Entry #2,000
Dec. 22nd, 2008 12:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
greygirlbeastOverwhelmed by dream this morning. The insomnia finally broke, as the snow broke (causal connection or coincidence, I don't know), and I was assailed by dreams I won't repeat here. I slept almost nine hours. Now, I feel like my body is trying to recollect how to breathe. The sun is out, a white hole bored in a too-blue sky, a single white eye staring out, and it's blinding, shining off all that snow. The temperature is 18F (with the wind chill at 1F). Spooky says there won't be much melting today.
And yes, this is my 2,000th entry this LiveJournal since it was begun back on April 15th, 2004. I shudder to think how many millions of words, how many days worth of composition. And, of course, that's just LJ. This journal was begun to mirror my now moribund Blogger journal, which was begun in November 2001, and so there are surely another two thousand entries over there. Taken together, it's a damned peculiar document.
I feel like this is one of those entries where there's too much that needs to be said, and too little time to say it. I am reminded of Dark City, when Dr. Schreber is about to inject John Murdoch with the memories that will allow him to best the Strangers. Schreber says, "I'm sorry, but I have no time to do this the right way." But at least that statement can serve as a starting point.
I should have gotten this next bit up days ago, but what with the snow, the tooth pain, and the insomnia, I kept forgetting. Here's the deal: For a limited time (I'm not sure how limited), Locus is making a special offer to my readers. Simply put, you may order the issue with the interview I did for Locus (December 2008), postage free (save $3.00), or get it completely free with a one-year subscription. To receive this special offer, follow this link. Also, you may see the cover from the relevant issue behind this cut (and it's also a link):
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Day before yesterday, an idea for a new story came to me. Not a vignette, but an actual short story, one that would work quite well for Sirenia Digest. A Dracula story, as it happens. Something about the three brides who were left behind, and then killed later by Van Helsing. Then, yesterday, the crux of the story came to me. The thing that I suppose some people would call the "plot." I'm never clear on exactly what a "plot" is supposed to be. Anyway, this would be a story wherein we learn that the brides were the vampires who, in fact, infected Dracula, not the other way around. That they were the true source of power, and that when Dracula departs for London, he is fleeing, and he leaves them Harker, hoping to distract them just long enough to make his escape. The story would be set a hundred or so years later, and the narrative would be fragmented, representing the inability of these ancient creatures to perceive time the way that mortals do. All of that came to me yesterday morning in a bright flash (this sort of thing does not usually happen to me). I sat down to write, and all I could find, instead of the beginning, was the title, "There Are Kisses For Us All." Suddenly, I was afraid that so much of this story had occurred to me because I'd either already written it, or because someone else had already written it. I suspected Angela Carter, and took Burning Your Boats down off the shelf, thinking if this were the case, I knew exactly where to look.
I read both "The Scarlet House" and "The Lady of the House of Love" aloud to Spooky while she sorted a box of fabric scraps, and I was relieved to see I'd not lifted the story from Carter. Also, though, I was amazed at these two marvelous tales, and how they play one off the other, as the author has a first and then a second try at the same problem. "The Lady in the House of Love" was first published (in The Iowa Review) in 1975, while "The Scarlet House" was first published later, in 1977. I don't know which one was written first, but, clearly, in both examples, Carter was working through the same set of concerns. And, fortunately, those concerns share very little ground with what I hope to do with "There Are Kisses For Us All."
So, today I will try to make a beginning....
And, of course, today is Cephalopodmas, the final part of my November/December holiday triumvirate (Jethro Tull Season/Solstice/Cephalopodmas). I'd meant to write a new carol this year, but never got around to it. Hell, Spooky and I never even got around to procuring one another Cephalopodmas gifts. I suppose that means we'll have to...get creative...tonight. Anyway, yes, a very Merry Cephalopodmas, Cthulhu damn us everyone.
Last night, there was World of Warcrack, and Shaharrazad, my blood elf warlock, reached Level 43. Suraa, Spooky's blood elf paladin, is now at Level 44, because I haven't been playing quite as much, and so she's gotten a little ahead. Also, I'm very annoyed that I've gotten my skinning skills up to 300, which means I qualify for "Master Skinner" or whatever. Only to be awarded that title, I have to reach the Hellfire Peninsula in Outland (the remains of the orc homeworld), BUT, I need to be Level 58 or higher to pass through the Dork Portal...um..Dark Portal...to reach Outland. Blizzard excels at placing the cart before the horse. Anyway, we also read from The Historian last night.
