Four to Go

[theodosia]

Coupla things:

1. Q4 is this close to being finished. I worked on the fellatio scene (it sucks! but in the good way!) that was a little too intimidating the first time through, so I can now say that the first draft is completely finished, and the second draft is very very close.

Then it's out to the betas, so barring some major style and/or plot logic protests from the beta phase, it should be all done and released not too long after the con, so there'll be something nice to look forward to. (Also I don't have to deal with anybody telling me to my face how nice the story was, or alternatively how much it sucked (in the bad way) while I'm there.) If anyone is nice to me, it'll be either because they're hoping it will be good or else because they actually like me.

2. My aunt called to check up on me -- she'd heard from my Mom about my friend Katharine and wanted to offer her condolences. The support I've gotten from near and far has been so very calming and helpful. I only had one little crying jag, on my way home when I was thinking about the drive Kath took us on, up to the top of Mount Lemmon, where it was below freezing (it was in the 60s easily when we were down by her apartment), and how we stopped at various points up and down the climb to admire vistas and stars.

It's nice to concentrate on some of the good memories I have of Kath, even when they make me maudlin.

3. ConneXions is Thursday! I've hardly squee'ed about it here, partly because I'm in denial, partly because I've been so consumed with a) finishing Body Swap and b) this week's tragic events. This despite doing up all my laundry so I'll have clean clothes to pack Wednesday night.

4. Talked to my Mom again. Her friend Anne brought over her own cat 'Star' for a play-date with Chumley. Reportedly it took him two hours before he came out... and then he sat and stared for a while before he ran away. My mother sounded very entertained, though....

5. Writing a sex scene that doesn't suck (well, in the figurative sense) is really slow work. Actual sex would be a good deal less fuss.

Comments

[the-star-fish.livejournal.com]

I have to let the sex scenes wait until they want to be written. It's weird -- some stories (Parental Guidance was one) the words just flow right out of my brain into my fingers, and it's done before I think about it. Others I feel like I'm forcing it, and it's very clunky and mechanical. They used to intimidate me terribly, and I still can't write them well if I'm not "in the mood".

So yeah, a bit like actual sex.

[imkalena.livejournal.com]

Actual sex is also rarely that *good*. ;)

I am sorry for your loss. *hug*

[janni.livejournal.com]

I've yet to figure out how to write actual sex. This is only partly because many of my protagonists aren't of age. :-)

But I've been considering it something I need to tackle (so to speak) as a writerly exercise for a while now.

[lynnmonster.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry about your friend.

Sounds like you've had quite a week, between the grief and the revisions and the general busyness. Hopefully the con will be a welcome oasis of slashy goodness etc. for you.

looking forward to meeting you this weekend

[djonn]

Writing a sex scene that doesn't suck (well, in the figurative sense) is really slow work. Actual sex would be a good deal less fuss.

Must . . . resist . . . straight line of doom . . . .

[theodosia.livejournal.com]

Djonn! It must be you, I just checked your user info! ::pause for tacklehugging:: Welcome! Where have you been keeping yourself, et cetera!?!

Who, me?

[djonn]

It was certainly me last time I looked....

I might just as well comment on the rarity of your visits to SFF Net of late. OTOH, as various folk have remarked (myself among them), the one positive artifact of the recent unhappiness has been that quite a few folk have turned up on Livejournal, which appears to have a more sizeable community of the old GEnie-SFRT-in-exile than I'd previously realized.

At any rate, I'm still clinging to freelancerhood, which is threatening to torn Busy in the next months as various projects either come due or fall into my lap. (It looks, for instance, as if I'll be doing at least some reviewing for the Amazing Stories relaunch, and I am finally working on getting the YA fantasy novel started way back in TaleSpinner days out to market. I have a manuscript; now all I need is an interested editor or agent....

[luscious-purple.livejournal.com]

That was very kind of your aunt. I'm glad you're getting some support. In our culture, the focus is on the bereaved families ... not that there's anything wrong with that, but friendships can be just as profound and deep and as much a source of grieving and healing.

On a much, much lighter note ... are you still up for a Friday lunch in Baltimore before the con?

[theodosia.livejournal.com]

Actually, would a Thursday lunch work better? I hadn't realized how early the con starts (1 PM!!??) on Friday, and also I somehow scheduled myself to land at 9:55 AM, so I'm rattling around Baltimore loose and fancy free for most of the day -- at some point I have to check into the hotel, and late in the day as people start showing up, meet up and get ready to go over to ReginaGiraffe's party.

(If I can't meet with you, I'll probably just go to the Aquarium... unless you'd like to go, too?)

[luscious-purple.livejournal.com]

So, you're landing in Maryland Thursday morning? Cool! Thursday is wide, wide open for me. We should talk/e-mail/chat tomorrow (Wednesday) to set up a time and place. On AIM I'm "Patoodle." :-)