Today I had my first day as administrative assistant at the law office. Hurray for a new job! It's part time which suits me great. I go in long enough to get stuff done and not long enough to be counting down the hours and minutes till I get to go, and then I have enough day left to go off to a coffee shop and write.
That's the theory anyway. Today I went to a coffee shop and updated my novel's files so all the work I did for writing sample would be integrated into the current working draft of the novel (they'd been separate files since the working drafts were divided by chapter and the writing sample was one continuous file I was monitoring for word count. But the latter had all the recent proof reading and editing.) Next I stared at the current chapter. I went over some planning notes for the novel. I stared at the current chapter some more. Then I checked email and did web stuff. I glared at the current chapter.
I did do some work on what will likely be the next chapter. That one's going to be about as tricky as this one. But I'm hoping the one after that will go more smoothly. I'm trying to resist the urge to skip ahead since one of the primary goals with this particular writing project is to practice continuity of beginning to middle to end. Most of my drafts suffer from this urge to skip around.
I think tomorrow I'm going to have to put into effect a "no internet until the first page is written" rule. With the last chapter, once I got it going again, I wrote it all the way to the end, and that one had been stuck for months.
Anyway, I'm very hopeful, both for my chances of having focused writing time and at the prospect of having some income.
Monday, 13 December 2010
Friday, 3 December 2010
Death of a Car
A few short months ago I posted here about our first ever car, our shiny red Geo Metro. Ok, run down but nevertheless rather cute Geo Metro.
Now, the car is dead. It successfully took us on a short road trip to Sacramento and back for Thanksgiving. It sounded as fine as it ever does.
The day after we returned we went shopping (unsuccessfully, I might add). On our way back from the mall, we turned a corner, continued a little ways down the block, heard a terrible wrenching noise, and coasted to the shoulder of the road.
I'm thankful there was a shoulder of the road to coast to because we were there for about an hour before the tow truck found us. Anyway, getting home that night was a bit of an adventure, but we managed it.
The car has a busted transmission. I don't know much about cars, but everyone we've asked has heard "transmission" and then asked when we're buying our new car. So apparently we're in the market for a new car already.
Not that I'm not grateful for our cute cheap little first car. It got us going, it launched Ron into the working world. And the price was definitely right. Now we'll have to see what we can find for the next one.
Now, the car is dead. It successfully took us on a short road trip to Sacramento and back for Thanksgiving. It sounded as fine as it ever does.
The day after we returned we went shopping (unsuccessfully, I might add). On our way back from the mall, we turned a corner, continued a little ways down the block, heard a terrible wrenching noise, and coasted to the shoulder of the road.
I'm thankful there was a shoulder of the road to coast to because we were there for about an hour before the tow truck found us. Anyway, getting home that night was a bit of an adventure, but we managed it.
The car has a busted transmission. I don't know much about cars, but everyone we've asked has heard "transmission" and then asked when we're buying our new car. So apparently we're in the market for a new car already.
Not that I'm not grateful for our cute cheap little first car. It got us going, it launched Ron into the working world. And the price was definitely right. Now we'll have to see what we can find for the next one.
Application Away
After much frantic work, days of rewrites and late nights of editing, I sent in my application to the creative writing fellowship at Stanford. I've been dreaming about this fellowship for years, before I'd even moved back to the bay area. At last I've actually applied. If I got it, it would mean two whole years of being able to do nothing but ply my craft, writing novels. I even know which ones I would finish first.
So keep your fingers crossed. Many will enter, only five will win. It feels a little like fiction writer's lotto.
Love and thanks to everyone who was an extra set of eyes as I did the last frantic days of proofreading!
I have to admit to some humor (and occasional exasperation) as different people's views of grammar, comma usage, style etc came into conflict over proofreading. One person said I was abstaining from commas and had me add scores of the things (I refused a fair few, but added quite a number). The next person to set eyes on it said I sprinkled commas in like salt! One short paragraph drew particular attention--the grammar was wrong but, debatably, within the bounds of poetic license. Firm lines were drawn up with two for and two or three against. In the end, I yielded the field and fixed the grammar. I don't think the feel of the scene suffered too much for it!
