Climbing Plot Mountain

4:40pm: E-Books and the Agency Model
I don't know about you, but I was not particularly enlightened by the information flowing about most (I think?) of the nation's major publishers having switched to an "agency model" for pricing of e-books. (The kerfuffle started when Amazon decided to pressure publishing house MacMillan for not cooperating in Amazon's rights grab for e-books by terminating MacMillan books sold on its site such that you could buy them at the Amazon site, but not from Amazon, and escalated from there.)

I noticed today that Teresa Neilsen Hayden has explicated the "agency model" thing in words even I can understand, here at her and husband Patrick Neilsen Hayden's website, Making Light: http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/012168.html#012168

So now, if you were confused, too, you know where to go to make sense of it all.

10:13am: What goes Bang-Chunk-Groan?
People digging out their driveways for the second damned time in eight days, of course.

Okay, New Englanders, who wished for less snow this winter? I want you to take it back right now. Snowpocalypse is fun once a year. We've gotten more snow this year than New York, for dog's sake, and enough is enough.

***

Would you believe I've lately been trying to research the species of birds that might have migrated across Spain in the early 1700s in such numbers that a colonial-born Spaniard would know about the migration and be able to reference it? (I don't have an answer yet, so if you do, please feel free to chime in.) This is further research for the Bells book, of course.

The other thing I've been doing, writing-wise, is ponder the impact I want this book to have, emotionally, on the reader, and figuring out what to do to make that happen. It occurred to me last night that this is the first book I've written where I really know, in actual words and phrases, what the book is about. That's kind of startling - not that it's the first, but that I actually know what it's about. I'm not a writer who writes from outlines; what hits the page is what occurred to me when I got to that point on the page, not before.

Now, whether I manage to pull off the stunt of getting the book to resemble what I want it to say is anyone's guess. Let's just say I intend to work really hard to push it in that direction.

***

And what is it with this habit of writing winter scenes in summer and vice versa? Anyone else find themselves falling into this?

***

Thanks to snowpocalypses #1 and #2, my freezer's full of baked goods. There's at least four different loaves of bread out there: lemon poppyseed (what else are you going to do when your lovely little lemon tree gives you five lemons in a single year?) and cranberry orange batter breads and the second of the two white sandwich loaves I baked up yesterday. I had plans to work up another batch of yeast dough to make cinnamon rolls if work had turned out to be off today. Alas, my mixer is saved for the moment.

There'll be no starving during a snowpocalypse on my watch. *g*

***

In case you have not yet discovered it, there's a magical, novel experiment in progress over at http://www.shadowunit.org/. On Saturday, they posted the first episode for 2010 - an entire freaking novel, folks - and it's awesome. Slip over there, read some of the back episodes from the previous two years, and sink into the alternate reality that is Shadow Unit.

12:50pm: A pox on your descendants!
We'd sat down in the living room and made ourselves comfortable, tucked up with the dogs and beverages and snacks. TV remote was near at hand, ready to go. Clock said 9PM. TV announced that the new episode of Criminal Minds was on next...

...and then the station switched us to a basketball game.

WTF, CBS affiliate WTVR?

3:23pm: Aw, damn.
When I was in college, I had the opportunity to travel from Orlando to Tampa to hear Andres Segovia play. It was very, very late in his career. I guessed at the time that I might not get another chance to hear the man I still hold was the greatest guitar player ever. To raise the money for gas, however, would have been hard. I passed on the opportunity. I was right; he died not long thereafter.

When I realized that Roger Zelazny's writing really meant something to me, the man was still alive. I could have written to him - actually considered doing so - but as things usually happen, I got busy and forgot. When I heard about his death, I was struck by remorse that I hadn't taken the time to let him know how much of a difference his work had made for me.

You see the trend, right?

Well, today, I made the time.

