So there was this old house on the corner of X Dr. and Y Mile Road that was built before the subdivision went in. The house had a big tree in the corner of the lot. Pedestrians and bicyclists had worn a path that cut off the corner. The path passed behind the big tree.
One day I was walking along Y Mile Road by the old house and took the path. To my surprise, I found David Bowie standing beside the tree. Bowie and I began talking about glass beads.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Thursday, August 24, 2006
The Audacious Epigone: Diversity is more better
This is an excellent essay on rendering textbooks so politically correct that they become propaganda.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Amusing Reading
The man who created this list was fired from his job for publishing politically incorrect thoughts: A Lefty Lexicon
(via Pub Philosopher)
(via Pub Philosopher)
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
The Color of His Skin
I came to a part in my novel in which I envisioned a character singing an anti-racism song. I thought about simply declaring that she sang such a song, but I also thought the novel might be stronger if I actually gave the lyrics to the song. Below is my first try at it. Constructive criticism is welcome, that is, if anyone actually reads this. Zane is the name of the character's husband.
The Color of His Skin
I met him on a windy night.
My hat blew from my head.
Zane picked it up and turned to me,
And with a grin he said,
"I know the gods have made this wind
Just so we two could meet.
We should respect their will if you'll
Excuse my grand conceit."
I must admit his forwardness
Induced a rapid blink.
You see, his skin is golden brown,
And me, my skin is pink.
His hands are deft. His back is strong. And, yes, his skin is brown.
His eyes are kind. His mind is wise. And, yes, his skin is brown.
But still, he was a handsome beast
And had a nimble tongue.
I thought of right and wrong and said,
"Aw hell, the night is young."
We chatted down the street, and then
We dodged a weaving car.
The drunken folk were out, so we
Took shelter in a bar.
The keeper scowled a little when
Zane purchased me a drink.
You see, his skin is golden brown,
And me, my skin is pink.
His hands are deft. His back is strong. And, yes, his skin is brown.
His eyes are kind. His mind is wise. And, yes, his skin is brown.
And by the evening's end I knew
That wind had set our fate.
The only question that remained
Was could we beat the hate?
I took him home to meet my kin,
And told what lay ahead.
I said our love ran deep and strong,
And soon we would be wed.
"I'm sorry, child," my mother said.
"I'll save you from this brink.
You see, his skin is golden brown,
And you, your skin is pink."
And on that day I learned a truth
I sing without a qualm:
There comes a time in all our lives
To say to hell with Mom.
His hands are deft. His back is strong. And, yes, his skin is brown.
His eyes are kind. His mind is wise. And, yes, his skin is brown.
Technorati tags: novel writing, verse, writing
The Color of His Skin
I met him on a windy night.
My hat blew from my head.
Zane picked it up and turned to me,
And with a grin he said,
"I know the gods have made this wind
Just so we two could meet.
We should respect their will if you'll
Excuse my grand conceit."
I must admit his forwardness
Induced a rapid blink.
You see, his skin is golden brown,
And me, my skin is pink.
His hands are deft. His back is strong. And, yes, his skin is brown.
His eyes are kind. His mind is wise. And, yes, his skin is brown.
But still, he was a handsome beast
And had a nimble tongue.
I thought of right and wrong and said,
"Aw hell, the night is young."
We chatted down the street, and then
We dodged a weaving car.
The drunken folk were out, so we
Took shelter in a bar.
The keeper scowled a little when
Zane purchased me a drink.
You see, his skin is golden brown,
And me, my skin is pink.
His hands are deft. His back is strong. And, yes, his skin is brown.
His eyes are kind. His mind is wise. And, yes, his skin is brown.
And by the evening's end I knew
That wind had set our fate.
The only question that remained
Was could we beat the hate?
I took him home to meet my kin,
And told what lay ahead.
I said our love ran deep and strong,
And soon we would be wed.
"I'm sorry, child," my mother said.
"I'll save you from this brink.
You see, his skin is golden brown,
And you, your skin is pink."
And on that day I learned a truth
I sing without a qualm:
There comes a time in all our lives
To say to hell with Mom.
His hands are deft. His back is strong. And, yes, his skin is brown.
His eyes are kind. His mind is wise. And, yes, his skin is brown.
Technorati tags: novel writing, verse, writing
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
The Subconscious Speaks
I dreamed about one of the characters in my novel last night (plus several of the cast members of the early ER and a small dog with a hacksaw).
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Novel Progress 3
I have a bit more than 37,000 words of rough draft, so my pace has fallen off some. It's not that I'm blocked; I've just been tired lately, and my concentration is off. On the bright side, I still like what I've been writing. To be this far along and still like it is a record for me. I've also been doing some editing as I write. I find that is a good warm-up before I start writing new stuff. Everything but today's output has had at least one revision.
