"Halloed and whitewashed..."

[greygirlbeast]

Yesterday, I wrote 2,238 words on Chapter Eight of The Red Tree. And so I have made good on my promise to myself to write at least 2k words on three consecutive days —— Friday, Saturday, and Sunday —— making up for the three days I lost this month (lost for various reasons, all beyond my control, but wasted nonetheless). Indeed, I did better than I expected, hoping at best to manage 6000 words, and getting, instead, 6,545 words. Also, having finished yesterday, I discovered that I'd reached the end of Chapter Eight, and it's not THE END of the novel, as I'd thought it would be. What I mean to say is that I decided that Chapter Eight was going on a bit long, and so there will be a shortish ninth chapter to finish things up ("...and that spells 'moon'!") I've reached that point where I feel as though I am racing towards the conclusion. And, as usual, it brings a peculiar alloy of joy and fear, dread and relief. It absolutely doesn't help to know what's coming. Regardless, I calculate that the book will likely be "finished" on either the 23rd or 24th, on Thursday or Friday.

And there's all this other work waiting....

As for books that I have already sent out into the world to seek my fortune, you can now pre-order the forthcoming trade paperback edition of Alabaster from Subterranean Press. Also, subpress is still taking pre-orders for my first sf collection, A is for Alien, and the third edition of Tales of Pain and Wonder is still available. And, of course, there are all my novels, including the recent mass-market paperback of Daughter of Hounds.

There was a very nice Halloween package from my mother yesterday. Spooky and I now have "wicked" socks.

Last night, I read an article in Science on the discovery of what may prove to be the oldest known rocks (from northern Quebec) on Earth, part of the planet's proto-crust, dating back 4.3 billion years. Oh, and an article on light pollution and the importance of darkness in the new National Geographic. Then, after spaghetti, we watched Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow, which remains one of my favourite Halloween films and one of my favourite Tim Burton films.

Then there was WoW. My blood-elf warlock, Shaharrazad, with the aid of her minion and Spooky's blood-elf paladin, Suraa, attacked a dwarf keep and retrieved a certain sword, which is now safely back in the hands of the Horde. Shah also reached Lvl 28, allowing me to return to my Lvl 13 Draenei hunter, Voimakas. I want to get all three of my characters at roughly the same level, so that switching between them is not quite so jarring. Voimakas made two levels last night, reaching 15. I'll play her now until we reach 28, then rotate back to Mithwen, my night-elf fighter, who has been languishing in the Wetlands. Her mail has quite likely rusted by now. Oh, and Shah can now summon a succubus named Drusneth. Dru was clearly created with horny, heterosexual 14-year-old boys in mind, and by people who never even imagined that grown women might play this game. I'd be offended, were it not all so...stupid. At this point, Spooky and I (or Suraa and Shah) are only keeping Dru around because they find her such a useful commodity, her fighting and spellcasting abilities making up for her inherently annoying nature. If I had my druthers, there would be a tad less camp in WoW. The Halloween (er, I mean Hallow's End) decorations and gags and "accomplishments" are driving me to distraction. I do not believe for even a moment that the Draenei would have huge jack-o-lanterns stuck up inside their crashed starship, or that orcs ride flying broomsticks. Whimsy is all fine and good, but at some point, disbelief reasserts itself.

And now I must go. The platypus says so.

Comments

[whiskeychick.livejournal.com]

("...and that spells 'moon'!")

Thanks for the giggle.

Oh, and an article on light pollution and the importance of darkness in the new National Geographic.

Makes a note to read; been a subject of much discussion in our household lately as a push for streetlights on our street is beginning to occur. We rather like it really dark at night and have motion sensors on our exterior lights, which oft times are set off by owls, deer and other more noturnal creatures than our puny human fannies.

[stsisyphus.livejournal.com]

Oh, and Shah can now summon a succubus named Drusneth. Dru was clearly created with horny, heterosexual 14-year-old boys in mind...

My eyes were reading (well, watching text) a little too fast there, and for a minute I thought you were saying that your succubus appeared as a 14-year-old boy. My initial shock and elation was, of course, corrected.

There probably should be a choice to change your succubus to an incubus, but then again, I expect the model for it would be equally exaggerated.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

There probably should be a choice to change your succubus to an incubus, but then again, I expect the model for it would be equally exaggerated.

