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And more or less awake after a Very Interesting Night and Day…got home finally, showered, fell into bed and am now up (sort of) after a solid 5-6 hours of sleep.
I will get to comments that need answering later–there’s business stuff that must be attended to first, and only 500 of the day’s required words were written (on the bus that replaced the train as a mode of transportation from San Antonio to Austin. And why do luxury buses–which this was–insist on putting their otherwise comfortable seats so close together that the ordinary person’s knees hit the back of the seat in front of them? As bad as regional jets…but more comfortable seats, I’ll admit.
The good news is that, as usual, I was able to pile on the words while awake on the train. Especially productive were the alternating sections, where looking out the window into lovely forest (and thus a break to think and shake my hands out) alternated with less bucolic (sad small towns, faded and beat-up-looking) scenery and a reason to concentrate.
The bad news for “life on a train, writing” is that I don’t get enough sleep, and at some point the loss of cognitive function from sleep deprivation overcomes the gain in concentrated attention.
Weather was a factor, both in events at home while I was traveling, and on the last stretch of the train trip (canceled as a train trip due to the intersection of flash flooding and train tracks.) We were, in fact, in the hot seat for the flooding Hermine brought to Texas, but not in the hottest part of it and by the time I got home, the septic tank was cooperating again. The ground was dry enough, and the deluge sudden enough, that there was more run-off than soak-in.
Comment by Mary Elmore — September 10, 2010 @ 10:20 am
Glad you got home safely. I thought about you with all the weather from Hermine going through your area, before it got to mine. Take care and God bless.
Comment by Rachel — September 10, 2010 @ 1:45 pm
Welcome home! I read an article today about the relationship between musical melody and voice in literature that I thought you would enjoy http://orullian.com/writing/melody.html.
Comment by elizabeth — September 11, 2010 @ 9:52 pm
Yes, that’s very much how I “hear” it–and how I think most musically-moved people do, or at least could, hear it. Especially vocalists.
Comment by Daniel Glover — September 13, 2010 @ 7:12 pm
Being a singer I enjoyed the link as well.
P.D. James is know for her settings. Each one different. But it can be thought of in the same fashion.
Elizabeth, you certainly have a strong “ear” for the voice and why I’m glad there will be five in this series. If that’s what you’ve been “hearing” it would have been a shame to cut it off half way through the performance, or you’d have been left trying to rush the ending in the last half of what you are now writing.
I look forward (with impatience 😉 ) to hearing the rest of the story.
p.s. No, the books never made it Dragon Con.
Comment by Kristen B. — September 14, 2010 @ 11:42 am
Hi:
I’m a long time fan, and just wanted to drop in and say thanks for hours of reading absorbtion and sheer enjoyment. I recently handed The Deed of Paksenarrian to my son – junior in high school – and have loved watching him enjoying and being absorbed.
If you’re even in the mid-Atlantic, I’ve got books to be signed. ; )
Kristen B.
Comment by elizabeth — September 14, 2010 @ 1:08 pm
Hi, Kristin, and welcome. Glad to hear another generation is enjoying the books. Please do drop in from time to time and see what’s going on.
Comment by elizabeth — September 14, 2010 @ 1:09 pm
Daniel, I’m thrilled about that expanded frame too.
Comment by John Hicks — September 14, 2010 @ 6:04 pm
Elizabeth,I am also pleased to hear of the extended series. Are you sure 5 will be enough?
I have just finished reading OoF for the third- or is it the fourth time? It’s just so good!
One question- will we learn why Paks spent time ‘wandering the forests of Lyonya a while’ as she tells Dorrin? Thanks for the wonderful world you’ve created.
Comment by elizabeth — September 14, 2010 @ 9:19 pm
John…I’m not sure five will be enough, but I hope it will. When the Familias books exploded on me, they nearly exploded my processing capacity as well–the ability to hold the coherence of the whole story…and they were shorter.
I don’t know whether we’ll find out why Paks was wandering in the forests–if I do find out for sure and it’s plotworthy, I’ll certainly share it. Could be, however, that she was “on vacation” and just enjoying the forest, as Master Oakhallow and the rangers both had opened her eyes to the beauties.
Comment by Daniel Glover — September 15, 2010 @ 7:05 pm
I don’t know if a paladin can ever really be “on vacation” but the call could be just to get out of the way so the rest of us can be ourselves and do what we need to do and not rely on the paladin to fix everything.
Comment by patrick — September 16, 2010 @ 4:27 pm
With respect, we might want to remember that paladins are mortals, even though very special ones. The period in question is immediately after a couple of extremely stressful weeks for Paks, coming right after the events of Oath of Gold. It would be perfectly understandable for her to benefit from (or even need) a period of mediation, rest and recovery from her ordeals.
Time communing with the ‘tang of the forest’ can be healing.
Like all the other fans, I’m pleased to hear the news about 5 books and am trying not to think about how long it will be until next March. 🙂
Comment by Daniel Glover — September 17, 2010 @ 5:35 pm
Yes, That’s true. But it wouldn’t mean she’s not on quest. The quest is a meditative one.