Fairy Revel

I finally found a WordPress theme I can live with until I have time to really sit down and create my own. I may even tinker with this one when the time comes. I like the clean, “literary” feel of this one.

After a long break and some contemplation, I’ve decided to keep this blog a blog, maybe leaning toward the artistic journal sort of thing. I’ve refined my goals, and I’m going to make this journal part of my plan to reach them. I’ll be writing more essays about what I’m reading, and fantastic literature in general, and talking more about my other interests as well, because those are things that energize me and fuel my writing creativity.

One thing I’ve definitely decided is not to write anymore posts like this one. I intend to write more actual content, instead of just general, oops-I-haven’t-posted-in-forever updates.

With Gingko, my current work-in-progress, I think I’ve finally figured out my writing process. The novel survived the detailed outline stage, which I think may be a first. I’ll do a more detailed post on my process (as it stands so far) some time next week, but for now I’ll just say that it feels so good to have a process that actually gets me somewhere. It still remains to be seen whether I can get a finished, revisable novel out of what I have so far, but the outlook is good.

I’ve also been reading Booklife by Jeff Vandermeer, which couldn’t have arrived in my own booklife at a better time. It’s inspired me to look closely at how I balance online activities with the creative process, and is in part responsible for my decision to continue the blog. I look forward to sharing more about what Jeff Vandermeer has to say in his book and my thoughts on it in the near future.

A quick note on my current reading: Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card, the first book I’ve really read of his (Hart’s Hope did not go so well for me), which is keeping me as glued to the page as I can be with the holiday get-togethers and such going on this time of year. Japanese Tales, translated by Royall Tyler, a collection of Nara-era fairy tales (slowly getting through the very interesting intro). Booklife by Jeff Vandermeer. The Complete Sherlock Holmes, as always. Waiting for The Bards of Bone Plain by Patricia A. McKillip (come on, FedEx!)

I’m hoping for a lot of time to read this Winter, and a lot of good snow-storms to read by.

“God gave us our memories so that we might have roses in December.” – J. M. Barrie

I haven’t been sleeping well lately, and so I’m fairly exhausted. I’ve been slowly working my way through reading The Iliad, and it seems like I haven’t read any other fiction for months. Not totally sure that’s accurate, but I sure feel that way. I am really in the mood for some summer reading; you know, those light but emotionally-satisfying books that you can pick up and put down again and still get through pretty fast. Not sure which book fits that bill, but I’m hoping to find one soon. As soon as I’m done with The Iliad, that is. *sigh*

Writing has slowed down a bit since I’m at the stage where I have to write a real outline or it’s going to be a mess. I keep combing through what I’ve already got, looking for an exciting direction for the rest of the story. I think I know what I’m doing, but it’s mentally tiring work.

Not much else to say right now, so here are some pictures from the buffalo BBQ I went to this weekend at Full Circle Bison Ranch:

At the beginning of each year, I wonder whether it’s wise to set these goals, or if it’s even important. I think about skipping this step every year, and this year is no exception. This morning, though, I realized that I finally met a long-term goal of mine in 2009: I wrote a novel. It’s a NaNoWriMo novel, hardly what you could call “complete”, but it has a beginning, middle and end and has a main story arc. I’ve finally done it! So this year, I’m going to keep setting goals and keep trying to reach for them.

Writing Goals

• Revise Dogwood, my 2009 NaNoWriMo novel.
• Write another novel.
• Write a short story and submit it for publication.

Reading Goals

• Read 50 books (every year I participate in the 50 Book Challenge; year before last I read about a dozen, in 2009 I read 27, so I’m getting there!)
• Read 20 books off my list for 100 Project.
• Conquer my own bookshelves! I’d like to put a big dent in the unread books I own.

That’s all for reading goals. I’m trying to avoid any challenges involving specific authors, series or similar since usually end up regretting them. I’m also not hosting any challenges other than 100 Project, because every time I do, the blog I host it at dies a sudden death! Though I’m sure I’ll try again in the future . . . but not right now.

Personal Goals

• Learn to make madeleines.
• Develop a homekeeping routine.
• Learn wirework jewelry making.
• Keep working on bellydance.

I have more personal goals I could list, but I think I’d better keep it reasonable. If I get to other stuff, all the better. Those are the definites.

I keep forgetting what I’m supposed to be doing.

I keep trying to write a novel. I made a deal with myself that I would pull back from that goal for the time being, and yet I continue trying to choose one of the projects I’m tinkering with and force it into shape. Last night I tried to split Amaranth up into its original two novels, and it didn’t go well. Basically, there’s not enough left of the storyline I took out to make a whole novel, and I’d have to work out a plot from the ground up. I think the lifelong-love element I was missing from the current incarnation of Amaranth is going to have to wait for a different novel, because it just doesn’t have enough oomph to encourage me to start yet another unfinished novel from scratch again. My Muse is recalcitrant; it doesn’t believe I’ll ever finish anything, so why give me more ideas to just stick in a drawer?

I also promised myself that I would read. Here’s a sad state of affairs: Whenever anyone asks me, “Have you ever read so-and-so?” the answer is almost always no. I’ve usually heard of so-and-so, I’ve meant to get to so-and-so for ages, but have I read them? Nope. This is true both in and out of my genre.

When I was in high school I read tons of Romance novels. But that was quite awhile ago, so now I’m not even familiar with Romance. It’s a problem in two ways: Not only does my subconscious tend to produce Romance plotlines, even though I’ve moved away from Romance and don’t find writing it personally rewarding, but I’m almost completely unfamiliar with my own genre, Fantasy. The authors I have read extensively are Tolkien, Lewis, Rowling, and McKillip, along with a smattering of individual novels by other authors. I never have any idea what’s going on in my genre, except that vampire books are popular and I don’t care for them. I don’t think this is good.

I have to keep reminding myself that my purpose right now is to write for enjoyment, and to read to make up for lost time. I’ve learned that I’m a faster reader than I thought, but that I rarely take time to read. I feel guilty, I feel like I have to justify it, and it doesn’t directly make money, which is, you know, necessary to live. Especially now that I’ve opted only to recommend and not to review, it’s unlikely reading will earn me any coin. But still, I have a goal to catch up on Fantasy. I don’t know exactly what that means, except that I want to look around when I’m standing in Barnes & Noble and know what’s actually inside most of those books. I think that’s kind of ambitious, but I’d like to try.

It’s weird how I’m more resistant to doing pleasant things for my art than suffering for it. Intellectually, the suffering seems more likely to result in finished novels, but it hasn’t worked for me so far. Maybe it’s that whole carrot person vs stick person theory of rewards and punishment. It would be hard to say I’m “goal-driven” but I think you could say I’m “end result oriented”? Which may be saying the same thing, but in a less Type-A Personality sort of way.