Writing News, January 15-31 2001

michaeljasper.net

"Another Wrecked Web Site"

January 31, 2001

Back on track at month's end...

Today's Quote:

They walked north, passing the occasional backpack-toting student on foot or riding past on a bike. Tom continued with his stories about the Angel, improvising and exaggerating wildly to keep Mercy from getting too nervous. Like the base of the Black Angel's statue was hacked from the rock that the angel rolled from Jesus' tomb Easter morning. Or the Angel took a yearly flight every Christmas at midnight, returning before dawn - "Like Santa," Tom said, laughing.

Leaving the bustle of campus behind, they walked past dark houses and empty lots in silence. An old Escort puttered past, filling the air with the stink of burning oil. Tom exhaled through his mouth and leaned closer to inhale Mercy's smell of cloves and roses, with just the right hint of sweat. He'd miss that smell.

Hello. I know it's been a while, but last week and last weekend were both crazy, so this is my first entry in almost a week. I haven't gotten a ton of writing done in that time (until today, that is), but that's okay. I'll make it up this weekend, and maybe Friday as well.
A humorous (sorta humorous) side-note to all my noodling with the internet on my laptop while I was traveling. Got my hotel bill, and the long-distance charges were $100!! Man, I hope Elizabeth doesn't read this. I was logging on with a long-distance number, and I'm sure the hotel got their percentage of each second I was online as well. Yeah, I know now to look for LOCAL numbers when I'm not 'round here. Now I know. Sheesh. Just doing my part to keep the California hotel system healthy and viable, y' know.
So it's Wednesday night, and I have a couple hours to get caught up on my various projects. First I sent an e-mail to Dan Reid, master of Trinoc*Con 2001, to see if he'd have me again at this year's event. I figure I may as well get used to going to conventions, and hey, this one's local and there were some excellent guests there last year. And this year I'll know better how to comport myself. I hope I can convince some friends to come along. I'd love to see the con do well and become a staple in the community.
Then I e-mailed the folks at the Millenium PhilCon to beg them to let me register today so I can vote in this year's Hugo and Campbell awards (along with the retroactive Hugos for 1950 - cool idea!). Since I'm on the Campbell ballet (plug plug plug, I know), I figured I'd at least vote as well as attend. You never know. I don't think I deserve to win, not this year at least, but 2002 could be another story. I plan on having a lot of stuff in circulation by that time. And as my friend Jackie said while I was out in San Francisco, handing out my work and personal business cards, I am a "shameless self-promoter."
Once all that was done, I got down to some writing, at long last. Yep, still working on that durn "Black Angels" story. It's about there. Everything but the writing. Let me explain.
I hard the hardest time trying to figure out how to tell this story. I kept flip-flopping between just two main characters and six characters (two main and four "supporting" characters), and between a chronological telling versus constantly going back and forth in time, and between an old man looking back or just a young man's point of view. I chose a more straight-forward, chronological telling from a young man's point of view, all of it happening in one time frame -- in one evening, basically -- with occasional slips into the past. So all the stuff I wrote in the previous journal, the stuff with the old man, is going into the trash (well, into another file - I can't throw any writing away!). I've probably thought about this story more than I should have. I'd be better off just writing, but due to whatever circumstances keeping me from writing this past month, I was unable to do that.
So I'm gonna just push through, writing more each session, until it's done. I'm hoping to send it to my local writing group, which is starting back up again at last, by mid-February, if not sooner. I bet, if I really focus, I can get a lot done Friday and Saturday. Now that I know what happens and how it happens, I can really let loose.
See you in February, with my new desk (if it fits into my office)!!
mjj

January 25, 2001

Tacking down the words...

Today's Quote:

Tom Anderson stood in front of the slab of cracked, black-streaked concrete in the cemetery and wished he was dead. New grass struggled from the earth next to his feet, gasping for life after another long Iowa winter. Today was the first of April. Shivering more out of habit than out of any sense of cold in his bones, Tom heaved a massive sigh, and pulled the hood of his coat tighter around his head. He turned sixty-three today. April Fools Day.

