorns.
I know, there's a thousand other books with the same title. It's changing eventually. But for a working title it should do just fine.
I've set the word goal for 80,000 words, which should be a solid reading size for it. I have the plot arc more or less planned out, with wiggle room for surprises and development, and I've been given a challenge for it: a love triangle.
I hate love triangles. I could probably write pages about why. I also know there are readers who adore love triangles. The challenge will be making it work so that both readers and I will be happy with it. Hopefully this will be some good stretching for my writing muscles.
In the meantime, I haven't forgotten Kingstone. Camp's starting line is April 1st, so until then my plan is to type in all of what I have handwritten of Kingstone, including all the bits and pieces that somehow ended up spread across a dozen notebooks. Ideally, that means I'll be ready to face the Ending of Doom after camp.
A little like being ready to jump off a cliff into freezing cold seawater with jagged rocks hiding beneath the surface.
This year for Camp Nanowrimo (campnanowrimo.org) the folks at the Office of Letters and Light added a new feature: custom word count goals. You can now set your goal to anything from 10,000 to 100,000 words. After much, much consideration and debate, I decided that this chance should not be wasted on the mere 30,000-ish of Kingstone's ending. (Ok, so it was also an excuse to procrastinate the actual writing of said Ending of Doom.)
Instead, I decided to jump sideways to a "little" project that has been swimming around in the back of my head. It's still part of the Gatewalkers universe - in fact, I've thought of a way to tie some lurking foundation into Kingstone - but it's a separate story. I haven't yet figured out a way to summarize the concept in a way that doesn't sound fluffy (which is funny considering the copious amounts of blood I'm planning), but the working title is *drumroll* Rose Among Thorns.
I know, there's a thousand other books with the same title. It's changing eventually. But for a working title it should do just fine.
I've set the word goal for 80,000 words, which should be a solid reading size for it. I have the plot arc more or less planned out, with wiggle room for surprises and development, and I've been given a challenge for it: a love triangle.
I hate love triangles. I could probably write pages about why. I also know there are readers who adore love triangles. The challenge will be making it work so that both readers and I will be happy with it. Hopefully this will be some good stretching for my writing muscles.
In the meantime, I haven't forgotten Kingstone. Camp's starting line is April 1st, so until then my plan is to type in all of what I have handwritten of Kingstone, including all the bits and pieces that somehow ended up spread across a dozen notebooks. Ideally, that means I'll be ready to face the Ending of Doom after camp.
A little like being ready to jump off a cliff into freezing cold seawater with jagged rocks hiding beneath the surface.
Late Bloomer
Ten days into Camp Nanowrimo. Rose is barely past the opening. Not a promising start.
Something is getting bogged down and I can't put my finger on it. Did I start in the wrong place? Did I change too much from the original concept? Is the pacing wrong? Is there something else getting in the way?
I don't know. I think I'm going to push pause today, do some reading, then do some digging and see if I can find the root of the slow start. Maybe I just need to start from the middle and come back to the opening. That's the beauty of rough drafts, you can always come back and fix it. Sometimes that's the hardest part about rough drafts for me, because I don't want to come back and fix it - I want it perfect on the page. This doesn't happen.
Something is getting bogged down and I can't put my finger on it. Did I start in the wrong place? Did I change too much from the original concept? Is the pacing wrong? Is there something else getting in the way?
I don't know. I think I'm going to push pause today, do some reading, then do some digging and see if I can find the root of the slow start. Maybe I just need to start from the middle and come back to the opening. That's the beauty of rough drafts, you can always come back and fix it. Sometimes that's the hardest part about rough drafts for me, because I don't want to come back and fix it - I want it perfect on the page. This doesn't happen.
Phantom of the Opera
What springs to mind when you hear the words "Phantom of the Opera"?
You might think of the iconic mask and of the tortured soul living beneath the Paris Opera House. You might think of Christine, the naive but talented young singer that the phantom fixates upon. Heck, if you're not a fan, you might be thinking about how much you hate musicals.
