Traffic can never be called sw…
Posted by mcummings
Traffic can never be called sweet / If there is freedom enough to tweet #traffic #95sucks #fb
“No plot? No problem?” No depth? Not till the end.
Posted by mcummings
So, one of the books I got at the library yesterday was Chris Baty's "No plot? No problem!" Its not a terribly long book (I think it might be over 50,000 words, a joke that will never grow old), just under 200 pages, so it was a quick read. If you don't know who Baty is, he's the founder of the original NaNoWriMo, and the book (though it doesn't exactly mention it on the cover) is geared specifically at participants in the contest.
So much so, in fact, that the first half of the book is completely anecdotal stories about participating in the contest, where the contest came from, what the contest means in your life, etc., and it isn't until the last half of the book that it gets to the business of writing.
Only, its the business of writing mechanics geared at writing a "novel" in 30 days, with very little guidance on the art of writing. There were a few helpful hints, to be sure, but this book doesn't really attack the titular problem of feeling like you have no plot.
I would still recommend this book to folks interested in participating in Baty's contest. The (somewhat brief) guide on how to tackle each of the four weeks of November would be helpful, and the post mortem of what to do after you hit 50k is definitely worth reading before you set out on the contest. Why? Because it retroactively points out the contest's own flaws in perception, and that's good to know before you head into it. There's some good advice, and some reminders to the starry eyed participant that thinks come December 1, their novel will be complete and ready to go out into the world.
It’s late.
Posted by mcummings
Your displays do not mislead you. It's after midnight, and I'm still up. Not quite sure what's up with me. I'd love to say I was writing right now.
That's not it.
I'd love to say I was being the least bit productive.
Nope, not doing that either.
Mostly I'm just veg'ing, letting the TV play while I think about reading some of the books I got at the library today. I have to concede, today was the first time in years that I actually browsed around the non-fiction section. There was a lot there that seemed appealing, which after being steeped in fiction for so long, was somewhat shocking. My surprise was that when I got home and started reading through what I did get, my reading was faster than its been in a long time, just like it was when I was a kid. I think I got so used to complicated, drawn out plots that you have to slow down to completely comprehend, that I forgot what it could be like reading something that was intentionally laid out for you up front. I'm already a good 100 pages into a Greek history book, and I've barely looked at it by my reckoning!
Still, why am I up right now? Why aren't I at least pretending to try and write? Why is sleep turning a cold shoulder to me?
Missing: Two front teeth
Posted by mcummings
Poor Katy endured being the only first grader to not lose a tooth all year. Second grade faired little better - her teeth, like so many other inherited characteristics, are stubborn.
This summer has seen somewhat of a reversal of that fortune. I present the girl who's happy not to have front teeth!
A Forgotten Realm: James P. Blaylock
Posted by mcummings
These days, "urban fantasy" is all the rage. From Anita Blake and Carrie Vaugn, to (yes) Stephanie Meyer and local Maggie Steifvater, writing modern fantasy, set in the here and now, usually in our own world complete with internet porn and fossil fuel eating cars. But what folks often forget is that urban fantasy isn't new, and I intend to showcase two authors that exemplify that. This month, I'll be covering the forgotten realms of James P. Blaylock.
My first introduction to Blaylock was with his 1991 novel, The Paper Grail. I was working at the North Stafford library at the time, and the title intrigued me. In reflection, it probably isn't the ground breaking work that I remember - everything new when you're in high school will seem like its a ground breaking, never before appreciated work. The grail in question is, of course, The Grail, but this one is an origami cup who, depending on how its folded, gives its owner fantastical powers.
Blaylock's appeal is that he start with such an ordinary version of our world, and so quickly devolves into a story where the magic can - and does - happen. Perhaps not the best known of his contemporaries (I'll touch on another of the original urban fantasy authors another month), I would still say he's worth the read if you can find a copy at your local library or used bookstore. Other books that I recall leaving a good impression with me were The Last Coin, a story about the dangers surrounding the collection of all 30 of Judas' coins; Winter Tides, a haunting ghost story; and All The Bells on Earth, my favorite, which starts out with a pickled bluebird of happiness and just dives into the fantastical from there.
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As it turns out, Blaylock appears to still be publishing as of 2008, but take my word for it and check out some of his older works. The magic is there even if it isn't cast by incantation or read from a grimoire. Of course, it's only in recalling the plots of each of these books that I realize the heavy Christian element (Holy Grail, coins of Judas, demons, etc.), but I hope you'll still take these from an open perspective (and believe me, I hardly qualify as a religious zealot). While some of his novels stem from this source material, the stories they tell are still fun to read.