I figured out, at long last, how to hook up to the Internet on my laptop. Now I'm trying to rig it so I'm not paying long-distance fees. Long story. But hey, I get to check e-mail and surf, all at the blinding speed of 16k!
I got up early today to write a bit. 5 a.m., which is really 8 a.m. at home - this Pacific Time is for the birds. Gimme the East Coast, please! Anyhoo, I'm getting back into the flow of the story in the cemetery. Right now the tentative title is "Black Angels." It's coming along well. I've got the first scene drafted, and most of the rest of the story outlined. I changed the original draft from first person to third, and I think the distance will help, with what I've got planned for the main character. He's done some bad things, though he's been punished for them for years. I'm not sure if he'll be able to fully pay for all he's done and find some peace by the story's end or not. I'm hoping to fill this story with lots of plot twists. So I don't want to give too much away here.
The good news is that I'm back on track again. Maybe I'll get some time Sunday morning to write a lot, and get more of the draft done. I'm hoping to have this story done by the end of the month, but I may have to stretch it into February. We'll see. I'm not going to worry about my arbitrary deadlines so much, as long as I keep writing and writing quality stuff.
And I'm having trouble again with the #@!% Internet connection, so I won't get to post this 'til Friday or Saturday. Sorry! I've got to figure out the password issues I've been having there. I'm baffled. It's probably for the best though. Who knows what kind of long distance bills I've been racking up here trying to get online, and then once I'm online... Yikes.
mjj

January 23, 2001

Time to get down to brass tacks...

So I'm hanging out in the airport. Still. (See my Reading News for Jan. 23 for details.)
And I'm wondering what's been keeping me from writing more. I know I haven't updated this journal for a while, nearly a week, but part of that is because they're starting to crack down on Internet use, so I feel incredibly guilty checking other people's journals (I swear, I only do it on my lunch break and other breaks from work!). I mean, I don't abuse the 'Net there, though I do surf a bit to break up the monotony every now and then... Anyhow. Before I incriminate myself further, let's talk writing.
For some reason, I can't seem to get started on any projects. I know I'll pick up "The Last of the Hand" in February, probably next weekend sometime. I probably should start compiling my notes for "Autumn's Fall" as well, because I know Greg has been getting organized and doing some work on the beginning of that novel, and that's something I really want to make work.
I guess what's holding me up is this story I've been wanting to write. You know, the one about the guy and girl in the cemetery. This is the one I had all the ideas about last week and the other night right before I fell asleep. It's weird. Sometimes I get all fired up about a story, then it's gone. I think the changes I have in store for it will work well - maybe I'll try to do what Tim Powers does with his novels and stories -- start out with a seemingly unrelated scene, then add another scene or two that jars the reader, then slowly make sense of those scenes in the later half of the story. Maybe.
Note -- the following section may contain spoilers, so if you wanna read the story as a tabula rasa, skip this paragraph. I was thinking of starting it with the main character as an old man. He's in the cemetery, and he's looking at the spot where the Black Angel memorial once stood. The town where he lives had it removed years ago, after a series of unfortunate incidents, and the last person who helped with the removal of the Angel has died an unnatural death. Except for this guy. And he's so tormented he wishes he would die. Gee, sounds like a real uplifting story so far, huh? That's the first scene, not sure how much I'll reveal about him yet, maybe just show him doing something weird, like looking for the handprint in the base of what's left of the statue... Hmm. This is good. I think I can run with that. After that scene, I think I'll flash back to the past, with the group of kids in the cemetery. Maybe. Or maybe someplace totally different. We'll see.
In other news, my story "Crossing the Camp" is up at Strange Horizons, and I've been getting some nice feedback from family and friends, as well as my fellow writers from the Writers of the Future workshop as well as Clarion. It's been good, getting back in touch with the Clarion folks. I've always felt a little bad about not keeping up with everyone, especially after my last, very hungover day there when I (along with my friend Chris) was an hour and a half late for the last critiquing session. Still embarrassed by that, a little. All I can say in my defense is: "Vodka drinks." 'Nuff said. So it's been nice getting in touch with other writers. It's one thing to tell someone who's not a writer about getting published, but other writers totally understand the thrill and can really share in the excitement and rush of it all. Of course, I hope I don't sound like I'm bragging when I send out mass e-mails like that. It's hard not to toot my own horn like that.
I still have an hour or so before my flight begins boarding. I'm jonesing for some coffee or something equally bad for me... I may try to do some writing on that story. I imagine I'll have lots of time tomorrow and Thursday morning to write, since I'll be wide awake at 4 or 5 a.m., what with the time difference. But still, I'll give that cemetery story one more try.
One last thing - I brought along a copy of an older story I wrote that's been rejected by countless mainstream magazines. I was thinking of converting it into a fantasy story. Maybe. I was going to mess around with it and see if it's worth trying. I just hate that some stories don't work well as mainstream stories, and after all the time I put into them in the past, I don't want them to be just sitting there, collecting dust. Or am I just deluding myself with another one of my hare-brained schemes? You make the call... Later.
mjj

