This made me very very happy this evening...

I'm stuck right into May Queen right now - 28k in, which if it is actually going to be a 50k story (and not something longer masquerading as a 50k story until its far too late for me to do anything about it) is a very good way in. And its going kind of well. (Oh how I will probably regret those words this evening).

The finale of Bones is on tonight which I will have to watch with obsessive compulsion to see if Seeley dies. Tell me beforehand and I WILL have to kill you. No matter where you are. I'm sure he won't because... you know... new series etc. Then again, Supernatural played with that time and again.

The Paranormal YA workshop is on at Divas and is an absolute blast. Lots of fun, lots of info. All very interesting. :)

rflong: (Clock)
( Apr. 27th, 2009 10:29 am)
Saturday afternoon was lovely - chat and hot chocolate and even a glass of wine (or two for me) with [livejournal.com profile] ceindreadh , [livejournal.com profile] wyvernfriend ,
[livejournal.com profile] sciamanna and E. Afterwards went to Yellow Brick Road to get a crystal so I could make the Boy Wonder an Atlantean pendant (he has this book...)

Yesterday was mainly filled with food shopping and organising this week as[profile] e_w_h  is on a work trip. :(

I bought a number of ready meals (healthy ones) so I won't have to cook in the evenings and should therefore get some writing done. Allegedly. That said last night I watched 3 eps of Supernatural, edited the novella, sucknopsized it and then submitted it, so that was fairly constructive. Today the Boy is on another half day from school so I will have to scoot out early to mind him. I am so lucky I work where I do.

Hopefully I can hole up on the sofa and do a bit of writing today too. Fingers crossed...



rflong: (Dogmatix)
( Apr. 24th, 2009 09:42 am)
I suddenly seem to have acquired a lot of To Do's

1) finish Moy Tura Echoes. I mean c'mon I'm under 10k from the end. That should be easy, right? RIGHT? Unfortunately got home last night and I don't know if it was hayfever or a cold but I collapsed and barely managed a bit of editing on something else.

2) polish, synopsise and sub the near future SF novella the alter-ego wrote.

3) Re-mend the patches on my daughter's trousers. Again.

4) Start the necklace I've been meaning to make for ages.

5) Finish the blinds for the conservatory.

6) STOP thinking about the new Shiny YA idea, at least until I have finished the other two things.

7) Oh, and the alter-ego has a novel to write as well.

8) There was an 8 but I've forgotten it. this is a large part of the problem of course.

9) Short stories for anthologies. I've a whole list of them. Need to get writing. Oh wait. See previous entries in teh list that concern writing.

10) Stop worrying about the submissions I have out because I really cant do anything about them anyway.

11) No really. Stop. And stop checking the email as well.

12) Write some decent blog posts.

13) Start writing The Wolf's Destiny. Em.. this should probably be further up the list, shouldn't it? Maybe this was acually 8.

14) Work. While at work. Like em... I should...
In between "finishing" Moy Tura Echoes, dealing with the alter-ego's continuing demands for custody of the brain for her writing, plotting The Wolf's Destiny (book 3, which will have to be, well, book-length), crits, betas, oh! and everday life, I saw a piece of graffiti in Dublin yesterday which handed me the entire plot for a YA novel - okay, I figured out the main gist on the bus on the way home.

So now I have something else to write. Yay me!

Actually I am trying to be sensible about this. I have wrote a summary last night and broke it down scene by scene this morning. Now I am going to try to leave it alone until I have finished Moy Tura. Lee has promised to "enable" me about it, which means of course she has to "enable" me to finish the other book first. I got a good 1300 on Moy Tura today and turned a small corner (of Grafton Street as it turns out). I also did some research yesterday which involved lots of walking around places where scenes are/will be set and taking photos. So here is Dublin, yesterday.Cut for f-pages... )

(And realised I misspelled Cuchulainn - or maybe I can pretend it's a variant spelling. Yeah... that's it.. variant spelling...)
Yes, still crawling towards the end. Now I've got to that part which reminds me why I ended up switching from pure pantsing to a vague sort of plotting whereby I at least know what is meant to be happening in the long run. I do know, now, but it also means that as I pull the loose ends together I also have to jot down all the things I need to go back and change in order to make it work.

