good, as in not so bad
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621 / 691 (89.9%) |
Not yet 100%, because that number excludes the appendices, but we have managed to make it all the way through the novel proper in a mere six days. Originally, I'd figured we'd need ten days, which means I'm four days ahead of schedule. Which is good, because whatever I have left to do on this ms., I have only eleven days remaining in which to get it done. This afternoon, I'm going to deal with simple line edits, and tomorrow I'll get started on the hard stuff. As for the appendices, we're not reading over them for now, not until I've made the decision whether or not to push for their inclusion. My thanks to everyone who's voted in yesterday's appendices poll thus far, all 107 of you. Right now, 93.5% (100) say keep them in, and 6.5% (7) say take them out. Me, I'm still undecided. Lots of folks have suggested that if the two stories aren't included as appendices, that I release them as a subpress chapbook or something of the sort, and a few have even suggested this would be preferable. Thing is, on the one hand, the chapbook hand, we're dealing with a situation where only a few hundred, maybe only a couple hundred copies, would be printed. But on the other hand, the inclusion-in-the-novel hand, we're talking about tens of thousands of people having access to the two stories. It's not exactly apples and oranges, but still. Anyway, we shall see.
Also yesterday, I got an e-mail from Chad Michael Ward, the cover artist for the forthcoming Threshold paperback, asking how I'd suggest he dress the model who'll be standing in for Dancy. I very much appreciate being consulted in such matters. When the original trade paperback of Threshold was being laid out back in 2000, my editor consulted me on which trilobite would be most appropriate for the cover, and so I e-mailed her several jpgs. of Dicranurus monstrosus, one of which was incorporated into the cover image, which pleased me greatly.
The show last night was truly fantastic. Even if They Might Be Giants didn't play "Ana Ng." They did play all of "Fingertips," which I never, ever would have expected. Back when, Apollo 18 was one of my SimEarth CDs, and I'm likely one of the only people alive who knows all the lyrics to all the bits of "Fingertips." There was also a guest appearance by Strongbad, and really, who could ask for more? The show was opened by Michael Leviton, who plays the baritone ukulele and was accompanied by a glockenspiel. I love going to a show and discovering someone wonderful I'd never heard before. Michael Leviton writes wry, anachronistic, genuinely witty, and very, very sweet songs with nautical themes. Think Magnetic Fields meets The Dresden Dolls meets The Decemberists meets Future Bible Heroes, with just a dash of Tiny Tim. We bought his CD after the show, and you should, too. Spooky took a few blurry photos, which I'll post later on. But yes, a marvelous time was had by all.
Even if TMBG didn't play "Ana Ng."
I forgive them.
My thanks to
sclerotic_rings for putting me wise to asteroid 2006 HZ51, which will have 165 chances of impacting Earth. The first is June 21, 2008. Of course, as a high priestess of the Immaculate Order of the Falling Sky, I've marked the date. HZ51 isn't very big, a mere 800 meters across, but, still, drop it in just the right place at just the right time, and it might get things rolling.Okay. That's it for now. Spooky's getting the eBay auctions going once again. Every little bit helps.
Postscript: I'm really loving the new Mac ads...