January 19, 2001

Now if I could just remember the ideas I had last night...

Why is it that all the ideas you have right before you go to sleep are the best ones you've ever had?
And why is it you can never remember them the next morning?
Argh. I was worrying about where to go with my "Black Angels" story the past few days, having lost my momentum and excitement about the story from last week, when the idea first popped into my head. I hadn't written much this week, and it was bugging me. Then, last night, instead of reading before I fell asleep, which I usually do, I lay there and thought about the story in sort of half-awake mode. Had lots of great ideas, too, half of which I remembered this morning and was able to jot down on my draft. Instead of two main characters there are now six, and they are college-age but teens, eighth-graders to be exact (eight grade - hormones, zits, peer pressure, awkwardness - ain't that the worst year of your life?). And the story isn't going to be linear but jumping around in time, and probably told from a long time later. I think. I had all these great things to add last night, and I couldn't dredge them out of the subconscious this a.m. But like I always say, if they're good ideas, they'll come back to me. Some day...
In any case, I was able to write about 500 words this morning, chopping out some others from the older version, and now I have a very sketchy outline of scenes. I think I'll be able to put it together on Sunday while Elizabeth is out at a job fair for work. 'Til then, I'll be reading more stories. I've recently discovered some James Blaylock stories on the Sci Fiction site. He's great. And then there's that Tim Powers fellow. Later.
mjj

January 17, 2001

An outlining free for all!