It turns out that most of the elements are related to time. Which is rather funny, as its the one thing I have very little of. But time is a major factor in this novel all of a sudden, which it never was before. It fascinates me (and frustrates me sometimes) how this story in particular twists itself around. Just when I think I have a handle on it, something new pops up.

And of course I am easily distracted by other projects. I have another novel in hand and another novella to write (Jeren & Shan no. 3), and I got a call for anthology subs for this and next year for the alter-ego.

I am stressing about the things I have out at the moment because despite my best efforts I am supremely bad at letting go! And stress does bad bad things to me.

And that old library story is stirring around in my head at the moment, but its still really a setting and characters without a plot, as yet. But its layering up well in my mind. Which is dangerous, because eventually it will reach critical mass and I will have to start that as well. Ah, but this time, I will start with an outline. I promise. I have to.

I have a couple of crits to do for friends which I need to get to, I have an article to write, but at least I got the excerpts for Soul Fire selected and sent off so I don't have that hanging over me anymore. I hope to get some writing done on something this evening and some critting as well, but its a case of balancing everything. And still managing to eat and sleep.
rflong: (Camberwick Sam)
( Mar. 30th, 2009 10:36 am)
Well, that was a busy weekend.

P-Con was wonderful. Great fun, lovely people and lots of interesting stuff going on. Paul Cornell [livejournal.com profile] paulcornell2 ) was guest of honour, and other guests included C.E. Murphy ([livejournal.com profile] mizkit ) the newly dubbed "Queen of P-Con", Charlie Stross ([livejournal.com profile] autopope ), Chaz Brenchley ([livejournal.com profile] desperance ), Juliet McKenna, Leah Moore and John Reppion (and many many more - I have had little sleep this weekend and lots of running around. I'm tired...)

Highlights included lunch with Juliet, Mizkit, Chaz and others (me looking somewhat surprised to be at that particular table) in Fallon & Byrnes, hot chocolate (a large number of hot chocolates) with [livejournal.com profile] irishkate and [livejournal.com profile] wyvernfriend , and being able to talk to Paul Cornell about Family of Blood. :D The final Mutiny of the Phoenix panel, a free for all Q&A of some of the guests, was a scream, as was the guest of honour interview where [livejournal.com profile] slovobooks interviewed Paul and reduced some of us to tears of laughter. And as a plus, I got to put faces and actual people to a lot of people I've met on here (or heard rumours about *j*) like [livejournal.com profile] peadarog ! And I met lots of new peoplw too! All in all I had a wonderful time. I have some pictures, but they are kind of blurry so I am waiting to see if I can nab some from [livejournal.com profile] irishkate .

Saturday night was also [livejournal.com profile] e_w_h  's birthday party which was wonderful. We had a fab time and it is not often we get to stay out until 4am anymore (the clocks went forward so we had help).

The cat, on the other hand, did officially NOT have a good weekend. He spent Saturday night and part of Sunday at my parents, which would have been fine had he not decided that stitches were not for him. So now, adding to the indignity of being knocked out, shaved, stitched, acting like a drunk on getting home so everyone laughed at him (Laughed!) he now has to wear a fairly unflattering large white conical collar because he kept trying to unstitch himself as only cats can.

The reaction to this worked out as follows:
1) walk backwards to see if escape is possible.
2) hide.
3) scape it off everything in sight.
4) sulk and plot revenge.

Oh really. Yes. Look.

This is the face that I left behind when I went to P-Con on Sunday morning.

So [livejournal.com profile] e_w_h  took him home. In order to do this he had to take the collar off to get him in the basket, which was FINE by the cat. Unfortunately he then had to get it back on him at home. The cat responded to this travesty of proper behaviour by enacting his masterplan of vengeance: peeing everywhere and knocking over plantpots like a teenager in a tantrum.

So, the cat hates us all and clearly has other revenges in store. I take him back to the vet this evening and please God she'll tell me he doesn't have to wear the instument of torture anymore because he is clearly miserable and cranky. Not only must he stay indoors but he has to look like an alien too.

