Katherine Nabity's Blog, page 261
February 13, 2011
RoW80 - Februray 13th Check In
As I write this, Eric is out picking up dinner. Yes, I have avoided bologna sandwiches by meeting my 10K-a-fortnight goal. Chicken schnitzel cordon-bleu, rösti, coleslaw, marinated green beans, and tomato-basil salad will be eaten soon.
Word counts:Wednesday: 1601Thursday: 202 - Things were looking grim. I knew what scene I needed to write, but got stuck on it. I should have either talked with Eric more about it or moved on. This is a lesson I keep (not) learning.Friday: 1616 new words, cut 133Saturday: 0 - Yeah, who was I fooling by thinking I'd get anything done in the morning after staying up until 3am or in the evening after running a 5K and then indulging in quite a few beers?Sunday: 1177 new words, cut 278That makes 10,036 for the fortnight, 7819 written this week. The manuscript is just over 38K. I suppose it could be considered a zero draft. Instead of starting another 10K fortnight, I'm planning on some reorganization and clean up during this next week. Eric and I need to hammer out the exact details, but I'll probably start with Monday and Tuesday being read-through and note-taking days. More details to come.
Word counts:Wednesday: 1601Thursday: 202 - Things were looking grim. I knew what scene I needed to write, but got stuck on it. I should have either talked with Eric more about it or moved on. This is a lesson I keep (not) learning.Friday: 1616 new words, cut 133Saturday: 0 - Yeah, who was I fooling by thinking I'd get anything done in the morning after staying up until 3am or in the evening after running a 5K and then indulging in quite a few beers?Sunday: 1177 new words, cut 278That makes 10,036 for the fortnight, 7819 written this week. The manuscript is just over 38K. I suppose it could be considered a zero draft. Instead of starting another 10K fortnight, I'm planning on some reorganization and clean up during this next week. Eric and I need to hammer out the exact details, but I'll probably start with Monday and Tuesday being read-through and note-taking days. More details to come.
February 11, 2011
Not very Flashy and also Slow
I've come to the conclusion that for me balance in life is not obtainable. Oh, overall everything probably evens out, but on any given day/week/month the scale might be weighted toward writing or socializing or VOTS stuff to the exclusion of most other things.
For example, my good intentions of writing flash fiction every week and posting it for #FridayFlash or on Fictionaut weren't worth very much. But, hey, failure in the past doesn't guarantee failure (or success) in the future. Therefore, here is my semi-regular "where am I on the web today" roundup:
Finished posting part I of Pas de Chat on Sunday. Part II is much shorter.Posted "Orange Box" at Fictionaut. It's a piece that didn't make the cut for 52|250. I also have an EtherPad version if you're interested in seeing all my typos as I write. The piece is a little autobiographical based on many Saturday afternoon excursions to Sutherlands with my grandpa.Need to do a ton of writing to avoid bologna sandwiches. I didn't get much done yesterday because I'm a putz (who probably deserves bologna sandwiches) and I seem to have it in my head that I can't write while the sun is up. Or something like that. League took up my "prime" writing hours of 8-10pm. We lost. My play was pretty decent and involved some smooth H-stack play.
Tomorrow, I run the Skirt Chaser 5K again. I doubt that I'll beat last year's time since I'm not even beating last year's non-race times. I've set up a 31 minute playlist that should get me through it in a semi-respectable manner.
For example, my good intentions of writing flash fiction every week and posting it for #FridayFlash or on Fictionaut weren't worth very much. But, hey, failure in the past doesn't guarantee failure (or success) in the future. Therefore, here is my semi-regular "where am I on the web today" roundup:
Finished posting part I of Pas de Chat on Sunday. Part II is much shorter.Posted "Orange Box" at Fictionaut. It's a piece that didn't make the cut for 52|250. I also have an EtherPad version if you're interested in seeing all my typos as I write. The piece is a little autobiographical based on many Saturday afternoon excursions to Sutherlands with my grandpa.Need to do a ton of writing to avoid bologna sandwiches. I didn't get much done yesterday because I'm a putz (who probably deserves bologna sandwiches) and I seem to have it in my head that I can't write while the sun is up. Or something like that. League took up my "prime" writing hours of 8-10pm. We lost. My play was pretty decent and involved some smooth H-stack play.
