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pegkerrI have been restlessly flitting between a bunch of different works of fiction today. Read two Internet LOTR fanfics, finished a murder mystery and started the next in the series. Then I remembered in some embarrassment that I'd promised Lois a month ago to beta read her new manuscript, so I printed off the nine chapters she'd sent me via e-mail and started reading those. (This is Lois McMaster Bujold's next novel, her sequel to The Curse of Chalion. Sorry, this not meant as gloating, but yes, I am one of the lucky few that gets to read Lois' books in manuscript, and believe me, I know how lucky I am. No, I will not spill the beans. Please do not firebomb my house in retaliation.) I was just a couple pages in when I decided that I needed to refresh myself with the events and characters of The Curse of Chalion before starting, so I pulled that off my shelf and skim-read the last half of it.
Lord. I'd be afraid to count up how many characters I've about read today. It's a bit dizzying.
It's also been hot, and I didn't eat right today, so I got a bit hypoglycemic. I suppose this might help account a little for how "off" I've felt today. *Sigh.*
I talked with Kij (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kijjohnson) tonight. Our discussion was wide-ranging, touching upon topics as various as her move to Kansas; some of the professional invitations we've received lately; motives that fuel writing; writing teachers who dole out toxic advice versus teachers who guide their students well; the tie between writing and other psychological characteristics, some useful and some not (such as depression, well-honed powers of observation, resilience); the nature of midlife crisises; mothering; reasons for my fiction writing block; LiveJournal, the nature of collaboration in writing and friendship. A rich, rewarding talk, as it so frequently is. Our friendship has certainly been a remarkable journey since that memorable day we met in our freshman college English class. Gad, almost twenty-four years ago, now.
For those willing/inclined to answer: how did you meet your best friend? How long ago did you meet? Why did you stay friends, even as your lives each have changed from year to year? For Kij and myself, I suppose we stayed best friends because we are at once so much alike and paradoxically so different. And we've learned to be honest with each other and never gave up on each other, even when we've become angry (I'm proud to say we've had some remarkable fights over the years). When you've invested so much into a friendship, it eventually gathers its own momentum. Can't imagine life without her as my best friend.
Cheers,
Peg
Lord. I'd be afraid to count up how many characters I've about read today. It's a bit dizzying.
It's also been hot, and I didn't eat right today, so I got a bit hypoglycemic. I suppose this might help account a little for how "off" I've felt today. *Sigh.*
I talked with Kij (
kijjohnson) tonight. Our discussion was wide-ranging, touching upon topics as various as her move to Kansas; some of the professional invitations we've received lately; motives that fuel writing; writing teachers who dole out toxic advice versus teachers who guide their students well; the tie between writing and other psychological characteristics, some useful and some not (such as depression, well-honed powers of observation, resilience); the nature of midlife crisises; mothering; reasons for my fiction writing block; LiveJournal, the nature of collaboration in writing and friendship. A rich, rewarding talk, as it so frequently is. Our friendship has certainly been a remarkable journey since that memorable day we met in our freshman college English class. Gad, almost twenty-four years ago, now.For those willing/inclined to answer: how did you meet your best friend? How long ago did you meet? Why did you stay friends, even as your lives each have changed from year to year? For Kij and myself, I suppose we stayed best friends because we are at once so much alike and paradoxically so different. And we've learned to be honest with each other and never gave up on each other, even when we've become angry (I'm proud to say we've had some remarkable fights over the years). When you've invested so much into a friendship, it eventually gathers its own momentum. Can't imagine life without her as my best friend.
Cheers,
Peg