***

Kage Baker, author of the Company novels and lots of really terrific short fiction and other novels, is dying. Tor.com has details here: http://syndicated.livejournal.com/tordotcom/509664.html; basically, she's not expected to last six months. Her friends have offered to read notes and expressions of appreciation to her--but, in order for them to read those words, you have to take the time to write them.

You can email to: materkb [at] gmail [dot] com

or write longhand to: Kage Baker 331 Stimson, Apt. B, Pismo Beach CA 93449.

If she made a difference for you, now is the time to let her know.

4:32pm: Spanish etymology - help?
I need some help working out the title by which a ca. 1720 master craftsman (a bell-maker) would have been known, both to his clients and to his apprentices. I have been suggested, by various online sources, the term "maestro," but that carries baggage I'd rather avoid. I've also noted "alarife," which appears to connote "architect" or "master builder." This is closer, but I'm hoping there's something in between those two terms. If you can lend a hand with the etymology, I'll be very grateful (to the tune of a bar of Green & Black chocolate, variety your choice)!

For that matter, if you happen to be comfortable discussing the social classes in the Spain of the time, I'd love to talk with you.

***

Above, of course, means that I'm working on the rewrite and fleshing out of Bells, which book needs a better title. (Now, that would be a good use of my down time. Must remember to work on this.) The first chapter took a bit of effort to get them to match where the novel ended up.

The library ILL desk will see my face this weekend. I have a list of books I need to request. Surprisingly, there were three on my list that are already available locally.

9:10pm: Back to the grind
And it's back to work tomorrow, for the first full week in something like a month. I'm pretty sure that I'll be wanting another day off before we hit Friday. *g*

I did manage to get into the rewrite of Bells at long last this weekend. And I got some baking done - the house smells of lemon poppyseed bread, regular white yeast bread, roast chicken. Two loaves to the freezer, one to toast for the rest of this week, the fourth to work to share there (or I shall look like a blimp).

Kay will no doubt give me sad eyes all morning as I go through the familiar routine of getting ready for work. Little does she know I'd really rather be home with her. I expect a rough, deadline-packed day.

***

Looks like I have another spate of research ahead of me. I left a lot of blanks in Bells on that first hurried draft via novel_in_90 that now have to be filled in. I want the details for this one to be right so, as I did with the pirate novel, Satisfaction, I'll be headed for the reference librarian to engage the InterLibrary Loan program. A lot of the books I have on my current want list are university publications. I suspect the only way to get them will be via ILL.

3:52pm: What say you, Interwebs?
Posit: faith is submission.

Discuss.

(Yes, this is pertinent, and I do want others' opinions on the subject, preferably those of people who consider themselves to have religious faith.)

1:10pm: December wrap-up
This illustrated map of the Middle East (roughly) and the groups who historically have controlled portions thereof is too cool not to propagate further:

http://www.mapsofwar.com/images/EMPIRE17.swf

(As is pointed out in comments below, it's an overly simplistic version of who owned what. Nevertheless, being a visual creature, I find the summarization intriguing, and trust you will do so, as well.)

***

As might be guessed, I'm home from my long travels away for the holidays and done with the enormous work backlog caused by courts who want to clear their dockets for the holidays by ordering responses in their active caseloads. December is one of those months I'm always happy to see the back of. So much expectation, so many deadlines and obligations to juggle! Add in a seriously ill family member, a historical snowfall on the eve of the holiday journey to the parents', and a massive sinus headache that just would not die, and you have an idea what this month has been like around here.

Needless to say, I've not been particularly productive on the writing front. Good thing I declared December mental vacation time. *g*

There have been books read. There have been books begun and ditched for lack of character identification (just could not seem to care enough to bother finishing, though I tried twice with one of them). There have even been books added to the "must obtain a copy for myself" list. I tried valiantly to introduce myself to new works, rather than wallow in the comfortable re-reads that cushion me when my brain is just too crispy or traumatized to function on anything but the most basic levels, and I think with that goal I've succeeded.

