I was flicking through my copy of
Norwegian Folktales by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, more for the pictures than the stories this time around. I'm so impressed by Erik Werenskiold's drawings - there's not many out on the Internet, so do yourself a favor and get a hold of this
book. His portrayal of rural Norway, and the fantastic beasts that populate it along with the regular folk, is gentle and real.

I've discovered I also like his paintings - particularly this one. Reminds me of some of Waterhouse's more impressionistic work.



Really, do yourself a favor, and seek out this book.

You've all probably already seen this, but I found it amusing: via MakingLight - the Gender Genie!

Based on an algorithm ("typical" male or female words used), it claims to predict the gender of an author by their work. You paste 500+ words of your work into this tool/game/thing and voila!

Of course, I couldn't resist, and the results were hi-larious.

THE PILGRIM GLASS - male [male protagonist]
THE MIDNIGHT SON - male [male protagonist]
My Oleanna novel-in-progress - female [female protagonist]
Short story (Humility) - female [female protagonist]
Short story (Raven Girl) - male [female protagonist]
Short story (The Valley) - male [male protagonist]

I'll have to dig more deeply into what they consider "female" vs. "male" words. But, according to the Genie, I'm a guy. Huh. Guess I'd better tell Craig.

Sorry I've been MIA - I've got the great flu goo that's going around. I can't believe how exhausted I am! Back in the saddle hopefully tomorrow.

I'm baaaaack

Friend's surgery went very well yesterday, though it was a loooonnngggg day of waiting. She's resting comfortably now, watching the Master & Commander DVD, as any reasonably sane person would do.

So, SF Writers Conference. As I said in my personal LJ, your first writer's conference is scary (especially if you go on your own): agents, editors, so much to learn about the craft and the process. [East of Eden, 2005]

Your second writer's conference is great: you feel energized, knowledgeable, filled with pure possibility and not a little hubris. [SF Writers Conference, 2006]

Your third writer's conference is all about disillusionment: you see the same attendees, the same agents that rejected you last year, and who will do so again this year, doing the same schpiel about how you'll never get published, "but keep trying!" [SF Writers Conference, 2007]

I don't know what happened at this conference. By the time I was into my second session on Friday, I can't tell you how awful I felt. Everyone felt desperate, clutching, grasping. The sessions were snippets of harsh reality swathed in the gossamer of "but you could be the one to win the lottery!" Every agent and editor repeated over and over - your book could be the best book in the world, but if I don't "connect" with it then it won't get published. Agents give your MS 1-5 pages to see if they like it. After you've polished the hell out of it with your agent - if you get that lucky - and you're lucky enough to have an editor ask for the MS, they'll give it 1 page. Some infamous editors give it one sentence.

And it really hit me: being a goal-oriented overachiever, I turned the process of pitching my novels into an obsession and I completely lost the whole point: the joy of creating. As one of the presenters said (and he seemed to be the only one that made sense to me) - writing is a journey of personal discovery and development. Getting published is just gravy after that. My priorities got completely skewed - I started writing because it was an outlet for the creative energy building up in me, and I found that I loved it. Writing helps center me. But then I got obsessed with getting published.

So, all this long rambly post to say: SFWC 2007 was good for what it was, but not good for where I need to be in terms of being a creative person. I've taken a big step back so I can get recentered and focused on what really matters, and that's writing, and writing for me.

Jeez, aren't you glad you asked, LK? :)

Very busy at work, will be with my friend for her surgery on Thu, possibly Fri. Catch you all next week.


Word-hoard
motatorious: constantly active

Thank you so much for the good vibes and positive energy! I didn't win, but I did feel all warm and fuzzy with your kind wishes!!

SF Writers Conference!

Heading up to SF this morning for the San Francisco Writers Conference. So much fun stuff – Po Bronson is doing the evening keynote tonight, and the program is good this year. Oh! And Chris Baty from NaNoWriMo will be there – I won't be in his talk, but I will be shaking his hand. Love NaNo. I'm looking forward to the sessions on how the publishing industry works, and the session on adapting your book for the screen. I'm bringing my camera, so hopefully I'll have some good shots to share with you on Monday.

And, cross your fingers for me – THE MIDNIGHT SON is a finalist for the adult fiction award in the conference contest. I'll find out tomorrow after lunch if I've won!

