April 27, 2014
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some of us just like to read
Super scattered this morning. Was up till nearly 2 a.m. and back up before 5. Being sick last weekend reset my robot programming back to an old default or something, sleeping has been weird all week, will have to get strict on myself again and go through tech withdrawal so I won't be wiped out for the trip. I probably won't sleep much the night before we head out, because I'll be too excited.
I got stuck wondering the other day what it would be like to be Xindi-Aquatic, from Star Trek: Enterprise. We know very little about them, mostly that they evolved to live in water and looked kind of like a cross between a big lizard and a small whale with fins for their hind legs. I have a hard time envisioning them being so tech savvy in bodies like that, especially having built the particle beam weapon. Their brains would have to be really different. I may have to dig around for back story in novelization or something.
Really good talk with Scott this morning about going forward. He's my unwavering support system, makes everything possible for me to work, listens to the pitches no one else has heard yet, knows my strengths and weaknesses, and more than anything, is totally in the moment with me. There is no lag, no extra communication efforts. We spent years going separate ways in our heads because our lives are pulled apart continuously like a taffy machine, but lately I've been reading some of my work to him, and he's starting to push me a little because he wants the stories (future projects). I've been doing some heavy thinking about flinging my beta readers through a grinder if I push them through this current project in my time frame. (There will be more projects.) If I'd had this going all along it might have worked, but I'm at the place now where I can't wait that long and keep juggling what I'm already incorporating into final revision. I got great advice, awesome pointers that I feel were crucially needed, but I think I can take what response I've gotten so far and apply it across the board. Little things like verb tenses, definition questions over word and phrase usage (I'm still unconfident) (see, like that word, totally correct usage because I looked it up, even though spell check tagged it), and truly golden advice- add more words. I've been working so hard the last few years on sifting my words down to more manageable proportions that I am now evidently sacrificing smooth idea transition for packing space. I can't tell you what a liberating revelation that was after hearing so many people complain that I'm too wordy! I mean, I'm not Robert Jordan Wheel of Time wordy, but I'm sure I could give the man a run for his money. Except I'd have a lot more action going. Anyway, I've reread and revised my own stuff so many times that it gets hard to step outside my head and see it from a fresh point of view.
This is me at a book signing for Barrow series author John Deakins, click the pic to see the post.
I canNOT get this song out of my head this week.