Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
'Not that my stuff still doesn't need much improvement (there's SOOO
much room for improvement),'
Michelle's being very modest, I feel.

On perfection; impossible.  Go for excellence, I've always thought. 
Excellence in everything.  Go for being better than you really thought
you could be.  *Then* you just can't go wrong.  You'll always fall
short of perfection (you know, I really don't think it exists.  At all.
 Not even in our minds).  And, you know, I've never really thought of
the sky as perfect.  Or changing.  Just the sky, really.

Saw Harry Potter.  Made me wish I hadn't read the books.  Beats *The
Shawshank Redemption* as my favorite movie-adaptation-of-a-novel (if
only by a very narrow margin).

Kelly- Don't be so self-conscious you forget to enjoy what you're
doing.  Remember, it's not heart surgery.  It's a story.  What hangs in
the balance may be more important, yes, but it's also not quite as
fragile.

Dan- All good vibes to you, when you need it, and more to your father,
come to that.

Certainly not least- Welcome to ye, Maure!  3 hours to Penn State;
does that put you close to Philly?  I just moved down here (God, it's a
nice place to be after the past few years.  I *so* needed this).

Neil- thanks for clearing that up.  You know, I had a dream last night
that Terry Gilliam announced *Good Omens* was going to be totally CGI,
a la Shrek.  Names were mentioned for voice casting, and included Top
Hollywood Names, but I won't say anything, because *I'm* not going to
start any rumors, thank you very much.
Now, if only I could find the DVD in Lucien's library...
  

    
Um, Neil, if you get tired of teasing us with GO hints, might we have
one or two about Murder Mysteries?  Please?  Pretty please?  If I
promise never to sing you the birthday song?  ;-)

Hi, Maure!  (So is it Mauray or Mauree or Mauruh?  I don't want to
mangle it, even if you can't hear me ;-)  Have a safe trip to
Pennsylvania!

Tara O'Shea's "yay my friends continue to be gainfully employed yay"
dance must be seen to be believed.

I *loved* Miracleman.  I'm so thrilled that it's going to come back
into print (it will!  it will!)  I must own it.  And if I try to steal
Tara's, she'll smack me.

Ooooo, Will slipped.  

Will--Have you read Himself's poem called the Writer's Prayer?  It
was, I believe, a Christmas card originally.  I saw a copy that they
auctioned for the CBLDF once.  He has some well-put lines about
remembering that perfection is not in our scope.  As an actor, I try to
focus on being better than I was last time.  It keeps me from seeing
other actors as a threat, or "the competition".

Mary (who has to go into work tomorrow, and would rather be in the Big
Easy)
  

    
    She looks in the windows at the gathering inside.  "OK."  She
breathes, "I can do this."  She turns around and looks in the side view
mirror of a parked delivery truck.  On the side of the truck, a poster
advertising American Gods has been partially sprayed over to say,
"Alien Maddy says buy Martha Soukup's book!"  Then in smaller, more
adult writing, "Includes a poem by Nel Gurgul."
    "Whoever *that* is."  she mutters, and goes in the cafe.  
    Neil Gaiman is sitting at a corner table, staring intensely at the
screen in front of him.  She sees some other people she recognizes
from pictures, and makes her way over to them.
    "Hello!"  A lady says.  An ornate pin on her blouse says "Linda." 
"You're new here....why don't you go up and introduce yourself?"
     "Well, I thought I'd just...." she says backing away, but gentle
and insistent hands push her forward, thrust a microphone in her hand
and she's in the spotlight, in the middle of everything and...
     "Hi.  I'm Cindy....but most of you know me as Ninave.  I am a
writer, and once, a couple of brief times, I was an author.
     And you are my present to myself.  All of you.  I've lurked ever
since Neil was here talking about The Dream Hunters and I really
thought that for a couple of months it'd be really great to hang out. 
You've all had some triumphs I wish I could have congratulated you
sooner for, and some misfortunes I would have given you awkward and
well meant advice for.  So for all these things that have passed, you
have my deepest and most sincere good wishes.
     I could tell you how much Neil's writing has inspired me, but,
well, that story's so old it has moth holes in it.  But you have,
Mr....um...Neil.  And I'm learning a lot, reading Martha's lovely short
stories and by reading Mike's books....which I only have two of, but
Christmas should change that sad fact."
      She backs away, smiling, satisfied, but her skirt tangles around
the microphone stand.  She manages to catch it, and after putting it
back together flees to hide behind the potted plants in the corner.
      Will leans over to Jinx.  "And she used to read her poetry on
stage before an audience?"
      Jinx's answer is an eloquent shrug.
      "And, oh, forgive the liberties I took for this intro."  The
shrubs in the corner say.
  

