Scriniary

Common neo-pro mistakes
#70, Sat. 4 pm
Mary Anne Mohanraj, Joan Vinge, Forrest John Aguirre, Theodora Goss, Schelly Renee Steelman

The panel’s topic was how to move on and get better after that first sale or two: what lifts someone up above the level of competent. (I went for future reference.)

This was a somewhat disappointing panel. I suspect that actual neopros trying to figure out how to turn a sale or two into a career might have been frustrated (and I suspect there is no such advice, anyway). Much of the advice seemed more basic: I’m a beginner, and I’d heard some of it before.

That said, there were many useful tidbits. And the idea of striving for richness and complexity in every aspect of a book, including plot, world, and emotion, is one that I’ve been thinking about ever since.

(more…)

Filed by scriniary at 9:16 pm under Writing
Comments Off

Rare plant monitoring for the day: racemed milkwort (photo) (info)

This is much smaller and harder to find than the lupine we looked for last time. Plants were fairly scattered, and some were only a few inches tall, which made them hard to see, even when there wasn’t a lot of stuff growing. We did two areas, and I think I counted fewer than 20 total.

Other sights: a frog hiding in the duckweed, several huge carp, a bluebird, and a baby turtle sunning on a log.

And at least a dozen Great Spangled Fritillaries on thistle. The naturalists said they must have just emerged; they were bright orange, undamaged, and flapping their wings slowly. Also a painted lady and a spicebush swallowtail.

The morning also raised thoughts of all those fantasy novels in which characters stroll through the trackless wilderness with no problems. Notes on terrain: Not level even though region is flat. Logs – maybe rotten or loose. Smaller branches. Raspberry brambles. Other shrubs with prickers.

Filed by scriniary at 7:19 am under Outdoors
Comments Off

truepenny has a wonderful metaphor for beta readers.

Filed by scriniary at 8:34 am under Writing
Comments Off

Meme answers: (more…)

Filed by scriniary at 7:42 am under Writing
Comments Off

Rare plant monitoring at Oak Openings. Many many lupines. Three of us counted about 4000.

There’s a photo on this brief page about the habitat from the Nature Conservancy.

My legs are very tired from bending over to count plants for three hours. They’re tricky because they send up shoots and it’s hard to tell where one plant ends and another begins.

Filed by scriniary at 8:42 pm under Outdoors
Comments Off