Word-hoard
adoxography: good writing on a trivial subject

Myths, symbols, and folklore
squirrel: "In Germanic mythology it is sacred to the god of fire and the god of thunder, and it lived in the world ash tree, Yggdrasil. In antiquity the squirrel was a symbol of Hermes because of its ability to move to many different levels." (Herder)

Busy, busy - catch you all on the flipside!

Word-hoard
cheimaphilic: fond of winter, or of cold

Speed dating with agents

A popular feature of writing conferences is this "speed dating" concept – with both agents and editors. The concept is simple: you sit at small table with an agent in a loud and overcrowded room and pitch your story. Easy, right? Um. Not so much. It's nerve-wracking and while the agents are always polite you've gotta believe that at the end of the 2 hours, they're exhausted and not as attentive as you'd hope. But, at least when you meet with an agent face-to-face, they can ask for clarifications (and you can see where you need to improve your pitch).

I was lucky enough to spend 10 minutes with a guy named Kevin Smokler at my first writing conference. He's not an agent, but he knows the industry (especially online promotion). There was less pressure on me to pitch, but he absolutely tore my pitch apart. This is where I really learned that a thick skin is a requirement. It was possibly the most brutal 10 minutes I've spent in a long time (at least in my writing life) – he was very kind, but he didn't get what I was trying to say, because I hadn't found the heart of my story to pitch. So, the point is – the first meeting likely going to suck, but you'll learn so much.

The speed dating concept is good for maximizing the agents' time, and I can appreciate that, but at least at SFWC last year, it was barely controlled chaos: 50 writers standing in line for the agents, chattering, bumping into each other, nervous. If it's stressful for the writers, it's got to be even more so for the agents, glancing over your shoulder while you're giving your pitch, looking at the 20 people in line behind you, and wondering if they'll ever get a bathroom break. I actually prefer how the folks at the East of Eden and Historical Novel Society conferences set it up – you get appointment times with 2 or 3 agents at times throughout the conference.


Word-hoard
nubility: marriageableness

Myths, symbols, and folklore
yoni "As the female correspondent to the linga, it symbolizes the maternal womb and the capacity to give birth. The yoni is usually depicted as the base of the linga. The graphic sign for the yoni is a triangle standing on its apex."

Pooped. Loonnnnnnnnnnnnnng day of meetings at work yesterday, and then a work team dinner that went late. I have nothing of consequence or interest for you today, all I can offer is an awesome word-hoard.

Word-hoard
shazzying: dancing

Thank you Richard Amyx of South Bay Writers (our chapter of the California Writer's Club)! This kindly gentleman has taken the time to put together an up-to-date, annotated list of literary journals. He includes submission guidelines and comments on the journal in question.

A Submission Guide to Little Magazines (Literary)

According to the site, the list was originally pulled together for a graduate class, and he's taken it and expanded it. The criterion for inclusion is the magazine has published at least one story that was awarded a Pushcart Prize. "In other words, the magazine demonstrates sound editorial judgment."

Super useful, but again I have to wonder: why all the genre hating? Certainly it's the prerogative of these journals to publish what they are interested in and think is good writing – but there's so much good writing in "genre" and cross-genre books and stories as well.

Anyone have recs for good/interesting journals in the fantasy/mythic/magical realism realm? How about for historical? I quite enjoy Solander from the Historical Novel Society. Any others?


Word-hoard:
poecilonymy: the use of several names for one thing

Myths, symbols, and folklore
Because they're blooming here right now: almond tree: "Because it blossoms in January in Mediterranean lands, it became a symbol of alertness (because it 'awakes' so early) and rebirth." (Herder)

More on historical dialogue

My friend Tim, a fellow writer, dropped me an email with this fantastic take on writing historical dialogue:

Read your blog on historical dialogue - here's my two cents: have your characters say what is true - the truth inside them. Keep it simple. Keep it genuine. The dialogue does not have to emphasize the given historical period though it should not be anachronistic. Have them say only what they need to say to reveal themselves and advance the conflict of the story. In my opinion, too many historical writers are gilding the lily with period chatter trying to make it seem "real". So many of the words put into the character's mouths should be cut out. Some periods are more formal. The syntax might be different. But the reason why people talk has never changed. The goal is to give an impression of the time so you don't notice it. It's like salt - just a little bit for flavor.

Outstanding advice!

