Less Than Random Thoughts From a Science Fiction Author and Generally Good Guy [ Fawkes ]

Monday, May 31, 2010

Hey, What Do You Want For Nothing?

So I'm on a bike ride yesterday, and I finish the current released of the podiobook ShadowMagic II (great, very great). I figure, hey, I'll listen the the iTunesU podcast of a college course of Dante's Divine Comedy (DC). I figure, I took a course at UCB in the DC, read in parallel text English and Italian, loved the book, and would love to learn more. So I punch it up. The audio only comes in one ear, weird, hasn't happened before, so I stop again and mess with it but cannot fix it, so I proceed, listening in mono, not huge deal. So the prof starts off saying he's going to do a podcast of the course. I am alone, but I look right, then left, then right again. I'm thinking, of course it's a podcast, I downloaded the mp3 to my iPod, I didn't think it was a blueberry sundae. Anyway, he then proceeds to say he is going to read a few 'cantos', but not all, too much time, and I'm thinking, if you haven't taken this class, how would you know what a canto is, so you could decide if that was a lot or a little Dante? There are 3 books in DC, Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell, are those cantos, or is a canto a chapter, a paragraph? I mean, don't put yourself out on my account, reading a few stanzas, throw me a bone, OK? So, I'm thinking, this gut has to be tenured faculty, right, who else is this arrogant, so on the surface out of touch? My father was a tenured English professor, and he had more free time than a cubed-ice salesman at the South Pole, so why the *select-a-word* can't he read more than a few cantos, whatever the *select-a-word* a canto is? I mean, don't do me any favors, I just love Dante and want to learn and you're a professor of Dante with time heavy on your hands, so *select-a-word* yourself and I switch to an Astronomy lecture at UCB. Man, you just shouldn't give them tenure, trust me on this, you turn a nerdy over achiever into a megalomaniachal hermit; just don't do it..........

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Slings and Arrows, Dude

I just now discovered it's hard to sit placidly on the West Coast while all my podcast buddies are wooping it up on the East Coast at Balitcon. I read Twitter posts about meet me here-or-there, and share a pint, and I wax melancholic. I plan on going to Dragoncon if I'm a Parsec finalist, but man, I'm too practical. Maybe I should loosen up a bit, have some non-practical kick-in-the-pants fun more often. I could go to Baycon in SF this weekend, but, everyone I know is on the Right Coast, so how fun could that be? Oh well, I spend extra time writing, earn a better ranking for next year's Balticon and Dragoncon. To infinity and just slightly beyond................craig

Thursday, May 27, 2010

You Were There When.....

OK! Just now I finished the sound edit of The Prisoner of NaNoWriMo!! I need to add music, sound effects and all, but I'm on to the next phase. Plus, unbelievable news, Renee Chambliss has agreed to do a cameo voice for me!!! She'll be a judge at the end of the book, and will do the Story So Far's if I decide to use them. Wow, this is hot. OK, daily errands, bike ride, then I can get back at this mess. Cool and one half............

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Like Molassas in January

I sort of feel like when you're dreaming, and a monster is chasing you, and you try to run, but everything is in slow-motion, feet stuck in tar or something. I am almost done with the edit of Prisoner, but man it's so slow. Didn't help that I had to re-do an edit after erasing this file accidentally, but I will finish. I still catch mistakes and poor writing errors, so the process is valuable, but slow squared.
Renee Chambliss, a co-author friend of mine offered to help with Story So Far lead ins, so I may incorporate this into the book, along with very light use of sound effects, so that part will be fun. In the Fantasyland between my ears, I could be done in a month, podiobook and ebook. I can only hope, and try my best. Well, off I go to accomplish something no doubt important, talk at you soon.........craig

