Uncategorized

I figured out why the whole NaNo debate is bugging me so much, when I don’t really have a dog in this fight. I don’t like it when writers beat up on other writers — especially on the process of other writers. To each their own.

And yes, this discussion does seem increasingly like a procrastination tool for all involved. So I’m outtie. I have a book to finish and I haven’t added any words since November 6 (although I have opened the file every day since then). Good tippity-typing, all.

Max over at The Millions posts about the NanoBashing that’s been going on this year. I’ve never done it and probably never will (too organized and I just write slower than that; I prefer my goal-setting and deadlines a bit lengthier and easier to blow!). Anyway, I left a comment over there, which I’m  reproducing here and will not speak of it again:

I dunno — it seems to me I’ve read plenty of interviews with writers (and known plenty) who bang out first drafts (occasionally) in a similar time span. As long as the writer is willing to revise, I don’t see the harm. There’s a school of thought out there that says many writers do a quick draft, then a slow one, etc. Often, you don’t know what the story is until you get it down. They’re writing zero drafts, detailed outlines, and maybe a few real novels. I’ve also encountered writers who think the work to death before they start and so turn out quick, impeccable drafts that barely have to be rewritten.

The only way you get better at writing is by doing it. At least some of these people will get a finished book draft* they can work with, throw away, whatever. It seems like the haytas are actually coming from an overly romanticized view of litr-a-chure as being perfectly, painstakingly written, and well, the draft you throw away, the white heat version seems just as much a reality to me. It’s all hard work, no matter the speed, if you want the final draft to matter.

* If you never finish it, who cares how slow and perfect you wrote it?

p.s. See what Callie has to say, as a participant.

p.p.s. See also Justine Musk on time spent, etc., not specific to NaNo, but relevant.

One word: AWESOME:

Let’s cut the jibber-jabber and highlight one new show that knows exactly what it is. “I Pity the Fool” (9 p.m. Wednesday, TV Land) is Mr. T’s new venture into the genre of “reali-T,” and on his show, Mr. T uses his patented, energetic brand of motivation and problem-solving to help families and businesses in trouble. It’s a surprisingly sweet and gently diverting bit of fluff, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Somewhere Dirk Benedict is crying. (And not about that whole thing with his testicles and cancer either.)

p.s. Speaking of TV, did anyone else notice that Project Runway totally stole the Elle spread from ANTM? And that whole batshit crazy judging from last week where Tyra and the judges* did some sort of Pray Out the Girl Faux Gospel Number, inspired — appropriately enough — by the nuttiest girl (maybe) ever? Scariest thing I’ve ever seen.

*The guest judge looked like maybe he would run, except he had nowhere to go.

**Why, yes, I have been on a TV bender since our return from N.C. last evening; why do you ask?

Some obsessions should be secret, only fully admitted to — if at all — once dead. See example. This was more like it.

(Though: You’re no Eduardo Galeano, sir. He won’t let me down.)

I was immediately kicking myself after the Bloggasm interview for not mentioning one of my most favorite of blogs, and a fairly new discovery (for me, anyway — I found it sometime earlier this year, I think, via Darby’s also excellent blog): Austin Kleon‘s site.

From what I can tell, Austin is a superhumanly talented comic artist and writer with great taste in just about everything. And he’s always putting up these beautiful images from his works in progress (like that one over on the left from today) and tidbits of wisdom from other writers and artists. I would use the word inspirational, but that sounds too twee and fuzzy haloed. So I’ll say instead that Austin’s blog never fails to make me want to get on my ass and write, or just generally Get Things Done.

Anyway, I thought I’d do a little pointer in case anyone who reads this site hasn’t yet found Austin’s. If only all such silly omissions were as easily corrected.

Simon Owens just put up a little interview with me about this here blog and related topics over at Bloggasm. I go a bit crazy on the topics of books I’m looking forward to and blogs I recommend. F’instance:

Oh dear. I never know what’s coming out when. A few books I was really looking forward to have just come out and I’m in the process of reading them — Jeff VanderMeer’s Shriek, Andrea Seigel’s To Feel Stuff, Geoff Ryman’s The King’s Last Song, Julie Phillips’ Tiptree biography. I’m very much looking forward to Cecil Castellucci’s next novel Beige, Holly Black’s Ironside and Justine Larbalestier’s Magic’s Child (oddly, all YA); there aren’t even ARCs I can covet of those yet. Of things getting ready to come out, I would recommend any of the above, plus M.T. Anderson’s Octavian Nothing: Volume 1 and John Green’s An Abundance of Katherines (more YAs). Oh, and David Levithan’s new one. I also can’t WAIT for all the original anthologies Ellen Datlow has in the works. Or for Karen Joy Fowler’s next novel (!), or John Kessel’s or Kelley Eskridge’s, for that matter — but, sadly, these don’t exactly exist yet, though I understand all are in the works. On the upside, Nicola Griffith’s next Aud novel has, according to Wiscon news, been turned in, so that one should be forthcoming (if not soon enough). I’m going to kick myself for leaving something out, I just know it.

Oh, books that aren’t written yet, how I long for you!

Ruth Leitman’s fabulous documentary Lipstick & Dynamite, Piss & Vinegar from a couple of years ago is being shown on a couple of premium-type channels (TMC, SCINE) this month. It’s about female wrestlers from the ’40s and ’50s. Even Kenneth Turan liked it.

Gavin Grant* finally went and got himself a proper blog. RSS-y goodness, yay!

*Big deal publisher of Small Beer Press

Compare this to this. And then Dargis: "A folly, true, but watchable." Now I actually have to see The Lady in the Water.

Oh well, I was already somewhat resigned to a lifetime of mid-summer frustration directed at M. Knight and failed potential.

Perhaps Monster House as the antidote?

The Watcher (my favorite TV blog) has Project Runway’s Tim Gunn on The Devil Wears Prada:

“On [July 2], Grace Mirabella (17 years as editor in chief of Vogue, right before Anna Wintour [took over as editor]) and I decided to postpone our movie plan in favor of heading up to Connecticut to visit a mutual pal, Grace’s fashion director at Vogue and, later, Mirabella and then New York magazine, Jade Hobson.

“Frankly, I knew that Grace was ambivalent about seeing the movie and was equally ambivalent about being seen seeing it. So, I capitulated and off we went. We had a wonderful lunch after which Jade exclaimed, `Let’s see The Devil Wears Prada! It’s playing in Westport!’ So, off we went.

“Watching the movie while sitting next to the person who was ousted in favor of Anna was an experience in itself. I kept saying to myself, `Don’t like the movie. Don’t like the movie.’

“The trouble was, I did like the movie. Meryl Street is fabulous. She isn’t doing an impersonation of Anna. Rather, she really owns the role herself. And I loved Anne Hathaway and Stanley Tucci too. I have mixed feelings about the clothes: Streep looks stunning, but slightly dowdy and sometimes too costume-y, and Hathaway, but for the Chanel ‘costume’ with the thigh-high boots, looks stunning and stylish.

“Anyway, after the movie ended and the credits rolled and the lights came up, Grace and I turned to each other and said simultaneously, `I loved it!’ We did. And Jade did too.”

Le happy sigh.