Tomorrow, I run the Skirt Chaser 5K again. I doubt that I'll beat last year's time since I'm not even beating last year's non-race times. I've set up a 31 minute playlist that should get me through it in a semi-respectable manner.
February 10, 2011
RoW80 - February 9th Check In
As Eric and I were taking a walk on Monday evening, I noted that if I were to write 1560 words every day, Monday-Friday, I'd be back on track after writing only 2200 total last week. "You can do that," said Eric. "That's like a mini-NaNoWriMo." I agreed. Those numbers are doable. "What do you want for your carrot?" he asked. We decided on dinner at Beaver Choice. I spent half a block swooning over the thought of chicken schnitzel. And then came the stick plan. If we didn't have a good dinner, we'd have a bad dinner. Both of us. Cheap bologna on cheap white bread. Possibly with a side of plain label mac & cheese. Between the carrot and the stick, I'm not sure which is more motivating.
Word counts:
Monday: 1572
Tuesday: 1651
Nothing yet for Wednesday. It's going to be a long night. We had a good chat this afternoon and I know which scenes I'm writing next. This novel is winding down a bit. It's short. It's messy. The next fortnight might be used to reorganize and clean-up as well as add words.
Click to go to Mr. Linky
Word counts:
Monday: 1572
Tuesday: 1651
Nothing yet for Wednesday. It's going to be a long night. We had a good chat this afternoon and I know which scenes I'm writing next. This novel is winding down a bit. It's short. It's messy. The next fortnight might be used to reorganize and clean-up as well as add words.
Click to go to Mr. Linky
February 9, 2011
Writer's Block: The winning ticket
What would be your first purchase if you won the lottery?
Submitted By ![[info]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1380442897i/1319734.gif)
sking140
Very first? A nice dinner to celebrate.
What would I do with the rest? Maybe buy a new vehicle. Maybe not. Maybe buy a little house in the neighborhood. Maybe not. Maybe buy a little house south of San Diego to be a summer home. Maybe not. Maybe I'd have Eric invest it, stay pretty much where we are, and not worry about money while I write and Eric does his academic thing. Yeah, probably that. And a nice dinner.
February 6, 2011
Irregular
I made no writing progress after Tuesday.
I know that "I just wasn't feeling it" isn't a great excuse, but there is it. I don't approve of the mystification of the writing process; it undermines the reality that it's hard work. But I've always felt that writing is more of a calling than a job. The problem with callings is that they are somewhat based on faith. Faith is shakable. Doubts occur, even in the devout. So, I've been feeling doubtful and decided to take a couple days off. I'll get back to it on Monday. I'll try to make up some of the words this week and the rest at the end.
Otherwise, my week was pretty good. Wednesday ultimate was canceled due to the cold and the wind. It's been around the 40 degree mark most of this week with Tuesday and Wednesday being gusty as well. Little rain though. Wednesday evening, Casey held a surprise party for Reif's birthday, which was an event on my plate that I couldn't very well mention. Fun party, the first surprise party I've ever been involved with. Thursday was the first night of league. Eric's team trounced mine. My offense was decent, but it was rough trying to cover Angel or Emily on D. The temperatures were still cold, but there was no wind. Last night was dinner at Lolo's Chicken & Waffles for Jeff's birthday. Lolo's is aptly described at ghetto-fabulous. The food was tasty, the company was good. Eric and I followed to Fat Tuesday's, but headed home early, "old people" style.
Today, I've been relaxing. I made banana bread, watched some basketball, napped and read.
