Where did November go?
In October, I thought I could finish my revisions mid-Nov, then start a new novel for NaNo and log several thousand words by tonight.
HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Best-laid plans and all that.
Revisions are going well, just slowly. I'm taking my time, being responsible toward my career and irresponsible toward my characters (no pain, no story -- that's my motto). Today I discovered a new tidbit about one character's history that makes her relationship with another character potentially volatile and definitely more layered.
So, blah-blah-blah, excuses-excuses, I didn't participate in NaNo. But lots of folks did (still are, if you're reading this November 30th). To everyone who gave it a shot: congratulations, especially if you've never written long-form fiction before.
Maybe you discovered you suck at it. Sorry.
But maybe you found you're not bad. You're pretty good, even. To you I say: keep going. The book that got my agent's attention was born during NaNo '07 (The book he read to make sure the first one wasn't a fluke was born during NaNo '06). If you're willing to put in a lot of work on your project, I hear you can find for it dedicated advocates, great publishers, and loyal readers.
[image via NaNoWriMo]
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Monday, November 30, 2009
NaNoWriMo, I Hardly Knew Ye
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving
This makes me ridiculously happy: six seconds that preceded years of childhood holiday specials...
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Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Trail Running
It's like a foot massage, only with mud and twisted ankles and squirrels!
Monday afternoon, as reward for chaining myself to revisions for three days, I drove out to Government Canyon State Natural Area for a trail run. [More photos of GC in this-here blog post. And this one here.]
Here's how it went, by the numbers...
8.5 = running miles
1:55 = hours and minutes to complete
13.5 = my minutes-per-mile pace
15 = minutes-per-mile pace suggested by Runner's World for beginning trail runners
11 = my minutes-per-mile pace in the half-marathon
2 = liters of water in my hydration pack
1 = liters I drank
0.5 = granola bars eaten (Cascadian Farms sample size)
5 = crap photos shot with my cell phone
20+ = ankle tweaks
0 = minutes of daylight left when I finished
General notes:
Take a headlamp.
Norah Jones's Lonestar is the perfect song for running through cedar and live oak.
On a normal run, my eyes focus mostly long-range, with some sideways movement. On this trail, which was extremely rocky, they focused very short-range, with little side-to-side. Upshot: not many glances at the scenery. Will investigate smoother trail.
My parents gave me good, sturdy ankles (thank you!).
I love trail running.
Do you? If so, check for routes at Trails.com and Rails to Trails!
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Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Retired Challenge: Middle Grade Madness
Last December, I embarked on Middle Grade Madness, an exploration of books for middle-grade readers. My objective was to survey the genre and get a feel for the novels my own book will share the shelves with. Here are the ones I posted.
After 11 months, I've come to three conclusions:
1. Middle Grade books cover a wide range of topics, styles, sub-genres, language levels, and writing quality.
2. There are more MG books than I'll be able to read in a timely manner.
3. As is the case in the rest of my life, I want a wide variety of experience -- wider than reading only MG can offer.
Not that I've limited my reading to MG for the past year. But it's time to retire this challenge from the sidebar. In the future, if I read a book I think is notable, I'll post about it.
In the meantime, a new reading adventure is percolating in the old noggin. A multigenre extravaganza, the details of which I'll need your input to begin.
More soon!
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Monday, November 23, 2009
Swampy Middle, I Will Own You
So, I'm in the middle of my revisions, which, because I'm doing the chapters in order, means I'm also in the middle of my book. And it's going well, but it's daunting.
Not for the usual reason -- that after an exciting beginning and before a stupendous ending there often rests a lullish middle. Author Timothy Hallinan has some advice for tackling that kind of middle.
Nah. Revision on BRIAR's middle is a challenge because it involves more new text than other parts of the book. This is a result of having created a new POV character, drastically changed another character's psychology, and altered a third character's history. These three decisions are now intersecting to create the writer's equivalent of Goldman's Fire Swamp. When I'm not dodging flame spurts or flailing in lightning sand, I'm wrestling R.O.U.S.s.
But like Westley and Buttercup (okay, mostly Westley), I'm gonna win against this Fire Swamp. And, like Westley, I'm enjoying the challenge.
[And, honestly, any excuse to post a pic of PB-era Cary Elwes is excuse enough.]
New likely finish date: November 30. I'll hold onto the manuscript for a few days afterward to make sure I haven't made some tragic mistake in the heat of revisions, and to address the notes Super-Agent Chris has offered on partials so far.
Don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to jumping out that castle window onto a white horse and riding off with my peeps to the melodious voice of Willy DeVille.
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Recap: First Half-Marathon
Wouldn't be a race if we didn't have to get up at the a**-crack of dawn, right?
But let me back up.