I was pleased, actually, that Dru seems to be equally effective at seducing both male and female NPCs, hence rendering Shah's need for an incubus moot (and avoiding a bit of expected heterocentrism).

[stsisyphus.livejournal.com]

...avoiding a bit of expected heterocentrism...

Yeah... I figured that wouldn't have been a satisfactory solution in your eyes. Still, what would have been?

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Still, what would have been?

Well, I think that having the succubus be equally effective on male and female targets is a satisfactory solution. Clearly, the powers at work are presented as transcending gender roles and sexual preference. So, that part's cool. It's the presentation, the rendering, of the succubus that I find so ridiculous.

[stsisyphus.livejournal.com]

er, that actually was supposed to be a rhetorical question. :/

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

:P

[scarletboi.livejournal.com]

There's actually another time when something like that happens.

During the Valentine's festival (which name escapes me right now), you have to put on perfume or cologne to attract the NPCs in the towns. Male characters CAN put on perfume and attract the male NPCs and vice versa.

[c0rporatetrash.livejournal.com]

I can't wait til I'm a spoiled college kid with a laptop so I can play WoW so much that I drop out of school and waste all mommy and daddy's money...
...I mean, you know, fit in a quest or two between Theory and English Lit.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I can't wait til I'm a spoiled college kid with a laptop so I can play WoW so much that I drop out of school and waste all mommy and daddy's money...
...I mean, you know, fit in a quest or two between Theory and English Lit.

What in the name of sweet fuck all are you going on about?

(My initial instinct was to delete this comment, but then I decided maybe I'm just cranky from writing so much and maybe I'm misinterpreting whatever's being said here.)

[c0rporatetrash.livejournal.com]

Err. Playing on the stereotype of kids who get laptops for college and end up spending all their time on WoW.

Too centralized of a joke I guess? Forgive me.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Too centralized of a joke I guess? Forgive me.

No problem.

[chn-breathmint.livejournal.com]

There's a Blood elf NPC in Kargath, in the Swamp of Sorrows, named Cersei Dusksinger. She happens to be a warlock with a succubus minion, and at some point she flips out and yells at it, "Oh, would you please stop checking your nails and spanking yourself, for one moment? Really, no one cares!"

She also has several other amusing conversations with other NPCs, but I remember her most for her flipping out at the succubus.

- Mel

PS: I've a 70 Forsaken warlock, and personally I kind of wish I had an incubus instead, as well.

[humglum.livejournal.com]

Freaking thing drives me nuts (obviously not in a good way) with all the spanking and moaning.
While the Big Blue minion always seemed to get in the way of my healing either myself or Shah, at least he was only quietly grumpy.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

While the Big Blue minion always seemed to get in the way of my healing either myself or Shah, at least he was only quietly grumpy.

Oh, Zhar'los is adorable.

[chn-breathmint.livejournal.com]

http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/10/09/world-of-warcrafts/

There is also a voidwalker plushie.

- Mel

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

There is also a voidwalker plushie.

Oh. No.

[chn-breathmint.livejournal.com]

I will say this - Blizzard's stock user interface for WoW is piss-poor especially for targeting people while healing them.

I don't play any main healers, but a lot of the time people have to use custom UIs and Grid (makes all raid members show up in a square grid) for raidhealing.

- Mel

[deej-1.livejournal.com]

I've been fighting the urge to start playing WoW, and so far have succeeded. But I find myself becoming more and more intrigued by it, especially after reading your posts. I feel that I may soon have to try it out, although I fear that I may also have to say goodbye to the outside world once I start!

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I feel that I may soon have to try it out, although I fear that I may also have to say goodbye to the outside world once I start.

Abandon all hope...

[ladyazraelle.livejournal.com]

And that spells 'd o n e', so close, I'm getting excited! I love when that guy on The Stand spells out the moon, he is so adorable! I've already got my Halloweenie sockies out, purple with white little ghosts all over, love them! I have to ask, do you liek the movies, Jurassic Park and the sequels? I love them, just my curiosity nipping at my butt. I like dinosaurs but aren't as knowledgeable as you are about them. It's a good day, take care!