Gillian Polack's Blog, page 255
April 16, 2011
gillpolack @ 2011-04-16T16:19:00
I get to breathe on Monday. Metaphorically, of course. From 11 am I shall be in shopping and cooking and altogether in Passover mode.
This makes me rather nervous. I think I'm a bit worried that if I stop for a few days, I won't be able to start up again. I've set everything up so that I'll get through all the work I have to do before the end of June in time, and I don't want to miss any.
It helps that this is work I love. It's a great deal of fun moving from thinking about actively pondering and reconstructing the Middle Ages to thinking about how other people reconstruct the Middle Ages to thinking about writing techniques and what narrative needs they meet. It helps that a bunch of it is actually writing a novel and trying to make the place and time come to life as much as trying to make the characters live.
Except that the pacing is wrong in the first 150 pages of the novel and I'm itching to find out why and fix it, and I can't, because the UK/France trip is an immovable so everything that needs doing for it must take precedence. Except that I have suddenly got more Conflux work because the hotel is finally ready to talk costs for the banquet. Except that there's a ton of housework to do, because of Passover (and I know, I should have done it already, but this week has been a tormented one - 6th week of the worst asthma I've had in two decades - whenever I do housework my breathing goes rapidly downhill, so I've done some but put off even more). Except that I've got crit comments on my committee novel and I have worked out their implications and can make it tick better and want to make it tick better and send it off. Except that the Beast looms and says "You know, writers are asking you about me - why aren't you doing anything about this?" And lots more. Lots of 'excepts.'
Some of them have to be dealt with on top of everything else, of course. If I can work cleverly enough, I might be able to pick some of the other 'excepts' up again in the next few weeks.
Today is all about working cleverly. I'm going through all my current dissertation and novel notes and sorting them and thinking them through and writing up as many as possible. This will only be about a third (maybe clearing 150 pieces of paper, maybe 200), because notes by themselves can't be written up - I need a context and an argument, or a context and a plot point (depending on what it's for), but I have that for a lot of scraps of paper. Once they're written up they can be filed.
I've already checked through them and wrote a big batch up last night, and have worked out that, when these are done, my novel will be ready for checking with my scientist friends (still missing most of one plotline, but this is not one the scientsits are involved in, so that's cool) and I'll be ready to clean up the next section of dissertation and novel for my supervisor, which I want to have done by early June at the latest.
In other words, if I do a long but clever day's work today, then I can focus on those 36 to-read books from tomorrow until ANZAC Day. I don't know how many 'excepts' this will allow me to cover. Maybe only the really forceful ones. It will, however, allow me to relax and take a couple of days off and still meet all my deadlines.
Speaking of which, tomorrow I'm going to post the last two forms from the impossibly form-filled fortnight. I'm also picking up two dozen books from the library. I was going to do it all today, but it's brisk outside and my breathing can't cope with cool air and carrying heavy things both at the same time. It's better than it has been, but I still have to take care. Tomorrow, early afternoon, then, I go for a walk and come back bearing books.
And if anyone wants me to fill in a form in the near future, they'd better have *excellent* reasons!
This makes me rather nervous. I think I'm a bit worried that if I stop for a few days, I won't be able to start up again. I've set everything up so that I'll get through all the work I have to do before the end of June in time, and I don't want to miss any.
It helps that this is work I love. It's a great deal of fun moving from thinking about actively pondering and reconstructing the Middle Ages to thinking about how other people reconstruct the Middle Ages to thinking about writing techniques and what narrative needs they meet. It helps that a bunch of it is actually writing a novel and trying to make the place and time come to life as much as trying to make the characters live.
Except that the pacing is wrong in the first 150 pages of the novel and I'm itching to find out why and fix it, and I can't, because the UK/France trip is an immovable so everything that needs doing for it must take precedence. Except that I have suddenly got more Conflux work because the hotel is finally ready to talk costs for the banquet. Except that there's a ton of housework to do, because of Passover (and I know, I should have done it already, but this week has been a tormented one - 6th week of the worst asthma I've had in two decades - whenever I do housework my breathing goes rapidly downhill, so I've done some but put off even more). Except that I've got crit comments on my committee novel and I have worked out their implications and can make it tick better and want to make it tick better and send it off. Except that the Beast looms and says "You know, writers are asking you about me - why aren't you doing anything about this?" And lots more. Lots of 'excepts.'
