Over on the Bootcampers blog, I had started doing a weekly Sunday post with a quote and a funny pic. So since that is no longer being updated, I decided to transfer it here. Hope you enjoy!
This week's quote is from J.R.R. Tolkein:
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
Yep, I'm feeling wiped. I knew last week would do that to me. This week is a good week with only 2 appointments but of course there is Christmas preparation.
Writing update~
Well all is going well. Editing Gateway is nice and steady and I have finished the first draft of the Shadow novella. I'm going to let that sit for a bit. The next piece of writing I want to tackle are a couple of short stories. Though I may not start until after Christmas. Need the brain to recharge.
Reading update~
I go on about my reading on my reading blog, Eleni's Library, but I'm going well with my challenges. I haven't quite reached all the targets for the 2010 challenges yet but there are eleven days to go! :)
TV update~
Thoroughly annoyed with SyFy in the US - they have cancelled Stargate: Universe or SG:U for short. I've ranted about shows being cancelled before. I just don't get it. And really I really would like to know how they work out ratings. I do hope SGU is able to find a home on another channel. And I do think the timing for this is wrong - SGU has found it's stride I believe. I really would love to see the story arc unfold and it get it's time. I think that's the problem these days.
There are so many options for viewers that our attention span has scattered somewhat. Everything has to be go, go, go all the time, and that's not how it always works. So when there is a dip in the ratings, there is the 'the sky is falling' attitude, rather than truly examining why - is the time-slot right? Do people record the program - ie I think followers of sci-fi shows know how to work a recorder and can watch it later. But does this affect ratings? What can viewers do to keep their favourite shows alive? I know people are not investing so much effort into series now because of fear of it being cancelled, and would rather wait until it is out on DVD. So hence, less viewers, less ratings for TV - it's a wicked circle.
I have been spending a lot of time in these lately:
Yep, waiting rooms. It seems to be the season of appointments for the family. I have five of them this week (last week was 4, the week before 3). Yep, crazy I know.
I have been making use of the time though - either writing or editing with pen and paper, or reading.
So how is my writing?
I'm glad you asked *grin*. Very well, thank you. I'm almost finished the Shadow novella's skeleton draft. And I've started editing the Gateway novella. And I'm having fun with both. Hard work, but fun! :) It's nice to write in a different length and have a couple of different stories floating about.
I'm still working on my other projects but as you can tell with appointment central, I have slowed down somewhat.
I've also been steering the Dark Side DownUnder blog - and we have our wonderful authors posting. So come along and have a look.
Oh and I have for some reason been getting up early but having naps during the day. It's embarrassing when you need a nap when you visit somewhere, but thank goodness people understand me and my CFS. Okay, have to go now. Another waiting room awaits!
Finally, I have placed another short story onto my website.
Face to Face was published initially in the Ghost Stories edition of Shortz magazine in 1999.
The story had been written two computers ago, and I didn't have an electronic copy of the final version. Thank goodness for scanning. I had to scan from the paper published version of the magazine.
You can find Face to Face in the Short Stories page of my website, or by clicking here (opens pdf document).
I hope you enjoy this old tale of mine.
Also the direct link to The Bucket on the Antipodean site has changed. It is now in the Archives (archived by Pandora, National Library of Australia).
My goodness it's December - already. Where has this year flown?
I have achieved a lot so far and soon these achievements will be on the Bootcamper blog. I'll let you know when they are up to view :)
So as predicted this week was busy. It's the silly season, need I say more?
Writing wise, I managed to total 8900 words for NaNoWriMo. I never joined the official site and wasn't aiming for 50K but rather 25K, but with the first 20 days of November with virtually no writing, I'm happy with what I did achieve. There was a lot of scribbling by hand in waiting rooms during the last 10 days.
So this week, I worked on the Shadow novella. Going well. My first drafts are really a skeleton draft - basically, plotters plot, I write and then fix up the story. It may be a long process this way as I don't search for the perfect word and just write, so there are lots of edits later.
No work on the Gateway novella or clown story. That's OK. Just as long as I've written I'm happy. *grin*
As to writing related activities - the HT project is going well, and I've cut some subscriptions to some blogs. Time is an issue, which is why at this stage I haven't gone on Facebook. I just can't keep up with that. And I'm trying to streamline everything, and cutting back on activities. While I wish I didn't have to, I need to to keep writing and my health at the forefront.
So that is me this week. How are you all doing?
And here's the Old Spice Guy that was mentioned in the comments not long ago when talking about funny ads. I just laugh every time I see it.