I posed the question to my sister and she started singing. I asked another question and it caught her by surprise.
Do you think of it as a love triangle?
She hadn't thought of it before. I asked another of my sisters the same question, and she vehemently denied that it was any such thing.
It's like not being able to see the forest for the trees. We have the phantom who is obsessed with Christine who is infatuated with Raoul who is in love with Christine who has a... rather complicated relationship with the phantom upon which the entire plot hinges. The love triangle is integral to the story, yet it is a completely different dynamic than what springs to mind at the words "love triangle." (Admit it, "Team Twilight" springs to mind these days, even if you haven't read the books or seen the movies.)
The love triangle is the driving force behind the entire plot. The conflict centers around the phantom's efforts to acquire the object of his affections, and his most significant obstacles are Raoul and Christine herself. Without it there is no story.
The vivid development of the characters, including secondary characters such as Carlotta and the new managers, keep the drama from becoming super focused on the three central characters. The triangle is not a self contained bubble. Instead, the advancement of the plot is character driven, supported by cause and effect, not "just because," and is affected by other influences. The managers' efforts to thwart the phantom's demands only make him more determined to get what he wants.
Here's another thought: as the story unfolds, we may favor either Raoul or the phantom to "win," but can you wholeheartedly support one or the other? The phantom pulls some nasty stuff, including murder and attempted murder, yet his motivations are presented as deeply sympathetic. Raoul is the knight in shining armor, but let's face it: when it comes to character depth, he's painted with a rather thin brush.
There are now several variants on the ending, but personally I favor the "everybody lives" edition. Raoul and Christine get each other and the phantom has Christine's kiss as the shining affirmation that it is possible for someone to love him. The driving motivations of the plot are satisfied.
That may be the most significant reason why this love triangle actually works. It is ultimately about more than which boy gets the girl at the end.
You might think of the iconic mask and of the tortured soul living beneath the Paris Opera House. You might think of Christine, the naive but talented young singer that the phantom fixates upon. Heck, if you're not a fan, you might be thinking about how much you hate musicals.
I posed the question to my sister and she started singing. I asked another question and it caught her by surprise.
Do you think of it as a love triangle?
She hadn't thought of it before. I asked another of my sisters the same question, and she vehemently denied that it was any such thing.
It's like not being able to see the forest for the trees. We have the phantom who is obsessed with Christine who is infatuated with Raoul who is in love with Christine who has a... rather complicated relationship with the phantom upon which the entire plot hinges. The love triangle is integral to the story, yet it is a completely different dynamic than what springs to mind at the words "love triangle." (Admit it, "Team Twilight" springs to mind these days, even if you haven't read the books or seen the movies.)
The love triangle is the driving force behind the entire plot. The conflict centers around the phantom's efforts to acquire the object of his affections, and his most significant obstacles are Raoul and Christine herself. Without it there is no story.
The vivid development of the characters, including secondary characters such as Carlotta and the new managers, keep the drama from becoming super focused on the three central characters. The triangle is not a self contained bubble. Instead, the advancement of the plot is character driven, supported by cause and effect, not "just because," and is affected by other influences. The managers' efforts to thwart the phantom's demands only make him more determined to get what he wants.
Here's another thought: as the story unfolds, we may favor either Raoul or the phantom to "win," but can you wholeheartedly support one or the other? The phantom pulls some nasty stuff, including murder and attempted murder, yet his motivations are presented as deeply sympathetic. Raoul is the knight in shining armor, but let's face it: when it comes to character depth, he's painted with a rather thin brush.
There are now several variants on the ending, but personally I favor the "everybody lives" edition. Raoul and Christine get each other and the phantom has Christine's kiss as the shining affirmation that it is possible for someone to love him. The driving motivations of the plot are satisfied.
That may be the most significant reason why this love triangle actually works. It is ultimately about more than which boy gets the girl at the end.
