The 1/24/30 Dare 2001, Week 2+

michaeljasper.net

"Another Wrecked Web Site"

Sept. 16, 2001

An Hour is Not Enough

Today's Quote:

The air was filled with a deathly silence as the dragon climbed and climbed over the Tasman Sea. The Dragon was almost gone from sight when Michael turned to the four battered Sorcerors behind them. His face was triumphant and wild-eyed, but he proved his senses had not left him when he uttered one simple syllable: "Run."

Now Playing:

"Magnolia" soundtrack, Aimee Mann

The 1/24/30 Dare

It's hard to believe, at the start of this month, that I was worried about not being able to find an hour a day in September to get some writing done. I don't even want to think of the long hours I've put in already, and I've still got over 2 weeks left in the month.

But that's a good thing. I've really been rocking on the drafting and revising of my fantasy novel, and even if the publisher (perish the thought) doesn't like the finished manuscript, I'll have a fine novel ready to send elsewhere. Three novels down, x number of novels to go...

Today was a day full of research. I usually don't spend near enough time in the trenches of research, getting the facts straight. But with the Internet and a high-speed line, man, research is a snap! I found out a ton of cool stuff about Australia's southeastern coast of New South Wales, where supposedly a tsunami hit over 2 centuries ago. Also learned more about the convicts that were brought there from overcrowded England (since they couldn't use now-dependent America as a prison any longer). Great stuff, and maybe another story or novel is buried there in the research...

Not much else going on 'round here. Just trying to keep up with the news and not let it get to us too much. It is nice to hear airplanes flying overhead again -- it's about 60 degrees right now, and I have the window open, and a plane just passed high overhead. It's reassuring.

Just never forget the Americans lost this week. Never. Have a good night.
mjj

Sept. 15, 2001

Synopsize this!

Today's Quote:

Kelley flexed her wrists and tried to get the blood flowing to her numb hands. Panic filled her mouth like the metallic taste that had entered her mouth in the hospital. Back when she could still do magic just by thinking about it.

She thought about what she'd read in the book from Maria's shop. She had some of the sections memorized, especially the section dealing with fire - she wanted to be sure she got that right, and didn't blow anything else up by accident. One apartment was enough.

Now Playing:

"Binaural," Pearl Jam

The 1/24/30 Dare

Worked on the synopsis a bit today, for an hour or two, and did some piddling around with part three. Late last night I did some groundwork for Archie's big, freaky flashback dealing with the Druid and his Dragon (should be a fun scene to write!), and this morning I got some ideas together for Kelley's great escape from the attic in the apartment attached to the old Taco John's restaurant.

Then I realized I was sort of losing my focus, and I pulled out the good old synopsis again. I've made a bunch of small changes since I last worked on that, and it was really effective (though time-consuming) to sift through that and add the new stuff and excise the old stuff I'm no longer using.

It's a pretty sharp synopsis now, though a bit long -- 6 pages double-spaced. Is that average, experienced novel-writers? I've been condensing as much as I can, but some stuff has to be in there for the outline as a whole to make any sense!

Writing a synopsis makes me feel like I'm writing non-fiction, which makes me feel like I'm coming down with a case of the hives.

Anyhoo, I think I'll get all my miscellaneous chores finished up today and just do a long writing day tomorrow. The old lawn is a-calling out to me to be cut. Plus I feel like reading some stories for a while. I've got a backlog of magazines and Year's Bests, and single-author collections sitting here on my desk, staring at me. (Wow -- I've got grass hollering at me and books glaring at me -- I live a very odd life...)

We're going to go hang out with some friends tonight and just sort of get back to reality again (we hope). Of course, we're watching "Memento" again and then discussing it, and those that have read chunks of my novel are gonna chat about that, so it may not be "real" reality, but should be lots of fun! See you later, and have a good one!
mjj

Sept. 14, 2001

Reading and recovering...

Today's Quote:

The thin man smiled, and then stopped, as if remembering his manners. His eyes never strayed far from the book in Kelley's hands. "Could I interest you in something to drink? Or perhaps some chewing gum? I just quit smoking last week, and I've found that gum is a fine substitution. I've have three boxes of Bubble Yum and Bubblicious, if you're interested."