Beginning in January, I expect to be back to the writing, this time working on the second draft for Bells - this should be the theme-and-foreshadowing pass. One of the effects of writing for word count (this novel was written using novel_in_90's 750-words-a-day goal) is that I did not have time to rein in my subconscious, and so I'm having to seriously think about some of the issues that rose to the surface, issues I was aware lurked down there but hadn't really explored otherwise. I want to do justice to this book. I also want to get the draft done and sent off to the Lovely Agent. I worry that the two goals are not compatible.

Ah, well. One does what one can with the time one has to work in.

***

I mentioned above an effect of participating in novel_in_90. Another effect, very noticeable to me, is an astonishing unguided focus on plot. Bells and its sibling, the unfinished pirate novel Satisfaction, both unabashedly laid down plot point after plot point without any forethought on my part. I cheered! Not for nothing is this blog called Climbing Plot Mountain; I swear, the longer I work at this writing thing, the taller that damned mountain seems to grow. (There's a Zelazny short story about the tallest mountain in the known universe and the urge to climb it, and what one might find at the top, that lingers in my memory. Let's just say that I don't expect to find Paradise when I reach the summit.)

Of course, while the plot point blind navigation thing worked for Bells (at least I think it did), Satisfaction lingers unfinished precisely because it ran itself aground on uncharted plot and I haven't figured out yet how to drag it off. Josh pokes at me from time to time. I haven't forgotten him or his friends, and I will resolve the problem...someday. Just not today.

I understand that novel_in_90 is beginning a new round come January 1. Allow me to highly recommend the exercise, whether or not you think you can write to that sort of word count demand. I didn't think I could, either. It's amazing what I learn when I stop fighting myself. *g*

3:24pm: Oh, for dog's sake
Dr. Peter Watts, Canadian SF writer, was stopped at the Port Huron (US) border crossing into Canada. He was beaten, Maced, and arrested for asking a question and then asking it again when the border guards refused to answer the first time.

Think it couldn’t happen to you? Guess again.

BoingBoing on the incident: http://www.boingboing.net/2009/12/11/dr-peter-watts-canad.html

Making Light’s page on the events, including further links: http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/011966.html

Needless to say, Watts needs defense funds, because he – like you and I, if we don’t want to live in a police state – must object when government oversteps its bounds. If you’ve got it to contribute, please do in the name of justice and human rights (and what's left of our personal freedoms). Contributions can be sent via PayPal to donate@rifters.com.

8:31am: Hippo Birdie!
Happy birthday to stillnotbored - I hope you find lots of cabana boys lurking in the corners of the fabric aisles!

8:29pm: Brilliance
Here, have a helping of the true colors of autumn in Virginia in all their brilliance:



Those are Zelkova, Liriodendron (tulip poplar), Acer (maple), Viburnum, and Prunus (cherry). Needless to say, it's been an absolutely stunning autumn - see my Flickr page for further examples.

***

I went to the library today. It had been so long since I felt like I had enough free time to read that my card had expired. *g* Nice librarian lady got me reactivated without a hitch.

Based on a review in Realms of Fantasy, I picked up Joe Abercrombie's debut novel, The Sword Itself a few weeks back. I finished that last week. Verdict: odd, in that it's really, really hard to figure out who you're supposed to root for, but I can definitely see why this novel got chosen for his first. I'll probably pick up the second book, which is out now, if I remember correctly. I want to see what happens to the people I decided I cared about. *g*

Currently on my desk is The Watchmen, which looked intriguing in the book club flyer. I'm not a big fan of comics and superheroes, so getting used to the format is uphill work for me, but thus far I haven't put it on the Not For Me pile. (I have to admit that the banner on the cover announcing it won a Hugo is helping a lot with that decision.) I now also have waiting for me a new (?) Arturo Perez Reverte/Captain Alatriste novel, Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate, Jim Grimsley's Comfort and Joy (a perennial re-read at this time of year, and I think it's about time I chase down a copy for myself) and a novel by an author I used to read so I can see if hir writing has improved or if s/he is still on my Don't Bother list. The odds on escaping the DB list are long in this case.

