Justine Larbalestier

reading, writing, eating, drinking, sport

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Little round up

Firstly, the polls: I thought you all should know that the result of the poll was that Nevada is our chosen smoking state of the US of A. Closely followed by Wyoming. Hope you’re happy, Mr Williams!

The new poll is on fashion atrocities. I’m a bit cross that no one has voted for espadrilles yet. Oh, how I HATE them! Soles of shoes are not supposed to be made of rope! It’s UGLY, people! Are you all blind?! (Poll is to your right.)

Matter the second, the word count discussion has been interesting and enlightening. In fact, it made me realise more fully the why of my word count dislike. I do not care to share my day-by-day process. Don’t get me wrong I adore talking about process. But I like to talk about it overall: here’s some thoughts on rewriting, here’s a very silly set of suggestions for writing a novel, here’s how I wrote this book, here’s how I find looking at other people’s writing incredibly useful and so on and so forth.

But posting daily on my struggles or successes in the writing coal mine? Nah. Too close to the bone. I feel like I’ll come across as a massive whinger (Oh my Elvis writing this book is killing me! Why are leopard ballet sequence so bloody difficult?! What was I thinking?! I’m a hack! A talentless hack!!) or the most conceited self-satisfied writer in the universe (Wow, I am a genius! I am the Lord Barham of writing! Look at these pearls of unspeakable genius that I crafted today! How could perfection such as the crystalline words that coruscate from my fingers exist in this oh so imperfect world?! It astonishes me!). So I confine such thoughts to myself.

Oh, hang on—wooops!

Look over there: Leopards dancing! Flying giant woolly squirrels playing badminton with quokkas!

There is no matter the third.

As you were.

Posted by Justine at 12:05, 12 May 2008 under Bloggery, Fashion, Frippery, Vainglory, Writing goals & milestones | 14 Comments »

Comments

  1. Michelle Sagara Says:

    I don’t post word counts, but I did find the answers to your question very interesting. I do, on the other, occasionally whinge >.<. In part I do it (hopefully not too often!) because it’s part of the process that we all go through, and I think it makes it clear that people who are struggling in the not-yet-published dark areas are struggling in many of the same ways as people who are published.

    … but, you know, it’s possible that I just come across as whiny >.<.

    May 12th, 2008 at 12:21 pm

  2. 2. Justine Says:

    Michelle: You don’t at all come across that way. I really enjoy and get a lot out of the way you talk about writing. I think I’m just being neurotic about this one and superstitious about talking too much about work before it’s finished.

    BTW I loved your comparison of being a mother with being a writer.

    May 12th, 2008 at 12:26 pm

  3. Celia Says:

    I think your problem with the side bar poll is there are simply too many hateful things on it. I thought to myself, “Self, you hate espadrilles too, go make Justine happy and vote against them.” But when I got here, there were too many things I hated on the list, and I couldn’t decide. (Ultimately, I went with shrugs because I hate them so much that anything else would have been a lie. Except maybe formal shorts.)

    May 12th, 2008 at 12:33 pm

  4. Owldaughter Says:

    I’m with Celia; too many icks to choose from in the poll.

    Flying giant woolly squirrels playing badminton with quokkas!

    Those poor quokkas. I admire them stepping in to replace the birdies, but really…

    May 12th, 2008 at 1:15 pm

  5. Hillary! Says:

    What are shrugs?
    I choose low riders because they not only look bad, but they can actually distort a woman’s figure if worn too often, or if (scary thought) a girl started wearing them at a young age.

    May 12th, 2008 at 4:45 pm

  6. elodie Says:

    I think I love you for hating pretty much all the awful fashion I hate. XD “Pregnancy dresses and tops on the non-pregnant” people DO that?!

    May 12th, 2008 at 5:03 pm

  7. Darice Moore Says:

    Elodie: not only do people do that, but I actually capitalized on it during my last pregnancy.

    Although, to be fair, it’s just meant to be floaty and empire-waisted; women are not (so far as I know) actually storming Motherhood for this stuff.

    (For the record, I voted formal shorts. Woman up and wear a skirt! It’s a billion times more flattering, anyway!)

    May 12th, 2008 at 5:27 pm

  8. trudi Says:

    You mean I have to choose? Between all these awful things?

    Hmm, I wouldn’t have had the slightest problem if ponchos had been on the list.

    (Actually, I like espadrilles. But only as beach/pool wear. They’re about as classy as flip flops.)

    May 12th, 2008 at 5:39 pm

  9. Gabrielle Says:

    I hate espadrilles. But I hate low riders more.

    May 12th, 2008 at 6:29 pm

  10. Lunamoth Says:

    I cannot escape the fauxternity tops and dresses! They’re EVERYWHERE. I happen to like my teeny little waistine, and would like people to see it’s there. It was a tough choice though, because I also dislike Ugg boots, leggings and ballet flats with similar vehemance. Oh the humanity…

    May 12th, 2008 at 11:10 pm

  11. sophielandon Says:

    Well, I just got a pair of super-dressy espadrilles yesterday, and they’re truly vampy and great, with tops made of shiny material with ribbons woven through, and toes much more pointy than I ever wear. And the actual soles are rubber. Maybe that’s a cheat, so they don’t really qualify for your hate?

    May 13th, 2008 at 10:36 am

  12. Diana Peterfreund Says:

    i also picked formal shorts, since I hate them the MOST.

    I *thought* I hate shrugs, then I found a fabulous slouchy wonderful shawl like one and bought it and I live in it, so now I am pro-shrug. I am still anti-shrunken shrug, however.

    May 13th, 2008 at 11:31 am

  13. caitlin Says:

    I had to go with the Uggs, but oh it was so hard to choose. My fashion icks flip flops worn as regular everyday shoes… c’mon people! Also, not to be missed the NW favorite good old socks and sandals — especially lovely when worn on the chilly rainy days.

    May 13th, 2008 at 1:36 pm

  14. Walter Jon Williams Says:

    I have no opinions on shrugs or Ugg boots, because I have no idea what they are, but I am definitely in favor of waistlines, and for that matter other body parts of a curvilinear nature.

    And you’re right, I very much approve of Nevada as the Designated Smoking state. I don’t know anyone there, I’ve never been invited there, and since I understand that whatever happens there, stays there, I hope smoking stays there, too.

    May 18th, 2008 at 6:41 pm

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