Endoscopy went well. They took very good care of me and I enjoyed some snooze time. Don't remember the tube going down at all, and I don't feel any soreness now.

Will be taking AcipHex to control acid. I know nothing about this drug, so if you have any intel please share.

Think I have most of my wits back now, so am going shopping for ingredients for the Thanksgiving desert I'm taking to friends' house. Have decided on bread pudding. (no raisins!)

And then I really have to finish writing chapter 8.

Today I drove to north OKC to see New Moon (HA!) An Education.

( a few thoughts -- hardly spoilery at all )

Prior to the film, one trailer caught my eye -- a vampire movie called Daybreakers. Anyone heard good or bad buzz about this one?

Who watched "Collision" on Masterpiece Contemporary? I quite enjoyed it, though the ending was slightly twee. So strange to see Douglas Henshall as the protag because he was so revolting in Angels and Insects. I hope those of you who are fond of him from Primeval watched last night! (Oh, he's in Dorian Gray, too -- wonder when/if that's coming to the US?)

Tomorrow morning I get my endoscopy. Let's hope the drugs are so good I don't remember what happened. *fingers crossed*

I really like that OneRepublic song "All the Right Moves."

But I was surprised to see how retro the video is.

I mean, I always associate masquerade scenes with the 80s -- Masquerade from ALW's Phantom of the Opera ('86), for instance, or Laura Branigan's trippy video for Self-Control ('84), or that As the World Falls Down scene from Labyrinth ('86).

Interesting, however, that the OneRepublic video is almost completely lacking in menace, unlike the other songs/videos I've mentioned. (Well, "Masquerade" from Phantom isn't really menacing, but it is mildly creepy, don't you think?)

Check it out:



Okay, I wrote one scene this morning and now I'm banishing myself to Barnes & Noble to get at least 1000 words written!

I know super librarian de23 is looking into this for me, but I'm putting the questions out to the rest of my dear f-list in case anyone has the answers at hand.

-- How were newspapers stored in late 19th century libraries? Were they bound in volumes? Or just stored flat in boxes? Or something else?

-- How were they accessed? Would a librarian bring them out to a table, or would a patron find them on a shelf somewhere?

Any info you've got would be greatly appreciated!

ETA: Perhaps I should specify that I'm thinking of a college library at Cambridge University.

This has been a mopesy week for me, so today's Friday Five will focus on the happy.

5 random things that have pleased me this week:

1. Fringe. TV's new fall season has been kind of disappointing. So much is stacked up on my DVR because I can't be bothered to watch. So what do I do? I get the first season of Fringe from Netflix! Gosh this show is ridiculous at times, but I'm really enjoying it. I just love looking at Anna Torv (not your typical camisole/tight pants-wearing female law enforcer), and yes, I've had a crush on Joshua Jackson since his days of hitting on the English teacher in Dawson's Creek. Great to see Lance Reddick, too, though his role is only a fraction as complex as Lt. Daniels on The Wire.

2. Scrivener's corkboard for outlining. Thanks for reminding me of this function, kmessner!


It helps when things are pretty, eh?

3. Legacy on SYTYCD. I was sorta suprised he made it through Vegas. I thought he'd get cut in the first round. But man, that kid has passion! I hope he makes it to the top 10. (Okay, I also love Jakob, especially after someone commented that he looks like Sark from Alias. Hee!)

4. Ghost stories. In the last week I've read a couple of Barbara Michaels ghostly mysteries, and this morning I started Susan Hill's The Woman in Black.

5. This guest blog post from Rosemary Clement-Moore on writing about things you love.

Have a great weekend everyone!

1. I am done with the first round of revisions for The Revenant! I know there are more rounds to come, but it feels great to have this first hurdle behind me.

2. It's so inspiring to read about everyone's progress with NaNo this year! Sadly, I had to back out. I didn't get my outline hammered out in time (partly due to work from #1), and then we were out of town for the first two days of November. Plus, this week has been so crazy that I haven't done any writing work. BUT -- starting this weekend I will be doing my own NaNoOutMo -- outlining month! My goal for the beginning of December is to have a gorgeous and irresistable 75 page (or so) partial and 2 page summary of the new ms for my editor. (Though she probably won't have time to look at it until the new year. I'll get some feedback in the meantime, thus ensuring that it's even more gorgeous and irresistible. Right?)

