Best Two Out of Three

[rolanni]

Thursday night I finally conceded defeat, printed out what there is of Crystal Dragon and on Friday morning plunked it down on kinzel's lap. I then spent the next while running errands and Not Thinking About The Book. I stopped at the Animal House, where Scrabble was on work-study before she came to us, to pick up some cat food to get the resident felines through the weekend, and was warmly greeted by Brady, yet another outplaced cat looking for a permanent position. Brady is a portly orange-and-white shorthair, about five years old. Unfortunately, he's been on outplacement for some while. When I first met him, back before Thanksgiving, he was into the Compleat Scardey Cat thing, and was done -- DONE! -- with humans, a pox on all their houses. His opinion has gradually softened, largely due to the wonderful handling of the Animal House folks, who never met a cat they didn't like. The last couple times I've been in the store, though, Brady has made a special point to seek me out and give me Large Ankle Hugs.

"He really likes you," Tom commented as Brady followed me to the counter and jumped up to head-butt my shoulder.

"And I really like him. But I have four cats."

"'nother cat's no problem. Hey, I'll throw in a bowl."

"No."

"Test drive him. Take him home, let the other cats check him out. If they don't like him, bring him back. Nothing ventured --"

"No."

"Suit yourself. Nice cat, though. Likes ladies. Hey, Brady?"

"Tom."

"Yeah, yeah. OK. Ya gotta try, y'know?"

"I know."

So, after the Animal House, gym, the bank, and the grocery store. It was a pretty day and it was relief to only be thinking about mundane things. Once or twice, the backbrain tried to put forth story ideas, but I ignored it.

Back at home, I made two online job applications, then packed up some more signed Crystal Soldier, then the back-logged SRM orders, read some more Indian abduction histories and variously goofed off 'til about 10 p.m., when kinzel finished reading and we had dinner.

Yesterday dawned sunny and blue. We got up early, divested ourselves of the mail, ate breakfast at Governor's, and went for a ride in the sunshine. Bangor-Brewer-Orrington-Bucksport-Belfast-China-Windsor-Augusta-Home, with a short stop in China to look at the pretty used Subarus, and another in Augusta to check the bookshelves for Crystal Soldier and to chat with Stew, the guy who takes care of the science fiction and fantasy section. During the ride, we talked a bit about the book, the characters, those things that had been promised, and those things as yet unaddressed. Back home, we had a late lunch of spaghetti and garlic bread, then kinzel went downstairs to download and noodle with the newest Linspire while I retired to the blue chair with a book.

I read a book from cover to cover in one sitting -- something I hadn't had the leisure to do in some time -- and about 9 p.m. met kinzel for a sandwich and a glass of wine and so to bed.

This morning started with pancakes. kinzel's already signed a Big Buncha Books, and I've got bread rising. Time to get off the machine for a while and find my signing pen.

Comments

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Usually, we talk the book out ahead of time and then, yeah, I do the first draft, then kinzel does the second draft, fixes all my clinkers, resurrects characters I've killed, helps out my space battles, untangles my military protocol, and in short makes it stronger book. Alas, Many Things have Conspired against Crystal Dragon, including the introduction of a second project into the household, which turned out to have...timing issues.

I really feel bad handing off an unfinished book; OTOH, I'm at a ravine -- I can see the other side of the story, but I can't see how I'm going to get there. kinzel hadn't actually read the whole book, in order, start to finish, so we couldn't brainstorm the bridge. He's now finished reading and is now into Thinking.

And in the meantime, we sign books and pack boxes.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Still sounds productive.

I need to go look for your theory of what is promised and what is delivered. It made sense to me--