Two years ago, our friends Björn and Jenny were in town, and Jenny saw a flyer for the 2008 Rock'n'Roll Half-Marathon, San Antonio's upcoming first involvement with the company that puts on these races nationwide. "Cool," she said. "Let's do it!" Which, by the looks on Dave's and Björn's faces meant, "Let's do it, Shan."
So we made a deal: if she didn't get pregnant, I'd run the 2008 race with her.
Lucky for me, they were trying to get pregnant, and soon I was off the hook for 2008.
So... baby born (a week before the 2008 race), and Jen says, "I still want to do that race. 2009, Shan!"
Dang. But Jen was willing to fly from Germany to run it, so who am I to be a dork and say no? So I said OK.
Then something awesome happened: Dave said he wanted to run it with us. When Björn found out, he decided to train. Then our friend Trip, a frequent marathon-runner, said he was in, too.
Cool!
Fast-forward through weeks of gym training that wasn't really all that beneficial, then our decision to quit the gym, then a loooooonnnnngggg, hot summer of walking to work, and finally a training plan to begin in late August.
We actually stuck to the plan, for the most part. We revised our medium-length run distances downward, but got ahead on our weekend long run distances -- enough so that we were able to do a 2-week taper instead of the 1 week on the original plan. All in all, we felt pretty prepared.
Björn, Jenny, and baby landed safely in Houston. Trip arrived via SAT. A big spaghetti dinner was had Saturday night, November 14. Our alarms went off obscenely early the next morning. That brings us to the photo at the top.
The start area. Picture 30,000 people in an area the size of maybe two football fields, 25,000 of whom are waiting in line to use port-o-johns. Long story short: no toilet paper by the time I got in one. Fantastic! I took one of the empty cardboard toilet paper tubes and peeled myself some rather texturous paper. MacGruber!
Trip wished us good luck and went up to corral #2, where the fast runners were hanging out, doing fast runner-y things. We were in corral #28, where nose-picking passed for warm-up stretches.
What's a corral? It's about half a block of a normally-busy city street that's bounded on either end by volunteers holding ropes, because, by golly, you said you'd finish the race in 3 hours, so you're darn well going to stay put with the other 1,000 people who also said 3 hours (no skipping forward or you'll be disqualified!).
Seriously, the corrals allow for a Wave Start, which keeps the race organizers from having a panicky stampede on their hands. When the gun went off, it was for corral #1. Two minutes later, an airhorn gave corral #2 their start, and so on and so on, until about an hour later we -- corral #28 -- were released from the start line by a butterfly fart.
We were off!
And immediately faced the task of passing at least 50 people who were walking. Maybe they didn't hear the fart -- it was pretty quiet -- or maybe they tragically underestimated the time needed to walk a half-marathon and put themselves in corral #28 instead of whatever the last corral was. THIS WOULD BE A THEME.
Still, we felt good. Björn and Jen decided to go for time, and so set out at a fast clip. Dave and I had slower clips planned from B+J's, and from each other, so once they took off, we kissed each other good luck and set about rocking our individual races.
Which we did. Jen wowed us with a 2:08:42; Björn with 2:23:59. I felt good when I crossed the finish line at 2:24:47. Dave rocked his 13.1 in 3:19:57. Of course, Trip blew us all out of the water by running 26.2 in about the same time as I did 13.1. Show-off! Kidding, we love you.
A few impressions...
Did I mention it was 75F during the race with 94% humidity? I think we should get recognition for swimming part of this event.
The Rock'n'Roll part of this event needs work. There was supposedly a band set up every mile along the course. I know at least one fantastic band that was turned down from performing, in favor of at least five mediocre alternatives. Plus, half the bands were on break when I ran by their stages. Plus-plus, the headliner concert was (admitted local favorite) Los Lonely Boys and (they're still alive?) Grand Funk Railroad. Come on, organizers. More rock, less suck.
Probably not a good idea: letting Team Banana distribute cut bananas at mile 6. Picture three blocks of the course LITTERED with banana peels. Insert vaudeville pratfall (but not by me, thankfully).
I know walking participants are welcome at the SAR&R, but I wish they would walk on the sides of the course instead of all over the road. We dodged so many walkers that Jen's Garmin said she had completed 13.1 miles about 0.2 miles before the finish line.
The volunteers were GREAT. So were the spectators of all ages. So were the racers. THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR BEING CONSCIENTIOUS, SUPPORTIVE, AND INSPIRING.
Gu Chomps work. I got a sample bag of 5 pieces in my race goodie bag. I chewed two at mile 7, then one each at miles 9, 10, and 11. Just as my muscles started to get that weird, disconnected, near-bonk sensation, I'd chomp a Chomp and swig some water, and be renewed as simple carbs (via tapioca syrup, cane sugar, and maltodextrin) raced through my veins and into my weary legs. Because that's how they work. Yay, sugar!
