tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10638394128681832182024-03-14T05:18:40.575+13:00Begin at the BeginningUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-72449073450002009002013-12-11T13:27:00.001+13:002013-12-11T13:27:22.418+13:00Book Review: The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13138114-the-girl-who-circumnavigated-fairyland-in-a-ship-of-her-own-making" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Fairyland, #1)" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1322766102m/13138114.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13138114-the-girl-who-circumnavigated-fairyland-in-a-ship-of-her-own-making">The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/338705.Catherynne_M_Valente">Catherynne M. Valente</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/774271350">5 of 5 stars</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I listened to the audiobook version of this story, narrated by the author. Valente brings her story to life fantastically.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have been meaning to read this book for a long time. Despite the suspense, the book lived up to my expectations, and then some.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Valente is a talented scholar of myth. She draws symbols, tropes, and archetypes together with her own imaginings and arranges them into patterns that feel so <em>right</em>. As a reader you get the sense that her stories ought to be true because they make so much sense, and they resonate with the deepest threads of human storytelling.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">'The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland...' could be enjoyed equally by children, teens, and adults. There are layers upon layers to the story, and everyone remotely interested in myths or fairy tales would discover something profound while reading this book.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/8395605-cat">View all my reviews</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-66373952863989889112013-07-30T00:01:00.000+12:002013-07-30T00:01:26.730+12:00Movie review: Pacific Rim<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I haven't blogged in a while because my day job has been crazy and I haven't had the brain power. I thought that my first blog post when I found my brain again would be about Au Contraire 2, the convention I attended the other week, but then I saw <i>Pacific Rim</i>. I have a lot of thoughts to dump regarding <i>Pacific Rim</i>, so I thought the Au Contraire post could wait a little longer.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEien3v7P_n6A25iZWP-YbOtRvTrVcm4NfraYed6zITR3YGHBOPZe76e1bUVNtR-rQKNFNK4Rtr3cUT4kIBukjDpJV3RHIMjkBR2uxBQMWfuGWVb5_Df6rxrqQCA43yJoQ3msMqeBA2NGrk/s1600/8921501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEien3v7P_n6A25iZWP-YbOtRvTrVcm4NfraYed6zITR3YGHBOPZe76e1bUVNtR-rQKNFNK4Rtr3cUT4kIBukjDpJV3RHIMjkBR2uxBQMWfuGWVb5_Df6rxrqQCA43yJoQ3msMqeBA2NGrk/s1600/8921501.jpg" height="400" width="270" /></span></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Background</span></h3>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I first heard about <i>Pacific Rim</i>, I wasn't particularly excited to see it. As a former anime fan I've seen my share of mecha stories, and for me the trope was somewhat tired and worn. But then I heard that Guillermo del Toro was the director. He's one of my favourite directors, so my interest was piqued. Then the trailers started coming out, and as I learned that these robots (Jaegers) have two neurally linked pilots, well, all of a sudden I really wanted to see the movie.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I should have realised earlier how much I would love <i>Pacific Rim</i>. I am the one who gets obsessed with movie soundtracks and sees the small gestures, the visual symbols. Therefore I am pretty much the ideal audience for anything directed by Guillermo del Toro, including giant robots and monsters, despite the fact that my demographic would suggest otherwise.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, how was the movie?</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">First, the not so good things</span></h3>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are a few poor reviews of <i>Pacific Rim</i> floating around, mostly complaining about the script and concept. Yes, the script is so-so, the science is flaky, and some of the characters are annoying (particularly the campy scientists). The names of the characters and Jaegers were also a bit cringing. Yes it is cheesy, but it is supposed to be cheesy. This movie is a love letter to a lot of other media products, some of them B-grade. I think the silly names were necessary; they were an important part of the feeling and spectacle of the movie.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now some great things</span></h3>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The special effects were simply awesome. First-rate stuff.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The soundtrack is amazing (I'm listening to it right now, and I had the title track on repeat at the gym yesterday).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The use of colour is awe-inspiring. This is something del Toro is a master of. (I will speak about colour a lot in this review).</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">del Toro made full use of all the elements available to him as a director to pack a lot of heart into sequences that were very sparse on quality dialogue. One sequence that particularly struck me was the prologue section in Anchorage.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Case study: My thoughts on the opening sequence and how I got teary</span></h3>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Jaegers and the Jaeger pilots were introduced in a sequence that showed Raleigh and Yancey Beckett suiting up and preparing to fight a kaiju. This sequence was perfectly put together and made me, I kid you not, cry at the grandeur. The title music, heavy on the drums and electric guitar, played as these two young, swaggering men suited up and strode to the pilot area of their Jaeger. Electronic strains kicked in as the technology of the Jaeger was shown on screen. The colour palette of the sequence was golds, bronze, and red, reflecting youthful optimism and surety, and echoing the colour of their Jaeger Gypsy Danger's nuclear engine (her heart). As Gypsy Danger's head dropped into place and the orchestra came into the music, I teared up while grinning like a loon. In a single minute of perfectly sculpted movie magic, I was fully caught up in Gypsy and her pilots' story.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For some people the Jaegers or the Kaiju will be the best part of <i>Pacific Rim</i>, but I am always interested in characters first.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Best thing of all about <i>Pacific Rim</i> for me</span></h3>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For me, the best thing about this movie is the Drift, the neural connection between the dual Jaeger pilots. This single concept has taken an otherwise tired, used-to-death trope (mecha with human pilots) and made it sparkling new. There is so much potential in the psychological exploration of the link between pilots and the sharing of their memories. Many examples of this link are given in the movie: siblings, father and son, husband and wife, and in Raleigh and Mako the "OMG where have you been all my life" instant connection.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Is there romance in <i>Pacific Rim</i>? Not such an easy question</span></h3>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Something I've noticed is that some people see a romance in the movie and some people don't. What particularly struck me is that the people who don't see a romance are those who don't want to anyway. The ambiguous way it has been set up, people see what they want to see, which is a wonderful way of respecting the movie's audience.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I personally think there could be a romance, or there could not. They certainly have an instant connection, which could be the beginning of love, but not necessarily. Either way, it is not our business. It is their business only. The characters keep it to themselves, which ties tightly into the motif throughout the movie of how Jaeger pilots don't need to discuss their issues because they already understand fully what each other are thinking. Mako and Raleigh don't kiss like they would have if someone else had made the movie (although the fight scene was sparky enough alone, as was the hug at the end). They don't have some sappy talk about their feelings. But why would they? They've Drifted. This theme is explained by two other characters (the father and son) who talk about how you don't need to talk in the Drift. They already know what each other thinks. Raleigh and Mako's first little sparks of possible romance are told in a few looks, but they are all that is needed. And that tells a story about the most important part of human interactions. It isn't sex. It is those looks. Those deep understandings. And that's an important message.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My favourite Jaeger</span></h3>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">An important part of the <i>Pacific Rim</i> experience is choosing one's favourite Jaeger. Fan communities have sprung up online based around the Jaegers and their pilots, none so invested as the Cherno Alpha fans, who are a vocal lot indeed.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At first I liked Crimson Typhoon, because it is shiny and unique, but on reflection my favourite Jaeger is Gypsy Danger (even though I don't like the name. Er, racial slur, much?).</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Why do I like Gypsy Danger? And here is where I get to talk about Guillermo del Toro's use of colour. I love, love, love the colour scheme of Gypsy Danger and how it reflects both the two main characters and the thematic thrust of the whole movie.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Gypsy's hull is blue-gray iron, strongly reflecting Mako Mori's colour palette, the palette that in turn reflects her memories of Onibaba's attack on Tokyo. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gypsy's nuclear heart glows orange-red like the lighting and colour palette of the prologue when we see Raleigh and Yancey, confident and cocky as they suit up to ride Gypsy.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The blue and glowing red heart together reflect several things at once:</span></div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Child-Mako clutching her red shoe to her chest over her blue coat and looking up in wonder at Stacker Pentecost exiting Coyote Tango.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The kaiju world, which is lit in blue, except for the fat, soon-to-go-nova red sun in the sky.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The dark emotional pain cloaking both Mako and Raleigh, and hiding their heroic, strong-willed and passionate hearts.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">That in amongst darkness, if the heart (togetherness) glows bright, there is hope.</span></li>
</ul>
Plus: chain sword FTW.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In summary:</span></h3>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I think this may be my favourite movie ever. Seriously. Yes, it is a movie about robots punching monsters in the face. And whacking them with oil tankers. But it is perfectly crafted for the genre, does what it says on the tin, and is exactly the right size in regards to storyline and theme to satisfy an audience. I want to see it again.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">(A spoilery note follows the jump)</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<h4>
Current progress on <i>Reality Shifting</i>: </h4>
<img src="http://picometer.writertopia.com/words=89574&target=100000" /><br /><br />
<br />
<h4>
Listening To</h4>