Now Playing:

"Charlotte, NC (Bootleg)," Pearl Jam

The 1/24/30 Dare

Okay, I'm throwing in the towel today for the day. Elizabeth and I had some errands to run, and it took me forever to get going for some reason. Maybe it's because I've come to a sort of ending -- the conclusion of Part 2 -- and it's hard to get start on a new section. Or maybe I'm just a wee bit burnt out... Nah! Couldn't be possible! Just 'cause I've been writing like a madman lately... ;)

I did get a chance to add about 3 more pages of stuff to the last chapter of book 2, when Everything Goes Wrong, adding lots of details and transitions. I've found that this is probably my favorite part of the writing -- the adding of details and revising what's there. Doing the drafting is tough, just squeezing out one word after another. Editing is tough also, because you need to almost read out loud to make sure each word fits and there are no typos or grammatical errors. But making the text better and adding the revisions, that's fun to me. That's when the story really starts to come together for me.

So that's what I did today: added details to the last section of part one, and kept taking peeks at Part 3 (then shuddering and procrastinating)... There's always tomorrow.

I did get a chance to do some reading in the meantime, finishing a fine story by Gardner Dozois ("A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows") that perfectly displayed a character with a moral conflict, just like he discussed with us at Clarion all those years ago (see, I WAS listening!). I also read the prologue to the next Dark Tower book by Stephen King, which was a fine read, incredibly imaginative and well-drawn, and of course ending on a point that makes me want more (we almost get to see the gunslingers again...). Fun stuff. If I have time I may read the new James Morrow story in the latest F&SF. Reading good stuff is always an excellent cure for writer's block for me.

Or I could always cut the lawn... Later!
mjj

Sept. 13, 2001

Every word is a rock...

Today's Quote:

“You guys did it,” Jersey whispered. Jimbo gave him a weak smile, while Marky and Jeroan tried to reach one another to knock their fists together, but even that small movement was too much for them in their worn-out state. He crawled up to Archie and found a shaky pulse in the man’s neck. “Holy crap, you guys really did it.”

Now Playing:

"Vs.," Pearl Jam

The 1/24/30 Dare

Another busy, slightly hectic day. I really wanted to have this last section done by this time yesterday, but what can you do? For some reason finishing the middle section of this novel has been tough -- the last 15-20 pages didn't want to come. But after working on it a bunch this morning, and a little bit more tonight, I at least got a draft done. I felt like I was building a castle one rock at a time, throwing them in a pile and hoping the shape would hold.

All told, I managed to write about 2,500 rocks -- I mean words -- today. Wow. Not bad.

I'm hoping to get a bunch more written tomorrow as I start the third and final section of the novel. Everything's all falling into place nicely, and I'm really looking forward to it. I think it's been tough just because of all that's happened this week. The events in NYC and DC are starting to really weigh down on me, as I'm sure they're affecting everyone. The next few days will be hard, I think, as more of the news turns to those lost.

And boy am I tired. I'm gonna try and ignore the news and maybe read a little bit. I've got a printout of the prologue to Stephen King's fifth Dark Tower book that I'd like to read, along with Gardner Dozois' story, "A Night of Ghosts and Shadows," which I started on the plane (a plane! will we ever take a trip on a plane and feel the same way again?) on the way back from Philly last week.

And then the plan is to get some sleep! Take care, everyone.
mjj

Sept. 12, 2001

Editing is fun...?

Today's Quote:

Jersey didn't want to seem unappreciative. He appreciated the young boys coming to his aid yesterday after York and Mexico had caught him in their van. He really did. But he was getting very tired of hearing Jeroan repeat every single detail from that rescue, adding details with each telling.

Now Playing:

"Yield," Pearl Jam

The 1/24/30 Dare

Hey there. A quick addendum to my combo entry from yesterday and today, below. I was hoping to be done with part two of my novel tonight, but I'm running out of gas. I think I'll get up in the morning and finish off the last two half-finished chapters instead of wearing myself out trying to draft out 4-5 pages.

