Words of the Day: third time lucky?
I've said it before (twice, indeed) but it really does look as though spring is well and truly upon us. Flowers out, squirrels running about, that sort of thing. I've not worn a coat down to my office for the last few days, which have been almost warm at times.
Excitement for me this morning consisted of waiting by the departmental printer for half an hour while someone printed out junk. I mean, literally, junk - have you ever sent a postscript file to a non-postscript printer (do you even know what I'm talking about?)? It just sent a whole load of symbols, which whilst looking rather cool on the page, aren't really all that useful to anyone. Finally got the two pieces of paper I wanted printing. I could have traced the graphs off my screen quicker than that.
The painting I said I was starting started, then stopped rather abruptly. Interesting in concept, not so in execution. I don't think it's worth the effort continuing, and even if it is finished, I'm pretty sure I don't want it being displayed. It's just not very good. I'm disappointed, because it could have been great, I think. Just didn't turn out that way.
Gone back to writing books instead, or to be a little more accurate, re-writing. I've started editing my first book again, which was a project I effectively laid to rest over a year ago. Time and some reading have shown me the errors of my ways, and so it is being mercilessly ripped apart and reinvented. The story is the same, after all that was always it s strongest aspect, but the writing was awful, and had to go. Some of the dialogue is so childish it makes you wonder if I knew what I was writing at the time. I've learned since that fantasy doesn't have to be all about mysterious things, and that people can be imperfect in these books, and there doesn't have to be that much more to people than you see. Of course, some characters have to be special, otherwise you'd struggle to keep an audience, but not everyone has to have a secret past filled with heroic ancestors. It is this I have learned. I'm hoping the new version of the book, which is almost an entire re-write, will pass muster with family and friends, who were clearly only being polite when they said it was good the first time around. Evolution three is on its way, and this time there will be no mercy. Or crap passages. Or blatant falsehoods (sometimes I can't remember what I've written a few paragraphs before). I've even got a strong idea of another book for the series which details some of the politics going on several years prior to the events in this one. Still, that'll never happen if I don't get this one finished first.
And the printer's not working again...