So the car wouldn't start this morning, which meant that instead of kicking off my week with three injections like I normally do, I got to start it with forty-five minutes of arguing with the car, peppered with brief phone calls to the dealership, and then a quick trip to the … [Read more...] about If you’re maybe…
Writing
An open letter to English-language writers
The word you are looking for is cachet. This is not the same word as cache, and writing it as caché does not make it so. Please quit substituting the latter for the former. Nolove, The English major who can spell at least those French words and phrases that have become … [Read more...] about An open letter to English-language writers
Wrestling the plot octopus
I can has outline! No wonder I was having trouble: this plot has at least five threads, and that's not counting the flashback story. And I'd taken more than a few wrong turns early on. I know where I'm going now. I think. … [Read more...] about Wrestling the plot octopus
Saturday morning at the coffee shop
Oh, thank God the very earnest teenagers have abandoned the couch next to mine. They've been arguing for twenty minutes, without introducing any critical thought about what they were taught in Sunday school, over whether fertility clinics are practicing abortion when they throw … [Read more...] about Saturday morning at the coffee shop
Progress on Marie’s book, Friday edition
I've found a cute little post template plugin for WordPress, so I can adopt the progress reporting style used by so many writers of my (online) acquaintance, without having to type it every time I post. It makes me happy. New words: 828 Reason for stopping: Quota, end of scene, … [Read more...] about Progress on Marie’s book, Friday edition
Novel in 90, round 2, week 3
4197. Very sad. I didn't write a thing Monday or Tuesday, and I don't even have a very good excuse except that they were both very bad days. I also added almost 3K to other projects, thanks to Desert Book #2 ambushing me on Sunday. But those words don't make the meter … [Read more...] about Novel in 90, round 2, week 3
There’s a reason NaNoWriMo’s forum includes a topic called “I hate myself and I want to die.”
As usual, I have no idea what I'm going to write tonight. I noticed an old file called "newish outline" and thought, Aha! This will tell me what to write! It covers the first three chapters. They're already written. *headdesk* … [Read more...] about There’s a reason NaNoWriMo’s forum includes a topic called “I hate myself and I want to die.”
Dear novel,
I am the one driving this bus. We are not writing the second book in the trilogy before the first one, and that's final. SIT DOWN and SHUT UP. Nolove, Your author … [Read more...] about Dear novel,
Writing the wrong book
One of the things I love about weekends is that, rather than waking up abruptly to find that I'm slapping at my alarm clock, I get to stay in bed until I'm really ready to get up — and that half-waking state, when I'm still tossing and turning as if I could get back to … [Read more...] about Writing the wrong book
Novel in 90, round 2, week 2
Well. That was my best week ever, by a lot: 7002. A thousand a day! (Averaged.) Whee! … [Read more...] about Novel in 90, round 2, week 2