UnderArmour base layers work. Maybe you've tittered at their ridiculously buff mannequins at your local sporting goods store? Me, too. But, y'all? They rock. Zero chafe. Fresh as a daisy. Just saying.
Water works. I'm glad I stuck with water-only hydration on the course. Organizers also offered a sport drink, which Dave suspects gave him a stomach ache for the last half of the run.
Best part of this experience: being in it with Dave and other awesome friends. You may not run together, but it's enough knowing they're somewhere on the course, sweating their balls off right along with you. Especially if you can find everyone again for a post-race photo...
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Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Chopped (YAY!)
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Sunday, November 15, 2009
Half-Marathon? Check!
Quick update: we ran the San Antonio Rock'n'Roll Half-Marathon this morning with friends Bjorn, Jenny, and Trip (Trip did the full marathon).
I ran it in 2 hours, 25 minutes; Dave powered his way to a 3:19 finish. (Proud!) We all feel great.
Full re-cap in Wednesday's fitness post...
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Thursday, November 12, 2009
SYSK: How Muppets Work
Because Sesame Street's turning 40, I want to rec an awesome episode of the Stuff You Should Know podcast: How Muppets Work.
The disclaimer/warning they give at the 1:25 mark is funny ("If anybody is really attached to...illusion...").
So many cool tidbits in this one! Plus, Josh and Chuck love the subject, so it's an extra-special ep.
At the end, they wonder what the world would've been like if Jim Henson had decided to be an accountant. According to Josh, it'd be "nothin' but war."
You can find the episode on iTunes or listen here.
For more information: the article that inspired the podcast.
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Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tapering
I'm writing this Saturday, Nov 7. We did our longest long run last Saturday (12 miles). Today we did between 6 and 8 miles. This next week, we'll only do about three runs -- all short (2-4 miles) with some speed work thrown in. We figure since we're doing the half-marathon, a two-week taper would be sufficient.
Need some taper guidance? Check out this Runner's World article on the subject.
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Upstart Crow Books Available for Pre-Order
Two of Super-Agent Chris's clients are available for pre-order at Amazon:
The Deathday Letter
Shaun David Hutchinson
(Simon Pulse, June 2010)
Pre-order here!
Shaun's blog
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Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation
Matt Myklusch
(Aladdin, August 2010)
Pre-order here!
Matt's Jack Blank website
* * *
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ETA...
The Shadows (The Books of Elsewhere #1)
Jacqueline West
(Dial, June 2010)
Pre-order here!
Jacqueline's Shadows website
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Monday, November 9, 2009
Character Interaction Diagrams
Someday, I may do this for BRIAR-BOUND. Check out XKCD's diagrams illustrating character interactions in five movies. Click here for extreme closeup view.
The Twelve Angry Men chart cracks me up.
Have you done anything similar for your writing?
[image via XKCD]
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Friday, November 6, 2009
Travel Trends: Destinations
Kayak, a site I use a lot to search flight fares, has a nifty statistics page. The site uses search data (on airports and hotels) and has three interesting -- and continually changing -- Top Ten trend lists:
* Most Popular Destinations
* Biggest Upward Trends
* Biggest Downward Trends
Here they are for the past year (12 months)...
Most Popular Destinations
1. New York, NY
2. Los Angeles, CA
3. Las Vegas, NV
4. San Francisco, CA
5. London, United Kingdom
6. Chicago, IL
7. Orlando, FL
8. Washington, DC
9. Boston, MA
10. Miami, FL
Biggest Upward Trends
1. San Jose Cabo, Mexico
2. Sao Paolo, Brazil
3. Ahmedabad, India
4. Cincinnati, OH
5. Beirut, Lebanon
6. Brisbane, Australia
7. Perth, Australia
8. Phuket, Thailand
9. Liberia, Costa Rica
10. Sydney, Australia
Biggest Downward Trends
1. Oakland, CA
2. Caracas, Venezuela
3. Durham, NC
4. Manchester, NH
5. Santiago, Dominican Republic
6. South Bend, IN
7. Providence, RI
8. Grand Cayman Island, Cayman Islands
9. Acapulco, Mexico
10. Ixtapa, Mexico
Interesting: the most popular destinations are the same for the last day, week, month and year -- just in different orders, with NYC and LA always on top. I was surprised Paris didn't crack the top ten; I must want to go there more than most searchers. :)
Up Trends: Ahmedabad! I had to look it up. And Cincinnati? Really? (I'll get a bunch of cousins on my back for that.)
Down Trends: Intriguing that Kayak users (predominantly Americans? safe to say?) are becoming less interested in closer destinations in Mexico, in favor of far-flung spots in Australia. Disposable travel funds on the rise, you suppose? Or deep desires to fly for 18+ hours at a time? Also -- hee-hee -- South Bend. I'm a Hoosier and even I don't want to visit. No reason against, just no reason for. Time to beef up the tourist info, SB!
