This week:
Saw Kill Bill. It was bloody. Very, very bloody. I was reminded of that scene in the Addams Family movie where Wednesday and Pugsly are doing a fight scene for their school recital and fake blood spurts out and covers the front rows of stunned audience members. But I still liked it. It was escapist; it was shallow; it was superficial. Fun! And I’m a big fan of Lucy Liu. And of Uma Thurman, for that matter.
Writing stats:
Alchemy sent me a form reject. All I ever get from them is that damned form. Pffft.
Slowly dying as I continue to wait for word from On Spec and the rewrite verdicts from Cricket. It’s sort of a writerly Catch 22. While I don’t know for sure that the answer’s a “no,” I have hope. But it’s killing me not knowing. Actually, there’s a Schroedinger’s Cat aspect to that. While the SASE in the mailbox is unopened, the letter inside is both a rejection and an acceptance. Hah.
1000 words on a brand new SF piece. Abandoning both the magic realism story and the novel . . . for now. I just realized that I haven’t written any SF this year, only Fantasy, Horror, and Slipstream. But my momentum petered out after the first 1K. Extremely annoying.
In a fit of ire, I also started a fairy tale, thinking I might be able to jiggle some cooperation out of my muse that way. Nope. 500 words and then a big ole brick wall.
So then I shined up an old piece that needed tightening. This is the one I’ll send to the showcase I mentioned in my last entry if I get confirmation that it’ll be a “for pay” gig. It’s a light, silly romp of a SF story that I’ve had a hard time placing but that I’m fond of.
AND *drum roll please* I finished in one day a 3700-word fantasy piece. Nearly in one sitting! One of my fellow Critters is starting a literary online project and he wanted my opinion, so I went and browsed his site. It triggered my muse (Callooh Callay!). Very, very happy to have hit flow. I’ve been pumping out words, but it’s been like squeezing Mountain Dew out of granite.
Going to have Matthew first reader it, then debate whether I’ll toss it up on Critters or send it straight to my fellow Critter for consideration in his project. (Yes, it’s a paying gig.) What I think I’ll do is send it to him, and if he can’t use it, then send it through Critters before sending it to the usual suspects.
I’ve been pumping out words, but it’s been like squeezing Mountain Dew out of granite.
Heh.
I am in awe. What’s your average page-per-day?
And, when will I see you and Matt again?
“I am in awe. What’s your average page-per-day?“
Sadly, I have no average page-per-day. I tried doing at least 1000 words/day (that’s 4 pages, manuscript count, double-spaced, Courier New 12 point, 1 inch margins). But my resolution fell by the wayside. When I’m in my stride, I try to do that, but when I’m not, I take whatever words my muse will give me. Recently I’ve been in “whatever, something, anything” mode.
“And, when will I see you and Matt again?“
In thunder, lightning, or in rain? When the hurlyburly’s done, when the battle’s lost and won!
Or, maybe you wanna come over some evening and we’ll have a noir-ish film festival? I know you love Casablanca (as any self-respecting film fan should). Do you like the other black and white classics–The Maltese Falcoln, The Big Sleep, etc.?
I can’t imagine why I wrote “page-per-day” when I know I meant “words per day.”
I read once that Jack London wrote exactly 1000 words every day without fail. And once he’d written those 1000, no power on Earth could induce him to write another.
That’s always seemed very practical and inspiring to me. Since he’s a pro and I’m not, I figure 500 is a more reasonable target for me.
And of course I always miss it.
Oh, and a Night of Noir is a splendid idea! I think Maltese Falcon is overrated, but I second The Big Sleep and move Mildred Pierce (by Casablanca director Michael Curtiz) as well.
We’ve never seen Mildred Pierce, but are both intrigued by anything touched by Michael Curtiz. Do you have it? Definitely bring it, if you do! We’ve also got all the Thin Man movies on laser disc, as well as a selection of other silver screen gems.
So how’s your schedule looking for the next few weeks?
I’ve never seen Mildred Pierce either, and don’t own it, but I’m sure they have it at Movies Worth Seeing.
My Mondays are spoken for, and also this Thursday, but otherwise I’m pretty open.
This week not so good, with prepping for the skunk show and Halloween. And next week we’ve got people coming down. How’s um, the evening of Friday, Nov. 14th look?
It looks good.
Actually, there’s a Schroedinger’s Cat aspect to that. While the SASE in the mailbox is unopened, the letter inside is both a rejection and an acceptance. Hah.
Oh god, I actually understand the reference. What does that make me?
(Callooh Callay!).
I get that, too, and I never read the book. We acted out the poem in Intro to Theatre class when I went to ISU for a semester.
I need to write a Halloween story. It’s for the student paper contest… and it’s a max of 200 words. That in itself should be a decent challenge, make a coherent, scary story in that short of space.