The anal retentive part of me hates doing this -- that part of me just wants to keep pushing and pushing. I thrive on deadlines, and I keep adjusting my deadlines for this section, and it bugs me. It's hard to explain. But sometimes you gotta listen to the voice of reason... And lately the voice of reason sounds an awful lot like my lovely wife's voice... ;)

I did do a ton of editing on all the new stuff from page 141 on. I actually find this sort of thing fun -- I've got the rough wordage out there, and I can print it out and mark up my manuscript like crazy, moving stuff around and all that. It'd be quicker if I did it on the computer, but sometimes you just have to get the old pen out and mark up the hard copy.

A drawback of this is that it takes a lot of time -- you read it once, marking up like crazy, then you have to go back and "transcribe" your fixes (usually in the form of scribbles and slashes and strange squibbles) on the computer, which is a total pain, but necessary.

If I had the time, I would have really enjoyed all this. But time is of the essence these days...

I hope everyone had a good day, today, by the way, and I really hope you made the most of it. Time may be of the essence, but happiness is what's truly vital. Later.
mjj

Sept. 11, 2001

An ugly day, hopefully made slightly better through writing, perhaps?

Today's Quote:

With his last bit of energy, the old man pointed both hands straight up at where the sun was hidden behind the clouds and began speaking the last Words he would ever utter on this Earth.

I want to feel the sun on my face, he thought, one more time.

Now Playing:

"Songs from an American Movie, Part 2," Everclear

"Bachelor No. 2," Aimee Mann

The 1/24/30 Dare

Today was a bad day. I don't know how best to describe the emotions I'm feeling right now at the end of a day full of news reports from New York City and Washington DC other than to say it makes me really, really sad. I also feel disappointed in humanity, basically. How can such violent acts still continue in this day and age?

I didn't want to write anything today, and to be honest, I couldn't focus long enough until about 9:30 tonight to do anything besides watch the news and hold Elizabeth tight. It's unfortunate that it takes something like this to make you really appreciate all you have. So take some time to be good to your loved ones and just be happy.

I wrote the previous 2 paragraphs last night, and didn't post them (until now, of course). It's the 12th now, and a part of me feels guilty for actually sitting down and writing fiction yesterday instead of watching the news and keeping abreast of what's happening in New York City and DC, among other places.

But I did write, and I'm glad I did. Sort of my own way of showing whoever did these deeds that they haven't completely screwed up everyone's lives. That's their goal, and for the most part they succeeded with everyone in America, at least for one day, but the best thing we can do to combat such attacks is to carry on as usual. We're just a lot more worse for wear right now.

So I was happy to be able to write for a little bit last night, adding about a thousand words to my novel. Today I plan on doing more, and maybe even sending some more pages out to my posse of readers...

Take care, and be careful, and enjoy this day as best you can. See you later.
mjj

Sept. 10, 2001

Today is Good Advice Day.

Today's Quote:

What must have passed as a smile for a dragon crossed Alexander's mouth. He moved his head in a nodding gesture. His tiny chest moved gently in and out as he inhaled and exhaled, and with a gentle swooshing sound he lifted his wings and spread them wide.

Kelley stared at Alexander for close to ten seconds in silence, watching him work his wings and breathe. And then, covering her mouth so she wouldn't wake Archie, she begin to laugh with the wondrous joy of a child.

"Alexander," she said, wiping tears from her eyes. "You're beautiful."

Now Playing:

"Another Mayberry," Big Head Todd and the Monsters

"Global Underground 19," John Digweed

The 1/24/30 Dare

From the noon hour:

All right, finished fixing up some excellent, excellent comments from my friends Chris and Tim about my first half of the book. Great stuff. Chris had some fine ideas for combining some chapters to make it flow better, as well as lots of little logical errors he caught for me. Nice work, my man. And Tim had my favorite fix of the day, describing Archie's hair as "porcupine quills," along with a suggestion to use the Italian word for witch in a later chapter. Thank you sir! I owe you both, big time!

