All black again. And skunk feet.

The Great Highlighting Debacle has come to its predestined conclusion. I dyed my hair back to black. And yes, I have learned my lesson. The color of my hair is black, and black it shall be. Never again will I muck with the natural order of the blackness. So mote it be.

Hobkin is in full winter skunk mode. His coat is getting soft and thick, and all he wants to do is cuddle with me on the couch. It’s adorable except he’s been wanting a full half of the space. He keeps nudging me over until he’s taking up as much room as he possibly can. I guess he thinks if there’s two of us, we should split the chaise 50/50. And if I try to scootch him over, he tenses up his muscles and digs in–even in his sleep!–and makes it really hard to nudge him over. I could just lift him up and plop him down again, but that seems rude somehow. Well, he’s cute, so can get away with it.


I love it when he sleeps on his back with all four paws in the air.


   


Writing Stuff

It was a night of stony-eyed butchery.

I shook out the Korean folktale re-telling that’s been languishing on my hard drive in zero draft for so long and gave it a couple editing passes, enough to bring it to first draft. Loaded it up to the Critters queue to go up next week. (Which reminds me that I really need to do some crits to stay active.) I don’t know why I sat on this story for so long at zero draft, but a bit of space from it helped. My zero draft was ridiculously clunky and in dire need of tightening. I managed to cut 100 words from a 2.3K story without even breathing hard. I think it reads much better now. I hope. Let loose the Critters of War!

New Words: -400
In a fit of disgust, I tore out a huge ole chunk of exposition–leaving smaller chunks mewling in its wake–and culled nearly 400 words from the Red Riding Hood tale. The numbers are going backward but it’s still progress. Really. I also came up with a working title, which I may or may not keep as the final: “The Better to . . . ”

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
4,178 / 6,500
(64.0%)

Club 100 For Writers
      11

500/day
      75

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15 Responses to All black again. And skunk feet.

  1. keesa_renee says:

    Awwwww! Cutsie wittle skunkie! :snuggles Hobkin vicariously:

    Black is good. Black is beautiful. I didn’t get a chance to see your highlights (were they that bad? 😛 ) but I’ll bet they didn’t make you look as beautiful as your regular hair color does.

    • Eugie Foster says:

      I didn’t get a chance to see your highlights (were they that bad? 😛 )

      There were no pictures taken of the highlighting fiasco. And yes, they were that bad! Mmmf. And now has informed me that I missed a spot or two in the back in the re-color. So now I seem to have copper-frosted tips! *throws up hands* Argh. I really need a color buddy.

  2. safirasilv says:

    Hobkin sounds like one of my cats. I’ve never been able to figure out how 13 lbs of feline can take up, not just half a couch, but a third of a king-size bed. And when I go to move him, he influences gravity so it’s impossible.

    Then he gets into some ridiculously cute position (like Hobkin showing off his darling pink feet) and it’s all over. Sure, take 1/3 of the bed. Take half. Himself and I will squish….

    • Eugie Foster says:

      It must be some sort of cute animal huudu. Hobkin’s only eight pounds, and yet he can magically extend himself to miraculous couch-spanning proportions. Our fuzzy animals have us so wrapped around their widdle pawsies.

  3. Writing stuff

    Duh, what do you consider a “zero draft” versus a “first draft?” This is new terminology to me, but nonetheless intriguing. And sometimes one has to take a step or two back to take more steps forward. Keep up the butchery as needed to tighten, etc. I need to sharpen my ax more often.

    • Eugie Foster says:

      Re: Writing stuff

      I call it “zero draft” when I hit The End of a story but before I have first reader it. After it’s first-readered, I do a re-write pass (or two or three) based on his input, and then it’s at “first draft” status and ready to get loaded up to Critters. After it’s been run through that gamut, I do another re-write pass (or three), and when I’m content with it, it’s at final draft and ready to send out. Pretty much, every story I write goes through at least two rewrites between when I finish it and when I send it out into the wide world. Voilà!

  4. He’s such a cutie! My cat Brigid sleeps like that, stretched out in the middle of the floor.

    I like the new title for Red’s tale.

  5. alijt says:

    Nothing says “cute” quite like catching a stinker with all 4 feet in the air. Thanks for the pics. They made me smile today! All of my guys must be feeling the change in season as well. They are becoming increasingly hard to find in the house…LOL Bath time comes this week. Hey, maybe they know. he heeeee

  6. zugenia says:

    So. Cute. Ohmygod.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Pink toe-y cuteness. Day is made.

    Rat Dog has a gift for taking up half the bed even though she’s only nine pounds. She always has to be touching a person, but when she gets hot, she jabs her little claws into flesh and pushes.

    Pat Kirby

  8. jmeadows says:

    Skunky pawses…. *dies*

  9. Anonymous says:

    Pets, space and stuff

    It’s adorable except he’s been wanting a full half of the space. He keeps nudging me over until he’s taking up as much room as he possibly can.

    It is a well known fact that an 8-week kitten can take up an entire king-sized bed, so adult skunks (and cats) have so much more ability to take up space.

    I’m glad you’ve put something up on Critters! There’s actually a couple of decent ms up this week.

    Dreamwind (who is going to get a blog soon…)

  10. Anonymous says:

    Hobkin

    Oh, how absolutely, unbelievably cute. The little guy has outdone himself in adorability. I visit your blog couple of weeks just to see if there are any new Hobkin pix (although I certainly wish you the best with your writing and health, too).

    But what’s that discoloration on his nose? Hope he hasn’t hurt himself.

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