objectivity

As part of the research for my book, I'm doing a lot of reading -- both informational and experiential -- and I just finished Raymundo Sanchez's Once a King, Always a King, having read it cover to cover in one sitting. It's not very well written, in the 'literary' sense of the word, but the story is gut-wrenching. My poor little bastard child of a novel seems so lifeless in comparison.

I'm also reading Megan Abbott's second book, The Song is You, which, like her first, is a fucking miracle. I can't read the thing without gnashing my teeth down to the gums with envy. There's not a lot of story, but it doesn't need it.

Right now, my book seems to have neither style nor substance, and I find myself wondering if there will ever come a time when I'll be able to judge realistically whether it's a load of crap or not. The Spouse says I probably don't read my own writing the same way I read other peoples', and that's why it often seems to suck, to my own ears. The same way you never really experience pictures of yourself or recordings of your own voice objectively.

I hope he's right. Right now I see myself as just slightly above the mass-market grocery-store paperback writing skill level, and, naturally, I aspire to Dostoyevskyian heights. My reach exceeds my grasp, etc. Not a pleasant way to feel.

cuteness

I defy you to look at this slide show and not go 'awww!'

so tired

I want to work on The Book but I'm just too tired. I wish I didn't have a job (tm). It's taking away entirely too much time from writing. Unfortunately, it pays the bills. Suck.

identify the quote and win a prize

swearing

I had an interesting experience the other day: I got granny-smacked in a writer's forum for posting a quote with the word 'motherfucker' in it.

Yes. A writer's forum.

Yes. Quoting. Not even using.

Needless to say, I won't be going back.

I'm sure there are those that support said forum's unstated censorship policy, and they're free to do so. However, I am also free to point and laugh at a 'writer's' forum that attempts to dictate how it's members use the very tool that defines them. That's some forehead-smackin' shit, right there.

oh, the luxury

So I've gotten into this habit: the window in my office (where I work at my Real Job (tm)) faces south. At approximately 3:30 pm, the sun (when it's out) begins to shine directly into my eyes as I sit at the computer. That's when I know it's time to get up and go feed the Yard Cats, and in addition, I take a little break of about an hour to write. I know it's not much, but my life being what it is, I gotta take the writing time when I can find it.

You may notice I took my daily word count off the blog -- this is because the word count at this point is a red herring I don't need dragging me off course. I'm polishing/editing the manuscript, and the word count isn't an issue right now. The thing is about 80,000 words long. That's close enough.