DEVIL'S PIT
New words: 986
Total words: 16,095
Mean things: self-control. PTSD.
Favorite: Butterfly’s potion was wearing off, the comforting fuzzy feeling around my mind fading to sharp, jagged spikes of darkness as the mine wormed its way back into my head.
Music:
"Could've Gone Mad" - Poe
"Distination Calabria" - Alex Gaudino
"Tikal" - E.S. Posthumous
---
Blah.
That is all.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Slayage and Other Random Stuff
Today I found out that I've been appointed session chair for my panel at Slayage next weekend.
There was much panicking and assurances that it's not that hard, that I'll be FINE. I hope that's true. I was already freaked out about presenting my paper, now I've got, like, responsibilities and stuff. Whose idea was this? They were clearly on drugs.
Today I started reading Harry Potter again in order to share in the joy of this man, who is 26 or so and reading it for the first time with wonderful childlike glee. I enjoy his reactions so much I decided I needed to read the books again and keep pace with him. He's about 14 chapters ahead of me, but that won't be hard to make up.
I'm also reading Stephen King's Danse Macabre for my pop culture preliminary exam. And trying not to panic about preliminary exams.
There was much panicking and assurances that it's not that hard, that I'll be FINE. I hope that's true. I was already freaked out about presenting my paper, now I've got, like, responsibilities and stuff. Whose idea was this? They were clearly on drugs.Today I started reading Harry Potter again in order to share in the joy of this man, who is 26 or so and reading it for the first time with wonderful childlike glee. I enjoy his reactions so much I decided I needed to read the books again and keep pace with him. He's about 14 chapters ahead of me, but that won't be hard to make up.
I'm also reading Stephen King's Danse Macabre for my pop culture preliminary exam. And trying not to panic about preliminary exams.
Horrors! (Stats)
DEVIL'S PIT
New words: 1,415
Total words: 15,109
Mean things: nightmares. Overhearing others' opinions of self. Nasty potions.
Favorite: “She didn’t say,” he admitted. “But considering most of her potions, it’s probably ultra-concentrated and tastes like ass.”
Music:
"Viva la Vida" - Coldplay
"Totems" - Nebelhexe
"Liebsspiel" - Lacrimosa
---
I love days when the words flow like magic. Like today. I think getting nearly 10 hours of sleep was the magic ingredient. Instead of dragging to the kitchen like a zombie going "Cooooffeeeeeee," I was raring to go nearly as soon as I got up. Nice.
Waiting on one person to read what I've got up on the OWW right now, then it's time to start taking things down and posting new chapters.
New words: 1,415
Total words: 15,109
Mean things: nightmares. Overhearing others' opinions of self. Nasty potions.
Favorite: “She didn’t say,” he admitted. “But considering most of her potions, it’s probably ultra-concentrated and tastes like ass.”
Music:
"Viva la Vida" - Coldplay
"Totems" - Nebelhexe
"Liebsspiel" - Lacrimosa
---
I love days when the words flow like magic. Like today. I think getting nearly 10 hours of sleep was the magic ingredient. Instead of dragging to the kitchen like a zombie going "Cooooffeeeeeee," I was raring to go nearly as soon as I got up. Nice.
Waiting on one person to read what I've got up on the OWW right now, then it's time to start taking things down and posting new chapters.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Bonding Over MREs (Stats)
DEVIL'S PIT
New words: 608
Total words: 13,694
Mean things: MREs for dinner. BLEH.
Favorite: “You guys have to eat these often?”
“Luckily, no,” I said. “But we bring them just in case.” Rummaging through the food I’d dumped out of the MRE, I found a package of M&Ms. “Ooh, heaven.”
“Use those to get the taste of that pound cake out of your mouth,” Tray said.
“How could you tell it’s pound cake?” I asked.
“Did a tour in Afghanistan,” he said. “It got so we could tell just by looking what was in the packages. We turned it into a competition, most days.”
“What did the winner get?”
“Everyone’s deserts and the little thingies of toilet paper.”
Music:
"Hummingbirds" - Venus Hum
"Tree of Life" - Clint Massell
"The Luminous, the Dark" - Tim Story
"Like You" - Evanescence
"Elsewhere" - Sarah McLachlan
----
Some of these words are from revisions. I've managed to snare a couple of great readers on the OWW. Now they're caught in my trap. Mwahahaha.
I'm also working on putting together a paper on religion in season two of True Blood that I'll probably submit to a pop culture journal. Which, of course, means rewatching season 2 of True Blood. The sacrifices I make for my academic advancement. SIGH.
New words: 608
Total words: 13,694
Mean things: MREs for dinner. BLEH.
Favorite: “You guys have to eat these often?”
“Luckily, no,” I said. “But we bring them just in case.” Rummaging through the food I’d dumped out of the MRE, I found a package of M&Ms. “Ooh, heaven.”
“Use those to get the taste of that pound cake out of your mouth,” Tray said.
“How could you tell it’s pound cake?” I asked.
“Did a tour in Afghanistan,” he said. “It got so we could tell just by looking what was in the packages. We turned it into a competition, most days.”
“What did the winner get?”
“Everyone’s deserts and the little thingies of toilet paper.”
Music:
"Hummingbirds" - Venus Hum
"Tree of Life" - Clint Massell
"The Luminous, the Dark" - Tim Story
"Like You" - Evanescence
"Elsewhere" - Sarah McLachlan
----
Some of these words are from revisions. I've managed to snare a couple of great readers on the OWW. Now they're caught in my trap. Mwahahaha.
