Cherie Priest's Blog: It's awards season, so here comes the shameless self-promotion, page 63
August 28, 2011
Calling English/Reading Teachers
It was written as a straightforward adult book, but one of the two main protagonists is a 15-year-old boy - so, as it turned out, there's been a great deal of crossover with the young adult market. Likewise, Boneshaker has been turning up in classrooms - which is fantastic! I am always thrilled, flattered, and delighted to hear about it.
So lately I've been getting queries from teachers, wanting to know if I'm aware of - or if I have produced - any guided study questions or lesson plans based around the book. The answer to that, I'm afraid, is, "Um...no?"
Therefore, my questions for you fine educators out there are as follows ...
(1). If you have any such guided study materials, would you be willing to share them?
(2). If I were to come up with such materials myself, would you be interested in having them?
(2b). And if so, what kind of things would you like to see?
My mom has been a teacher for thirty years, and I've taught before as well - so I do have a frame of reference for the kinds of things that might be called for; but if there's any interest, I'd prefer to work from your input.
If you'd like to have a conversation about this, please email me at cherie.priest@gmail.com. And thanks so much - not just for fighting the good fight in the classroom, but for all your support with this weird little alternate history franchise.
* I think the median age of the students involved is probably "middle to late high school," but I've also had middle school teachers and college teachers bring it up.
August 24, 2011
If there's something better baby, well, they haven't found it yet
Project: Inexplicables
Deadline: September 15, 2011
New words written: 3093 (pretty good)
Present total word count: 96,618 words
Things accomplished in real life: Daily run/climb + yoga; did an epic ton of day-job work; went to grocery store to pick up something I forgot yesterday; cooked a huge lunch which will continue to feed me for another day or two, I bet; actually cleaned up everything behind myself.
Other: No, seriously. This book is likely to run more like 125,000 words on a first draft, I can feel it. I probably will not be able to manage this by the end of the month, but no, that won't stop me from trying. Deadline isn't until the 15th anyway, but I really wanted a couple of weeks to let it cool off, and to make revisions. Maybe I can talk my editor out of a little wiggle room.
Return of Other: I have definitely been bitten by a spider. A couple of times. And I'm sort of pissed because I like spiders, and I always rescue them from the cat/the husband and let them go outside. Why would one bite me? Why? And where are my superpowers?
Revenge of Other: Want to see another teaser preview from the shoot with Libby? I won't post it here like I did yesterday, but here's a handy-dandy link to a black-and-white artsy shot.
Son of Other: I got my author copies of Hellbent in the mail today! Between these and the audiobooks (on CD, and MP3 CD), I do believe I must engineer some kind of giveaway/promo. I'm still trying to decide what to do, or how to stage it. As always, I'm taking suggestions - I just don't want to resort to the same ol' same ol', wherein I do the "leave a comment and I'll draw names out of a hat!" thing. That's all. Eh. I'll think of something.
Total narrative fiction word count for 2011: 96,618 words
August 23, 2011
I stayed the cold day with a lonely satellite
Project: Inexplicables
Deadline: September 15, 2011
New words written: 2990 (pretty good)
Present total word count: 93,525 words
Things accomplished in real life: Didn't manage the daily run/climb or yoga, as wasn't feeling terribly well; got a CRAP TON of day-job work done, though - in addition to the pretty good word count; went grocery shopping; went to Walgreens; received a ridiculous number of packages via UPS, FedEx, and USPS.
Other: This book will totally be longer than 110,000 words. At least in first draft. *sigh*
Total narrative fiction word count for 2011: 93,525 words
Relevant Links: Today's linky goodness is as follows:
My brother on CNN - Getting sound-bytten post-earthquake today. But he would like for everyone to know that he was not as panicky as the report makes him sound. #liarliarpantsonfire
Dust Jacket Dispatch discovers Boneshaker - Money quote: "Heart-hammering chase sequences, brilliant inventions, and piecemeal politics made Boneshaker the best read of my entire summer."
Fantastic Victoriana - by Jess Nevins - Damn near ultra-rare book now up on Ebay, courtesy of the man who compiled it. (He also signed it. Go check!)