I know that "I just wasn't feeling it" isn't a great excuse, but there is it. I don't approve of the mystification of the writing process; it undermines the reality that it's hard work. But I've always felt that writing is more of a calling than a job. The problem with callings is that they are somewhat based on faith. Faith is shakable. Doubts occur, even in the devout. So, I've been feeling doubtful and decided to take a couple days off. I'll get back to it on Monday. I'll try to make up some of the words this week and the rest at the end.
Otherwise, my week was pretty good. Wednesday ultimate was canceled due to the cold and the wind. It's been around the 40 degree mark most of this week with Tuesday and Wednesday being gusty as well. Little rain though. Wednesday evening, Casey held a surprise party for Reif's birthday, which was an event on my plate that I couldn't very well mention. Fun party, the first surprise party I've ever been involved with. Thursday was the first night of league. Eric's team trounced mine. My offense was decent, but it was rough trying to cover Angel or Emily on D. The temperatures were still cold, but there was no wind. Last night was dinner at Lolo's Chicken & Waffles for Jeff's birthday. Lolo's is aptly described at ghetto-fabulous. The food was tasty, the company was good. Eric and I followed to Fat Tuesday's, but headed home early, "old people" style.
Today, I've been relaxing. I made banana bread, watched some basketball, napped and read.
February 2, 2011
RoW80 - February 2nd Check In
Busy week, lots going on.
Kicked some arse Monday writing 1517 words in about a 3 hours span. This is what I can do if I'm in a good groove. Tuesday, no groove: 662 words. Nothing today yet.
Received two Model Species rejections yesterday. (These are certainly not the first and probably won't be the last.) The one that arrived in the evening noted that Model Species had some good ideas, but it was the writing that wasn't up to par. Which is not something that the writer half of a collaboration team (me) likes to hear.
And honestly, I'm not really in the mood to write (though I'll probably bang out a couple hundred words before tonight's festivities), or hear about writing, or talk about writing. So, I'm going to go take a shower (my fortune cookie said some good things about showers and ideas). When I get back, maybe I'll write, maybe I won't. #RoW80 community, I'll see you tomorrow.
Click to go to Mr. Linky
Kicked some arse Monday writing 1517 words in about a 3 hours span. This is what I can do if I'm in a good groove. Tuesday, no groove: 662 words. Nothing today yet.
Received two Model Species rejections yesterday. (These are certainly not the first and probably won't be the last.) The one that arrived in the evening noted that Model Species had some good ideas, but it was the writing that wasn't up to par. Which is not something that the writer half of a collaboration team (me) likes to hear.
And honestly, I'm not really in the mood to write (though I'll probably bang out a couple hundred words before tonight's festivities), or hear about writing, or talk about writing. So, I'm going to go take a shower (my fortune cookie said some good things about showers and ideas). When I get back, maybe I'll write, maybe I won't. #RoW80 community, I'll see you tomorrow.
Click to go to Mr. Linky
February 1, 2011
Books #2 & #3
Book #2 -
It Made Sense at the Time
by Ursula VernonI decided that with my birthday/Christmas Amazon gift certificates I would purchase some things by people whose work I usually enjoy for free. I've been following Ursula Vernon's work via LiveJournal for almost as long as I've had a LiveJournal. Therefore, many of these stories are fairly known to me. But not all of them. And it's fun looking at a snapshot of an artist at a certain point in her career. This book was produced before Vernon's children's books were published and before her divorce. In all, it's a neat look at a very quirky artist. You can sample more of Ursula Vernon's work at Red Wombat Studio.
Book #3 - The Cure at Troy, a version of Sophocles' Philoctetes by Seamus HeaneyThis is the companion to The Burial at Thebes . Okay, not really. The Cure at Troy was written in 1990 and The Burial at Thebes in 2004, but they are Heaney's only plays and in some ways they do cover the same ground.
The Cure at Troy is about personal morality versus "good of country." How much should you sacrifice one for the other? Is it possible to balance the two successfully? These are questions that Heaney revisits in his version of Antigone nearly a decade and a half later.
