Building a Mask . . . Part One
I’m still frantic editing Paperweights (again), so I’m leaving my blog in the very capable hands a long-distance friend of mine who is going to be helping me run the Masked Ball. She is a former costumier
I’m still frantic editing Paperweights (again), so I’m leaving my blog in the very capable hands a long-distance friend of mine who is going to be helping me run the Masked Ball. She is a former costumier
What a day! Launched the book trailer and wanted desperately to open champagne with friends to celebrate, so have been having a virtual celebration on Facebook. And that’s actually stirling practice for the Ball. Writing, ie editing, hasn’t featured greatly today and I’m ashamed of my lack of discipline and needing to run far from such shame, I sped over to my blogroll and had an enjoyable read. There is a wonderful piece of writing that deserves to have heaps of coverage and if you want to be taken far from the melting snows and chill of a Northern hemisphere winter, do read this piece from Provence . . . guaranteed to warm your toes.
I have heard a whisper . . . have you? That there may be Masked Ball (virtual)on this site in April or May? It’s only a whisper, mind, and may not be true. But I heard the invitation was to come from the Directore of the Museo in Veniche, in Eirie .
Rheban Beach
I’m back at the shack, staggered in with a supply of the cooking from the other day, with a supply of wine (naturally), with the computer and some files, with the dogs and with my overnight bag. The overnight bag is never for overnight, I am rarely here overnight . . . days at a time usually and thus the bag contains underwear and a sponge bag. Shack clothes are left here . . . you know, the faded denim shorts and jeans, the old polo-shirts, the beaten-up boat shoes, the white wind-cheater that is so loved that it’s worn at the neck and wrists. So why then does the overnight bag weigh a tonne?
This week, Feb 10, on Writer Unboxed, Anne Aguirre discussed the hero vs. the anti-hero. And it fitted in with my thoughts when I saw how many people had visited my blog after mentioning Richard Armitage and including a shot of him as Guy of Gisborne. Patently the anti-hero is alive and well.
Sometimes the thought of working on the WIP is really hard. You know why? The novel I’ve just finished, the one that is being assessed right now, had the perfect protagonist. In a literary sense that may be a moot point, but in the physical sense, after watching Robin Hood for various seasons and Spooks most recently, I had no choice but to cast Richard Armitage as my protagonist.
Some days are meant to be good.
From Facebook Fairy Tales
Woke this morning with a blooded eye, wondering why I chose to punch myself in my sleep. This later developed to a migraine . . . I have no pain, no nausea, just visual disturbance . . . split images, venetian blind effects, sometimes barely any vision at all. But half an hour later, with some treatment, it was all gone and I was able to sit at the computer and read emails, blogs and even do some writing. The blogs, chiefly Nathan Bransford’s (www.nathanbransford.com) of the last three days were damned good reading giving a succinct rundown of the most recent Amazon/Macmillan problems, also a fabulous blog on the future of the e-book, digital publishing and self-publishing which I found fascinating, especially the comments from readers. I experienced some sort of vindication for flying with the independent YWO.com with my first two novels. Mr. Bransford implied that those outside the maintream, who have had to pedal harder under water (my words), may, together with a knock your socks off ms, have the edge in this e-book battle and may indeed make an impression with the mainstream publishers. I really loved this because an agent last year basically called me out over my decision to POD with YWO.com My confidence took a hell of a hiding, despite the fact that the year has been exciting, inspiring, full of growth in both writing and marketing.
Fantasy map from Wikimedia Commons.
I visited my tiny local library today and came across a giant book (one that just fitted into my bike basket), called The Map Book edited by Peter Barber. Published in GB in 2005, it is the quintessential history of maps and their making and has the most extraordinary collection illustrated in its pages.
Chasing moonbeams from Facebook Fairy Tales
Opening WordPress yesterday, I noticed a vote on Freshly Pressed, ‘to the moon again, or not.’ I voted no because I want the moon to remain pristine, untrammelled, an enigma. I also believe that we have so much more need for the money on our own planet. But the option to vote prompted me to think how important the moon was in A Thousand Glass Flowers.
My embroidery bag
‘When I’m not writing or tweaking my computer, I do embroidery.’ This remarkably apt quote for my life comes from Lynn Abbey, fantasy writer. I was googling quotes today and this is the one that popped up in respect of embroidery and I figured the Fates had conspired to entice me to write on my stitching.