Write Stuff: February 2009

Friday, February 27, 2009

TGIF

It's Friday. I've finished my lab work for the day, my quota of papers to grade all have scores, and I have a half hour in which I should be doing some academic reading, but, yeah, it's Friday. So here's some randomness for you:

Favorite quote from student's paper today: "As you run through the open grasslands, you see hundreds of different species...fighting for resources and sexual domination." I was seriously glad not to be drinking anything when I read this as I would have squirted it out my nose. Ahhh, nothing like a little animal dominatrix to lighten your day.
I will admit that having hubby jump on the scales today and announce gleefully that he'd down 10 pounds (after dieting for a week and not doing any trips to the gym) totally ticked me off. Men. UGH!
I had an awesome dream last night about being chased by the cops. Ran through backyards, etc., and ended up working at Starbucks as my cover to get away from them (says the girl who doesn't drink coffee). I woke, adrenaline pumping, wondering where the heck that came from?
I'm reading a crit-buddy's manuscript at the moment and Loving it. I can't wait for it to come out so I can gleefully tell everyone I got to read it first!
We're gearing up for some new samples here in the lab. Apparently the Mimbres culture placed elaborately painted bowls (which is what they're known for) over the faces of their dead. These bowls, upon excavation, have some smudges on them the archaeologist is sure is dried on human flesh. Guess what he wants me to get DNA out of? I'm torn between totally grossed out and intrigued--it would be a great way to bypass the problems I have working with the human remains themselves. Still, um, icky! I'm sure you wanted to know all that!

So, that's what's up in a nutshell. Oh, and WIP is sorta back on track. I have some serious plans for draft #2, but I need to finish this one first!

Comfort Books

By: Meradeth Houston on 11:34 AM

You know you have one, maybe even more than one. It's like dark chocolate, or maybe Ben and Jerry's ice-cream when you really need it (cue Bridget Jones here). Last night I was feeling a like a good book, but not something new--something that I already know how it ends and how much I'll love it, even if I've read it twenty times or more. For me, the best is A Wrinkle In Time, which I've read so many times my old copy is tattered and frayed (though I'll never let it go!). Lately Twilight has been another fun one I like to pick up and flip open to a page, getting into the story and sighing like a sixteen year-old all over again :-) I know Twilight has plenty of people who didn't like it, but I'm not one of them. Another lab-rat at work has just discovered them and has been devouring them between term papers, filling me in on where she is every day and discussing the movie at length. She wasn't a "big reader" before the books (her own words), so no matter what, I think they're doing some good. And let's be honest here, who doesn't like some hot vampires? Tehehe!

So, comfort books--gotta love 'em. What are yours?

After Reading

By: Meradeth Houston on 12:52 AM

Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan

Nope, haven't been slacking on these, just haven't been reading as much as normal. I'll admit, this book took a long time for me to get into, and with no drive to sit and read, well, it got thrown on the back burner for a bit. But, finally, I got into it last night, and as I was feeling very blah about my own writing, I decided to forgo my normal hour writing time and finish the dang thing. Anyhow, here are a few things I really liked:

The world building was great, and for once, I felt that the faeries were given the platform they needed, with an explanation of where they were coming from, and other information that I've found to be generally lacking from other faery-lore. I don't know, do other authors expect the reader to know all that stuff? I never did, and I think that's why I generally don't find myself attracted to faery books.
I adored the attention to historical detail. I hate it when I read a book and I find myself second-guessing the author, wondering if her facts are right. Here, I didn't feel that way at all.
Deven's character was great--he felt very real to me, and I particularly loved his reaction to finding out about the faeries. Fun! Oh and the Goodsmead sisters were wonderful :-)

A few things that bugged me:

The whole love story at the end with Lune and Deven was very forced. I couldn't believe it and wished it had just been left out, even with the plot holes it would have created.
The first hundred pages or more made me really wonder why I was reading this book. At about page 150 I was pulled in enough to care about the characters and found myself wondering why the book didn't just start there. I hate saying this about a book, but it was true.
The end was rushed--all those pages at the beginning to set things up, and then the end was a whirlwind of a ton of things happening with no time to enjoy them. Maybe I should just place this all under "Pacing" as a problem.

That about sums up my feelings for this book. It was rather fun to read that the author is a PhD student in anthropology (my field), so kudos for that! Now, back to work for me.

Tuesday Blahs

By: Meradeth Houston on 11:19 AM

While in The Land of the Old, hubby, grandparents, and I headed out to the links for a round of golf. Actually, I got to watch and drive the golf cart (by far the most fun part of golfing, other than enjoying the sunshine). While tootling around, watching my 85 year old grandfather kick my husband's butt at the game, hubby made an interesting comment (I wish I could remember what we were talking about though I do remember wondering where the heck the comment came from), basically saying I couldn't complain about my writing sucking again because now I had to know it wasn't true. Uh-huh. I laughed at him then, and I still have to chuckled at it. I mean, honestly, is there such a time that worries of sucking ever go away? Honestly, I'd like to know. Right now, I can't even bring myself to open my projects file. Everything sucks and I find myself wondering what I'm doing playing at this game. WIP is boring even me, and I'm writing it. Everything else I've got going seems dull and flat. I've read so many wonderful books that I can't begin to compare my own meager attempts to what's out there. UGH. It's enough to make a girl crazy!