I'm also working on putting together a paper on religion in season two of True Blood that I'll probably submit to a pop culture journal. Which, of course, means rewatching season 2 of True Blood. The sacrifices I make for my academic advancement. SIGH.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Take Two (Stats)
DEVIL'S PIT
New words: 700
Total words: 13,086
Mean things: mine won't shut up. Shields eroding. Krystal a bitch. Despair.
Favorite: The images flashed by my mind’s eye like a slideshow manned by a hyperactive schizophrenic.
Music:
"Breaking Me Down" - Soil
"Damaged" - Plumb
"Tonight and the Rest of My Life" - Nina Gordon
---
Afternoon writing jag went better. Broke past a choke point and got the story moving again.
I'm at that point in my writing process where I look at my outline/synopsis, look at my word count, and go "Oh, frak." Because I'm absolutely certain I'm not going to make it to 80k. I'm not going to make it anywhere near 80k, and even revisions won't give me enough stuff to talk about to push it even close to the 80k mark.
Eeeeeeee.
New words: 700
Total words: 13,086
Mean things: mine won't shut up. Shields eroding. Krystal a bitch. Despair.
Favorite: The images flashed by my mind’s eye like a slideshow manned by a hyperactive schizophrenic.
Music:
"Breaking Me Down" - Soil
"Damaged" - Plumb
"Tonight and the Rest of My Life" - Nina Gordon
---
Afternoon writing jag went better. Broke past a choke point and got the story moving again.
I'm at that point in my writing process where I look at my outline/synopsis, look at my word count, and go "Oh, frak." Because I'm absolutely certain I'm not going to make it to 80k. I'm not going to make it anywhere near 80k, and even revisions won't give me enough stuff to talk about to push it even close to the 80k mark.
Eeeeeeee.
Suckage (Stats)
DEVIL'S PIT
New words: 629
Total words: 12,386
Mean things: hallucinating . . . or is she?
Favorite: I took a moment to shore up my shields, suppressing a whimper when I realized how little energy I had left. I wouldn’t be able to block the mine for much longer if I didn’t get some rest, and the chances of rest in here were incredibly low. Unfortunately, when it came to the Spark, only true sleep would replenish it. No amount of coffee or protein would fake it into going for a few more hours if it was running out. Not for the first time, I wished I was one of those people who could pull energy from other sources, like elementally-inclined Supes could.
Music:
"Daughter of Heaven" - Kate Rusby
"Across the Burren" - Michele McLaughlin
---
Today sucked. Words wouldn't come. A good chunk of today's new word count is actually from revisions I did on Saturday. I think I need more sleep.
New words: 629
Total words: 12,386
Mean things: hallucinating . . . or is she?
Favorite: I took a moment to shore up my shields, suppressing a whimper when I realized how little energy I had left. I wouldn’t be able to block the mine for much longer if I didn’t get some rest, and the chances of rest in here were incredibly low. Unfortunately, when it came to the Spark, only true sleep would replenish it. No amount of coffee or protein would fake it into going for a few more hours if it was running out. Not for the first time, I wished I was one of those people who could pull energy from other sources, like elementally-inclined Supes could.
Music:
"Daughter of Heaven" - Kate Rusby
"Across the Burren" - Michele McLaughlin
---
Today sucked. Words wouldn't come. A good chunk of today's new word count is actually from revisions I did on Saturday. I think I need more sleep.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
How Can I Breathe with No Air (Stats)
DEVIL'S PIT
New words: 825
Total words: 11,757
Mean things: cave-in cut off lights and ventilation. Panic attack & freak-out episode. Krystal is a snarky bitca.
Favorite: I let out the breath I’d been holding and felt my knees give way. David held me up, moving me back to the tram. I sank into the seat and reached up to rub my eyes before remembering how gritty I was and what a bad idea that would be.
“Did I just make a complete ass of myself?” I asked.
“You screamed like a little girl and nearly ran into the wall before David caught you,” Krystal said.
“Thank you, Krystal. Nice to see your sense of compassion survived the cave-in intact,” I snapped.
Music:
"Last Resort" - Papa Roach
"My Immortal" - Evanescence
"Click Click Boom" - Saliva
---
Almost token words today because the house has gotten to the point that I can no longer stand to look at it. Off to do some cleaning.
New words: 825
Total words: 11,757
Mean things: cave-in cut off lights and ventilation. Panic attack & freak-out episode. Krystal is a snarky bitca.
Favorite: I let out the breath I’d been holding and felt my knees give way. David held me up, moving me back to the tram. I sank into the seat and reached up to rub my eyes before remembering how gritty I was and what a bad idea that would be.
“Did I just make a complete ass of myself?” I asked.
“You screamed like a little girl and nearly ran into the wall before David caught you,” Krystal said.
“Thank you, Krystal. Nice to see your sense of compassion survived the cave-in intact,” I snapped.
Music:
"Last Resort" - Papa Roach
"My Immortal" - Evanescence
"Click Click Boom" - Saliva
---
Almost token words today because the house has gotten to the point that I can no longer stand to look at it. Off to do some cleaning.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Fringe Season Finale (No Spoilers)
I love this show. Have I mentioned I love this show? This was the best season finale I've seen since . . . well, probably since last year's Supernatural finale. It was one of those that makes you go WHAT?! THAT'S IT? I HAVE TO SUFFER THROUGH SUMMER WITH THAT?! You suck, J.J. Abrams! But not really. Because that was amazing and I'm totally back on board for next season.
