22 February 2003

I finally finished Chapter 13 last night, and I feel like I've maybe turned a corner on these bad work days. Maybe. I just have the rest of the book to write, is all, and I think I've finally done all the set-up I need to on that, and we're at the point where I'm getting my momentum back for the last several chapters. Chapter 14 looks obvious from here, even in the details, and Chapter 15 only slightly less so. I think I can just do the rest. I hope. Maybe not by next Friday, but very soon.

And then, oh, then there are all kinds of notes I've already made, not to mention things that haven't hit me yet. One of the silly ones is Soldrun's dog -- he's around pretty much all the time, but when he's trotting quietly by her side or sitting at her feet, I sometimes forget to mention him. I don't want to obsess about the dog, but if we're going to need him in various situations later, I don't want the reader going, "Hey, where'd the dog come from? Didn't she leave him at _____?"

So. Good work ahead, I expect.

It also has been a morning for writing to people about their journals. Just little things. Very strange. (So, you know, if you would write something in your journal, you might get e-mail from me...if I know you have a journal. If not, remind me.) We had connectivity problems last night. I should remember the magic sequence with this cable modem box: first the reset button, and then the power button. Doesn't work every time, but it's a good trick, better than either button alone. They seem to be useless alone.

I read Maimonides: A Spiritual Biography, and while it was moderately cool and interesting, I have to say I can't see what was more spiritual about it than if it had been any other biography of a religious figure. I mean, at a certain point, if someone has major life's work writing religious interpretation volumes, of course you're going to discuss his religion. I also read Diana Wynne Jones' Castle in the Air. Meh. Howl's Moving Castle was all right, but this didn't hold my attention nearly so well. Maybe because the main character wasn't engaging. Maybe because so much of it relied upon magic transformations at the end. I don't know. Anyway, this morning I'm going to finish this month's Scientific American and start Robin Hobb's Ship of Magic, which I got from the library once before and didn't get around to reading. So. There will also be ice cream and grocery shopping today. And that's really all there is for now.