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Still having fun, still writing up a storm. I believe I'm now a third of the way into Magic or Madness III (and, yes, I have my fingers crossed that, finally, one of the trilogy will have the preferred title: Magic! Magic! Magic! Oi! Oi! Oi!). Being a third in works out well as we're now a third of the way into our stay here. How bout that?
Was me birthday last week and Luz's lovely sister baked me a cake:
It was dead good. Champagne was drunk. Poker was played. Excellent presents were received. Not to mention all the wonderful birthday calls. And I wrote a bunch of words. Yay, me.
Also, just to add to the birthday celebrations 'twas ...
Posted by Justine at 21:37, September 26th, 2005 under Food, Liquids, Magic or Madness trilogy, Sport, Travelling |
I decided it would be very cool to get a photograph of a hummingbird. And, indeed, it would be. But the gap between seeing the hummingbird, grabbing the camera, turning the crappy thing on, having it pointed in the right direction is so ridiculously long, that by then the hummingbird is five gardens over.
Apparently nature photography is tricky. Who knew?
Here's one of my hummingbird shots. (I won't bore you with all of them):
Notice the glaring absence of said humingbird.
I hereby give up. Stupid hummingbirds. I for one do not welcome our hummingbird overlords. I spit on their gravy.
Posted by Justine at 19:41, September 26th, 2005 under Travelling, Viewing, Whingeing |
Word count: 15,000
Average word count: 2,500 a day ((Look, I know word counts are spectacularly boring to everyone accept the person counting the words, but, mate, I'm bloody screaming along! Normally, when I'm starting a book I can barely scrape a thousand words a day together. I can't believe how the words are pouring out of me! I mean, it's the final book of me trilogy, I thought it was going to be horrible agony. I thought I had no idea what was going to happen. And here the book is practically writing itself! Maaate! Fingers crossed that I have not spoken too soon. Not superstitious, me.))
We arrived in the middle of the anniversary of the first Mexican revolution. Many ...
Posted by Justine at 19:06, September 21st, 2005 under Magic or Madness trilogy, Scott's books, Travelling, Viewing |
We're only getting to the internet place once every three days (or so) and there's not enough time for me to do all the internetty stuff I wanna. Have to do all the biz, admin, and research stuff first. Sigh. So, I'm behind with all my fun correspondence. If I haven't writ it don't mean the love is gone. Honest. I haven't read anyone's blog, or newspapers, or anything since we left NYC. I have no idea what's happening in Sydney, NYC, or the rest of the world, or the blogsphere, or anywhere except our little bit of San Miguel. (Ask me about Luz's life and I can tell you anything you wanna know! Short version: she's doing great.) ...
Posted by Justine at 18:07, September 21st, 2005 under Excuses, Travelling |
Thus far 10,000 words have been writ of the third Magic or Madness book.
Everything here is more beautiful than I remember on account of it being September the very best month of all.
The food is still excellent. Hibiscus quesadillas rule!
Brain unable to produce more words.
Thanks for all good wishes.
Posted by Justine at 20:20, September 18th, 2005 under Magic or Madness trilogy, Travelling |
In a few short hours, we're off to Mexico. First Mexico City, where I've never been before, and hope to have a wee spot of amusement, and then San Miguel de Allende where we will be checking into writers' boot camp and churning out zillions a word of day while being whipped and fed nothing but gruel and water. But at the end of the horror, there will be two new Larbalestier and Westerfeld novels. So it'll be worth it . . .
If I can escape and get somewhere internety, I'll blog. If not, you'll know that I'll be writing the good write!
Wish me luck.
Posted by Justine at 23:48, September 12th, 2005 under Bloggery, Travelling |
In
Affectionate Remembrance
Of
AUSTRALIAN CRICKET WHICH DIED AT THE OVAL
On
12th September, 2005
Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances
R. I. P.
N.B.---The body will be cremated and the ashes kept in England.
Posted by Justine at 11:33, September 12th, 2005 under Cricket, Sport |
It's not over until it's over.
Posted by Justine at 8:56, September 12th, 2005 under Cricket, Sport |
Okay, I admit it. I am a daggy, daggy fan. I discovered
Elizabeth Knox last year courtesy of
Delia Sherman and
Ellen Kushner who gave me a copy of
Vintner's Luck, which made my head explode with pleasure. It had everything I want from a book: it was an historical featuring exquisite writing with lots of non-realist elements and it was wry-funny and smarter than Shane Warne on a cricket green. Just thinking about that book makes me happy. I haven't been as excited about a new writer since I discovered Angela Carter and that was many, many, many years ago.
