turtle

So I’ve signed up at NaNoEdMo (National Novel Editing Month) to revise BLANCHEFLEUR in March, have to log 50 hours of edit time. BLANCHEFLEUR, formerly titled TAKEN, is my 2008 NaNoWriMo novel. The first draft is a rough 50,000 words. I expect I’m going to spend March crawling through the edit and trying to keep my wits about me. Here’s hoping it goes well.

Forgot my Friday Report on Friday–

• Completed revision of Chapter 2 of BLANCHEFLEUR, wrote 6 additional pages to finish the “First Night” scene.
• Prepared January’s short story, BREATH OF THE GRAVE, for submission, but didn’t send it yet, have a few minor edits to do.

Yesterday I read the opening of Chapter 5 of SWEET TABOO at Wee Fictionaires. Not back to working on that yet, but want to keep it in mind.

Despite Friday night’s heavy rainfall, Saturday was beautifully sunny. I can see the wind ruffling through the trees this morning, the sky has that pale, moody look. Have to get some writing work done this morning, then I’m off to see SHUTTER ISLAND with a friend this afternoon. I’ve already figured out the twist from watching the previews, but Leonardo DiCaprio is always a treat to watch.

thirteen days

It’s been 13 days since I wrote a word on Sweet Taboo. That last scene, 1,222 words, has been lingering like the last leaf on the tree.

For the past two weeks my thoughts about how to go on have been scurrying around, running into that wood wall, bouncing off, scrambling up, running into it again, bouncing off again–same bat time, same bat place. But this morning, round about 4:30 a.m., a little voice said if you get your lazy butt out of bed, the words will come. And they did; 322 of them, one at a time. Glory be. Don’t know where they’ve been for the past 13 days.

Three Heartbeats, a short story I finished last year, is nearly ready to go out the door. I’ve found a place to send it. Now all I have to do is actually send it. We’ll see how that goes–the little voice says send it out this week.

I’m so close to the end of Sweet Taboo.

Sunny weekend–so nice to see sun brightening the sky after days and days of rain. Went to see LEGION. Liked it, despite its flaws. Won’t mind seeing it again. Looking forward to the sequel, ’cause yeah, there will be one, and even flawed movies about militant angels and the like (vampires) get my attention.

suite

Balmy weather yesterday, felt like a day in early summer. Went to see DAYBREAKERS, liked it, think the story was given too short an execution for its premise: an unknown plague has transformed the world’s population into vampires  and the human race is threatened with extinction.

At one hour and thirty-eight minutes run time, the movie rushed toward its conclusion, the plot twists somewhat startling. Good tension and one particularly amazing sequence that should’ve had a more profound affect on the plot than was expressed in the visual narrative, oh, I’m forgetting, there was one other amazing sequence too.

Good performances by Ethan Hawke  and Sam Neill, and the ever-interesting Willem Dafoe. I give it a 7, plan to see it again ’cause the end left me feeling like I’d missed something, however, I will add it to my growing collection of vampire films when the dvd hits the market.

Yesterday went by like smoke on the wind, and I didn’t work on Sweet Taboo, although I did get something done for A Lamentation of Swans, but I completely forgot I was going to submit Auno’s Widow to another market. No new pages at all on January short story #1.

Today I must start the Olivewood Cemetery scene for Sweet Taboo, and I plan to see AVATAR in 3D, saw it in 2D already. Don’t want today going up in smoke so I better get to work.

why is that?

Reading a review of the movie, SHERLOCK HOLMES, which I loved by the way, I noted a comment by the writer about the homoerotic vibe between the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. This set me to thinking about how often I see this particular comment any time two charismatic male characters share a strong and affectionate friendship. Is it possible for such characters, portrayed as they are, to have such a friendship without hint of homoeroticism? I’m beginning to wonder.

Both characters are charismatic, both passionate about what matters to them, both bear respect and affection (normal qualities in any friendship) for each other, and both are clearly heterosexual. I think it’s the “respect and affection” qualities that give rise to homoerotic speculation, mis-coloring the psychologically masculine characterizations.

