Update

[tarigwaemir]

DeWolfe Apts., on the Feast of Ste. Audrey

1. Wow, writing out a plot is painful. I mean, I have an outline all nicely laid out but once it comes to the actual writing, I'm at a loss and keep editing and re-editing instead of making any progress. But I'm enjoying the experience...I think. At least I know how the story's going to end and have a plan for getting there. ^_^ (Don't laugh at me! The world of the 1000+-word fic is a new frontier! The last time I wrote anything resembling a story was two years ago, and it was this really bizarre pseudo-mystery that I wrote as an assignment for my literature class. If you're curious, it's here, although I must warn you that even I think it's weird and it has several moments of truly awkward writing. The goal was to write a narrative from multiple perspectives using as many Faulknerian devices as possible, since we had just finished The Sound and the Fury. I still don't quite understand that book by the way, other than the obvious "decay of Southern society" theme. Anyway, the point is, my storytelling credentials are rather scanty.) But in spite of everything, I'm determined to plow on and finish the fic! Although at this rate, I shall end up writing more about the fic than anything else. >_>

2. More spoiler reactions to The Lord of Castle Black: Zerika's Eastern lover was originally Morrolan's warlock friend?! Whoa. That's a scandal on the same level as Aliera and Mario. Paarfi really can't write romance; he's too clumsy about it. Oh, and Castle Black is a temple to Verra? That's really cool. I just remembered the other day that Vlad gives Morrolan an infusion of Verra's blood; that explains the whole "soulmate" concept. Poor Morrolan, he doesn't get an inappropriate love interest like almost everyone else in this series excepting Khaavren. Aliera and Mario, Tazendra and Aerich, Piro and Ibronka, etc. Actually, now I get the irony of Paarfi's self-important rant about how he won't stoop to sensationalist stories of forbidden romance (after the chapter where Daro reveals to Khaavren that she's in fact a Tiassa). You know, I've been reading some rather critical reviews of Steven Brust, and I don't think the reviewers realize exactly how conscious Brust is of everything he's doing. It took me a while to realize it too, actually.

3. I'm excited because Orson Scott Card is coming to the Coop to do book signings on July 23. I don't agree with Card's political views, and I think his earlier novels are much more well-written than his recent work, but I'm still a very happy fan at the moment. Card almost never comes to New York on his signing tours, you know, so I'm very lucky to be in Cambridge at the right time. I own ten of his books (including First Meetings, which can't get signed because it's sitting in Lowell storage right now, alas). aetherangelette told me on AIM that she'd mail her books to me, to get them signed, and although I hope she's not being serious, that would bring us to a total of 22 books altogether. I wonder if Card even has that many different personalized messages in his signing repertoire. ^_^ Even more exciting: Neil Gaiman is coming on September 23! Two days after my birthday! The first and only time I went to a book signing was when he was promoting Coraline (at the Barnes & Noble store in Union Square), and I had to leave early. But I did leave my copy of Neverwhere with tryogeru and lush_rimbaud. Now I can get American Gods and Sandman: Book of Dreams signed too. Too bad I don't have a copy of Stardust or any of the Sandman comics...

4. Have finally gotten around to updating both my fanfiction.net account and writing site. Note that I've given up on trying to make the latter into something more than a personal fanfiction archive. That alone takes up way too much of my ever-decreasing attention span.

5. Apparently my parents went to watch a free performance of Tosca in Cunningham Park last night. I'm so envious! ;_; Also, one of the lab techs is going to see the Tanglewood Opera, performing Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, this weekend. Actually, I didn't like Tosca all that much when I saw it on video, but then again, I was eleven (twelve?) and didn't really appreciate the story. I would like to see it again to see if I'll revise my opinion. I really think I ought to make an effort to see some sort of musical performance this summer. I mean, it's Boston after all, and surely there must be some free/cheap tickets available to poor college students.

Yours &c.

Comments

[worldserpent.livejournal.com]

What exactly do they dislike about the books?

Yeah, one does have to feel sorry for Morrolan to not get any romance in the book. (Actually, it is sort of odd. Isn't he the very definition of an eligible bachelor? Has a floating castle, noble, rich, etc.)

[troisroyaumes]

They felt that some of the characters were one-dimensional, and they disliked the plot structure of the Vlad books. Although they did give it a high "rating", whatever that's supposed to mean.

I suppose he's such an eligible bachelor that Brust feels it would be a waste to marry him off and end his bachelordom. Besides, he seems to have a bit of a prudish side.

[worldserpent.livejournal.com]

The plot structures in the Vlad books are so different, though. However I tend to give them points simply for not being interminable.

Hmm, maybe it's that, although I sort of wonder if Brust isn't going to pull a shocker on us in that department. Or maybe it's that Vlad just is a non nosy person and doesn't really care.

[troisroyaumes]

Hah, if Brust does pull a shocker on us, then I'll definitely expect something incredibly amusing. Every couple he's pulled out so far, with the exception of Khaavren and Vlad, has made me goggle, even when it wasn't unexpected. Although, of course, that could just mean that I'm not very imaginative when it comes to predicting potential romances.

[worldserpent.livejournal.com]

Well, Brust is using an "unreliable" first person narrator, so that gives him a lot of leeway to do shockers and to be inconsistent with the narrative, I think, so I tend to avoid certainty with him.