So keep your fingers crossed. Many will enter, only five will win. It feels a little like fiction writer's lotto.
Love and thanks to everyone who was an extra set of eyes as I did the last frantic days of proofreading!
I have to admit to some humor (and occasional exasperation) as different people's views of grammar, comma usage, style etc came into conflict over proofreading. One person said I was abstaining from commas and had me add scores of the things (I refused a fair few, but added quite a number). The next person to set eyes on it said I sprinkled commas in like salt! One short paragraph drew particular attention--the grammar was wrong but, debatably, within the bounds of poetic license. Firm lines were drawn up with two for and two or three against. In the end, I yielded the field and fixed the grammar. I don't think the feel of the scene suffered too much for it!
Monday, 20 September 2010
Social For Once
Yesterday we escaped the house in the afternoon and went to see The Town, which was good, and then went to Fresh Choice for some impromptu role playing. The latter reminded me, in a pleasant way, of hanging out at the dining hall in college. It lacked the likelihood of running into more friends there at any moment. But the atmosphere of hanging out with friends, having fun, debating silly things, and being able to graze on the sidebars of never-ending pretty-good-but-not-amazing food was all very reminiscent of the college dining hall experience.
I have to say, though, the dining hall's brownies were better. ;)
We didn't have very long to play, there being a baby sitter involved and we didn't start till dinner time, but it was fun. I got to play a character I made for a one-off who our GM found infuriatingly competent. He's placed severe restrictions on anyone ever playing a warlock again in our house solely because of her. I'm really quite fond of her. I even remembered her name from nearly a year ago which is quite a feat.
Manda and I both wove on our inkle looms as we played (when we weren't eating) and at one point we had a whole gaggle of girls come over and watch us. Once we spotted them we invited them to come over and have a look and answered questions.
I'm back to weaving the vine pattern that I derived from the ram's horn pattern. It's breathtakingly easier than the Birka was. Funny to think it after all the trouble the ram's horn gave me originally only about a month ago.
I have to say, though, the dining hall's brownies were better. ;)
We didn't have very long to play, there being a baby sitter involved and we didn't start till dinner time, but it was fun. I got to play a character I made for a one-off who our GM found infuriatingly competent. He's placed severe restrictions on anyone ever playing a warlock again in our house solely because of her. I'm really quite fond of her. I even remembered her name from nearly a year ago which is quite a feat.
Manda and I both wove on our inkle looms as we played (when we weren't eating) and at one point we had a whole gaggle of girls come over and watch us. Once we spotted them we invited them to come over and have a look and answered questions.
I'm back to weaving the vine pattern that I derived from the ram's horn pattern. It's breathtakingly easier than the Birka was. Funny to think it after all the trouble the ram's horn gave me originally only about a month ago.
Saturday, 18 September 2010
Beside Construction
I hate construction work. This is something I never really realized about myself before. I mean, few people actively like having their home under construction, particularly by outside forces--that is, those few people who actively like having their home under construction are probably those who like doing said construction themselves, who take a pride in their work. Most people, however, can to some extent tolerate construction. Me, I feel like I'm going stark raving mad.
This has had a positive influence of one sort however. I am definitely back in the ranks of the diurnal. The first week was partly miserable because I was waking to the start of the construction, waking to the knowledge that my chance for a shower was gone, that my opportunity to make coffee or anything else requiring running water was fast slipping away, to the knowledge that there were strangers in my home and I was in my PJs. And, of course, waking to chaotic noise, to screeches and crashes and pounding. I set alarms to wake up earlier...they arrived and began earlier still!
And even once I was up and dressed, I was trapped. Stuck listening to endless pounding, crashes and screeches. Stuck smelling the sharp scents of chemicals and soldered metal. And often stuck without running water or working toilets. Eventually, around noon or 1pm or so, I would get a chance to get out of the house. But by then, madness already had a foothold in my psyche for the day.
Today, however, I managed to wake to my alarm clock. Early. And then I was whisked away on the early bus (read: carpool) into town for several glorious hours of coffee shop splendor. Somehow the scree and whir of the espresso maker is soothing and familiar, the hubbub of voices a calming influence.
