The writers, goofing off

[rolanni]

So, to the dentist early this morning, on Steve's behalf.  This was the last in a series of four dental-related adventures scheduled for this week.  Everything's come out well.  I do wish there was dental insurance available anywhere in the beautiful state of Maine, though.  Ow.

Since we were already out, and the sun was, too; and after Steve had eaten his fill of a breakfast that wasn't "soft," we pointed Argent the Subaru in the direction of the Great City of Augusta, where it was our intention to visit our "local" Barnes and Noble to sign stock, and also to take on Tesla: Inventor of the Electric Age.

Stock consisted of one hardcover Trade Secret, and one each paperbacks Fledgling, Saltation, Mouse and Dragon, and was quickly dealt with.

The Tesla bio was not in stock, so it's being sent along to the house as soon as BN finds one in the warehouse.

Bidness done, we mooched around; Steve was being entranced by the games and toys.  I wandered over to the Writing and Publishing section, and saw a book titled Book in a Month: The Fool-Proof System for Writing a Novel in 30 Days. The dental bill very much in my mind, I picked this up, to find that it is authored by one Victoria Lynn Schmidt, PhD, who has written several books touching on the craft of writing, but does not appear, herself, to have actually written a novel.

Am I wrong to want a book about a fool-proof system for writing a novel in 30 days to have actually been written by someone who, oh, I don't know, writes novels?  In 30 days?  And sells them?

Sheesh.

After that disappointment, it was all the more delightful to find our friend Stew minding the music section.  We shot many bulls; Steve bought a Tai Chi DVD and I bought a Yoga DVD, and as we were standing there getting the credit cards sorted out, I said, "Nice fiddle music," and Steve agreed.  Stew showed us the cover for "What's Playing Now" and we added Lindsey Stirling to our pile.  For, as it turns out, free, because BN was having an in-store "buy two, get the third free" sale.

We played the new music on the way home.  I gotta tell you what -- I'd've played the hell of this thing when I was incarcerated working at Colby.

Here, try one.

The schedule for the rest of the day includes writing, and laundry, and maybe a nap. Because -- rising ridiculously early four days in a row?  So not cool.

Comments

Dental Insurance

[ednaemode.livejournal.com]

Re: Dental insurance....On the off-chance that you aren't aware, Northeast Delta Dental offers individual plans. You can get a quote here: https://www.deltadentalcoversme.com/. I have had them for years thru Employers and now the Maine Association of Retirees.

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

Oh, come now. We all know you don't need to -write- a novel to Know All About It. Why, you just need to read lots of them! And get a Ph.D. in them! And then--Pontificate!

Bummer, too. I would love to have a really foolproof tool or template for writing a novel a month. With special bonus brain-burn-proofing.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

With special bonus brain-burn-proofing.

This. By the time we finished the 6-books-in-18-months thing that we did awhile back, I actually felt like I was recovering from a long illness. Brain would not make anything. For weeks, brain would not make anything.

Music

[mothadventures.livejournal.com]

Lindsey Stirling reminds me of the Piano Guys -- that's not my granddads fiddle!

(If you don't know the Piano Guys, here are three I like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n543eKIdbUI -I love this one, even if it is “christmas” theme – it’s just so joyful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCaH-qqTWpk -A piano. On the Great Wall of China.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR94NDIfGmA
:

[gareth griffiths (from livejournal.com)]

Did it say write a novel, or write a GOOD novel... I know someone who's done the NaNoWriMo a couple of times - but to be honest that isn't what the timescale really is - it's very much a first draft, and a LOT shorter than typical novels, and much of the thinking plotting etc has actually happened a lot before - the month is more like writing down what has been fermenting away for a while. While the 'month' might in theory be the writing, the rest of the year is spent doing the rest of the work involved! Of course if you don't invent a world and you don't have interesting fully formed characters, you don't bother to research things you don't know (either guess or only write from own experience)... in short if you don't have all the things that make make a GOOD book that we want to read ... maybe it is possible!

[pc1739.livejournal.com]

The real question is: did she write the book on writing a book in 30 days in 30 actual days or did it take her longer?

Thanks for Lindsey Stirling!

[charlie russel (from livejournal.com)]

I hadn't run across Ms. Stirling before (OK, I lead a sheltered life that doesn't include Twitter or YouTube, I admit.) But I am playing the heck out of it as I sit here trying to write something that even vaguely makes sense about Windows Server 2012 R2. And the fiddle is helping! Thanks!