Some of them have to be dealt with on top of everything else, of course. If I can work cleverly enough, I might be able to pick some of the other 'excepts' up again in the next few weeks.
Today is all about working cleverly. I'm going through all my current dissertation and novel notes and sorting them and thinking them through and writing up as many as possible. This will only be about a third (maybe clearing 150 pieces of paper, maybe 200), because notes by themselves can't be written up - I need a context and an argument, or a context and a plot point (depending on what it's for), but I have that for a lot of scraps of paper. Once they're written up they can be filed.
I've already checked through them and wrote a big batch up last night, and have worked out that, when these are done, my novel will be ready for checking with my scientist friends (still missing most of one plotline, but this is not one the scientsits are involved in, so that's cool) and I'll be ready to clean up the next section of dissertation and novel for my supervisor, which I want to have done by early June at the latest.
In other words, if I do a long but clever day's work today, then I can focus on those 36 to-read books from tomorrow until ANZAC Day. I don't know how many 'excepts' this will allow me to cover. Maybe only the really forceful ones. It will, however, allow me to relax and take a couple of days off and still meet all my deadlines.
Speaking of which, tomorrow I'm going to post the last two forms from the impossibly form-filled fortnight. I'm also picking up two dozen books from the library. I was going to do it all today, but it's brisk outside and my breathing can't cope with cool air and carrying heavy things both at the same time. It's better than it has been, but I still have to take care. Tomorrow, early afternoon, then, I go for a walk and come back bearing books.
And if anyone wants me to fill in a form in the near future, they'd better have *excellent* reasons!
April 15, 2011
gillpolack @ 2011-04-15T21:40:00
Will I be in massive trouble if I compare thick description in works by Geertz, Dening et al. to info-dumping in some types of SF (the Big Ideas variety - I possibly should work out who I'm talking about - Baxter, maybe?)? I need to consider this deeply. I think it's just Evil Gillian peeking out. But it might actually be something I need to think about.
gillpolack @ 2011-04-15T16:10:00
So many things are finished today. I have 2/3 of a book to read and three emails to send and maybe 1500 words to write and one more form to send then I'm all finished. I have hot running water in my kitchen and so many flat surfaces are visible in my lounegroom that the place is unrecognisable. I've sourced the 36 books I will read over the next two weeks and pick up the first batch of them from the library tomorrow, when I post the last of those forms (until more forms appear - obviously this is something my life is full of). I've paid my tuition for the masterclass and read 20% of the reading list. I've sorted out bunches of stuff that has to happen over the next two weeks. It's amazing what asthma can do (I have to keep moving, otherwise I can't breath, and keeping moving gets things done).
One more form to fill (an email one) and then i can take a break.
One more form to fill (an email one) and then i can take a break.
April Australian Spec Fic Blog Carnival
The Carnival isn't yet over: http://eneit.livejournal.com/374599.html
Have a drink with Granny while you visit. She would be disappointed if you didn't. (You don't have to know Granny to have a drink with her - in fact, not knowing her is possibly an advantage.)
Have a drink with Granny while you visit. She would be disappointed if you didn't. (You don't have to know Granny to have a drink with her - in fact, not knowing her is possibly an advantage.)
April 14, 2011
gillpolack @ 2011-04-15T08:54:00
My kitchen tap is seriously ill. Again. This time it's terminal. The plumber has diagnosed and is costing the otpions. The cheap option will last three months, maybe six or even (if I'm lucky) nine, and will require the expensive option at the other end. The question is how expensive the expensive option is. Phonecalls are being made.
The problem is that the builder of the whole block of units (whose flat this was) did something quite special (good, at the time) with the taps. They other problem is that this was over forty years ago. The designs of the bit between the pipes and taps have changed and none of the handles and etc are compatible any longer. No-one is making the right shape part for the big and important and expensive bit (I had a name ten minutes ago, but it's not nine am yet and I am facing diagnosis without coffee.)
The new young plumber is good and quick. He has made his phonecall, sourced the part and says that the whole thing can be done today for about $200 less than we thought. No interim measures, just a proper fix. While he's off sourcing parts (I live round the corner from his supplier, which helps) I will make gainful use of the bathroom sink to wash the coffeepot and put on a big pot of coffee. We will both need it.