Help me out here: what would you recommend that's come out in the past couple of years, while I've been head down in novels? What have you read and enjoyed? Here's your chance to plug the favorite that no one else seems to have heard of.

(That I've moved from comfort re-reads to new stuff is a good sign. My poor brain cells are so crispy.)

***

Coupled with the ability to read new stuff is the realization that I need new music. I've bought six new albums in the past week. If you like melancholy atmospheric stuff, allow me to recommend Air's album Pocket Symphony, which had been on my Amazon wish list for a long while based on airplay on Radio Paradise. (Yay for Radio Paradise!) I've also rediscovered a couple of REM albums that I have but never put on my computer and so have not received any play in probably six years. The album called Chants, Hymns and Dances by Anja Lechner and Vassilis Tsabropoulos has also proven listenable. I'm hopeful for the Mari Boine disc, once I get around to giving it some air time at home where I can turn it up (rather than at my dayjob, where one does not raise the volume).

10:47am: Happy birthday!
Best wishes to retrobabble! May the celebration last all year.

4:52pm: ::whew::
There. Kith and Kin, the rewrite thereof, is finished. A nice, clean version of the novel exists for sharing, so now's the time to speak up if you're inclined to read it. Canum would be pleased to make your acquaintance.

This is the second book in the series; the first book is with the agent, looking for work. I'm hoping that the lack of a follow-on novel is what stalled possible sales, and so the completion of Kith is a big deal for me. That, and I'm just plain tired of rewriting.

Oh, man, am I tired.

***

I also managed to get that flu shot on Wednesday afternoon by standing in line for two and a half hours to ensure I'd be one of the 1,000 people they had vaccine doses for. Well, I was sitting in line; knowing it would be a long wait, I brought a chair, my lunch, a bottle of water, and a book. (Elizabeth Bear's Carnival, probably my favorite of hers to date.) As with the regular seasonal flu shot I got in early October, this one has resulted in my neck being a little stiffer than usual, so I've been taking Tylenol and ice cream to remedy that. *g*

***

And now I have time to read. A trip to the bookstore is warranted, as several new books have come out recently that I've been wanting to read but could not, on account of (a) focusing on the rewrite and (b) tired. (That originally came out "ired," which fits, as does "mired.")

What have you read recently that you liked?

***

Here, have some seasonal color:



That photo was actually taken a couple of years ago, but it's pretty enough to be a keeper. If you like colorful leaves, you might want to check out the viburnum photo, too.

8:49pm: Wanted: a few good readers
I expect to wrap up the final handful of items in this rewrite of Kith and Kin before the end of the week, and I could use some eyes on the changes I've made. My primary concern is continuity and tone - I can promise a clean draft.

If you think you'd like to read this second book in the Canum 'verse, please speak up! I need some readers. I'll be happy to reciprocate.

9:01am: Flu shots
This week, I'm home on staycation, hoping to wrap up the spackling on Kith.

In addition, I'm hoping to get my H1N1 flu shot; I'm in what is normally considered a higher risk category as a result of chronic illness. What I'm finding, however, is that where vaccine is available, it's not being generally offered. My local health district is limiting the vaccine they have to pregnant women. The City of Richmond health district refers you to a specific coordinator, whose voice mail informs callers that they're taking appointments for higher risk people to get the H1N1 shot...but the voice mailbox is full. The person who gave me the number suggested it might be.

The state employees health group, into which I fall, initially said they expected vaccinations for state employees to begin in mid November. I find that unlikely.

I suppose for the moment I'll take comfort in knowing these limitations are being imposed because, for this particular type of flu, I'm not at the highest risk. I've already gotten my seasonal flu shot. But I'd really rather get the H1N1 shot.