So imagine my over-the-top ecstatic joy when Elizabeth Knox
wrote a comment on my blog! ...
Posted by Justine at 20:26, September 11th, 2005 under Bloggery, Reading, Young Adult literature |
Letters of support
Blurbs
Bios
Business letters
Outlines
Synopses
Abstracts
Chapter summaries
Update: I forgot the worst of the lot: grant applications!
Posted by Justine at 16:13, September 11th, 2005 under Whingeing, Words & Language, Writing life |
"Rampage" is one of the best radio documentaries I've ever heard.
Over the last few years Australian war artist
George Gittoes has been documenting the war in Iraq through the music of the conflict---the sounds being listened to and made by US troops in Iraq. Now he's travelled home with the soldiers and found himself in a whole new war zone---America.
Miami specifically. In his previous documentary, Soundtrack to War (
chunks of which were used in Michael Moore's Fahrenheidt 9/11) one of the soldiers he followed, Elliot Lovett, said that Iraq was a doddle compared to where he lived in Miami. Gittoes followed him home and discovered that it was true.
Listen to it
here.
Posted by Justine at 0:40, September 11th, 2005 under Listening, New York City/USA, State of the World |
Hayden and Langer went off for the light. Are you bloody kidding me? Are they insane? Unbelievable. Sack Ponting.
Posted by Justine at 10:33, September 9th, 2005 under Cricket, Sport |
Day One of the last test of the Ashes. I reckon we're ahead and it's all cause of that cricket God,
Shane Warne.
That is all.
Posted by Justine at 13:05, September 8th, 2005 under Cricket, Sport |
Posted by Justine at 10:55, September 8th, 2005 under Magic or Madness trilogy, Words & Language, Writing life |
It's been quiet around here for several reasons. Mostly Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. Despite reading
John M. Ford's excellent advice, I've been following all the news and
like everyone else getting angry and upset. I really hope the disaster will lead to everything being done that needs to be done: rebuilding the wetlands, rebuilding New Orleans as a place for all her now former residents, and making sure that the response to any future hurricanes or anything else will never be so slow ever again.
Then all my tedious deadlines. The proofs of Magic Lessons and the paperback version of Magic or Madness need checking, and, of course, the third and final book in the trilogy ...
Posted by Justine at 0:13, September 8th, 2005 under Bloggery, Magic or Madness trilogy, New York City/USA, State of the World |
Posted by Justine at 14:52, September 5th, 2005 under Bloggery, Magic or Madness trilogy, New York City/USA, Words & Language, Writing life |
Boingboing has been linking to many heartwrenching accounts of the aftermath of Katrina.
This one captures some of the intense anger many people are feeling. It's also an account of local people in Texas doing whatever they can to help.
Texans are well-known for their generosity. It's grand to know that they're already demonstrating those qualities to the newcomers. (Scott's family are all from Texas so I've experienced that warmth and kindness first hand.) Here's hoping government at local, state and federal level will more than match the generosity of the people.
Scott's uncle is a principal at a downtown high school in Houston. A few days ago Katrina had already given them 15 new students and he was already ...
Posted by Justine at 15:50, September 3rd, 2005 under New York City/USA, State of the World |
In the vein of fiddling while Rome burns I read Ruth Reichl's decadent account of being the restaurant critic for The New York Times in one gulp last night. Could not put Garlic and Sapphires down, no matter how hungry I got, how desperate to run out of the house and find the incredible food, and wine she describes.
I defy you not to get very very hungry reading prose like this, even if you just ate:
I took a bite and immediately forgot his knee. I forgot everything but what was going on in my mouth, the fish doing a little tango with crunchy strips of artichoke. The softness of the fish was sandwiched between layers of crunch---the artichoke on ...
Posted by Justine at 17:46, September 2nd, 2005 under Food, Liquids, New York City/USA, Reading |
When the tsunami hit we were in Sydney. Psychically, Indonesia, Thailand, the whole of southeast asia, just doesn't feel very far away from Australia. They are our neighbours. Yet the tsunami hit, thousands of people died and we ate our breakfast of mangoes, bananas and passionfruit, granola and yoghurt like always. Sure we cried, followed the coverage, donated money, but our life in Sydney was unaltered. We thought about other things, went out with our friends, laughed.
Now New Orleans is destroyed, hundreds are dead in Mississipi and Louisiana but life in New York isn't any different. We're in the same country, but we're miles and miles away, here water is plentiful. We've cried at the coverage, donated money, but our ...
Posted by Justine at 12:01, September 1st, 2005 under New York City/USA, State of the World, Sydney/Australia |