Thursday, May 20, 2010

I Think I Just Realized

As you sneak up on retirement, you think you'd have learned most, if not all, of 'it'. Then I go and figure something out. I hope you read this and go, "Duh!" I tend to ruminate a lot, you know, worry over untoward events and situations. I cannot tell you how many arguments I've had over and over again in my head with persons and demons with whom I have contention. Very non-productive, negative energy stuff, but it's there and I own it. As I delved into a sortie of debate with real people who I will never confront (with their short-comings) it occurred to me. Why not focus, over and over again, on something wonderful, something exhilarating, something positive. Naturally, the first thing I thought of was my wife's smile, not the usual one you might see, but the sweet mischievous one I am privileged to see on occasion. It made me smile. Wow, what a concept, ruminate over something you love when you're ruminating over something negative. I think I may quite my job and become a guru; though I don't look good in a white robe. Then I thought of a few other experiences I've cherished (these I will leave to your imagination, cause I'm not telling) and man-o-man, it really works. Between faith in God and focusing on positives, I may just make it. What a relief; as Forest would agree,that's one less thing to worry about.
I just accidentally erased 1-2 hours of sound edits for Prisoner, but I learned, I'm certain, a valuable lesson. I will not delete sound loops I have copied elsewhere. Otherwise, my new Anon Time cover is coming along nicely, and Prisoner will be done soon-ish. Well, back to re-editing, pax vobiscum.....craig

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Galaxy of Riches

OK, next time I complain, strike me firmly about the head and neck. I have been nominated and entered in a THIRD Parsec Award category! I'm also up for Best New Podcaster!!! This category I actually stand a chance in. God love 'em, I've heard a lot of the competition, and they are less threatening than Long Fiction and Novella Fiction. When it rains it pours, and I hope I make the final 5 in at least one grouping. Then I can go to Atlanta as a player.........dude

Saturday, May 8, 2010

I Think I Can, ?

You know that little train that could? "I think I can I think I can."? I hope, and pray, that I can be like the little train. Bad week, working for soulless corporate drones (SCD's), but I will hang in there. There weirdest part is that they don't know they are SCD's . I look in their eyes, it's plain as day to me, but the hollow vessels don't sense it. As a Christian, it both bothers and horrifies me, and I cannot help them, though I should. I have learned through past encounters with these dark forces to forgive them, something I never thought I was capable of, so I guess it's all part of the plan. I wish the weight of the burden was just a tad lighter maybe. OK, now I got that out, thanks for your forbearance, you can stop backing away from the screen now, worried you might be reading the ramblings of an old fool rapidly loosing touch with reality.
It's Saturday morning, but it's not Howdy Duddy Time, it's Prisoner of NaNoWriMo Edit Time, yeah and whee, off I go.......Happy Mother's Day one and all (PS: wise advice to my dad followers, especially you younger ones: Mother's Day does not mean "I bet she wants to fool around day", Father's Day, yes, you set the agenda, but Mother's Day, hands off unless specifically invited! Got that? Good, you'll thank me in the long run)...........craig

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Parsec Update

I've had both my podcasts accepted as Parsec Nominees, but ugh, the competition is brutal. I might vote for 5 other podcasts ahead of my own, and I'm competing to be a top five Finalist! I've also learned, he said euphemistically, how much I have learned and improved since my earlier efforts. That is, groan, my early productions are indeed quaint. Oh well, the 3rd and 4th books will benefit nicely from what I've learned, so it's not all for naught, plus, it's fun to call oneself an author.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Yellow

Well, another week under the belt, 154 Mondays till I retire. I really hate those I work for, but my co-workers are mostly OK, and I love what I do, so I'll soldier on. I got some editing done this week, but not as much as I 'd hoped for. I have 3 chapters of Prisoner left to do, not too bad, and I did a great redo of Episode 1 of The Innerglow Effect posted. In the original I sounded depressed or constipated, maybe both. So, I have something creative to point to for the week, which is very cool. Still licking my chops to get started on producing Time Diving, it's going to be reeeealy good. Unfortunately, I'm too busy to do any more reviews, but with time I'll get more done. I also have to start working on a 365 DoA podcast, a biography on the great Carl Sagan. Have a superb weekend, and a better set of bosses than me........craig