Date: 2007-10-07 16:41 Subject: [writing] In which the writer conducts writing avoidance by, erm, writing Security: Public Location: Nuevo Rancho Lake Mood: bemused Music: house noises Tags: black tulip, process, stories, writing

Ok, so I owe... :: counts on fingers :: ...two novellas and four short stories, and I'm supposed to be writing Black Tulip this month. So what did I do today? I wrote a 5,000 word spec story called "Human Error." Hard sf at that, not exactly my core specialty.

This is hard to complain about. The idea was there, I wanted to explore it, I wanted to test the New Model Process in a different literary form. Yadda yadda yadda, bitch bitch bitch.

Date: 2007-04-12 18:56 Subject: Fly, fly, fly free Security: Public Tags: black tulip, child, house, omaha, portland, travel, writing

Taking off for DFW at oh dark thirty tomorrow. Should be out well ahead of the next winter storm here in Omaha (ahem), we'll see. There's a reason I take the first flight of the day, people.

Weather permitting and the creek don't rise, I get into PDX around midday. My ride has fallen through, so I'll be cabbing it home for a nap and a realtor meeting at 3 pm in connection with the sale of Rancho Lake. I'm being social tomorrow night, which will be very nice.

the_child has a big Do Jump performance Sunday, so there's that to look forward to. I need to wrap up a couple of shorts, and I figure I'll jump into Black Tulip around the end of next week.

Date: 2007-04-03 22:45 Subject: Going to Oregon City... Security: Public Tags: black tulip, personal, portland, writing

Spent the afternoon and evening at the Fireside with karindira, mkhobson, maryrobinette, and thirdworld. karindira, mkhobson and I went out to the Barley Mill afterwards, then due to a transportation surprise on mkhobson's part, I ran her down to her palatial estates in Oregon City. Nice 30, 35 minute round trip with the top down in the Oregon night, a drive I wouldn't have made otherwise. We won't discuss me getting slightly lost on the way back -- dead reckoning and a good sense of local geography carried the day.

Worked on Black Tulip background this evening, so no word count. Thank you very much to all who responded on the Black Plague question. Extremely helpful response, and fairly entertaining stuff in the bargain.

To sleep, perchance to dream now.

Date: 2007-04-03 19:16 Subject: Oh mighty LJ brain Security: Public Tags: black tulip, help, lj

I'm having trouble running down confirming data that the Netherlands experienced an outbreak of the bubonic plague around 1630-1635, in the late stages of the 80 Years War. Does anyone have a cite or link for this?