« October 2007 | Main | December 2007 »
November 30, 2007
The Writers' Strike Blues
While I am completely on the side of the writers, I just have this to say to both sides:
"Y'all better get this settled soon because I am on the verge of giving up on TV for good."
Seriously. And I can't be the only one.
There is so little good stuff on TV that I was on the edge of quitting even before the writers' strike. Now, episodes of my favorite shows are being rationed out. I turned on the TV to watch last night's "Grey's Anatomy" and it was a REPEAT! (A repeat during November sweeps! And when just last week they were promo-ing a "3-part Grey's event!" And last week's cliffhanger! Aargh!! Such frustration can't be good for my blood pressure.)
I recently started watching "Pushing Daisies" based on Mir's glowing recommendation, and it is every bit as wonderful as Mir says. But a lot of the joy is taken out when I know I've only got one episode left before the show disappears for who knows how long.
I enjoyed the recent "Battlestar Galatica: Razor" but—AGAIN, knowing that it will be MONTHS before I see a new BG episode (if then), I almost don't want to bother getting back into the show.
Plus, honestly, I still haven't forgiven NBC for canceling "Studio 60."
I keep thinking of all the time that will reappear in my schedule if I just stop watching TV. Hmmm. More time for reading, writing, and editing. Maybe it's for the best.
I just hope TV writers can easily turn their talents to other media.
Posted by Selena at 10:21 PM | Comments (0)
November 27, 2007
"Sandstones and Unknowns" by John Kuhn
To close out our November issue, here is a poem by another of our favorite writers.
"Sandstones and Unknowns"
by John Kuhn
We think we know so much.
Be sure to check out John's previous work in DKA, including his award-winning poems:
"Separado"
by John Kuhn
First Place, 2007 Poetry Contest
"Statuary"
by John Kuhn
First Place, 2006 Poetry Contest
Posted by Selena at 07:42 AM | Comments (0)
November 24, 2007
"Haven" by Karen A. Romanko
The update for today is a poem by one of our favorite poets.
"Haven"
by Karen A. Romanko
There are second chances, and then there are Second Chances...
Be sure to check out Karen's previous poems in DKA:
Bibliotheca Temporis
Rooms
Crossroads
The Ransom of Planet X
Posted by Selena at 08:05 AM | Comments (0)
November 23, 2007
DKA November print edition available
The print edition for DKA's November issue is now available for sale through Lulu.com.
Just $6.49 (+ shipping)
This issue includes:
"The Salamander" by Diane Gallant
"Rand's Prayer" by Donna Watkins
"The Shine" by Sandra J. Lindow
"Awaken the Dawn" by Elizabeth Hopkinson
"Passionplay" by J. C. Runolfson and Jennifer Crow
"Haven" by Karen A. Romanko
"Sandstones and Unknowns" by John Kuhn.
Enjoy!
Posted by Selena at 05:12 PM | Comments (0)
November 20, 2007
Charlie's Gone
Last night my favorite cat, who had been dying slow for weeks, suddenly switched to dying fast. It was a terrible, heart-wrenching night.
It had been coming for a while, so at least I was a little prepared. By all rational measures Charlie should have died weeks ago. But God granted us a miraculous reprieve. Charlie inexplicably got better for a couple weeks. I remember thinking that I would be so grateful if he just lived through this really rough time I had scheduled November 17-19. And he did. God granted me the comfort of my favorite feline companion through that particularly difficult time. I am so appreciative of that blessing.
Still, I miss having Charlie around. The habit of him is so ingrained that I keep expecting to see him snoozing in one of his favorite spots or coming around the corner to see what's going on. Then a split second later my brain catches up and I remember.
Here's Charlie with the baby cat in the family. He's the solid black one. Madeline is the multi-colored baby.
God is so good. Even in the dark times. Especially in the dark times.
Posted by Selena at 09:53 PM | Comments (0)
"Passionplay" by J. C. Runolfson and Jennifer Crow
Next up, a poem for your Tuesday reading pleasure.
"Passionplay"
by J. C. Runolfson and Jennifer Crow
The struggle within.
Posted by Selena at 07:43 AM | Comments (0)
November 17, 2007
NaNo Day 17
Added some more today. I love that this novel let's me go in whatever crazy direction my muse takes me. I'm not sure that it will work as a novel in the end, but there are several promising short stories in there.
