I haven’t looked at any of my recent words in the past three weeks, so when I got a note from my editor that she is expecting to finish her job this week, I had another one of those internal push-pull conversations about whether I should try to start something new now, or just keep on with my mental vacation. Which turns out not to be so much vacation as a lot more day-job work.
It will be interesting to see which elements I have to excise from what I sent her three weeks ago. I hope that what stays becomes my best book yet.
Which should give a small hint that I remain fallow in terms of word production.
On the other hand, I discovered an artist who paints with black light or UV sensitive paint to allow for different views of her space- and ocean-themed work according to time of day and lighting, and I’m trying to figure out how I can make a plan to live with some in some future house of mine…
Of course, I’ve been reading. No novels this week, though I did find and read the latest of The Hotel Paranormal books, Heart of a Thief. I also found a blog that focuses on Native American news and issues. An article listing the many documented mass murders, as well as one about the Two Spirit traditions across a wide range of tribes are particularly useful perspectives in the light of recent news. People who work to gin up fear about murderous attacks (terrorism! radical Islam!) seem willfully ignorant about how bad these things can get, or the range of perpetrators–and at the same time, ridiculously blind to the real source of the worst terrorism: whites and Christians who were so certain their manifest destiny was to rule the world they had no shame about the genocide perpetrated in the “land of the free.”
Contrasting news about a Canadian city that has eliminated long-term homelessness, and a study of the actual impact of minimum wage increases across 78 years of those federal mandates being in place had me thinking again about Carrie Vaughn’s Bannerless, as well as about the whole Star Trek universe, or even my long-time happy place, Pern. The concept of a world where people earn their roles through the work they invest in whatever it is they DO, and basic needs like shelter and food are never actually a concern, sounds so far-fetched in today’s America. But if you look close enough, and particularly at the example of that Canadian town, it’s amazing all the costs you avoid by investing in just those basics.
Yes, I know, I’m a radical for thinking there might be sense to a kind of social support network that allows individuals to contribute according to their skills without worrying about subsistence while they find their niche. It’s such juicy scifi fodder, though, and even hinted at in my book The Builders, I’m tempted to write a follow-on story just to explore how that might play out.
A different plotbunny thought is being driven by people being struck by lightning. I am friends with two people who have been (and no, neither was used as a source in that article), and it seems to me that this “finger of god” experience is not unlike the Native traditions involving the trials and tribulations of a Spirit Quest. What if that were literally true?
As you can see, many thoughts, little action recently. Aside from walking. My phone says I averaged 4,868 steps daily this week, a dramatic improvement over recent months. Tashie’s stamina has so improved that she managed almost 20 minutes on the underwater treadmill going 2 miles per hour during her rehab session yesterday. To compare, when she started, she was so stiff and hobbled it was difficult for her to even get to 1 mile per hour.
Regarding date night….? Hubs and I got to watch our niece in her Spring ballet performance last night. What we’re really looking forward to is watching Wonder Woman this week. I hope the title character’s heroics put me in the proper frame of mind to address the edits coming my way.
In the meantime, this round of ROW80 is wrapping up, with only two more Sundays of check-ins remaining before we start the next round. I may need to work on an editing goal next week and see whether I can bust butt and finish that task this round, or whether the long-awaited final book of the Red Slaves trilogy comes out in July. (Considering Gayla has begun work on a novella she is aiming to put out this month… I’m thinking a July release for mine is most likely. 😀 )
You’re filling the well. Just as important as spilling words on the page. Who knows where all that reading and musing will lead in your next book?
Sorry to hear that the words don’t seem to be flowing as freely as you would like. But I totally get the issues of “day-to-day” jobs.
That painted room is… WOW! Though, on a similar line, I had a friend who did custom car paintjobs of a similar line, with glow-in-the-dark patterns of flames and stars. I always wanted him to paint my car, but the sheer cost of the paint at the time (early 90s) was way, waaay beyond my budget.
Maybe we should go together on a duplex? 😉
And lastly… two friends who have been struck by lightning… that’s pretty amazing. But, it seems, given what the article says, that it’s not that uncommon for someone to survive after all. Still.. wow.