Atmosphere Matters
I was packing up my stuff to go to one of my away from home scribbling venues when I started thinking about why I liked this particular location. There's actually several of this restaurant chain around town, and while one is among my favorite spots, another I won't go near with a ten foot pole ever again.
The one I like best isn't the nicest of them (one of the others has a water feature and plasma screen tvs) but it has the perfect combination of not too crowded, not too quiet, has plugs and wi fi if I'm working on my computer, friendly staff (that now recognize me), and a mini train track running around the ceiling.
The one I'll never visit again is only a year old, designed eco friendly from the foundation up with admittedly cool seating, but their staff was constantly yelling at each other and complaining in front of customers. It's the only place I've ever been actively ignored when trying to order.
How does this apply to writing?
It's fairly easy to spot atmosphere when it's applied to an entire world (think Mistborn: The Final Empire), but it can be applied in smaller doses with just as much effect. A restaurant, a house, even a room can have a distinct vibe, positive or negative.
In the Harry Potter universe, not only did the wizarding world have its own atmosphere, each component had its own unique touch. Hogwarts felt different from Diagon Alley, which was a far cry from Knockturn Alley. It went a long way towards creating a world that kids (and adults) wanted to live in.
The one I like best isn't the nicest of them (one of the others has a water feature and plasma screen tvs) but it has the perfect combination of not too crowded, not too quiet, has plugs and wi fi if I'm working on my computer, friendly staff (that now recognize me), and a mini train track running around the ceiling.
The one I'll never visit again is only a year old, designed eco friendly from the foundation up with admittedly cool seating, but their staff was constantly yelling at each other and complaining in front of customers. It's the only place I've ever been actively ignored when trying to order.
How does this apply to writing?
It's fairly easy to spot atmosphere when it's applied to an entire world (think Mistborn: The Final Empire), but it can be applied in smaller doses with just as much effect. A restaurant, a house, even a room can have a distinct vibe, positive or negative.
In the Harry Potter universe, not only did the wizarding world have its own atmosphere, each component had its own unique touch. Hogwarts felt different from Diagon Alley, which was a far cry from Knockturn Alley. It went a long way towards creating a world that kids (and adults) wanted to live in.
Can't Brain. I has the dumb.
Braaaaiiinnsss. *Shuffle shuffle.*
The brain is fried. I wish I could sleep for a week. Instead, up early for errands.
April's Camp Nanowrimo is over. Sadly, I don't have a shiny new winner's certificate, but I do have a book that has everything but an ending. This is turning into a nanowrimo habit. Beginning and middle but no ending. Thing is, I don't think I can call it a bad habit.
Ok, not good for my word count losing streak, but over the last three days of frantic typing I could feel the story getting thinner and thinner as I buzzed through the middle. There are a few patches that are going to need some serious filling out. On the other hand, at least the skeleton is on paper to be fleshed out.
I'm already a bit twitchy when it comes to endings (ok, they terrify me, even when I know from the beginning how it's going to end, just because they're that important for the story). For this case, maybe it's better that I didn't rush through it for the sake of a shiny new winner's certificate.
On the other hand, I like shiny new winner's certificates. *Sigh.*
I'm glad I tackled this particular project though, because it does take place after Kingstone, and they share a few characters. Now I know to play up a few incidents in Kingstone that I might not have otherwise.
That's another thing: I wanted to come out the other side of camp ready to get back into Kingstone, and I am.
Ok, maybe after a nap. *Drops dead.*
The brain is fried. I wish I could sleep for a week. Instead, up early for errands.
April's Camp Nanowrimo is over. Sadly, I don't have a shiny new winner's certificate, but I do have a book that has everything but an ending. This is turning into a nanowrimo habit. Beginning and middle but no ending. Thing is, I don't think I can call it a bad habit.
Ok, not good for my word count losing streak, but over the last three days of frantic typing I could feel the story getting thinner and thinner as I buzzed through the middle. There are a few patches that are going to need some serious filling out. On the other hand, at least the skeleton is on paper to be fleshed out.