And on last thing, folks. Saturday I went over to 's studios, where she shot me some new author photos. Full processing will take a few weeks, but she was kind enough to give me a teaser, which I will post beneath a cut because my vanity has its limits.
So click the link below to see it.
My giant face! Let me show you it!
August 22, 2011
Lest you think I'm kidding, let me put it this way: I've been up since about 7:30 a.m., working; I took a break for lunch; then I went back to work; now I'm taking a break for supper; and then I'll go back to work.
If I'm lucky, I'll reach my self-imposed goal* in time to watch Antiques Roadshow with a glass of wine.
So here's today's progress on my fifth Clockwork Century novel - a book about teenage juvenile delinquents, hypothetical ghosts, and gangland mayhem within the walled city of Seattle ... now with Bonus! zombie Sasquatch and the return of everyone's favorite elderly cross-dressing Native American princess:
Project: Inexplicables
Deadline: September 15, 2011
New words written: 2176 (satisfactory)
Present total word count: 90,535 words
Things accomplished in real life: Daily run/climb plus yoga; laundry; that's pretty much it.
Other: I wish that word count had been a bit higher, but I promised myself 2K and then back to day-job work. There are only so many hours in the day, that's all.
Relevant Links: Today's linky goodness is as follows:
Blasphemina's Closet - Fabulous indie designer (and friend of mine!) is looking to upgrade her production facilities in order to make MORE SHINY CLOTHES for people like me to wear. Please check out her fundraiser page, and take a look at her creations. She does truly beautiful work. (I own a piece or two myself.)
Katie's Virtual Yard Sale - While I'm shilling for friends, here's the virtual yard sale of my pretend-daughter - whose Pell grant was cut without warning, endangering her efforts to go back to college. (And yes, she is in fact selling a stripper pole - with DVD instructions still in shrink wrap! - to help fund her higher education. You want one? It's a great deal!)
Steampunk is up for discussion - And over at the Age of Steam blog, the subject is Boneshaker. As a bonus, I've donated a couple of signed books which you can win just for going over there and joining the conversation.
Total narrative fiction word count for 2011: 90,535 words
* By "self-imposed" I mean "this is how much I need to get done per day in order to make my deadlines."
August 19, 2011
Sleeping on the interstate
Project: Inexplicables
Deadline: September 15, 2011
New words written: 1794 (meh)
Present total word count: 88,359 words
Things accomplished in real life: Daily run/climb plus yoga; handed in day-job progress report for the week; cleaned entire apartment; went to Walgreens; went to post office.
Other: It's a lean word count, but (a). I had a lot of other things on my plate today, and (b). I have to call it a day a little early, as I'm meeting some out-of-towners for drinks/supper in another half hour. I should probably brush my hair or something.
Relevant Links: Today's linky goodness is as follows:
Glass of Fancy blog discovers steampunk - and likes Boneshaker well enough to put it in a little arrangement with Bioshock figures, which tickled me silly.
New Bloodshot review - Which I accidentally linked yesterday and called a "Boneshaker review" because that's what happens when I blog too hastily. Alternative Magazine totally dug it. Yes, it's a UK magazine. Bloodshot either just came out over there...or is about to come out, I'm not sure which. Thus the rash of extra publicity.
Do you want a Ganymede ARC? Would you like to read it before everybody else? While supporting a good cause? Because I totally threw in one of my ARCs to the Coilhouse fundraising auction. Go check it out!
Total narrative fiction word count for 2011: 88,359 words
Wild Wild Life
Project: Inexplicables
Deadline: September 15, 2011
New words written: 2292 (satisfactory)
Present total word count: 86,564 words
Things accomplished in real life: Daily run/climb plus yoga; Walgreens to pick up a prescription; down the hill to the bank to deposit a check; to the liquor store for celebratory rum.
Other: I'm really quite happy with my day-job work this week, which is good - because I owe a progress report tomorrow. I worked to clean up about 15 pages of material, and tomorrow I'll give it one last polish before I hand it in. Here's hoping the day-job guys are as enthused about it as I am.
Other, redux: Calling it quits for now so I can go make supper. But I might well return to get more work done tonight.
Relevant Links: Ha! New segment. Here goes:
Hellbent giveaway over at Dark Faerie Tales - Click over there, and scroll down for details re: how you might walk away with a free copy of Hellbent!
