Rugor

Today I decided to try something new. I'm posting a livejournal entry with my hands behind my back. Yep that's right, I'm playing around with speech recognition. So far it's not too bad; I'm only using the Windows Vista version but it still works pretty well. I've got to say I was surprised at how little training it needed. I'd don't know if it will ever replace using the keyboard. Still it's an interesting approach to writing, and one I think I'll use again. If nothing else it's a good way to exercise different parts of your brain, besides you don't get carpal tunnel syndrome.

What's Vladdy-Stu you ask? It's that angsty vampire sex-god character designed to be the love interest for a Mary-Sue type of character in fiction. Vladdy-Stus are one of the reasons I can't stand so many vampire books these days. Too many are wish-fulfillment fantasies and they drive me nuts.

Write about vampires all you want: just please leave Vladdy-Stu at home.

So, this morning I was getting the weeble (my six-year-old) ready for school and she tells me, "you're handsome."

My immediate response is, "you're beautiful."

So she laughs and says, "you were supposed to say you're crazy."

Kids, you just have to love them.

********

So, I was thinking about submissions: specifically magazines (including ezines) vs. anthologies and I think it's probably in my best interest to focus on 'zines rather than anthologies. A big part of it has to do with how they are structured. Original anthologies are normally themed, and that means not only does one have to write to publishable standard, one also has to write to the editors' interpretation of the theme. That can be difficult, especially if your interpretation differs from theirs.

As it is I'm hoping to get a few dozen stories out so I can keep something on submission at all times. Go scatterguns.

With Summonings Wanted, the "Princess" story I started with an idea and wrote about a third of the story before I did anything regarding an outline. Even then all I really did was figure out a very rough sequence of events and write down the conclusion. If anyone's interested the story's posted in the "Share Your Work" section of Absolute Write under science fiction and fantasy.

Now with Orc's Drift I find I'm not only doing more outlining, but that I'm explicitly outlining the character arc as well as the plot. At this point I don't know if it's a better method for writing a short story, but it's definitely a different one. I'm also working more slowly on this story than I did on the other and I'm not sure why. I don't think either story is going to turn out spectacularly better than the other (though I could be wrong-- one could merely turn out spectacularly worse than the other).

If I had to guess, I'd say it's just a reflection of the differences between the stories: the only things they really have in common is the English language and the past tense.

Summonings Wanted: Draft one complete at 2946 words.

I'm quite happy with it for a first draft. I figure one read-over then set it aside while I work on my next story.

This one was urban fantasy - bordering on horror, so the next one is pure fantasy. My working thought is a dwarf at Rorke's Drift. There's a little more to it than that but it's the closest I can come to the feel of the story.

At this rate I should be doing fine to get stories out and going.

Long weekend, much food, not much work done. No surprise there.

In other news I did get the hardcover collection of Gaiman's Eternals revival and I really enjoyed it. It came together much better as a single piece than when it was serialized. It's a nice dark green hardcover that looks like a great match to my copy of 1602. Gaiman and JRjr really did a good job of evoking the sheer immensity of late-period Kirby.

When it came to writing, yesterday was pretty much a bust. I did get one crit off to critters, and some notes done on my "Princess" story; but that's about it. The good news is that I now know exactly where I'm going with that story even if part of the route is still a little hazy. I'm writing this one a little differently than I normally do. I started with a basic idea and then started writing directly to draw out the characters. Normally I try to have the whole arc of a short in mind before I start writing, but that doesn't always work for me in that it leads to never starting short stories. So this time I waited until I had my main characters down and then jotted the rest of the plot arc. That's good because I know how it finishes, but bad because I'm behind schedule.

So what happens last night; other than the dream where I was selected to go to Mars in two days and had the epiphany that I'd better call my parents to tell them before leaving? I get another short story idea. This one expands on back story for a character in the novel I've got on the back burner while I do some shorts. Now I just need to finish the current one and move on to it. (Oh and do at least one if not two more critters crits this week).

I almost forgot: I've got a paying piece to work on too - and some elance connects to use up before Thursday.

Off I go.

Here I am, getting back into writing fiction because the freelance sites have dried up when a buyer I thought had disappeared suddenly reappears out of nowhere and funds the project. So I'm back working on his project (which may or may not slow my fiction work, I'm not sure yet).

Meanwhile I still have my one short going - it's not finished yet by any means but I have a good idea of what I'm doing with it, and some thoughts about a next story. I'm going to need to do a lot of typing to get six done by the end of the year. (It may actually be four or five because I was thinking one a week and there was only the one week left in November).

Crittering is proving interesting, though I'm not sure how good my crits will turn out. I figure on getting a few done first before throwing my own stuff into the queue.

My biggest foe right now is my to-be-read queue, which must have something like 30 or 40 members in it - not counting the boosk I've started but not yet managed to finish. Yes I'm one of those people who doesn't finish every book I start. One thing I've noticed is that I've gotten particularly bad about finishing paperback fantasy (not SF but fantasy) novels by new (to me) authors. I think part of it is the format. I wear progressive lenses and prefer to read in bed; unfortunately I've been finding it more and more difficult to find a position where I can lie comfortably and see the page through the right area of my glasses. The need to make sure I have light on the page just adds to the difficulty.