The problem is that the builder of the whole block of units (whose flat this was) did something quite special (good, at the time) with the taps. They other problem is that this was over forty years ago. The designs of the bit between the pipes and taps have changed and none of the handles and etc are compatible any longer. No-one is making the right shape part for the big and important and expensive bit (I had a name ten minutes ago, but it's not nine am yet and I am facing diagnosis without coffee.)
The new young plumber is good and quick. He has made his phonecall, sourced the part and says that the whole thing can be done today for about $200 less than we thought. No interim measures, just a proper fix. While he's off sourcing parts (I live round the corner from his supplier, which helps) I will make gainful use of the bathroom sink to wash the coffeepot and put on a big pot of coffee. We will both need it.
gillpolack @ 2011-04-15T08:22:00
I just realise that I paid for most of the SFF Criticism Masterclass out of money I was paid for SF criticism and interviews and reviews. It was the money already in my paypal account, you see.
gillpolack @ 2011-04-14T23:54:00
Now that I've almost finished my reading splurge, I can plan what I need to work through next. I have thirty-six books to read between now and May 4. Not even two books a day. A mere walk in the park.
Actually, it's not even that. it's not worth being impressed, quite honestly. At least half of these books are for me to check historical detail - I've looked at them before, but so many years ago that I can't be certain my memory is correct, and I'm not going to write, say, the value of a warhorse or the direction a cold wind comes from without checking it if I can (and I can't, always).
Writers sometimes find this aspect of my need for making a setting feel authentic to a reader when I edit them. If something strikes me as improbable for the time and place I ask "What's your source?" If they made it up for are going from a vague recollection of something heard somewhere, then I tend to suggest sources. I understand it can be quite annoying...
I'm fair, though, since I do this to myself. I'm doing it now, in fact. I don't always get it right, either (it's almost impossible to write fiction that's perfectly historically accurate, simply because of the nature of story), but I do the best I can. In this case, where the 'getting it right' includes my own specialist period, I'm double checking. As with Illuminations*, all errors ought to be strictly intentional.
*With Illuminations all errors and things occuring in the wrong time, wrong place, or wrong sequence were mainly done with intent to stir and I only got away with it because no-one actually knew there was an Evil Gillian at that point. I don't think there is a serious moment in that whole novel, when one looks below the surface. This is why I've avoided going to Medieval conferences. And now I'm giving a paper at one. Not a wise thing to do. My big hope is that not a single person at the IMC has read this novel or intends reading it and that only personal friends even know I am a fiction writer and that *they* think I only write my peculiar variant of suburban fantasy. A few of the Arthurian specialists know about it, because of Judy Shoaf's review, but they're thin on the ground at Leeds. I may survive this, yet. I keep saying this, don't I?
Actually, it's not even that. it's not worth being impressed, quite honestly. At least half of these books are for me to check historical detail - I've looked at them before, but so many years ago that I can't be certain my memory is correct, and I'm not going to write, say, the value of a warhorse or the direction a cold wind comes from without checking it if I can (and I can't, always).
Writers sometimes find this aspect of my need for making a setting feel authentic to a reader when I edit them. If something strikes me as improbable for the time and place I ask "What's your source?" If they made it up for are going from a vague recollection of something heard somewhere, then I tend to suggest sources. I understand it can be quite annoying...
I'm fair, though, since I do this to myself. I'm doing it now, in fact. I don't always get it right, either (it's almost impossible to write fiction that's perfectly historically accurate, simply because of the nature of story), but I do the best I can. In this case, where the 'getting it right' includes my own specialist period, I'm double checking. As with Illuminations*, all errors ought to be strictly intentional.
*With Illuminations all errors and things occuring in the wrong time, wrong place, or wrong sequence were mainly done with intent to stir and I only got away with it because no-one actually knew there was an Evil Gillian at that point. I don't think there is a serious moment in that whole novel, when one looks below the surface. This is why I've avoided going to Medieval conferences. And now I'm giving a paper at one. Not a wise thing to do. My big hope is that not a single person at the IMC has read this novel or intends reading it and that only personal friends even know I am a fiction writer and that *they* think I only write my peculiar variant of suburban fantasy. A few of the Arthurian specialists know about it, because of Judy Shoaf's review, but they're thin on the ground at Leeds. I may survive this, yet. I keep saying this, don't I?
gillpolack @ 2011-04-14T16:45:00
I just took a look at the shortlistings for the SJV (can I say 'NZ's Ditmar' without my NZ friends scolding me? let's see) and the thing that immediately impressed me is how far NZ spec fic writing has come recently. NZ has always had a few outstanding writers: it's the land that produced Margaret Mahy* and Elizabeth Knox. Now, however, it has so many that there are excellent books and short stories that *aren't* shortlisted - fans have choices and are making good use of them. May the number of NZ artists keep growing and may NZ keep producing terrific spec fic for us to enjoy!
