blogging

I suppose true blogging is off the top of our heads, and my head is pretty fuzzy, so watch out!

It's late, but I'm the Wednesday Wench (now you see why I wanted it!) and being a west coaster I want to put down something before I go to bed.

So why is my head fuzzy? Because I've just sent of a proposal for my next book. Next after TO RESCUE A ROGUE, which is coming out in September. Have I mentioned that enough? The next book, or next next book, will be out in September 2007. As things stand. Did I mention that TRAR was supposed to come out in March 2007? Part of the reason my head is fuzzy.

But this proposal (some of the book and a synopsis for those who are wondering) was supposed to be in in March. Things got busy in March. Did I mention that my next book was supposed to come out in March 2007 and is now coming out in September? We went to England in April. I spent most of May in jet lag. So I've just sent off about a fifth of the book and a synopsis that kind of trails off into "...and stuff happens and it all works out."

Because I don't pre-plot. My books kind of unravel -- or do I mean ravel? -- as my son says, if there's inept, what is ept? Or as Dare Debenham says, "Can a violet blate?" You'll have to read the book. Out in September.

Anyway, I don't pre-plot and if I try it really does screw everything up, so I can only give vague notions of what might happen in the future. What does happen in the future is always much more interesting. My brief synopsis of TRAR had nothing in it about leaking gas, Chinese wisdom, or The Ghastly Ghoul of Castle Cruel. Or, come to that, the startling truth about Delphie Martin.

But it wasn't tidying up the proposal and sending it off that made my brain fuzzy. It was dealing with Word.

You see, I write on a DOS computer using an ancient but wonderful program called X Y Write. I have a tranquil writing life. Grey on black. Nothing jiggles or make suggestions. Nothing, not a thing, has changed in about 15 years. Bliss.

However, my editor and agent are happy to receive my work via e-mail. This is a good enough deal for me to put it into Word. I'm used to it and it's not usually a big problem. This time the demonical program kept putting in blank pages and refusing to scroll. No, don't tell me why. I've defeated it. (By working in Open Office instead, that's how. :: evil cackle::) But it's left me fuzzy-brained.

But okay. Because that's done and I can spend tomorrow in the relatively relaxed process of going over the edits of my dragon story. You want to know about the dragon story? Next time.

:: Yawn:: If there are typos in this, you'll have to excuse me. When I'm tired, my eyes don't focus anymore.

Did I mention I have a book coming out? No, not that one. The other next one. The reissue of LORD OF MIDNIGHT. In July. Which is almost tomorrow. That got a starred review from Publisher's Weekly, so you have to read it. Them's the rules.

Goodnight.

Jo :)

Comments

[Denise]

I love this new cover. I've got a good copy of the first printing, but I may just have to replace it with this one. What a dilemma!

[Bibiana]

Am thinking the same as you, Denise! Shall I buy it again? It is such a wonderful and grand story and I'm glad it's again available. And to whom did I lent my copy anyway? Guess I'm off to amazon.de and order LoM plus place a pre-order for the new rogue-book...

Greetings from Germany, Bibiana

[Wylene]

Jo, September 5 is marked on my book calendar with TRAR and a series of exclamation points in red. I have been waiting impatiently for Dare's story ever since we learned he did indeed live. I plan to spend the last weeks of August rereading the Rogues books in celebration.

Will the next new book be the story of Dare's sister? My appetite for the Rogues and their world is insatiable.

[Nina P]

Wow, Jo, what a great post – a NYT best selling author coming "out of her mist." A beautiful sight.

You have peaked my appetite. Where should I start with your Rogue series?

On writing, I hate pre-plotting, too. Drains all the mystery, suspense and lure. I like being surprised by my characters (sometimes). :-) At the very beginning of my current piece two of my main characters that were suppose to be enemies, fell in love. What was I do?

I wish your new books the greatest of success!

-the littlest wenchling

[Teresa]

Great new cover for LoM. And my copy is in storage. Hmmm, maybe I SHOULD buy the new one *g*.

As for Word, I HATE, HATE, HATE that programme. It's evil incarnate. No wonder you were fuzzy brained. Glad OO proved to be the solution :-)

[Susan Sarah]

Oh! Can I join the chorus of Word-despisers?!! I've worked in WordPerfect for years, and I find it an intuitive and easy program for the primarily right-brained who just want to write, and don't need business applications gumming up the works. I had to be dragged kicking and screaming to Word, and use it only when I have to email a document (or an entire manuscript).

Like Jo, I started out with XYWrite, which I liked very much, then for one reason or another ended up with WordPerfect, and I've stayed there.

I've tried to learn Word, and I have just the basics, sort of. Much of it frustrates me, because I'm impatient, and I'm happy with WordPerfect, where pesky formatting details are often much easier, and faster, to manage--and to undo. It seems easier, not only because I know the program so well, but because often the necessary steps just plain make more SENSE.

I do need to learn more Word, though I've been resistant so far.
Grrr...talk about yer autonomous collective....

Susan K

[Patricia Rice]

From Pat Rice:

I am sooooooo far behind! Sorry. I don't think I even have an excuse except Life Happens.

Do I dare ask, what is Open Office? I've used Word ever since Leading Edge went belly up, so I'm used to its idiosyncrasies, but I try very hard not to explore the magic too deeply.