From earlier today:

Slept late today, until 6:30! I could've slept another hour or two after staying up late all weekend. I'm planning on writing all evening tonight and for the rest of the week.

Today's horoscope was interesting: "Be prepared for somebody to approach you with an offer today. It could be a new job opening or a freelance project on the side. A friend who knows about your abilities could recommend you for the position. You might be able to use your inside connections to land you the job. If you're interested in expanding your career success, this could be an excellent opportunity for you. So take time to consider your friend's suggestions. Before you send your resume, do some research!"

Whoa! Now, I'm just gonna assume this horoscope has nothing to do with TECH writing, but fiction writing...

I also got a flurry of very helpful and friendly emails from fellow writers, including some from folks I don't know yet. Very cool. Great to hear from you, Ron, Julie, Tim, Derek, Chris!

In other news, it looks like my buddy Steve (you may know him as Stephen King) is finally getting off his butt and finishing (yes, finishing) his Dark Tower series of fantasy books. Very cool. What took ya, Steve? You can read the prologue to Book 5 online. Black House, his collaboration with Peter Straub and the sequel to The Talisman, is due out in a week. I'm thinking I'm gonna buy that for myself as a reward for finishing my own novel.

So many books, so little time. What a wonderful, terrible conundrum. Have a good Monday!
mjj

Sept. 9, 2001

Another Magic Number achieved... almost!!!

Today's Quote:

"They also tied me up tight and threw me into a lake to see if I would float like a witch. When I sank, they thought I was innocent. They were not pleased to see me still alive after spending such a long time under the water."

Now Playing:

"Back Porch Music," WUNC

The 1/24/30 Dare

It's about 11:10 p.m. and I can't seem to make it to my goal of hitting 5,000 words today. I got 4,800 in though, and I'm up to chapter 28, with 3 more chapters to go before I'm done with the middle section. I've been obsessing a little about the numbers, in case you haven't noticed...

Whew. I spent most of the day working on this. Crazy. But I got almost everything done I was planning on getting done. And the story is just humming along.

I got feedback from my two people so far, and all I can say is that I'm pretty lucky to know such cool folks who'll read 140 pages in a day or two and have some good comments to share with me.

And that's about it. I gotta get some rest. Later.
mjj

Sept. 8, 2001

Saturday night's all right for writing...

Today's Quote:

Her first sight of him had been on the rocky beach of Fulegandros, one of the Cyclades Islands north of Crete, with a knife sticking out of his upper leg. Blood poured from his wound, staining his robes and bare feet. He was all of twelve years old, if she judged him by his physical appearance.

Now Playing:

REM - "Reveal; Beck - "Midnight Vultures"

The 1/24/30 Dare Page

Tonight, I refused to go to sleep until either I reached a nice round 3,500 words, or midnight struck. Whichever came first.

Well, it looks like they both happened at pretty much the same time. I hit 3600 words, and it's 12:05 a.m. I need to get some sleep and rest up for tomorrow's marathon. Should be fun.

Tonight I added a fun scene with Jimbo looking for his new buds Jeroan and Marky, and after some wandering and wondering about shugendo, he finds the two boys at a tiny basketball court, dunking at will. He realizes he can do it too. Little do they know they're tipping off the bad dudes with their newly-functional tracking software...

But I digress. I don't want to give too much away, you know.

I'm very happy with my progress today. Not only did I write about 4700 words altogether, but I also managed to cut our way-too-long lawn, do our bills, run to the mall (yuck!) and have a nice night with Lizzie my family for my niece's birthday party. Everyone was curious about what was happening with my book, but I was more interested in hearing what was new with everyone else and seeing everyone again, including little Paige, who's changing so much every time I see her, getting cuter and cuter and more full of personality with every visit. She's got the best smile of any three-month-old I've ever seen.

All in all, a good day. I plan on sleeping in a bit tomorrow as a reward, then see if I can't finish up the next few chapters and wrap up the middle section of the book

Oh, and one last thing: I got my first NAWticism today (a quote from my journal that appears on the Not-A-Webring site)! Of course it has to do with Pumpking!

