Watched The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, of which I have to say: “RAWR!” Laughed myself loopy. People must see it. Go. Shoo!
Woke up this morning before my alarm went off. Hobkin was nestled beside me, snoring and snuffling occasionally, so I thought it safe to wrap him up in the blanket, and sneak off to shower. After all, Matthew was right there. He’d wake up if Hobkin started getting into mischief, right?
Wrong. Very very wrong. While I was in the bathroom, getting ready for work, Hobkin apparently woke up and decided, since I was absent and Matthew was asleep, that meant it was open season on everything he knows would merit many “bad skunk!” and “no!”s. I was getting out of the shower when I heard a loud *thump* in the living room. Hair dripping and half-wrapped in damp towel, I ran out to investigate, and immediately found a pile of black foam/sponge bits on the floor, and a guilty-faced skunk standing over them. He’d been very industrious, ripping one of our speakers, the woofer, to shreds. He’d pried off the front screen part, and was busily tearing out the inner foam section that encircles the sound box when I intruded. I suspect the woofer is now an ex-speaker, but we haven’t yet confirmed it. Sigh.
And, my wingstubs really hurt.
Writing Stuff:
– 700 words on the new SF story. Rah.
– Did another Critters review.
– Making good progress on the rewrite of “Caught Between.” The overall consensus is that the title is a dud. Dammit. Brainstorming in progress for a new one.
– Saw on the Borderlands 6 website that they’re reading submissions from 5/27. I sent them something on 5/13 and haven’t received a rejection yet. Does that mean I might have made it onto the short list? Or that email gremlins have eaten my submission en route? To query or not to query? Dammit.
But he’s so cute. đ Look at that little innocent smile! Is he a really a skunk? Kinda looks like a ferret in that pic. Very, very cute!
Hard to believe something so small could cause such trauma.
By the way, if you are wondering who I am, I know you from critters. Not sure if I’ve critted you or vice versa, but I recognize your name and am sure I’ve read one or another of your stories. It’s good to meet another fantasy writer!
Hi! It’s always great to find other Critters who have LJs!
“Is he a really a skunk?“
Yepper, Hobkin’s a chocolate chip domesticated striped skunk. He’s totally my sweetie-fuzz, troublemaker and all. More pictures of him at his website. And it’s not too surprising that he looks a bit like a ferret (every time we go to the vet’s, there’s always someone who mistakes him for a very stocky ferret); they’re from the same “weasel” family group, Mustelidae. Actually, skunks now have their own classification: Mephitis, but they used to be Mustelidae . . .
By the way, if you are wondering who I am, I know you from critters.
I’m a Critter, too! I just friended you — hope that’s OK! đ
go critters! I friended you back… good to meet you. đ
After I posted that first message, I realized that your name sounded familiar. As it happens, I reviewed “The Cathedral of Castigra” for you a loooooong time ago. Are you going to submit anything new soon?
oh, cool! so nice to meet you! That must have been quite a while back. Year and a half maybe? I’m laughing… I gave up on that novel. Couldn’t get the plot worked out. I have since written another and a half. đ
I’m so nosy… would I recognize your name? Have I critted you?
That must have been quite a while back. Year and a half maybe?
Sounds about right!
. . . would I recognize your name? Have I critted you?
I’m not sure you’ve ever critted me, but it’s possible. The name here is Brittany Marschalk nÊe Wilkins. I’m also on OWW!
Lost Skeleton is on DVD already?
YES!
That woofer has been taunting him for weeks now. He was just looking for the right moment to take it down.
…or you could blame it on the skeletal mind control… đ
We were wondering what the woofer had done to warrent such attention. The skeletal mind control makes it all make sense now . . .
RAWR!
Alas, for I Suck
Making good progress on the rewrite of “Caught Between.”
Alas… I don’t think I’m going to be able to get a critique to you before you send this one out. I’ve been suffering from heavy sleep deprivation and headaches this week, and I never felt like I could give this piece the mental attention it deserved. Can you forgive me? It sounds like you’ve received some helpful feedback and know what needs to be done to improve this story.
I suck. đ
The overall consensus is that the title is a dud.
Do titles really matter much at this stage? It seems like editors often change them anyway.
Re: Alas, for I Suck
Bummer. I was looking forward to hearing your thoughts. But I totally understand about sleep dep. and headaches. Don’t fret the crit, just work on feeling better!
“Do titles really matter much at this stage? It seems like editors often change them anyway.“
There’s a mixed philosophy on the titles issue, I guess. While people always say don’t judge a book (story) by it’s cover/title, everyone does. Harlan Ellison, if I recall correctly, is a big proponent of writing catchy titles. I think of them as the first hook. If a title is bland and unevocative, a reader (or editor!) might just skip it and go to the story titled “Lesbian Spank Inferno.”
And actually, of all the sales I’ve made, I’ve only been asked to change the title once. So I think the days where editors changed them willynilly to make them more sensationalist have ebbed.
oh gosh, what a silly skunk!
He is that!