I did some job hunting. I worked on a weaving commission. I talked politics and public transit with perfect strangers in the cafe. A lovely morning.
This has had a positive influence of one sort however. I am definitely back in the ranks of the diurnal. The first week was partly miserable because I was waking to the start of the construction, waking to the knowledge that my chance for a shower was gone, that my opportunity to make coffee or anything else requiring running water was fast slipping away, to the knowledge that there were strangers in my home and I was in my PJs. And, of course, waking to chaotic noise, to screeches and crashes and pounding. I set alarms to wake up earlier...they arrived and began earlier still!
And even once I was up and dressed, I was trapped. Stuck listening to endless pounding, crashes and screeches. Stuck smelling the sharp scents of chemicals and soldered metal. And often stuck without running water or working toilets. Eventually, around noon or 1pm or so, I would get a chance to get out of the house. But by then, madness already had a foothold in my psyche for the day.
Today, however, I managed to wake to my alarm clock. Early. And then I was whisked away on the early bus (read: carpool) into town for several glorious hours of coffee shop splendor. Somehow the scree and whir of the espresso maker is soothing and familiar, the hubbub of voices a calming influence.
I did some job hunting. I worked on a weaving commission. I talked politics and public transit with perfect strangers in the cafe. A lovely morning.
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Public Displays of Weaving
Construction began this morning on the front bathroom in the house we're staying and like yesterday, someone else stayed home from work/school (a different someone) thus putting a crimp in our plans for an at home "date"--the at home kind being the best because they're free. So much for having the house to ourselves.
Nevertheless, I figured I would try to be productive. But as the banging continued followed by odd chemical smells, I was driven to distraction. I grabbed my loom, my laptop and my husband and fled. Now Ron is trying to navigate DMV bureaucracy (poor man) and I am ensconced in Great Bear Coffee. I realized too late that by grabbing the lovely window alcove table which has the best natural light, I have cut myself off from all possible power outlets. This means my time on the laptop is really quite short. I'm already down to 36% and the last 6-10% is fictional on this laptop anyway.
It's quite amusing weaving in public. It attracts attention even when I do it at an SCA event. Most people there know what I'm doing, but the non-weavers usually haven't seen tablet weaving in action and the weavers drift over out of professional interest.
But here in the middle of downtown Los Gatos, people are mystified. And of course, I have all the people walking by on the street as well as those in the coffee shop. Some of those in the coffee shop actually come over and ask about it. With the most thoroughly mundane in outlook I find myself groping to put it in terms they understand. With the more open minded or quick witted I can give my usual spiel and answer questions pretty easily.
The people walking by outside are funniest though. There is a certain social dynamic to looking in shop windows that seems to spill over onto this. As long as I keep weaving, I can see them stop and watch me from just outside. But if I look up and smile, they may or may not smile back but they universally take it as their signal to move on. The window display just looked at them! Time to go! Hee hee.
I'm still having to backtrack with some regularity on the Birka. Anytime my concentration slips, I'm liable to forget to mark my place and then I'm doomed. If I'm unpicking I inevitably have to unpick about four rows before I'm sure where my problem was and where in the pattern I've ended up. But some of my early mistakes were more involved than that. Now I know what's gone wrong and how to fix it when I make inevitable errors.
I'm now using a paperclip to mark my place in the pattern, and moving it after every single row rather than each pair of rows--it was too easy to get momentarily distracted and then not know if I'd done the first row of the pair or now. I'm working it into my routine--check pattern, turn all cards, clear the shed, put the weft through, move the paperclip, repeat.
I just realized that given the blog I'm on now, those last couple paragraphs probably have less context than they might. I'll have to repost them on Playing with String later.
Nevertheless, I figured I would try to be productive. But as the banging continued followed by odd chemical smells, I was driven to distraction. I grabbed my loom, my laptop and my husband and fled. Now Ron is trying to navigate DMV bureaucracy (poor man) and I am ensconced in Great Bear Coffee. I realized too late that by grabbing the lovely window alcove table which has the best natural light, I have cut myself off from all possible power outlets. This means my time on the laptop is really quite short. I'm already down to 36% and the last 6-10% is fictional on this laptop anyway.
