http://www.locusmag.com/News/2009/07/charles-n-brown-1937-2009.html

Charles Brown, editor in chief of Locus Magazine passed away. Not surprising considering his age and health. But not totally expected at this precise time either.

Got another 1000 words added to "Shadow Dancer". My hand is tired. Good thing I'm dancing today instead of writing. Tomorrow we're going up the gorge instead of writing.

By Wednesday I hope to recover enough to let the plot bunnies come out and play.

Got another 1100 words on the short story last night. So, on 3 projects I did the equivalent of 10 pages again yesterday. When my mind wakes up, it fires on all cylinders.

We'll see how long this lasts. I think I'm going to need the break tomorrow while I dance.

After closing out the writing for the day,my brain was numb. I really needed a half hour nap.

Woke up at 4. Blood sugar was right where I want it before I eat. Why fight keeping it up for a walk and then eating at the usual time of 5.

So I had some pasta with butter and parmaegion, a side of vegetarian meatballs in BBQ sauce and a small salad.

Then off I took. Temps in mid 70's a light breeze and the sun approaching the ridge line. Perfect. Wandered around the resort building, checked out the new landscaping. I like it. The place had gotten really overgrown. Now there's more light, tasteful groupings of native plants and more benches and picnic tables scattered about. Found they've addeed a new water hazard to the upper fairways. Big enough to attract geese. Don't know the water source, but it feeds into an existing creek that falls down a cliff further along.

Now I've got my shoes off, my feet up, and I'm thinking about adding a bit to the short story.

4 pages of Thistle. I know what the next scene is but my head is fuzzy.

Plus 650 words on a blog that will show up on Bookview Cafe next week.

I think I'm done for a while.

Chessie is on the top shelf of the closet in my office investigating all the holiday ornaments. And he has no interest in coming down, even if he can figure out how.

Sigh

The best of days happen when I wake up with images and solutions grabbing hold of my brain and demanding I write the next scene and chapter.

Soaring with the glow on again today.

10 pages added on Thistle Downe. Feels good to finally be back in the groove on this book. I've topped page 100, that means roughly 25% done. Maybe more. 1st draft always comes in short and I'm aiming for 400 finished.

Time to have some din din and then take a much need and well deserved walk in the evening cool.

Just looked out the window and two tall bracken ferns were waving back and forth as if clapping in the breeze. I'll applaud a breeze on a 90' day.

The reporter showed up. He's probably about 30 but looked 12, tall skinny, blond. Polite and professional. He'd done some homework and has read moderately in SF&F. We talked. He asked good (but standard) questions.

We agreed that since Willamette Writers sent him to me and WW is a regional organization and they are giving me that life time achievement award next month that he should try to submit the story to more than just the local once a week Sandy Post. We'll see.

Just got rid of him when zeborahloray and clan showed up. We had a nice visit. Her eldest put the new 1 gig ram chip in my laptop. Not a big difference but moderate improvement in loading and booting speed. Worked wonders with Firefox and the system doesn't freeze if I let it go to sleep naturally rather than putting it in stand by mode.

And I got 562 words of a new short story for a secret anthology done. Heavy on the set up, but this is stuff I need to know.

A good day all in all.

Now I can work on Thistle. I really want to write Thistle's story.

My friend Nancy Jane Moore posted an interesting blog on the Bookview Cafe this morning. Her ideas about self defense and the warrior way of life explain a lot of what I've already done in my fiction, especially a short story "Signed In Blood" by P.R. Frost I just sold to "Girls Guide To Guns And Monsters" forthcoming from DAW Books Anthologies.

http://blog.bookviewcafe.com/2009/07/09/the-way-of-the-warrior-zapped-by-the-bolt-of-enlightenment/comment-page-1/#comment-4072



* There are times when killing is necessary. These times are more infrequent than has been commonly assumed.
* There are times when saving the life of your enemy is required. These times are more numerous than anyone has ever suspected.
* Killing is not the only method for defeating your enemies. The most successful way to defeat enemies is to make them your friends.


In my world building workshops I suggest that if a Dragon needs virgin blood to survive, instead of killing the dragon, why not find it a vitamin supplement?

for July 9, 2009 Or is that HORROR scope:


Your first impulse will be to say exactly what's on your mind now, and that might be the best thing. On the other hand, if there's any way you can count to ten before you reply, that might not be a bad idea either. Being sure of what you say before you say it is a good thing, as is making sure you don't hurt anyone's feelings without meaning to -- and you'd never mean to do that.