Over time culture and society changes—a long, slow process–and as social change takes place, as cultural philosophies alter to absorb new psychologies, people tend to forget the value of some qualities that are a part of human nature.

We decry the loss of courtesy and consideration toward one another, we know that naivety can land you in serious trouble (and that’s a constant), we recognize that like gender can attract like gender, and we try to cherish our friendships because people, afterall, need each other, but we forget that past cultures like the Victorian were more emotionally demonstrative even within the repressive confines of the society.

The friendship displayed between Holmes and Watson in SHERLOCK HOLMES is like that of two brothers, like that of two men who simply care about each other. I don’t see a reason why that cannot be normal too.

in the pink

Crown Anemone, Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale

The lovely long weekend is drawing to a close. I spent today writing the first chapter of A Haunting of Roses, a fantasy novel set in Angharad, like A Lamentation of Swans. I’m not sure how long this novel will be, but I’m aiming for 75,000 words; it may be longer or shorter. I started on it early this morning, paused to take the garbage out, and discovered it was a beautiful warm day outside–so I took a walk up to the bluff and sat and stared at the ocean for a while. The breezes were warm, sweetly scented from the dried weeds and grasses on the bluff and the sea was glazed with a hard shimmer of late afternoon sunshine. I walked back home and went back to work on the novel for a while longer.

Last week I watched my STAR TREK dvd, enjoyed it all over again. What a great movie–a terrific reset to my all time, #1 favorite TV series (the original). Saw NEW MOON again over the holiday weekend, and enjoyed it very much. It’s a better done film than TWILIGHT, although I liked TWILIGHT, I felt the story could’ve been better developed. I’m looking forward to ECLIPSE, which opens next June.

I’m not looking forward to the start of the work week and the zombie run, but I’ll be busy in the early hours of the morning working on A Haunting of Roses–a good start to my day.

like water through a sieve

The Danaides, John William Waterhouse

This week a wasted week as far as writing anything. I did nothing all week despite last week’s plan. The days slipped through me like water through a sieve.

Saw an early screening of STAR TREK, courtesy of a friend’s pass, loved it. Won’t say anything now ’cause my friend Michelle reads this blog and she has not seen it ’cause it opens today. Seeing the movie was the highlight of this wasted week.

too much fun!

13,119, A Lamentation of Swans. What I did for fun in 2008:

Books Read

• Bel Canto, Ann Patchett
• The Dive from Clausen’s Pier, Ann Packer
• Inferno, ed. Ellen Datlow
• Veronica, Mary Gaitskill
• Plainsong, Kent Haruf
• Throne of Jade, Naomi Novik
• Working for the Devil, Lilith Saintcrow
• Dead Man Rising, Lilith Saintcrow
• The Devil’s Right Hand, Lilith Saintcrow
• Saint City Sinners, Lilith Saintcrow
• The Butcher’s Boy, Thomas Perry
• The Smartest Guys in the Room
• Parasite Rex
• Cocaine Chronicles, ed. Gary Phillips and Jervey Tervalon
• Saint-Germain Chronicles, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
• A Dangerous Climate, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
• Midnight Harvest, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
• Twilight, Stephanie Meyer
• New Moon, Stephanie Meyer
• Eclipse, Stephanie Meyer
• Clockwork Phoenix, ed. Mike Allen
• Beast of Desire, Lisa Renee Jones
• Betrayals, Janet Quinn

Movies Seen

• Twilight
• Burn After Reading
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Dark Knight
• Quantum of Solace
• The Bourne Ultimatum
• Prince Caspian
• Wanted
• Brideshead Revisited
• Michael Clayton (Netflix)
• Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (Netflix)
• Perfect Creature (Netflix)
• The Guardian (Netflix) (Ick!)
• In Bruges (Netflix)
• Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (Netflix) (delightful)
• Shoot ‘Em Up (Netflix)
• Mrs. Brown, Queen Victoria (Netflix)
• An Ideal Husband (Netflix)
• 30 Days of Night (Netflix)

Favorite Stuff of 2008

Favorite Movie: Twilight. (I just loved it! Loved it, I say!)