Hopped out of bed this morning right at 5, after a good night's sleep at last (no dog barking at me every time I rolled over on the bed - don't ask!). I sat down at the old computer and got right to it - outlining.
Outlining to me is kinda fun. The whole world is wide open, and anything is possible. At first. I started with my fantasy novel, outlining the entire middle section (I'm organizing it into 3 acts, sort of like a movie, really) and getting ready for the final 1/3 of the book. I've got some great stuff planned. I keep worrying, in the back of my mind, that there is no deeper subtext running under this story. It feels like total action sometimes, a big comic book adventure, but I think - I hope - there's more to it than that. The characters are starting to come alive for me now.
I also did some rearranging for the Black Angel story, so when I get home tonight after meeting Elizabeth for dinner before her class, I can just bang out as much of a draft as possible. Though I'm feeling a bit more excited about "Last of the Hand" lately, I need to get started on this cemetery story. I feel like it's pretty much all written, and my outlining this morning helped immensely - I have 3 pages of odds and ends, scenes and parts of scenes collected together. I just need one burst of energy and I'll have it. I'll do it. I'll get some caffeine in me and jam 'til 9:30 or 10.
In related news, I got my check and contract from Strange Horizons yesterday! I could get used to this. And it came at a time when we really needed it. So that made me feel like a star writer.
I also got a newsletter from SFWA, most of which I'd already read on their website (which I think is a bit weak and poorly-designed), except for the letters from SFWA members. I wonder what I've gotten myself into. The first few, from the officers of the organization, were tame and sort of inspiring, but the letters from the writers were a bit surprising. Most of them were, to put it bluntly, pissed off at SFWA, specifically the president and other officers. A little disheartening, as was the news that they may be raising the "per-word" rates required for membership from 3 cents a word to 5 or even 6 cents a word. While I have 2 pro-level stories that surpass that, I think it's a bad, bad idea to raise the requirements like that. 3 cents a word is $150 for a 5,000-word story, not much for a lot of hard work, but for some magazines, that's all they can afford! It would kill a lot of magazines, and with the top-tier magazines already folding on a nearly-monthly basis, it would give writers like me nowhere to send my stuff! What a horrible idea. If someone can present a good reason for doing so, that would benefit all writers, I'd love to hear your POV.
Okay, off my soapbox.
Finally, I got my copy of Tim Powers' Declare from Quail Ridge Books today! It's a beast, very thick, but I can't wait to dive into it. Gotta finish his story collection first. Check out my new What I'm Reading journal for details on those books as I read 'em.
And that's it - I'm off to get some supper, see my wife, and then write all night. Cool, huh?
mjj

January 15, 2001

Readin', not writin'...

I admit, I didn't write when I got up this morning at 5 a.m. I was going to, but I can't seem to get going on the new story. I think I'm still resting up from Saturday's full-blown attach at revising my fantasy novella. Just printed out my own copy, and I'm hoping I don't find any glaring mistakes, as it's on its way to the publisher already.
Anyway, I still haven't really jumped into the story in the cemetery yet. I think I'm going to rearrange the chronology of it and start it in the middle, like the Charles DeLint story in the first issue of Black Gate. I liked that, both the story and the structure. Hopefully no one will think I'm copying off him, as my story has similar elements in addition to the structure I'll be "borrowing." I did a bunch of research yesterday morning and found some more interesting tidbits to put in the story. I'd tell more about them but I'm worried that will give away too much of the surprise in the story. You'll just have to read it when it's done.
I'm also getting revved up for the revision to the horror novel. Greg and I have been shooting e-mails back and forth this past week, and I think we're getting close to fixing up the beginning. If I had my druthers it would start with Peter's death, but Greg wants to keep the flashback to the championship game as a sort of prologue, then jump to Peter's death 15 years later. I think it will work just as well his way. I especially wanted to keep the scene with the 5 guys sitting around at the spot after the game and the party, talking about the future. The more I think about it, the more I like it. Also, it won't seem as jarring when we jump forward in time 15 years with the same characters - the reader will know who everyone is already. So yeah, I think this is the right course. I just needed a little convincing, I guess.
So while I didn't do any writing this morning, I'm still keeping up with all my various projects. I enjoy it that way. As long as I make up for lost time later this week (though really, it ain't lost time at all!). Really, to be honest, I'm always writing or thinking about writing or just noticing stuff I can put into my writing. It's all about living your life with your eyes wide open, ready for anything, recording it all, and saving it for later.
In other news, I got my copy of Tim Powers' short story collectiong, Night Moves. Wow. This morning I reread the title story, and found about 5-6 more things I hadn't caught the first two times I read it. That's the sign of an awesome writer - to put so much detail and thought and themes into one story that it grows with each reading. It's an amazing story. I can't wait to read the other stories. And more books by Powers - I have Declare on order at the local indie bookstore. And James Blaylock is another writer I need to read more of. I guess he and Tim are buddies, and they've collaborated on a couple stories in Tim's collection. They both write about things I like - normal people in the present day and age, forced to deal somehow with the supernatural or just plain magical. And they write the way I want to write - wildly original plots, beautiful language, tons of detail, and memorable, plentiful characters. Great stuff. Makes me glad I'm a writer so I can try to be that good.

