Tag Archives: reading

A Day in the Life of the Scribbler, October 2

This entry is part 2 of 103 in the series Daily Scribble Reports

So last night, I quit writing because my sciatic nerve went crazy, but here I am again. Again, I'll update this post throughout the day.

Day 2 of my journal the reading/writing and let's start off with a quick stop by Melanie Edmond's Starwalker to read the latest update, "Watchful." Excellent, nail-biting, and feel-for-Starry stuff. I love this little serial.

But actually, I started as usual with checking my LiveJournal inbox, then read up on a handful of blogs: The Passive Voice, Dean Wesley Smith, The Daring Novelist, and since it's a Wednesday, the newest review at Strange Horizons. It's a Wednesday. P.C. Wrede will have updated. Got back from reading that. It was about plot development, something I've never concerned myself with so much as story development, but I'll let it mull and see if I can use any of it in my own process.

Now. To assess...


Stage One: Assess

Several pieces from thecatisacritic to read. I'll get there. Soon. I've got some prompts I want to dump off on her too as soon as I figure out who for which.

My wonderful beta has convinced me not to tear a new one for the story from inferno, so it's ficlets or "Collateral Damage," and I'm leaning a lot more heavily toward the latter, except I do need to sit down and work out chronology on all this mess, which sort of requires interrogating Pieter and Ashen and a few other set events that I haven't mucked around with yet. Gotta love continuity.

So. Ficlets. :eyes prompts: Let's see what we can come up with.

Stage Two: Work

Put off work until after chiropractor appointment as there went first work break, including reposting yesterday's entry sans my lovely comments. I'm currently ticked off at LiveJournal.

So I'm calling this day a wash. Sciatic nerve still a little crazy.

Stage Three: Count

For obvious reasons, we are not counting the words spent commenting.

  • Total Fiction: 0 words - Month to Date: 1827 words
  • Total Blog: 310 words - Month to Date: 719 words
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A Day in the Life of the Scribbler, October 1

This entry is part 1 of 103 in the series Daily Scribble Reports

So it’s October 1st and that means the start of a brand new month and I decided to take a page from Dean Wesley Smith’s book even though it’s crazy and that’s how it goes. Okay?

I want to track my reading and my writing because I’m a stealth reader and writer and have been for a long time. For example: last night, I reread most of Spots the Space Marine by M.C.A. Hogarth, out of order, in between running chkdsk scans on my computer, which is finally semi-resurrected by the way, but I still have to run a virus scan and backups tonight.

So, a day in the life of a reader/writer. You can skip these posts if you want, or you can keep up on my slog if it does not put you to sleep. I'll post sometime during the day and probably update as I go. Let's see if I can even keep this up.


Stage One: Assess

Went through my LJ inbox and have a bunch of ficlets from thecatisacritic to read. Which reminds me that I have a bunch of prompts for ficlets to write. Naturally, I am also torn between plowing ahead on "Collateral Damage," a major Rachelle-focused Kingdoms and Thorns fic and ripping out the back half of "Dowse and Bleed" to rewrite that from scratch. Again.

When in doubt, write ficlets.

Stage Two: Work

Wrote one ficlet, which didn't go at all where I expected. I thought of the second scene and started at the first scene and didn't like the second scene but posted the ficlet anyway. I know this is part of the big piece where Lena finds out about Wesley in the Seven Days storyworld.

Took a break and read and reviewed half of my ficlets to read by thecatisacritic, but stopped at half as my first work break was over.

Lunch break: it's time to start ficletting again. Checking out the prompts...

Scribbled one ficlet then stopped because I only had a couple minutes left and decided to finish reading the comments on DWS's excellent Book as Event post. Reading a couple more ficlets from thecatisacritic.

So wrote some more ficlets (I swear, I'm going to get that reading done), and boy, I'm wanting to dig in to something longer, but this is a start anyway, covering some of the rougher patches and crossroads in Kingdoms and Thorn. Rougher to me anyway. Posted them all at once.

Additional Comments on the 365 Challenge

The current day number is 274. I started it at 182 of the 365 Challenge (which means I'm only almost 100 pieces behind—do I ever catch up), and now that my muse has filled in a lot of holes in the Kingdoms and Thorn world, I'm feeling impatient with writing the necessary shorter work to meet the challenge, instead of the more ambitious work that will finish out a book.

Ah, well, the challenge is still on, so I keep writing the smaller pieces, knowing I'm going to slice and dice them and merge them into the longer work I'm still nibbling at.

Le Interlude: Computer Notes

And this is where I take time out from writing to finish resurrecting my home computer, virus scanning, and backing up my files. The huge awesome wonderful bit is that I'm editing this post at home. The bad bit is that I need to get off and let the scan run. :le sigh:

Stage Three: Count

For obvious reasons, we are not counting the words spent commenting.

