Eagles Over the Kennebec

This morning!  I get to hang around in my bathrobe for a bit, as a reward for having (finally, finally) finished the first draft of the untitled story, henceforth to be known to the world as "Fortune's Favors."  The story introduces some new characters, and looks in on some folks we've seen before.  I think you'll like it.

This brand-new story, with an outtake from Neogenesis and ...Lance (that's the same outtake that didn't ultimately fit in either book, and the story has flowed past it), and an Author's Foreword (or, yanno, Backword) will appear in the chapbook:  Fortune's Favors:  Adventures in the Liaden Universe® Number 28.

What Happens Now, since Steve read the story hot off the printer last night, and noted a couple of things to be tweaked, is:

*Go over the story, line by line, tweaking tweaks, and adding in That Thing that got dropped in the heat of the moment

*Go over the outtake, line by line

*Write the Authors' Note, pass it to Steve for edits, go over it line by line

*Build a cover

*Compile the entire book and get it up for sale with the Usual Suspects

So, depending on Real Life, you -- yes, you! -- may be able to purchase the first new Adventures in the Liaden Universe® chapbook in over a year, by mid-April.  Rest assured, we'll tell you when it's available.

Moving on to the rest of the to-do list, I have a couple of phone calls to make, including one to the dentist, which I've been putting off for mumble, and really shouldn't put off anymore.  Also today, I need to hit the gym, because today is not the day to skip the gym.  When I get back, and after phone calls, I'll draft the Authors' Note, and maybe start shopping for a cover.

See you on the flipside.

Today's blog post title brought to you by Messers Loggins and Messina.  Here's your link.

Unrestful sleep full of the horrors of free hotel breakfasts (is it me or is there less and less food at free hotel breakfasts?  Some of them have a big crockpot of oatmeal, and that's fine; I can get by on a bowl of oatmeal.  But others. . .Gah.  Picky eater is picky.), interleaved with a roll call of absent friends.  Not sure who elected these the topics of the evening, but the result is a head full of sticky thoughts this morning.

Well.  There's more coffee where this cup came from.

So, today's to-do list:

1.  Drink more coffee
2. Edit last night's pages
3. Edit Due Diligence
4. Write teaser copy for Due Diligence
5. Write more words for Fifth of Five
6. Consider questions to put to the panelists of Writing the Series (How do you plan out a multi-books series?  Well, there's one question right there -- free from Programming.).
7. Print out Characterization Rant and practice on Belle (don't laugh; Belle's a tough audience.  For one thing, she doesn't care about writing or characters.).  Belle's busy right now; she'll get back to me when her schedule's clear.
8. Enpurple hair
9. Meditate

. . .that's enough.

Today's blog post brought to you by War, "Low Rider."  Here's your link.

Oh.  Yesterday, I did build a cover for Due Diligence.  Have a look:

"That's an extra-size lot of respectability you're wanting," he pointed out.  "I did say we're a House full of scoundrels."

"You did.  But I've no objection to scoundrels, being one myself."

A.  Go into town, hit the grocery, the post office, and maybe Juliet's bakery, because I'm outta cranberry/walnut cookies and I don't have time to bake today.  There, I knew I could come up with a good reason.

B. Finish the laundry.  Honest to ghu, who wears all these clothes?  *glares at Princess Jasmine Sprite*

C. Finish Interview One and send it on.  Stare at Interview Two for half-an-hour; put it aside to think about.

D.  The Gathering Edge -- move forward with the mmmmf and mmmfng thread.  A Theme seems to be emerging across the threads; always a Heady Moment.   The manuscript in all its threadiness now stands at 46,025 words.

E.  Finish reading my book.  I only have 30 more pages to go, and while I want to know what happens, the viewpoint is plucking my nerves.  Granted, the viewpoint is plucking her nerves, too, so at least we're on the same wave length.

F.  Review what we're voting on tomorrow.  Tomorrow is Election Day.  Pffft.

So!  What's on your to-do list for this damp and grey Monday?

So, I girded up my electronic loins and went over to Bowker (https://www.myidentifiers.com/), to buy me some International Standard Book Numbers, and I found that (1) Bowker is having a Moon Landing Sale -- 10% off bulk orders of ISBNs  and (2) for the purpose of this sale, a block of 10 ISBNs qualifies as "bulk."  ISBNs are still stupidly expensive ($125 for ONE number?  C'mon, guys.), but a $29.50 discount for 10 is still, yanno 10%.

As part of this exercise, Bowker -- which has become Quite the Source for Self-Pubbing Services -- asked me to take a survey, which I did.

One of the questions on the survey was:  What is your primary reason for writing?