Home

mjj

	michaeljasper.net *"Another Wrecked Web Site"*
January 31, 2001 Back on track at month's end... *Today's Quote:* They walked north, passing the occasional backpack-toting student on foot or riding past on a bike. Tom continued with his stories about the Angel, improvising and exaggerating wildly to keep Mercy from getting too nervous. Like the base of the Black Angel's statue was hacked from the rock that the angel rolled from Jesus' tomb Easter morning. Or the Angel took a yearly flight every Christmas at midnight, returning before dawn - "Like Santa," Tom said, laughing. Leaving the bustle of campus behind, they walked past dark houses and empty lots in silence. An old Escort puttered past, filling the air with the stink of burning oil. Tom exhaled through his mouth and leaned closer to inhale Mercy's smell of cloves and roses, with just the right hint of sweat. He'd miss that smell.	Hello. I know it's been a while, but last week and last weekend were both crazy, so this is my first entry in almost a week. I haven't gotten a ton of writing done in that time (until today, that is), but that's okay. I'll make it up this weekend, and maybe Friday as well. A humorous (sorta humorous) side-note to all my noodling with the internet on my laptop while I was traveling. Got my hotel bill, and the long-distance charges were $100!! Man, I hope Elizabeth doesn't read this. I was logging on with a long-distance number, and I'm sure the hotel got their percentage of each second I was online as well. Yeah, I know now to look for LOCAL numbers when I'm not 'round here. Now I know. Sheesh. Just doing my part to keep the California hotel system healthy and viable, y' know. So it's Wednesday night, and I have a couple hours to get caught up on my various projects. First I sent an e-mail to Dan Reid, master of Trinoc*Con 2001, to see if he'd have me again at this year's event. I figure I may as well get used to going to conventions, and hey, this one's local and there were some excellent guests there last year. And this year I'll know better how to comport myself. I hope I can convince some friends to come along. I'd love to see the con do well and become a staple in the community. Then I e-mailed the folks at the Millenium PhilCon to beg them to let me register today so I can vote in this year's Hugo and Campbell awards (along with the retroactive Hugos for 1950 - cool idea!). Since I'm on the Campbell ballet (plug plug plug, I know), I figured I'd at least vote as well as attend. You never know. I don't think I deserve to win, not this year at least, but 2002 could be another story. I plan on having a lot of stuff in circulation by that time. And as my friend Jackie said while I was out in San Francisco, handing out my work and personal business cards, I am a "shameless self-promoter." Once all that was done, I got down to some writing, at long last. Yep, still working on that durn "Black Angels" story. It's about there. Everything but the writing. Let me explain. I hard the hardest time trying to figure out how to tell this story. I kept flip-flopping between just two main characters and six characters (two main and four "supporting" characters), and between a chronological telling versus constantly going back and forth in time, and between an old man looking back or just a young man's point of view. I chose a more straight-forward, chronological telling from a young man's point of view, all of it happening in one time frame -- in one evening, basically -- with occasional slips into the past. So all the stuff I wrote in the previous journal, the stuff with the old man, is going into the trash (well, into another file - I can't throw any writing away!). I've probably thought about this story more than I should have. I'd be better off just writing, but due to whatever circumstances keeping me from writing this past month, I was unable to do that. So I'm gonna just push through, writing more each session, until it's done. I'm hoping to send it to my local writing group, which is starting back up again at last, by mid-February, if not sooner. I bet, if I really focus, I can get a lot done Friday and Saturday. Now that I know what happens and how it happens, I can really let loose. See you in February, with my new desk (if it fits into my office)!! mjj