  • Total Fiction: 1827 words
  • Total Blog: 409 words

365 Challenge Pieces

  • 183/365 – Seven Days Ficlet: The Apple Don't Fall Far: 447 words
  • 184/365 – Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: The Fox and the Wolf: 304 words
  • 185/365 – Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: A Gift Well-Chosen: 355 words
  • 186/365 – Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Cracking the Ice: 285 words
  • 187/365 – Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Remind You to Dance: 436 words
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So on general updateyness and a story-hopping muse...

I'm learning to roll with the punches. I'm just as bad at changing stories due to reading something as I've ever been, and I'm nothing like Dean Wesley Smith: I read my own work. A lot. That's why I wrote it.

What this means? I'm currently quite anxious to write some more Niko & Collie (read genderswap Black Widow and Hawkeye from Avengers) fanfic, finish up the story of the Thorn Rebellion I thought I'd never touch, and add new chapters to my various WIP while also finishing out whichever fics I think I can wrap up and off my plate.

Can you tell what I've been reading? My own work. And it's inspiring me. The only problem is I have a voracious readerly appetite and by the time I've read enough to get full, I'm inspired in waaaaaaay too many directions.

How's your reading or writing going?

:goes back to scribbling:

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To Be Read: Running Behind on Web Serials

This entry is part 3 of 6 in the series Am Reading

Quartz by Rabia Gale

In order to save their world, the mages of long ago plunged it into eternal night.

Now rare veins of quartz provide light, heat, and food to a dying world. And Rafael Grenfeld has just learned that the biggest quartz pillar of them all, the legendary Tower of Light, exists. Unfortunately, his informer died before revealing its location and he’s stuck in the hostile totalitarian state of Blackstone.

Desperate to find the Tower of Light for his people, Rafe forms an uneasy alliance with the mysterious and maddening Isabella. They’re not the only ones interested in the quartz. The Shadow, chief of the Blackstone secret police, is also hunting for it. As darkness-loving demons devour souls and dangerous magical artifacts resurface, Rafe must tap into the lost powers of the mages in order to find and secure the quartz—before his world is destroyed by famine and war.

Fire and Water by Allowyn Nyrti

For years, Enya Royston has hidden from herself and her abilities, fearing the destruction that always comes with using them. The others embraced their talents, but she turned away from them. Now, though, everything has changed, and their paths have twisted up together again, forcing them to reevaluate the choices they made and how they will go forward from here. The past stands ready to destroy them, and if it doesn’t get them, their enemies will.

So I'm behind on my reading. No surprise there. I've got a proofreading job, a few musical birthday/mother's day gifts to complete, and a job—besides the 365 Challenge and a remix exchange fanfic to write. En brief, the scribbler's busy.

What are you reading?

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Seriously, now I must write about the dragon rodeo

This is the common or melting-pot American, in the particularly masculine form that Ms. Le Guin has singled out for castigation: and if he is afraid of dragons at all, he is probably afraid that they may be a shade too dull for him. Old-world etiquette requires him to be a St. George and kill them, but he would really rather climb on their backs, rodeo style, and see if he can stay on for the whole eight seconds. He used to be wonderfully served by what we may call his official culture, the Arts and Literature and Other Good Things with Capital Letters. Cooper, Irving, Poe, Melville, Twain, O. Henry — the earlier part of American literary history is a glorious constellation of tall-tale tellers who didn’t care a rap whether they were being ‘realistic’ or not.

"Why are dragons afraid of Americans?"
by Tom Simon

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Black Blossom by M.C.A. Hogarth: the Book, the Project, the Review

I have favorites: favorite books, favorite stories, favorite styles. M.C.A. Hogarth hits my sweet spots over and over—characters, worldbuilding, and immersiveness. One of my little secrets is that some of my favorite books of all time are the Anne of Green Gables books, Emma, and Jane Eyre. In short, these classics are novels of manners, in addition to whatever other genre a guy or gal might like to attach.

Black Blossom on Kickstarter
Enter Black Blossom. I first discovered this book directly after finishing Emma for the first time and enshrining it instantly on my top ten list of favorite books. I had just learned the phrase, novel of manners. And then here is this book, this web serial, called a fantasy of manners. Nothing could have stopped me from embarking on this book at that point. Fantasy and science fiction have been my bedfellows ever since I graduated from fairy tales. Black Blossom promised to combine all of my eclectic sweet spots, and it did not disappoint. Continue reading

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Fandom FAQ: Here, Have a Meme

From likeadeuce: All you have to do is pick a number (though you can add details to the question if you want, as far as I'm concerned.)

Pick a number from the list and I'll answer it in the comments. You can select any of my fandoms or any books I've read, TV shows I've watched, etc. I am a reader and consumer as well as a fangirl and who knows? I might get around to ficcing again anyway. Continue reading

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Tuesday Tea and the Social Brew

How about some tea, crumpets, and social brew?

The Tea

I have some guilty pleasures. Bottled fruit yerba maté is one of them.