Pacific Rim soundtrack<br /><br />
<div class="fb-like" data-action="recommend" data-href="http://catlangford.com/blog.php" data-layout="button_count" data-send="false" data-show-faces="false" data-width="450">
</div>
<!-- Twitter --><br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Langford_Cat" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a><br />
<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script><!-- Google+ --><script src="https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js"></script><g:plus action="share"></g:plus><!-- Place this tag after the last share tag. --><script type="text/javascript">
(function() {
var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true;
po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s);
})();
</script><br /><div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A (spoilery) note</span></h3>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Something toward the end of the movie struck me in its attention to detail. Throughout the movie, Raleigh, Mako and Pentecost often speak Japanese and their words are subtitled into English. But near the end, just before the payload is detonated, Mako yells something in Japanese which is not subbed. She yells "Sensei, ai shiteimasu" (Sensei, I love you).</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After the movie finished I wondered why it wasn't subbed, and I think I've figured it out. The lack of subs fits with how Raleigh, Mako and Pentecost used Japanese to have private conversations in public. Mako is hiding an important part of the story in plain sight, in a way that isn't understandable by most of the audience. We knew she loved him, idolised him, but she probably never told him. At the end, she had to express those feelings, but still, she wanted to keep that moment private. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think that is a lovely detail.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-76174888082784696822013-06-29T13:06:00.000+12:002013-06-29T13:16:52.921+12:00Things I Am Angry About - June 2013 <span style="font-family: inherit;">Ju<span style="font-family: inherit;">ne 2013 has been quite a month, hasn't it? Truly, so many incidents have filled me with Righteous Feminist Rage</span>®. Each time I've thought I should blog about the issue because making noise is the only way to cause change, but I've always been too angry to be coherent. By the time I've calmed down, so many people have said far more intelligent things than I ever could have, so I've left it.<br />
<br />
But staying silent only adds to the problem.<br />
<br />
Rather than try to say something intelligent myself, I thought I'd signal boost some fabulous posts that other people have already written.<br />
</span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Rage-making Incidents 1-5 - The SFWA Debacle</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> For those who aren't aware, a series of articles appeared in the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America Bulletin (their professional publication) talking about:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">how hot the female editors in the 1960s were and how great they looked in bikinis </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">how women writers should be like Barbie (the doll) because she "maintained her quiet dignity the way a woman should"</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">the "censorship" the poor men who wrote article 1 had been subjected to (i.e. people correctly calling them out for being sexist). This article was written as a long "back in the good old days"-type rant by the same people who had written that first article.</span></span></li>
</ol>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17px;">On top of all this, one of the Bulletins featured on its cover an illustration of Red Sonja in her chainmail bikini in the snow (Frank Frazetta-style artwork had its time, but that time is not now). Then to top it off, SFWA's most racist/misogynistic/general arsehole-ish member called uber-talented author N.K. Jemisin a black hysterical savage because she gave a keynote speech at a con encouraging inclusiveness in the SFF community and calling for reconciliation. While a lot of this started before June, it all boiled to a head in the early and middle parts of this month.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br />
</span> <span style="line-height: 17px;">I hope you don't need me to point out why I got so angry about all this stuff. If you'd like to read more, my friend and fellow SpecFicNZ member Amanda wrote some great summary posts:</span></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://pickledthink.blogspot.co.nz/2013/06/genre-girl-cooties-part-one-billion.html" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank">Genre girl cooties, part one billion: Bitches get stuff done</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pickledthink.blogspot.co.nz/2013/06/what-shall-we-do-with-drunken-sailor.html" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank">What shall we do with a drunken sailor: Racism all up in my thang</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pickledthink.blogspot.co.nz/2013/06/the-beat-goes-on-kumbaya-mode-tone.html" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank">The beat goes on: Kumbaya mode, the tone argument, and stompy Godzilla socks</a></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Some other great links:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.annaguirre.com/archives/2013/06/02/this-week-in-sf/" target="_blank">This week in SF</a> by Ann Aguirre</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After reading this post, I ordered <i>Grimspace</i> by Ann Aguirre, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://fozmeadows.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/old-men-yelling-at-clouds-sfwa-lunacy/" target="_blank">Old men yelling at clouds: SFWA sexism</a> by Foz Meadows</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17px;">Rage-making Incident 6 - The Wendy Davis Filibuster</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17px;">In particular, how the Republicans responded to it, and how they tried to illegally pass a vote after midnight. Also, how mainstream media within the States gave the end of the filibuster almost zero coverage at the time, and a lot of the coverage they did give it seemed to focus on how Wendy Davis wore pink tennis shoes while filibustering. I'm not even going to bother linking to information about this, because it is all over the internet right now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17px;">Rage-making Incident 7 - Reporting Sexual Harrassment</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17px;">This morning, my Twitter feed lit up with the news of author Elise Matthesen laying a formal complaint about a senior Tor editor who sexually harassed her. The rage-making part of the Incident is that this editor has been harassing people for years, and people have tried to complain about it before, and yet somehow he hasn't yet suffered any consequences that anyone can tell. People who worked with him at Tor seemed unaware, although naturally they are not in a position to comment about it at the moment (as Tor is going through a legal process).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br />
</span> <span style="line-height: 17px;">The article by Elise has been posted to several high-profile authors' blogs:</span></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/06/28/reporting-harassment-at-a-convention-a-first-person-how-to/" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank">John Scalzi's blog</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.jimchines.com/2013/06/how-to-report-sexual-harassment-by-elise-matthesen/" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank">Jim C Hines's blog</a></li>
<li><a href="http://seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com/517984.html" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank">Seanan McGuire's blog</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/journal/on-sexual-harassment-at-conventions-elise-matheson-speaks-out/" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank">Mary Robinette Kowal's blog</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/journal/why-am-i-afraid-to-name-the-editor/" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank">(A second post by Mary on the topic)</a></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Cherie Priest also wrote <a href="http://www.cheriepriest.com/2013/06/28/maybe-its-just-us/" target="_blank">a great blog post</a> in response to this issue.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">In this case, do read the comments. A lot of interesting, intelligent things are being said in the comments of all those posts, and all the authors are actively monitoring what's going on in those comments one way or another.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">So, yes, June: you brought us a lot of shit, but also a lot of positive reaction. July, I hope you build on the positive aspects more than the negative ones.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Current progress on <i>Symmetry Breaking</i>: </span></h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Revision on hold</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Current progress on <i>Reality Shifting</i>: </span></h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://picometer.writertopia.com/words=72079&target=105000" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Currently Reading</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Grimspace</i> by Ann Aguirre</span><br />
<div id="fb-root">
</div>
<script>(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1";
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<div class="fb-like" data-action="recommend" data-href="http://catlangford.com/blog.php" data-layout="button_count" data-send="false" data-show-faces="false" data-width="450">
</div>
<!-- Twitter --><br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Langford_Cat" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a><br />
<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script><!-- Google+ --><script src="https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js"></script><g:plus action="share"></g:plus><!-- Place this tag after the last share tag. --><script type="text/javascript">
(function() {
var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true;
po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s);
})();