I feel like I've arrived. Later.

News

mjj

	michaeljasper.net *"Another Wrecked Web Site"*
Sept. 16, 2001 An Hour is Not Enough Today's Quote: The air was filled with a deathly silence as the dragon climbed and climbed over the Tasman Sea. The Dragon was almost gone from sight when Michael turned to the four battered Sorcerors behind them. His face was triumphant and wild-eyed, but he proved his senses had not left him when he uttered one simple syllable: "Run." Now Playing: "Magnolia" soundtrack, Aimee Mann The 1/24/30 Dare	It's hard to believe, at the start of this month, that I was worried about not being able to find an hour a day in September to get some writing done. I don't even want to think of the long hours I've put in already, and I've still got over 2 weeks left in the month. But that's a good thing. I've really been rocking on the drafting and revising of my fantasy novel, and even if the publisher (perish the thought) doesn't like the finished manuscript, I'll have a fine novel ready to send elsewhere. Three novels down, x number of novels to go... Today was a day full of research. I usually don't spend near enough time in the trenches of research, getting the facts straight. But with the Internet and a high-speed line, man, research is a snap! I found out a ton of cool stuff about Australia's southeastern coast of New South Wales, where supposedly a tsunami hit over 2 centuries ago. Also learned more about the convicts that were brought there from overcrowded England (since they couldn't use now-dependent America as a prison any longer). Great stuff, and maybe another story or novel is buried there in the research... Not much else going on 'round here. Just trying to keep up with the news and not let it get to us too much. It is nice to hear airplanes flying overhead again -- it's about 60 degrees right now, and I have the window open, and a plane just passed high overhead. It's reassuring. Just never forget the Americans lost this week. Never. Have a good night. mjj
Sept. 15, 2001 Synopsize this! Today's Quote: Kelley flexed her wrists and tried to get the blood flowing to her numb hands. Panic filled her mouth like the metallic taste that had entered her mouth in the hospital. Back when she could still do magic just by thinking about it. She thought about what she'd read in the book from Maria's shop. She had some of the sections memorized, especially the section dealing with fire - she wanted to be sure she got that right, and didn't blow anything else up by accident. One apartment was enough. Now Playing: "Binaural," Pearl Jam The 1/24/30 Dare	Worked on the synopsis a bit today, for an hour or two, and did some piddling around with part three. Late last night I did some groundwork for Archie's big, freaky flashback dealing with the Druid and his Dragon (should be a fun scene to write!), and this morning I got some ideas together for Kelley's great escape from the attic in the apartment attached to the old Taco John's restaurant. Then I realized I was sort of losing my focus, and I pulled out the good old synopsis again. I've made a bunch of small changes since I last worked on that, and it was really effective (though time-consuming) to sift through that and add the new stuff and excise the old stuff I'm no longer using. It's a pretty sharp synopsis now, though a bit long -- 6 pages double-spaced. Is that average, experienced novel-writers? I've been condensing as much as I can, but some stuff has to be in there for the outline as a whole to make any sense! Writing a synopsis makes me feel like I'm writing non-fiction, which makes me feel like I'm coming down with a case of the hives. Anyhoo, I think I'll get all my miscellaneous chores finished up today and just do a long writing day tomorrow. The old lawn is a-calling out to me to be cut. Plus I feel like reading some stories for a while. I've got a backlog of magazines and Year's Bests, and single-author collections sitting here on my desk, staring at me. (Wow -- I've got grass hollering at me and books glaring at me -- I live a very odd life...) We're going to go hang out with some friends tonight and just sort of get back to reality again (we hope). Of course, we're watching "Memento" again and then discussing it, and those that have read chunks of my novel are gonna chat about that, so it may not be "real" reality, but should be lots of fun! See you later, and have a good one! mjj