Today's Tally = 2093
Cumulative = 54,216
Posted by Selena at 09:43 PM | Comments (0)
"Awaken the Dawn" by Elizabeth Hopkinson
Next up is a story about someone who has the ability to see music.
"Awaken the Dawn"
by Elizabeth Hopkinson
From the moment the Baron's minstrel arrives, Eleanor's beliefs and expectations are turned upside down. What is the secret of his music and what is written inside his master's mysterious Psalter?
Also, check out Elizabeth's previous story in DKA:
"Only Our Thirst Lights Us Onward"
Posted by Selena at 08:08 AM | Comments (0)
November 16, 2007
NaNo Day 16
I hadn't intended to write anymore for NaNo. When I got to 50K on Wednesday night, I was so DONE! I didn't want to do any more NaNo; it had stopped being fun days ago. But then I found myself writing new scenes for the novel, and adding to my word count again.
I still think the book is 95% junk, but 95% junk is 5% not junk. And that's something.
Plus, it's good to stay in practice.
Today's Tally = 2051
Cumulative = 52,123
Today's scenes are actually very promising, so maybe this draft is only 90% junk. :)
Posted by Selena at 09:37 PM | Comments (0)
November 14, 2007
NaNo Day 14 - DONE
It started as another tough NaNo day, but a writing prompt (about overheard conversations) got me to my daily goal in the morning.
And then in the evening, I had an extended writing session that took me from 40K to the finish line.
Man, I am exhausted!
I feel like I have to post this quickly before my fingers seize up and cease to function. ;)
Today's Tally = 11,794
Cumulative = 50,072
% done = 100%
Posted by Selena at 11:03 PM | Comments (0)
November 13, 2007
NaNo Day 13
It was a really tough NaNo day. I was so busy with baby-watching and work that I didn't even start writing until the evening. And by then I was too exhausted to do much of anything.
So I just barely made my daily goal.
Today's Tally = 1682
Cumulative = 38,278
% done = 76.6%
Posted by Selena at 06:42 PM | Comments (0)
"The Shine" by Sandra J. Lindow
Welcome to New Poetry Tuesday. Here is the dish of the day:
"The Shine"
by Sandra J. Lindow
A woman attends a conference and finds it unexpectedly transcendent.
Posted by Selena at 07:33 AM | Comments (0)
November 12, 2007
NaNo Day 12
Well, I am back to not knowing what to write about. (Grrr.) It seems my muse is exhausted from the last few days and has taken the day off. So I made my daily goal plus a little extra, but it was a struggle.
Today's Tally = 3039
Cumulative = 36,596
% done = 73.2%
I really need to do some pre-NaNo planning next year. Maybe that will help.
Posted by Selena at 09:54 PM | Comments (0)
Story Published: "Designed Development"
My story "Designed Development" is now available at Chaos Theory: Tales Askew."
I love the tease they put at the top of the story:
"In the future your child may never leave their room…"
The story is about virtual childhoods and an AI caretaker who befriends one of her charges. I hope you enjoy it.
Posted by Selena at 09:08 PM | Comments (0)
November 11, 2007
NaNo Day 11
I had the day off, so I got a lot done. Yeah!
Today's Tally = 3085
Cumulative = 33,557
% done = 67.1%
Posted by Selena at 10:13 PM | Comments (0)
November 10, 2007
NaNo Day 10
I had a really great writing session this morning—2439 words. I made my daily goal before 10 a.m. That is a very good sign.
Then I had another good writing session this evening. Finally the book is starting to flow a little. Yeah!
Today's Tally = 5407
Cumulative = 30,472
% done = 60.9%
Posted by Selena at 09:58 PM | Comments (0)
DKA: "Rand's Prayer" by Donna Watkins
Next up for November is:
"Rand's Prayer"
by Donna Watkins
Rand's heart has been broken. His outlook on life is dim. Yet misery is heaped on chaos when he finds himself having to choose between his self-pity and an innocent spirit.
Posted by Selena at 07:42 AM | Comments (0)
November 09, 2007
NaNo Day 9
Maybe a good scene or two in today's writing. I'm not sure. But it feels like maybe the writing is improving a little. Only time will tell.
I was feeling so hopeful that I even posted a brief excerpt of today's work in my author profile at NaNo. Stop by and check it out, if you want. Just remember that it is only a first draft; it is by no means a finished product.