I intend to post the novel to the Web, but I'm debating with myself whether I should start posting it as a serial before I get it finished. On the pro side, it would help keep me inspired to get it finished, and a lot of Web novels are done that way for that reason. On the con side, it makes it harder to revise, and I would be posting a draft rather than the finished manuscript. And what happens if I don't finish? A large number of unfinished novels lurk on the Web. It is frustrating to read the start of one, like it, await the next chapter, and eventually realize it is never going to come.
I intend to post the novel to the Web, but I'm debating with myself whether I should start posting it as a serial before I get it finished. On the pro side, it would help keep me inspired to get it finished, and a lot of Web novels are done that way for that reason. On the con side, it makes it harder to revise, and I would be posting a draft rather than the finished manuscript. And what happens if I don't finish? A large number of unfinished novels lurk on the Web. It is frustrating to read the start of one, like it, await the next chapter, and eventually realize it is never going to come.
Technorati tags: novel writing, writing
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Quit Digging
I know! Let's take all our troops home except for enough to maintain a few navy bases, deport all Muslims who aren't already citizens, cut back legal immigration to about 200,000 per year, make those who get in the very best people we can get, and start enforcing our laws against illegal immigration. It wouldn't fix everything, but it would at least stop making the problems worse.
Friday, August 04, 2006
The Wikipedia Game
I have just invented a game. Pick a topic, any topic, as long as you think Wikipedia has an article on it. Go the Wikipedia front page. Starting with links on the front page, you must navigate to your selected topic by only clicking links, that is, without any use of search.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Novel Progress 2
As of now, a have about 27,000 words of rough draft, so the 1000-words-per-day pace is holding. I've come up with several secondary characters and am getting a feel for their personalities. I've also thought up some ideas for the opposition.
I've read advice that when planning novels one should start with the plot and create characters to fit, and I've read advice that one should start with the characters and develop a plot based on the characters' desires. For better or worse, I started with the main character and a problem he had volunteered to solve.
The main character is actually someone who has been kicking around in my mind for some time. I've tried to write stories about him and a couple of other characters before, but I've always given up 10,000 to 20,000 words in when I realized how derivative everything I wrote struck me. This time I told myself that I didn't care, that I would concentrate on coming up with a story that I thought was fun and quit worrying about being derivative.
The goal is to get a rough draft completed from beginning to end. Once I have that to work with, I can cut or replace anything that I think readers have seen too often. The interesting thing is, now that I've made the commitment to keep going, the ideas have been starting to flow.
I have a good idea of what the opposition wants. I think it is a well-intended goal, not a cartoon evil-for-evil's-sake that one too often sees in fantasy. The conflict will be generated by their methods causing problems and the goal itself causing unintended consequences. I hope I have the skill to pull it off.
I still have no idea what the ending is going to be.
I've read advice that when planning novels one should start with the plot and create characters to fit, and I've read advice that one should start with the characters and develop a plot based on the characters' desires. For better or worse, I started with the main character and a problem he had volunteered to solve.
The main character is actually someone who has been kicking around in my mind for some time. I've tried to write stories about him and a couple of other characters before, but I've always given up 10,000 to 20,000 words in when I realized how derivative everything I wrote struck me. This time I told myself that I didn't care, that I would concentrate on coming up with a story that I thought was fun and quit worrying about being derivative.
The goal is to get a rough draft completed from beginning to end. Once I have that to work with, I can cut or replace anything that I think readers have seen too often. The interesting thing is, now that I've made the commitment to keep going, the ideas have been starting to flow.
I have a good idea of what the opposition wants. I think it is a well-intended goal, not a cartoon evil-for-evil's-sake that one too often sees in fantasy. The conflict will be generated by their methods causing problems and the goal itself causing unintended consequences. I hope I have the skill to pull it off.
I still have no idea what the ending is going to be.
Technorati tags: novel writing, writing
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Seeing Things in a Different Light
You know, I don't think it has ever occurred to me before, but The Sound of Music is really about the worldly corruption of a nun.
I now have more respect for that stupid movie.
I now have more respect for that stupid movie.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Novel Progress
I have about 20,000 words of my novel roughed out. It is still going well, but it is still just a beginning. What I have, I haven't yet started to hate, which is something.
It averages out that I'm writing about 1,000 words per day, which I understand is pretty good for fiction.
Technorati tags: novel writing, writing
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Brief Review: A Colorado Country Girl's Self Bondage
I don't know what originally attracted me to this story (NSFW); it's possible that I thought the title intriguing. I don't even remember how I initially found it. A lot of BDSM flavored erotica tends to scare me away, because thoughts of people being hurt and thoughts of sex mostly conflict in my mind. Ropes and chains are cool, but whips are kind of freaky.