Sept. 14, 2001 Reading and recovering... Today's Quote: The thin man smiled, and then stopped, as if remembering his manners. His eyes never strayed far from the book in Kelley's hands. "Could I interest you in something to drink? Or perhaps some chewing gum? I just quit smoking last week, and I've found that gum is a fine substitution. I've have three boxes of Bubble Yum and Bubblicious, if you're interested." Now Playing: "Charlotte, NC (Bootleg)," Pearl Jam The 1/24/30 Dare	Okay, I'm throwing in the towel today for the day. Elizabeth and I had some errands to run, and it took me forever to get going for some reason. Maybe it's because I've come to a sort of ending -- the conclusion of Part 2 -- and it's hard to get start on a new section. Or maybe I'm just a wee bit burnt out... Nah! Couldn't be possible! Just 'cause I've been writing like a madman lately... ;) I did get a chance to add about 3 more pages of stuff to the last chapter of book 2, when Everything Goes Wrong, adding lots of details and transitions. I've found that this is probably my favorite part of the writing -- the adding of details and revising what's there. Doing the drafting is tough, just squeezing out one word after another. Editing is tough also, because you need to almost read out loud to make sure each word fits and there are no typos or grammatical errors. But making the text better and adding the revisions, that's fun to me. That's when the story really starts to come together for me. So that's what I did today: added details to the last section of part one, and kept taking peeks at Part 3 (then shuddering and procrastinating)... There's always tomorrow. I did get a chance to do some reading in the meantime, finishing a fine story by Gardner Dozois ("A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows") that perfectly displayed a character with a moral conflict, just like he discussed with us at Clarion all those years ago (see, I WAS listening!). I also read the prologue to the next Dark Tower book by Stephen King, which was a fine read, incredibly imaginative and well-drawn, and of course ending on a point that makes me want more (we almost get to see the gunslingers again...). Fun stuff. If I have time I may read the new James Morrow story in the latest F&SF. Reading good stuff is always an excellent cure for writer's block for me. Or I could always cut the lawn... Later! mjj
Sept. 13, 2001 Every word is a rock... Today's Quote: “You guys did it,” Jersey whispered. Jimbo gave him a weak smile, while Marky and Jeroan tried to reach one another to knock their fists together, but even that small movement was too much for them in their worn-out state. He crawled up to Archie and found a shaky pulse in the man’s neck. “Holy crap, you guys really did it.” Now Playing: "Vs.," Pearl Jam The 1/24/30 Dare	Another busy, slightly hectic day. I really wanted to have this last section done by this time yesterday, but what can you do? For some reason finishing the middle section of this novel has been tough -- the last 15-20 pages didn't want to come. But after working on it a bunch this morning, and a little bit more tonight, I at least got a draft done. I felt like I was building a castle one rock at a time, throwing them in a pile and hoping the shape would hold. All told, I managed to write about 2,500 rocks -- I mean words -- today. Wow. Not bad. I'm hoping to get a bunch more written tomorrow as I start the third and final section of the novel. Everything's all falling into place nicely, and I'm really looking forward to it. I think it's been tough just because of all that's happened this week. The events in NYC and DC are starting to really weigh down on me, as I'm sure they're affecting everyone. The next few days will be hard, I think, as more of the news turns to those lost. And boy am I tired. I'm gonna try and ignore the news and maybe read a little bit. I've got a printout of the prologue to Stephen King's fifth Dark Tower book that I'd like to read, along with Gardner Dozois' story, "A Night of Ghosts and Shadows," which I started on the plane (a plane! will we ever take a trip on a plane and feel the same way again?) on the way back from Philly last week. And then the plan is to get some sleep! Take care, everyone. mjj
