• writing

    Needles and other unpleasantries

    With the help of an ergonomic keyboard, it’s been typing as usual here. However, that doesn’t mean the wrist pain has gone away entirely. There are still days where it’s intolerable (note the post about pain killers, etc.). So today I went the hand doctor, a specialist sort whose office is covered with lots and lots and lots of hands.…

  • WIP,  writing

    You’ve got a messed up conception of happy.

    More writing has been done, and I eked over the 30K mark this afternoon. This is good.( I apologize if some of these posts are a little repetitive, but currently I’m trying to track my output and want to be a little more book-centric during the process.) Stuff accomplished in Ardesia, where it’s spring and it’s still snowing, bombs have…

  • steampunk,  weird,  WIP,  writing

    Progressy progress, and knee deep in weird…

    Oddly enough, Paul Jessup is having a conversation at his blog right now about the (re)emergence of weird, and I happen to be knee deep in it. It wasn’t expected. At its heart, Dustman is certainly Neo-Victorian, with occasional splashes of steampunk–but more and more I’m seeing how much weird it has to offer. Granted, there’s room for it, as…

  • WIP,  writing

    The Novel’s Life

    I have said it before: novels have lives of their own. Maybe I should expect it by now, but it still amazes me how a book can simply do things that I didn’t anticipate–often without my permission. Case in point, my current work in progress Dustman. The idea for this book was simple: girl loves boy, boy goes mad, girl…

  • publication,  writing

    First Failure

    Facebook is constantly trying to connect me to people it thinks I want to know, and most days I ignore it. However, I happened to glance up at the little suggestion box and see author Jane Yolen’s name the other day. Apparently we have quite a few friends in common. But, odd as it is, that Facebook connection goes back…

  • fantasy,  steampunk

    Rock ‘n’ Roll

    At least, that’s what writing has felt like lately. A story, moving along at a good pace, surprises left and right. I’m working on Dustman (working title) right now, which is a peripheral novel in the Aldersgate Cycle; that is, it takes place in the same world, and has a few cameos from some familiar characters, but isn’t part of…

  • publication,  steampunk,  WIP,  writing

    Fiddling in short form.

    Last night I finally wrote* a synopsis of The Aldersgate. I’m not sure why I hadn’t done this before, since I’d queried it and submitted it to a publisher–but somehow, there it was, un-synopsized (which, I’m aware, is not a word). Normally I kind of dig doing synopses–I did three of them in one weekend a few months ago, and…

  • WIP,  writing

    Writing is happening!

    Well, at last! It looks like I’m able to dictate pretty easily right in to WordPress.  That means I can get posts out much quicker, without having to put strain on my wrists. I suppose it goes without saying, but young writers: take care of your wrists. Sure, some of it has to do with genetics. Some of it has…

  • writing

    Rewiring the writing approach

    So, it’s been over a month and I’m still the gimpy writer. The wrists have certainly improved, but 99% of that has to do with, you know, not typing. I would be lying to say it hasn’t been beyond frustrating, especially considering the move and the many other things I won’t bore you with. Suffice it to say, I’m having…