Luckily I do a fair amount of reading on my Palm T|X and that helps.

While there are days I would KILL for an e-ink device (I want a Sony Reader PRS505 so bad I can taste it) there are definitely times when I'm very thankful for the T|X and its backlight. When I'm reading on it I never have to worry about whether I have enough light on the page.

What's odd is I don't need large type - small type's fine so long as I'm at the right angle. Large type at the wrong angle is just large and fuzzy; not any easier to read.

Oh well, I'm 45 and my eyes are what they are.

At least I can read and that's all that matters.

Story is coming along; not as fast as yesterday, but it's moving. In the meantime I've signed up for Critters and with any luck that will help my writing. Today's goal is to at least pass 2000 words if not 2500.

Charge!

I have returned from my trip to the wilds of downtown-- clutching the post office receipt in my hand.

Two submissions away, now off to work on my story.

Since I've decided to go into short stories again I figure it's best to get things rolling with a bang.

So right now I have two submissions sitting in their envelopes ready to go: one for Analog and one for Black Static. Once I get a few things done around the house it's off downtown to the post office. It feels good to be getting back on the submissions horse.

Later today I figure I'll do some more of Princess' story and work on getting myself into full on short story mode. I simply haven't written enough of them and I really need to get more done. I want to do at least half a dozen the remainder of this year (counting Princess).

Well I got the short that was rejected for being too long down to under 1000 words-- and 1500 words done on the new short.

Tomorrow I write the cover letter and send it off to Analog.

So, here I was talking to namfle online about short stories, complaining how I never get ideas for them.

What happens? I get an idea. As of right now I'm 1400 words into a short story with an unnamed protagonist and a ten inch tall demon who wants to be called Princess. Summoning meets SEO.

:)

I emailed Ed Lerner after I got home last night, and received a very gracious email in return.

One thing that came out of it is my next step as far as my writing. While he doesn't know of any in-person writing groups in the area, he did give me a piece of advice regarding a story I've previously submitted to Analog. When it was rejected, Stan Schmidt noted that "Probability Zero" stories were normally under 1000 words: mine was 1400 words. Good old me didn't realize that was a clue.

What I should have done was tried to cut it down to 1000 words or less and then re-submitted.

Well no time like the present: I've already got it down to just over 1100 words and I'm sure I can cut more.

After yesterday's news I've not been in the best of spirits, but today I got a bit of a boost.

We, leggiez and I, took uber-teen and the weeble to lunch today - which was great fun, but the weeble had far too much sugar. We were originally going to go to CiCi's Pizza but neither leggiez nor I really care for it, and she said it smelled off - so we went to Golden Corral which was much better.

I filled up on pot roast then had far too much dessert.

Afterwards we went to Michaels to get stamp stuff for Christmas cards and followed that with a trip to Borders (home of the best coffee in town)l

Borders was definitely the highlight of the day, as there was an author signing: Edward M. Lerner. I've read a fair bit of his work in Analog over the years, and I'd heard at the local toner shop that he lived in town. So I bought a book and had a brief talk.

It was positive.

:)

Just heard back from a publisher; no they aren't interested in the novel I sent but I should keep them in mind for future submissions.

I could practice the arcane art of rejectomancy, but that wouldn't do me much good.  "Not quite what we're looking for at this time" could mean anything.

I guess it's time to either rethink submission tactics, work on something else, or both.

In the meantime I suddenly have a house full of loud annoying teenagers that make me want to go on a rampage just to shut them up, so I'd better leave this.

Anyone who has ideas is more than welcome to comment.

Toby Buckell is in the ER.  If you've read his books (or want to in future) please go wish him well at his site here

I don't post here often but this is something that's been bugging the fuck out of me lately.
Why are there still pirates in the twenty-first century?

Last month they grabbed a ship full of main battle tanks, this week they grabbed a supertanker.  All the navies patrolling the area are refusing to do anything about it.  They even know where the majority of pirates are based, a town called Eyl.

Why the hell can't someone just send some special forces troops (Commandos, Seals, Spetznatz, SAS/SBS, etc.) in to Eyl and clear out the mess?  It's not infringing Somalian sovereignty, Somalia doesn't have any sovereignty anymore.  It's about time someone took the time to clear out this nest and say that there are some things in this world we will not stand for.

Piracy was essentially eliminated by 1900 - now it's back.  It needs to be eliminated again.

It's a terrible thing for a writer to admit but it's true.

I'm not good with people, particularly with important people.  The more important someone is to me the worse I generally am.

Something messy happened today and I didn't deal with it at all well.  What it really comes down to is that when the shit hits the fan I cannot tell what anyone wants unless they come right out and tell me.

I don't want to talk to the main event, it's not mine to tell.  I'm just going to deal primarily with the aftermath.

To start with, I had originally planned to to go gaming today.  it's a pickup group at the local bookstore which I played with last week.  When I discovered that something more important had come up I didn't go.  Not a huge deal in and of itself but I wanted to at least let them know I wasn't just disappearing because my current social circle is very circumscribed and these were the first independent acquaintances I had made in a year.  Not having contact information I had to go by because I couldn't call.

