Slogging forward

[babarnett]

It's been tough getting back to something resembling my normal routine this week. Monday was almost nothing but work and rehearsal, neither of which put me in a happy place. And I had been hoping to get a lot done today, but no such luck. I got a later start than I wanted today (I've been having a tough time getting my butt moving in the mornings this week), and my afternoon was mostly eaten away by sitting at the DMV to renew my driver license. And then it was off to Philly for dinner and an opera--Wozzeck, which is one of my favorites. (The production wasn't perfect, but good overall. And bloody.) So the only thing I managed to get done today was a bit of work stuff, a few little errands, and some reading.

On that note, I present to you the weekly productivity report:

Reading: I read two more stories in Prime Codex, leaving only one more to go. Of the two I read today, I enjoyed "Rainmakers" by Ruth Nestvold--engaging writing and engaging characters, and it felt very real to me how we got enough closure to give the story a satisfactory ending, but without everything being tied up with a neat bow.

I also started Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell this week, which I would so far describe as the love child of Charles Dickens and Harry Potter. Getting an audio book to listen to in the car was a good idea. It makes my drive to work far more tolerable. And I think Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell was a good choice as it's interesting, but also the sort of book I would have had a harder time getting through if I was reading instead of listening as it's rather long, and the narrative moves very slowly--not a good combination if a slow reader like me wants to finish something in a reasonable amount of time.

Exercise: Getting back into the exercise routine has been tough. I managed 20 minutes on the elliptical strider two days this week. And when I couldn't get in real exercise, I played lots of Wii sports--especially boxing, which has got to be burning some calories because I'm totally wiped afterwards.

Music: Except for today, music is about the one thing with which I've managed to maintain normality this week with the usual chorus rehearsals, piano lesson, and practicing schedule.

Writing: About 200 words on Sunday, and about 500 on Wednesday. I'm rubbish.

Comments

[marshall-payne.livejournal.com]

I read 200 pages of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell a couple of years ago. I liked it, just that I'm bad about finishing novels. Reading them anyway. I'm good about finishing the one's I write. (Weird, huh?) But "the love child of Charles Dickens and Harry Potter" sounds about right. If there was anything that turned me off about it was all the footnotes. I do plan on reading it again someday. :-)

[ckastens.livejournal.com]

I loved it. There were a couple of sections that dragged and could probably have been cut entirely to get it below brick size, but 90% of it kept me page turning. The ending is also fantastic.

[marshall-payne.livejournal.com]

Okay, Chris, you convinced me. I shall pull this massive tome from the shelf again and give it another try. I have it in hardback, btw. ;-)

[ckastens.livejournal.com]

You have to like that kind of thing, though. I enjoy historical fantasy.
If you like the first 100 pages, keep reading. If not, just drop it.
It's like Gormenghast for me. Everyone says how great it is, but I always stop about 100 pages in.

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

It's keeping me entertained so far, and it's probably good for my blood pressure too--now I listen to the story instead of swearing at traffic jams.

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

I think the footnotes would probably bug me if I was reading and had to glance down at them, but having someone reading it all straight through for me on the CDs gets rid of that problem. Though a few have gone on long enough that I felt it disrupted the flow of the narrative.

[justin-pilon.livejournal.com]

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell has been sitting on my bookshelf for a while. I really ought to give it a shot. Maybe after I finish The Haunting. But it'll have to wrestle for my measly reading attention with about a dozen other books.

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

Meanwhile, The Haunting is one of the many books sitting on my to-read list. So many books, so little time...

[justin-pilon.livejournal.com]

The Haunting is really great. Jackson is really good at developing characters, pacing the mood between humorous and horrific, and setting up the atmosphere of the house. I'm loving it!

[pea-faerie.livejournal.com]

I hate Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I couldn't finish it... which is very very rare for me. I usually can't not finish books. This one, I felt like a good editor should have slashed about 30% of it! That being said, I'm NOT a fan of the victorian novel. Middlemarch damn near killed me when I read it years ago. And while I liked David Copperfield, that's the only Dickens I've really liked (A Christmas Carol doesn't count 'cause it's so short). I also don't like Jane Austen, so JS & MN was probably a bad choice for me. Plus, the ending, which I won't spoil, left me really cold. I had a friend just tell me how it ended because I wanted to know how it ended but I didn't care to take the journey to get there... That's since become my judge of whether a book is likable. If I liked not only the wrap up, but I loved the journey as well. And if I'd take it again. :D

But, I knew a lot of people who liked JS & MN, so, who am I to say? Plus, I'll give it that it was well done. I just didn't like it. (Kind of like Joyce for me. I get the talent he has, but I don't enjoy it.)

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

I tend to have a love/hate relationship with a lot of Victorian novels. With Dickens in particular, I usually enjoy the stories and the characters, but have a hell of a time slogging through the writing style itself. I think that's why listening to JS & MN while driving will be a good way for me to get through it--I can't give it my full attention since I also have to pay attention to the road, so I won't get as hung up on the style as I normally would. :)

[musingaloud.livejournal.com]

I also couldn't get into JS & MN when I tried it a while back. I don't think I got beyond page 3 or so and gave up. A "didn't grab" to paraphrase F&SF! heheh.

Don't worry, the writing will come back sooner or later. Just push on through.

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

I'm getting the impression from here and elsewhere that JS & MN is either a love it or hate it thing for most people.

The funny thing about the writing right now is that it goes pretty well when I do it--finding the time seems to be the challenge. Of course, knowing my luck, the second I'm able to get back to my normal writing routine, my muse will decide to take a cigarette break.

[musingaloud.livejournal.com]

Of course, knowing my luck, the second I'm able to get back to my normal writing routine, my muse will decide to take a cigarette break.

Well, natch. Otherwise, it would be so.... EASY! Har har har!