So.

While I like many flavors, today I want to recommend this refresher by Guayakí: Pure Body Peach. The combination of peaches and yerba maté is smooth and absolutely perfect. It's my favorite of all the bottled teas they put out. Best served cool and guzzled in doses.


The Crumpets

Tried a new recipe this last week and I like it. We shall call it Blueberry Muffin Bread. The bread is dense and thick, so err on the side of too much water rather than too little.

  • a handful of frozen blueberries puréed in water
  • a handful of pecans
  • sweetener and salt to taste (err on the side of generous)
  • all-purpose flour mix
  • a pinch of baking powder

Pour the purée in a bowl and add the pecans and sweetener. Stir in flour until dough is very soupy and all flour is thoroughly mixed. Layer parchment paper two or three times over a baking dish, then carefully pour in dough. Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes1 or until knife comes out clean. If it's almost clean, taste it: it might be done. Allow to set for 15–20 minutes. Enjoy!


The Social Brew

Manuscript Multiple Personality Disorder | on symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

Diagnosis: Manuscript Multiple Personality Disorder. Often found in writers who are working on multiple projects in the same draft or stage of review, thus utilizing the same muse.

— posted in comments at Write a Book with Me

The Rules of Music | on study and creation

To study music, we must learn the rules. To create music, we must break them.

— Nadia Boulanger, tweeted by Finale Music
a thought which applies equally well to any creative endeavor

My Favorite Online Fiction | on reading

I try to never miss Kris Rusch’s Free Fiction Mondays, Melanie Edmond’s Starwalker, M.C.A. Hogarth’s Black Blossom, or new issues of Beneath Ceaseless Skies.

— posted in comments on Writer at Play

Passive Voice? | on grammar

I do agree that those are weak verbs in an action scene and should be excised, but this sentence is an example of a passive construction. Not all instances of those two verbs are passive, as this sentence is an example of an active construction.

— posted in comments on The New World of Publishing

Show 1 footnote

  1. The recipe is for high-altitude cooking. Adjust as necessary.
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These are a Few of My Favorite Things

We all of us have favorite things. Mine are primarily words, tea, fiction, and music. Cooking, organization, and analysis tend more to be guilty pleasures. What can I say?

Tea

tea • noun 1. the second-most perfect beverage in existence, the first being water; 2. nature's pharmacy for the soul.

My favorite current tea blend: CHICORY MATÉ SPICE

For an entire teapot:

  • 4 tbsp. yerba maté herb
  • 2 tbsp. stevia leaf
  • 1 tbsp. chicory
  • 1 tbsp. cinnamon powder
  • 1 tbsp. ginger powder

For one cup:

  • 2 tsp. maté
  • 1 tsp. each of chicory, ginger, cinnamon, and stevia

Use a coffee filter to strain this tea! A regular tea strainer will get gunked up with powder and you may lose some of your tea. Steep in almost boiling water until a dark, rich brown. Strain and enjoy!

Books

writer • noun 1. a reader who decided if you want something done right, you must do it yourself; 2.a reader who ran out of books; 3. a reader inspired to immitation.

Unseen by Rabia Gale

A collection of two previously published fantasy short stories about magic in unexpected places and about the loss of that magic. I had read the second selection—about a pudgy, ordinary man who has forgotten his own incredible origin and former life—before Rabia asked me to proofread this collection, but the first story—about a Pakistani girl who can see into a fantastical world others are blind to—was new to me. Both are enjoyable, full of choices between modern safety and wild beauty. Recommended to avid readers of Beneath Ceaseless Skies or Lightspeed's fantasy selections. [ ebook ]

Other Impressions of the Author:
Shattered

Aphorisms of Kherishdar by M.C.A. Hogarth, voiced by Daniel Dorse

Being quite fond of flash fiction in the first place, Hogarth's fil ekain, or incense stories, drew me from our first introduction. The Ai-Naidar are a graceful alien civilization who value the society more than the individual; thus they seek to find the place of each in the fabric of the whole, that none endure separation. These are beautiful stories, "short and lingering," as the narrator tells us, and the reader does justice to them with his warm storyteller voice. If you have never tried audio before, this is a lovely place to begin. [ audio ]

Other Impressions of the Author:
Spots: the Space Marine

The Case of the Poisoned House

Bread

hardtack • noun 1. a boring, edible substance made from flour, water, and maybe a pinch of salt; 2. a base for creating simple, mouthwatering breads.

SALSA BREAD

  • a bowl of all-purpose flour
  • a large jar of salsa
  • water

Combine all ingredients until all powder is thoroughly mixed in and dough is slighty soupy. Layer a baking dish in parchment paper and pour in mixture. Bake between 350 and 400 degrees until a knife stuck in the middle comes out clean. Enjoy!

[Note: I live in high altitude and it seems to take roughly about an hour for the bread to be done.]

What are some of your favorite things?

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