Anyway, when I first read it, only two chapters had been posted. I enjoyed reading them, and a few days ago, I again looked the story up. As of this writing, four chapters are up, a bit more than 12,000 words, so far. I don't know if the author intends to continue adding to it or if it is now finished. I hope she has more to say.
The author claims to be a 49-year-old woman and that the story is true autobiography about her youth. I do have some doubts. For instance, she claims to have hung herself from her arms for improbably long amounts of time, and to even have fallen asleep while hanging overnight. Is it possible? I don't really know, but if I had to guess, I would guess not. And when she relates the scene of her discovery that her mother was kinky as well, my BS meter screamed.
That said, I'm not sure if my doubts damaged my enjoyment of the supposed recollections that much. There is something charming about the stories whether they are true or not. In a favorite incident of the reviewer, she talks about first hogtieing herself and then using a pencil stuck through a wad of paper held in her teeth to turn the pages of her high school reading homework, thus accidentally reinventing the ball gag. If it's true, it's cute. If it's not true, it's a humorous authorial invention.
The story is told as a series of such vignettes held together by the narrator's growing awareness that she is seriously kinky. She talks about first discovering that bondage turns her on when her boyfriend playfully ties her up at age sixteen, about learning how to tie herself up, about inventing her own rack (the painful kind), about discovering her exhibitionist streak, and so on, all told through the eyes of a teenager excitedly discovering her true self. I liked it.
Technorati tags: reviews, recommended reading
Anyway, when I first read it, only two chapters had been posted. I enjoyed reading them, and a few days ago, I again looked the story up. As of this writing, four chapters are up, a bit more than 12,000 words, so far. I don't know if the author intends to continue adding to it or if it is now finished. I hope she has more to say.
The author claims to be a 49-year-old woman and that the story is true autobiography about her youth. I do have some doubts. For instance, she claims to have hung herself from her arms for improbably long amounts of time, and to even have fallen asleep while hanging overnight. Is it possible? I don't really know, but if I had to guess, I would guess not. And when she relates the scene of her discovery that her mother was kinky as well, my BS meter screamed.
That said, I'm not sure if my doubts damaged my enjoyment of the supposed recollections that much. There is something charming about the stories whether they are true or not. In a favorite incident of the reviewer, she talks about first hogtieing herself and then using a pencil stuck through a wad of paper held in her teeth to turn the pages of her high school reading homework, thus accidentally reinventing the ball gag. If it's true, it's cute. If it's not true, it's a humorous authorial invention.
The story is told as a series of such vignettes held together by the narrator's growing awareness that she is seriously kinky. She talks about first discovering that bondage turns her on when her boyfriend playfully ties her up at age sixteen, about learning how to tie herself up, about inventing her own rack (the painful kind), about discovering her exhibitionist streak, and so on, all told through the eyes of a teenager excitedly discovering her true self. I liked it.
Technorati tags: reviews, recommended reading
Novel Thoughts
Yesterday, I wrote about 2,700 words for my novel. That gives me about 13,000 words of rough draft. I don't know yet what I'm going to do in the middle or end, but the beginning is going fairly well. I like the main character.
The novel is a fantasy. I am rather tired of the pseudo-medieval or pseudo-renaissance settings so common in fantasy, so I'm going more modern. The technology level of the primary setting is roughly that of the United States in 1950 with a few changes. They don't have internal combustion engines, concentrated fuels, or explosives. They do have electricity and external combustion engines. Medical technology is closer to 1975 or so. The have short-range electric cars and dirigibles.
I'm debating with myself whether I should include sex scenes. I currently intend to post it to the Web eventually--if I finish it--and many, perhaps most, of the popular Web novels have a good dose of erotica. I certainly don't have anything against erotica. I especially like the amateur erotica posted to the Internet. It is interesting to see what people reveal about what turns them on when they are primarily writing for themselves. It's true that a lot of the writing runs from god-awful to rough, but some of the writers are skilled, and I know of a few who write at a professional or near-professional level.
On the other hand, the focus of the novel isn't erotica. I'm 14,000 words in, and no natural place for a sex scene has yet presented itself. If some of my ideas pan out, there will be a few natural places for sex, but the scenes will make up only a small portion of the novel. I could probably fairly easily make an adult version of the novel with the sex happening on camera and an adolescent version of the novel with the sex happening off camera. I might try that. That's assuming that I can write a sex scene that isn’t laughable.
If this thing actually turns out to be good enough that I'm not embarrassed to send it to publishers, I'm not sure what having posted it to the Web will have upon my chances for getting a book contract. The late Jim Baen, publisher of Baen Books, said that posting free novels to the Web appeared to help his sales, but most publishers might not think that way.
Oh well, I'm getting way ahead of myself.
