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5 Question Meme
May. 9th, 2005 06:23 amMy favorite meme comes round again: if you want to be interviewed by me, leave a request in comments.
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quietearthling
1. Are you writing a book right now? If so, can you tell me what it's about?
Publishing a book is one of my lifelong dreams, but I am not actively writing one now. I have an unfinished novel called "Occupation" that's probably 80% complete, but my two-year creative dry spell has made it impossible to do any real work on it in at least that long. I made a critical mistake when I crossed over an important line between savoring the positive response of the small audience who was enjoying my initial episodes, into thinking too much about what they -- or a hypothetical wider audience or publisher -- would or would not like. In short, I betrayed my own creative impulse, the emotions and ideas that were coming from my gut.
Occupation takes a classic romance novel "set piece" -- a young woman left in charge of the family keep and lands, which are subsequently captured and occupied by the enemy -- and then develops it as something else entirely. My original idea was to portray all the other ways men and women could relate to each other besides bodice-ripping passion. It became rather more than that. It's about Seonaid Montgomery growing up, coming into her own power as a sovereign and a priestess, and about her impact on the people around her, especially the mercenaries with whom she makes a separate peace in order to safeguard her peopole. It's about issues of family, honor, faith (there are several competing religious groups in the world), power, politics and violence. I'm quite proud of what I've got, but it's the "Good Parts version" (if you've ever read The Princess Bride) and there are several smaller, connecting episodes that need to be written in order to make the transitions which make the changes in the characters in the existing episodes make sense.
And now I need to re-write some of the episodes that were shaped by my sense of what "they" would want rather than my own instincts. And that's even harder.
I would also like to write non-fiction about spirituality. My Comparative Religion Masters thesis was about the Sacred Prostitute in the ancient and modern worlds, and I've always wanted to turn that into a book, but it's a low priority right now.
2. What are you favorite books? Do you have books that are literally your 'treasures'?
My desert island books are, in no particular order: The Lions of Al-Rassan (Guy Gavriel Kay), The Fionavar Tapestry (also by Kay), Enchantress from the Stars & the Children of the Star trilogy (Sylvia Louise Engdahl), In Search of Woman's Passionate Soul (Caitlin Matthews), Original Blessing (Matthew Fox), Firelord & Beloved Exile (Parke Godwin), Illusions (Richard Bach), Son of Man (Andrew Harvey), The Romance of Atlantis (Taylor Caldwell)
3. Dresses or jeans?
For everyday wear: jeans. But I would love to have a good reason to dress up in a drop-dead, walk-the-red-carpet gown.
4. Do you do martial arts?
Not at this time, but I earned a second degree blue belt in Taekwon-Do early in my college years, and I have enjoyed the little bit of fencing that I've done. I enjoy martial arts more than any other form of fitness that I've done, and if I had the time and energy and a school I liked close by I would seriously consider getting involved again.
5. Do you own any swords?
I love swords, but the really nice ones are too expensive for me to justify spending the money on them, and the less expensive ones are often just cheesy. However, last winter I did treat myself to a licensed replica of Arwen's sword from the LOTR movies. Not because I'm fond of Arwen, but because an elven sword features prominently in an important piece of LOTR fanfic that I wrote. It sits on the mantle over my fireplace.
These questions from
quietearthling1. Are you writing a book right now? If so, can you tell me what it's about?
Publishing a book is one of my lifelong dreams, but I am not actively writing one now. I have an unfinished novel called "Occupation" that's probably 80% complete, but my two-year creative dry spell has made it impossible to do any real work on it in at least that long. I made a critical mistake when I crossed over an important line between savoring the positive response of the small audience who was enjoying my initial episodes, into thinking too much about what they -- or a hypothetical wider audience or publisher -- would or would not like. In short, I betrayed my own creative impulse, the emotions and ideas that were coming from my gut.
Occupation takes a classic romance novel "set piece" -- a young woman left in charge of the family keep and lands, which are subsequently captured and occupied by the enemy -- and then develops it as something else entirely. My original idea was to portray all the other ways men and women could relate to each other besides bodice-ripping passion. It became rather more than that. It's about Seonaid Montgomery growing up, coming into her own power as a sovereign and a priestess, and about her impact on the people around her, especially the mercenaries with whom she makes a separate peace in order to safeguard her peopole. It's about issues of family, honor, faith (there are several competing religious groups in the world), power, politics and violence. I'm quite proud of what I've got, but it's the "Good Parts version" (if you've ever read The Princess Bride) and there are several smaller, connecting episodes that need to be written in order to make the transitions which make the changes in the characters in the existing episodes make sense.
And now I need to re-write some of the episodes that were shaped by my sense of what "they" would want rather than my own instincts. And that's even harder.
I would also like to write non-fiction about spirituality. My Comparative Religion Masters thesis was about the Sacred Prostitute in the ancient and modern worlds, and I've always wanted to turn that into a book, but it's a low priority right now.
2. What are you favorite books? Do you have books that are literally your 'treasures'?
My desert island books are, in no particular order: The Lions of Al-Rassan (Guy Gavriel Kay), The Fionavar Tapestry (also by Kay), Enchantress from the Stars & the Children of the Star trilogy (Sylvia Louise Engdahl), In Search of Woman's Passionate Soul (Caitlin Matthews), Original Blessing (Matthew Fox), Firelord & Beloved Exile (Parke Godwin), Illusions (Richard Bach), Son of Man (Andrew Harvey), The Romance of Atlantis (Taylor Caldwell)
3. Dresses or jeans?
For everyday wear: jeans. But I would love to have a good reason to dress up in a drop-dead, walk-the-red-carpet gown.
4. Do you do martial arts?
Not at this time, but I earned a second degree blue belt in Taekwon-Do early in my college years, and I have enjoyed the little bit of fencing that I've done. I enjoy martial arts more than any other form of fitness that I've done, and if I had the time and energy and a school I liked close by I would seriously consider getting involved again.
5. Do you own any swords?
I love swords, but the really nice ones are too expensive for me to justify spending the money on them, and the less expensive ones are often just cheesy. However, last winter I did treat myself to a licensed replica of Arwen's sword from the LOTR movies. Not because I'm fond of Arwen, but because an elven sword features prominently in an important piece of LOTR fanfic that I wrote. It sits on the mantle over my fireplace.