Favorite Book: Twilight (I’m going to read it again.)

Favorite Movie Sequence: vampire baseball in Twilight

Favorite Vampire: Edward Cullen (Don’t worry, Saint-Germain. There’s still room for you. Oh yeah, and you too Jean-Claude, and Asher; Oh yes, and Angel. Okay–so it’s hard for me to pick a favorite, favorite vampire.  I love ’em all. Y’all have to share, okay?)

Favorite Superhero: Batman

Favorite Anti-hero: James Bond (‘Though Jason Bourne runs a close second.)

Favorite Actor: It’s a tie between Christian Bale and Daniel Craig.

Favorite TV Show via Netflix: Supernatural

Favorite Heroes: Dean and Sam

Favorite dvd discoveries: Rome; The Tudors

i can hardly wait…quantum of solace

 

I’ve worn a groove in CASINO ROYALE.

avenue of escape

 

Idle Hours, Henry Siddons Mowbray

38,536/Loose Daddy. If the storm clouds quit crying over So Cal today, I may make it to my monthly writer’s lunch meeting with Janet. Otherwise, I’ll stay home and spend some time with Sweet Taboo. Randall and Deidre are looking at me like I killed their cat. (They don’t even own a cat!)

Going through the files this morning, looking for a folder I could re-use, I found my children’s picturebook story, Lady Moon. This one went off to an editor at HarperCollins in 2004. She gave me a wonderful critique and thought the story lent itself well to illustration. So, I’m going to revise it and send it out again as soon as I find another market.

Also, I have to write an introduction to my e-mail interview with my friend Janet Cornelow who writes paranormal, fantasy and historical romance as Janet Quinn. So…coming soon. 

The long weekend’s here! Yay! Sunday is Spa Day! And I plan to see PRINCE CASPIAN, IRONMAN,  and INDIANA JONES AND THE CRYSTAL SKULL. Somehow, I’m going to fit them all in.

janus

Day Dream, Dante Gabriel Rossetti 

I’m settling in here, learning the tools–something of an adventure since I’m not very tech-savvy. Guess I ought to link back to pendrifter at Blogger since I’ve got two years of posts there, and I’m thinking I ought to import them here, but I’ve not decided about that. So for anyone whose interested, and there’s lots of lovely art there, I’ve placed a link for the old pendrifter in the blogroll.

I want this blog to be more interesting as a writer’s journal, but don’t know what to do about making it so. Will have to give it some thought. I love this template, especially the large inkpen.

I’m nearly finished with Francine Prose’s Reading Like A Writer: A Guide For People Who Love Books And For Those Who Want To Write Them. Inspirational and informative, it’s given me plenty to think about in composing A Lamentation of Swans. Speaking of my ever-present, recalcitrant WIP, it’s time to get back to it, time to face the great white sea and return to the harvesting of words, phrases, sentences, chapters, the gathering of narrative.

Caitlin Kiernan’s Daughter of Hounds arrived yesterday. Can’t wait to start reading it; it’s going to be my weekend treat. I’ve got a growing collection of her work. I’m fascinated by the way she writes–her narrative pacing and the way her writing connects word to word, conveying so much more than what is actually on the page. There are stories hiding within stories in her fiction. She’s a writer whom I read and re-read.

I’ve decided to continue writing A Lamentation of Swans by hand, but I’m also considering purchasing Alphasmart’s Neo.  I like the idea of an Alphasmart ’cause it’s compact, easier to carry with me than the Mac, and I can’t do the Internet. But  with paper and pen, I feel less stress. When I’m staring at the computer screen, I feel like I ought to be writing, typing, something, anything, but with paper and pen, I can sit and stare and think without feeling like I’m doing a lousy job of it.

Anyway, time’s passing, and the story’s calling, but first,  my favorite films of 2006…

The Prestige

The Departed

Blood Diamond

A Scanner Darkly

Casino Royale

Dreamgirls

The Queen

Children of Men

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

Stranger Than Fiction