Especially since they moved Supernatural to Friday nights like a bunch of doofuses. I already miss Eric Kripke.
Especially since they moved Supernatural to Friday nights like a bunch of doofuses. I already miss Eric Kripke.
Die, Die, Die, My Darlin (Stats)
DEVIL'S PIT
New words: 735
Total words: 10,931
Mean things: bone bruise. Someone trying to kill them.
Favorite: “I was looking down the tunnel when it happened,” he said. “I think I saw the walls go first. Like . . . pschew.” He held his hands up, palms facing each other, and flicked his fingers inward. “Natural cave-ins don’t happen like that. The roof goes first. But it all happened so fast I could’ve been wrong.”
Music:
"For the Love of a Princess" - Myleene Klass
"Summer Overture" - Clint Mansell
"Cosmos (Outer Space)" - T.a.T.u.
----
I really wanted to get to 1,000 words, but I finished the chapter and that seemed like as good a place to stop as any. Now I get to post chapters 5-6 on the OWW and hope they get more comments than 3-4 have (that'd be none).
Discussion with professor (I need to come up with a handy nickname for her) went well yesterday. I'll be doing a directed reading on Robin McKinley with her, with an eye to seeing if McKinley's work is medieval enough for me to do my dissertation on it. I've got a list of books I need to be looking at before then so if we decide I can't do "rigorous medieval analysis" of McKinley, I can have a different direction in mind.
The people next door are doing something very loud and percussive. I hope they're moving out. I'd say I hope their roof is getting fixed cause it would mean ours is close behind, but as far as I know, they didn't have any damage. So moving out is second best.
New words: 735
Total words: 10,931
Mean things: bone bruise. Someone trying to kill them.
Favorite: “I was looking down the tunnel when it happened,” he said. “I think I saw the walls go first. Like . . . pschew.” He held his hands up, palms facing each other, and flicked his fingers inward. “Natural cave-ins don’t happen like that. The roof goes first. But it all happened so fast I could’ve been wrong.”
Music:
"For the Love of a Princess" - Myleene Klass
"Summer Overture" - Clint Mansell
"Cosmos (Outer Space)" - T.a.T.u.
----
I really wanted to get to 1,000 words, but I finished the chapter and that seemed like as good a place to stop as any. Now I get to post chapters 5-6 on the OWW and hope they get more comments than 3-4 have (that'd be none).
Discussion with professor (I need to come up with a handy nickname for her) went well yesterday. I'll be doing a directed reading on Robin McKinley with her, with an eye to seeing if McKinley's work is medieval enough for me to do my dissertation on it. I've got a list of books I need to be looking at before then so if we decide I can't do "rigorous medieval analysis" of McKinley, I can have a different direction in mind.
The people next door are doing something very loud and percussive. I hope they're moving out. I'd say I hope their roof is getting fixed cause it would mean ours is close behind, but as far as I know, they didn't have any damage. So moving out is second best.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
It All Crashes Down (Stats)
DEVIL'S PIT
New words: 2,725
Total words: 10,196
Mean things: Do I still need to mention Krystal being a jerk? No joy in ghost-hunting. Cave-in.
Favorite: Dust filled the air. Something shoved me to the floor, and I was pinned under Krystal. All I could hear was a cacophonous crashing and rumbling that seemed like it would never end. I lay under Krystal’s prone body, tucking my hands under my arms to protect them, bowing my head so the hard hat would take the brunt of anything coming down. I tried not to breathe, taking quick sips of coal-flavored air through my nose.
Music:
"Time is Running Out" - The Section Quartet
"Cormacus Scipsit" - Relic
"Hall of the Mountain King" - Apocalyptica
----
Okay, so a lot of these words were borrowed from the original manuscript. That's over now, though, cause today I reached the END of the original manuscript. From here on out, it's all new content. The whole cave-in thing is new, also; originally, there was an elevator and it broke. Lots less dramatic, so I changed the setup of the mine a bit.
In about an hour, I'm meeting with the other professor to discuss my plans for my dissertation and hopefully talk her into doing a directed reading with me to get me started on it. I'll let you all know how that goes.
New words: 2,725
Total words: 10,196
Mean things: Do I still need to mention Krystal being a jerk? No joy in ghost-hunting. Cave-in.
Favorite: Dust filled the air. Something shoved me to the floor, and I was pinned under Krystal. All I could hear was a cacophonous crashing and rumbling that seemed like it would never end. I lay under Krystal’s prone body, tucking my hands under my arms to protect them, bowing my head so the hard hat would take the brunt of anything coming down. I tried not to breathe, taking quick sips of coal-flavored air through my nose.
Music:
"Time is Running Out" - The Section Quartet
"Cormacus Scipsit" - Relic
"Hall of the Mountain King" - Apocalyptica
----
Okay, so a lot of these words were borrowed from the original manuscript. That's over now, though, cause today I reached the END of the original manuscript. From here on out, it's all new content. The whole cave-in thing is new, also; originally, there was an elevator and it broke. Lots less dramatic, so I changed the setup of the mine a bit.
In about an hour, I'm meeting with the other professor to discuss my plans for my dissertation and hopefully talk her into doing a directed reading with me to get me started on it. I'll let you all know how that goes.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Silent House (Stats)
DEVIL'S PIT
New words: 1,015
Total words: 7,471
Mean things: Victim's house not cooperating. Back into the mine they go.
Favorite: I snarled in frustration. Nothing in this town did what it was supposed to. And now I was going to have to go back down into that black quagmire of a mine and listen to it try to tell me a billion things at once until we either found the Tanners or I went noisily mad.