It's quite amusing weaving in public. It attracts attention even when I do it at an SCA event. Most people there know what I'm doing, but the non-weavers usually haven't seen tablet weaving in action and the weavers drift over out of professional interest.
But here in the middle of downtown Los Gatos, people are mystified. And of course, I have all the people walking by on the street as well as those in the coffee shop. Some of those in the coffee shop actually come over and ask about it. With the most thoroughly mundane in outlook I find myself groping to put it in terms they understand. With the more open minded or quick witted I can give my usual spiel and answer questions pretty easily.
The people walking by outside are funniest though. There is a certain social dynamic to looking in shop windows that seems to spill over onto this. As long as I keep weaving, I can see them stop and watch me from just outside. But if I look up and smile, they may or may not smile back but they universally take it as their signal to move on. The window display just looked at them! Time to go! Hee hee.
I'm still having to backtrack with some regularity on the Birka. Anytime my concentration slips, I'm liable to forget to mark my place and then I'm doomed. If I'm unpicking I inevitably have to unpick about four rows before I'm sure where my problem was and where in the pattern I've ended up. But some of my early mistakes were more involved than that. Now I know what's gone wrong and how to fix it when I make inevitable errors.
I'm now using a paperclip to mark my place in the pattern, and moving it after every single row rather than each pair of rows--it was too easy to get momentarily distracted and then not know if I'd done the first row of the pair or now. I'm working it into my routine--check pattern, turn all cards, clear the shed, put the weft through, move the paperclip, repeat.
I just realized that given the blog I'm on now, those last couple paragraphs probably have less context than they might. I'll have to repost them on Playing with String later.
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Talking about Crafts
I've been posting lots on my new blog. It helps, I think, having a specific topic to talk about. It helps too that I'm in a particularly crafts obsessed portion of my life. It's true that I'm contemplating the possibility and logistics of using my craft talents for supplemental income, but that's really in reaction to, not the cause of, this upswing in fiber arts activity.
I'd been recommended to look at etsy as a potential way to sell tablet weaving. At first, taking a look, I was rather uninspired. There's a couple people on there who indeed sell tablet weaving, but it was priced so cheap that at the rate I make my complex stuff I'd be paying myself around $1/hour or less! On the other hand, it wasn't nearly as complex as the stuff I'm doing now. Still, I wasn't sure that I could compete against things selling on the order of $18! But yesterday I found someone who is doing stuff much more similar to what I'm doing and most of her stuff was in the $65-$100 range with a few outliers as low as $45 and as high as $325 though the latter was for fingerweaving. She's doing a lot of the same patterns I've been doing, plus a few closer to Native American in look and a few that are simpler but very tightly done. Like me she's using a lot of tight cotton string with occasional forays into other fibers. I think her edges look a bit more firm and even than mine, but I'd like a second opinion on that since I might just be peering at my own work too close. Anyway, it's restored hope that this might be worthwhile to try.
Anyway, if you want to hear about the weaving, wire work and spinning I've been doing the last couple of days, you'll have to check out the other blog!
I'd been recommended to look at etsy as a potential way to sell tablet weaving. At first, taking a look, I was rather uninspired. There's a couple people on there who indeed sell tablet weaving, but it was priced so cheap that at the rate I make my complex stuff I'd be paying myself around $1/hour or less! On the other hand, it wasn't nearly as complex as the stuff I'm doing now. Still, I wasn't sure that I could compete against things selling on the order of $18! But yesterday I found someone who is doing stuff much more similar to what I'm doing and most of her stuff was in the $65-$100 range with a few outliers as low as $45 and as high as $325 though the latter was for fingerweaving. She's doing a lot of the same patterns I've been doing, plus a few closer to Native American in look and a few that are simpler but very tightly done. Like me she's using a lot of tight cotton string with occasional forays into other fibers. I think her edges look a bit more firm and even than mine, but I'd like a second opinion on that since I might just be peering at my own work too close. Anyway, it's restored hope that this might be worthwhile to try.
Anyway, if you want to hear about the weaving, wire work and spinning I've been doing the last couple of days, you'll have to check out the other blog!
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