overcast

Too many gray days here - I need sun. Not much to say, so will give you some links

Have fun in France here

and a small rant on Kanye West

Beverly Hills Art Show

If you're in Los Angeles this weekend, please stop by the Beverly Hills Art Show Saturday or Sunday 10- 6 and buy something from my friend, sculptor Vicki Banks.

Light posting as I finish my MFA.

Thursday already?

After 10 hours of sleep, I feel much better and ready to write. Doris Lessing maintains that there are no laws for the novel. Still pondering that one. 

In the meantime... a book of photos that change in the sun.

Time to write....

A day of Edgars

I'm not much for mysteries, but this post title made me laugh: The Edgar Winner Group: 2009 Edgar Awards

Decided the best thing to do for creativity today is to take the day off. I am irritated because I thought I had the full text of Edgar Sawtelle on my Kindle and it was only a sample. Unnoticed until they asked me if I want to buy the whole thing. No, Amazon, I'm feeling cranky and am switching to the The Time Traveler's Wife. In paperback. Even your fancy whispernet will not lure me.

I may start a new blog about writing the current novel, which has a character named Edgar.

research

One of the things that bothers me in fiction is sloppy or non-existent research. The internet has made research easier, but you have to check sources carefully. We're human and we're going to make mistakes, but my advice is to learn to research in a library the old-fashioned way first so you at least have some idea of what you're looking at online. Example: Toni Morrison's been taken to task for including starlings in A Mercy. Is the occasional anachronism or inaccuracy a problem? Depends on whether it takes the reader out of the narrative. Practice good research and it will lessen the odds that your reader will say, 'wait a minute...'

Sometimes my research branches off into something that isn't pertinent, but oddly timely. Turns out that today, Hilary Clinton is scheduled to preside over a ceremony honoring those in our foreign service who've died on duty. I was looking for pictures of eyes of Somalis and Ethiopians in order to describe a character and found the very sad story of Brian Adkins who was murdered in Ethiopia. I initially found an article that he was found dead, then looked further to find out what had happened. May he rest in peace.