The Girdle of Melian

have been rereading a bit more than usual lately. What is usual, is that my rereading involves Agatha Christie. Work is busy and there's an AMA writing exercise on, so what do I do? Sort all my Agatha Christie books of course! I printed out a bibliography, and for the first time ever, I went through the whole pile: I weeded out about 15 duplicates, and figured out that I'm only missing 10 books! I've read them all, at my mother's or grandmother's, but those are the only 10 I don't own. Technically, I have two of the short story collections on the Kindle app as well, along with Star Over Bethlehem , but I didn't count those. Here are the sorted rows!: I also reread Lullaby by Auden : I'd forgotten how moving it is. And I've just (re)learned that his grave is in Austria! On his grave marker is written "In the prison of his days / Teach the free man how to praise". We'll have to visit it sometime, maybe passing thr...

sk me anything! It's not quite a writers' houseparty, but it's close! Our characters have begun to arrive at the world between worlds (reminiscent of CS Lewis), and to answer the questions posed to them... Here are the guidelines from thelitforum : "How does it work? Start a thread for whichever character you choose to bring, titled [Your name]’s AMA September 2020: [Character name] Check the Daily Questions thread for a new prompt each day, and respond in your character’s thread using their point of view. While this exercise has traditionally been undertaken in first person POV, you may use third person or any other POV that works for you. Where possible, answer any other questions that may be posed in your thread by other authors/ their characters. If you find you’re running short on time and attention, end your conversation without posing a further question in reply. If you’re finding the interaction useful, keep it rolling by reciprocating. Drop into ...

oday is Insecure Writer's Support Group Day! And this is the ninth anniversary of the Insecure Writer's Support Group ! I went back and found all the IWSG Day posts on this blog that I could. I seem to have missed the first ever month, but have been right there since October 2011! More on that in a bit. This post is going to be a doozy! First the IWSG question, then an update for ROW80, then my history of IWSG Day posts, then some photos! From Alex , the Ninja Captain: "Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for...

writing habits! Writing schedules! I've posted about these a few times before: A writing self-assessment from 2009 : "1. Writing location. I don't have one. This either results in no words written or, on days when my willpower is actually raring to go, very early mornings at the coffee shop. Obviously, that sort of schedule doesn't stay in place long. I've got to think of a new writing location; a stable, no-distractions time and place. This'll be my new year's resolution. 2. I promise to get writing done at work and never do it. I've decided to stop beating myself over the head with this. Spanish classes, lunch with my mom, errands and knitting are more than enough for lunch breaks. Better to find a location (see #1) that's only about the writing. 3. I must remember that even a little writing is better than none. So what if it's just a paragraph? The idea is to start; it usually leads to more. No more putting off my own writing to read someon...

inds! Winds of Lac Leman/Lake Geneva I love learning the names of the winds around here. The bise is the one that's the coldest, coing straight over the Alps. I few of the others are detailed in this sheet from Mirabaud . I had some other links, but I cut the information from my blog draft and went to paste it in here, and it had disappeared into the Microsoft ether. Back up everything, whenever you can! We recently visited the Leman museum, where they had a whole panel devoted to the winds. They also had a panel about Deep Purple! The history of Smoke on the Water ... Mini ROW80 update! I've been trying to fix my short story to enter the Surrey International Writers' Conference contest , and I printed the latest version of Captive of the Sea , to see if I can get some edits done on paper... Are there any special winds where you are?

lways versus ever About a decade ago, I shared some of my writing habits in an Always/Never list. The 2011 version: In my writing, I Always: - use pen and paper for the first draft - have characters glance at each other - repeat "and then" all over the place - use the word "wondered" - sprinkle meaningless modifiers (small, big, large, tiny, etc.) willy nilly I Never: - know the names of secondary characters until the third draft or so - keep all the scenes I write (a lot end up as gangplanks or backstory, saved in draft folders) - add dialogue tags in the first draft (the margin is always filled with notes like "but what are they doing??") - write a story set in modern times - use contractions. Everyone's so formal all the time! I have to remind myself to be more casual in dialogue. Things sure change! I don't do many of those things anymore. Here's the 2020 version: In my writing, I Always: - type the first draft o...