Today's Tally = 2109
Cumulative = 25,065
% done = 50.1%
And I'm halfway done. That's cool!
Posted by Selena at 09:33 PM | Comments (0)
My Column "Failure and Faith" Reprinted
My Everyday Faith column entitled "Failure and Faith" has been reprinted at Haruah. Please stop by and have a look. Thanks.
Posted by Selena at 06:23 PM | Comments (0)
Trying out some NaNo widgets..
I'm testing out some NaNo widgets...
participant icon with current words so far:
This looks really cool, click the link to
Check out my progress report!
My month:
"My Month is a simple display showing overall progress and how you did on any given day. Light green and red show where you were above or below the goal for the day, bold green and red are reserved for days where you did exceptionally well or monumentally badly."
So cool! Plus they update automatically!
Now I better get back to adding to my word count. Gotta go.
edited to add: actually I guess they don't update automatically. Bummer.
Posted by Selena at 11:58 AM | Comments (0)
November 08, 2007
NaNo Day 8
The writing flowed a little easier today but I was so busy with other things that I only got the bare minimum done:
Today's Tally = 1722
Cumulative = 22,956
% done = 45.9%
Posted by Selena at 06:55 PM | Comments (0)
Sites Restored
The server problems have been fixed and DEP sites are back online.
Thank you for your patience.
Posted by Selena at 06:43 PM | Comments (0)
DKA's October Print Edition Now Available!
The print edition for DKA's October issue is now available for sale through Lulu.com.
Just $6.49 (+ shipping)
This issue includes:
"Jeannies" by Ellie Tupper
"Crafting Sentiment in a Magical Land" by Marshall Payne
"At the Stroke of Midnight" by Jeremy Billingsley
plus the winners from DKA's 2007 Poetry Contest:
"Paradise" by Jenny Schwartz
"Black Hole" by C.K. Deatherage
"Atlantis" by Karen Romanko
"Sky Vendor" by Holly Dworken Cooley
and "Separado" by John Kuhn
Enjoy!
Posted by Selena at 11:29 AM | Comments (0)
November 07, 2007
Server Outage Makes International News
This is the server outage that has kept Double-Edged Publishing sites* offline since Saturday. Our magazines and sites are only a small part of what is a huge outage.
Here's a link to Monday's article in The Register, a news site in Great Britain.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/05/navisite_outage/
Here’s a snippet:
"Navisite, the US webhosting firm, is scrambling to fix an extended outage that is believed to have rendered tens of thousands of websites inoperable for more than three days. The company hopes to completely resolve the problem by Tuesday morning at the latest."
Yeah, well, it's now Wednesday night and I still can't access any DEP sites.*
*DEP sites include:
Dragons, Knights, & Angels
The Sword Review
MindFlights
Haruah
TeenAge
Ray Gun Revival
Fear and Trembling
Posted by Selena at 06:11 PM | Comments (0)
NaNo Day 7
I just barely managed to get in the requisite 1667 words today. Uggh.
Today's Tally = 1759
Cumulative = 21,234
% done = 42.5%
This time last year I was nearly finished with the 50,000 word goal. What a difference a year makes.
Posted by Selena at 06:00 PM | Comments (0)
November 06, 2007
NaNo Day 6
Another tough NaNo day. I'm thinking about giving up. The book isn't any good. It's a rambling, mundane mess. And I feel like there are so many other things that I should be doing, things that are more important.
But I managed to meet my daily goal at least. And hopefully I'll feel more inspired tomorrow.
Today's Tally = 1722
Cumulative = 19,475
% done = 39.0%
Posted by Selena at 09:21 PM | Comments (0)
November 05, 2007
NaNo Day 5
A tough NaNo day. Too much other stuff going on. Too much fatigue.
The time change has me messed up. By 7pm, I can hardly stay awake.
Still, I managed to make my daily goal of 1667, plus a little extra.
Today's Tally = 2057
Cumulative = 17,753
% done = 35.5%
Hopefully I can do better tomorrow.
Posted by Selena at 08:21 PM | Comments (0)
November 04, 2007
NaNo Day 4 + a Quote from Psalms
I had the day off from both baby-watching and editing, so I was able to get a lot of NaNo done.
The servers have been down on all the Double-Edged Publishing sites so I literally couldn't get any DEP work done today. I took it as a sign to spend more time on NaNo instead.
