January 2008 Archives
Okay, that was a bit more troublesome than expected.
I am now getting notifications when someone asks for a site-specific commenter ID. That wasn't happening before.
I have no idea why Typekey verification isn't working. It certainly should be. I may disable that option entirely if it doesn't straighten itself out.
I'm terribly curious if VOX users (I'm looking at you, Mister Whetsel) can use their Vox ID to comment.
And I've updated the page templates to be moderately more friendly to anyone running their screen at a criminally low resolution. Functionally, the pages are tested in both IE and Firefox, and work well at any resolution over 1024x768. They are 'okay' at 1024x768, and 'only if you have to' at 800x600.
And that is all I'm saying about that.
I don't make a habit of talking about non-fiction-writing related work, but it's a special occasion.
Essentially everything I do to make a living has to do with writing, but each project is either more or less creative, depending on context. The editing and the fiction is far and away my preferred work, but the adult learning development and change and communication management has earned a soft spot in my heart by (in short) paying well. Certain lesser aspects of my affection can be bought, apparently.
To my point: due to the labyrinthine rules that large companies and small consultants observe in order to meet and exchange mutually beneficial products (read: "cash" and "talent", respectively), the company I'm currently ensconced within has discovered that they have to end their association with me in a few months or potentially suffer arcane legal indignities for retaining a contractor for too long.
The upside: I have loads of forewarning and a great deal of good will and support from my current employer.
The downside: the timing is terrible. (That said, I'd be hard pressed to think of a point in time where these kinds of situations would be welcome.)
So, while agentry conversations and wedding plans move along at a brisk pace, there's at least one more thing looming on my horizon. At least with that point of reference, I know exactly where I am.
(not the same as revisions, but we have some of those too)
I'll be in NYC this weekend for various reasons, the most writerly of which include a weekend lunch with my agent to go over the last round of revisions and meeting up with Matt Cody, author of the upcoming Powerless, to coo over his newborn son. I'm told his amazing wife will be around as well, so that's a bonus.
The primary reason for the trip is, of course, to finish packing up the last of my fiance's things in anticipation of her move out to Denver next week. I can't describe how happy I am that we're finally at that dream-like future place that was always there and never here, and describing things is what I do for a living.
I've been under both the weather and a number of deadlines this week and the site -- as the least-squeaky of any of my wheels -- has suffered neglect.
Most of the Casa household is sick in some fashion or other, regardless of age or elevation on the evolutionary chain; dispensing the various medicine dosages every 12 hours takes a quarter hour assuming everyone's cooperating. Most seems to be on the upswing, though.
Revision deadlines are coming up for Hidden Things: my agent's posed a couple of questions about various characters and happenings in the story and asked that I sneak the answers into the text 'somewhere'. I generally don't enjoy revisions, but the questions are good, the answers are interesting, and the sneaking-in part is fun. I'm enjoying this particular process, and I like the way my agent sets out the task.
"I'd like to know more about what Walker... what he is, I guess."
"The background, how he got that way?"
"Sure, that could be part of it."
"Oh, well I was thinking [insert off-the-cuff exposition that could go on a few minutes, but is mercifully cut short]."
"Hmm. That's interesting. You should see how that works and work it in... you know, somewhere. Or try something else. Whatever you think."
She asks just enough to get my mind gnawing at the problem then releases it into wild and asks, politely, if it couldn't go track it down. (As if by that point I could do anything but go after it.) Challenging and freeing at the same time.
Finally, still working on the new look for the site. I've muddled through about half the templates and pages that need muddling -- with any luck I'll have that wrapped up by the end of the month as well.
Want a good laugh?
Go here. Grab the Weird Al Yankovic/Firefly video "Your Horoscope."
High-larious.
A literary mode rather than a distinguishable genre, magical realism aims to seize the paradox of the union of opposites and is characterized by two conflicting perspectives, one based on a rational view of reality and the other on the acceptance of the supernatural as prosaic reality.Magical realism differs from pure fantasy primarily because it is set in a normal, modern world with authentic descriptions of humans and society and involves the amalgamation of the real and the fantastic. It offers a world view that is not based on natural or physical laws nor objective reality, but is not separated from reality, either.
I've been using this term for a while now because I dislike "urban fantasy" as categorical heading -- a feeling that shifts to outright loathing when it tries to associate itself with stories I've written.
The last five days or so have prevented me from providing the high quality distractions from whatever-it-is-that-you're-supposed-to-be-doing-instead-of-reading-things-on-the -nternet, and for that I apologize. Rather than fix that by delivering actual content, I thought I'd just talk about what's been keeping me from updating.