Alternative Magazine Online digs Boneshaker - I'm seeing a new spate of Boneshaker and Dreadnought lately, and I think I'll just start linking them here. This is a particularly good one, from a UK publication.
Total narrative fiction word count for 2011: 86,564 words
August 17, 2011
A head full of lightning, a hat full of rain
Project: Inexplicables
Deadline: September 15, 2011
New words written: 2989 (not bad)
Present total word count: 84,272 words
Things accomplished in real life: Daily run/climb plus yoga; Walgreens to refill a prescription; post office to mail a birthday present.
Other: Got started on a tough batch of day-job work today, and will continue working it this afternoon - thus I'm cutting off this progress here and now, at a chapter's end where it's convenient to do so. I might come back tonight to do more. It'll depend. But I'm getting better at these high-output days, which is good. I need more of them. Today, including day-job work, I wrote about 5500 words (by my rough count).
Other, redux: New goal: To have a draft of this book (a DRAFT, which is not to say a GOOD DRAFT) by Labor Day weekend. Can I do it? HA. I have no idea. But I have company coming into town, plus a huge day-job deadline looming, and I need to clear my plate a little before my next two books come out. JUGGLING. I'm on it.
Total narrative fiction word count for 2011: 84,272 words
The time for sweating poison out is just now comin' 'round
Project: Inexplicables
Deadline: September 15, 2011
New words written: 1262 (low count, but good words)
Present total word count: 81,283 words
Things accomplished in real life: Daily run/climb plus yoga; went to the bank to get quarters for laundry; picked up milk; did a difficult round of day-job work; exchanged copious business emails, and some personal emails too.
Darling du jour: "Rector didn't like the way Yaozu said 'please.' It didn't sound like a request. It sounded like a bullet."
Other: The word count is low, yes - but it's better than it looks. I actually culled about a thousand words, for one thing; and for another, most of the new count is material I massaged into the first half of my existing material. I'd been keeping notes re: "stuff to make sure I incorporate before I hand in this draft," and I was hitting a point where it felt weird to write forward without knowing my narrative foundation was secure. So I took the fiction-writing portion of my afternoon to go and address this problem.
Other, redux: I am still so tired I can hardly see straight. Last night was another bad night of sick husband serenading me with his snore choir. And it's not like I can take a quick nap during the day, not with all the construction going on. I may yet go utterly bananas.
Total narrative fiction word count for 2011: 81,283 words
August 16, 2011
Steampunk Summer at the Seattle Public Library
My favorite bit lands around 1:45, when the kids start acting out scenes from the book.
[:: happydance ::]
Thank you SO MUCH to the SPL system and all its attendant Librarians of Excessive Fantasticness - and thanks also to all the young readers who participated!
August 15, 2011
Let's Get Physical
Project: Inexplicables
Deadline: September 15, 2011
New words written: 3644 (pretty good)
Present total word count: 80,021 words
Things accomplished in real life: Daily run/climb plus yoga; house tidying; errand-running; day-job work. That's it so far.
Other: Today, I successfully stood up straight and touched my toes without bending my knees. I honestly never thought it would happen - not because I'm hideously out of shape, but because I've had not-insignificant back problems since puberty.* When I was younger, I underwent physical therapy, ex-rays, anti-inflammatories, and all sorts of treatments; and eventually the pain was (largely) managed, but the flexibility in my lower back was essentially gone. But you know what prompted major improvement? Two weeks of beginner baby-steps yoga. Before I started this little regimen, I could barely reach down past my knees - and only that far because I have arms like a monkey. But now I can actually grab (and hold) my toes. Holy crap, y'all. I never thought I'd see the day!
Other, redux: My husband seems to be sick again, and when he's sick, nobody sleeps. So I'm tired. And I'm proud of my word count today but I don't have the energy to accomplish much else - ergo, I told myself that if I could hit 80K, I'd pat myself on the back and either make a nice cup of tea or go lie down for awhile. Maybe both. So...yeah. Here I go.
Total narrative fiction word count for 2011: 80,021 words
* I won't go into the diagnosis here, because it sounds worse than it really is and I don't want any weird internet sympathies.
It's awards season, so here comes the shameless self-promotion
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