Category Archives: Diary

Filters At Half-Mast

We here at Crown Prince Central are sad to report that there are no fish left alive. The second new fish passed on to the great Aquarium In The Sky last night; this morning, the third and final new fish was found immobile under a plastic plant.

The authorities wish tend their sincere condolences, etc, etc.

All equipment will be boiled to death before we get a new set of fishy slaves for the Prince’s entertainment.

He yet waves at the dark, still aquarium and says, “Hi fisssssssh,” a fitting memorial to those who gave their tiny lives in the pursuit of happiness for a little boy.

Swan Sister Update

There, damn it. I broke a thousand words.

Total words, Swan Sister: 13,045
Total words today: 1,090

And I damn well wasn’t going to get up from my chair until I had. Oh, I fought my own quota with blunted tooth and slothly nail: I dawdled by getting myself frequent snacks, I used Google and Wikipedia for various things, I got sidetracked in my research again, and made myself come back over and over to what I was supposed to be doing — namely, slapping words down so that I had something, anything, to show for working on the damn thing. Even though I didn’t want to do it, I made myself write, and oh look, there’s over a thousand words to show for it. So there, you mopey little Muppet monster of an inner critic.

And by working through the bog of inertia and wrong music, I got things moving in the second part of the book. Introduced the concept of magic (or at least something supernatural) for the first time (gasp). Discovered that the book wants the central character to be the harper, not the miller’s daughter. (I may grudgingly allow them to share the slot of protagonist.) Finally got the swans to be a symbol of Something Concretely Important (not that the reader would know as of this point, but I know, and that’s a good thing).

Liam’s over playing with his godparents today. Thus I’ve had the chance to write, even though all I wanted to do was lie in bed with a pillow over my head (it’s really too hot for that), and the opportunity to make a multiplicity of posts in my neglected-as-of-late journal. We’re tidying things up to go get him now.

Stonewalled

I’ve just realised that this second part of Swan Sister, with its new protagonists and story, requires a whole different playlist. The one I assembled for the first part doesn’t work at all.

::headdesk::

In other news, the reason there’s been no news is because I’ve had no time to sit down, and I’ve been rather weary and melancholy these past few days as well, which doesn’t really draw me to journal that much.

The aquarium score: Still two new fish, and one old fish.

As The Cycle Of Life Turns

Lost a second fish last week. The third is hanging on grimly, currently in isolation.

Bought three new fish yesterday.

One new fish died last night.

The world is certainly determined to teach Liam addition and subtraction at twelve months. Personally, I think it’s the pH of the water that needs to be adjusted.

Wrapping Up

No new words on Swan Sister today — I worked on writing proposals and did proposal-related research instead — but I forgot to post my new updates from Wednesday, so here:

Total words, Swan Sister: 11,954
Total new words, this past Wednesday: 741

HRH and I went to see Cars this afternoon, and it was brilliant, it really was. When we saw the original trailer long ago we kind of looked at one another and said, “Um, as genius as Pixar is, we really can’t see how this will work.” We’re very happy to be wrong. Liam will love it when we get the DVD, because there are an incredible number of wheel shots in the first eight minutes alone

I think my brain now switches off around eight at night. Long gone are the days when I could work till eleven. It’s a pity, because the evenings could be prime writing time. Ah well.

I had too many caffeinated beverages today and not enough real food to balance it. I’m going to have to have a rather large warm milk with vanilla (possibly two) and go to bed with a book. But first, laundry. My life is really too exciting.