Robynettely

Every once in a while I'm sitting all innocent-like at my desk listening to music while I work, and I realize something like: The song I'm listening to seems to be about trepanning. How often does that come up?

So this year's Nano project is "Pampelmouse", what I refer to in my own head as "Watership Down of parrots", though I'm nervous about saying that outloud. It sounds sort of pompous. I have 11,693 words at this very minute, with another 577 to go for my morning target. (Yes, apparently blogging is what I do with my breaks?!?) After a week, I am loving the fact that I can't explain my jokes, because a parrot doesn't have words to explain its jokes. The joke either works, or it gets missed. And also, it is thus far impossible for my characters to sit around talking about what they're going to do, especially while eating. I do have some boring eating scenes like I always do, but at least they can't pretend to progress the plot. There's a lot more action than I normally write. Also, I'm making my main character suffer horribly.

"Unicorn". Sent to market #7. "Dolphin". Still at market #1. OMG I got an email of proposed edits, 24 October, 2010. Sent the changes back 27 October.

“Annabel” by Kathleen Winter. I had requested this book from the library a couple of months ago (there are 114 holds after me, so it must be good?) but had no recollection of why, and stubbornly resisted trying to figure out, in case I changed my mind or something, since it was coming anyway. And now I see it’s longlisted for the Giller prize, so I guess I’m lucky to have it now, since there will be a run on it later. Turns out it’s the story of a hermaphrodite in Labrador, from when he’s born (he’s brought up as a boy) until young adulthood. I was trying to decide, after reading it, whether it was more about gender, or about Labrador. The lives of people there (Wayne is born in I think 1968 – can’t check, had to take the book back because it was overdue) are very much about the bush, and subsistence living. Really good, really made me think. It took me a while to read because it had uncomfortable bits for me, but fortunately I had another thing I was reading at the same time, so I’d...

"The Rabbits". Short story. 10,000 words or thereabouts. September I finished the second draft. I want to get this on OWW, but it needs at least one more draft. Often people who read my stories say I've ended it at the point where it just starts to take off. I think I've just realized why -- it's because my main characters are often passive victims of whatever circumstances I've created. I can fix this, I think. At least in The Rabbits. Karate Zombies. Still 61,792 words. I have now read the first 6 chapters. I’m rewriting the first chapter. This post http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/10/all-important-first-chapter.html is making me worry. “Succubus”. Short story. 12,000 words. Page-a-day. First draft complete. While I was “researching”, I came across the Japanese Yuki-Onna, which pleased me greatly because of Catherynne M. Valente , whose writing I respect very much. Troll. Around 1000 words of first draft, on hold for NaNoWriMo. Ed and I spend a lot ...