Word-hoard:
diacope: the separation of a word by the interpolation of another or others, as in absogoddamlutely; a deep cut or wound


Myths, symbols, and folklore
wheat: The sowing, growth, and harvesting of grain, specifically of wheat, have represented birth and death as well as death and rebirth. In ancient Greece, the head of grain, as the fruit of the maternal womb of the earth, symbolized the fruit of the human body; it was a symbol of Demeter and played a central role in the Eleusinian mysteries. In Egypt the growing of wheat was regarded as a symbol of Osiris rising from the dead. In the Middle Ages the grain of wheat signified Christ descending to and resurrected from the underworld." (Herder)

Blog rec

I know, I know, what am I doing posting in the middle of the day? Well, I had to rec this blog: Nathan Bransford. Nathan's an agent with the SF office of Curtis Brown, and entirely too young but I'll forgive him because he's fricking funny.

I know Kristin Nelson does some great posts about the intricacies of the publishing contract. But she never mentioned "hos" and "Pocahantas" alongside information about royalties and advances (which I now understand), so to me that gives Nathan a leg up.

Sadly, he rejected my query, but I'll forgive him if he keeps making me laugh.

I got nothin

Well, almost nothin. Got the kindest rejection email yesterday, which was a nice antidote to the photocopied stock rejection letters most agents send.

Oh, and Literate Kitten recommended Persuasion for my reintroduction to Austen, which I'm excited about. I'll have to wait until I finish the 4 books on my nightstand, however. o_O

Word-hoard
manqué: "unrealized, as a goal; unfulfilled"

Myths, symbols & folklore
shoe: "In antiquity the wearing of shoes was a prerogative and symbol of the free person; slaves went barefoot. The shoe (having, so to speak, a 'female' form) is related to the phallic symbolism of the foot and was a fertility symbol in various harvest and marriage customs."

3 things

Thing the first: did you see the Litpark article about the evolution of Neil Gaiman's hair? Oh yeah. Good times.

Thing the second: )*(#$)(*#)#($)(#*%(*#$ Sharks. They're killing me. Dallas and Anaheim have owned us this week. Gah.

Thing the third: OK. Writing dialog in a historical context is hard as hell. Well, at least for me. While I'm given to rich, detailed description in my scene setting, my dialog tends to be very real. I like the juxtaposition. In my first two novels, the setting is 2000 and 2004 respectively, so the dialog is very modern. In fact, I had to do a fuck-ectomy on my first novel. My protagonist, Jonas, had a mouth like a sailor (not unlike his creator…) so I had to ratchet that wayyyy back. Too real?

But the novel I'm working on now is set in 1905. In Norway. And I'm having the devil of a time. With my novella set during the late 14c, it seemed easier – I felt much more comfortable attempting an "antique" style. But that seems terribly out of place for a novel set in the 20th century. I thought maybe re-reading Sister Carrie or The Damnation of Theron Ware to get the rhythm of language at the turn of the century – but then I wonder if, because the authors and their characters are all American, it won't be a good representation of what I'm looking for. Argh.

So. If you write historical fiction, how do you deal with dialog?

Word-hoard:
leptology: a boringly detailed discourse on trivial subjects

Myths, symbols, and folklore
ash tree: "It plays a significant role in Norse mythology as Yggdrasil, the eternally green ash tree that holds together, earth, heaven, and hell. For the Greeks the ash, and particularly its wood, signified mighty solidity and stability; occasionally the ability to frighten away serpents was ascribed to it." (Herder)

Sleeeeeeeeepy this morning, so I go the lazy route and bring you a link!

Media Bistro's blog Galley Cat is a chatty (and sometimes bitchy) take on the book industry. Interesting insider tidbits and useful business information.

Word-hoard:
fremescent: an incipient murmur; becoming noisy

Myths, symbols, and folklore
apotropaic figures: "They are grotesque heads or faces whose horrific expressions have served since ancient times to ward off hostile influences (e.g., the Gorgoneion). Their repulsive appearance symbolizes the gesture of rejection and banishment. The Egyptian Bes, when depicted with a grotesque appearance rather than with a smiling face, fulfilled the same function." (Herder)

I got into a discussion with Catherine last week about the creative process (over on my LJ mirror of this blog.) It got her thinking and her answer was fascinating: she loves to act, to pretend she's someone else – for a variety of reasons. She found that traditional acting wasn't for her, so she writes and does a lot of cosplay. What fascinated me most was when she said that, "when I write, I am the characters that I write…I climb into their heads, feel their emotions, go through what they do, and it's the biggest adrenaline rush on the freakin' planet…I am dramatis personae, the entire cast list. I listen to them, but they're also like this mask that I put on."