Music:
"Black and Silver" - Xandria
"I Will Find You" - Clannad
---
Chapter 4 is done, so it's time to put 3 & 4 up on the OWW.
So it looks like my directed reading with Dr. Viking might be off, but only because he's never read Robin McKinley. He pointed me in the direction of another professor who works with McKinley a LOT. So I'm trying to get in touch with her to discuss the possibility of a directed reading. Dr. Viking might still be willing to be the second reader on my dissertation, though.
New words: 1,015
Total words: 7,471
Mean things: Victim's house not cooperating. Back into the mine they go.
Favorite: I snarled in frustration. Nothing in this town did what it was supposed to. And now I was going to have to go back down into that black quagmire of a mine and listen to it try to tell me a billion things at once until we either found the Tanners or I went noisily mad.
Music:
"Black and Silver" - Xandria
"I Will Find You" - Clannad
---
Chapter 4 is done, so it's time to put 3 & 4 up on the OWW.
So it looks like my directed reading with Dr. Viking might be off, but only because he's never read Robin McKinley. He pointed me in the direction of another professor who works with McKinley a LOT. So I'm trying to get in touch with her to discuss the possibility of a directed reading. Dr. Viking might still be willing to be the second reader on my dissertation, though.
Monday, May 17, 2010
The Case of the Missing Miner (Stats)
DEVIL'S PIT
New words: 1,065
Total words: 6,457
Mean things: Krystal's still a jerk. And somewhat of a bigot.
Favorite: I reminded myself that she was a paying customer and tried to ignore the fact that she was obviously an uninformed paying customer, which said loads for the quality of our government employees.
Music:
"Racing Against the Sunset" - Philip Wesley
"One By One" - Sirenia
"Try Not to Breathe" - R.E.M.
----
Today's words went a bit more slowly due to my inability to concentrate (grrr) and the fact that this scene is brand-new. No copy-pasting today.
New words: 1,065
Total words: 6,457
Mean things: Krystal's still a jerk. And somewhat of a bigot.
Favorite: I reminded myself that she was a paying customer and tried to ignore the fact that she was obviously an uninformed paying customer, which said loads for the quality of our government employees.
Music:
"Racing Against the Sunset" - Philip Wesley
"One By One" - Sirenia
"Try Not to Breathe" - R.E.M.
----
Today's words went a bit more slowly due to my inability to concentrate (grrr) and the fact that this scene is brand-new. No copy-pasting today.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Jodi's Query Project
My friend Jodi runs a project wherein she critiques query letters. Since she worked for a literary agency reading slush for awhile, she obviously knows what she's talking about. This week, she critiqued my query for DEVIL'S PIT, in case anyone's interested and wants to see what she thought of it.
My favorite part is the comments, where a couple of people mentioned they'd never read anything quite like this and totally would. This last week has been a bit rough and I was beginning to wonder if I should bother finishing the novel, but that helped.
Today's been insane already. I woke up with a raging headache (probably caffeine withdrawal, considering I slept until 11:15), then my friend called in a panic because her cat was having seizures and she's still on medication from having her wisdom teeth out and can barely stand up, let alone drive. So I took kitty to the vet (I have to go pick her up at 4), came home, started to put laundry in the dryer only to see that a pen had gone through the dryer and left huge streaks of ink all over the drum. So I decided to eat my lunch before cleaning that up. As I'm messing around online and eating my (healthy but boring; stupid diet) lunch, I get notification that a tornado warning's been issued, despite the incredibly calm conditions outside.
ARGH. I hate today.
My favorite part is the comments, where a couple of people mentioned they'd never read anything quite like this and totally would. This last week has been a bit rough and I was beginning to wonder if I should bother finishing the novel, but that helped.
Today's been insane already. I woke up with a raging headache (probably caffeine withdrawal, considering I slept until 11:15), then my friend called in a panic because her cat was having seizures and she's still on medication from having her wisdom teeth out and can barely stand up, let alone drive. So I took kitty to the vet (I have to go pick her up at 4), came home, started to put laundry in the dryer only to see that a pen had gone through the dryer and left huge streaks of ink all over the drum. So I decided to eat my lunch before cleaning that up. As I'm messing around online and eating my (healthy but boring; stupid diet) lunch, I get notification that a tornado warning's been issued, despite the incredibly calm conditions outside.
ARGH. I hate today.
Friday, May 14, 2010
No Stats
Obviously there were no stats yesterday, because I spent all day with a friend who had her wisdom teeth out and I left my flash drive at home, so there was no way to do any writing.
Today, I'm wiped out exhausted and can barely form a coherent sentence, so no stats today, either. I may just lay on the couch and nap all day.
Today, I'm wiped out exhausted and can barely form a coherent sentence, so no stats today, either. I may just lay on the couch and nap all day.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Sixteen Tons (Stats)
DEVIL'S PIT
New words: 1,959
Total words: 5,301
Mean things: angry mine. Flashbacks. Dead miner. Exhaustion.
Favorite: My vision grayed and flashes of images—memories the mine had retained—sped across my mind’s eye, slowly at first, then faster. I saw the first blasts that began the mining, men laying pipe and wire, the toothed monster that was the continuous miner making its way inexorably through the rock. Men darted to and fro, their movements sped up as if filmed on a time-lapse. The images dissolved into chaos, darkness slamming down as my Spark shrieked in overloaded protest.
Music:
"Free Will Sacrifice" - Amon Amarth
"The Dope Show" - Marilyn Manson
"The Dirty South" - Fern Knight
---
I'm tired just writing about them being tired.
