Hi! I'm sitting here wasting a Saturday.
I overdid the racquetball a week and a half ago. The arm only aches a little, but I'm not going to push it.
Jerry and I were going to blitz BURNING TOWER after Thanksgiving weekend.
His plan. I didn't see blitzing a book as easy during Christmas season. Anyway, he's still working alone as of now, and I'm playing backup: rewriting what's there. This would be easier if we got some feedback from our editor, John Ordover. We sent him the partial manuscript months ago; haven't heard back.
I oughta be writing a fantasy. I promised one to an anthologist.
I oughta be writing a Draco Tavern story. We sold them as a book, but the contract calls for two new and unpublished.
I oughta be Christmas shopping. Marilyn's doing something lace-related today; I could go find something for her. As usual, I'm clueless.
I oughta be chopping into the paperwork piled on my breakfast table. I did a little of that.
The sun is bright. I oughta be climbing rocks at Stoney Point. But not alone. Jerry's ready, and maybe I can add Peggy and Drew, Monday or so.
As usual I'm way behind on movies. These days they all crank up the volume to deafening, so you'd better remember your earplugs, and Marilyn usually doesn't. Jerry saw THE TWO TOWERS in a media showing; if he'd had a spare ticket I'd have been on it. I'm due for CHAMBER OF SECRETS, the next Star Trek, next James Bond, some others.
I saw LILO AND STITCH, courtesy of Marina Stern and a disk/cassette/DVD/whatever. That's a very funny movie. Mosquitoes as an endangered species....
At least RINGWORLD'S CHILDREN is turned in. But Gleason wants a Forward, and I'll give it to him if he can tell me what should be in it. There's this delicate dance when you're doing a sequel: you can confuse the new reader, or tell him what he needs to know but bore the reader you captured early, or you can somehow bring in the background while making it interesting all over again. We all try.
Larry Niven