Progress Update: Finished the read-through of the contemporary – YES! Now I need to make the corrections and I’ll be ready to send it out. WOO! Also wrote some words on the new book. Not much, though. And most of that was a synopsis of what I wanted to happen. Also figured out what to do with the gladiator book. More details to come.
I had one of those “I’m distracted” days all day. I don’t know exactly why. I actually have been getting sleep the last few nights. I wonder if it’s because I’m eating Blue Bell Dutch Chocolate Ice Cream before bed? 😉 I’m going to blame my distraction on (1) it was too pretty outside to be working; (2) my allergies were bugging me and (3) all I really wanted to do was finish my read-through.
I even had a hard time getting new words in on the scifi–correction. I say scifi but that’s not entirely accurate. Devon, you are absolutely correct in that the “science” part of science fiction has to be well-researched. What I’m calling a scifi isn’t really a scifi. Perhaps futuristic is more accurate. Or science fantasy. Or, heck, even space opera. But there’s definitely no “science” in the fiction other than it’s in space, there are ships, there are superheroes, and there are aliens.
But back to my dilemma. I have an outline which I’m kinda-sorta following. I veered left in the story, though, and decided not to split up the hero and heroine as early on as I intended. Act 2 of the book, however, will have them split up and then Act 3 will be the climax, they get back together, and save the world. Yesterday I had a particularly difficult writing day and ended up writing things like: “They walk into the palace, talk to XX character, and discover they have to go to XX planet.” Where XX = pronoun. Yeah. That’s not exactly progress. So I decided to concentrate the rest of my efforts on the contemporary this week and then start with a fresh brain next week on the, um, future book. 😀
TAKS tests were Tuesday and Wednesday for the kiddo–he’s in 3rd grade and has to pass to get to 4th. Can I just say that the HUGE amount of pressure they put on these kids to pass (regardless of their grades all year) is RETARDED? The whole system is stupid, stupid, stupid and needs to be abolished. Thankfully, he’s had an awesome teacher this year who teaches real school work instead of TAKS prep all year. Still, I don’t like that or the whole “no child left behind” deal. Life isn’t about Everyone Is A Winner. Life is about getting rejected and, you know, LOSING. I think our kids should lose and learn the hard lessons that way. At any rate, I’m glad the tests are over and the kiddo seems to think he did okay on them (I mean, he finished the tests in less than two hours; he better have passed!).
And, I still haven’t had my glasses prescription filled so staring at the screen is bugging me. I’m signing off. Happy Thursday!
My kids never went to school in Texas, we left before my oldest was in Kindergarten. They really do that? You could have awesome grades all year and if you don’t pass the test, you’re held back? Hmmm. Don’t know how I feel about that. I’m sure he’ll pass. He’s smart like his mom. 😉
Have fun with the writing!
Honestly, if I had kids, I’d home school at this point. One reason I did well in school was that my dad — who taught university chemistry — always informally taught me at home, so I was on 9th grade reading level in 3rd grade, etc. My school was supposedly excellent, but when I see the holes in my education — especially things like world history and international economics — it’s pretty horrifying.
Enjoy the writing. “Space opera” sounds like what you’re doing — which sounds like a ton of fun!
Science Fiction editors are hard-core on the science, and they can be scathing in their rejections if they feel you’ve skimped on the scientific research.
Devon – My sister has five kids and she’s home schooled every single one of them. Two are in high school now, one out, and two are in elementary. She’s amazing. I don’t know how she does it!
Lara – YES. They really do that. Actually, if they don’t pass the first time, they take it again in summer school. Yeah, they make 4th graders go to summer school and THEN get tutoring during the school year and if they STILL don’t pass, they’re held back. You know what I think? If they fail, they stay in their current grade. that’s the way it worked when I was growing up!
I need to try the ice cream thing for sleep, I found the perfect flavor to test your theory own…when I blow my diet it will be you I curse as I squeeze into my size 8 jeans and not my barely there will power. You have been warned.