A good chunk of today's words were copy-pasted from the last draft and then tweaked for continuity, so the word count isn't nearly as impressive as it looks. Justsoyaknow.
New words: 1,959
Total words: 5,301
Mean things: angry mine. Flashbacks. Dead miner. Exhaustion.
Favorite: My vision grayed and flashes of images—memories the mine had retained—sped across my mind’s eye, slowly at first, then faster. I saw the first blasts that began the mining, men laying pipe and wire, the toothed monster that was the continuous miner making its way inexorably through the rock. Men darted to and fro, their movements sped up as if filmed on a time-lapse. The images dissolved into chaos, darkness slamming down as my Spark shrieked in overloaded protest.
Music:
"Free Will Sacrifice" - Amon Amarth
"The Dope Show" - Marilyn Manson
"The Dirty South" - Fern Knight
---
I'm tired just writing about them being tired.
A good chunk of today's words were copy-pasted from the last draft and then tweaked for continuity, so the word count isn't nearly as impressive as it looks. Justsoyaknow.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Down in the Underground (Stats)
DEVIL'S PIT
New words: 865
Total words: 3,342
Mean things: Krystal still a jerk, but unfortunately in charge.
Favorite: We exited the trailer, David and I stopping to grab our packs (earning yet another exaggerated eye-roll from Krystal), then headed toward the mine entrance, where cool air flowed out of the vast underground before us.
Music:
"Finding Me" - Beth Waters
"Don't Dream it's Over" - Sixpence None the Richer
---
Finished the chapter. I will now spend a few hours reading people's stuff on the OWW and post these chapters up there to see about the reception of the slightly new approach. Should be interesting.
New words: 865
Total words: 3,342
Mean things: Krystal still a jerk, but unfortunately in charge.
Favorite: We exited the trailer, David and I stopping to grab our packs (earning yet another exaggerated eye-roll from Krystal), then headed toward the mine entrance, where cool air flowed out of the vast underground before us.
Music:
"Finding Me" - Beth Waters
"Don't Dream it's Over" - Sixpence None the Richer
---
Finished the chapter. I will now spend a few hours reading people's stuff on the OWW and post these chapters up there to see about the reception of the slightly new approach. Should be interesting.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Grouchy Clairvoyant is Grouchy (Stats)
So I did more writing. Sue me. Actually, don't. Just look at my stats and shut up.
DEVIL'S PIT
New words: 716
Total words: 2,477
Mean Things: Adria and mine inspector (Krystal) aren't going to get along AT ALL.
Favorite: Unfortunately, that natural shield of his kept me out, but it turned out Krystal was a broadcaster. She didn’t like me, she didn’t like Billy, she’d known David since they were kids—a fact I was going to confront him with later—she found the inside of the trailer chilly, she was betting we weren’t going to find anyone alive and really just wanted to do her inspection and leave. . . .
I locked down again before I learned her favorite food and bra size.
Music:
"Teardrop" - Massive Attack
---
I actually had so much fun with the sheer amount of snark in this section that I'm sure my beta readers will tell me to cut it or rein it in. But at least it was fun to write.
DEVIL'S PIT
New words: 716
Total words: 2,477
Mean Things: Adria and mine inspector (Krystal) aren't going to get along AT ALL.
Favorite: Unfortunately, that natural shield of his kept me out, but it turned out Krystal was a broadcaster. She didn’t like me, she didn’t like Billy, she’d known David since they were kids—a fact I was going to confront him with later—she found the inside of the trailer chilly, she was betting we weren’t going to find anyone alive and really just wanted to do her inspection and leave. . . .
I locked down again before I learned her favorite food and bra size.
Music:
"Teardrop" - Massive Attack
---
I actually had so much fun with the sheer amount of snark in this section that I'm sure my beta readers will tell me to cut it or rein it in. But at least it was fun to write.
New Beginnings (Stats)
I restarted DEVIL'S PIT today. A lot of the stuff from the original draft will be transferable. A lot won't.
New words: 1,760
Total words: 1,760
Mean things: self-doubt, embarrassment
Favorite: I looked up from the legal pad on my lap, which I used as a desk more often than my actual desk. That I used as a footrest. The desk and chair were mismatched, so if I tried to use the desk as God intended, I’d be hunched over like a gnomish Scrooge with my shoulders around my ears and my feet dangling inches from the floor.
Music:
"Lux Aeterna" - Clint Massell
"Sacrilege" - Abney Park
"Alone" - This Mortal Coil
"Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang" - Sohodolls
----
A good chunk of this was a copy-paste job from the original chapter 1, but I'm okay with that.
I finished Twilight this weekend, and due to a trend I've noticed wherein I get snipped at or otherwise slapped down whenever I offer an opinion on it, I won't be doing that here. Even though this is my space and by God I should be able to say whatever I want. Because quite frankly I don't want to invite the trolls. And I'm already in a pissy mood about it. I also won't be finishing the series for the same reason.
End bitching & moaning.
So for the rest of the day I get to clean and organize and do all the fun stuff I've been putting off all semester. It wouldn't be so bad if the Wrath of God hadn't led to more messiness and a good chunk of the mess wasn't clean-up-able until the holes in the ceiling and walls are fixed (no point in putting the clothes in the closet if they're just going to rip the wall down, now is there?).