    <scribbled>
  

    
Hey, Ninave!
  

    
Welcome, Ninave!

ps- I'm about to switch accounts, all, so don't be too suspicious of
the next hitherfore-unseen Guy who shows up claiming to be yours truly.
^_^
  

    
Ninave!  Glad you could make it!

The *Harry Potter* movie's even better after a night of sleep.  I
think I may go see it again today.  Or I would, if I wasn't again
dancing with my sister for a WTC telethon.  Wish me luck!
  

    
So, rather than wake the sleepy temporary-roomie up to let me out so I
can go to the writers workshop on time today, I'm here killing a few
more minutes before I burst and say "but I *have* to go!". 

Tara - If I ever make it out to the Chi area, you'll have to show me
that dance. :)

Kelly - If I see him, I'll tell him. 

Dan - Thank you. Thank you. And yes, I'm certainly trying to.

Will - N.B. I've written dozens of songs. Only one has been posted for
others to see... I think I like your perfection story better than
mine. Have fun dancing. 

As for Harry Potter (picture pouty little mousey curled up in a
corner, refusing to talk to anyone, turning her face into a corner
whenever someone tries to approach her on the subject) - My Mommy
Dearest won't go out to see it with me. She's the one who got me into
the stupid books, and now she's refusing.  At first I made it sound
like it would be fun for her to do something with me. When that didn't
work, I pleaded because it was *really* something I wanted to go do
with her. I'm not sure if she's not getting it, or if she's just that
wary of going out to see it (don't ask, I don't get it), but now I'm
all pouty about it, and am reminded why sometimes I'm glad I don't live
with her. Frustrating!

Ninave - Geez, that was as good as your re-introduction to afn-g! Good
to see you here too.

Dan Guy - But what if I enjoy being suspicious?

squeaks - who cannot stay trapped in this house another minute!
  

    

Hey Ninave!  I'm so glad you stepped up to the microphone!
  

    
I've always been fond of talking shrubs,...  :-)

Interesting morning. WhatsHisName has been working on his web site -
got to see the pictures he chose to put up, and read his old log, which
wrote about the time we were apart (well, some of it), and the others
he was involved with,... being cute, optimistic, and (surprisingly) of
missing me. I thought I had read it, but either I'd not or forgotten
it,... not sure which.

Sets me in a weird mood, really - I had thought I'd read it, so didn't
think there would be surprises, but there were. Not the best frame of
mind to head off to a party in.  :-/
-Kelly, wondering at herself
  

    
In between signing and dinner right now. Just wanted to post to ask
Mike; Would you mind posting the *entire* set of lyrics (as enhanced by
John M. Ford) to "Time In A Bottle"? Steve only sang me the first 2
verses. 

Oh, and Kelly, it's loy (like boy) OSH (with a long 'o'). Apparently a
variation on 'Louis'. 

squeaks, who is off to gorge herself stupid on sushi.
  

    
Ninave--welcome!  What a great introduction!

*Loved* Harry Potter!  Saw it with the coolest 12-year-old in the
world, and Debbie, his mom, who's pretty groovy herself (hey, she's
cooking me Thanksgiving dinner--that qualifies).  Did I mention I loved
it?
  

    
<<<hugs Ninave>>>
Hi Hi, glad to see you're here. And I would say lovely, well thought
out things,....it's a fantasy right?

Will, good luck,.....a little late but luck is storeable.

Michele the envy meter is huge, but if you stop up in CT on your way
home, I'll spring for the movie, and popcorn.

I am so looking forward to seeing the Harry Potter movie, just because
it's the prelude (for me at least) to the Lord Of The Rings movie.

Jinx who also wants to see the re-make of Ocean's 11,.....mostly to
nitpick,......(just a little because of the cast)
  

    
I had plans to do the whole Harry potter premeire thing with my
kids...
and darned if Sean's High School didn't take off and go to the matinee
Friday!
*sigh*
Well, I know he had a great time, though.
He claims to have gotten a discount because he looks like Harry
Potter, but with a mustache...
  

    
Lots of messages, read later when awake.  Mmm meteor shower.  Bloody
overcast, but that means I could only see the big ones and didn't have
to waste my time on the small ones (yeah, joking, but want to see a
silver lining).  Too awake to go back to sleep, to out of it but to do
anything but post random messages to various groups.  I hope everyone
else who went to see the shower got clear skies.

Jen.

"I wonder if this railing is clean enough for me to lean on to...
ewww."   Me, tonight.
  

    
Jen~too close in to the city to see much, myself.
Woke up about 4 am from insomnia, not intent, and thought I'd give the
meteor shower veiwing a shot. If I leaned on our deck railing, though,
it would be "Aaaaaaaa......" not "Eeeeww" as it's about twenty feet
off the ground with sudden release railings. We'll fix it someday...

