Julian Cope Rules My World

Well, it’s been a week. I’m teaching an intensive summer class, which of course is both exciting and wearying for both students and teacher. It means I’ve had reading and research to do every day, and of course, a short story deadline was looming. And therein is my excuse for such a lack of bloggerly activity. 

Even this is going to be a sadly short post (or ecstatically efficient, depending on how you see it). I sent story off to artist–am waiting to see if she likes it. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with the song I listened to for the last 48 hours while writing it. It’s a song that I’ve searched months and months for, since I didn’t know the artist that sang it, nor the title, nor could I even remember many of the words. It was the beat and the voice that I fell in love with. Finally found it on Saturday. Here it is (thus cementing my geekhood forever).

Where Have I Been?

Well, I apologize for the sporadic posts, but just to show you I’ve been hard at work, check out the new prologue to Devouring Winter. Have a spiffy new synopsis to go along with it.

Oh, and I’ve got a “news” section on the website too, and soon will be adding links and such.

I’m stuffed

And it’s not even Turkey Day. So, what gives? I’m trying to get my new website ready–not that I don’t love my bloggy digs over here. It’s just a bit crammed. So, hopefully within a week, you’ll be seeing my new cranberry crib.

In the meantime, I’ve had to get things ready for the move. For one section of my site, I’ve got to give a little summary of my two novels. Little being the optional word. I thought it would be easy. After all, I had snagged a great agent with my query letter, and that only took three short paragraphs for one novel. All I had to do was whittle away at it some more, then write the other summary. I started whittling.

I found that in condensing, I had to rearrange the whole thing, take out some parts, add others. I went back through and reread some of Devouring Winter, then looked over at my overstuffed paragraphs. In fact, I am still looking at them. Bits and pieces of the plot are awkwardly sticking out, and I know, I know I need to condense it more and give just the overall scheme of the story. I know it, but it’s like looking at that overstuffed suitcase that will not get through security and shaking my head in wonder while lamenting, yes, but I most certainly need…

I most certainly do not need everything I have in there. So, off I go to rummage through the plot and edit yet some more…

Raucous revision and the pantry of fun

An very timely post by Moonie today about revision. The revising life is the writer’s life, and sometimes we do a little happy dance after our revising session (which is usually worth seeing). Other times, we stuff the manuscript away, wondering what the hell we just did to our story. Instead of the happy dance, we pour a glass of wine or whiskey, or reach for a piece of chocolate, a bowl of ice cream. Name your poison. I also spend some time meandering through my book pantry (something akin to the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, only slightly bigger and more colorful).

A real person would have cans of food in here and other stuff, but my house already has bookcases in every possible nook, so….

Who else has Lacan and Edward Said next to Frank Herbert and Stephen King?

 

Repeat after me: I am a geek, I am a geek, I am a geek.

 Lastly, hats off to my writing colleague Amy, who is taking pen and sword to her manuscript too. It’s always nice to know we’re not alone in revision land. Happy dance in the pantry of fun, anyone?