Anyway, after the other thing had finished we were both hit hard in different ways.  Since I had previously mentioned the game, and she had to work, she asked me repeatedly if I wanted to go game.  I thought she wanted to get rid of me so I said that what I wanted was to let them know I wasn't going to play, but that sure I'd 'like' to play.  I was meaning that if I went and played I would probably enjoy it, but that it wasn't really that important.

I asked what she wanted.  I could tell she wasn't doing too well emotionally but most of the time lately that has been a sign she wants to push me away.  (Please note for the record that I am incredibly dense when it comes to relationships and there are reasons why I will likely never marry, not least of which being I am not good husband material in the least.)

She wouldn't tell me and kept reiterating her question about gaming

So finally I said I'd go.

BIG MISTAKE.  Dave gets to fuck up live and in real time.

i went upstairs and changed (I had my game stuff with me because the pack that contained my laptop also had the gaming stuff) then we went down to the store.   As we're about to arrive she lets me know what she really wanted, which was for me not to go and game.

Fine I said, let me go in and tell them I'm not playing and that's it.  No she'd have none of that.

Long story short I ended up grabbing a drink (it was hot today) from the cafe and walking home.

Maybe someday I will be able to understand what people want, rather than just some of what they say.  Somehow I doubt it though.  I'm almost 45 and I still have trouble with basic human interactions.

It's probably why I haven't sold anything either.

My laptop's cranky.  That's all I can say about it.

If you remember from my last post it was running with 512MB down from 2GB.  Today it has 1GB.

Here's the situation:  it all started last year when it began freezing at odd times, and then rebooting with file system errors.  Being a geek I replaced the hard drive and reformatted.  No change.  This meant it wasn't the hard drive.

Next I noticed the fan only came on at boot up-- regardless of how hot it got.  For my next trick I disconnected the fan and hardwired it to a USB port (all internally) which just happened to give the right voltage.  So now the fan runs all the time and the laptop runs cool.  It still froze.

The next trick was the RAM drop.  My 2GB of RAM was PC2 5300 speed and the system came with PC2 4200 speed RAM (the numbers don't really matter -- just that they're different).  So, when Leggiez got a new laptop of the same brand with 512MB of PC4200 we swapped her 512MB for my 2GB.  Sure it's a drop, but if it makes the system work it's a win.

I put the RAM in and the laptop on my desk and lo and behold!  It works fine.  It takes anything I throw at it without freezing-- even 100% CPU for over an hour.  Yay!

But wait, we're not finished.

So the other day I take it up to bed and no sooner do I lay it down, than it freezes.  I reboot and it works fine for another hour with no problems.  Yesterday Leggiez brings home another 512MB stick of PC 4200 and it takes it and runs just fine.

Today I go out to the couch and it freezes as soon as I put it on the couch.

As I'm writing this it's been sitting on my desk running for at least three or four hours without a problem.

There's only one thing that I can imagine:  It doesn't like soft surfaces.  If it's on a hard surface it's fine.  Let it sink into something soft and it's frozen up in a matter of a minute.  All I can think of is that it's an airflow issue.

At least I can use it now.

Okay, we have a neighbor.  We had good neighbors at the last house.  Not so much at this one.

Things got off to a bad start when leggiez older daughter was in the pool yesterday.  We had to move one of the supports, and lost some water doing it.  I went back in and then the neighbor started yelling at her daughter.  She came in and then I went out to check on the pool-- neighbor accosts me (yelling out through her window) wanting to know if we have a permit for the pool and generally having a cow about our pool.  She even threatened "legal ramifications."

(It's a standard backyard pool-- just like the neighbor on the other side has).

Anyway, I get it to stop leaking and go in.  By this point I have her categorized as just an annoyance.

Scene Two-- evening.

Around 9:30 at night -- the kids are out on the porch.  Leggiez' daughter and her boyfriend see some of their friends coming up the street and go down to meet them-- the five teens end up stopped on the sidwalk; blocking the neighbor's driveway.  Yes they were stupid.

Anyway, they are standing there and this car pulls up and the driver leans on the horn.  It's our neighbor and she can't get in her driveway.  We hear the horn and come out-- I tell the kids to get on the porch.  She parks her car and comes up to complain.  Picture a short sixty-year old woman with a heavy infusion of pit-bull.  She gets right up and starts going off on us about the kids.  (They weren't doing anything really wrong-- they just picked the wrong place to stand.)  She was so confrontational she threatened to call the cops:

Yes, she threatened to call the cops on us because the kids were on the sidewalk and we didn't want them to block her driveway.

At that point we called the cops.

She went home (after yelling that she needed to talk to them too) and they showed up a while later.  We explained what had happened and he then went over to talk to her.  He never came back.

The way I look at it is if they'd wanted to do anything he would have come back and talked to us again.

Don't you love neighbors?

In other news I'm back to two computers:  I finally have my laptop fixed.  It's back to 512MB of RAM but it's stable once more and I'm fine with that.