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[Jun. 14th, 2009|11:07 am] |
On Thursday I got the contract for Heroes 5 and 6, which I have signed and mailed back. So those books are a go. I tell you, with the economic times being what they are, and the fact that my numbers aren't stellar, I was really concerned ACE wouldn't want the next installments. But there was a question asked of my editor if I was working on anything else, and I told him about books 5 and 6. Oh, and the team book, but that's not ready to be seen by anyone yet. And then there was a question about when I could hand in books 5 and 6. And then there was the discussion of certain particulars of the contract. But I couldn't feel confident about anything until I saw it in writing. Which I have, so I'm relieved.
I also feel good about the fact that ACE was asking about new work before At Risk even came out.
So I'm working on book five, getting it ready to send to the agent, and I've just come across an appalling sentence. I'll be the first to admit that I play fast and loose with the rules of grammar. That was a deliberate choice, because everything happens inside Lee's head, and I, for one, don't think to myself according to the rules of grammar. But this sentence was so garbled I have no idea what I meant or what I was thinking.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I really admire people who can knock out the finished product in a draft or two. I don't think I'll ever be able to do that. |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 24th, 2009|02:49 pm] |
A good friend has given me some brilliant feedback for book five. I haven't received all of it, because we were chatting, and I wanted to get the critique all at once in an email. But what she told me blew me away and really forced me to look at things in a different manner. I'm so glad I asked her to do this.
As well, she delivered her criticism in such a gentle manner, there was no chance of me getting my back up over what she was saying. She was brilliant.
Thank you so much, Melissa. You're a gem. |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 15th, 2009|11:24 am] |
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Thanks to everyone who replied to my request for music suggestions. Now I have some place to start. |
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| Asking for Input |
[May. 11th, 2009|12:57 pm] |
I now have an Ipod. It was a bit of an impulse gift from my sister. The last ambulatory music system I had was when walkmans took cassettes. So I have no idea how to use this thing.
It's pretty, though.
Anyway, I am looking for music that'll help motivate me when I exercise. My usual forms of exercise are walking and the elliptical. I don't like rap, but if anyone has any other suggestions, I'd be grateful to get them. |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 6th, 2009|06:18 pm] |
I plan on seeing the new Star Trek movie, because I'm a geek. Spock is my favourite character of all time, and I'm looking forward to seeing how they handle him.
One thing gives me pause. The trailers show Kirk sleeping with someone, but you can't tell who, and the only other shots of a woman are of Uhura being somewhat flirtatious. If Uhura and Kirk sleep together, I'll walk out, because that would just disgust me.
I hate how often there's a team and the one female in the team is either sleeping with one of the men, or wishes she were. As if a woman can't just be another competent member of the team. |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 3rd, 2009|07:21 pm] |
So I finally saw The Other Boleyn Girl. I really enjoyed the book, and of course there is always the book vs. movie battle, but I wanted to see what they did with the story.
I found the movie bland. In the book, I really felt for Mary, the victim of her family's machinations for power and money, and I really wanted Anne to hurry up and get executed.(I make no apology for giving away the ending. It should be obvious.) In the movie, I didn't care what happened to either of them. In the book, I loved the fact that at the end of the day, the sisters with their brother George would hang out and drink wine and talk about the hoops their family was forcing them to jump through. They touched on it a little in the movie, but as it was my favourite part of the book I would have liked to have seen more of it in the movie.
The movie didn't address the books assumption that George was gay, and made it clear there was no incest between Anne and George while the book left it ambiguous.
I will say this for the movie, it's good to write to. I'm always looking for movies I can write to.
Speaking of writing, book six is just steaming along. For book five and six, I drafted outlines before I started writing, and it seems to allow me to write more efficiently. I don't waste time on tangents that have to be taken out later. I do have to give myself the freedom to wander from the outline, though, as sometimes as I write I come up with ideas that I hadn't predicted that work within the overall outline. I don't think I would have been able to create useful outlines before I went through the editing process. Having an idea of what a publisher wants has had a huge impact. |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 19th, 2009|03:31 pm] |
Do you ever read a book and think to yourself, "Wow, this writer is really trying to impress me with his vocabulary" or "I bet I'm supposed to find this really profound"? And how can I know the difference from someone who just has an amazing vocabulary or truly profound experiences and insights from someone who is just aping those qualities?
I mean, I can admire a neat turn of phrase without thinking I'm being talked down at. So what makes me suspicious when I'm facing line after line of eighteen dollar words? Maybe that's just how this person writes, and really, there's nothing wrong with that.