Today's Tally = 5428
Cumulative = 15,696
% done = 31.4%
Not bad at all.
Plus, I managed to work part of Psalms 31 into the story today. Here's a snippet from the psalm:
"Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress.
Tears blur my eyes.
My body and soul are withering away.
I am dying from grief;
My years are shortened by sadness.
…
But I am trusting you, O Lord,
Saying 'You are my God!'
My future is in your hands.
Rescue me…
Let your favor shine on your servant.
In your unfailing love, rescue me."
It worked perfectly because my main character is going through a difficult time at this particular part of the book. Things are going to get better though. Don't you worry. I am all about the happy ending. Don't know what it will be yet, but it will be happy.
Posted by Selena at 06:34 PM | Comments (0)
November 03, 2007
NaNo Day 3
I had forgotten how much fun NaNo is! Once I get going, it's hard to stop. It’s addictive like that.
At some point today, I got it into my head that it would be cool to break the ten thousand mark by the end of the day. So I wrote 344 words, then 1434, then 721, and then after another 770 I was so close (over the 9000 mark) that I just couldn't stop until I was there. (It was also a race with my dying laptop battery since I didn't want to stop to plug in and recharge.)
Today's Tally = 4439
Cumulative = 10,268 (!!!!)
% done = 20.5%
They say "write what you know," and that you should use your personal experiences and daily life in your writing. And I do, sometimes. But mostly in random, not-too-terribly-personal ways.
Every now and then I surprise myself with the little bits of my life that end up in a story. Like this line from today's NaNo:
"Mabel's cell phone made the sound of a ray gun firing. She picked it up."
Every time I see that on the screen I laugh a little. "Am I reading too much Ray Gun Revival?" I ask myself. "No, of course not. It's cool. If anything, I'm not reading enough Ray Gun Revival."
Hahahaha. Sometimes I crack myself up. (Could be the sleep deprivation getting to me, who knows?) ;)
Posted by Selena at 09:47 PM | Comments (0)
Beautiful Photo at Haruah
I came across this in my morning surfing and just had to share…
"Boasting Peacock"
by W. Joy Robelen
It's the latest cover at Haruah and it's gorgeous.
The picture reminds me that God is an artist.
Stop by Haruah and check it out.
Posted by Selena at 07:59 AM | Comments (0)
DKA: "The Salamander" by Diane Gallant
Starting off our November issue is...
"The Salamander"
by Diane Gallant
A mother must undertake a difficult journey and face a deadly enemy in order to save her son from a terrible sickness.
Posted by Selena at 07:33 AM | Comments (0)
November 02, 2007
An Update on Charlie
Amazingly, my cat Charlie is still hanging on. Miraculously, he has started drinking again—a little water and milk, both yesterday and today—after a couple days of refusing to drink anything. That's a miracle.
He still won't eat anything. But at least he's not as dehydrated as he was, and that seems to make a big difference in how he feels.
I know it won't last, but it's still nice to have him around a little longer. And hearing him purr again just fills my heart with such joy!
I thank God for this reprieve, however long it may last.
Posted by Selena at 09:55 PM | Comments (0)
NaNo Day 2
A pretty good NaNo day:
Today's Tally = 2787
Cumulative = 5829
% done = 11.7%
You can track my progress at my NaNo Author Profile.
Posted by Selena at 09:39 PM | Comments (0)
November 01, 2007
NaNo Day 1 - Part 2
Actually, I did get a little more NaNo done. Another 1267 words, in fact.
New Today's Tally = 3042
Cumulative = 3042
% done = 6.1%
Now, I've got to try to get some sleep. Maybe I'll even dream up something to write about tomorrow.
Posted by Selena at 10:03 PM | Comments (0)
NaNo Day 1
With all that's going on in my life right now, I can't believe I'm even attempting this. But here goes.
I have begun NaNo with only the barest idea of what to write about.
Here are today's stats so far: (They are probably also today's final stats since I doubt I'll be able to get back to this until tomorrow.)
Today's Tally = 1775
Cumulative = 1775
% done = 3.6%
I'm just trying to meet the necessary daily goal of 1667 words per day. And I'm trying to do that each day before I do anything else. We'll see how it goes.
Good luck to all my fellow NaNo-ers out there.
Posted by Selena at 09:48 AM | Comments (0)