I'm not going to tell you who I'd vote for if I had a vote, but I have to admit that I have distinct preferences - also that I'm totally chuffed at a good few of these nominations. Helen Lowe, Mary Victoria, Ross Temple, Simon Petrie, Lyn McConchie, Paul Haines, Frank Victoria and Simon Litten in particular. It's a good list from any direction, though. Good writers, good artists, seriously cool fans. There are only a couple of stories and books I've yet to read, and I'm looking forward to them.
*Kaitangata Twitch is up there - I lost the second half of the TV show due to teaching - I need to see the whole thing from beginning to end - this is just a note to myself, ignore it.
I'm not going to tell you who I'd vote for if I had a vote, but I have to admit that I have distinct preferences - also that I'm totally chuffed at a good few of these nominations. Helen Lowe, Mary Victoria, Ross Temple, Simon Petrie, Lyn McConchie, Paul Haines, Frank Victoria and Simon Litten in particular. It's a good list from any direction, though. Good writers, good artists, seriously cool fans. There are only a couple of stories and books I've yet to read, and I'm looking forward to them.
*Kaitangata Twitch is up there - I lost the second half of the TV show due to teaching - I need to see the whole thing from beginning to end - this is just a note to myself, ignore it.
Structuring work (very possibly a dull post)
Today is a bit messy.
First of all, I only just got power back. The ACEWAGL folk were very efficient, and we all got reconnected over an hour earlier than expected and outside there is a fine new power box and an even finer new pole for it to stand on, but still, my fridge is working overtime cooling down and my phone battery is dead. I've just made the three calls that suddenly became urgent and every single one of the three failed (ie the person wasn't there!).
Anyhow, I've spent most of today sitting in the dark, trying to work (the torch proved useless and the sun had was on the wrong side of the building) and waiting for people who never came and things that didn't happen. I had a high pain day yesterday (which was apparently very obvious by evening) and spent the morning in bed, willing my body to behave. It's now mostly behaving, which is good, and I'm about to make myself a nice pot of something hot to drink, because I haven't been able to do that all day and I feel that it will empower me (or rehydrate me, or simply make me very happy).
My freezer is perfectly Passover-ready. In fact, it's worryingly empty. This ought to be an achievement, but really, it's not something I'm comfortable with. I'm going to crock-pot a chicken and vegie dish to reassure myself. And next week I'm going to make lots of chicken and beef stock, for further reassurance.
I've read one and a bit books of my two books for today, which isn't bad under the circumstances. I've worked out what chapter five of my dissertation is actually going to do (argument-wise) and done a considerable amount of structuring. This means I know what research goes into Chapter Five and can actually sit down with all my notes and make sense of them for the dissertation as a whole. More paper to sort. Possibly tomorrow. Or maybe even tonight.
The dissertation is another front one which things were too messy. The method that works for my preivous disipline doesn't quite work so well for my new one. It's a matter of thinking things through and adjusting and trying not to do all the work twice from two entirely different directions or take idiot shortcuts. Although it would be fun to have two dissertations - one written as each of those aspects of myself. Fun, but not something that would work in the time I have, alas.
There's so much blocking out and considering and structuring to be done for July. There's also the normal amount of PhD I had planned to finish by the end of June if I want to submit on time. These are two two chief reasons I'm so furiously finishing reviews and articles and why my reading plan is so voracious. I needed to clear the non-teaching time.
Non-teaching time starts now and continues until the first Wednesday in May. It's my last quiet time until I leave, so I really need to make the most of it. And this is the other reason's today's messy. I've had to face the sad truth that, while I've done a LOT these last few weeks, I haven't done enough. Eight more articles, several more reviews and I would be there. But I'm not.
I'm making some tactical decisions. Firstly, I'll finish one Horrorscope review and get it off. Then the last batch for them can be done during the next teaching period. If I write it up today, then at least I'll get teaching-free-zone-minus-today free of reviews.