Except it makes me want to roll my eyes. |
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| Oh my god |
[Apr. 15th, 2009|05:22 pm] |
Burger King allegedly claims this is targeted towards adults. |
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| Just Curious Update |
[Apr. 13th, 2009|03:40 pm] |
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I want to thank everyone for their responses to my last post. I was surprised that people seemed to like the UF idea more than the team book, and that gave me something to think about. But I guess I'm going to go with the most popular answer, which was the most sensible, and finish book six. It's going well, and I do love my Lee and Taro. |
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| Just curious |
[Apr. 11th, 2009|08:52 am] |
This goes out to whoever wants to answer.
Book four of Lee and Taro is in the works with the publisher and will come out in August of this year. I have done three drafts of book five and it's currently in a friend's hands for some feedback. Book five is not under contract. I hope it will be, of course. It is likely, given past contracts, that if there is a contract it will be for two books, book five and book six. I have drawn out the outline for book six and started writing and it's going well. Because there is relatively little time allowed between books for the writing of them, I should get as much of book six done as possible, in anticipation for a contract.
I have finished the first two drafts of the team book. Upon finishing it, I realized that this book should not be the first, or the standalone, but should be a sequel or possibly the third book in a series. I haven't written the outline for the first book, but I know what it's going to be about.
And I've come up with an idea for an urban fantasy novel. I never thought I'd write one of those, but the idea struck me and won't let go. I really want to do it.
So, for any of you who care to answer, what do you think I should do first? |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 4th, 2009|09:34 am] |
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I've finished the third draft of heroes five. I've sent it out to a friend for a critique. In the meantime, I'll start work on book six. |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 3rd, 2009|03:09 pm] |
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I'm getting some wonderful ideas for book six. |
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| Spring is here |
[Mar. 25th, 2009|06:40 pm] |
I have a nice sized balcony. Last year, from May to November, it was sealed while the balconies were renovated. (The drilling was lovely, I tell you.) Winter lasted long last year. So I was locked indoors while home during all of the pleasant months of the year.
Today, the weather was nice and mild. All the snow is gone. The ice on the bay is melting. And I've got the balcony door open. There is something refreshing about the light breeze winding through my living room. It is easy and comfortable and very very relaxing.
It inspires me. I have a glass of white wine. I've eaten a very sensible yet yummy dinner. I've rubbed my feet and hands with a very effective shea butter lotion. I'm working on the revisions for book five and it's going brilliantly. It's all good. |
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| (no subject) |
[Mar. 21st, 2009|07:26 pm] |
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I've been writing so much and so well this past week. I feel like I'm flying. |
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| Finished! |
[Mar. 15th, 2009|04:22 pm] |
Well, sort of. I've finished the first draft of the team book. Finally. It's taken me a good few years to get that done, between work on the Lee and Taro books and short forays into other fictional worlds. It's interesting to look through the notes I made along the way and see where I changed things and where I stayed on track.
While I was finishing up the draft, I was struck with inspiration for a book to proceed the team book. How the team got together, which I never planned on doing, but which I now want to do.
What I'll be doing for now, though, is going back to work on book five. Tomorrow. Today I'll be drinking sparkling wine to celebrate. |
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| Musing |
[Mar. 12th, 2009|11:08 am] |
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I wonder if how a person thinks leaves a permanent, physical mark on the brain. For example, if one has a tendency to think positively, the first positive thoughts create physical pathways in the brain matter, and later thoughts tend to get drawn into these pathways and become coloured with positive influences. And the opposite would also be true, that people who think negatively have specific paths carved into the brain, and subsequent thoughts get sucked in and are influenced into being negative. |
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| (no subject) |
[Mar. 8th, 2009|11:50 am] |
I went out alone to one of my favourite restaurants last night. I often eat out alone. Of course I like eating with friends, but there are many advantages to eating alone. I can go on a whim, when and where I like, and I take my writing with me. It gives me a boost when my writing has stalled.
One of the other benefits of eating alone is that the server will often talk to me beyond the necessities of ordering. The waitress I had last night was a woman I'd seen very often. I usually go to the restaurant on Fridays at the same time, and I get the same table - the one with the best light - every time. I order the same thing because I'm a creature of habit. For example, the moment I sat down she was pouring a glass of the wine I always order. And at one point she said, "I have to ask, is that a journal?" From there we went onto a discussion about my writing - she had a blackberry, and as I was the only customer in that area she checked the net for sites and info right then - and her other job, and the fact that she's into martial arts and has competed in Europe. Seriously, how cool is that?
I have met so many interesting people while eating alone. Struggling actors, a guy who was working on getting his pilot's license, a woman (not a waitress, she owned an antique shop) who said she worked for NASA in the sixties. (I don't know if that last one is true, but it was one hell of a story.)
It's too bad that there's so much shame piled on the action of doing things on one's own. Life as a single can be so very interesting, and for some of us, it's the healthier lifestyle to have. |
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moiraj's journal