And I don't want that face up there looking at me again!

rflong: (Plotbunny)
( Jan. 17th, 2009 10:52 am)
Just a quick post today.

Looks like I am going to be a bit swamped in the coming days.

I have crits which I am about to turn my attention to once I finish faffing about on the internet.

I'm in the middle of a short story which yesterday turned from a paranormal to the contemporary it actually wanted to be. Which is good because the market apparently prefers contemporaries at the moment. Many thanks to [livejournal.com profile] crystaljordan for the brainstorming! :) So I'm rewriting it.

In the mean time my edits for Soul Fire (To Regain Heaven that was) arrived. Among other things I have to either find a way to make Aoife easily pronouncible for an American reader or find another suitible name from Irish legends which is (that isn't Morrigan and Emer as I'm already using them). This particular Aoife is a villain. Any suggestions? :)

And sadly, we had a death in the family so I will probably be travelling to the UK at the end of next week. No dates as yet. Work, writing and renaming ancient Irish sorceresses will have to fall in around that.



Bit tired today as last night, after a heavy day of Christmas shopping, having retired to bed realtively early, we were woken by our neighbours because our backgarden fence was on fire.

No really.

Our lovely neighbour got it under control, the fire brigade came and investigated. They had to get through the roses too. One of the firemen accused my garden of trying to rip his clothes off. M'kay?

Turns out they thought it was malicious - given that it was the back of the fence that went up and in the current cold weather some form of accellerant had to have been used. So the gardai came too.

The cat nearly went ballistic - combination of "I want to go out and investigate" and "OMG there are many large men with waterhoses in my garden"

But seriously - how freaky was that. We back on to overgrown woodland, preserved woodland - oaks and beeches, chestnuts and all sorts of other indigenous trees. It doesn't bear thinking about what might have happened if it had gone up. There are ten or so houses on our side of the road alone, a very old church on the far side of the woods, another estate to the south and several other houses beyond that - all of which back on to the woods. Not to mention wildlife.

And the massive oak tree over the fence - it that had gone up and fallen towards us, it would definitely take out our house and our other neighbours' too.

Fire brigade call out charges are steep but most of it should be reclaimable from our insurance company. I'd still rather see them than not. The other scary thought is we were in bed. I was asleep. We heard nothing at all until the doorbell started ringing.

Thank heavens for good neighbours.
There's an excerpt from the first chapter of my forthcoming novel The Scroll Thief up on the Samhain website today. You'll find it here.

All rather exciting!

Tomorrow I'm going to do some Christmas shopping in town. As I can't currently remember the last time (possibly last Christmas) I went shopping in town (rather than going in for one specific shop/item), it should be good.

rflong: (Plotbunny)
( Sep. 25th, 2008 02:50 pm)
I have to finish the novel I am writing, and the two novellas that follow The Wolf's Sister BEFORE I can start something new.

Out, out damn plotbunnies!!!!!!!!!!!

Just because I have just written out the entire plot of an Urban Fantasy does NOT mean I can write it yet. Aarrggghhhhh!!!
Frantically busy week so far. Mostly house things. It's a DIY whirlwind!

Here's some entertainment. I want this CD!

rflong: (Elf)
( Nov. 6th, 2007 01:10 pm)
 As in "In the horns of a"

There are too many things pulling me in too many directions at the moment. I'm not entirely sure what to do. The main thing is the new novel is spewing out of me at great speed. (Hmmm, hopefully that image doesn't reflect what is turning up on the page). And I am able to read again! Bliss! New books! On the other hand it is all driving out other things. Add health (or lack there of) into the equation and you can see why things are starting to go a bit belly up around here.

My own fault I suppose, but also I am the person who will have to deal with it.

I am tossing between going and not going to fencing. I need to cut back on my extra-curricula, but as it only amounts to one hour of writing time (if that, when you take into account home stuff), it isn't all that much. There are only five more classes (including tonight). AND I AM SO TIRED!!! On the other hand it always cheers me up. It is intimidating though, as I suppose a martial art should be (he! That came out as marital art the first time I typed it!)