Sept. 12, 2001 Editing is fun...? Today's Quote: Jersey didn't want to seem unappreciative. He appreciated the young boys coming to his aid yesterday after York and Mexico had caught him in their van. He really did. But he was getting very tired of hearing Jeroan repeat every single detail from that rescue, adding details with each telling. Now Playing: "Yield," Pearl Jam The 1/24/30 Dare	Hey there. A quick addendum to my combo entry from yesterday and today, below. I was hoping to be done with part two of my novel tonight, but I'm running out of gas. I think I'll get up in the morning and finish off the last two half-finished chapters instead of wearing myself out trying to draft out 4-5 pages. The anal retentive part of me hates doing this -- that part of me just wants to keep pushing and pushing. I thrive on deadlines, and I keep adjusting my deadlines for this section, and it bugs me. It's hard to explain. But sometimes you gotta listen to the voice of reason... And lately the voice of reason sounds an awful lot like my lovely wife's voice... ;) I did do a ton of editing on all the new stuff from page 141 on. I actually find this sort of thing fun -- I've got the rough wordage out there, and I can print it out and mark up my manuscript like crazy, moving stuff around and all that. It'd be quicker if I did it on the computer, but sometimes you just have to get the old pen out and mark up the hard copy. A drawback of this is that it takes a lot of time -- you read it once, marking up like crazy, then you have to go back and "transcribe" your fixes (usually in the form of scribbles and slashes and strange squibbles) on the computer, which is a total pain, but necessary. If I had the time, I would have really enjoyed all this. But time is of the essence these days... I hope everyone had a good day, today, by the way, and I really hope you made the most of it. Time may be of the essence, but happiness is what's truly vital. Later. mjj
Sept. 11, 2001 An ugly day, hopefully made slightly better through writing, perhaps? Today's Quote: With his last bit of energy, the old man pointed both hands straight up at where the sun was hidden behind the clouds and began speaking the last Words he would ever utter on this Earth. I want to feel the sun on my face, he thought, one more time. Now Playing: "Songs from an American Movie, Part 2," Everclear "Bachelor No. 2," Aimee Mann The 1/24/30 Dare	Today was a bad day. I don't know how best to describe the emotions I'm feeling right now at the end of a day full of news reports from New York City and Washington DC other than to say it makes me really, really sad. I also feel disappointed in humanity, basically. How can such violent acts still continue in this day and age? I didn't want to write anything today, and to be honest, I couldn't focus long enough until about 9:30 tonight to do anything besides watch the news and hold Elizabeth tight. It's unfortunate that it takes something like this to make you really appreciate all you have. So take some time to be good to your loved ones and just be happy. I wrote the previous 2 paragraphs last night, and didn't post them (until now, of course). It's the 12th now, and a part of me feels guilty for actually sitting down and writing fiction yesterday instead of watching the news and keeping abreast of what's happening in New York City and DC, among other places. But I did write, and I'm glad I did. Sort of my own way of showing whoever did these deeds that they haven't completely screwed up everyone's lives. That's their goal, and for the most part they succeeded with everyone in America, at least for one day, but the best thing we can do to combat such attacks is to carry on as usual. We're just a lot more worse for wear right now. So I was happy to be able to write for a little bit last night, adding about a thousand words to my novel. Today I plan on doing more, and maybe even sending some more pages out to my posse of readers... Take care, and be careful, and enjoy this day as best you can. See you later. mjj
Sept. 10, 2001 Today is Good Advice Day. Today's Quote: What must have passed as a smile for a dragon crossed Alexander's mouth. He moved his head in a nodding gesture. His tiny chest moved gently in and out as he inhaled and exhaled, and with a gentle swooshing sound he lifted his wings and spread them wide. Kelley stared at Alexander for close to ten seconds in silence, watching him work his wings and breathe. And then, covering her mouth so she wouldn't wake Archie, she begin to laugh with the wondrous joy of a child. "Alexander," she said, wiping tears from her eyes. "You're beautiful." Now Playing: "Another Mayberry," Big Head Todd and the Monsters "Global Underground 19," John Digweed The 1/24/30 Dare	From the noon hour: All right, finished fixing up some excellent, excellent comments from my friends Chris and Tim about my first half of the book. Great stuff. Chris had some fine ideas for combining some chapters to make it flow better, as well as lots of little logical errors he caught for me. Nice work, my man. And Tim had my favorite fix of the day, describing Archie's hair as "porcupine quills," along with a suggestion to use the Italian word for witch in a later chapter. Thank you sir! I owe you both, big time! From earlier today: Slept late