New words: 1,760
Total words: 1,760
Mean things: self-doubt, embarrassment
Favorite: I looked up from the legal pad on my lap, which I used as a desk more often than my actual desk. That I used as a footrest. The desk and chair were mismatched, so if I tried to use the desk as God intended, I’d be hunched over like a gnomish Scrooge with my shoulders around my ears and my feet dangling inches from the floor.
Music:
"Lux Aeterna" - Clint Massell
"Sacrilege" - Abney Park
"Alone" - This Mortal Coil
"Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang" - Sohodolls
----
A good chunk of this was a copy-paste job from the original chapter 1, but I'm okay with that.
I finished Twilight this weekend, and due to a trend I've noticed wherein I get snipped at or otherwise slapped down whenever I offer an opinion on it, I won't be doing that here. Even though this is my space and by God I should be able to say whatever I want. Because quite frankly I don't want to invite the trolls. And I'm already in a pissy mood about it. I also won't be finishing the series for the same reason.
End bitching & moaning.
So for the rest of the day I get to clean and organize and do all the fun stuff I've been putting off all semester. It wouldn't be so bad if the Wrath of God hadn't led to more messiness and a good chunk of the mess wasn't clean-up-able until the holes in the ceiling and walls are fixed (no point in putting the clothes in the closet if they're just going to rip the wall down, now is there?).
Friday, May 07, 2010
The Semester's Over!
I took my final exam in American Lit today and turned in my last paper for that class, too. I also got back my paper on Anne Bradstreet. I don't remember if I whined, complained, and bitched about that paper here (like I did everywhere else on the Internet, ha), but it was a tough paper to write. All that hard work paid off, though, in the form of a good grade and a very ego-boosting note from the professor.
This weekend, I plan to be a lazy slob on the couch. Next week, I'm back to Buffy to work on my paper for Slayage, and a friend is supposed to come over to meet the kitties and watch Merlin with me. Also, I hope to get some writing done, though my brain is still threatening to go on strike at the very idea. I've got 4 weeks off before Slayage and summer classes starting. I'm really looking forward to them. The break, not so much the classes. Though I'm sure by the end of the four weeks I'll be slavering for classes to start again.
Last night I finished Battlestar Galactica and today I watched last night's Supernatural. I'll post my reactions to those later, after I've watched last night's Fringe and Flash Forward, as well.
Speaking of Flash Forward, yes, the book is MUCH better than the series and makes tons more sense, as well as having far fewer characters to follow around. The ending was a little . . . odd, but overall I much prefer the book to the show.
Also, as you can see on the sidebar, yes I'm reading Twilight, and no, I don't want to hear a word about it. I already can't believe I'm doing this to myself (my poor, abused brain cells), and any gloating from people who have been pushing me to do this for the past few years will not go over well at this point. Keep in mind that I'm reading it only so I can bitch about it intelligently and keep your gloaty remarks to yourself.
That is all.
This weekend, I plan to be a lazy slob on the couch. Next week, I'm back to Buffy to work on my paper for Slayage, and a friend is supposed to come over to meet the kitties and watch Merlin with me. Also, I hope to get some writing done, though my brain is still threatening to go on strike at the very idea. I've got 4 weeks off before Slayage and summer classes starting. I'm really looking forward to them. The break, not so much the classes. Though I'm sure by the end of the four weeks I'll be slavering for classes to start again.
Last night I finished Battlestar Galactica and today I watched last night's Supernatural. I'll post my reactions to those later, after I've watched last night's Fringe and Flash Forward, as well.
Speaking of Flash Forward, yes, the book is MUCH better than the series and makes tons more sense, as well as having far fewer characters to follow around. The ending was a little . . . odd, but overall I much prefer the book to the show.
Also, as you can see on the sidebar, yes I'm reading Twilight, and no, I don't want to hear a word about it. I already can't believe I'm doing this to myself (my poor, abused brain cells), and any gloating from people who have been pushing me to do this for the past few years will not go over well at this point. Keep in mind that I'm reading it only so I can bitch about it intelligently and keep your gloaty remarks to yourself.
That is all.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Glee & V (Also a Rant)
I admit it. I'm a Gleek. I started watching it because I'm a sucker for musicals, but then discovered that the musical numbers annoy, bore, and discomfort me, but now I'm hooked on the story line. The really fun part is that until this week, I've had to DVR Glee due to class. Unfortunately, American Idol always runs just a BIT over, which means that my recording of Glee always cuts off just a BIT early, usually about 30 seconds to a minute before the end of the final musical number. Stupid American Idol. Yay for Hulu.
Last night's Glee was fun. I'm glad things are coming to a head with Rachel's relationships with the three guys in her life. And that Emma is finally standing up for herself. She's so cute. I love her.
On the other hand, there's V. I watch V because it's sci-fi and I'm a nerd. And Morena Baccarin's in it. And I'm a nerd. But this week I turned it on, got through five minutes, and suddenly realized I don't care anymore. I don't care what happened forty-eight hours before the fifth column people shot down the transport. I don't care about the whiny teenage boy who's gone idiotic over the Visitor chick. I don't care what the Vs really want from people. So I turned it off.
There seems to be a trend, unfortunately, in sci-fi TV and movies lately, in which Hollywood has realized that sci-fi has a HUGE fan base and they want to capitalize on it, but they don't get sci-fi writers or directors, so we end up with crappy sci-fi. Like V. And Flash Forward (I have the book. I'll let you know if it's better than the series). The writers don't seem to realize what makes good sci-fi and fantasy, so we have flat, static characters, predictable plotlines, inconsistencies in the technology, and plotholes you could drive a truck through. I haven't even finished Battlestar Galactica and I already miss it (I also can't believe Caprica isn't coming back until October).