So time management. Not my strong point. My other concern is when this thing is finished I will have to EDIT it. And there is still Moy Tura to get back to. And don't get me started on crits.

Anyway! It's lunchtime. Not only am I whingey today, I am hungry! Never a good combination.

Oh, and no responses to submissions. At all. Nada. Still. 

Grrr....


I spent yesterday evening decorating the cake and sorting the party bags for my son's friends. It looks like we will have 17 little guests at Sea Life in Bray this afternoon (!) Here is the cake.




Do you think he likes Harry Potter?

It worked out pretty well using mini sponge rolls, a large sponge roll and two madeira cakes chopped up. I used fondant icing, which I then painted with red food colouring (I couldn't be doing with getting that dark a red through kneading the icing - it always ends up pink and my hands end up scarlet for about a week afterwards. I used a roll for the chimney as well and sweets for the remaining decoration. It's a little wobbly, but I am pleased on the whole.

Have to remember to warn the restaurant about the skewers holding it together!

Yes, it is BP-day and I don't mean British Petroleum! A little nervous. I was still getting messages from other harassed mummies last night and this morning who had only just found the invite their child had stuffed in the bottom of their bag! :D It's not just me!

On a more serious, writerly note, I got a rejection from Leading Edge for The Wolf's Sister today (sniff!) so now have to find another market for a longer piece (I think its about 14k, novelette length anyway). The rejection was very nice though 


"We would like to encourage you to continue writing stories and submitting to Leading Edge. We appreciate quality work and are always looking for talented writers "


So I am focusing on the birthday and trying not to feel sorry for myself.

rflong: (Maggie Cheung Hero)
( Sep. 26th, 2007 06:40 pm)
to let you know that I started fencing lessons last night. It was great fun.

My legs hurt!

(Yes, I am a wimp!)

This evening I have to work out how to make the Hogwarts Express from a swiss roll, some madeira cake, icing and assorted sweets for Friday. (Yes, it's birthday time again. Both of them in the next week and a collective "We can't ask both families over two weekends running). I think I've found a good chocolate cake recipe for Saturday. Who knows what I will do for my daughter next week. Fork out the dosh and buy an extortionate ready made/decorated one - or make Dougal from a swiss roll again! :D

Ah motherhood...
rflong: (Hero)
( Jul. 22nd, 2007 10:05 pm)
Well the kitchen is taking a little longer than expected. But it has taken shape and the room seems twice as big. It's amazing what colour will do to a room. Things are still chaotic, and we may be living on take-out for another day or so, but we are almost there! I've been entertaining 4 small children for two days now - ours and my brother in laws (who is helping with the kitchen). I am so tired I cannot begin to describe it, so will be trotting off to bed shortly.

Today we went to a 50s diner, Eddie Rockets, and then the cinema - The Ugly Duckling and Me - a truly bizare film. I'm not sure why I found it so wierd. I really enjoyed it, but every so often found myself staring at the screen with my jaw open - I mean, a cat with a split personality, the alternate persona being the his sock puppet bird(?). So so odd, on so many levels. And as for the male hungry female rat, and the female ducks with breasts...

Hmm...

But the kids loved it.

Got Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. My husband and I have fallen into taking turns with it. My son decided it was his, but as he hasn't read the earlier ones, and can't read a lot by himself, he mainly looks at the cover a lot.

Also watched the last episode of Rome tonight, which was wonderful. The portrayal of Attia of the Julia is superb!

Oh, and I bought myself a copy of 2000AD today, which I haven't read in ...oh about 10 years (at least) so I am looking forward to seeing what's going on there. I used to read it religiously. Scary but true!
On a bit of a learning curve this evening, but in a good way.

Good things -    

1. bought a new laptop today (online, so awaiting delivery). The plan is that this is mine and I will be no longer hounded off the computer by either small children or a husband. Therefore I will write more... or surf the web more. One or the other anyway. Possibly both.

2. Found out that my mobile phone company will give me another SIM free of charge and I can keep my mobile number. Yes, though I have lost all numbers I ever stored on the phone, I will still have mine.