The current eBay auctions continue. Please have a look.
And now, kiddos, it's time to make the doughnuts.
And yes, this is my 2,000th entry this LiveJournal since it was begun back on April 15th, 2004. I shudder to think how many millions of words, how many days worth of composition. And, of course, that's just LJ. This journal was begun to mirror my now moribund Blogger journal, which was begun in November 2001, and so there are surely another two thousand entries over there. Taken together, it's a damned peculiar document.
I feel like this is one of those entries where there's too much that needs to be said, and too little time to say it. I am reminded of Dark City, when Dr. Schreber is about to inject John Murdoch with the memories that will allow him to best the Strangers. Schreber says, "I'm sorry, but I have no time to do this the right way." But at least that statement can serve as a starting point.
I should have gotten this next bit up days ago, but what with the snow, the tooth pain, and the insomnia, I kept forgetting. Here's the deal: For a limited time (I'm not sure how limited), Locus is making a special offer to my readers. Simply put, you may order the issue with the interview I did for Locus (December 2008), postage free (save $3.00), or get it completely free with a one-year subscription. To receive this special offer, follow this link. Also, you may see the cover from the relevant issue behind this cut (and it's also a link):
Day before yesterday, an idea for a new story came to me. Not a vignette, but an actual short story, one that would work quite well for Sirenia Digest. A Dracula story, as it happens. Something about the three brides who were left behind, and then killed later by Van Helsing. Then, yesterday, the crux of the story came to me. The thing that I suppose some people would call the "plot." I'm never clear on exactly what a "plot" is supposed to be. Anyway, this would be a story wherein we learn that the brides were the vampires who, in fact, infected Dracula, not the other way around. That they were the true source of power, and that when Dracula departs for London, he is fleeing, and he leaves them Harker, hoping to distract them just long enough to make his escape. The story would be set a hundred or so years later, and the narrative would be fragmented, representing the inability of these ancient creatures to perceive time the way that mortals do. All of that came to me yesterday morning in a bright flash (this sort of thing does not usually happen to me). I sat down to write, and all I could find, instead of the beginning, was the title, "There Are Kisses For Us All." Suddenly, I was afraid that so much of this story had occurred to me because I'd either already written it, or because someone else had already written it. I suspected Angela Carter, and took Burning Your Boats down off the shelf, thinking if this were the case, I knew exactly where to look.
I read both "The Scarlet House" and "The Lady of the House of Love" aloud to Spooky while she sorted a box of fabric scraps, and I was relieved to see I'd not lifted the story from Carter. Also, though, I was amazed at these two marvelous tales, and how they play one off the other, as the author has a first and then a second try at the same problem. "The Lady in the House of Love" was first published (in The Iowa Review) in 1975, while "The Scarlet House" was first published later, in 1977. I don't know which one was written first, but, clearly, in both examples, Carter was working through the same set of concerns. And, fortunately, those concerns share very little ground with what I hope to do with "There Are Kisses For Us All."
So, today I will try to make a beginning....
And, of course, today is Cephalopodmas, the final part of my November/December holiday triumvirate (Jethro Tull Season/Solstice/Cephalopodmas). I'd meant to write a new carol this year, but never got around to it. Hell, Spooky and I never even got around to procuring one another Cephalopodmas gifts. I suppose that means we'll have to...get creative...tonight. Anyway, yes, a very Merry Cephalopodmas, Cthulhu damn us everyone.
Last night, there was World of Warcrack, and Shaharrazad, my blood elf warlock, reached Level 43. Suraa, Spooky's blood elf paladin, is now at Level 44, because I haven't been playing quite as much, and so she's gotten a little ahead. Also, I'm very annoyed that I've gotten my skinning skills up to 300, which means I qualify for "Master Skinner" or whatever. Only to be awarded that title, I have to reach the Hellfire Peninsula in Outland (the remains of the orc homeworld), BUT, I need to be Level 58 or higher to pass through the Dork Portal...um..Dark Portal...to reach Outland. Blizzard excels at placing the cart before the horse. Anyway, we also read from The Historian last night.
The current eBay auctions continue. Please have a look.
And now, kiddos, it's time to make the doughnuts.
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