mastodon 4.7.3Fantasy Writer, publishing as J. Kathleen Cheney or Anna St. Vincent. Member of Codex, Nebula Finalist, Locus Award Finalist, W0TF... but mostly a dog servant these days...
#WritersCoffeeClub Jul 1 - Recently, how excited have you been to sit down to write?
I mentioned this elsewhere. I've had a lot going on recently, and my excitement for writing has been quite low.
For the amount of time I invest in a book, there's not much financial reward. I mean, my latest novel that took a couple of years to get finished, has not even earned out the cost of its cover. I haven't made a cent on it yet. (And don't expect to this year.)
Other pursuits have...
Finished the touch-up painting in the main rooms of the house, and moved to the master bath, which is awful.
Back in the day, a previous owner painted the wood cabinets with latex paint (over the enamel.) So if I really wanted to do a good job, I'd completely sand off all the latex and then repaint.
The problem is that the cabinets are very poorly made. They're in dire need of resurfacing, so I never bothered to strip off the old paint.
Yeah, that's coming back to bite me now.
Weirdos keep emailing me to tell me that they can fix my Wikipedia page.
I have nothing to do with the Wiki page. Someone else set it up, and someone else maintains it. (Like most people who have such a page, it's wisest just to ignore it.)
I strongly suspect an AI scam.
The 3rd version of my shawl pattern is now on the blocking mats. This one has a more distinct border than the other two versions. I will likely do one more, that one with beads, but I need to finish at least one more shawl before I start the fourth, dangit!
#ScribesAndMakers 25th Mar 2026. Do you use music as a storytelling tool? Give an example.
I wrote the scene about a week ago where the Family sings as they march to the melee arena, an old traditional song. But in this book, they insert one verse in their old language, one long forbidden by treaty. An addendum has allowed them to use their own language after 200 years, and this is how they chose to announce that change. (Only a portion sings that since few have had time to learn the words.)
I have moved the volunteer yuccas to their planned locations ahead of tonight's rain. Also moved some of the Mexican feather grass, put down sand in the pavers, lifted some pavers to add dirt under them (used to be a tree there) and broke down all the recycling.
I may blow off some work this afternoon because it's going to rain a lot of the night = not much sleep for me or the ThunderDog. :(
When times are stressful, I reread favorites. Right now I'm working through Tina Gower's Outlier books (plus all the ancillary stuff.)
These books are just adorable, you guys.
I've got some guys here to weed the beds and asked them not to pull the two volunteer yuccas. We'll see if they're still there end of day.
Forgot to burp the house yesterday, so doing it now (before it gets hot).
With new windows, a new skylight and new back door, plus insulation added all in the last year, we have to keep this up.
We're not doing it because we're trendy, but because we don't want mold.
Done with this round of edits. I'm hoping to add in a couple of scenes tomorrow, and then start checking niggling things like breath/breathe (always get those wrong.)
Salvation Army came and took the giant sectional and the giant standing desk plus an end table, but rejected the TV armoire (because no one uses those anymore) and the 100yo loveseat.
Still hoping someone will take the pre-Civil War secretary but it may end up going to the GotJunk people. (They say they'll donate furniture when they can.)
So that leaves the old love seat and TV armoire to the got junk people, and some other odds and ends will go out in the alley for city's "Bulky Waste" day
Every once in a while I'm reminded of the accuracy of this meme, and then I think longingly of this episode of Community as well....
I had to make up a logo real quick for one of my book cover pages, so I have now invented Daft Llama Books (no, not a real publisher).
Got my Della Q rucksack bag in the mail today, which is great timing because I have a dentist's visit next week and I'll have something fancy to take my crocheting in!!!
I generally don't carry purses. I keep my phone/wallet in a pocket. I do own two purses but they're not fancy and they're small. Too small for yarn.
So I usually haul yarn around in canvas tote bags. But now I will carry a waxed-canvas rucksack, which is SO much cooler.
(I'm never cool.)
Turned to a ROKU channel while eating lunch, the one that plays Leverage all the time, and it was S1 E1, so I sat and watched the whole thing.
Now I want to watch the final episode, but I have to finish this book, dammit. :(
50 pages to go.
I've picked up some stickers to go on paper wrap or bags, should I ever get my act together enough to promote my #crochet fiber stuff:
And while I'm finishing this book, all my other stories are battering at my brain like moths drawn to light. I have to keep ignoring them for a while...
Via Angelascribbles on Tublr:
This is... sadly true.
OKay, looks like all my web pages are up to date. That's a weird feeling.
I've got 1.5 hours left to work (roughly), so I'll work on something for a former book cover client. (Sending her some old files so she'll have copies.)
I have one more new scene to write, but my brain is burned, and as much as I want to type THE END today, I think I need to stop.
I just downloaded the FREE #knit pattern for a sweater that looks like the one Chris Evans wears in Knives Out. I will likely never make this, but the PDF can sit in my knit folder for eternity and not cause any problems....
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1o_WguwOx0X5sxET3iH30h1lMJhvTL7ZH3NakIAW1tPg/edit?tab=t.0
100 pages down, 75 to go. ::puffs out cheeks:: Now for a short rest.
I will be using the Verbatim tool a lot. (Google search has become very sketchy, so I'm glad there's a way to get at -exactly- what I'm after.)
Oh, yesterday I got out the ancient boom box which hadn't seen daylight in years and... it no longer works. Turns on for a second, then switches off. (Yes, it's plugged in.)
So now I have the conundrum whether to purchase a new player for about $35, or simply let my gazillion CDs slowly die unheard...
(When I use the speakers, my computer gets warm. Don't like.)
I have started blocking shawls (2 months worth + 2 sweaters). This is the first time I've used a salad spinner in the process, and I have to say, it works.
Just talked to neighbors who were supposed to fly out of Houston this morning. They got to Hobby and after considering the lines, booked another flight from Dallas, and drove back up here. They'll fly out tomorrow.
They said all the ICE guys are doing is making the lines at Starbucks longer.
Houston to Plano is about a 4 hour drive... the same length of time as the TSA lines.
113 pages in, so I'm knocking off for the day. Take a quick rest, then vacuuming! (So much dog hair)
Just finished pinning out my Florescence shawl. These are always a major deal, and I actually use tubing to get the 'flowers' to stay round. This one is about 92" across. It's a big shawl.
Honestly, I wish NASA had gotten the 220M to run an ad campaign for Artemis (instead of Homeland Security Barbie using it).
Cancelled the gym, closed down my Patreon.
The giant secretary is gone, handed over to Got Junk people. will all that pre-civil war glass make it to the depot? Not my circus, not my monkeys.
It says something that no one wanted to take the thing, despite its antiquity. (Or at least, not enough to come and get it from us.)