Ah, well. An hour of the morning blown. Time to get at it.

2:48pm: For the visual amongst us
...as well as for the easily amused, I suppose; I forget how much I enjoy these, even while I cringe at the words that unintentionally get the largest font...such as Back, Like, and the ever-appearing One. *g*

3:12pm: Preference check: (a) Stone Dog, (b) Stone Boar (a/k/a Stoned Hog? Stone Bore?)

Details: tavern in a fairly large city set upon a stony plateau alongside a big river, athwart the major trade route from north to south. As I am not known for my humorous writing, it's safe to assume this is a dramatic novel in tone. *g* It's not a major setting, but who knows if I'll get to use it later, and it ought to be interesting if I can make it happen, yes?

I'm currently going with Stone Dog, but am willing to be persuaded otherwise.

***

The lemon tree has managed to escape indoor confinement for the past couple of days since it was sunny and in the 70s and 80s, but it's back indoors after tonight. Many of the back deck plants traveled to my office windows a week ago, since those south-facing stretches of glass effectively triple my plant overwintering capability without turning my dining room (with its south-facing sliding glass door) into a jungle.

(And which of us don't have memories of childhood homes turning into jungles over the winter? Tell me that isn't just me and my mom.)

***

I'm happy to report--late, but it's been a bitch of a couple of weeks--that staycation did indeed result in a finished draft in the sense that all of the structural changes to Kith got made. I'm now well into the next pass, where I fix all of the remaining "notes to self" patches that were only roughed in, if that, in the previous pass.

I'd have liked to have this rewrite done by now. Just assume the above comment about bitch of a week applies to the entire year to date, and you'll have an idea why that hasn't occurred. (Sorry, Lovely Agent.) Nevertheless, I am so very close to being able to prep a clean draft and figure out just how many pages this thing actually has grown to. My habit is to leave my notes in my draft, color-coding for their status (yellow for needs attention, green for handled, blue for really important to remember or really cool idea), and thus my current draft is bloated with rainbows.

I need to keep reminding myself, however, that the all but cover to cover rewrite of Break, the novel immediately following Kith in the linear sequence of this series, took eight very long months and I was about ready to die when I finally wrapped up that work. I don't need to be that exhausted with this one. November will be eight months, so really, I'm not doing all that bad. I just want to be done….

/whine

***

This weekend is the local highland games and celtic festival. (http://www.richmondceltic.com/) Hopefully, if the storm system about to overtake the eastern seaboard doesn’t arrive until late on Saturday, we’ll get a chance to attend. Maybe I’ll even get a chance to dress up (as such things apply to me)! It’s certainly as close as I’ll get to a Halloween costume party.

***

And now, nose back to the workaday grindstone. Have a great weekend, folks!

4:43pm: Coolness
This is too cool not to propagate further:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLwFKAzOO1w&feature=player_embedded

It's a two minute animated short with plot, by dog, and worth the time. (Besides, the animation's beautiful.)

***

This is just to note that early October up in the Blue Ridge Mountains gets damned cool, especially in the mornings, but the crispness of the air is worth it.

And also to note that I need a better pillow.

***

Would you believe that, as of this morning, my staycation effort to press forward on this unending rewrite has moved me inside of 50 pages from the end of Kith and Kin? It's amazing what a little peace and quiet, without impinging deadlines, can do for one's output.

I wonder if it's too optimistic to think I might finish it up this week?

Let's just see. *g*

12:06pm: Salutations!
And big happy birthday wishes to cpolk!

1:46pm: Hippo Birdie!
Please join me in wishing matociquala a very happy birthday!

7:25pm: Arrrrrgh!
I almost missed it! My day has mostly been spent outdoors, and I only just read LJ to be reminded that it's International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Woot!

I mean, Arrrrr!