</script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-71466909442939394922013-06-21T22:47:00.001+12:002013-06-21T22:56:54.128+12:00In Which I Make a Wiki<span style="font-family: inherit;">This morning for a couple of hours we had Winter Solstice snow in Christchurch. It was oh so exciting, but it did not stick around for long. Alas, the cold <i>did</i> linger, as it tends to do. Well, at least from this point on the days will be getting longer, not shorter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Mid-winter and mid-summer are the times when it suddenly strikes me that I live in a different hemisphere than most people who speak my language. While those of us who live in NZ have been experiencing an Antarctic blast, Twitter keeps bringing me little snippets of people enjoying this mythical "summer" thing: mentions of barbeques, trips to the beach, ice-cold drinks, etc. It's funny how in the middle of winter, summer feels illusionary, and <i>vice versa</i>. Or maybe that's just me?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Writing Update</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've been pushing on with my novel <i>Reality Shifting</i> (see word count below). I've had to put the revisions of <i>Symmetry Breaking</i> on hold due to burnout, but I hope to get back to that soon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">When I've needed a break from writing, I've been brainstorming for another story I want to work on later in the year. It is a sci fi story that I think will be serialised rather than a novel, as the story is coming to me in discrete chunks. A complex world underlies the story, so I have started putting together a wiki for the series in <a href="http://www.evernote.com/" target="_blank">Evernote</a>. There are three great things about making the wiki in Evernote:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is easy to put together and edit across all my devices (with the small exception that the links between pages have to be inserted via the desktop app)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">I can share it with whoever I want, and I can even make the wiki notebook public (i.e. it could be a bonus for readers in the future)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">I already have Evernote and know how to use it (whereas if I downloaded a wiki-specific program, I would then have to teach myself how to use the thing).</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">All in all, this is an excellent idea and I can't believe I haven't thought of it before. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A Random Picture</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Because I feel like it, here is a random photograph taken by me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hImgXSb9I5weoHdjWZ_ftecsKgL5UNPCMRabWeln7pZFFz44aIYlACZLo-qiOeX544gzuOJdPAo_-FYAamuMyoaxp9-t0kcOgSk635tkJ4m832aTrHIQG5wXkWgOqlnoNN4QQtGkKFc/s1600/SANY1678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hImgXSb9I5weoHdjWZ_ftecsKgL5UNPCMRabWeln7pZFFz44aIYlACZLo-qiOeX544gzuOJdPAo_-FYAamuMyoaxp9-t0kcOgSk635tkJ4m832aTrHIQG5wXkWgOqlnoNN4QQtGkKFc/s1600/SANY1678.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At Ginkakuji (The Silver Pavilion), Kyoto</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">I've been thinking about Kyoto a lot, for a few reasons. One is that I am reading a book set in Kyoto nearly 1000 years ago (<i>Yamada Monogatari: Demon Hunter</i>). The other is that I have been doing some research into Heian Period Japan because of another story idea I have. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have lots of ideas.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Current progress on <i>Symmetry Breaking</i>: </span></h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Revision on a brief hiatus<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Current progress on <i>Reality Shifting</i>: </span></h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://picometer.writertopia.com/words=64080&target=102000" /><br />
<br />
</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Currently Reading</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Yamada Monogatari: Demon Hunter</i> by Richard Parks<br />
<br />
<!-- Facebook --></span><br />
<div id="fb-root">
</div>
<script>(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1";
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="fb-like" data-action="recommend" data-href="http://catlangford.com/blog.php?id=7146690944293939492" data-layout="button_count" data-send="false" data-show-faces="false" data-width="450">
</div>
<!-- Twitter --><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Langford_Cat" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></span><br />
<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script><!-- Google+ --><script src="https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js"></script><g:plus action="share"></g:plus><!-- Place this tag after the last share tag. --><script type="text/javascript">
(function() {
var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true;
po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s);
})();
</script><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-55348696441855380052013-05-19T23:04:00.000+12:002013-05-19T23:25:12.820+12:00A week of Kermit Flail<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hi, how have you been? It's been quite an eventful week for me. I meant to blog earlier but I got distracted by a book (more on that below).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Writer Week 2013</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As I mentioned last time, this past week I have been off work specifically to work on my writing. I didn't quite get everything done that I'd hoped to, i.e. I didn't manage to finish the current round of revisions of <i>Symmetry Breaking</i>. However, I did write 2000 words (or very, very close, stopping only because I'd reached the end of a scene) all five days of my writer week. I was fairly tired by Friday. If I wrote that much every week I'd soon get used to it, but it was a bit of a push this week. All in all I'm proud of my effort, and I wish I could do this every week.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Profile on Helen Lowe's blog</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was profiled on Christchurch fantasy writer Helen Lowe's blog. <a href="http://helenlowe.info/blog/2013/05/15/heres-specficnz-christchurch-featuring-cat-langford/" target="_blank">Go check it out</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks for the opportunity, Helen!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Ministry Initiative Kickstarter</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1034531507/the-ministry-initiative-steampunk-role-playing-and" target="_blank">Ministry Initiative kickstarter </a>campaign started this week. The campaign is raising money to fund a new anthology and a fate core-based RPG in the world of Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris's Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novels. Pip and Tee gave me my first break, accepting my story 'The Wrong Camera' into the related podcast and ebook series 'Tales from the Archives'. I hope you'll take a look at the kickstarter and read the existing books too if you haven't done so. They're very good, and I'm eagerly awaiting the upcoming anthology and the third novel.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1034531507/the-ministry-initiative-steampunk-role-playing-and/widget/video.html" width="480"> </iframe><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Forged in Blood I</i></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The sixth novel in Lindsay Buroker's <i>Emperor's Edge</i> series was released yesterday. As <a href="http://catlangford.com/blog.php?id=6148910680420749834" target="_blank">I have mentioned before</a>, I am a huge fan of these books and so of course I bought it straight away and read the whole thing in one day. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">I am so, so sorry to anyone who I have already convinced to try this series. Not because it's bad (it is brilliant, by the way). I am sorry because <i>Forged in Blood I</i> ends in an EPIC CLIFFHANGER OF DOOM. Seriously. You must read this series, but if you haven't started it yet, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES START UNTIL THE FINAL BOOK IS OUT. You won't have to wait long. As Lindsay is an indie author, the expected release date is August this year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Wait, what am I saying???? That's months away! I can't wait that long! Wah!!! Sniffle.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BBxg6_JSSRk77S3A1m0gfoVw5hvK1nUZNvmNQ0L3lGFZG5eTJ4SKRjHRX9YgJsvmern2vyeYg95zqEelzul0oTKZbEBWAxQFvdObq632-Wr1x9Ypt5JiWvWRJKd0fDJ73lAzW_SZNz0/s1600/Forged-in-Blood1-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BBxg6_JSSRk77S3A1m0gfoVw5hvK1nUZNvmNQ0L3lGFZG5eTJ4SKRjHRX9YgJsvmern2vyeYg95zqEelzul0oTKZbEBWAxQFvdObq632-Wr1x9Ypt5JiWvWRJKd0fDJ73lAzW_SZNz0/s1600/Forged-in-Blood1-web.jpg" height="640" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">The book that currently has me flailing like Kermit the Frog every 5 minutes, in both a good and a bad way</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Current progress on <i>Symmetry Breaking</i>: </span></h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In revision<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Current progress on <i>Reality Shifting</i>: </span></h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://picometer.writertopia.com/words=45134&target=92000" /><br />
<br />
</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Currently Reading</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Re-reading a certain scene in <i>Forged in Blood I</i> over and over ::wink wink::<br />
<br />
<!-- Facebook --></span><br />
<div id="fb-root">
</div>
<script>(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1";
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><br />
<div class="fb-like" data-action="recommend" data-href="http://catlangford.com/blog.php?id=5534869644185538005" data-layout="button_count" data-send="false" data-show-faces="false" data-width="450">
</div>
<!-- Twitter --><br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Langford_Cat" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a><br />
<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script><!-- Google+ --><script src="https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js"></script><g:plus action="share"></g:plus><!-- Place this tag after the last share tag. --><script type="text/javascript">
(function() {
var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true;
po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s);
})();
</script><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-67122300908589801142013-05-10T20:07:00.001+12:002013-05-10T20:14:03.754+12:00Writing catch-up<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So it turns out that I haven't blogged in ages. I've been working hard, though! Look at my word counter at the bottom of the post. What do you think of that? Nearly 35,000 words in six weeks. My word count is the main reason that I haven't been blogging recently. I've been spending my word-pennies elsewhere. On top of writing <i>Reality Shifting</i>, I have also been revising <i>Symmetry Breaking</i> and re-reading Lindsay Buroker's <i>Emperor's Edge</i> series in anticipation of the upcoming release of book 6. So yes: busy.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Writer Week</span></h3>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I will be on holiday from my day job next week for Writer Week 2013. Yay! This is nothing official, just something I do occasionally. I take a week of leave to sit at home in my pyjamas writing and get ahead on my word count. I'm really looking forward to it. Writer Week 2012 was a disappointment because I caught a bad cold and spent the whole week sipping Lemsip, going through multiple boxes of tissues, and generally feeling sorry for myself. Then when I got better, I had to go back to work.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This year I will not get sick. I'm not allowed. (You hear that, immune system? Take note!) My aim is to begin to establish an at-home writing routine. I already have an around-the-day-job writing routine, but to have an at-home one as well would be great.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">SpecFicNZ Meetup</span></h3>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last Saturday I attended the May Christchurch meetup of SpecFicNZ. Yet again it was an absolute pleasure to catch up with like-minded people and talk about books, publishing, Iron Man 3, and other assorted geekeries while nomming delicious food. We meet at <a href="http://www.utrv.co.nz/" target="_blank">Under the Red Verandah</a>*, which is a wonderful cafe. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">*(If you're in Christchurch, don't be put off by the location. Yes, it's in Linwood; and yes, it's only a block away from a "massage parlour". But any bacon lover's life is incomplete until they have tried UtRV's oaty pancakes with bacon, fried banana and maple syrup. And the dessert cabinet! Good grief!)</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Current progress on <i>Symmetry Breaking</i>: </span></h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In revision<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Current progress on </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Reality Shifting</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">:</span></h4>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://picometer.writertopia.com/words=34296&target=100000" /><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Currently Reading</span></h4>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Conspiracy-Emperors-Edge-Book-ebook/dp/B007XZ121G/ref=sr_1_10_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1368172826&sr=8-10&keywords=conspiracy">Conspiracy</a> — Lindsay Buroker<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Listening To</span></h4>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Firefly/dp/B002F6JPEO/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1368172950&sr=1-1&keywords=firefly">Firefly</a> soundtrack<br />
<br />
<!-- Facebook --></span><br />
<div id="fb-root">
</div>
<script>(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1";
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="fb-like" data-action="recommend" data-href="http://catlangford.com/blog.php?id=6712230090858980114" data-layout="button_count" data-send="false" data-show-faces="false" data-width="450">
</div>
<!-- Twitter --><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Langford_Cat" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a><br />
<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script><!-- Google+ --><script src="https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js"></script><g:plus action="share"></g:plus><!-- Place this tag after the last share tag. --><script type="text/javascript">
(function() {
var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true;
po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s);
})();
</script><br />
<br />
</span> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-49755106714737949482013-04-07T12:10:00.000+12:002013-04-07T12:10:38.463+12:00Back in the swing of things<span style="font-family: inherit;">It feels good to be writing again. I'm about 10 days, and exactly 8000 words, into book 2. Not bad. Also, I think I am writing a cleaner first draft than book 1. The whole process feels easier this time around.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Steering the Craft</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have had <a href="http://books.google.co.nz/books/about/Steering_the_Craft.html?id=gjBr5SL0Z3AC" target="_blank"><i>Steering the Craft</i> by Ursula K. Le Guin</a> for a while, but had only done the first two exercises or so. The other day, I fetched it out again and had another look-see. It's a fantastic book for anyone interested in writing fiction. I think it would be particularly useful for those who are worried about how to find their own "voice".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMxk5aOKgi2whyphenhyphenRCkyu6Yt_A-E5_HHNy0VqYNUnn5XAFCqojQkKuRVQt0W8Cv5iHmVeKz9kSRBRyEgUHSd1wzBeaNYwkvIHxBvBpGbhqG2PyAl8nIL-S75vrQG2FitWSsb4Sr3aBvaNM/s1600/steering+the+craft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMxk5aOKgi2whyphenhyphenRCkyu6Yt_A-E5_HHNy0VqYNUnn5XAFCqojQkKuRVQt0W8Cv5iHmVeKz9kSRBRyEgUHSd1wzBeaNYwkvIHxBvBpGbhqG2PyAl8nIL-S75vrQG2FitWSsb4Sr3aBvaNM/s1600/steering+the+craft.jpg" height="320" width="198" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">BookBub</span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I heard about <a href="http://www.bookbub.com/home/" target="_blank">BookBub</a> from writers discussing book promotion. I signed up yesterday as a reader, not a writer. BookBub is an opt-in email list containing links to ebook that are free or on sale. When you sign up you select which genres you are interested in. Also, the list is curated, which means only quality books appear in the email (i.e. nothing with bad covers, bad formatting, or too many bad reviews). If you read ebooks you may be interested in signing up.</span></div>
<br />
<!-- Facebook --><br />
<div id="fb-root">
</div>
<script>(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1";
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><br />
<div class="fb-like" data-action="recommend" data-href="http://catlangford.com/blog.php" data-layout="button_count" data-send="false" data-show-faces="false" data-width="450">
</div>
<!-- Twitter --><br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Langford_Cat" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a><br />
<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script><!-- Google+ --><script src="https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js"></script><g:plus action="share"></g:plus><!-- Place this tag after the last share tag. --><script type="text/javascript">
(function() {
var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true;
po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s);
})();
</script><br />
<br />
<h4>
Current progress on <i>Symmetry Breaking</i>: </h4>
In revision<br /><br />
<br />
<h4>
Current progress on <i>Reality Shifting</i>: </h4>
<img src="http://picometer.writertopia.com/words=8000&target=92000" /><br />
<br /><br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-12287798800901978322013-03-28T23:05:00.000+13:002013-03-28T23:22:47.909+13:00Easter is for writing and games. Yay!<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, the busy period at work has finished! Woo! I intend to blog more regularly from now on (or at least until the next busy period ...)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyway, a few updates:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Book 2 underway</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As if revising book 1 of my fantasy trilogy wasn't enough, today I started writing book 2. It makes sense; honest! I have a long commute by bus to work. I can't use that time for revisions (too tricky) but I can use it for writing, so why not?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm hoping that I'll improve my craft while writing book 2, and then I'll be able to use those improved writing skills to make book 1 better.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Book 2 is tentatively titled <i>Reality Shifting</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">SpecFicNZ's write-up of Christchurch <i>Words on the Wind</i></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">SpecFicNZ has published a <a href="http://www.specficnz.org/?p=3849" target="_blank">write-up</a> of the NZ Book Month event I read at the other week. Go check it out to see me pulling a funny mid-word face!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A word of warning about cheap ebooks</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last week, Imagine That! Studios released <a href="http://www.imaginethatstudios.com/warning-ebooks-at-bargain/" target="_blank">this blog post</a> about a dodgy-looking website that may or may not be phishing personal details (they certainly aren't selling ebooks legally, which is a problem in it's own). As a special warning to you, my story <i>The Wrong Camera</i> is published by Imagine That! Studios, so please make sure to buy my or anyone else's work from reputable retailers. Remember: If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">TableTop Day is Saturday 30th March</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You know what you should be doing this Saturday? Playing board games! Saturday is <a href="http://www.tabletopday.com/" target="_blank">TableTop Day</a>, organised by my favourite YouTube channel, Geek & Sundry. I will absolutely be doing this.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP__p-nbUfQ8TUfoLwB463BGmLnn9gtlME0LwREtoleDEFkw-nEUJ3sD9vK4piZUKuM6szuRXTX9JipdTxMsY7YbZRInByuEZR1-7wCtP_LsxXCz6IlnYcalQaLgLc2UEztS9dJcb-L-U/s1600/300x250_thumbnail.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP__p-nbUfQ8TUfoLwB463BGmLnn9gtlME0LwREtoleDEFkw-nEUJ3sD9vK4piZUKuM6szuRXTX9JipdTxMsY7YbZRInByuEZR1-7wCtP_LsxXCz6IlnYcalQaLgLc2UEztS9dJcb-L-U/s1600/300x250_thumbnail.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Have a lovely Easter, everyone!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- Facebook --><br />
<div id="fb-root">
</div>
<script>(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1";
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><br />
<div class="fb-like" data-action="recommend" data-href="http://catlangford.com/blog.php?id=1228779880090197832" data-layout="button_count" data-send="false" data-show-faces="false" data-width="450">
</div>
<!-- Twitter --><br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Langford_Cat" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a><br />
<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script><!-- Google+ --><script src="https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js"></script><g:plus action="share"></g:plus><!-- Place this tag after the last share tag. --><script type="text/javascript">
(function() {
var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true;
po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s);
})();
</script><br />
<br />
<h4>
Current progress on <i>Symmetry Breaking</i>: </h4>
In revision<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
Current progress on <i>Reality Shifting</i>: </h4>
<img src="http://picometer.writertopia.com/words=896&target=92000" /><br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-30077784057126416832013-03-16T12:18:00.000+13:002013-03-16T12:40:04.961+13:00Some housekeeping<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sorry it has been so long since I have posted a proper update. I have been exceptionally busy lately (selling a house, outlining a novel while revising another, and doing day job work on the evenings and weekends because we are so busy). I have several announcements today:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Words on the Wind</b></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">SpecFicNZ's Christchurch NZ Book Month event, 'Words on the Wind', is on tomorrow at Upper Riccarton Library at 1.30 pm. I'll be reading, so come along if you are in town and want to sample some of my writing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>New website!</b></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have a new website! Yay! It is at </span><a href="http://www.catlangford.com/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">CatLangford.com</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. My existing Blogger blog now mirrors over to the new website, so you can read my posts in either location – it's the same content. The tabs at the top of the Blogger version of the blog now go to pages on the main website.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Want to read the first chapter of my book?</b></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you want to read the first chapter of </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Symmetry Breaking</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, the book I am currently revising? Since the first chapter is in fairly good condition (although it may yet change a little bit before publication) I have added it to my new mailing list. To read the chapter, go to any page on my new website, sign up to my opt-in mailing list (purple box in the sidebar), and you will receive a copy of Chapter 1 sent direct to your inbox as a thank you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Fishpond, no longer recommended</b></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For a while I have used Fishpond.co.nz affiliate links in my book reviews on this blog. However, the quality of Fishpond's service has steadily decreased over the last year and I am no longer comfortable recommending their store. After a recent bad experience my husband had with them (as in, the complaint is lodged with the Commerce Commission) I no longer shop there. I have removed all the affiliate links from this blog. (I hope. Let me know if you spot one, and I'll take it down.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Google+</b></span></h3>
I've started using Google+ regularly, after having an inactive account for several years. They've added a lot of new functions, such as Communities, that make G+ appealing to use . I have been posting links to articles about writing on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/100561149198690694057/posts" target="_blank">my G+ timeline</a>, so if you are on G+ and you are interested in writing specifically, perhaps you'd like to add me to your circles?<br />
<br />
<!-- Facebook --><br />
<div id="fb-root">
</div>
<script>(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1";
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><br />
<div class="fb-like" data-action="recommend" data-href="http://catlangford.com/blog.php?id=3007778405712641683" data-layout="button_count" data-send="false" data-show-faces="false" data-width="450">
</div>
<!-- Twitter --><br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Langford_Cat" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a><br />
<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script><!-- Google+ --><script src="https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js"></script><g:plus action="share"></g:plus><!-- Place this tag after the last share tag. --><script type="text/javascript">
(function() {
var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true;
po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s);
})();
</script><br />
<br />
<h4>
Current progress on <i>Symmetry Breaking</i>: </h4>
<img src="http://picometer.writertopia.com/words=77975&target=77975" /><br />
In revision<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-38885743976482497552013-03-06T23:00:00.001+13:002013-03-08T22:55:30.215+13:00My first public reading!<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have been invited to read at a NZ Book Month event, "Words on the Wind"! I will be reading from <a href="http://www.ministryofpeculiaroccurrences.com/2012/06/26/podcast-volume-2-five/" target="_blank">The Wrong Camera</a>, and I may give an exclusive sneak preview of my current project if time allows.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're in Christchurch, come along to "Words on the Wind" and listen to some awesome speculative fiction authors (+ me :) ) read from their works. The event is on Sunday, 17 March at Upper Riccarton Library (full details below).</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMJduZf8c9It1JqO58r_Btb-_D1mpotev44fiq_vYo1a6mL5kxUMAre9Av1WEQ8lW33I4Wwx6SsLm_YWhkx63IedZ2aDBF7h0m7D16f2L1hN71490ife9eeFBxelRJrSV8zON_USUJng/s1600/NZ+Book+Month+Event+-+Christchurch+A4+v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMJduZf8c9It1JqO58r_Btb-_D1mpotev44fiq_vYo1a6mL5kxUMAre9Av1WEQ8lW33I4Wwx6SsLm_YWhkx63IedZ2aDBF7h0m7D16f2L1hN71490ife9eeFBxelRJrSV8zON_USUJng/s1600/NZ+Book+Month+Event+-+Christchurch+A4+v2.jpg" height="640" width="450" /></a></div><br />
<!-- Facebook --><div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1";
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><br />
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.catlangford.com/blog.php?id=3888574397648249755" data-send="false" data-layout="button_count" data-width="450" data-show-faces="false" data-action="recommend"></div><!-- Twitter --><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Langford_Cat">Tweet</a><br />
<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script><!-- Google+ --><script src="https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js"></script><g:plus action="share"></g:plus><!-- Place this tag after the last share tag. --><script type="text/javascript">
(function() {
var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true;
po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s);
})();
</script><br />
<br />
<h4>Current progress on <i>Symmetry Breaking</i>: </h4><p><img src="http://picometer.writertopia.com/words=77975&target=77975" /><br />
In revision<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-69155428676084149462013-02-08T21:46:00.001+13:002013-02-08T21:46:55.808+13:00Writing update, and the joys of the morning commute<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've been working so hard on my writing lately that I have very little else to talk about. My poor husband must be so sick of me right now: "Writing this, writing that, blah blah blah." Apparently I even mumble about my characters at 2 am when I'm 98.7% asleep.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">On the plus side, I've been kicking arse with my writing resolutions. My first three writing projects for the year were going to be three novelettes between books 1 and 2 of my current trilogy. I wrote novelette 1 early in January. Novelette 2 became a novella, and yet I've still nearly finished the first draft, days ahead of schedule. When I tried to plan novelette 3, I discovered that it actually wanted to be a part of book 2, which is fine by me. I've moved the brainstorming notes over to my book 2 project file accordingly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'll tell you what: the "bus ride + iPad + iPad keyboard + Index Card app that synchs to Scrivener at home" workflow is frikken amazing. Depending on how busy my first leg of the morning commute is (i.e. whether I have a seat) I can write somewhere between 250 and 600 words by the time I get to work. My daily word goal is only 700 words. That means I usually finish my writing for the day in my lunch break. Then on the bus home, I can either work on revisions of book 1 (if I have a replacement or new scene to work on) or I can brainstorm and outline my next project. Brilliant.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you use public transport to go to work or school? Are you able to make productive use of the time, or do you find the people and/or movement too distracting?</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-16300848492312334832013-01-18T10:51:00.000+13:002013-01-18T10:51:34.506+13:00Brief writing update<span style="font-family: inherit;">Mid-January is always a good time to reflect on how well you are adhering to your New Year's resolutions. If you've fallen off the horse already, you're going to have to put in a lot of work to get back on and stay there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So far, I'm doing a good job of following the<a href="http://catfordnz.blogspot.co.nz/2012/12/writing-resolutions-2013.html" target="_blank"> writing resolutions I decided on the other week</a>. I have drafted the first 'novelette' on my list (it was an 8,000-word short story in the end, not a novelette). I am close to finishing the outline for the next novelette, and I should start writing it tonight or tomorrow. This one will be longer than the first. It may even be a novella.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So far I am ahead of schedule, because I wasn't expecting to start novella 2 until the 24th. It's not just because the first novelette came in short: I took a 5-day break from writing to listen to <i><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B009OJXEOW&qid=1358459230&sr=1-1" target="_blank">A Memory of Light</a></i> and to read Lindsay Buroker's new Emperor's Edge novella, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AYR3BS2/ref=s9_newr_gw_d59_g351_ir01?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=14P06T4AB3XP56B7VSPC&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846" target="_blank">Beneath the Surface</a></i>. So all in all, I'm pleased with my progress so far, and I hope I can keep it up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Did you make New Year's resolutions? How are they going so far?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-25201580108200212052013-01-01T10:34:00.000+13:002013-01-01T10:34:04.798+13:00On 2012, and why I'm glad it is over<span style="font-family: inherit;">I stuck my foot in my mouth last night, as I always do when hanging out with my husband's friends. Whenever I do, it reflects badly on him. When midnight ticked over, I said with some relish, 'Sayonara, 2012!' And then someone turned to me and said, 'Yes, it must have been awful for you, getting married and all.' I tried to recover the situation by pointing out how stressful planning a wedding is, plus there were bathroom renovations, etc. etc. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now it is morning and I have slept on it, I still stand by my relief that 2012 is over. Yes, some of the best things that have happened to me occurred in 2012. And no, nothing truly awful happened. (There were layoffs at work, but I still have my job.) But my lasting impression of 2012 is <i>tiredness</i>. The year ran me ragged.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Why was 2012 so hard? Because almost all of the facets of my life transitioned into a new phase. New marriage. New house. New decade of life. Finally moving from talking about wanting to be a writer, to actually doing it. These things are all awesome, but because they all happened at once, I haven't had a chance to fully enjoy them. And that is why I am so happy 2012 is over: because I've been looking forward to 2013, when I'll finally be able to enjoy the new life I created for myself in 2012.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What is your lasting impression of 2012?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-71362938693540461612012-12-29T13:47:00.000+13:002012-12-29T13:47:15.512+13:00Writing resolutions 2013<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have just put together my writing resolutions for 2013. I thought I would blog them here so that they are public, I am accountable for them, and you can call me on it at the end of the year if I don't achieve them. Without further ado:</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="p1">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Write first drafts of:</span></b></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Three Dimensions Trilogy novelettes between books 1 and 2</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">12,000 words each, total 36,000</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Reality Shifting</i>, Dimensions Trilogy book 2</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">80,000 words</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Three prequel Senjima no Monogatari novellas</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">20,000 each, total 60,000</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Total writing goal:</span></i></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">176,000 words total</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3520 per week (for 50 weeks)</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">704 per day (5 days a week)</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Additional goals:</span></b></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Revise <i>Symmetry Breaking</i>, Dimensions Trilogy book 1</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Revise one Dimensions Trilogy novelette</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Revise one Senjima no Monogatari novella</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Breaking it down to a daily word count makes this list of resolutions look surprisingly achievable. I already know that I can easily write 700 words a day and not run out of puff. All I need to do is get in the habit of outlining or revising other stories after I have hit my daily word count. If that alone is my goal for 2013, I think I can manage that.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-6694299293551630992012-12-09T14:09:00.001+13:002012-12-09T14:09:19.858+13:00Trip to Marlborough Sounds<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiilgNYOz1d1r2IJEkb_EJPD4st9D4V7-gLFhkLRg_5HgVx_ks1QwwcIn_jOP4ofuZNNaZfvl9GNkYXVZuivKsf7qgy251fwjRflwrM5dvQxXAR4fugs7J8yeLghRhQ1kn56CiZAf47NFo/s1600/P1010364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiilgNYOz1d1r2IJEkb_EJPD4st9D4V7-gLFhkLRg_5HgVx_ks1QwwcIn_jOP4ofuZNNaZfvl9GNkYXVZuivKsf7qgy251fwjRflwrM5dvQxXAR4fugs7J8yeLghRhQ1kn56CiZAf47NFo/s1600/P1010364.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At our accommodation</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilsX1cLnZM2QwOzBw7AodGvF4due8nWee4hYpGeUGUsmWCG8ov64xcfD6N2hPJZK7kWJcD_jbqQWpLGr-klQbiF8fh9NAgHBhD8poQo9tzLYbA2hFHJdPp_DaVBlRPjn9J0XQLxVSuVhc/s1600/P1010395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilsX1cLnZM2QwOzBw7AodGvF4due8nWee4hYpGeUGUsmWCG8ov64xcfD6N2hPJZK7kWJcD_jbqQWpLGr-klQbiF8fh9NAgHBhD8poQo9tzLYbA2hFHJdPp_DaVBlRPjn9J0XQLxVSuVhc/s1600/P1010395.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Queen Charlotte Sound, from the <a href="http://www.beachcombercruises.co.nz/mail-tuesday-friday" target="_blank">mail boat</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcG3jiWyNPTCkHFSz1jGLOhxzNzMnhPLBWiiqp-3PkCJMy73YrrNzklDJoeDBnQ1C1nEVeL3D7kcT8lvv1To9HXy5ErmcgGRGfpluVpaDIRLoij1H2squu6_KMuDbsKJvc-IrjEZdKwc8/s1600/P1010412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcG3jiWyNPTCkHFSz1jGLOhxzNzMnhPLBWiiqp-3PkCJMy73YrrNzklDJoeDBnQ1C1nEVeL3D7kcT8lvv1To9HXy5ErmcgGRGfpluVpaDIRLoij1H2squu6_KMuDbsKJvc-IrjEZdKwc8/s1600/P1010412.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Queen Charlotte Sound</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjpTY-wOXIqKl5vSQyUmzOIxMgswchd111OGz1NzUInIQNGYN7vbZwf-25ZjxnRCcBXbIfGZZjOqEoVwS5MBKybkAcz03XCuO4YdIyx5Cse_KJuG9TQNDA9LY0TYkUIdAqn0IG_D_7TQ/s1600/P1010454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjpTY-wOXIqKl5vSQyUmzOIxMgswchd111OGz1NzUInIQNGYN7vbZwf-25ZjxnRCcBXbIfGZZjOqEoVwS5MBKybkAcz03XCuO4YdIyx5Cse_KJuG9TQNDA9LY0TYkUIdAqn0IG_D_7TQ/s1600/P1010454.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kenepuru Sound</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxb1BM89M2TYLe1nwE9wpL_0kVHOTshw8dl7Da7U7Amxd1VOg0sl1UUmyMdPK1K24MyJk7W3_FkTC0ZncigggaIVKZt_sOyQK6v25k0VFYVNrLSn6hlCZ_IprBeV0uVur3krst4zJ7Cc/s1600/P1010471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxb1BM89M2TYLe1nwE9wpL_0kVHOTshw8dl7Da7U7Amxd1VOg0sl1UUmyMdPK1K24MyJk7W3_FkTC0ZncigggaIVKZt_sOyQK6v25k0VFYVNrLSn6hlCZ_IprBeV0uVur3krst4zJ7Cc/s1600/P1010471.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kenepuru Sound</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPip4dEc3mXTqGUMIOErHOuW8M2IS-Y_UKjywo9TVHqi3zqcf1w_6qqegMxY4WC9eLCjP784_w3HlVrlcZ3T-WkHT8vQBPuwKiUUnEOlIV0SQYF82QlPIltomVu99HlfVGWB9qUOtuY_s/s1600/P1010475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPip4dEc3mXTqGUMIOErHOuW8M2IS-Y_UKjywo9TVHqi3zqcf1w_6qqegMxY4WC9eLCjP784_w3HlVrlcZ3T-WkHT8vQBPuwKiUUnEOlIV0SQYF82QlPIltomVu99HlfVGWB9qUOtuY_s/s1600/P1010475.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Driving along Kenepuru Sound</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7QPCXsnYyWNAlieIZJTMFW-HXRtibLcea7LtyMIhaFMJhfymTBSvgdDFa8CAVL6s1WjnCe7XV29Gq1U3ntAh_FGWcTfDFO86JiRakmkudax1PFnpJ3MaMNIxuCjHyQcB8lqtGb9tV8IY/s1600/P1010485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7QPCXsnYyWNAlieIZJTMFW-HXRtibLcea7LtyMIhaFMJhfymTBSvgdDFa8CAVL6s1WjnCe7XV29Gq1U3ntAh_FGWcTfDFO86JiRakmkudax1PFnpJ3MaMNIxuCjHyQcB8lqtGb9tV8IY/s1600/P1010485.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Queen Charlotte Sound</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaz6CSyaPLBj-8y-c30Oru78rryq-qen276VscAOA5zJWS1b1vLlxKjsXK_Va5-IOph-eHyqzPEbxaw6rkjjbApWJv1VYdc8eby6g9Q2E00OpRwK2nLJpelQLdfsvSGM8HFEOEY5YiHM/s1600/P1010500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaz6CSyaPLBj-8y-c30Oru78rryq-qen276VscAOA5zJWS1b1vLlxKjsXK_Va5-IOph-eHyqzPEbxaw6rkjjbApWJv1VYdc8eby6g9Q2E00OpRwK2nLJpelQLdfsvSGM8HFEOEY5YiHM/s1600/P1010500.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the <a href="http://www.omaka.org.nz/" target="_blank">Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre</a><br />Etrich Taube exhibit</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwCrlIgifQ2WZaA-ce35sIb7TeF8s0b448YgAqbNdzJRZOX440Qh8bAmhKNfaL0rQSxxD6Ytavg0hv-3VSyQvY5WHpHIA_cuYEndghbs68oj1TA0Ek1x7xod-r8e7ILsTEpnvsrhjqMw/s1600/P1010530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwCrlIgifQ2WZaA-ce35sIb7TeF8s0b448YgAqbNdzJRZOX440Qh8bAmhKNfaL0rQSxxD6Ytavg0hv-3VSyQvY5WHpHIA_cuYEndghbs68oj1TA0Ek1x7xod-r8e7ILsTEpnvsrhjqMw/s1600/P1010530.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The story behind this exhibit alone was worth the entry price<br />Grid's Great Escape exhibit<br />(Some kiwi bloke somersaulting off his crashing plane near a trench, then calmly walking in and asking to use their telephone. Classic.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBu19zyUDmmUogae9MNcbJGMO_7Pl9QfYAuVIaBTWUyjVd3Vn5ZGxclrwV0ZfVvLA0KgY7Oe6-1lxyqUq-jN6cqDO3k09LPplQaqC-Mx-dB9HMcNwzxtLw3ATQu4pUhmnFcJuQUmIulN4/s1600/P1010542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBu19zyUDmmUogae9MNcbJGMO_7Pl9QfYAuVIaBTWUyjVd3Vn5ZGxclrwV0ZfVvLA0KgY7Oe6-1lxyqUq-jN6cqDO3k09LPplQaqC-Mx-dB9HMcNwzxtLw3ATQu4pUhmnFcJuQUmIulN4/s1600/P1010542.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Baron's Last Flight exhibit<br />(Australian soldiers stripping the Red Baron's craft)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWM-T0DpDOV0E0y8O0As444SvcxooinRKcloq8AHtHmyqbYkQMc3dKmd61aBj4o6lT1Q2FHOH8E8IkfNhHK0hFgXfLAQOyp-nDAy2y9Lg0kT77BIoFaT-iWp0Xu6waGPKgzECqE82wYYk/s1600/P1010571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWM-T0DpDOV0E0y8O0As444SvcxooinRKcloq8AHtHmyqbYkQMc3dKmd61aBj4o6lT1Q2FHOH8E8IkfNhHK0hFgXfLAQOyp-nDAy2y9Lg0kT77BIoFaT-iWp0Xu6waGPKgzECqE82wYYk/s1600/P1010571.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A biplane in the sky. With ME IN IT!<br />(Photo by BL)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NyRN-Pberm46SAAj_ekdgx0v08pujB5pBxMHE5hUe_uP7tIRz8hDrV_XLKqKzaDl2cpoBjrw-UGDn1Q4Sf6fw7EoImvvRu-u1MRBV88c6yzYOnNTAwFseAikq0JZil9jIX8RMOfaQpg/s1600/P1010589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NyRN-Pberm46SAAj_ekdgx0v08pujB5pBxMHE5hUe_uP7tIRz8hDrV_XLKqKzaDl2cpoBjrw-UGDn1Q4Sf6fw7EoImvvRu-u1MRBV88c6yzYOnNTAwFseAikq0JZil9jIX8RMOfaQpg/s1600/P1010589.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Biplane just after landing<br />(Photo by BL)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPVIQGNjFntbLEFWxvs1xIyGHoAKwskR0XNvZ3HEjhno4p8fKuZihCRAXcFaKILJTNqYKjjEPLxkBQpVjfA9CO31f6GSHcyDLy1Wz_bGu4FUCjpX98GCjgopVf1ro1JWAVdpbx8obvl0/s1600/P1010592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPVIQGNjFntbLEFWxvs1xIyGHoAKwskR0XNvZ3HEjhno4p8fKuZihCRAXcFaKILJTNqYKjjEPLxkBQpVjfA9CO31f6GSHcyDLy1Wz_bGu4FUCjpX98GCjgopVf1ro1JWAVdpbx8obvl0/s1600/P1010592.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Me waving from the biplane<br />(Photo by BL)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvaQZtbx2AkZl4p8esHfi4IM3AodFgcEU_T-yjnFtyoTLr5G_wwhXzxi2Za7bqy3kPjVzXKeSBDTINyh5YaZYN_ZokUSgkIkt-iLNFerCPnm_BD1iARdCE703C2yDTlGMORlz1MP224Y0/s1600/P1010594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvaQZtbx2AkZl4p8esHfi4IM3AodFgcEU_T-yjnFtyoTLr5G_wwhXzxi2Za7bqy3kPjVzXKeSBDTINyh5YaZYN_ZokUSgkIkt-iLNFerCPnm_BD1iARdCE703C2yDTlGMORlz1MP224Y0/s1600/P1010594.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some cheesy person grinning in a biplane<br />(Photo by BL)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-67342217575523730612012-11-17T16:38:00.000+13:002012-11-17T16:38:51.189+13:00I aten't ded yet<span style="font-family: inherit;">Just a quick post to say, yes, I haven't been blogging much recently. I can confidently say that I will probably continue to not blog much for a few weeks yet. My life has been very busy lately with:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">moving house</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">wedding planning</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">some freelance work on top of my day job.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, yeah: busy busy. For the most part this was to be expected, but I am sad that I haven't had a chance to work on my novel for a while. Instead, I have been snatching moments here and there to make notes on what changes I want to make to the text when I have the time. I've also been doing some initial brainstorming and research for the series I want to write after the one I am writing now. With a multiple-book story, I think it is important to set thoughts in motion a year or two before you start writing so that you subconscious has time to work in the background. It makes the outlining process easier. I started brainstorming my current novel two years before I outlined its current form, and more than two years before I started writing it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I hope to get back to revising <i>Symmetry Breaking</i> in December. Until then, wish me luck getting through this crazy patch.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-61489106804207498342012-10-31T23:04:00.001+13:002013-03-08T23:04:05.411+13:00Book review: The Emperor's Edge, books 1–5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A few months ago I downloaded a free book to my Kindle. The cover caught my eye, and since it was free, I thought 'Why not?'. Of course, because it was free, I didn't read it right away. (Which I am very glad about, because at the time there were only four books in the series, and book 4 ends on a huge cliffhanger!)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">The book is called <i>The Emperor's Edge</i>, and it is the first book in a series of the same name, by author Lindsay Buroker.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTHVTeZRITrtT7ceRVll0NAhbauQ2y4A8gIRSCmZWrkFWTBSx5C-1BvgR1GdWIumpPPPI-pMlQu7YrUzbw1E2tPM3s0nFBgvegmyx6paIsiMsYYlJp4pt_MVevXYK_3oMSDQXQl-rH-o/s1600/TheEmperorsEdgeNewCoverThumb.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTHVTeZRITrtT7ceRVll0NAhbauQ2y4A8gIRSCmZWrkFWTBSx5C-1BvgR1GdWIumpPPPI-pMlQu7YrUzbw1E2tPM3s0nFBgvegmyx6paIsiMsYYlJp4pt_MVevXYK_3oMSDQXQl-rH-o/s1600/TheEmperorsEdgeNewCoverThumb.jpeg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyway, last week I listened to a podcast interview with Lindsay Buroker over at <a href="http://www.thecreativepenn.com/" target="_blank">The Creative Penn</a>, and after hearing her talk about her books, I decided to give <i>The Emperor's Edge</i> a go. What followed was a five-day period in which I neglected to answer emails, get proper sleep and (gasp!) check Twitter because I was too busy reading.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Emperor's Edge</i> series is about a group rather like 'Robin Hood and his Merry Men'; misunderstood misfits who want to do good and help the Emperor, except the pesky bounties on their heads keep getting in the way. It is set in an industrial era secondary world with fantastical elements (magic, etc.). The group includes a female ex-enforcer (police officer); an assassin with an unparallelled work ethic; a womanising dandy with a near-unbeaten duelling record; an ex-alcoholic scholar with a tragic past; a mute ex-slave; and a punk kid with lots of magical talent but very little magical experience. The first three books each chronicle this group fixing a relatively stand-alone problem, although there is an overarching plot linking the three adventures together. Several months pass between each of these books. Books four, five, and the upcoming book 6 are a trilogy covering the same adventure, and book five, at least, started straight after the cliffhanger at the end of book 4.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">These books are a lot of fun to read. This crazy band of misfits, however well intentioned, have more success blowing things up and causing mayhem than anything else. They destroy mansions, they destroy trains, they destroy underwater bases, they crash dirigibles . . . and garbage trucks . . . Except for a stolen police truck, not a single mode of transport that they acquire makes it to the end of the current book still in their possession and in one piece.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">The books are character-focussed. Most of the plot hangs on an awkward and angsty little tangle of interpersonal relationships (not quite a love triangle, but more awkward than one because of who is involved in it). Although my credibility was initially stretched in this regard, particularly in the second book when our heroine was acting rather immature, Lindsay hit her stride portraying this relationship in the third book and I have been invested in it ever since.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">The world-building is weaker than the character-building. All the places the characters visit are vivid and well described, but the reader is given very little idea of what is 'over the next hill'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">There are some problems I had with the books, especially the first two. There was one rather eye-rolling occurrence of hero-saves-the-girl-from-being-raped; and, as mentioned earlier, in the second book the heroine's behaviour made me think of some of the more stupid things I said around guys I liked when I was too young to know better. But even if these problems were mistakes, they helped to portray the main character's growth. By the fourth book Amaranthe is far too badass to cower and wait to be saved, and she's mature enough to begin to deal with the relationship she is in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Occasionally I was jolted out of the story by an unusual typo or misuse of a word, such as 'accept' being used instead of 'except'. Although Lindsay Buroker hired an editor to help her clean up the books, my guess is that she did not also hire a proofreader.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Other than these few problems, I found the books engaging, addictive, and enjoyable. They are an example of an indie author who has worked hard to establish her niche and her brand, and whose works have rapidly caught up to the quality level of traditionally published books in the fantasy genre.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">All five books are available from the main eBook retailers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-53295316983811087762012-10-30T14:35:00.000+13:002012-10-30T14:35:20.012+13:00So, I disappeared for a while . . .<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sorry for being absent for so long. First, I moved house. Then, I got addicted to a series of books. So addicted that I didn't check Twitter for 5 days. That's . . . unheard of.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyway, I'm dropping by to say that I'm intending </span>sometime this week <span style="font-family: inherit;">to write a review of the books that took all my attention. So look out for a review of the first five books in the</span><i style="font-family: inherit;"> Emperor's Edge</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> series by Lindsay Buroker.</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-10391450417098997782012-10-13T00:46:00.000+13:002012-10-13T00:46:39.252+13:00Random photo: Mt. Haguro<span style="font-family: inherit;">Because I haven't blogged in ages, here's a photo:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1vj8zznnvKY5-Dq50FNcsOEa18NPWcmhrDj9BfvPeO3Ht0NthapAmhzsluFhfN0eXySfYq0auYwwqhN0RyG0br9A_Qd7Nigxx0NJNOSkZpF3Al58_o_ZwDu65hFQ5gNGLVSyhyphenhyphenb1OGI/s1600/SANY3094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1vj8zznnvKY5-Dq50FNcsOEa18NPWcmhrDj9BfvPeO3Ht0NthapAmhzsluFhfN0eXySfYq0auYwwqhN0RyG0br9A_Qd7Nigxx0NJNOSkZpF3Al58_o_ZwDu65hFQ5gNGLVSyhyphenhyphenb1OGI/s1600/SANY3094.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Climbing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Haguro" target="_blank">Mt. Haguro</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've been thinking about Japan again today. I'm beginning to see the first glimmerings of some characters who may walk a path like this some day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-58240116327068534282012-09-23T17:49:00.000+12:002013-03-08T23:04:41.927+13:00Book review: Seven Wonders<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12328193-seven-wonders" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Seven Wonders" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1342509995m/12328193.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12328193-seven-wonders">Seven Wonders</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/590743.Adam_Christopher">Adam Christopher</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/408380645">4 of 5 stars</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Seven Wonders</em> by Kiwi author Adam Christopher is a superhero novel set in the fictional city of San Ventura. The city, once plagued by supervillains, is now mostly peaceful thanks to the Seven Wonders, a team of superheroes. However, there is one remaining supervillain causing trouble in San Ventura: The Cowl. When Tony, an ordinary citizen of San Ventura, starts to manifest super powers, he decides to do what the Seven Wonders have been unable to do – defeat the Cowl once and for all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Seven Wonders</em> is a story about the unexpected paths that personal journeys can take. The reader is kept guessing about the motivations of certain characters right until the end of the book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I enjoyed <em>Seven Wonders</em>, although not as much as <em>Empire State</em>. I liked how the characters were not black and white, despite how that is often the case in the superhero genre. It relied on cliches, but not so much as to remove the fun from the book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As much as I enjoyed the story, I wish that it could have been packaged and delivered in a different form. In my opinion, it doesn't quite work as a novel. The story is too episodic. Some people have said they would have preferred this book to be a graphic novel. I don't think it would have been necessary to illustrate it: Christopher's descriptions are detailed enough that the visual cues wouldn't have been necessary. But I do think that the story would have worked better if delivered in an episodic format, e.g. a podcast series or a chapter-by-chapter release on subscription.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Seven Wonders</em> is a fun read for anyone interested in the superhero genre.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/8395605-cat">View all my reviews</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the last of my posts for SpecFicNZ Blogging Week 2012. See the list of other Blogging Week posts <a href="http://www.specficnz.org/?page_id=3367" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-37279387678878857172012-09-21T18:31:00.000+12:002012-09-21T18:33:26.339+12:00Interview with Matt Cowens<span style="font-family: inherit;">I promised you an interview, and here it is. I recently interviewed Matt Cowens, one half of the writing duo behind <i><a href="http://www.steampress.co.nz/monsters.html" target="_blank">Mansfield with Monsters</a></i>. Read below to find out more about this fascinating book, and the talented writers responsible for it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRFFw_KRqMTBaaucA9IDBBI1M4uWRjSBE7SkFkiH0pbKtm6n02cN-th8a1PmOWJomKW0HAscD-QYsMOLczWm-aCq1PXiBoPabRDBNOMs9nZmzfIvHyiIba3pgjj01RYb-cLPGJ0BDbHg/s1600/matt.and.debbie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRFFw_KRqMTBaaucA9IDBBI1M4uWRjSBE7SkFkiH0pbKtm6n02cN-th8a1PmOWJomKW0HAscD-QYsMOLczWm-aCq1PXiBoPabRDBNOMs9nZmzfIvHyiIba3pgjj01RYb-cLPGJ0BDbHg/s320/matt.and.debbie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">C: Thank you, Matt, for taking the time to answer a few questions about your book, <i>Mansfield with Monsters</i>.</span></span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222;">M: My pleasure!</span></span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="color: #b45f06;">First of all, could you give us the 'elevator pitch' for your book?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;"><i>Mansfield with Monsters</i> takes the short stories of New Zealand's most </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">prominent, cherished author and reimagines them full of werewolves, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">vampires, zombies, sea monsters, mummies, giant bugs, alien invasions and </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Frankenstein monsters. It's a collaboration from beyond the grave.</span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="color: #b45f06;">How did you first become interested in the works of Katherine Mansfield?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;">Debbie and I are both high school English teachers - having travelled to </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Japan together to teach English shortly after we married, and worked in </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">education ever since. We'd encountered Mansfield's fiction as high school </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">students and at University, but I think it's fair to say that my interest in </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Mansfield was really ignited when I started teaching her stories at school. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Fortunately the process of dissecting her work and translating it for high </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">school students did nothing to diminish my appreciation of it. Quite the </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">opposite, in fact.</span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="color: #b45f06;">What is your favourite Mansfield story?</span><br /><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #500050;">I</span>'ve been surprised by how diverse her stories are, and how dark. 'Miss </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Brill' is the first of Mansfield's stories I really appreciated, 'The </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Daughters of the Late Colonel' has really won me over on successive </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">readings, but for a favourite I'd say 'The Fly'. It's a tragic, cruel story, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">but I love it. Especially with super heroes.</span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="color: #b45f06;">What is your favourite type of monster?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;">I loved horror films when I was in intermediate and high school. And horror </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">fiction, too. I could list a number of monsters, from Romero zombies through </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">to Lovecraft's nameless (or oddly named) horrors, but I think those who know </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">me well would point out that a love of giant bugs permeates my writing. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Stephen King's 'The Mist' is one of my all time favourite stories. The </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">ending of Frank Darabont's screen adaptation makes it a little too </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">depressing to rewatch, but it's an amazing film.</span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="color: #b45f06;">Did you learn anything surprising about Katherine Mansfield while researching the book?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;">Mansfield's biography reads a little like it's already been adapted for our </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">project. She had a genuine interest in the occult, visited psychics, and was </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">embroiled in various shenanigans. That she met Aleister Crowley was a </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">surprise to me - especially as I learned of the actual meeting after having </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">inserted a fictional one into her bio.</span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="color: #b45f06;">What three words would you use to describe the process of co-writing a book?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;">Painstaking. Respectful. Rewarding.</span></span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="color: #b45f06;">What is the major difference in process between writing a mash-up story and writing a standard from-scratch story?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;">The puzzle element was a definite change, as was the process of matching our </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">style of language and expression. And, as an English teacher, there were a </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">few times where I had to stop myself from correcting or modernizing </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">idiosyncrasies in Mansfield's grammar.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">What did you think of the publication process, and what was it like working </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">with Stephen from Steam Press?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">We knew that <i>Mansfield with Monsters</i> was a risky proposition - executed </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">poorly it could alienate the literary community and the casual reader, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">leaving only a bitter taste in reviewers' mouths and a black mark on </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">whatever institution chose to publish it. We were confident that we could </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">adapt the stories lovingly, respectfully, and with skill. After hearing </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">about the project Stephen asked to see the first 3 stories, and that whetted </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">his appetite for more. Stephen is a hugely dedicated, professional and </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">well-dressed editor. Our extensive correspondence about the project was both </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">inspirational and crucial in fine-tuning the stories. Stephen brought a </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">valuable fresh pair of eyes to the work, and crafted a beautiful book. It </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">seems odd that we've only met in person three times - ours is a highly </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">successful long-distance relationship (despite living only about 45 minutes' </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">drive away from each other).</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">Do you and Debbie have any plans for further works of this type (that you </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">can tell us about)?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">We are both working on individual projects at the moment - Debbie has begun </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">a mystery novel manuscript based around a blend of Greek myth and golden age </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Hollywood, whilst I am attempting the highly dubious sounding process of </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">mashing up one of my own manuscripts, rewriting a Victorian ghost story </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">novella I wrote some years ago to include even more fantastic elements.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><i>Mansfield with Monsters</i> was enormous fun to collaborate on - a kind of </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">literary cryptic crossword for the soul - and we would gladly return to the </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">mashup genre should an opportunity arise.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">Where can people find you online?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">Information about Mansfield with Monsters is available at </span></span><a href="http://www.steampress.co.nz/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">www.steampress.co.nz</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">. Debbie maintains a </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">writing blog at </span><a href="http://debbiecowens.blogspot.co.nz/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">http://debbiecowens.blogspot.<wbr></wbr>co.nz/</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> while Matt occasionally updates </span><a href="http://mattcowens.livejournal.com/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">http://mattcowens.livejournal.<wbr></wbr>com/</span></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">You can find us on twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/mattcowens" target="_blank">@mattcowens</a> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/debbiecowens" target="_blank">@debbiecowens</a> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/steampress" target="_blank">@steampress</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bvFcBfkXkV5V5mjtlbxbOBPqDzfRT96WWB1D8Lwbg0ObPUavw4y5xXZ67MuDjYUrJzSXu_QhwFpxSpMNH71X6f5ZKUTllfH9Y_tYBkonJ_vE-egLW5Z0Q3r1-QQyi9toPzpdzIL4TH0/s1600/IMG_8663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bvFcBfkXkV5V5mjtlbxbOBPqDzfRT96WWB1D8Lwbg0ObPUavw4y5xXZ67MuDjYUrJzSXu_QhwFpxSpMNH71X6f5ZKUTllfH9Y_tYBkonJ_vE-egLW5Z0Q3r1-QQyi9toPzpdzIL4TH0/s320/IMG_8663.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Mansfield with Monsters is available from <a href="http://www.steampress.co.nz/monsters.html" target="_blank">steampress.com</a>. The paperback is $NZ25 and the ebook (.mobi or .epub) is $NZ8. You can also download a free sample in .mobi, .epub or .pdf to try before you buy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Although I probably wouldn't recommend this book to history purists, I do highly recommend it to anyone interested in weird or speculative fiction. I'm about half way through it at the moment, and I'm enjoying it immensely.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-22368371683560579052012-09-20T22:39:00.000+12:002012-09-20T22:39:55.665+12:00SpecFicNZ Blogging Week is on!<span style="font-family: inherit;">SpecFicNZ Blogging Week is on! Yay! Except it is Thursday, and I haven't yet contributed. Er . . .</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Never fear. I have plans, honest. I will be reviewing <i>Seven Wonders</i> by kiwi author Adam Christopher before the end of the week. I will also be featuring my first ever author interview. I'm so excited! I've just sent my questions, and I'm looking forward to receiving the answers. Who will I be interviewing? Here's a hint:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjr12gW9Mpt5BE5AH9uuSMV4ALacZVZWAEJax1VGNUrFLv9Rswjmxi43rzWwuDbt-Wt39aIEEtmmRjSAClo88ZLvenxIJ5mHx8QDZ-mDx5TSK_3vDi4KgJkyHqeKUDf-ApqqQ03bzoQk/s1600/mansfieldlovecraft.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjr12gW9Mpt5BE5AH9uuSMV4ALacZVZWAEJax1VGNUrFLv9Rswjmxi43rzWwuDbt-Wt39aIEEtmmRjSAClo88ZLvenxIJ5mHx8QDZ-mDx5TSK_3vDi4KgJkyHqeKUDf-ApqqQ03bzoQk/s1600/mansfieldlovecraft.jpeg" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-34588087962938265992012-09-09T17:59:00.001+12:002013-03-08T23:06:19.422+13:00First week of revisions<span style="font-family: inherit;">At the risk of sounding like I'm whinging, revising a novel is <i>much, much</i> harder than writing a first draft. I say this not because it surprises me; I was expecting it. I'm just making an observation. And making an excuse to myself of why I haven't made as much progress this week as I wanted to.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
My first reaction to my manuscript when I opened the project file last weekend was 'Oh my goodness, this is crap. I'll never be able to fix this'. I've only just overcome that feeling and convinced myself that I can fix it, if I put the work in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
Have you ever been in this position in a creative project? How did you banish the doubt so you could get to work?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-45800786984052365832012-09-04T22:21:00.000+12:002013-03-08T23:07:15.913+13:00Of earthquakes, books, and hailstorms<span style="font-family: inherit;">Two years ago on this day the first earthquake in the Canterbury quake swarm happened. It was a 7.1M earthquake, described at the time as very close to the city, and very shallow. (Ha! Little did we know then that there would be more major earthquakes, all shallower and much closer than the 4 September shake.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
This evening, when I got home from work, I sat down to finish <i><a href="http://www.fishpond.co.nz/product_info.php?ref=2529&id=9781841498690&affiliate_banner_id=1" target="_blank">Towers of Midnight</a></i>, the 13th book in the Wheel of Time series. Just as I was reading the epilogue, I noticed the sound of thunder in the distance. I went out and stood in the driveway, where I had stood 2 years ago listening to the post-earthquake sirens. I watched an imposing thunderhead approach. I could see the curved, sculpted front edge of its foot, the bulk of the cloud spilling out and above. The lightning lit up the whole sky. It was about sunset, but even so I could see the substantial darkness of the cloud. Lower small clouds scudded around it, attending like pilot fish, brilliant white against the bruised darkness behind. I sat on the ground and watched, wondering how long until the rains would arrive and I'd have to go inside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
I went in when I started to get chilly, even through the coat I had thrown on. I watched the lightning for a few more minutes. Then I noticed a faint sound, like rain. I thought that at any moment the rain would start to fall, but it didn't. The sound grew louder. I stuck my head back out the door. It sounded like a freight train hurling along tracks, but somehow only approaching at a snail's pace. Then it dawned on me that a hailstorm was on the way, and I was hearing hail falling some distance off.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
It took another 5 minutes for the hail to reach my place. It hit like a cluster bomb. The media is reporting that the hail was about 15 mm in diameter, but it was bigger than that here, that's for sure. Here is a picture of some hailstones I collected from my driveway.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70r05CzvCwskbzoQJ1Hko8nAbmHbnVRd5fecVIUfQfkFnhec83ovzju5y5sLQO6WjHO-sqXVM6OBSmWl6GtPT64TOnZp_aawzGCfKQTSs78uEA76XL1g_0l4gspU5CAtp61NysInvFyo/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70r05CzvCwskbzoQJ1Hko8nAbmHbnVRd5fecVIUfQfkFnhec83ovzju5y5sLQO6WjHO-sqXVM6OBSmWl6GtPT64TOnZp_aawzGCfKQTSs78uEA76XL1g_0l4gspU5CAtp61NysInvFyo/s320/photo.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As you can see, they were more like 20–25 mm (officially a 'severe' hailstorm). The hail that fell on the lawn and therefore didn't shatter was all about the size of the largest hailstone in the picture.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I don't know why I am telling you all this, other than to say it seemed fitting and poignant to me that on the second anniversary of the 4 September earthquake, I finished an epic book (penultimate in a series) about momentous, end-of-the-world events, while an epic storm raged overhead, a storm befitting the book I was reading (although it would have been more fitting if I had been reading the previous book in the series, <i><a href="http://www.fishpond.co.nz/product_info.php?ref=2529&id=9781841492322&affiliate_banner_id=1" target="_blank">The Gathering Storm</a></i>).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I guess I'll try not to finish the last book in the series, <i><a href="http://www.fishpond.co.nz/product_info.php?ref=2529&id=9781841498706&affiliate_banner_id=1" target="_blank">A Memory of Light</a></i>, on 22 February.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063839412868183218.post-82328639742439548092012-09-01T09:45:00.001+12:002013-03-08T23:07:26.235+13:00Book revisions start today<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today is the day I start the revisions of my book, still tentatively called <i>Symmetry Breaking</i> (although I'm still not convinced that's a good title for a fantasy novel). I'm feeling anxious about it, because I've never revised a book before. This is only the second book I've finished the first draft of. The first book I drafted, when I went to revise it, I found that I no longer liked or believed in the book, so I moved on.<br /><br />I have no idea how long it will take me to revise the book. I'm hoping I can get it to a point where I will be comfortable showing it to people (for critiquing) early next year. Wish me luck!</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0