I just wanted to take a picture of my new, autographed paperback copy of Evensong for you guys, because I was SUPER excited when it came in the mail this morning. Harriet said, “Nope. PHOTO ME AND LOVE ME AND PET ME.”
And then she purred, and I can’t argue with that. So here you go. Book and cat. Add a cup of tea and you’ve got a perfect afternoon.
I apologize for the hugeness of the image. Apparently WordPress is no longer letting us edit photos down by percentage. Huh.
Note to self.
Aaaaaaanyway…
Let’s get this final ROW80 Update out of the way first, because I’m ending this round on a bit of a cliffhanger.
My editor started working on my book this morning. I have no idea what’s going to happen with that. Could be a wonderful experience, or it could leave me deciding that my leisure hours would be better spent playing Minecraft because writing is just wasting my time and my money. I’m expecting something in the middle, with lots of work to be done at the end but me still feeling like this is a thing I can do.
We’ll see. Right now I feel like I can handle pretty much anything.
In other news, I read Rayne Hall’s Writing Fight Scenes this week, and it was quite informative. I picked it up because I knew mine were lacking something, and I discovered lots of ways to punch things up. Lots of tips, lots of links to videos* demonstrating fighting styles and weapons, and it’s a quick read at a good price. Recommended.
Also still reading The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I’m FINALLY at the actual story, and am finally enjoying it. I have no problem with the author’s writing style– it’s gorgeous, and I think he’ll be one of few Fantasy authors who won’t make me want to throw the book across the room because I want to skip all of the descriptions (see: A Song of Ice and Fire and ALL THE FOODS). I mean, there are tons of descriptions, but at least they’re interesting. It just took forever to get past the framing. I know, I’m a terrible reader. Maybe “get to the action” has just been drilled into my head so often as a writer that I’m no longer willing to slog through chapters of Not Much Happening to get to the good stuff.
I hate feeling like I don’t have time to just enjoy a long, drawn-out story anymore, but that’s kind of where I am. My attention span is HEY LOOK, A MARMOSET.** That, and my TBR list is so huge that I find myself putting books down and moving on to something else if I’m not hooked right away.
New resolution to work on next round: try to get over that. Slow down, smell the marmosets roses, try to give books a chance.
WIPpet Wednesday
26 (short) sentences from Resurrection for the 26th. We’re heading for the climax here (and the reason I needed that book on fight scenes). Shivva (the vampire) is on the run, trying to solve a mystery of sorts, and trying not to hurt any innocent humans while she does so.
A bell tinkles as I enter the restaurant, a greasy little diner with plastic menus and probably a filthy kitchen. The decor hasn’t been updated since the sixties. That, or it’s a convincing retro set-up. I don’t even care.
“Bad night to be out walking,” says the short guy leaning against the counter. He doesn’t seem to care that his boots are leaving a puddle on the chipped linoleum.
“Yeah.” I count out my buck seventy-five and accept the white paper cup of steaming heaven. The coffee’s shit, of course, but it’s hot, and it helps.
“I’ve got an umbrella in my car, if you want it,” the guy says.
I shoot him an irritated glance. “No, thanks. I’m fine.”
“Not made of sugar, are you?”
“Excuse me?”
He shrugs. “You… you’re not worried about melting in the rain. So you must not be made of sugar.” I roll my eyes, and I feel him watching me as I turn to leave. “You sure look sweet, though.”
I flip him the bird without looking back.
Three blocks later, I’m in an industrial area, enjoying the quiet. A long, high-pitched whistle sounds behind me. I don’t stop, and I don’t turn back, even at the sound of several sets of footsteps splashing over the asphalt. Humans. Bring it on.
Oy. I’ve heard worse pick-up lines, but not by much.
So there you go. Thank you to everyone who volunteered to beta read and/or rip my work to shreds. I’ll try to have that out next week.
For more WIPpet Wednesday fun, swing by our host KL Schwengel’s blog to say hi, click on the link, and be transported to a world of… um… well, I don’t know. I have to go check that out myself.
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*Useless on my PaperWhite, but good to have available for another time.
**That’s… actually kind of weird.
disregard the prologue 
March 26th, 2014 at 2:16 pm
I like Shivva’s uncaring attitude towards everything in this scene. Oh how I would love to be able to walk around on my own at night wherever I wanted and not have to worry about being attacked because I can take anyone on! (But I’d rather not be a vampire!)
March 26th, 2014 at 2:19 pm
You know, that’s kind of how Shiv feels about the whole situation, too. 🙂
March 26th, 2014 at 4:03 pm
Cute kitty. 🙂 And WP doesn’t let us edit size anymore? Huh. I haven’t used a pic in a while, so I didn’t realize.