January 25, 2001 Tacking down the words... *Today's Quote:* Tom Anderson stood in front of the slab of cracked, black-streaked concrete in the cemetery and wished he was dead. New grass struggled from the earth next to his feet, gasping for life after another long Iowa winter. Today was the first of April. Shivering more out of habit than out of any sense of cold in his bones, Tom heaved a massive sigh, and pulled the hood of his coat tighter around his head. He turned sixty-three today. April Fools Day.	I figured out, at long last, how to hook up to the Internet on my laptop. Now I'm trying to rig it so I'm not paying long-distance fees. Long story. But hey, I get to check e-mail and surf, all at the blinding speed of 16k! I got up early today to write a bit. 5 a.m., which is really 8 a.m. at home - this Pacific Time is for the birds. Gimme the East Coast, please! Anyhoo, I'm getting back into the flow of the story in the cemetery. Right now the tentative title is "Black Angels." It's coming along well. I've got the first scene drafted, and most of the rest of the story outlined. I changed the original draft from first person to third, and I think the distance will help, with what I've got planned for the main character. He's done some bad things, though he's been punished for them for years. I'm not sure if he'll be able to fully pay for all he's done and find some peace by the story's end or not. I'm hoping to fill this story with lots of plot twists. So I don't want to give too much away here. The good news is that I'm back on track again. Maybe I'll get some time Sunday morning to write a lot, and get more of the draft done. I'm hoping to have this story done by the end of the month, but I may have to stretch it into February. We'll see. I'm not going to worry about my arbitrary deadlines so much, as long as I keep writing and writing quality stuff. And I'm having trouble again with the #@!% Internet connection, so I won't get to post this 'til Friday or Saturday. Sorry! I've got to figure out the password issues I've been having there. I'm baffled. It's probably for the best though. Who knows what kind of long distance bills I've been racking up here trying to get online, and then once I'm online... Yikes. mjj
January 23, 2001 Time to get down to brass tacks...	So I'm hanging out in the airport. Still. (See my Reading News for Jan. 23 for details.) And I'm wondering what's been keeping me from writing more. I know I haven't updated this journal for a while, nearly a week, but part of that is because they're starting to crack down on Internet use, so I feel incredibly guilty checking other people's journals (I swear, I only do it on my lunch break and other breaks from work!). I mean, I don't abuse the 'Net there, though I do surf a bit to break up the monotony every now and then... Anyhow. Before I incriminate myself further, let's talk writing. For some reason, I can't seem to get started on any projects. I know I'll pick up "The Last of the Hand" in February, probably next weekend sometime. I probably should start compiling my notes for "Autumn's Fall" as well, because I know Greg has been getting organized and doing some work on the beginning of that novel, and that's something I really want to make work. I guess what's holding me up is this story I've been wanting to write. You know, the one about the guy and girl in the cemetery. This is the one I had all the ideas about last week and the other night right before I fell asleep. It's weird. Sometimes I get all fired up about a story, then it's gone. I think the changes I have in store for it will work well - maybe I'll try to do what Tim Powers does with his novels and stories -- start out with a seemingly unrelated scene, then add another scene or two that jars the reader, then slowly make sense of those scenes in the later half of the story. Maybe. Note -- the following section may contain spoilers, so if you wanna read the story as a tabula rasa, skip this paragraph. I was thinking of starting it with the main character as an old man. He's in the cemetery, and he's looking at the spot where the Black Angel memorial once stood. The town where he lives had it removed years ago, after a series of unfortunate incidents, and the last person who helped with the removal of the Angel has died an unnatural death. Except for this guy. And he's so tormented he wishes he would die. Gee, sounds like a real uplifting story so far, huh? That's the first scene, not sure how much I'll reveal about him yet, maybe just show him doing something weird, like looking for the handprint in the base of what's left of the statue... Hmm. This is good. I think I can run with that. After that scene, I think I'll flash back to the past, with the group of kids in the cemetery. Maybe. Or maybe someplace totally different. We'll see. In other news, my story "Crossing the Camp" is up at Strange Horizons, and I've been getting some nice feedback from family and friends, as well as my fellow writers from the Writers of the Future workshop as well as Clarion. It's been good, getting back in touch with the Clarion folks. I've always felt a little bad about not keeping up with everyone, especially after my last, very hungover day there when I (along with my friend Chris) was an hour and a half late for the last critiquing session. Still embarrassed by that, a little. All I can say in my defense is: "Vodka drinks." 