Busy, busy, busy.
I’ve been all over the place. I had a signing at B&N, which was fun. I was pretty nervous at first. Something about rows and rows of empty chairs and a podium pulls out the insecure 7th grader, she of the Sears “Husky” jeans and Toni Tenille haircut, in me. Fortunately, people showed up. There were way cool girls asking way cool questions. Very nice.
Had a reading last night for NY Writers Coalition, which is a great group to support. They bring writing workshops into underserved communities. It’s a group run by Aaron Zimmerman, whose novel, BY THE TIME YOU FINISH THIS BOOK YOU MIGHT BE DEAD, is a great read. Check it out at www.greebee.com.
Then there’s my book #2. Ahem. Yes. Well. How can I put this? Oh, I know, how about, It sucks so bad that I can actually feel the oxygen leaving the room? Yep. That about sums it up. I can’t seem to catch the thread on this one. It feels all icky and stupid. And working out the magic system? Jesus, I can barely write up a grocery list that’s coherent. I keep tripping myself up. “If they do this, then Y happens. But if Y happens, why didn’t it happen before?” That kind of crap. So then I make an exception to the rules. And that leads to anarchy. A plotless blob of atmosphere with a sprinkling of decent metaphor. So I’m back to figuring out the structure again. It is a vicious cycle. I am cranky and I’m mainlining chocolate. Oh, and it’s due at the end of May. What, me worry?
Barry keeps trying to tell me that I get this paranoid, morose, and unbearable during everything I write. But I just think he’s being nice.
Oh, and I’m doing a booksigning at BOOKS OF WONDER in NYC (18th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues) on Saturday, April 10th, 12:00-2:00pm. I’m psyched because I will be there signing along with the delightful, stupdendous Ms. Holly Black. Be there or be somewhere else.