Writing-wise, the voices didn't seem as rich as they were in The Burial at Thebes. I'm going to guess that this is somewhat due to Heaney advancing as a writer, but also because Philoctetes is a lesser known work. In the introduction to The Burial at Thebes, Heaney describes the need to set a new version of Antigone apart, and that probably led to more interesting character voices.
Book #3 - The Cure at Troy, a version of Sophocles' Philoctetes by Seamus HeaneyThis is the companion to The Burial at Thebes . Okay, not really. The Cure at Troy was written in 1990 and The Burial at Thebes in 2004, but they are Heaney's only plays and in some ways they do cover the same ground.
The Cure at Troy is about personal morality versus "good of country." How much should you sacrifice one for the other? Is it possible to balance the two successfully? These are questions that Heaney revisits in his version of Antigone nearly a decade and a half later.
Writing-wise, the voices didn't seem as rich as they were in The Burial at Thebes. I'm going to guess that this is somewhat due to Heaney advancing as a writer, but also because Philoctetes is a lesser known work. In the introduction to The Burial at Thebes, Heaney describes the need to set a new version of Antigone apart, and that probably led to more interesting character voices.
January 31, 2011
RoW80 - January 30th Check In
The numbers:
Wednesday: 685
Thursday: 1196
Friday: 960
No cuts.
I made my second sub-goal (10K every fortnight), and rewarded myself with Skirt Chaser. That's 20,324 written for RoW80 and 17,499 added to the manuscript. (Dang it, I should have written one more word! Alas, I finished up writing at 1am-ish on Saturday morning. I was tired.) I know that I've made the two-subgoals, but I'm really digging the "start-over" aspect of my plan. It's nice to have the opportunity, every two weeks, to have my sins forgiven and start over. Or alternately, to pat myself on the back and then sit down to do it again.
And I might need the forgiveness after this next fortnight. Or, at least need the full two weeks to get everything done. My calendar looked so quiet a couple weeks ago and now there's league on Thursday, a birthday dinner for a friend on Friday *and* Chris in town. Although now that Chris has taken to playing Star Wars Galaxies, we haven't actually "seen" him lately. Spent the weekend helping out at New Year Fest. I coned fields, sold discs and shirts, watch a couple frisbee games, and generally held down the Frisbee Central fort. Life, in this manner, is good.
Writing-wise, the novel is in its gangly middle phase. 25K-50K are a rough bunch of words. It's the crunchy bit between the beginning and the end. The rest of RoW80 is going to be a pitched battle.
Click to go to Mr. Linky
Wednesday: 685
Thursday: 1196
Friday: 960
No cuts.
I made my second sub-goal (10K every fortnight), and rewarded myself with Skirt Chaser. That's 20,324 written for RoW80 and 17,499 added to the manuscript. (Dang it, I should have written one more word! Alas, I finished up writing at 1am-ish on Saturday morning. I was tired.) I know that I've made the two-subgoals, but I'm really digging the "start-over" aspect of my plan. It's nice to have the opportunity, every two weeks, to have my sins forgiven and start over. Or alternately, to pat myself on the back and then sit down to do it again.
And I might need the forgiveness after this next fortnight. Or, at least need the full two weeks to get everything done. My calendar looked so quiet a couple weeks ago and now there's league on Thursday, a birthday dinner for a friend on Friday *and* Chris in town. Although now that Chris has taken to playing Star Wars Galaxies, we haven't actually "seen" him lately. Spent the weekend helping out at New Year Fest. I coned fields, sold discs and shirts, watch a couple frisbee games, and generally held down the Frisbee Central fort. Life, in this manner, is good.
Writing-wise, the novel is in its gangly middle phase. 25K-50K are a rough bunch of words. It's the crunchy bit between the beginning and the end. The rest of RoW80 is going to be a pitched battle.