That really got me thinking. Why do I write? Fiction is something I took up only about five years ago, so it hasn't been a lifelong hobby or impulse. Though, like Catherine, I can't not do it – now that I've started, I can't stop. I feel more like me, more centered, when I'm writing – during the time I'm actually sitting there, and in general when I'm working on something. So, that's the amorphous answer: because I have to.

But when I get into the nitty gritty, I realized a few things. I love a challenge and I love to be challenged. Writing, especially novels, is a huge challenge – it's like a jigsaw puzzle, and you don't have all of the pieces when you start, and you only have a vague idea how it's supposed to turn out. Plus, I love people and I am fascinated by psychology – I've flirted with the idea of becoming a therapist about once a year. So delving into motivations and imagining characters' interactions is fascinating. And while characters are real, they're also not going to cut you off on the freeway and fuck with your Zen. So I like to hang out with them.

And, of course, I love that high, that feeling of going with the flow, when whole paragraphs come out and you look back and go, "Whoa. Where did that come from?" You know you're flowing with your higher self and your connection to the universe. It's addictive.

So for you writers out there: why do you continue to write? What drives you? What feeds your soul about it, and what challenges your brain? And for those of you who do visual art, or music, or other creative endeavors – the same questions apply.

Word-hoard:
quasation: a shaking or concussion

Myths, symbols, and folklore
ecstasy: "In many cultures it was closely connected with harvest rites and prayers for fertility. Because it creates the ability to transcend the bounds of everyday consciousness, the ecstasy achieved through dance, music, alcohol, or drugs is considered to be an expression of special connectedness to God." (Herder)

The lovely Literate Kitten has tagged me with the letter meme…and I get "P"! So, what better chance to do a massive Word-hoard? Yes, yes, I know I'm supposed to come up with 10 words that start with P and say something interesting or clever about each of them, but I think these words speak for themselves...

pysmatic: pertaining to questioning; always asking questions

persiflage: a jeering ridicule; idle talk, nonsense, jeering

pitchkettled: puzzled

pygophilous: buttock-loving

pudendous: fit or proper to be ashamed of; disgraceful; shameful

palinoia: compulsive repetition of an act until it's perfect

paralian: someone who lives by the sea

periapt: an amulet worn as protection from disease or harm

philtrum: the vertical groove dividing the upper lip

poniard: a thin dagger

If you want to play, comment here and I'll give you a letter!

So, yeah. Found out yesterday that a good friend has breast cancer; she finds out next week the extent/severity/etc. Makes all the angst over rejections and getting an agent seem pretty ridiculous.

Depending on who you talk to (or maybe where you are, time zone-wise) yesterday or today was Imbolc and Brigid's day. Brigid, both the "pagan" goddess and the Christian St. Brigit, are celebrated variously on Feb 1 and Feb 2. Today is also Candlemas.

I particularly like Brigid because she represents inspiration. As a keeper of the flame of inspiration, she looks after both poets/writers and smithies, which I think is a very cool idea – the flame of inspiration to get you started on your creative endeavor, and the strength to persevere in your task. She also represents healing, which is much on my mind the last few days.

Here's a lovely representation of Brigid; I'll have to scan the lovely pen-and-watercolor drawing my friend Cat did so I can share with you. It's gorgeous.


Word-hoard:
redivivus: living again; revived

Myths, symbols, and folklore:
Candlemas: "A feast traditionally celebrated on February 2, which formally marked the end of winter and the beginning of Spring in parts of medieval Europe. Also known as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Candlemas falls 40 days after Christmas, in imitation of the 40-day period of isolation that Hebrew law imposed upon mothers and their infants."

Candlemas falls on Imbolg/Imbolc. "This meant 'the surrounding belly' or 'around the belly' in Old Irish, indicating the Earth Mother's womb as the land or the soil. It featured circumambulatory rituals for the benefit of the crops, and the lighting of fires."

Word-hoard
encephalasthenia: mental fatigue due to emotional stress