today, until 6:30! I could've slept another hour or two after staying up late all weekend. I'm planning on writing all evening tonight and for the rest of the week. Today's horoscope was interesting: "Be prepared for somebody to approach you with an offer today. It could be a new job opening or a freelance project on the side. A friend who knows about your abilities could recommend you for the position. You might be able to use your inside connections to land you the job. If you're interested in expanding your career success, this could be an excellent opportunity for you. So take time to consider your friend's suggestions. Before you send your resume, do some research!" Whoa! Now, I'm just gonna assume this horoscope has nothing to do with TECH writing, but fiction writing... I also got a flurry of very helpful and friendly emails from fellow writers, including some from folks I don't know yet. Very cool. Great to hear from you, Ron, Julie, Tim, Derek, Chris! In other news, it looks like my buddy Steve (you may know him as Stephen King) is finally getting off his butt and finishing (yes, finishing) his Dark Tower series of fantasy books. Very cool. What took ya, Steve? You can read the prologue to Book 5 online. Black House, his collaboration with Peter Straub and the sequel to The Talisman, is due out in a week. I'm thinking I'm gonna buy that for myself as a reward for finishing my own novel. So many books, so little time. What a wonderful, terrible conundrum. Have a good Monday! mjj
Sept. 9, 2001 Another Magic Number achieved... almost!!! *Today's Quote:* "They also tied me up tight and threw me into a lake to see if I would float like a witch. When I sank, they thought I was innocent. They were not pleased to see me still alive after spending such a long time under the water." Now Playing: "Back Porch Music," WUNC The 1/24/30 Dare	It's about 11:10 p.m. and I can't seem to make it to my goal of hitting 5,000 words today. I got 4,800 in though, and I'm up to chapter 28, with 3 more chapters to go before I'm done with the middle section. I've been obsessing a little about the numbers, in case you haven't noticed... Whew. I spent most of the day working on this. Crazy. But I got almost everything done I was planning on getting done. And the story is just humming along. I got feedback from my two people so far, and all I can say is that I'm pretty lucky to know such cool folks who'll read 140 pages in a day or two and have some good comments to share with me. And that's about it. I gotta get some rest. Later. mjj
Sept. 8, 2001 Saturday night's all right for writing... *Today's Quote:* Her first sight of him had been on the rocky beach of Fulegandros, one of the Cyclades Islands north of Crete, with a knife sticking out of his upper leg. Blood poured from his wound, staining his robes and bare feet. He was all of twelve years old, if she judged him by his physical appearance. Now Playing: REM - "Reveal; Beck - "Midnight Vultures" The 1/24/30 Dare Page	Tonight, I refused to go to sleep until either I reached a nice round 3,500 words, or midnight struck. Whichever came first. Well, it looks like they both happened at pretty much the same time. I hit 3600 words, and it's 12:05 a.m. I need to get some sleep and rest up for tomorrow's marathon. Should be fun. Tonight I added a fun scene with Jimbo looking for his new buds Jeroan and Marky, and after some wandering and wondering about shugendo, he finds the two boys at a tiny basketball court, dunking at will. He realizes he can do it too. Little do they know they're tipping off the bad dudes with their newly-functional tracking software... But I digress. I don't want to give too much away, you know. I'm very happy with my progress today. Not only did I write about 4700 words altogether, but I also managed to cut our way-too-long lawn, do our bills, run to the mall (yuck!) and have a nice night with Lizzie my family for my niece's birthday party. Everyone was curious about what was happening with my book, but I was more interested in hearing what was new with everyone else and seeing everyone again, including little Paige, who's changing so much every time I see her, getting cuter and cuter and more full of personality with every visit. She's got the best smile of any three-month-old I've ever seen. All in all, a good day. I plan on sleeping in a bit tomorrow as a reward, then see if I can't finish up the next few chapters and wrap up the middle section of the book Oh, and one last thing: I got my first NAWticism today (a quote from my journal that appears on the Not-A-Webring site)! Of course it has to do with Pumpking! I feel like I've arrived. Later.
News	mjj