And the answers in the drop-down box were as follows:

1.  NONE
2.  I don't write; I'm a publisher
3.  Self-Expression
4.  Religious/Evangelical
5.  I want to be a professional author
6.  Lead generation for my business endeavors
7.  Advance self professionally/in my career/as a thought leader
8.  I am an academic professional
9.  It has always been my dream to write (because I love children *cough* sorry 'bout that.  SL)
10.  Hobby

Notice anything missing here?

It astonishes me that no one who buys ISBNs from Bowker writes primarily because they ARE a professional writer.  Just. . .wow.

The to-do list is winning; the health insurance has turned ugly again, and will require a call-back, but I made the first call, dammit, and I'm claiming it.

1.  Brush three cats
2.  Untangle banking glitch
3.  Make correx to ebook
4.  Try one more cover design for ebook
5.  Buy ISBNs (which I’ve been putting off; for some reason, cost of ISBNs is really bugging me)
6.  Call the health insurance company and fuss about the incorrect invoice
7.  There’s probably something else, but this’ll do to get me started

If it's December in Maine, it must be snowing, right?

And it is!  Snowing, that is.  Accumulations of 1-3 inches, say the Weatherbeans, which is, yanno, more of a Practice Snow.

So, today, I have a to-do list, which I fear I will not accomplish fully, but it's good to have goals, right?

I will say that throwing One's "outline" away was the right thing to do; I'm now back up to 1,000 words a day, from a grind of 500 or less.  Realsoonnow, I need to get back on the 2,000+ word-a-day diet, but right now I'm just happy that the characters have come back from lunch break.  Also, I got to write a Very Cool Scene, so it's all good.

Steve and I braved the crowds yesterday to hit the grocery store, in anticipation of today's promised snow, and, while we were out, we visited TJ Maxx.  There we purchased an AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo clock radio, which will shortly be placed in the living room and, in beautiful theory, give the general household access to music, an access we lost when the last CD stereo blew out.  As much as we like music in this house, you'd've thought we would have done something about it before now, but apparently some things Take Time.

Anyway, today's task list looks kinda like this:

1. Write and publish InfoDump #103
2.  Address Yule cards
3.  Perform various Necessary Services for Felinekind
4.  Laundry
5.  Write the next scene
6. Update the side links at Eagles Over the Kennebec
7.  Dishes?  Nah, all of us know that ain't happening today Surprise!

Hope everybody had a lovely Thanksgiving/Thursday and a relaxing weekend.

* * *

Progress on One of Five
12,392/100,000 words OR 12.39% COMPLETED

"Shocking," Father murmured, his silver eyes half-closed. "But tell me how you will turn this sad situation to your hand."

So the turkey bones are busy making stock, and the laundry has been started.  Still on the to-do list, dishes! the reading of the manuscript! writing!  more laundry!

Yeah, it's a thrill a minute here at the Confusion Factory.

For you, though, there is excitement! and adventure! in the air!  There's an ARC of Necessity's Child, the newest Liaden Universe® novel (how new? you ask.  So new that it won't be published until February.  That's like, pre-new!) up for grabs, straight from the authors.  Hurry and enter, because the contest closes Wednesday at noon, Eastern Standard Time, U.S.

Edited to add:​  I should note that, since this is a standalone novel within the universe, this would make a great holiday present to That Certain Someone who you've been trying to hook on the Liaden books, but who just can't commit to reading 15 novels.

Contest rules here.

1.   Sign 1500 pages; mail to Baen no later than October 18 (in process)

2.  October 30:  Essay due at BenBella (in process)

3.  October 19 and 20:  Bangor Book Festival

4.  Somewhere Novemberish at a guess:  proof Necessity's Child galleys

5. December 10:  Short story due at Baen

6.  Talk about words with Necessity's Child narrator (which will be easy and fun and probably take no time at all, in the cosmic order of things)

6.  February 15, 2013:  Carousel Sun due at Baen (in process)

7.  February 15-17:  Boskone

8.   May 15:  Carousel Seas due at Baen

9.  July 15:  First of Five (working title) due at Baen

...the above, of course, only elucidates professional obligations.  It's sorta refreshing not to see "do laundry,"  "vacuum," "wash dishes," "do taxes," "get house ready to sell," and the like on the list.  On the other hand, it's not looking like there's a lot of room for frivolities in that schedule.  Maybe it's time to trade in the cabana boy for a wife.

Today’s slightly less complex to-do list:

1. Make ice tea
2. Await the arrival of the contractor
3. Edit and polish “Emancipated Child”
4. Work with Thera Cane (ouch!)
5. Chat with narrator of the Space Regency sequence, and pronounce words
6. Glare at proposal file

Upcoming Travel

Hey, we’re going places!