What do you do when you're awake at 4 am?
Look for lost friends on the net.
I may have found an old British friend, one of the funnest people
ever. Wheeee!
  

    
Wow.

Dragged my sorry self out of bed at 2am, gathered blankets and cocoa
and both the boyfriends and headed out to the middle of a meadow in the
middle of nowhere.

I've never seen that many meteors in my entire life.  Most definitely
worth the lost sleep and cold toes.  Drove home as the sun was coming
up, feeling very blessed and spoiled.
  

    
(Oops, sent too soon.)

There were several bright enough tolight up the sky, and leave a trail
for almost a minute afterwards.  Brilliant green.

And I would like to say how much I love polarfleece!  Insulation for
those of us without much of their own...
  

    
*sigh*

Woke myself up at 4am to check out the storm, only to find out that in
the four hours since I had been out last, the fog had rolled in so
thick as to make it impossible to see anything. Grump.
  

    
>>Oh, and Kelly, it's loy (like boy) OSH (with a long 'o'). Apparently
a variation on 'Louis'. <<

*dances happily*
I got it right!

-K
  

    
Fortunately, I was out with a friend until 1am, so I just skipped over
to a wonderful place in Berkeley called Indian Rock. It's an enormous
boulder that can seat about 200 hundred people if you all squish
together close (which happens every 4th of July, since you can see the
fireworks from Hayward, Berkeley, San Francisco and Marin all at
once.).
There were about fifty or so people on the rock, mostly college
students chattering away happily. It was cold and windy up there
though, and I hadn't dressed for it, having forgotten it was happening
until I got a call from another friend reminding me of it. I only
stayed a half hour or so, saw about two dozen meteors streak across the
sky...
I rather wish I had made an intentional outing of it.. gathered
friends to huddle next to for warmth, and stayed longer... but I was
happy for what I saw.
It's a beautiful world, when you stop to take a look at it.
  

    
I lay on my back on Bernal Hill with some friends, singing snatches of
"Angie" and "Three Little Fishies" for reasons too dumb to mention, and saw
more shooting stars than I'd ever seen in my whole life put together, times
ten--at least a dozen, three of them striking, plus a pair that drag-raced
each other on either side of the sky.  I thought about how much more amazing
still it would have looked from Neil's back yard; but I was with friends and
one of the dogs that was walked by dashed up and licked my hand, and it was
all good.
  

    
It was too overcast here to go see the meteors *pouts*, but I had a
good weekend anyway up North with the boi's folks. My mother and i had
a wierd conversation about whether or not she can hug my boi when she
sees him (she doesn't know how he will react, and no, she won't just
ask, or let me ask), but I think she has decided yes which should be
fun for all concerned.

Hi Maure, Hi Jade *waves*
Ninave! hullo :)

Dan - best wishes for you and your family, seems like so many people I
know have worries for their parents.

Michelle - life sized Risk -> did they use people for pieces? I can
just imagine my crazy friends doing it. Madness would truly ensue.
  

    
Kelly - You are welcome, as for payment for the procurement of such
knowledge, if I ever meet you, you will have to perform said dance for
me. :)

Dan/Martha - Jealous. Even if I *had* stayed up that late, it was too
cloudy to see a damned thing (or so the local friends who tried to
watch it told me). Isn't Indian Rock great?

sparrow - They used people for pieces, made a game board out of tape
on panels they placed on the floor. And when it was time for battle,
they used foam padded weapons. It was truly something that had to be
seen. 

Maure - dunno if it's going to be a cemetary collage any more - but it
will be, as requested, something you don't see everyday. I may even
have to get permission for some of it.

Final day of Con was short and quick. Neil was scheduled for another
reading, but rather did a Q&A, since he read yesterday already. Really
cool stories about the writing of Princess Mononoke, the artwork for
Coraline, and I made him tell NOLA about the lemon scented bats. :D

Off to the Quarter to get last minute requested gifts for co-workers.
... and food. Must remember to eat today!

squeaks, who will probably be scarce again after tonight.
  

    
(And she hits the 'send' button before actually posting the thing she
came online to post about... dumb, dumb, dumb...)

Okay, so it looks like I'm missing 4 international versions of
Stardust that I still need for the collection. I've supposedly got a
German one in the works, but if anyone else can lay their hands on
either French, Israeli, or Swedish editions, I'll be glad to trade
stuff for it. I'd rather do that than order direct from publishers, but
I'll do that if you've got suggestions there too.

btw, Jinx - Looks like Conneticut is not en route to SF on this trip,
but I'll see what I can do about making the rounds there next time. Are
you one of the mob that's meeting in MN next year?

squeaks, who rather likes cemetaries better when they're dry.