Secondly, I have all the material for the eight articles, but haven't read it all. I have, in fact, only read two books and have at least seven to go. Not my fault, in this case - most of them arrived very recently - even reading at double the pace wouldn't have saved me. I'll keep going with the interviews, but leave the essays on books until teaching starts again. This means I'll be back on two books a day in early May, but it also means that I can work more efficiently on my dissertation and reach an important stage with the novel (the stage when I can start technical checks on the non-Medieval stuff and also give the next section to my supervisor).
All very exciting? Possibly not. It does mean, however, that my lounge room/work area has slightly more than a snowball's chance in hell of being respectable by Monday. And that I will be a much happier vegemite for the next fortnight, because writing makes me happy and thinking amkes me happy and I shall have lots of both. Also, I have electricty. Electricity is a good thing.
First of all, I only just got power back. The ACEWAGL folk were very efficient, and we all got reconnected over an hour earlier than expected and outside there is a fine new power box and an even finer new pole for it to stand on, but still, my fridge is working overtime cooling down and my phone battery is dead. I've just made the three calls that suddenly became urgent and every single one of the three failed (ie the person wasn't there!).
Anyhow, I've spent most of today sitting in the dark, trying to work (the torch proved useless and the sun had was on the wrong side of the building) and waiting for people who never came and things that didn't happen. I had a high pain day yesterday (which was apparently very obvious by evening) and spent the morning in bed, willing my body to behave. It's now mostly behaving, which is good, and I'm about to make myself a nice pot of something hot to drink, because I haven't been able to do that all day and I feel that it will empower me (or rehydrate me, or simply make me very happy).
My freezer is perfectly Passover-ready. In fact, it's worryingly empty. This ought to be an achievement, but really, it's not something I'm comfortable with. I'm going to crock-pot a chicken and vegie dish to reassure myself. And next week I'm going to make lots of chicken and beef stock, for further reassurance.
I've read one and a bit books of my two books for today, which isn't bad under the circumstances. I've worked out what chapter five of my dissertation is actually going to do (argument-wise) and done a considerable amount of structuring. This means I know what research goes into Chapter Five and can actually sit down with all my notes and make sense of them for the dissertation as a whole. More paper to sort. Possibly tomorrow. Or maybe even tonight.
The dissertation is another front one which things were too messy. The method that works for my preivous disipline doesn't quite work so well for my new one. It's a matter of thinking things through and adjusting and trying not to do all the work twice from two entirely different directions or take idiot shortcuts. Although it would be fun to have two dissertations - one written as each of those aspects of myself. Fun, but not something that would work in the time I have, alas.
There's so much blocking out and considering and structuring to be done for July. There's also the normal amount of PhD I had planned to finish by the end of June if I want to submit on time. These are two two chief reasons I'm so furiously finishing reviews and articles and why my reading plan is so voracious. I needed to clear the non-teaching time.
Non-teaching time starts now and continues until the first Wednesday in May. It's my last quiet time until I leave, so I really need to make the most of it. And this is the other reason's today's messy. I've had to face the sad truth that, while I've done a LOT these last few weeks, I haven't done enough. Eight more articles, several more reviews and I would be there. But I'm not.
I'm making some tactical decisions. Firstly, I'll finish one Horrorscope review and get it off. Then the last batch for them can be done during the next teaching period. If I write it up today, then at least I'll get teaching-free-zone-minus-today free of reviews.
Secondly, I have all the material for the eight articles, but haven't read it all. I have, in fact, only read two books and have at least seven to go. Not my fault, in this case - most of them arrived very recently - even reading at double the pace wouldn't have saved me. I'll keep going with the interviews, but leave the essays on books until teaching starts again. This means I'll be back on two books a day in early May, but it also means that I can work more efficiently on my dissertation and reach an important stage with the novel (the stage when I can start technical checks on the non-Medieval stuff and also give the next section to my supervisor).
All very exciting? Possibly not. It does mean, however, that my lounge room/work area has slightly more than a snowball's chance in hell of being respectable by Monday. And that I will be a much happier vegemite for the next fortnight, because writing makes me happy and thinking amkes me happy and I shall have lots of both. Also, I have electricty. Electricity is a good thing.
April 13, 2011
gillpolack @ 2011-04-13T18:36:00
Never make jokes about forms. Ever. They will have their revenge.
All i did was pick up the last completely unsorted pile of paper. Two more forms. Due Friday.
All i did was pick up the last completely unsorted pile of paper. Two more forms. Due Friday.
