Metallic Pea!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Productive weekend!

So, WYAOD proved very helpful for YA MS the Second. Although I spent a good number of hours outlining before my lunch with Beth and Sam, much of the work I did was tossed after lunch. "Then why was WYAOD helpful?" you're no doubt asking. Well, over lunch, Beth and I did some brainstorming about plot problems with the then-outline, and the solutions we came to were superb! So, the few hours I continued working after lunch were spent salvaging certain existent scenes, removing others, and sketching out a new outline that actually covers the full plot arc of the novel! This is a first for this MS. This coming Saturday will be WYAOD2 for me. I am very excited now.

Well, that was Saturday. Sunday was all about laundry, farmer's market, dog baths, fancy grilled suppers, lawn-mowings, and the like. When it came time to hit the sack last night, I was out in an instant. Felt good!

Unfortunately, this weekend's productivity on the personal side meant no paid work got done. So Eric Stevens is missing a deadline as we speak. His editor is okay with it, I'm told, so he can play catch up over the next few days.

Finally, started reading Jellicoe Road for class. I like it very much so far, about a third of the way through (it's 400+ pages). I am wondering if I would like it more than I do, even, if not for all the reviews I've read that have praised it up and down the mountainside. Also, I constantly have in my head "Jellicoe Roooooaaaaad" sung to the tune of "Holiday Road" from Vacation, with Chevy Chase.

Comments

6 Responses to “Metallic Pea!”
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Kangaroo B said...

Two things:

(1) I never knew that there was a video for Holiday Road. I'm impressed that it's not just clips from the movie. And, by early 1980's standards, it's a pretty decent video. The song, for all it's vapid lyrics, is amazing. It perfectly captures the feel of heading out for a trip on a sunny day with the windows down.

(2) Let me suggest that you include a glossary of acronyms here. Sometimes, reading Exile reminds me of the days when I tried to read message boards for Orthodox Jews. (Don't ask.) The English was interspersed with all this Yiddish. And they weren't the Yiddish terms that novices like us would know about (e.g., schmuck, shmata,...)

May 18, 2009 at 9:28 AM
Steve Brezenoff said...

(2) That's not a bad idea. Noting that some acronyms are meant to maintain secrets and as such to be unfathomable, most would do fine with explanation. Watch for a new sidebar.

May 18, 2009 at 9:38 AM
Tina Laurel Lee said...

I am looking forward to Jellico Road but isn't that the truth so often high expectation can diminish enjoyment and likewise low expectations can make an experience great. I guess most recently I experienced it with Tender Morsels.

Glad you had a productive weekend!

Like the acronym key in the sidebar!

May 18, 2009 at 10:55 AM
Christy Raedeke said...

Hey, I've been too preoccupied to blog-troll lately and have just come upon your great blog redesign! Looks great. Apologies is this is really not new anymore, but it's new to my eyes.

May 18, 2009 at 3:07 PM
Steve Brezenoff said...

Thanks, Christy. It's only about a few weeks or so old, I think, so totally timely.

May 18, 2009 at 3:21 PM
Sean Tiffany said...

I still am liking the idea of a psedonym. "Steve Brezenoff isn't late with that new manuscript...Eric Stevens is...can't blame me...I'm Steve today...not Eric." ha ha

I am starting illustrations on the first basketball book this week. So far I've done all the character sketches and a team sketch, including a mascot (although I haven't read any of the other manuscripts yet so I hope that I blindly did the mascot justice.)

And, just when I get a general comment that I draw the kids too large next to adults my first main character is a 14 year old 5'10" kid! Arghh...so, don't be surprised but the coach is now 6'8". ha ha.

I hope you're doing great!

May 20, 2009 at 2:52 AM