'Nuff said. So it's been nice getting in touch with other writers. It's one thing to tell someone who's not a writer about getting published, but other writers totally understand the thrill and can really share in the excitement and rush of it all. Of course, I hope I don't sound like I'm bragging when I send out mass e-mails like that. It's hard not to toot my own horn like that. I still have an hour or so before my flight begins boarding. I'm jonesing for some coffee or something equally bad for me... I may try to do some writing on that story. I imagine I'll have lots of time tomorrow and Thursday morning to write, since I'll be wide awake at 4 or 5 a.m., what with the time difference. But still, I'll give that cemetery story one more try. One last thing - I brought along a copy of an older story I wrote that's been rejected by countless mainstream magazines. I was thinking of converting it into a fantasy story. Maybe. I was going to mess around with it and see if it's worth trying. I just hate that some stories don't work well as mainstream stories, and after all the time I put into them in the past, I don't want them to be just sitting there, collecting dust. Or am I just deluding myself with another one of my hare-brained schemes? You make the call... Later. mjj
January 19, 2001 Now if I could just remember the ideas I had last night...	Why is it that all the ideas you have right before you go to sleep are the best ones you've ever had? And why is it you can never remember them the next morning? Argh. I was worrying about where to go with my "Black Angels" story the past few days, having lost my momentum and excitement about the story from last week, when the idea first popped into my head. I hadn't written much this week, and it was bugging me. Then, last night, instead of reading before I fell asleep, which I usually do, I lay there and thought about the story in sort of half-awake mode. Had lots of great ideas, too, half of which I remembered this morning and was able to jot down on my draft. Instead of two main characters there are now six, and they are college-age but teens, eighth-graders to be exact (eight grade - hormones, zits, peer pressure, awkwardness - ain't that the worst year of your life?). And the story isn't going to be linear but jumping around in time, and probably told from a long time later. I think. I had all these great things to add last night, and I couldn't dredge them out of the subconscious this a.m. But like I always say, if they're good ideas, they'll come back to me. Some day... In any case, I was able to write about 500 words this morning, chopping out some others from the older version, and now I have a very sketchy outline of scenes. I think I'll be able to put it together on Sunday while Elizabeth is out at a job fair for work. 'Til then, I'll be reading more stories. I've recently discovered some James Blaylock stories on the Sci Fiction site. He's great. And then there's that Tim Powers fellow. Later. mjj
January 17, 2001 An outlining free for all!	Hopped out of bed this morning right at 5, after a good night's sleep at last (no dog barking at me every time I rolled over on the bed - don't ask!). I sat down at the old computer and got right to it - outlining. Outlining to me is kinda fun. The whole world is wide open, and anything is possible. At first. I started with my fantasy novel, outlining the entire middle section (I'm organizing it into 3 acts, sort of like a movie, really) and getting ready for the final 1/3 of the book. I've got some great stuff planned. I keep worrying, in the back of my mind, that there is no deeper subtext running under this story. It feels like total action sometimes, a big comic book adventure, but I think - I hope - there's more to it than that. The characters are starting to come alive for me now. I also did some rearranging for the Black Angel story, so when I get home tonight after meeting Elizabeth for dinner before her class, I can just bang out as much of a draft as possible. Though I'm feeling a bit more excited about "Last of the Hand" lately, I need to get started on this cemetery story. I feel like it's pretty much all written, and my outlining this morning helped immensely - I have 3 pages of odds and ends, scenes and parts of scenes collected together. I just need one burst of energy and I'll have it. I'll do it. I'll get some caffeine in me and jam 'til 9:30 or 10. In related news, I got my check and contract from Strange Horizons yesterday! I could get used to this. And it came at a time when we really needed it. So that made me feel like a star writer. I also got a newsletter from SFWA, most of which I'd