Weekend Post: Evil Cats, Graphic Novels, Books on Writing, AND PRINCE PRINCE PRINCE PRINCE PRINCE!!!!!!

CATS (or Teh Evil Ones)

* Apparently our good friend and wee elf Urthalun DOES have A Fault! Hard to believe, I know. But she hates cats. Well maybe it's not a fault--I can understand cat hatred. Cats, after all, are trying to take over the planet and we tend to hate that which we fear. Living with cats is like living with cylons, you always feel condescended to.

This week poor Urthalun, who watches almost no TV, sat down to watch a program on snakes (her fave) and it turned out to be a cat show! I told her it was most likely a curse sent by my witch-cat, Haley--she of the dark heart and the dark arts.

- "I don't care for your new associate, La Mahmmy. I will send her a message."

- "As long as you don't leave a severed dog head in her bed."

- "You mistake me for the feline mafia. We dark artists are much more subtle, Mahmmy."

 * This picture is to show you how it's not always my fault that my closet gets messy. (See top right of picture. I used to wonder why my piles of pajamas never stayed upright.)

* This picture is to show you the eventual role humans will play on Planet Cat: A sort of warming plate, with hands for petting. (I was half reclined, trying to use my laptop.)

* Minion so likes her kong toy, I thought she'd like this kong teether cause there's more skinny parts to chew. Classic anthropological mistake, where I went in as the outsider, thinking I understood The Other without actually studying her. She doesn't use the teether at all because she can't hold onto it right. As you can see, she likes the kong because she holds onto the fat part with her feet, and then chews the skinny part. O arrogant hu-mahn that I am!

BOOKS

I don't seem to be making headway through French novels, but am very much in the mood for French graphic novels, so I've switched gears. My review of the second Paul is here, and now I'm reading a gentle love story (Les Années douces) adapted from a Japanese novel. Graphic novels are taken so seriously in the francophone world (France, Belgium, Quebec, etc.) that it's a nice place to poke around if I'm going to practice my French. This Japanese translation, for example, doesn't appear to exist in English. Possibly not the other one I took out either. And, unlike Debbie Travis, I don't judge my literary experience by the sheer # of words.* I'll just end up reading more books in the same period of time, is all. Maybe more, since it's what I'm in the mood for.


WRITING

click on pic for my review of this one

You may also have noticed I keep posting reviews for writing books. I can go years without reading books on the craft, it just depends on what stage I'm at. If I'm at a "sit your ass down and WRITE" stage then I stop reading about writing. Completely. Like a teetotaler. Same with blogs by agents and editors--I only read them when I'm gearing up to submit, and then I stop cold and take a break, otherwise I think it can mess with creativity.

I don't think it's good to have other people's voices about writing in your head all the time. No matter how much I respect the source, I will not listen to writing advice, or submission advice, all year round. For example, I follow Jennifer Crusie's blog all year, but when I'm not in Think About Craft mode I skip her stuff on writing. I just read about her lost purse and her funny dogs.

But I'm about to re-write a book, so it's a good time to immerse myself. Everyone else's voice is allowed inside my head right now, and then it's SOLITUDE TIME. When I'm ready for critiques, then I'll be interested in the voices of people who've read my actual book, but it's unlikely I'll return to the craft books, unless it's for a very specific question. Cause at that point they can make you doubt yourself too much. It's already confusing when you let your readers into Your World, let alone Generic Authors of Writing Books. Writing's a fragile business, yo. A delicate balance between having faith in yourself and your beliefs and your vision, and being open to, and recognizing, valid criticism.

I've read some good, some bad, and some entertaining craft books this month. Today I read the first two chapters of The Forest for the Trees, and so far it's the best one. I'll continue to post my reviews on Goodreads, facebook and here. My latest review is of the Donald Maass one--he's a huuuuuge agent. Click on the picture of the book, should take you to my review.


PRINCE IN SIX DAYS!!!!

Apparently the last time he came to the Jazz Fest a lot of people were all "wtf he's not a jazz musician". So for the first 80 minutes he played a big-ass long set of jazz-funk-fusion with the lights turned down, including a 20 minute solo by his bassist during which one critique surmised he went to have a foot rub. The same critique said "some suckers left during intermission," after which Prince let loose with his hits and knocked everyone off their feet.

The party had jumped instantly into full swing, Prince had not lost his mind, he was still the one and only Sexy Motherfunker, and he had come to do what he does best, and what he does better than pretty much anyone on the planet.
It's nice to see that, with all his success, the stardom, the post-stardom, - amid the arrogance, the eccentricity, the weirdness and the cool - he hasn't lost his sense of humour. [Mtl Gazette]

Prince may be as crazy as Kevin Smith says, but when you see him on stage, he's not that shy, religious kook--he's sooo entertaining from every video I've seen, or live set I've heard. And he's funny. He specifically requested a small venue, and that it be stripped of all but 300 VIP tables. (The club has room for 2000 seats--Swiss Girl and I went there to see an Abba cover band. Did I say this already? I'm so delirious. "IIII get Delirious, when I'm gonna see Priiince...") I assume that if he's turning the club into one big dance floor... there's going to be dance music involved.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm freaking out just a tiny bit.
 And I'm not the freaking out type.