Maybe Jason Fox isn't entirely wrong:
Somehow the popularity of the genre has ruined it. After The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Lost, and even (gag me) Twilight, it's okay to like SFF. It doesn't make you a complete loser anymore. Nerds are in. And therein lies the trouble.
Orlando Bloom has ruined everything.
Last night's Glee was fun. I'm glad things are coming to a head with Rachel's relationships with the three guys in her life. And that Emma is finally standing up for herself. She's so cute. I love her.
On the other hand, there's V. I watch V because it's sci-fi and I'm a nerd. And Morena Baccarin's in it. And I'm a nerd. But this week I turned it on, got through five minutes, and suddenly realized I don't care anymore. I don't care what happened forty-eight hours before the fifth column people shot down the transport. I don't care about the whiny teenage boy who's gone idiotic over the Visitor chick. I don't care what the Vs really want from people. So I turned it off.
There seems to be a trend, unfortunately, in sci-fi TV and movies lately, in which Hollywood has realized that sci-fi has a HUGE fan base and they want to capitalize on it, but they don't get sci-fi writers or directors, so we end up with crappy sci-fi. Like V. And Flash Forward (I have the book. I'll let you know if it's better than the series). The writers don't seem to realize what makes good sci-fi and fantasy, so we have flat, static characters, predictable plotlines, inconsistencies in the technology, and plotholes you could drive a truck through. I haven't even finished Battlestar Galactica and I already miss it (I also can't believe Caprica isn't coming back until October).
Maybe Jason Fox isn't entirely wrong:
Somehow the popularity of the genre has ruined it. After The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Lost, and even (gag me) Twilight, it's okay to like SFF. It doesn't make you a complete loser anymore. Nerds are in. And therein lies the trouble.
Orlando Bloom has ruined everything.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Flood Insanity 2010 Update
So, compared to everyone else in the middle Tennessee area, we got off lucky. Everything's dried out now, we turned the upstairs power back on, and the repair people are on the job. The guy who will actually be DOING the repairs was just in here to assess the damage and says that all this happened because the gutters haven't been cleaned in a coon's age (W.E. says, "I KNEW it. I TOLD you!") and there's a buttload of trash up on the roof. He's cleaning the gutters and patching the roof TODAY because we've got more rain coming later. So although we've got unsightly holes in our ceiling and wrinkled, holey sheetrock on our walls, we won't have to worry about further leaks. And the issues with our apartment should be resolved some time next week, he says.
When W.E. gets home we plan to go get a new shower curtain liner (ours is nasty; we used it to funnel water from the bathroom ceiling to the tub), then clean up the messes, run our towels through the wash, and go back to normal (mostly).
Others in the area didn't get off so lucky. One of W.E.'s co-workers lost a cousin to a tornado. One of my co-workers has two friends staying with her, both of whom lost everything but what they managed to shove into a car before evacuating. Last I heard, the death toll in Nashville was up to 18.
If you're so minded, the Red Cross is taking donations.
It does make me mad, though, that if it weren't for shoddy maintenance, we'd have weathered the storm just fine. There was minimal flooding in my area, no tornadoes, only a little bit of storm damage to trees and stuff. If the owner of the complex had just done what he was supposed to do, we wouldn't have holes in our ceiling, our neighbors would still HAVE a ceiling, and the last few days would have been a lot less stressful.
When W.E. gets home we plan to go get a new shower curtain liner (ours is nasty; we used it to funnel water from the bathroom ceiling to the tub), then clean up the messes, run our towels through the wash, and go back to normal (mostly).
Others in the area didn't get off so lucky. One of W.E.'s co-workers lost a cousin to a tornado. One of my co-workers has two friends staying with her, both of whom lost everything but what they managed to shove into a car before evacuating. Last I heard, the death toll in Nashville was up to 18.
If you're so minded, the Red Cross is taking donations.
It does make me mad, though, that if it weren't for shoddy maintenance, we'd have weathered the storm just fine. There was minimal flooding in my area, no tornadoes, only a little bit of storm damage to trees and stuff. If the owner of the complex had just done what he was supposed to do, we wouldn't have holes in our ceiling, our neighbors would still HAVE a ceiling, and the last few days would have been a lot less stressful.
Monday, May 03, 2010
Ark Building and Ceiling Propping
The last two days have been insanely rough. A huge storm blew through here, bringing tornadoes (not to us, luckily), flooding (also not to us), and torrential downpours of rain (we did get that). Due to the copious amounts of water everywhere (nor any drop to drink), combined with shoddy preventative maintenance, our ceiling very nearly came down on us last night.
It started with a few leaks through the evacuation fan and AC vent in the bathroom. That was annoying, especially since the evacuation fan is right over the toilet. W.E. rigged our shower curtain liner on his spear (yes, spear. Don't ask) to catch the water and funnel it into the tub so we could at least go to the bathroom. No shower, though. I haven't showered since Friday night. ICK.
Then we found a drip in the spare bedroom. By the time we caught it, it had already ruined my copy of V for Vendetta, though we did manage to keep it from ruining any more of my books. We stuck a small black trash can under that and grumbled a bunch.
Then we found another leak in the spare bedroom. And saw a bulge behind the paint up near the ceiling in the master bedroom. And more of those in the spare bedroom. We called the landpeople's emergency line to let them know about all this, and they said they couldn't do anything until Monday. Argh.