already read on their website (which I think is a bit weak and poorly-designed), except for the letters from SFWA members. I wonder what I've gotten myself into. The first few, from the officers of the organization, were tame and sort of inspiring, but the letters from the writers were a bit surprising. Most of them were, to put it bluntly, pissed off at SFWA, specifically the president and other officers. A little disheartening, as was the news that they may be raising the "per-word" rates required for membership from 3 cents a word to 5 or even 6 cents a word. While I have 2 pro-level stories that surpass that, I think it's a bad, bad idea to raise the requirements like that. 3 cents a word is $150 for a 5,000-word story, not much for a lot of hard work, but for some magazines, that's all they can afford! It would kill a lot of magazines, and with the top-tier magazines already folding on a nearly-monthly basis, it would give writers like me nowhere to send my stuff! What a horrible idea. If someone can present a good reason for doing so, that would benefit all writers, I'd love to hear your POV. Okay, off my soapbox. Finally, I got my copy of Tim Powers' Declare from Quail Ridge Books today! It's a beast, very thick, but I can't wait to dive into it. Gotta finish his story collection first. Check out my new What I'm Reading journal for details on those books as I read 'em. And that's it - I'm off to get some supper, see my wife, and then write all night. Cool, huh? mjj
January 15, 2001 Readin', not writin'...	I admit, I didn't write when I got up this morning at 5 a.m. I was going to, but I can't seem to get going on the new story. I think I'm still resting up from Saturday's full-blown attach at revising my fantasy novella. Just printed out my own copy, and I'm hoping I don't find any glaring mistakes, as it's on its way to the publisher already. Anyway, I still haven't really jumped into the story in the cemetery yet. I think I'm going to rearrange the chronology of it and start it in the middle, like the Charles DeLint story in the first issue of Black Gate. I liked that, both the story and the structure. Hopefully no one will think I'm copying off him, as my story has similar elements in addition to the structure I'll be "borrowing." I did a bunch of research yesterday morning and found some more interesting tidbits to put in the story. I'd tell more about them but I'm worried that will give away too much of the surprise in the story. You'll just have to read it when it's done. I'm also getting revved up for the revision to the horror novel. Greg and I have been shooting e-mails back and forth this past week, and I think we're getting close to fixing up the beginning. If I had my druthers it would start with Peter's death, but Greg wants to keep the flashback to the championship game as a sort of prologue, then jump to Peter's death 15 years later. I think it will work just as well his way. I especially wanted to keep the scene with the 5 guys sitting around at the spot after the game and the party, talking about the future. The more I think about it, the more I like it. Also, it won't seem as jarring when we jump forward in time 15 years with the same characters - the reader will know who everyone is already. So yeah, I think this is the right course. I just needed a little convincing, I guess. So while I didn't do any writing this morning, I'm still keeping up with all my various projects. I enjoy it that way. As long as I make up for lost time later this week (though really, it ain't lost time at all!). Really, to be honest, I'm always writing or thinking about writing or just noticing stuff I can put into my writing. It's all about living your life with your eyes wide open, ready for anything, recording it all, and saving it for later. In other news, I got my copy of Tim Powers' short story collectiong, Night Moves. Wow. This morning I reread the title story, and found about 5-6 more things I hadn't caught the first two times I read it. That's the sign of an awesome writer - to put so much detail and thought and themes into one story that it grows with each reading. It's an amazing story. I can't wait to read the other stories. And more books by Powers - I have Declare on order at the local indie bookstore. And James Blaylock is another writer I need to read more of. I guess he and Tim are buddies, and they've collaborated on a couple stories in Tim's collection. They both write about things I like - normal people in the present day and age, forced to deal somehow with the supernatural or just plain magical. And they write the way I want to write - wildly original plots, beautiful language, tons of detail, and memorable, plentiful characters. Great stuff. Makes me glad I'm a writer so I can try to be that good.
Home	mjj