Stupid headache. WIP finally has a working title

Had a throbbing, relentless headache yesterday that was resistant to many pills. Had to take a double dose of both Sudafed and Excedrin in order to put it down, and then I was left queasy, shaky, and short of breath. Now I’ve got swollen lymph glands at my throat and under my ear, which indicates that my immune system is gearing up for a big freak out . . . again. Just can’t seem to get a break on the health front.


Writing Stuff

In a dose of the painfully ironic, I felt driven to do research on the novel while in the worst pangs of my headache, so ended up squinting at my screen and wincing at how bright it was, as I surfed and took notes. But when the pills finally started kicking in, before the nausea had peaked, I managed to get productive and crank out words.

I think I’m driving Matthew nuts, playing the recordings of guqin music I found on the Internet. To Western ears (including mine, initially), it can be somewhat jarring and atonal, but the more I research it and traditional Chinese music in general, the more I’m beginning to appreciate its unique qualities. It’s also doing an excellent job of keeping my muse in the proper mindset. I might want to see about using some headphones though.

Words: 880 on the novel WIP. Finally have a working title for the thing: A Harmony of Foxes. It seemed like as soon as I settled on something to call it, aside from “novel work in progress,” the two-line “sound byte” I’ve been tweaking and poking at for the last couple days came together:

A Harmony of Foxes is a young adult novel set in China’s Western Han Dynasty. It is about two star-crossed lovers–a fox spirit youth, and a blind noblewoman–who teach each other the nature of trust and love, in defiance of both their peoples.

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
10,049 / 45,000
(22.0%)


Club 100 For Writers
17

500/day
33

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21 Responses to Stupid headache. WIP finally has a working title

  1. Sounds great, Eugie!

    ~Maggie 😀

  2. pyanfar says:

    ooo, i like it!
    i really like traditional Asian music, too. where did you find the recordings, if i might ask?

  3. mroctober says:

    Hmmm… the book sounds familiar!

    I have a friend who is Chinese and teaches Asian history. I can certainly put you in touch with him.

    • Eugie Foster says:

      Hmmm… the book sounds familiar!

      Hee! I was in a huli jing mindset after finishing “Year of the Fox.”

      I have a friend who is Chinese and teaches Asian history. I can certainly put you in touch with him.

      Ooo, an Asian history scholar. That would be fabulous!

  4. zhaneel69 says:

    Nice sound byte & title. Good luck with it!

    Zhaneel

  5. aimeempayne says:

    I am consistently jealous of your ability to successfully title. A Harmony of Foxes is an intriguingly lovely title.

  6. mtreiten says:

    The byte reads well with a minimum of pretension setting the stage yet intriguing enough to invite questions. (This sounds like a wine tasting… sorry.)

  7. lanyn says:

    I absolutely love the title! It’s one I would pick up off a book shelf just by the power of the title alone.

    • Eugie Foster says:

      Yay! That’s one sale! Now I just have to finish it and find a publisher for it . . . and then hope that several thousand more people feel the same way.

      Oof. Many things in this biz are really best not overly dwelled upon.

  8. jackzodiac says:

    I wish my novels could only be 45,000 words…

    D

  9. redplum says:

    Been reading your LJ for awhile, thought I should say Hi…and I hope the immune troubles pass over quickly.

    Hurrah for fox spirits gaining popularity, btw, and also hurrah for the traditional Chinese music. I’m intermittently working on a Tang Dynasty project between other things and like to fire up the guqin music when I’m having trouble getting the juices flowing.

    By the way, I recommend Koss’s PortaPro headphones if you’re planning on doing full writing days while listening. The sound response is good, and they’re really comfortable / adjustable — and best of all for a clumsy girl like me, they have a lifetime warranty.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Sound byte

    What a great tag line! I would definitely want to read a novel with that blurb. Go Eugie!

    -Steph Burgis

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