Yikes, sorry for being so absent. It's been absolutely crazy this month, and the blogging has suffered. I blame society. Anyway, here's what I've been doing:
Writing
I'd hit a wall on the screenplay, so I doubled back to cut out what wasn't working, and now I'm much happier with it. There are two main characters, and one was getting lost in the plot, becoming increasingly incidental (just along for the ride). Fixed that. Now it's flowing smoother and better. And the novel idea I'd been tinkering with seems to have fallen into place. There's a joy in having one idea dovetail with another to create something new and stronger than either of its parts. That's what seems to have happened here. The concept is sound if somewhat insane, and I'm chomping at the bit to write it. Apologies for being vague here; I find that when I talk (or blog) about ideas I'm working on, it's sometimes counterproductive because when I sit down to write, I have a feeling of "didn't I already do this?" I promise I'll tell you more about these when I'm a little further in.
Smashing my PC with a polo mallet
Or wanting to, at least. I made the silly mistake of not updating my anti-viral software, and found my computer near death with multiple trojan horses. Really nasty infection. I'd thought I'd lost all my files but after repeated attempts at repair, I've at long last managed to recover everything I thought had been annihilated. The PC is spic and span now, thanks to a complete battery of anti-viral and anti-spyware troubleshooters. (Incidentally, if you're looking for a good program, Spyware Doctor seemed to be a cut above from the rest.) The lessons learned from this? Always back everything up, keep your anti-viral software current, and/or use a Mac. I was a bit slow to warm up to the Mac at first, but it's won me over with its reliability and ability to speak with Japanese cameras.
Watching the news
Scary time. I don't want this to become a political blog, so I'm reluctant to say much more than that.
Taking care of my WorldCon arrangements
My friends: "So you're coming to WorldCon?"
Me: "You bet."
My friends: "When are you getting in?"
Me: "Well, I haven't booked my flight yet."
My friends: "Where are you staying?"
Me: "Haven't booked the hotel either."
My friends: "But you're coming?"
Me: "Uh... Yeah."
Since then I've actually gotten my act together; I've booked a flight and paid for a hotel room. Woo hoo. So I will be there. And happily WorldCon knows I'm coming since they've got me on the list of confirmed program participants. I don't know what panels I'll be on yet, but when I have that info I'll post it here.
Guest lecturing a writing class at Cornell
Talking with up and coming writers about the process can be inspiring.
Feeling guilty about not blogging
And about not replying to my email over at MySpace. I hate feeling like I'm leaving anyone waiting for a reply and if I've ever done that to you, I hope you know it isn't my intention. The sense of support and community I feel online really helps me a lot, and I never take it for granted. I just get bogged down with work from time to time. And writing can be such a solitary process, there are times I feel like I have to be alone to find what I need creatively. Balance would have me "coming up for air" at intervals within that process to (among other things) post here. That's what I'm aiming for and, knock on wood, I'll get there.
Over the weekend, I'll post new Everfree reviews, a new interview, some sad news about an audiobook, another conversation with CHAOS, and the mysterious secret of why I look different in every photo. (Two words: Body doubles.)
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