I'm already a bit twitchy when it comes to endings (ok, they terrify me, even when I know from the beginning how it's going to end, just because they're that important for the story). For this case, maybe it's better that I didn't rush through it for the sake of a shiny new winner's certificate.
On the other hand, I like shiny new winner's certificates. *Sigh.*
I'm glad I tackled this particular project though, because it does take place after Kingstone, and they share a few characters. Now I know to play up a few incidents in Kingstone that I might not have otherwise.
That's another thing: I wanted to come out the other side of camp ready to get back into Kingstone, and I am.
Ok, maybe after a nap. *Drops dead.*
Kingstone Update
Right now the official typed-in word count for Kingstone is almost 42,000 words. It's a little on the low side for what I'm aiming at, but it's also sans three battle sequences, which will fill it out some more.
I'm aiming to have this draft fleshed out without any holes left by the end of May, which should give me a decent amount of polishing time to have it finished altogether by my tentative release date.
Yes, Kingstone has a tentative release date. It's June 21, which is also the summer solstice according to my calendar. Keystone was released December 21, so I'm going to see if I can release the others on a 21 too. Why not?
Ooo, and Kingstone also has a blurb, or at least a working blurb:
Hardly a moment after setting foot on solid ground, Charlotte “Charlie” Donahue finds herself kidnapped. Again. This time it isn’t by well-meaning but misguided pixies. Charlie manages to get scooped up by elven slavers, who decide that her talent for trouble deserves a real test: in a gladiatorial fight to the death. Last man (or woman) standing gets to live. As attached as she is to her own skin, she doesn’t particularly want to cost someone else theirs.
Meanwhile, the rest of the crew isn’t sitting idly by. Rhys is determined to get Charlie back, no matter the cost, and Princess Maelyn’s accidental fiance may hold just the ticket. Of course, Llyr Silverwings has a few secrets up his sleeve as well, and has more in mind than a simple snag and bag rescue. There’s a faction of rebels harboring elves somewhere in the mountains, and Llyr thinks that Charlie’s rescue is the perfect opportunity to find them.
Meanwhile, Charlie has to decide what to do with her growing feelings for Rhys. Is love really enough to overcome the boundaries between literally two different worlds? Or will it only end in heartbreak?
A broken family, a kingdom divided, ancient magics, and creatures straight out of legend collide in Kingstone.
Kinda cool, huh? Might still be subject to tweaking before it ends up on the back cover though.
I'm aiming to have this draft fleshed out without any holes left by the end of May, which should give me a decent amount of polishing time to have it finished altogether by my tentative release date.
Yes, Kingstone has a tentative release date. It's June 21, which is also the summer solstice according to my calendar. Keystone was released December 21, so I'm going to see if I can release the others on a 21 too. Why not?
Ooo, and Kingstone also has a blurb, or at least a working blurb:
Hardly a moment after setting foot on solid ground, Charlotte “Charlie” Donahue finds herself kidnapped. Again. This time it isn’t by well-meaning but misguided pixies. Charlie manages to get scooped up by elven slavers, who decide that her talent for trouble deserves a real test: in a gladiatorial fight to the death. Last man (or woman) standing gets to live. As attached as she is to her own skin, she doesn’t particularly want to cost someone else theirs.
Meanwhile, the rest of the crew isn’t sitting idly by. Rhys is determined to get Charlie back, no matter the cost, and Princess Maelyn’s accidental fiance may hold just the ticket. Of course, Llyr Silverwings has a few secrets up his sleeve as well, and has more in mind than a simple snag and bag rescue. There’s a faction of rebels harboring elves somewhere in the mountains, and Llyr thinks that Charlie’s rescue is the perfect opportunity to find them.
Meanwhile, Charlie has to decide what to do with her growing feelings for Rhys. Is love really enough to overcome the boundaries between literally two different worlds? Or will it only end in heartbreak?
A broken family, a kingdom divided, ancient magics, and creatures straight out of legend collide in Kingstone.