How do I make this feeling go away? I wish I knew. Right now it's going to take some chocolate and an evening away from the computer.

It's always an adventure

By: Meradeth Houston on 1:41 AM

Hubby and I decided to make the trek to visit my grandparents this weekend. They currently are staying in Palm Springs, which is, as my grandfather puts is, heaven's waiting room. I get the feeling this must be what a lot of Florida looks like, but they at least have a beach. Granted, it's quite ritzy here, and there are a lot of fun things to do.

So, on the way down here, just as we were trying to leave LA, our car died. On the freeway. Totally dead. With lots of cars whizzing past and a giant semi bearing down on us. I'll admit it, I screamed. (Have you ever seen the movie Clueless? You know the part where the MC's best friend is learning to drive in LA, and she accidentally gets in the freeway? Everyone is driving like they just got out of a mental hospital. Sad, and very true of LA traffic.) Anyhow, after coasting to the side of the road, the car thankfully started right back up. So far, nothing else has happened, and every mechanic we've taken it to (about five so far) has said there is nothing we can do until it breaks down again. Yiippee! So, tomorrow we start the nine hour trek back home, newly purchased AAA towing insurance in the back, and pray we make it. Ahhh, it's always an adventure.

Rainy Days

By: Meradeth Houston on 3:18 AM

Today and yesterday have been really stormy here in NorCal. I love the rain, so it's been quite nice. And I've managed to find the time to get some serious writing done. I'm feeling very productive :-) 60k mark was hit this morning, and my WIP is on the home stretch. Well, so long as I don't think about how much polishing it's going to require (if my agent even likes it, that is). My website is also taking shape, too, though there needs to be some changes (and I'm still befuddled as to why it only seems to like internet explorer, but nothing else...). At the moment, it's time to return to the "real" world and do some studying, joy of joys!

How do you spell it? (Meradeth, that is :-)

By: Meradeth Houston on 2:01 PM

Meradeth, that is. I'm sitting here, brainstorming with hubby, trying to decide the most "normal" way to spell my name. Because I honestly have seen it just about every which way:
Meredith
Meradith
Meridith
Meredeth
(LJ has given me a few more options to: Meredithe & Megadeath--haha!)
and on, and on, and on... Yeah. It kinda sucks. Personally, I think they way my parents spelled it (or mis-spelled it) makes the most sense. It's very phonetic. But if I use it as my pen name, then what? I'm back to the same problem that led me to trying to find another first name to use, which has been the endless circle of discussion around here. That being said, I'm really just leaning towards:

Meradeth Houston

Your thoughts are very much appreciated!

What is in a name?

By: Meradeth Houston on 8:19 AM

How does one go about picking a pen name? I've thought about this before, but brushed it off as one of those things I'd think about when it might actually matter. Now, I want to get a website going, and I need to have something! Yikes. Anyhow, I know what I want to use for my last name, but for a first name I'm drawing a total blank. Something simple, easy to spell, and a touch unique. Hmmm. I like "m" names (yeah, go figure :) but nothing seems to fit.

This is one of those things that was way easier as a kid--I remember making lists of names I liked better than my own. So, if anyone has some tips on this, I'd love to hear them!

One Year Out

By: Meradeth Houston on 12:29 AM

I've been thinking a lot lately about the fact that it's been a year since I took my Qualifying Exams. Pretty crazy, really. I can't believe that much time has passed. I honestly thought I'd be closer to getting the freak out of Davis at this point, but so goes the insanity of grad school--it can suck time like nothing else. I shouldn't complain too much though, I have a job I like, my co-workers rock, and I have some sweet samples to work with (starting on some Mimbres samples today, whohoo! Strange that it feels like Christmas :-). Still, it's been a full year. So, that got me thinking of all the junk I've been doing in the past year:

Gave talks at two international conferences, which were well-received.
Have an academic paper submitted, and am now doing the last of its revisions.
22 more samples with data.
Wrote and edited a full book.
Got an agent!
Applied for two grants--got one, and the other is looking good (though pending).
Am in much better shape, thanks to the the prodding of best friend who drags me to the gym every night.

I think I need to be nicer to myself. That's a pretty good list, and seeing as how that's the highlights (and doesn't count the trillion hours I've spent grading exams, reading good books, working on the WIP, or spending time with hubby and fam), things are okay. I'm not going to beat myself up that I haven't lost 15 pounds, gotten another paper ready, been more academically inclined, etc. It's just not worth it.

Yayness!