The novel is a fantasy. I am rather tired of the pseudo-medieval or pseudo-renaissance settings so common in fantasy, so I'm going more modern. The technology level of the primary setting is roughly that of the United States in 1950 with a few changes. They don't have internal combustion engines, concentrated fuels, or explosives. They do have electricity and external combustion engines. Medical technology is closer to 1975 or so. The have short-range electric cars and dirigibles.
I'm debating with myself whether I should include sex scenes. I currently intend to post it to the Web eventually--if I finish it--and many, perhaps most, of the popular Web novels have a good dose of erotica. I certainly don't have anything against erotica. I especially like the amateur erotica posted to the Internet. It is interesting to see what people reveal about what turns them on when they are primarily writing for themselves. It's true that a lot of the writing runs from god-awful to rough, but some of the writers are skilled, and I know of a few who write at a professional or near-professional level.
On the other hand, the focus of the novel isn't erotica. I'm 14,000 words in, and no natural place for a sex scene has yet presented itself. If some of my ideas pan out, there will be a few natural places for sex, but the scenes will make up only a small portion of the novel. I could probably fairly easily make an adult version of the novel with the sex happening on camera and an adolescent version of the novel with the sex happening off camera. I might try that. That's assuming that I can write a sex scene that isn’t laughable.
If this thing actually turns out to be good enough that I'm not embarrassed to send it to publishers, I'm not sure what having posted it to the Web will have upon my chances for getting a book contract. The late Jim Baen, publisher of Baen Books, said that posting free novels to the Web appeared to help his sales, but most publishers might not think that way.
Oh well, I'm getting way ahead of myself.
Technorati tags: novel writing, writing
Monday, July 17, 2006
Novel
Approximately July 5, I started working on a novel. It has been going pretty well, so far; I have about 10,400 words roughed out. Over the years, I've attempted serious writing several times, but I've always given up.
Technorati tags: novel writing, writing
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Fair Analysis
This seems like a reasonably fair analysis to me: Why Russia loves Putin
Technorati tag: recommended reading
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Some Good Stuff
Gates of Vienna has a nice essay about the origins of Western civilization.
Steve Sailer tells why societies that are organized by extended families are going to have trouble with modern economies.
Jerry Pournelle's useful reviews will no longer be appearing in Byte. You can find them here instead.
Technorati tag: recommended reading
Steve Sailer tells why societies that are organized by extended families are going to have trouble with modern economies.
Jerry Pournelle's useful reviews will no longer be appearing in Byte. You can find them here instead.
Technorati tag: recommended reading
Brief Review: Once More With Feelings
Once More With Feelings, a free Internet novel by the author who uses the pseudonym "The Night Hawk," is a pleasant wish-fulfillment fantasy in which a misanthropic middle-aged man dies and then wakes up in the body of a 14-year-old girl. Given another chance, does he take the opportunity to do better this time?
Because the protagonist is seldom confronted with serious dilemmas, the story isn't particularly dramatic. Even the team in the volleyball subplot has an improbably easy time overcoming its opponents. Because it's difficult for an author to build tension if his characters aren't put in either mental or physical danger, those looking for a nail-biter or page-turner will want to read something else.
On the other hand, the author apparently wasn't aiming at drama, but at a feel-good story. In this he succeeds well. The reader is frequently given vicarious pleasure when the newly young protagonist inadvertently helps herself by helping others. I often found myself grinning at all the sweetness and light and the not infrequent amusing situations. Those who are feeling down and in the need of a pick-me-up might like this one. I enjoyed it.
Technically, the novel is erotica. The sex scenes are arousing, but stroke isn't the focus of the story. It's primarily a character study with the message that nice people finish first. Given the (new) age of the protagonist, those who are disturbed by underage sex should skip this one.
Once More With Feelings can be found here, here, and at the Storiesonline site.
Technorati tags: reviews, recommended reading
Because the protagonist is seldom confronted with serious dilemmas, the story isn't particularly dramatic. Even the team in the volleyball subplot has an improbably easy time overcoming its opponents. Because it's difficult for an author to build tension if his characters aren't put in either mental or physical danger, those looking for a nail-biter or page-turner will want to read something else.
On the other hand, the author apparently wasn't aiming at drama, but at a feel-good story. In this he succeeds well. The reader is frequently given vicarious pleasure when the newly young protagonist inadvertently helps herself by helping others. I often found myself grinning at all the sweetness and light and the not infrequent amusing situations. Those who are feeling down and in the need of a pick-me-up might like this one. I enjoyed it.
Technically, the novel is erotica. The sex scenes are arousing, but stroke isn't the focus of the story. It's primarily a character study with the message that nice people finish first. Given the (new) age of the protagonist, those who are disturbed by underage sex should skip this one.
Once More With Feelings can be found here, here, and at the Storiesonline site.
Technorati tags: reviews, recommended reading
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