3. Learning how to use autostitch on photos from the UK.

4. Learning how to load photos to Picasso.

5. Bought new shoes and a handbag - as we all know one can never have too many shoes or handbags to quote a certain somebody.

Bad things -

Nothing major. Watched the last Dr. Who of the series. That's bad. And Picassa is taking a long time to load up my lovely Hampton Court photos so I cannot show them to you yet.

Still haven't finished my story for the Liberty Hall challenge, but nearing the end. 2 more sections. Hopefully it will all be sorted soon.

And I haven't received the confirmation email for the laptop yet, which is more of a worry, but maybe it has to wait until tomorrow.

So anyway, lots on tomorrow. My son is going to my sister's Art camp for a fortnight. We need to ring about insurance on the mobile etc and see if we can get something for it.

Hmmm. Should Picassa take this long?

There are a lot of thumps and banging coming from upstairs. Better put on my best girl detective hat and investigate...

R
This time just to the UK tomorrow to stay with family. I'm taking a day to go down to the Friars at Aylesford and see the library there. I'm really looking forward to that.

The quest for "was" continued last night. I'm almost half way through. Problem is I will then have to go back and look for "felt"s and "seem"s and "had"s. Oh joy. This is going to take longer than I thought. But as I started...

Got a very nice rejection on The Wrecker's Daughter from Shimmer, complimentary on the story as a different and welcome take on the selkie legend. I sent is out again to Heliotrope, so we will see how fast they get back to me this time. Last story had a pretty fast turnaround - under a day I seem to remember! :D Still, fingers crossed. I believe strongly in this story and really want to find it a good home.

Why am I referring to my stories more and more like stray cats? Hmmm...


So, still have all the packing to do, and I'm heading downtown at lunchtime to get sterling from the bank, and pick up some other bits and pieces for the trip. We have to pack this evening and work out whether we can take the car seats or not. The cat sitter is calling in the get the keys tonight too. Busy busy busy. Looking forward to it, but probably will look forward to it more once the day is over. 

Not likely to get much writing done tonight, but maybe I can work on the new story and the next chunk of Moy Tura Echoes while I am away.

R
So this should be a super fast entry - allegedly.

I have crits to do, a novel to edit, a short story to write, another novel to write (oh no, wait that's two) and we're "planning" a family trip out to see the model of the James Webb telescope in Kilmainham. No seriously... here... here

Who says I over-extend myself.

So, very quickly, because I want to and I have no self control. I had a great idea last night of what to write for the Liberty Hall Story challenge - sketched out 3 pages so far. I prefer to write longhand initially, mainly the act itself forces me to think more about what I am writing. As this isn't really a draft, even though it could be the same as what I eventually type, I've started referring to it as a sketch. It's more than an outline. There again, outlines are generally only in my head (bad writer, bad writer). I just never get round to writing them down and when I do I immediatelystart changing them. So yes, I outline, but not in hard copy! :D And yes, sometimes I forget things, but if I do they probably weren't worth remembering in the first place. They'll come back if they are meant to. Can't give you a word count, and couldn't really be bothered working out an approximate at the moment. No time!

So off to crit D's chapters for the crit group. I thought I had done about half, but now I can't find it. See, even my computer (when I can get to it) follows my approach!

Sorry for the splurge.

R
Well, one thing I can say for Andromeda Spaceways, they're quick! And they gave notes.

Don't think they like the story though!

Totally exhausted today. I had a really busy day yesterday and today so I will probably try to veg tonight. Once I've cooked dinner and put the children to bed, and phoned my mum to find out what my visiting cousin is planning for the week and whether they want to come to the library, and phone the parents of my son's friend to find out where the birthday party is on Wednesday... AND FINISH THE GIN!

Nah, only joking. It's too expensive to drink the whole bottle of Bombay Sapphire in one night.

So, bit blah, going to put pen to paper in a little while and maybe have a think about short stories - I am torn at the moment as I really want to work on the novels. On the other hand, stories have more short term gratification! I don't know.

Oh, don't mind me. I'm just blah. I told you that already.

R
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