My daughter has contracted ... something. The doctor believes it's shingles, but is also testing to make sure it's not a staph or strep infection (I didn't even realize you could get a strep infection externally), which are both a bit more of a problem. Shingles (think localized chicken pox) is apparently more painful in adults, and the girl has been in remarkably good spirits despite itchy spots on her side and a slight fever. The biggest problem at this point has been daycare, which she can't visit until everything she's recovered.
In canine news, Dizzy has a pretty serious series of 'attacks' on Saturday, involving a lot of muscle seizures and utter disorientation and loss of equilibrium. I was able to narrow down the cause of that to dehydration, but the reason for the dehydration (she still won't go anywhere near a bowl -- I have to give her water with a turkey baster) is still up in the air. The most recent news from the vet's test is good; it looks like it's some kind of thyroid gland under performance, which can be treated with supplements in her food. I'm already inclined to believe that diagnosis, as it would explain some lingering questions regarding her general fitness. (The fact that when she and Jake eat the same amount of food, and are the same size, she gains weight while he loses it.)
That's been most of my spare time in the last few days. Whenever I've had a few minutes to myself I've worked on the new website layout and cleaned up some old directories on the server that desperately need it.
Things to do this month: revisions on Hidden Things and scheduling flights to New York (both for the end of this month and in April). I'm looking forward to meeting with my agent, face to face.
Things not to do this month: devote any more brain power to wedding reception seating arrangements.
I have a literary agent. I may or may not link to some kind of website for the agency in question at some later date, but for now, I think I'll say only that they come highly (and often) recommended by a number of folks in the industry.
She uses words like "delighted" and "thrilled" and "formal representation" and "series." I like these words. I particularly like when they're pointed at me.
So... yeah. A big step.
I think I will let is count as my 'third sold story' of the year.
Juno, by a landslide.
Don't misunderstand: I thought I Am Legend was a wonderful adaptation and update to the original story, well-acted and scary; Sweeney Todd was a horrid delight; and even Golden Compass was an enjoyable romp (kudos to Meera, I think, (or De) who summed it up as 'great frosting, white cake').
But for sheer joy of watching, truly laugh-out-loud moments that made me cover my mouth to keep everyone else from losing the dialog, heart-warming, heart-wrenching, touching, smart, true film making? (With perhaps the best soundtrack I've heard in years as an added bonus.)
Juno. Number one with a bullet. I highly, highly recommend you go see it, if you have the means.
One of the book series editors that Kate and I have sold stories to in the past has, it seems, added us to the list of writers they solicit directly for upcoming anthologies.
It's a bit like being asked in for a reading by the studio rather than having to stand in line for the open auditions; definitely feels nice, but doesn't actually confer any assurance of a role.
Still, it's nice.
As I may have mentioned, I got most of the expansions available for Catan during the holidays, and we've had a chance to play a couple times since then.
Current tally:
- me: 1
- kate: 1
- champagne: 2
I hope everyone had a happy New Year's Eve Arbitrary Calendar Event Celebration. We had Kaylee, so the evening was a relatively quiet one spent at home, working on a Super Secret Web Project, and then curled up on the couch to watch the extended director's cut version of Return of the King until well into the night (Denethor was taking a flaming header off Minas Tirith when midnight rolled around).
There are worse ways to see in the New Year.
Tomorrow, it's back to the grindstone, not to mention a new agently-originated series of revisions for Hidden Things. Evenings, I suspect, are going involve more work on the kitchen/family room project, which ended up being much more involved than we'd anticipated. More on that (with videos!) later.
As I may have mentioned, I got most of the expansions available for Catan during the holidays, and we've had a chance to play a couple times since then.
Current tally:
- me: 1
- kate: 1
- champagne: 2
I hope everyone had a happy New Year's Eve Arbitrary Calendar Event Celebration. We had Kaylee, so the evening was a relatively quiet one spent at home, working on a Super Secret Web Project, and then curled up on the couch to watch the extended director's cut version of Return of the King until well into the night (Denethor was taking a flaming header off Minas Tirith when midnight rolled around).
There are worse ways to see in the New Year.
Tomorrow, it's back to the grindstone, not to mention a new agently-originated series of revisions for Hidden Things. Evenings, I suspect, are going involve more work on the kitchen/family room project, which ended up being much more involved than we'd anticipated. More on that (with videos!) later.
