Childhood’s Bend

I’ve had a couple of unusually stinging rejections this week, and was beginning a mental retreat into the safety of childhood when I realized that, as far as mental geography goes, childhood is the most shifting ground possible.  Observe, if you will:

By comparison, a Martian invasion seems sane and welcome.

Today’s pen: Lamy Studio
Today’s ink: Lamy Black

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Day	What	How Much	Duration	Pen	Ink
26 September 27 September 28 September 29 September	A day off.* First draft of “Tale of the One-Handed Engineer.” More “Engineer” Still first draft.	The Witch and 10 Cloverfield Lane count as fertilizer for my fields. Seven manuscript pages. Six pages. Six pages.	A full indolent day. 55 min. 45 min. 50 min.	Rotring Core Sheaffer “TM” Triumph Waterman Citation Pelikan P488	Waterman Florida Blue Herbin Lie de Thé Jentle blue-black Herbin Lie de Thé Waterman Florida Blue†

* A thing to do with The Regular Job demanded six hours of “volunteer” labour in the middle of both days of the weekend, so I converted some built-up vacation hours into not going on a chair-throwing rampage that would have livened up a slow-news Monday (locally; the US presidential debate was likely to hold onto the national ratings, regardless).

†Did I mention I got a whole lot of this stuff in a donation?  Expect to see it in a lot of pens that accept Waterman cartridges.

Fiction, Reality, and the South Seas.

Official autumn is upon us, and cold rain is bucketing down today.  If one can’t scuffle off to a tropical paradise on short notice, why not hunker down with a good movie?  I can’t offer a full-length anything, reliably, but here’s a fine review of a film that confirms all my biases– it’s one of my favourites!

If you, as I, enjoy well-founded historical dramas, I suggest looking at that fellow’s whole channel.  He’s amended my ideas somewhat about Saving Private Ryan.

Today’s historically correct pen: Waterman Citation
Today’s forgivably anachronistic ink: Jentle blue-black

Day	What	How Much	Duration	Pen	Ink
19 September 20 September 21 September 22 September	Second draft of “Rearranging the Deck Chairs”. More second drafting. Oh, it’s fighting hard today. Second draft complete (despite the anti-histamines).	729  words typed. 631 words. 403 words (plus ½ pint of sweat). A total of 3,849 words.	50 min. 45 min. 55 min. 60 min.	Pelikan P488 Parker Super 21 Sheaffer “TM” Triumph Lamy Studio	Waterman Florida Blue Pelikan Violet Herbin Lie de Thé Lamy Black

Guess What’s For Lunch?

Here’s a fun little film which should get you smiling.

My response to this film might be coloured by the fact that I’m a fan of Tom Noonan; have been since 1986 (and I’ll let you churn the internet to figure out why, if you’re interested).  And because I’m also a fan of writers being recognized for what they do, I will provide a link to the original story.

Today’s non-meat pen: Lamy Studio
Today’s ink (contents unknown): Lamy Black

 

Day	What	How Much	Duration	Pen	Ink
12 September 13 September 14 September 15 September	First draft of “Rearranging the Deck Chairs”. Not more than three sentences from the end of it. Second draft of “Deck Chairs” after finishing the first.† Second draft proceeds.	Four manuscript pages.* Five pages 551 words typed. 804 words typed.	45 min. 45 min. 50 min. 50 min.	Waterman Citation Sheaffer “TM” Triumph Pelikan P488 Parker Super 21	Jentle blue-black Herbin Lie de Thé Waterman Florida Blue Pelikan Violet

* A bad night thanks to migraine means I’m amazed I got that much accomplished.  Dull of intellect am I of this Monday.

† I was right about it needing three sentences, and not even big ones.  But, like the door of a house, however little mass of the whole it represents, you can’t say “That’s done!” until it’s in place.

Anniversary

Yes, I AM joining a bandwagon for this week’s film.  I’m a fan of (much of) the show, and think that the philosophy underpinning it is (mostly) laudable.  Plus it was one of six things that I actively enjoyed on television between the ages of 6 and 11, back in the dark days of broadcast-only entertainment, and what a magnificent day it was that Space:1999 joined those slender ranks.

But because I’m not a complete bandwagon type, I come at it sideways.

Today’s pen (already in active service in 1966): Sheaffer “TM” Triumph
Today’s ink (modern yet nostalgic): Herbin Lie de Thé

Oh, before we get going– new story up on my other enterprise.  I’d say “get it while it’s hot!” but that implies it won’t be good later.  It will be.

Day	What	How Much	Duration	Pen	Ink
5 September 6 September 7 September 8 September	Ironing some kinks out of a Pilot MYU’s point.* First draft of “Rearranging the Deck Chairs” and the climax is imminent. …and now I’m right in the middle of it! AND IT WAS WRONG!†	Much labour! Six manuscript pages. Six pages. Seven pages.	All day. 40 min. 45 min. 50 min.	Pilot 78G Lamy Studio Parker Super 21 Pelikan P488	Diamine Midnight Lamy Black** Pelikan Violet Waterman Florida Blue

* Yes, I am still working on pens.  And thanks to this one, I now have to work up a new page for my site.

** This is the last of that particular packet of cartridges– the campaign to use these things up is producing results!

† I was about to do some very stupid show/explain-the-monster stuff. so three of the previous day’s pages become recycling fodder.  Such is life, eh?

Happy Belated

I suddenly realize that I missed Lovecraft’s birthday this year. YIKE!  Today’s film is a back-tracking based on that realization, but I’ll mention that if you haven’t read the story upon which it is based, you probably won’t get as much joy from watching as if you had.  Go ahead and read it– it’s one of the least racism-inclusive stories of his, and is probably also the least stilted, told as a conversation over drinks rather than a fevered diary entry set down by someone who has only ever read Poe.

Read it?  Good!  Time for the film:

Today’s pen: Pelikan P488
Today’s ink: Waterman Florida Blue

Day	What	How Much	Duration	Pen	Ink
29 August 30 August 31 August*** 1 September	First draft of “Rearranging the Deck Chairs,” after a long think about current projects. * More “Deck Chairs.” First draft of “Deck Chairs” continues. More than I’d expected to get done today!†	Three manuscript pages. Five pages** Seven pages. Six pages.	45 min. 45 min. 55 min. 40 min.	Parker Super 21 Pilot 78G Parker 180 Sheaffer “TM” Triumph	Pelikan Violet Diamine Midnight Lamy Black Herbin Lie de Thé

* I found the tone of “Considerable Savings of Labour” was wandering from what I wanted, and not in a way that I could say, “Oh, if that’s the way the story wants to run, who is the author to say otherwise?”  The long think was on the theme of how much I would have to strain to get back on track, and the result was to change what I’m at.  Taking a break should derail the unwelcome trend, with the bonus of getting underway on another story that I’m sort of anxious to get down on paper.

** Another hard think before starting, because I actually was jolted out of sleep by a story a couple up the current batting order clamouring for attention.  In the end, I declined to start another story without finishing at least one of those that’s underway– poor policy, yes?– but have made sufficient notes to keep the new fire banked for when it can be blown into a proper inferno.

*** It was a very blustery day, so I went on my lunch walk without my Panama screwed onto my head.  Somehow, I returned without any cries of “Look at the unhatted lunatic!  Save the children!” being raised.

† The unspeakably cheap charger for a small tablet my wife got a couple of years ago became unexpectedly cordless overnight, and part of my writing time was lost to getting a replacement.  Success in the search, and… well, six pages!