Click to go to Mr. Linky
January 29, 2011
And occasionally I read stuff too...
Book #1 -
Dust
by Elizabeth Bear I read this on suggestion of the Women of Science Fiction book club. I would not have read it otherwise.
I did not finish this book.
I tried. Honestly, I did. But at page 250, I just kept thinking to myself, "There are other books you could be reading. Why aren't you reading those?"
Part of the reason I kept at this book as long as I did is that I can't quite put my finger on what I dislike about it. Many of the problems I had earlier in the book (see post at Reading Notes) are pretty much answered as the world is revealed. And I have to give Bear props for that. I don't expect that everything be utterly clear about a world that I'm being dropped into. Playing with medieval tropes in a science fiction setting is interesting as well, but kind of leaves me feeling like it tries too hard. I guess my problem is that I'm not really interested in the world or the characters at all. I just haven't figured out why I'm not interested.
Lined fields this morning (basically, walking with a paint sprayer and adding lines to soccer fields). Now I'm beat. Is this what getting old is? I don't like it. I need a nap.
I did not finish this book.
I tried. Honestly, I did. But at page 250, I just kept thinking to myself, "There are other books you could be reading. Why aren't you reading those?"
Part of the reason I kept at this book as long as I did is that I can't quite put my finger on what I dislike about it. Many of the problems I had earlier in the book (see post at Reading Notes) are pretty much answered as the world is revealed. And I have to give Bear props for that. I don't expect that everything be utterly clear about a world that I'm being dropped into. Playing with medieval tropes in a science fiction setting is interesting as well, but kind of leaves me feeling like it tries too hard. I guess my problem is that I'm not really interested in the world or the characters at all. I just haven't figured out why I'm not interested.
Rather fond of Gavin the basilisk, though.
---###---
Short stories:
"A Private Experience" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“I’m Alive, I Love You, I’ll See You In Reno” by Vylar Kaftan (Lightspeed, June 2010)
“Hope” by Michael A. Burstein (Destination:Future)
---###---
Lined fields this morning (basically, walking with a paint sprayer and adding lines to soccer fields). Now I'm beat. Is this what getting old is? I don't like it. I need a nap.
January 27, 2011
RoW80 - January 26th Check In
Oh, Wednesday. I love you, but it's so hard to be productive. The afternoon whizzes by in a haze of ultimate frisbee, grocery shopping, and cooking.
Monday: 1023
Tuesday: 1219
Luck for Hire is at 25,731 words.
No cuts. Eric liked the last scene I was working on. 2841 to my Skirt Chaser hard goal. (It has been pointed out that my carrot is particularly carrot-y. I'm going to "reward" myself with running 3 miles.)
Nothing yet today. I need to have good evening. I'm going to have to set up teams and a schedule for VOTS league probably tomorrow. And I'll probably have some NYF web stuff to do before the weekend too. And then NYF.
I've settled into a habit of writing late a night, starting at about 9pm and going to 1-3am. I suppose it's working well enough, but if that's my schedule, I need to take better advantage of my days to get other stuff done.
Sent one Model Species query out yesterday. No other writing and only a small bit of reading done.
Click to go to Mr. Linky
Monday: 1023
Tuesday: 1219
Luck for Hire is at 25,731 words.
No cuts. Eric liked the last scene I was working on. 2841 to my Skirt Chaser hard goal. (It has been pointed out that my carrot is particularly carrot-y. I'm going to "reward" myself with running 3 miles.)
Nothing yet today. I need to have good evening. I'm going to have to set up teams and a schedule for VOTS league probably tomorrow. And I'll probably have some NYF web stuff to do before the weekend too. And then NYF.
I've settled into a habit of writing late a night, starting at about 9pm and going to 1-3am. I suppose it's working well enough, but if that's my schedule, I need to take better advantage of my days to get other stuff done.
Sent one Model Species query out yesterday. No other writing and only a small bit of reading done.
Click to go to Mr. Linky