By: Meradeth Houston on 9:42 AM

I need some better way to describe how psyched I am at the moment, but I honestly can't think straight enough to be creative. I'm super stoked! I can now share my good news: I have accepted representation from Elizabeth Jote! Whohoo! (I honestly wish my body would cooperate with me more here--I'm barely mobile today and long to crash in bed and forget the trillion things to do!) Anyhoo, we had a nice long talk on the phone today, and I've been thinking about this for a week or more, so I went with it! It still hasn't actually sunk in yet. I don't know if it will, at least for a good long time. I honestly don't have to query any more. Holy freaking cow. How sweet is THAT?

(Yes, I realize that now all the fun work is starting, but let's not rain on my parade just yet. I can dwell on the possibilities of not selling later. Must later. If ever. Haha!)

And now off to eat pizza and trying to keep my sinuses from sealing shut. How's that for imagery? :-)

(Oh, hey, can anyone tell me why on earth sitemeter keeps creating this giant sqare of blank space? I have no idea how to change that and it's making me batty!)

After Reading

By: Meradeth Houston on 12:22 AM

A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

So one of the fundamental problems I have with multi-POV books is that I always love one or some of the characters more than others. I found this to be true with Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and once again with this book. Don't get me wrong--each of the characters is essential to the story, and their interesting in their own right, but I can't identify with some of them and end up wishing the story were entirely told from the character I like best. It's always struck me as one of those "can't serve two masters" kind of things, but perhaps that's stretching the metaphor :-) Anyhow, this book has four main characters and the story shifts around between them, telling how they basically don't commit suicide and learn to cope with their problems. In the hands of anyone else, this would be a total downer of a book, by Hornby makes it funny and light. Still, it's about four people that have huge problems, so I found myself a little depressed in parts of it. Overall, it was a good read, but probably not something I'll pick up again. I will have to check out some other Hornby books though!

5k

By: Meradeth Houston on 1:56 AM

This morning my best friend and I were up before dawn, in the foggy cold, to go run the Davis Stampede. It probably wasn't the smartest thing I've done, seeing as how I've somehow caught a dirty little bug that makes me feel like crap, but exercising always makes me feel better, so I did it anyhow. We weren't in it for times, but we did pretty well considering she needed to walk some of the way. It was a great morning, and I love the energy from all the people up and running together. Plus, all the cool free stuff is fun too :-)

update

By: Meradeth Houston on 12:08 AM

Sooooo, no email yesterday. No call. No nothing. I'm a tinsy bit frustrated at the moment, because if a decision needs to be made, I need to know what these people are thinking. And really, what I'm thinking is that was my answer--nada. Grrr.

I really should stop being cryptic, but I'm finding it oddly fun.

Oh, and I finally figured out SiteMeter (okay, in my defense, I'd never taken the time), but now I'm having fun messing around with it :)

Going crazy

By: Meradeth Houston on 6:07 AM

I honestly don't think I've checked my email this much, EVER. I can't stop staring at it, willing the little icon to switch from "0" to "1." It really can't be healthy. At the same time, my stomach is twisted in knots, and I'm not really sure I want the email I know is coming sometime during the next 24 hours. Either way, the good news still stands, but things might be getting a little interesting.

How's THAT for cryptic?

Must. Get. Some. Work. Done.

After Reading

By: Meradeth Houston on 12:34 AM

The pranks. They were awesome. Coming from a family of pranksters (and never being the best one at it) I totally loved them and had a good laugh at each. Especially "In The Ladies We Trust."
Frankie's attitude. As I mentioned, she's really a strong female character, and her questioning of those things around us that may seem so innocent, but really are out-dated and nasty ways of putting down women, are great.
The voice was totally spot-on. Very teen, and very funny. I love laughing in books, and I giggled my way through most of this.

Really, there was only one thing that kind of bothered me about this book: I didn't like the end all that much. It felt a little forced, like the reader is being forced to see Frankie in a specific way (and I honestly didn't enjoy the way she was characterized--I think it is very possible for women to be strong and defy social norms without being seen as a little 'crazy'). The ending made me step back and go "well, Frankie, I honestly hope you come out better than how your author thinks you might."

Anyhoo, this is definite Must-Read, and I really enjoyed it!

Funnies

By: Meradeth Houston on 6:38 AM

Oh dear, it seems to be the week of randomness! I'm still living on cloud nine, but trying to be rational, adult-like, etc. Haha! Anyhow, this is my random email from the day:

Hi Meradeth,

I was just writing you because I have a minor request of you. I would appreciate it if you used more inclusive language such as "you all" because I noticed you use the phrase "you guys" rather excessively.

Ummmm, yeah. Apparently I'm playing into the male patriarchal system, or something? I don't know. I need to come up with something to write this person back, but right now, I'm thinking that incorporating a whole lot of 'y'all' in my vocab might be in order (many thanks to Debbie for this brilliant idea--I must work on my Southern accent!).

Super amazing awesome good news

By: Meradeth Houston on 3:50 AM

This will be posted here soon, but let's just say that I can hardly sit still, and I don't know what to do with myself! Two long years of working towards this, and it was SOOO worth it!

(also, in terrible need of advice--if you've got a minute, email me please! I need brains to pick!)