overcast, mild, temps zero
Lovely day...feels and smells like spring. I noticed the spring bulbs are coming up in the cutting garden, right next to the house. I'm sure the shoots will be snowed under, but they always seem to survive.
Lise dropped by...we got some work done. There are so many details that go with being a writer. I think that's one of the big surprised...all the 'other' things. Mailing, emailing, events - questions, interviews, discussions with publishers and editors. With my agent.
The writing often seems the easiest.
I suddenly wrote 2,000 words today. My plan is to finish the second chapter quickly - just dump the words on the page - then go back and smooth...shape. Quite fun this way. Then I exercised and listened to the music...hearing conversations - again. I do think there is almost no noticable difference between being a writer and being insane.
A few of you wrote to ask about the process. I always know who did it, who gets killed. Why. and some of the main themes. But I don't know how Gamache will solve it. And while each scene has a purpose, I don't necessarily know how the points, clues, development will happen. Always a surprise.
Gamache has just arrived on the scene.
But, I also know, there's a pretty good chance this opening will not be the same as the one you read. The beginning often needs changing since by the end of the book I'm clearer about the themes and the beginning needs to be sharpened. We'll see. The big thing is to just get something down and worry about the editing later.
On another topic, I had a very fun email from Jennifer Forbus. She writes the great blog, www.jensbookthoughts.com
Here's an excerpt from her message -
This email is to inform you that you have at least one detective who received enough nominations to make the "World's Favorite Detective" tournament that I will be hosting for the "Detectives Around the World" theme week. I'm going to run the tournament like the NCAA basketball tournaments that will be occurring simultaneously, so there are 64 detectives that will go head-to-head culminating in the final two having their showdown during the theme week April 11th to the 17th.
I am announcing the 64 detectives that made the tournament tomorrow on my blog. Beginning Friday I'm going to take entries for a contest connected to the tournament. And the first week of voting will kick off on Monday, March 8th.
Seems Armand is going one-on-one with Jesse Stone by Robert Parker. Hmmm.
doesn't that sound like fun?
Anyway, back to messages etc.
Speak tomorrow.
8 comments:
Back to the Olympics for just a second. NBC's Brian Williams wrote this lovely thank you note to Canada:
http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/02/26/2213393.aspx
Margaret
I guess that link was too long for the space. This is what it says. Kleenex, please.
Leaving behind a thank-you note
Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor
After tonight's broadcast and after looting our hotel mini-bars, we're going to try to brave the blizzard and fly east to home and hearth, and to do laundry well into next week. Before we leave this thoroughly polite country, the polite thing to do is leave behind a thank-you note.
Thank you, Canada:
For being such good hosts.
For your unfailing courtesy.
For your (mostly) beautiful weather.
For scheduling no more than 60 percent of your float plane departures at the exact moment when I was trying to say something on television.
For not seeming to mind the occasional (or constant) good-natured mimicry of your accents.
For your unique TV commercials -- for companies like Tim Hortons -- which made us laugh and cry.
For securing this massive event without choking security, and without publicly displaying a single automatic weapon.
For having the best garment design and logo-wear of the games -- you've made wearing your name a cool thing to do.
For the sportsmanship we saw most of your athletes display.
For not honking your horns. I didn't hear one car horn in 15 days -- which also means none of my fellow New Yorkers rented cars while visiting.
For making us aware of how many of you have been watching NBC all these years.
For having the good taste to have an anchorman named Brian Williams on your CTV network, who turns out to be such a nice guy.
For the body scans at the airport which make pat-downs and cavity searches unnecessary.
For designing those really cool LED Olympic rings in the harbor, which turned to gold when your athletes won one.
For always saying nice things about the United States...when you know we're listening.
For sharing Joannie Rochette with us.
For reminding some of us we used to be a more civil society.
Mostly, for welcoming the world with such ease and making lasting friends with all of us.
With due respect to Mr. Parker / Mr. Stone, I am already working on my bracket and I most definitely am voting for Armand.
He's got a tough draw though, because if he gets by Stone he runs into Parker's Spencer in round 2. Still, we'll fight the good fight!
- Elizabeth
Who could ever outclass Gamache? If he doesn't win, he will handle it with dignity and grace. Not sure I will.
The Jessie Stone series are very good, but due to the unfortunate demise of Robert B. Parker last month, I fear there will be no more. However, having said that, I do know he had several books "in the can" and perhaps we will get to read those at some later time.
Dear Margaret,
Oh. How beautiful. I hope I remember to put that on the main blog page tomorrow (Friday). Thank you for posting this and being persistent. I sit here with a full heart. Full of gratitude to the Americans for being such great and gracious guests.
Thank you, Margaret.
Dear Elizabeth and Diane,
How wonderful you are to support Armand in his one-on-one with Jesse. You're quite right, he will gracefully accept whatever the outcome. But I suspect Beauvoir will simply shoot Stone if he wins. So, no need to worry either way.
hello bfstar,
Yes, that was sad to hear of his death. I had also heard there were more novels to come, for his legion of fans!
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