Blair MacGregor's Blog, page 23

Sand of Bone In Progress

Sand of Bone is a different story today than when I first wrote it because I am a different person. The plot is the same, but it’s shaded and shaped in ways that alter the characters and their culture. Motivations are, I hope, better layered. The emotional attachments produce more diverse consequences. Characters’ decisions make more sense.

I was on the quick path to finishing it up when I got the news about Patricia’s sudden and irreversible decline. All progress stopped. I stumbled through w...

In Progress

Sand of Bone is a different story today than when I first wrote it because I am a different person. The plot is the same, but it’s shaded and shaped in ways that alter the characters and their culture.

I was on the quick path to finishing it up when I got the news about Patricia’s sudden and irreversible decline. All progress stopped. I stumbled through writing nearly all the way to the end in June, then determined I needed an index card session to get everything in place.

My index card session...

It’s the Same Advice

Many commenters on various forums have—predictably—stated how onerous it will be to monitor their own behavior toward women. How they simply can’t be expected to know the difference between flirtation and harassment, between friendliness and creepiness, between acceptable adult behavior and unacceptable juvenile conduct.

On another blog I read often, the discussion came up because a commenter wanted to know the best way to avoid being falsely accused. A very level-headed commenter answered wit...

You Can Be Replaced

Before I found a home in Shakespeare, I did musicals for six or seven years. By the time I was eleven, I was used to the long and late rehearsals leading up to tech week, and the longer and later rehearsals right before opening. I knew how to behave backstage and onstage. I knew to be prepared to deliver my part on demand at any moment, and to be hushed and still any other time.

When I and another kid began goofing off during one of those late rehearsals, we knew we were misbehaving. We knew w...

Up At Dawn

That’s the view from my back door, just before the sun slipped above the horizon.

I’m not a morning person. I’ve been saying so since my teenage years, when theater and parties and exciting books kept me busy until midnight and beyond. My night owl ways were reinforced by parenthood, when I couldn’t possibly get up earlier than my “up with the sun” son but could manage to write in the dark hours after he’d gone to bed.

But over the last two years, I have somehow transitioned into a morning pers...

It’s the Treatment, Not the Rejection

Back in November, I discussed some of my reasons for choosing to self-publish. More recently, I linked to a post by Judith Tarr (Escaping Stockholm) with my own added comment, “Some years ago, I decided I didn’t want to work under the constraints and conceits of traditional publishing because what such work would require wasn’t the sort of thing I wanted in my life.”

Today, Tarr revisits the topic to discuss predators, prey, and learned helplessness.

“Being civil. Accepting what they’re told th...

Wishing For Greatness

I’m handing today’s Blog Challenge question–”What is the thing you most wish you were great at?”–to Jaynes from Sword and Chant.

He wishes, more than anything, that he could be a great leader rather than a feared warrior.

His father, Maradek, first earned his country’s respect byleading his tribe against the invasion of warriors known for their brutality.After he succeeded his mother as chieftain of the tribe and ruler of the country, Maradek conquered a neighboring land, believing it the best...

I’m An Animal

Today’s post-prompt asks what sort of animal I would be.

First of all, I am an animal, using the broadest definition of the term.

I don’t think I’d make a very good other-kind-of-animal, though. Wild pack animals are cool, but the whole groveling-for-alpha part doesn’t appeal. The thought of being a marine animal creeps me out because I don’t much like the open water. I’d never choose to be a little mammal because, you know, Food Chain. The longterm outlook for larger mammals seems to be not so...

On Worldbuilding, Changes and Plot

A couple months ago, I put out a tweet something like, “If you can’t fix it in plot, alter the worldbuilding.” Y’see, I’d just shifted inserted a huge change in Sand of Bone’s world in order to give a character the reason and ability to perform an act that the remaining 60% of the novel depended upon. The change made me happy because, even though it had a huge impact, it required so little in actual text changes.

Not long after I put up that tweet, someone else wrote under the same hashtag som...

Five Weaknesses

From the 30-Day Blog Challenge…

Five weaknesses, eh? Frankly, I don’t like this one very much. What if my archenemies are reading, and are suddenly inspired to orchestrate my destruction?

Gah. Very well. Weaknesses.

First weakness that comes to mind: food. Remember Five Fonts of Happiness and my chatter about food? Yeah. I have to work hard to keep myself from eating to excess. It isn’t a matter of using food as a response to stress or emotion. I love food. I love consuming food. When I was in m...