Do any of the places on these lists surprise you? Which cities would top your destination list, and how have they changed since, say, ten years ago?
[image via Select Your Franchise (via Google Images)]
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Thursday, November 5, 2009
Speaking of Muppets...
...I'm so glad you're still around, Sesame Street. Happy 40th! A couple of my favorite bits...
Grover and John John!
Kermit and Joey!
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A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
A few tributes to one of my favorite shows...
Don Draper's Guide to Picking Up Women (SNL):
Sesame Street-style:
Fever! (Joan, of course):
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Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Ice Baths!
So, early this spring, I was listening to the Two Gomers' Half-Marathon Podcast, and they got a suggestion to incorporate ice baths into their post-workout routine. This insane person claimed that such baths do wonders for a runner's legs and joints.
Hm, I thought. That sounds crazy. Also... cold.
But then one of the Gomers did it (and recorded himself doing it, which was very funny, but I can't remember which episode -- you might as well listen to all of them -- they're awesome -- anyway...) and he said his legs felt amazing the next day.
Hm. Maybe not crazy. Still cold.
A couple weeks ago I mentioned the ice bath thing to Dave, and being the adventurous sort he is, he suggested we try it. For science. I think he also thought there'd be nekkidness involved, but I thwarted that plan -- no ice on the goods, hombre!
So we bought two 10-lb bags of ice and started psyching ourselves up. We didn't have much time, because our freezer won't hold two 10-lb bags of ice. We pretty much had to get to it.
But here's the deal: to benefit from an ice bath, we figured you have to sit in it for at least 10 minutes. Brrr.
Enter the Discovery Channel.
On some program on Discovery (we think), they showed these special mitts that can be used to regulate a person's core temperature. They stuck some poor shmuck intern in an ice bath without the mitts, and he began to shiver uncontrollably within minutes. Then they gave him the mitts, and his shivering stopped.
The science: your blood circulates out to your extremities, then back to your core. If you heat (or cool) the blood as it passes through your hands, that warmed (or cooled) blood travels back to your core and warms (or cools) everything there. It's not coincidence that people clutch mugs of hot drinks when it's cold!
So, facing our icy experiment, we fired up the tea kettle. When the water boiled, we filled my metal water bottle, left the sipper open to vent the steam, and wrapped it in a towel.
Then we filled the tub halfway with cold water and dumped in a bag of ice.
We were ready.
Pretty much.
Verdict: that bottle trick worked folks! We were totally comfortable, after the first 10 seconds, of course. Oh yeah, and our legs did feel great afterward -- both immediately and the next day. I had a bit of soreness/stiffness the next day, probably because we didn't do the ice baths immediately after our run (more like several hours later). But I think I would've been more sore without the bath.
Do you take part in any crazy post-workout shenanigans? If so, we want to hear about them! Especially if they work. :)
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Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Paying for Art: My New Deal with Myself
I used to use the library a lot. I also loved roaming used bookstores for cheap books, ditto for yard sales, thrift stores, and friends' book shelves.
Then I decided I want to make my living as a fiction writer.
As a result, I've paid more for books in 2009 than ever before to ensure the author is getting his/her due... in the hope that people will do me the same favor when I'm published. I bought ebooks and new paper books (if no e was available) and all but stopped going to the library. I began to eye used bookstores as a guilty pleasure.
No more! On Saturday, I found Carrie Ryan's FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH at the library, so I made a deal with myself: if I get a book for free (library or friend) or a deep discount (used-book vendor), and I read that book past page 20, I'll buy the ebook version of it.
I want authors (and everybody else who worked on a book) to get paid, but I don't want to store paper books in my house. Ebooks will be my solution; creatives get paid, and my virtual bookshelf can get as crowded as my hard drive allows. For this to work, publishers need to provide ebook versions of their titles, but within a few years, I doubt there will be many in-print titles without an ebook format (or many out-of-print titles, for that matter).
By the way, I only had to read two pages of Ryan's book before I went online and bought the ebook.
What about you? Do you have rules for your use of media -- books, music, movies, etc? Have your rules changed over the years (new technology notwithstanding)?
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Monday, November 2, 2009
NaNo Strategy
Nope, not a really tiny strategy. Just a very short post to update my strategy for NaNoWriMo.
I've been dithering over whether or not to participate in NaNo this year (and how). I have current revisions, an unfinished project, and another in need of further drafting.
Because the current revisions on BRIAR-BOUND are by far the most important, and because I don't think I can switch my brain back and forth between two projects, and because I'm afraid I'll want to write the one that isn't the important revisions . . . I decided to finish the revisions before finishing last year's NaNo book. I'll feel better, and Chris will get the revision sooner, and these are both for the best.
Plus, finishing the revision is a nice carrot to dangle -- the sooner it's done (and good), the sooner I get to dive back into last year's book (25K words of it so far, anyway).
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