That is a TERRIBLE pickup line. But I love it! Sometimes I think writing bad lines is as much fun as writing good ones. Maybe more, even.
March 26th, 2014 at 4:06 pm
I actually modified it from something my Nana (mom’s mom) used to say when it was raining. Come to think of it, I named a minor character after her in another book… I wonder what she’d think of all of these shenanigans. 🙂
March 26th, 2014 at 5:10 pm
I love this scene. Shivva’s attitude and character come through loud and clear. And that pick-up line? Maybe it would work on a marmoset. 😉
“it could leave me deciding that my leisure hours would be better spent playing Minecraft because writing is just wasting my time ” Talk like that will get you a visit from the monkeys. They’ve been a bit bored of late. *insert evil glare*
March 26th, 2014 at 5:16 pm
But have you played Minecraft? We only have the Pocket Edition, but I’m building a glass castle and… and… *listens for monkeys*
Ugh. I’ll get back to work.
March 26th, 2014 at 8:22 pm
Wow! Love the snippet! The voice is so strong and I really get a great sense of the character’s rather irascible nature. The descriptions are really terse and vivid and that also speaks to the character. *slow clap* Most excellent work!
Also, I’ll have to check out that fight scene book. If only my TBR stack wasn’t 8,000 books high. LOL
March 26th, 2014 at 8:25 pm
Mine, too! Mine’s mostly fiction, but still.
Shivva’s voice has surprised me. I don’t usually write like that, but it’s come very naturally. Or unnaturally, I don’t know. Eerie, actually. She’s been fun to have in my head, though. 🙂
March 26th, 2014 at 8:25 pm
Oh – forgot to mention that your feline photobomb is great! I run a cat picture Facebook page that I’ll be happy to post it on if you like. Let me know – and provide a link where people can buy the book. 🙂
https://www.facebook.com/thecatsguide
March 26th, 2014 at 8:26 pm
Oh, sure! I’m sure Krista wouldn’t mind having her book featured in another spot. 🙂
March 26th, 2014 at 10:26 pm
Oh, I dunno. Being told you look sweet is better than a lot of other pick-up lines.
I like the voice a lot, as well. Her leave-me-aloneness is fabulous. 🙂
March 26th, 2014 at 11:06 pm
Love the picture of the cat. I think it’s purrfect.
March 27th, 2014 at 7:12 am
Great scene, Kate! Shivva just jumps off the page, and even though I’ve had my fill of vampires, I really like her. 🙂
I couldn’t get into The Name of the Wind either and finally just started skimming. Eventually decided it wasn’t my kind of book. But I do love GRRM. 🙂
March 27th, 2014 at 8:08 am
I know, I’m so sick of bloody vampires (hee hee). I didn’t want to write this one, had no intention of ever doing Urban Fantasy, but they wouldn’t leave me alone. They were all, “but we’re DIFFERENT” and “If you write it we’ll leave you ALONE” and… ugh. Characters, am I right?
I can’t say they were wrong. Vampires might not be marketable right now, but they’ve been so much fun to write!
March 27th, 2014 at 12:55 pm
You know… seeing a marmoset would be kind of cool right now. Not sure I want to stop and smell one, gotta say, but see one? Sure.
You’re the second person to recommend Rayne Hall’s book. Finally put it on my wish list to buy this evening when I get home….
I’m watching carefully for news about your editing/editor experience. I’d really love to hire one, but well, let’s get through the beta time first. Until then, gathering all the info I can… Thanks for being my (unsuspecting?) victim, Kate.
And as you know… Minecraft can be pretty awesome too. 😀
March 27th, 2014 at 12:57 pm
Yeah, I’ll be very open about y experiences when it’s all over! I have no doubt that an editor will improve my work. Whether the financial investment will pay off is another question entirely!
March 27th, 2014 at 3:51 pm
Sounds grand!
March 27th, 2014 at 4:32 pm
yeah…that’s a pretty bad pick up line =P Great scene though, very detailed, which I love.
March 27th, 2014 at 7:05 pm
Yesterday Donna and I went to an Interview and showing of Harris Goldberg’s “Numb”. During the interview he mentioned that writers should not write for the market but write because or about what is important to them. He was talking about writing for TV and Movies but I am sure it is true for books as well. he i a prolific writer. He said that he writes about 8 hrs a day. He appears to be a driven person. The movie “numb” is to a large extent his life experience. It was interesting to hear some of the background to the movie.
Anyway keep writing.
I thought the pick up line was interesting.