Realsoonnow, for instance, we’ll be in Kansas City for ConQuesT, along with fellow GoHs Ursula Vernon, Gardner Dozois, Tim Miller, and Toastmistress Susan Satterfield. Read all about it here, and hope to see you there Memorial Day Weekend.

On June 14, we’ll be in Blue Hill for an interview on the WERU Writers Forum, with Ellie O’Leary, but you’ll be able to listen in on that from the comfort of your very own computer

Then. . .we’ll be home, writing, like good writers, and possibly watching with interest and, on my part, at least, chortling glee as our bathroom is destroyed and resurrected.

Due to the grid-lock of a number of factors — see “bathroom,” above — we won’t be attending the Chicago WorldCon — y’all have a really good time; we’ll miss you!

The next convention we’ll likely attend is Boskone, in February 2013, though Steve might be off somewhere in September — watch this space for details.

Reminders

If you’d like a signed copy of the hardcover of Dragon Ship, which will be published in September, Uncle Hugo’s has been promised another 100 copies — so you don’t need to be shy about ordering here.

In case you missed it, there’s a very nice interview with us here

The Eternal To-Do List
(numbered for ease of viewing, not necessarily in order of urgency)

1. Sort through email and Deal with various bidness and webmistressly issues addressed therein
2. Finish transferring music onto various devices
3. Read, read, read
4. Schedule follow-up vet visit and rabies shot for Socks
5. Buy tire(s) for Binjali; re-inspect
6. Carousel Tides t-shirt
7. Turn in novel proposals (3) to Madame the Editor
8. ConQuesT — May 25-27
9. Record word lists first two books (at this point, we’re guessing the “first two books” are Agent of Change and Fledgling) — June 10 (approx)
10. Interview at WERU Writers Forum with Joan Clemens & Ellie O’Leary, June 14, 10 a.m.
11. June 15 — quarterly taxes due
12. July — Excise tax due — both vehicles
13. Turn in short story to Baen — July 1
14. Turn in Trade Secret — July 15
15. Prep and write Carousel Sun, and Carousel Seas, due early and mid 2013
16. Get Liaden Weird Word lists onto web
17. Stage Two feasibility study: bathroom remodel
18. September 4 – October 4 Lee on-site at Archers Beach
19. Ongoing — locate new site for Cat Farm and Confusion Factory.
20. Finalize 2013 travel, if any

Things to be done in-between the things to be done:
1. Autograph 1,000 pages
2. Proofread galleys: Ghost Ship mmp, Dragon Ship hardcover
3. Write new stories for Splinter Universe

They tell me that it’s National Pi Day.  Happy 3.14159265… to everyone who celebrates!

I’ve been away for a bit, working on a novel, brawling on the internet — you know the drill.  I’m happy to report that we’re on the George home stretch.  I make it four more scenes and an epilog to be written, and all on-track for a hand-in by the end of the month.  So, that.

While I’ve been goofing off, Steve has been hard at work scanning, correcting and uploading bits of a novel about Miri Robertson and her adventures on Klamath.  The novel was never finished, and exists in various bits and starts.  The first bit — about 2400 words — and Steve’s introduction to the project and the times during which it was written, are over on Splinter Universe.  It’s our intention to update every Monday, until the y’all get bored, or the splinters run out.

While you’re over on Splinter Universe, check out Bud Sparhawk’s guest story, “Somewhere, A Sea“.  We’ll be hosting guest stories from time to time, to introduce you to writers you may not have encountered elsewhere.

For the drinkers among us, Fanboy Glass is now selling Tree-and-Dragon glasses and mugs.  Here’s the link

We still have several Super Exciting Things! pending, which I can’t talk about, because we’re waiting for paperwork and stuff.  Soon, they say…

In the meantime, the state of the To-Do List:

1.  Talk at The School of Science and Mathematics (aka The Limestone Magnet School), Limestone, Maine — March 16

2.  Turn in Necessity’s Child — March 31

3.  Go to Meriden for Socks — April 1

4.  Talk at Rockland, Maine Public Library — April 5

5.  ConQuesT — May 25-27

6.  Turn in short story to Baen — July 1

7.  Turn in Trade Secret — July 15

8.  Feasibility study:  remodel bathroom

Progress on Necessity’s Child (tbfkaG)
87,428/100,000 words OR 87%

“I’ll sleep better, for your prayers,” she said, which had the sound of set-piece, and then, before he could divine her intent, she leaned close and kissed his cheek.

Originally published at Sharon Lee, Writer. You can comment here or there.