Kinda cool, huh? Might still be subject to tweaking before it ends up on the back cover though.
Cats are a Book's Best Friend
"A catless writer is almost inconceivable." - Barbara Holland
I've missed having my own cat. I just didn't realize it was also affecting my writing.
I've been a voracious reader since I learned how (I mentioned a little of my book obsession in the last post), but in the last few years I've had trouble reading as much as I used to. I thought it was just a factor of life getting more complicated, as it always seems to do, but then life got quieter again and I still had trouble reading. I write more (better?) when I'm reading anything, but even knowing this I've had trouble just sitting still long enough to read (though I've had no trouble sitting still for making chainmail; unfortunately the two don't combine well).
Apparently a content cat in my lap does wonders for my ability to finish a book.
All through middle school and high school my cat was my reading buddy. He was perfectly happy to sit in my lap or on my legs while I devoured books.
Four years ago now, my siblings stopped calling him "fat cat" and started calling him "flat cat" because he lost so much weight. We think he might have developed the feline equivalent of diabetes. In any case, at the ripe old age of seventeen, my tuxedo baby decided to pass away. I lost my best childhood friend.
I posted a few months ago about my family's new kittens. I'm officially stealing one. His name is Pippinpaddle-Opsokopolis the Third, and he's a beautiful, lanky cream tiger. (Ok, you can call him Pippin.) He's Callie's third baby, and already proficient in the Art of Key Slaying and Candy Wrapper Chasing. The other day when I was visiting the House he decided to take a nap in my lap. Of all the kittens, he has the loudest purr.
He's so mine.
It was the first time in a long time that I finished a book (that wasn't a manga) in less than 24 hours.
By the way, on the subject of the kittens: Phineas turned out to be a girl and is already loving her new family, Ferb is a cuddly, fluffy butterball with the same coloring as Pippin (he might come home with me too if I can pull it off, but my youngest sister is begging to keep him), Callie's first baby is also already with her new family and the middle kitten is waiting to be picked up. They got so big so fast!
I can't wait until Pippin is big enough to bring home.
I've missed having my own cat. I just didn't realize it was also affecting my writing.
I've been a voracious reader since I learned how (I mentioned a little of my book obsession in the last post), but in the last few years I've had trouble reading as much as I used to. I thought it was just a factor of life getting more complicated, as it always seems to do, but then life got quieter again and I still had trouble reading. I write more (better?) when I'm reading anything, but even knowing this I've had trouble just sitting still long enough to read (though I've had no trouble sitting still for making chainmail; unfortunately the two don't combine well).
Apparently a content cat in my lap does wonders for my ability to finish a book.
All through middle school and high school my cat was my reading buddy. He was perfectly happy to sit in my lap or on my legs while I devoured books.
Four years ago now, my siblings stopped calling him "fat cat" and started calling him "flat cat" because he lost so much weight. We think he might have developed the feline equivalent of diabetes. In any case, at the ripe old age of seventeen, my tuxedo baby decided to pass away. I lost my best childhood friend.
I posted a few months ago about my family's new kittens. I'm officially stealing one. His name is Pippinpaddle-Opsokopolis the Third, and he's a beautiful, lanky cream tiger. (Ok, you can call him Pippin.) He's Callie's third baby, and already proficient in the Art of Key Slaying and Candy Wrapper Chasing. The other day when I was visiting the House he decided to take a nap in my lap. Of all the kittens, he has the loudest purr.
He's so mine.
It was the first time in a long time that I finished a book (that wasn't a manga) in less than 24 hours.
By the way, on the subject of the kittens: Phineas turned out to be a girl and is already loving her new family, Ferb is a cuddly, fluffy butterball with the same coloring as Pippin (he might come home with me too if I can pull it off, but my youngest sister is begging to keep him), Callie's first baby is also already with her new family and the middle kitten is waiting to be picked up. They got so big so fast!
I can't wait until Pippin is big enough to bring home.