Then a gout of water began pouring through the master bedroom ceiling. This one wasn't a drip. It was a deluge. Then yet another small drip opened in another spot in the bedroom. We called the landpeople again. Still nothing they can do; she said her work crews had been out all day and refused to go out again that night. SIGH.
W.E. ran out to Wal-Mart to get more buckets and some plastic sheeting so we could protect our belongings. On his way, he learned that the next-door-neighbors had it worse; their ceiling had practically caved in. He also noticed that the only drains from the gutters that were pouring water were the ones at our house and the neighbor's house. The rest of them were dry. Which says to us that the gutters hadn't been cleaned, had backed up, and the water was pooling right over our houses as it tried to go down two drains instead of six.
So we slept on the couches, monitored the dripping, and this morning showed the nastiness to the maintenance guy, who said the insurance people should be by later. I'm hoping that most of the work will be outside work and we can still live here; I really don't want to have to move again. But we'll do what we have to.
I'll keep you all updated.
It started with a few leaks through the evacuation fan and AC vent in the bathroom. That was annoying, especially since the evacuation fan is right over the toilet. W.E. rigged our shower curtain liner on his spear (yes, spear. Don't ask) to catch the water and funnel it into the tub so we could at least go to the bathroom. No shower, though. I haven't showered since Friday night. ICK.
Then we found a drip in the spare bedroom. By the time we caught it, it had already ruined my copy of V for Vendetta, though we did manage to keep it from ruining any more of my books. We stuck a small black trash can under that and grumbled a bunch.
Then we found another leak in the spare bedroom. And saw a bulge behind the paint up near the ceiling in the master bedroom. And more of those in the spare bedroom. We called the landpeople's emergency line to let them know about all this, and they said they couldn't do anything until Monday. Argh.
Then a gout of water began pouring through the master bedroom ceiling. This one wasn't a drip. It was a deluge. Then yet another small drip opened in another spot in the bedroom. We called the landpeople again. Still nothing they can do; she said her work crews had been out all day and refused to go out again that night. SIGH.
W.E. ran out to Wal-Mart to get more buckets and some plastic sheeting so we could protect our belongings. On his way, he learned that the next-door-neighbors had it worse; their ceiling had practically caved in. He also noticed that the only drains from the gutters that were pouring water were the ones at our house and the neighbor's house. The rest of them were dry. Which says to us that the gutters hadn't been cleaned, had backed up, and the water was pooling right over our houses as it tried to go down two drains instead of six.
So we slept on the couches, monitored the dripping, and this morning showed the nastiness to the maintenance guy, who said the insurance people should be by later. I'm hoping that most of the work will be outside work and we can still live here; I really don't want to have to move again. But we'll do what we have to.
I'll keep you all updated.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Winding Down
I've been neglecting you shamelessly, Dear Readers, and for that I apologize. It's been an insane couple of weeks, even with quals over and finding out I passed them. I then had to try to catch up with all the stuff I hadn't done due to studying for quals and try to calm down from the tizzy I'd worked myself into. Now I'm down to one small paper and a final exam for this semester and it's over. Done. My first year as a PhD student, and I survived it mostly intact. I won't say there wasn't drama--oh, LAWD, was there drama--but we all made it through and I didn't lose any friends, which is always a good thing.
I'm exhausted to the point that even thinking about trying to restart DEVIL'S PIT makes my brain shut off. All I've done for the past couple of days is cross-stitch, watch Battlestar Galactica (I'm almost done with the third season) and play on the Internet. I haven't even been studying for my American Lit exam, which is terrible, but my brain is convinced that the semester's over and I can't seem to kick it back into gear.
I have, however, mostly settled on a topic for my dissertation, which I'll have to run through Dr. Viking before I consider myself completely settled. I think I'd like to explore the medieval sensibilities in the works of Robin McKinley. My only regret about this topic is that two of my favorites of hers, Sunshine and Dragonhaven, likely won't fit into this discussion. Of course, I haven't even started researching the medieval sensibility yet, so I'm not ruling them out entirely. But I'll most likely end up focusing on her faerie tales and high fantasy novels.
This morning and early afternoon we had a pretty wild thunderstorm that turned into a tornado scare, but everything seems to have calmed down, for those of you who were worried about us.
I'm considering opening another blog to showcase the art I've been doing so it doesn't clog up this one, since that's not what this one's about. We'll see.
I think that's it for now. I'll do my best to keep you, Gentle Readers, more updated on my activities from now on.
I'm exhausted to the point that even thinking about trying to restart DEVIL'S PIT makes my brain shut off. All I've done for the past couple of days is cross-stitch, watch Battlestar Galactica (I'm almost done with the third season) and play on the Internet. I haven't even been studying for my American Lit exam, which is terrible, but my brain is convinced that the semester's over and I can't seem to kick it back into gear.
I have, however, mostly settled on a topic for my dissertation, which I'll have to run through Dr. Viking before I consider myself completely settled. I think I'd like to explore the medieval sensibilities in the works of Robin McKinley. My only regret about this topic is that two of my favorites of hers, Sunshine and Dragonhaven, likely won't fit into this discussion. Of course, I haven't even started researching the medieval sensibility yet, so I'm not ruling them out entirely. But I'll most likely end up focusing on her faerie tales and high fantasy novels.
This morning and early afternoon we had a pretty wild thunderstorm that turned into a tornado scare, but everything seems to have calmed down, for those of you who were worried about us.
I'm considering opening another blog to showcase the art I've been doing so it doesn't clog up this one, since that's not what this one's about. We'll see.
I think that's it for now. I'll do my best to keep you, Gentle Readers, more updated on my activities from now on.
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