This and that, including my bedside table

[pegkerr]

Upon thinking over what I wrote yesterday, I took back all my books to the library on wildfire management. It's a good idea for a story, but I think it's still missing one critical element, and I'm not ready to write it, and so my back brain is resisting. alexmalfoy said the crucial thing that made me finally make the decision I'd been hemming and hawing over for several weeks: it's not fun. Now I know that sometimes when I'm writing something that is working, I can get temporarily stuck and it's not fun, but I know I just need to barrel on through. This is not one of those times, I think. The key is I'm not excited about it at all; I don't want to write it, at least not now.



I'm leaving open the possibility of getting back to it some day. Sometimes I do that.

Before I forget: a couple of people have asked where I get the Jane Austen icons. I've answered in the comments, but I'll put it here too: I get them at a lovely site called The Republic of Pemberley, which is devoted to Jane. These icons, which they call "FUPs" for "Frequently Used Phrases" can be found here ("I sometimes amuse myself with suggesting and arranging such little elegant phrases as may be adapted to ordinary occasions." You recognize where that comes from, don't you? It's a remark of Mr. Collins, in Pride and Prejudice.) Anyway if you'll go to that link, you'll find links at the top to seven other pages of icons; they have hundreds to choose from.

Out of curiosity, I have decided to archeologically excavate my bedside table. Starting from the top and working my way down:

1. Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold. Picked it up at the signing last night.
2. My daily journal. Twenty-eighth year in a series.
3. Growing Up Weightless by John M. Ford. I've finished this; just haven't gotten it back onto the bookshelf.
4. Welcome to my World, Where English is Sometimes Spoken by Shannon Olson. My boss lent it to me; haven't started it yet.
5. The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life by Julie Cameron. A birthday gift from Rob. Dipping into it occasionally.
6. A pack of overlay screens for my palm assistant (haven't figured out where else they should go).
7. Making the Connection by Bob Greene and Oprah Winfrey. (Hey, I just passed my sixty workout mark since I've begun exercising again! Am starting Cathe Friedrich step videos. Without a step. Go me.)
8. A list I printed out from the Internet entitled "100 reasons to exercise," which I grab to read to convince me to get out of bed when my alarm goes off at 5:35 a.m. so I can get up to do my Cathe Friedrich step videos.
9. The parent comment cards for my two daughters' report cards. Oops. These were supposed to be returned to the school.
10. A print out of Lois McMaster Bujold's novelette (or is a novella? Not sure) "Winterfair Gifts," the story of Miles and Ekaterin's wedding. This one is going to be published in an anthology of sf/fantasy and romance cross over stories. I don't remember what the anthology is going to be called, but I think Catherine Asaro is editing. The story is Way Cool and is told from the p-o-v of Armsman Roic. Sergeant Taura figures prominently. And I mean prominently. All eight feet of her. Go her.
11. A lovely card from Kij.
12. Fiona's spring conference report. Good lord, from February?
13. A handwritten draft of a short story.
14. An early printout from cassieclaire's Very Secret Diaries.
15. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring Movie Companion book.
16. A book that Lois lent me on Chinese Eunuchs when I was working on that story treatment idea for a prequel to Emerald House Risingthat never went anywhere. Damn, I forgot to take that with me to the reading to give back to her.
17. A spiral notebook which I was using for morning pages when I was doing Julie Cameron's The Artist's Way. I'm not doing them anymore.
18. Various barrettes, combs and hair twisties.

On the bed itself: cassieclaire's Draco Veritas.

What's on your bedside table?

Cheers,
Peg

Comments

[slightlights.livejournal.com]

First off—thanks for sharing your decision about the wildfire story! For what it's worth, what an author herself is enthused about often seems innately more enjoyable for me to read. (Of course, an excellent writer can make just about anything enjoyable—but why should she put herself through the work instead of writing something more enjoyable for her to write, if she has that option?) I also appreciate the distinction between a temporary setback and a deeper concern with the story.

As for the bedside table... here's what I have.