Noise in the Attic

Novel? What novel? Oh!  You mean that novel!

Washed in the Blood is currently languishing in the ICU while I dither over how far I’m willing to go to keep it alive.  I love the characters and the concept, and there are some plot points and some scenes that I think are compelling.

ON THE OTHER HAND:

The story as it stands has some flaws so large they cannot be repaired.  These flaws are inevitably, horribly, painfully fatal.

SO:

Here are my options as I see them:

1 — Forge ahead and finish

ADVANTAGES: I can say that I finished a novel.  I might get insights into the characters and story that could resolve some of the larger issues in a second draft.

DISADVANTAGES: If I finish without resolving the major problems, I will feel bad about myself and about the story.  I may not be able to overcome the odor of failure and rewrite this story into something successful. I might not get insights into the characters and story that could resolve some of the larger issues in a second draft.

2 — Pull the plug

ADVANTAGES: This would ease a large burden off my mind and allow me to move ahead on other projects (of which I have several under consideration) without feeling like I have unfinished business to take care of.

DISADVANTAGES: I really, really like these characters and this story, and I don’t want to abandon them until absoutely all hope is lost.

3 — Salvage the best bits and scrap the rest.  Start over.

ADVANTAGES: I would have a head start on all the pre-writing work.  This would be almost like a second draft re-write with extreme prejudice.

DISADVANTAGES: I am cowed by the enormity of the amount of work to be done and would be ashamed for not being able to finish the first draft, no matter how shitty it is.  I am, of course, always open for another reason to kick my own butt.

Dither, dither, dither.  I know: butt in chair, fingers on keys, write, write, write. I have plenty of short stories to work on while I agonize.

This writing business is hard! Why didn’t somebody warn me? What’s that, Holly? Yeah, you did warn me. I just didn’t listen. *sigh*

Yes, I’ve been slack about posting.  So fire me.  Basically, things at work went Way Down South in a handbasket.  I’ve been doing two people’s jobs and getting really steamed about it.  I won’t way anything more about that, but, apropos of the situation, I will retrieve my cudgel and assail the carcass of one of my favorite deceased equines.  I’ve also been working New York Times crosswords to relax.

Writing?  Oh, yeah, writing.  I’ve been doing that, too.  I’ve been finishing and submitting some partial short stories I’ve had lying around for a while and re-submitting some stories that didn’t make the cut at various markets.  Anybody that cares can track my progress at my Pubs and Subs page, updated whenever I take a notion..

What we do and say and the way we act reflects ourselves to the rest of the world.  I try to follow Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream of judging people by the content of their character.  Since I cannot look into people’s minds, the only evidence I have of their character is what they choose to show.

This cuts across all lines: race, nationality, social class, whatever distinction you choose to use.  To the rest of the world, what you do and say is who you are.  I cannot and will not form a good opinion of someone who shows me a give-a-shit attitude, a strict refusal to listen, and a determination to remain stupid and ignorant in the face of glorious opportunities to improve themselves.  That tells me everything I need to know about a person.

I take my work as a librarian seriously.  I take my role as an academic librarian even more seriously.  Those who do not will not be my friends.

 

http://www.sir.arizona.edu/lso/bibliotech/hardenbergh2.htm

‘Nuff said.

Saintcrow, Lilith. Working for the Devil. Warner Books, © 2005. ISBN: 0-446-61670-2

Just 2 things right quick before I start:

1. Dante Valentine kicks ass.
2. Lilith Saintcrow is The. Best. Name. for a writer of paranormal fantasy. Ever.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled review.

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Dante Valentine is a Necromance, one who raises the spirits of the dead. She may be the best in the world, but she won’t admit it. Danny also does bounty hunting on the side, helping bring criminals with dangerous magical powers to justice. The one thing she never imagined is that she would wind up on an assignment from the Devil, but then His right-hand demon showed up at her front door with guns drawn and made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. One thing about working for the Devil, though: when the Prince of Lies takes a hand, all bets are off.Dante Valentine, known to her friends as Danny, is a complex character, full of the same doubts, fears, and contradictions as all humans. She lives in a world of darkness and immense powers. She is haunted by the ghosts of her past, pursued by demons, both literally and figuratively, and far too independent and self-reliant for her own good.Danny’s journeys through Hell and Rio de Janeiro as she attempts to fulfill her mission and bring her most dangerous and hated enemy to bay are also a journey through her own soul. Love and hate, hope and depair, are inextricably intertwined. As she peels away the layers of deceit and illusion in her attempts to determine the difference between right and wrong in a morally confused situation, Danny makes discoveries about herself and her companions that she doesn’t want to make and exposes parts of herself to her companions that she desperately wants to keep hidden.Working for the Devil is a story of love in many different forms and on many different levels. At the same time, it is a story of sacrifice and of honor. It is an exploration of good and evil and the difficulty of telling the difference sometimes. When truth is elusive, where do you put your trust? How do you tell who the good guys are when every hat is grey? Is your faith and honor worth the price you must pay?Working for the Devil is a rollicking adventure, full of action and desperation that will leave you wrung out, but wishing it didn’t have to end. Lilith Saintcrow is masterful at creating characters that you will care deeply for and identify with. She also writes a damned good fight scene. At the same time, she will bring you face to face with some hard issues and does not flinch when things get ugly.This novel is intense and riveting, and I have no reservations in recommending it. I also anxiously await the next Dante Valentine story, and I owe Demented Michelle an enormous debt of gratitude for introducing me to this author.