I've had a few odd thoughts rolling around my head of late and it's been a while since I had a Sunday musing post, so I thought, why not?
Last night the cats knocked my computer tower on the floor. It dented the metal floor lamp stand, shattered the plastic face of the tower, and scared the crap out the cats - I haven't seen them run that fast in years! Thankfully it was unplugged for the night, so there were no fireworks, tripped breakers or explosions (do computers explode?) and I went to bed wondering if I was cut off from my writing world. As you can see, when I plugged it in this morning, it worked, and I even laughed at myself for worrying about what I was going to miss. But damn...we're so connected, aren't we? I laugh at all those people with cell phones surgically attached to their ears but I'm almost as bad with my computer. Which makes me wonder if we would have survived the isolation that our ancestors lived with as they pioneered their way across this country? No communication with family for years, your husband heads out on a hunting trip and comes back months later. Every stranger who shows up on your doorstep is a link to civilization with news of the world, or someone who might kill you in your bed. Pretty scary when you think about it!
Zombies!?! Yes, I watched "The Walking Dead" but I still don't get zombies. They stagger around eating brains, you can easily outrun them unless they're a mob, but heck, human mobs are nearly as dangerous, and a shot to the head kills them. But why are some people affected and not others? Did they have a secret vaccine in their back pocket? Are Zombies a reflection of Purgatory? I get the romance of Vampires with their eternal sexy and all, but there ain't nothing sexy about zombies, so what is their appeal? The nerd version of eternal life as compared to the vampire jocks?
Steampunk. For the last few months I've been reading steampunk stories and essays and trying to figure out what exactly steampunk is. And the truth is, I don't think anyone really knows. You toss a little steam, goggles, brass machines and characters dressed in Victorian haberdashery into your story and viola - Steampunk. But there are more definitions, it's adventure, it's alternate universe, it's fantasy and magic and science and even literary. The hardest thing to understand is the culture that's sprung up outside of the written word. People seem more interested in creating steam machines and jewelry and clothing than they are in actually reading or writing the stories. So is steampunk just a fashion statement or is it a real and lasting genre?
So, what's on your mind this lovely Sunday morning?
8 comments:
I'm always fascinated by the number of letters John and Abigail Adams wrote back and forth when he was in Paris and London. Most of the mail didn't survive the trip and they were pounding out those long ass letters everyday. Amazing. Makes me appreciate Skype and ooVoo that much more.
Yes, we're so lucky that we can keep in touch so easily. People used to hand their letters to complete strangers who were heading in the direction of of their relatives, never knowing if the letters would arrive or if their family was even still alive.
I remember reading a biography years ago about the Adams', David. What I remember most was how lucky he was that his wife kept his farm running while he was away or they would have been broke. Women played such an important part in the history of this country and they're always portrayed as whores, or women who fainted at the drop of a hat. Weird!
I agree these women had steel for backbones. And Abigail is my very favorite of all the early founding fathers/mothers. She was a class act and Laura Linney did a top job playing her in the HBO movie.
On my mind is going through my manuscript for a fourth time and making a erotic (sort of) version out of it.
What I mean by "sort of" is that I'm simply changing some of the ambiguous languge to something a bit more concrete.
And before you ask why, I'm doing it because I'm starting to explore a few publishers who do various types of erotica so I might as well have two different versions of the same thing at the ready.
'Course, this is delaying the inevitable, which is writing a synopsis for this thing. I'm getting closer to doing it, but the spine isn't quite solid yet.
We all love to procrastinate, don't we, G! But that's not a bad idea having different versions for different publishers. Good luck!!
you gotta admit, life was simpler in 1980. I actually heard a man say that at Panera the other day. That he was willing to do his job on a sliderule if he could give up the rest. He did have a point.
With a big winter storm rolling in, I'm reflecting that I'm glad I've kept up on all my chores around the house to be ready for it, in spite of being busy with so many other things. It's a good feeling to come inside after working in the backyard all afternoon in sub-20 degree weather and smell the stew in the crockpot you started before going out in the first place.
At the same time, I worry for people who aren't in a safe spot for this kind of weather, particularly those who are there through no fault of their own. It bums me out to think on.
I know just how he feels, Patti. I'm one of the hold-outs. Now cell phone, no blackberries or ereaders, only the computer.
It's a strange world we live in, Chris, when you realize that not everyone has food and shelter which are basic human needs. Keep safe from the storm!
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