I'll let Josh talk for me:

***

Midway through the process, the noise from on deck increased. Josh reached for a grip on the nearest cabinet when the ship tilted beneath his feet. Canvas boomed as it filled. The sweltering heat eased a bit with the movement of fresh air through the passageway outside the locker's door. Davy stood in the doorway, his attention stolen by his mates' labors.

Josh cleared his throat. "I said, Rosmarinus officinalis. That's rosemary."

The boy stared, mouth agape. "That merchantman's gonna pitch right over if her crew don't mind their sails better'n that."

Josh leaned closer. "Rosemary!"

Davy jerked. His head snapped back toward Josh. "Where? Lindh'll have her ass and the man what brought her aboard, too." He craned his neck back toward the deck, hunting for the nonexistent stowaway woman.

Josh sighed. He ran a hand across the sweat-soaked hair at the nape of his neck. "Go."

Davy stared at him, not comprehending. "But-"

"I'll do the remainder myself. You may go back to your duty."

12:33pm: In order to form a more perfect union
In the "About Damned Time!" category, today (well, yesterday, I gather) we have the introduction of the Respect For Marriage Act, which is expected to repeal 1996's offensive Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and return the determination of the legality of same sex marriage to the states. Huzzah, I say!

Link to the press release on Colorado Congressman Jared Polis's website: http://polis.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=144736

1:20pm: Today and today and today
I've just added a new book to my Keep shelf. This one's Amanda Downum's (stillsostrange) debut novel, The Drowning City. Forensic sorcery for the win! I like the coherency of the worldbuilding, the consistency of detail; this is a world that is as real as the one outside my workroom window. I'm very much looking forward to its sequel!

***

I decided, last weekend, that at the rate the Grimes Golden apple tree in my front yard was dropping apples (helped along mightily by birds and squirrels, damn it), if I waited until the remaining apples were the bright golden yellow they're supposed to turn I might have half a dozen, tops. So, as I was picking up the windfallen and chucking them into bags for transport to the compost pile/wasp bit-o-heaven, I set aside six or eight of the best looking ones, and Sunday afternoon I made apple crisp.

And was reminded, once more, that skin color is no predictor of ripeness. Want to know if an apple is ripe? Cut it open. If the seed coat is dark brown, it's ripe. The flesh might soften, and the skin might brighten, but it's ripe.

Guess what I've been eating for breakfasts all this week? *G*

***

I am at the top of the third of the three major changes I'm making to Kith. This puts me about 100 pages out from the end of the book. It also means that progress has slowed to a crawl while I work out what I need to change, what effects those changes will have elsewhere (in this book as well as the next, since they appear to want to be a duology), and how the themes of the book are best served by the changes.

It also means that I am better than two thirds done with this rewrite. I don't know about you and your rewrites, but man, I'm glad to be this far along.

And doubly glad that, in about 100 pages, I can put this damned thing down.

***

The current landscape design client has approved both the form of the redesigned courtyard garden and the plants to go within it. All that remains is transferring the details over to the vellum I drew the base plan on, finalizing the plant list, and making copies for presentation.

Woo!

***

I found an interesting new caterpillar on the lespedeza plant this morning. Photos to follow as soon as I get around to downloading them.

8:25am: Happy Birthday!
Best wishes for a beautiful day for mnfaure!

3:06pm: Fruit of the season
One of my favorite things is walking with the dog and seeing what's growing, what's ripe. This past Sunday's walk produced a handful of muscadine grapes. The vines sprawl across trees and shrubbery in the park, seeking the sun; when I was a kid, we would climb up into the trees we knew harbored grape vines.

The trick with muscadines, in case you have not yet made their acquaintance, is in the tartness of the flesh immediately beneath the skin. To eat one, you compress the grape in your mouth until the loose sac of flesh and seeds slides out. Press out the seeds, and enjoy the grape flavor of the middle. Then - carefully - press on the empty skin so the juicy bits stuck to the inside give up their tartness.

Behold, the beauty of late summer: