elizabethloupas

Unless the weather proves impassable, and it yet may, although the odds are getting better as the temperature goes up, the Tamago will be closed until after the New Year, as we'll be on vacation at Disney, and then there'll be this New Year's party.

I look forward to seeing you all when we get back. Best of holidays to all of you.

Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

The Mahabharata ends with the Hindu focus on impermanence and continuity. After the battle, the Pandavas are a little shell-shocked by all the pointless destruction, and they and Draupadi decide they have to leave the world.

Ghandari, whose sons have been destroyed in the battle, curses Krishna to endure her fate of being unable to stop a battle in spite of his power. Krishna accepts this fate as fair, given that he instigated most of the martial activity, and it comes to fruition in 36 years.

The Pandavas climb Himalaya. A dog follows them. One by one, everyone but Yudhisthira falls on the mountain. The dog turns out to be the god Yama in disguise. He takes Yudhisthira to the underworld. The Pandavas will be reunited in heaven once they have done penance for their vices.

And that's pretty much the end of the epic. It's a much darker poem than its counterpart, the Ramayana, and focuses on the darker side of human nature.

Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

I know there are a lot of worthy causes right now, especially with the economy as problematic as it is. Here, however, is D'argo's case, and if you are an animal lover, please help if you can.

***

As you can see from the currently reading graphic, I'm enjoying Pure Heart, Enlightened Mind, the zen journal of Maureen O'Halloran. It reminds me to be patient, which as we all know is my biggest struggle. Solid reading for creative and spiritual types alike.

***

Last night, the book group discussed Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Are any of you familiar with it? Romance isn't usually a read for our group, and we wondered about the conventions of writing this kind of romance. Our thoughts seemed to be that this book had a plot that existed mostly to knit sexual threats together. Is this the case with your usual "bodice ripper?" (Is that term even used anymore?)

Another question we had is whether or not, among romance writers, what something like Outlander might be labeled. I understand there are different terms, and we weren't aware of the conventions.

Diana Gabaldon seems to be doing very well. What is the reputation of the Outlander series? Why is it so popular?

I thought I'd ask the people who knew.

***

I have the gift of time this morning. I'm going to check on some classes and write a couple of recommendation letters before disappearing to write. Stay safe out there!

Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Hmmm...looks like we've got another growth surge on our hands, and we have to split part of the only unsplit level of the program. I feel more interviews and scrambling in the offing.

However, today hasn't all been work. A former student came back to visit. Okay, Leah wasn't actually ever my student, but she ran the anime club I sponsored for a long time. She was Bryon's student, and she took a few Japanese lessons from me. Essentially I've known about her antics since she was around sixteen.

A year and a half ago, she went off to art school in sunny Florida, and she came back today, loving what she's doing. She glowed. I loved talking to her and sharing her enthusiasm.

I think we feel really good when we realize that we've influenced someone in a good way. I'm not responsible for Leah going to design school, but I've sat through a lot of uncertainty as she's tried to figure out her niche. I've always wanted her to live up to her potential, and I'm as proud as any parent now that she is.

Never underestimate the human factor in helping you get to where you want to go.

***

Starting tomorrow at noon, I'm going on a writing bender. Lots of two-hour blocks of writing punctuated by brain unscrambling breaks. Looking forward to it.

Are you all ready for the holiday yet? I think we're going to get WEATHER. If it keeps me from getting to Mickey, I'll be unhappy.

Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Today is all about our gaming group's Christmas party. I made experimental cookies. It was much neater when Mr. Food created them on tv, but my effect is more or less the same, although I had to hose down the kitchen. I've also got chili, oyster stew, scalloped corn, and sandwiches ready to go.

Bryon and I had our gift exchange this morning, as we'll be away on the day next week. He bought me a beautiful Mouse Guard statue, as well as the role playing book, which has some new art from creator David Petersen. Also appreciated were Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, a more authentic Man from U.N.C.L.E. soundtrack, and candies that will be rationed so Weight Watcher girl can actually have them.

Back to prepping. Tomorrow will be the visit to the in-laws and an old friend. Monday is my last full day at work until next year. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday there should be a lot of writing, and Thursday night we take off for Disney, at which point I'll be quiet for a number of days.

Hope you're all having great weekends out there.

Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

And then, the right side of my face slid off. Like a mudslide. Honestly.

I have an interviewee coming today, and a few lit finals trickling in, so I'm here. Don't expect much, because. Later, Bryon and I have party errands to run, although I have bought my computer in case there is time and nothing changes.

I'm sure this is the Widow banging on my skull.

I hope you all have lovely, pain free days.

Cath

ETA: On the plus side, I wonder if this means I'm going to get good publishing news? I always get the best news when I'm physically disabled about stories.

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Yup. I did revise tonight with a headache. I am author. Hear me roar. Mostly ouch is what I'm roarin', but I did it.

Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

During the first week of October, a bunch of writers I didn't know and I got together with a bunch of pro writers who thought we could amount to something in the publishing world of SF/F. These nice people gathered us all together and fired us all up. They gave us the ability to believe in ourselves and yawp barbarically. And we went home, and we were pretty fired up. And we thought our real estate had gone up.

Then, we settled back into our usual lives. We worked and wore ourselves out. We nursed sick children. We allowed ourselves to get distracted. Even though we had more faith in ourselves, and were more fired up about our writing, we discovered that the worlds we returned to were more or less the same as the ones we left. We had to keep working in them. I think most of us are still writing, and some of us have had some strong success. However, it's hard to keep believing, because writers are crazy like that.

I don't mean to be disparaging. I'm still writing, as are many of you, whether you went to the workshop or not. But it's a hard old slog alone, isn't it?

Some of you are blessed with other artists you stay in touch with, who fire you up about your work, and make you excited to do it. Others of you, like me, are kind of isolated out there doing your thing. It tends to cool your yawp down considerably.

I like having an audience. I like having critique. I also make the choice to write rather than do a face-to-face group, because my time is slim. I know that if I need help, I can contact any number of people for it.

What I miss is that fire in my belly. Being around others who are really fired up about their writing, and are good at it. Hanging out with writers of kind of the same level. Knowing that someone wants my work.

It must be similar for many writers out there. All the computing helps, but I guess what I need is revival.

I'll see some of my writer friends in May at Wiscon, and others in July at Readercon. What do I do in the mean time?

How do you guys keep yourselves excited, rather than disparaged, as you work your way to super stardom? Because depression and discouragement both aren't sexy.

Maybe we need to have some sort of midwinter writer get together? I'll think on it.

Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Bryon gave me Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste, and Style as an early present, and it's a great book. It's also a book that isn't about writing that really is about writing. For example, from page 16

"Make it work!" is an enormously useful expression. I remember the first time I used it. It was roughly six years ago in one of my classes at Parsons. I find that often students who struggle with an assignment are inclined to abandon the struggle and begin again. This practice unnerves me, because it's like playing roulette with one's work. What assurance does one have that the next spin of the wheel will be successful? Important learning occurs when a struggle is examined and analyzed, diagnosed, and a prescription offered. Ergo, make it work. I believe that we all benefit from the make-it-work practice.

I can see the implications for writing.

You rock my world, Tim.

Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

I've strapped myself into the pilot's seat, and I'm flying the plane of the novel right to its destination.

You'd be surprised how you don't have creative energy after working all day and then writing most of the night, to come up with something all meta and insightful to say about the life of a writer.

Or maybe you wouldn't.

Day job writer (me) usually can manage to write about two hours at night before that's it, and she feels like her brain is full of virgin polyester (why yes, I *do* know quilters!).

Is the difference between a freelance and a day job writer that you have more of those two hour increments during the day, and you can get in, say, three writing sessions? Or do we work about the same speed?

And if a tree falls in the forest, and a publicist isn't around to report on it, does it really make a sound?

Those of you who write for more than two hours at a time, tell me, how did you build up those big writer muscles?

Inchoate and incoherent,

Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Some of you may remember during Draupadi's shame that since Duhsasana had tried to undress Draupadi, Bhima swore that he would drink his blood.

In the giant battle, Bhima's son is killed. Bhima manages to hunt down Duhsasana and rip his chest open and drink his blood. If Arjuna's attacking of Karna was out of line with the etiquette of war, this act was truly out there. Draupadi finishes up the whole incident by washing her long hair in Duhsasana's blood. Yup. Nice.

After this, the Pandavas pretty much take the day. Duryodhana retreats and hides under a frozen lake (he can create ice and breathe water--who knew?) However ,the Pandavas coax him out. They break his legs and leave him for dead.

A couple of the Kaurava warriors come, see Duryodhana, and decide to avenge him. Pretty much the Pandava camp is wiped out. Everyone from the parent generation is sent into the burning woods. The Pandavas themselves win because they are the last group standing, and they have Krishna's blessing.

Yudhisthira, however, decides this has all been a waste, and the Pandavas wander back into exile.

Last: A word on the afterlife.

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

I am blessed in my life to know many talented people.

One of the things I wanted to do when I visited schools, or signed books for Hulk Hercules was to be able to give out a freebie. Book marks are the usual thing, but I didn't know how excited kids would be by a bookmark.

What was perfect, I thought, would be a video game token from Morty Moose's, which serves an important role at a couple of points in the story. Morty's is the book's Chucky Cheese, a pizza and whack-a-mole place that the kids go to.

My friend Gerald Dagel is a master at little plastic things. We've known each other for years. We discussed the matter when we met up at a convention this summer, and Gerald volunteered to make the token. Morty on one side, Hercules on the other. From there, Bryon and our friend Aric Stewart would make molds, and we would create the little guys from plastic.

I'm excited to share pictures of the front and back of the Morty Moose token/Hercules coin with you today. The book's out in January, and you can order it on your own, but you'll need to talk to me about getting the coin. We can make that happen. I'll always have a fistful for signings as well. Wiscon, for example, you should be able to get them.

Thanks, Gerald, for all your hard work. Your check's in the mail.

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.