Seems fitting since I'm being interviewed by a reporter from a local paper today.

Spent a couple of hours with this afternoon while we brainstormed Thistle Downe. We ironed out some stubborn wrinkles, and filled holes. I'm much more confident I can plow forward with this now. It feels like a book now.

do I get to go to work now?

No.

I'm cleaning house because a reporter for a local paper is coming up tomorrow to interview me about the Lifetime Achievement Award from Willamette Writers. And while I think about it, I need to write my acceptance speech. And I need to write a short story.for an anthology. And I need to ...

You get the picture.

I'm alive.

Slow and sluggish but I'm working my way through internet chores. Writing I'll tackle after another cup of coffee. Maybe two.

At least the weather is cooler, but more humid so the finger arthritis is cranky.

Got the cover flat for anthology "Zombie Raccoons & Killer Bunnies" This collection of 15 new stories looks like a lot of fun. When I have enough brain cells to turn on the scanner, I'll post it. My story "Super Squirrel To The Rescue" by P.R. Frost is dedicated to my previous cat Lilac. She was the inspiration for this piece.

Coffee. I need more coffee.

Hope everyone had a safe and sane July 4th!

A conversation over dinner reminded me that our right to worship as we choose and to speak our opinions even when we disagree are are very modern and western concepts. We started it only 233 years ago.

Watching 1776 last night, the scene that struck me with the most emotion was when Abigail Adams sends saltpeter to the Continental Congress and she runs through the list of groups responsible for putting together the essential ingredient for gun powder. The Presbyterians, Baptists, Catholic nuns, and even ladies from a synagogue. This kind of cooperation among several diverse religions for a common cause was unheard of at the time.

Some days I think its still unheard of even in this country. Remember people, freedom is a common cause regardless of what name you give to God. And your right to tell me I'm wrong is also a freedom we cherish.

Had a wonderful breakthrough on ThD just now.

I was just writing, getting characters from here to there, Thistle gets waylaid by a dog in distress because his mistress (elderly schoolteacher beloved by all) has succumbed to heat stroke. Thistle gets to rescue her.

And then it hit me. When Thistle was a Pixie she made friends with children out of instinct. When Phelma Jo was mean to her, Thistle ceased all attempts to befriend her. Thistle, and all of her tribe concentrated on the mischief and not the friendship.

What if the prime directive of of Pixie is to befriend those who need it most? Certainly lonely and super shy Dusty needed a friend. But didn't abused Phelma Jo also need one? Would PJ have grown up hard and mean and convinced the world owes her for all the horrible things that happened to her, if she'd had even one friend?

I've already inserted a whole passle of Pixies who keep the police dispatcher informed of who's doing what to whom and where they are located at any given moment.

This is starting to look like a theme and maybe filling in some of the gaping holes in the plot that went no where.

Just like lace is thread defining air, something out of nothing, writing a useless scene triggered the lizard brain to release the fine Scotch it's been distilling for a few months.

leukari if you are out there, I have a copy of Space Grunts for you. Please send me your address to:
ramblinphyl AT hotmail DOT com.

According to my camping, hunting, fishing, outdoor craft neighbor the smell in my back yard is bear urine that has baked in the heat too long.

It's too sweet to be cougar. Bears eat berries and seeds as well as fish and rodents. Those berries cut the acrid scent somewhat.

Cougars eat meat. They smell almost burning acid.

Nothing else unusual happening today. Community picnic later, then I'll probably curl up with 1776 on the classic movie channel. T will be working of course. He doesn't like making small talk with crowds.

I'm getting used to the scent of bear. It's slightly acrid, not quite pungent. And just there, underneath flowers and grass and trees and normal mountain air odors.

Then to day there is something else, something deeper, sharper. Predatory.

Wouldn't be surprised a if a cougar marked territory around here.

Then again it could be just a bachelor bear with hormones jumping. I don't know. I smell a warning in that marker.

3 small writing tasks done. total of 1200+ words.

3 less things to worry about or drag me away from the next book. which I should start tomorrow.