3. Part of the craziness this week was pulling together my presentation on Flash Fiction for an Oklahoma Writing Project conference for secondary school kids. I'd done this presentation only once before, a few years ago, so I was feeling rusty. But everything went well. The first session was a little subdued, and I was afraid I was stinking up the place. But a couple of kids came up afterwards to say they got a lot out of the presentation. Boy, did that rev me up! And I had my technology issues sorted out by the second session (no thanks to the tech staff, argh), so that presentation was much more dynamic. (I think those kids were a little more awake, too.) Oh, it was BLISS! There's nothing better than working with kids who are excited about writing. By the end of the session they had first drafts of 100-word stories, and those who were brave enough to share had some great stuff.

4. Abrupt change of theme -- you may remember I was having stomach problems a while back. Yesterday I went to the doctor and it turns out I will be needing an upper GI endoscopy. Eeek! Thank goodness for sedation. They say I won't even remember it afterwards. That's set for November 24, so I'll report back then.

5. Today is cyberchezza's birthday! Happy Day, Chezza! I never see you or A on LJ anymore, so I hope everything is going well. Come back soon and give us an update.

Can you believe Starbucks is already busting out the holiday cups? At this rate, they'll run out well before Christmas.

I am reading Barbara Michaels' Witch and omigosh it is so good! It's like it was written with me in mind.

(Please don't turn bad, little book!)

Yesterday we returned from our road trip to Kansas and Missouri.

You know what that means:

( picspam! )

The leaves are turning in my neighborhood, so I decided to document the burst of color before the trees go bare for winter. Seems like this has been a more colorful year. Maybe it's the rain? Cooler temps? Usually the leaves just turn brownish before they fall off. Or maybe in the past I've been too glued to my computer to notice.

( fall color )

I LOVE this season!

UPS delivered a lovely thing yesterday.

( The Ultimate Guidebook for the Victorian Tourist )

I have stalled out on my outline for the Nano ms. I was at the climactic scene and had one of those moments where I'm thinking "I know how these characters get here, but how does that character get there???" And then my brain went boom and I decided to put the outline aside for a while. Which is good timing, because tomorrow I need to hit the revisions for REVENANT really hard -- one last push -- before sending it off to my editor on Nov. 2.

So what about today? I think I'm going to give my brain a rest and do laundry, housecleaning, etc. . . .

Oh, and spam you with sketchy details and lame pics from the U2 concert!

( Find them under the cut )

Happy Wednesday everyone! SYTYCD tonight!

1. Today is scarym1's birthday! HAPPY DAY TO YOU, M! Party on, my friend!

2. tinuviellen was inspired by Bright Star (and an entertaining review of it) to put this together: Emo Tubercular Hotness: The Playlist. I ask you, does it get any better than that? If I knew Lisa Schwartzbaum’s email address I'd send it to her. (Perhaps I should do some research?)

3. ETA: I'm going to see U2 tonight!

YAY!

1. Meeting with my critique group today! And it's almost the whole group, including those who live three hours away. Yay! (On a tangent -- yesterday when I was buying berries to take to the meeting, I saw these KiwiBerries. Anyone ever eaten these? If so, how in the world do you prepare them? Is the skin edible?)

2. I've re-arranged my holiday schedule and am very happy about it. Instead of going to TN by myself for family Thanksgiving, Steve and I are going together for Christmas. This means . . .

3. I can commit a little more fully to NaNoWriMo! (Here I am.)I already have 12,000 words written on this novel, so I don't qualify for legit NaNo winner status, but I'd still like to write along with everyone else. It's the word count competition camaraderie that counts, not the prizes!

4. I've been doing a lot of research on author websites and author photos lately, so if your statcounter/sitemeter says I've been stalking you -- this is why!

5. Paranormal Activity has finally come to my town! I hope to see it with a friend -- not sure I could handle the terror on my own.

Happy Friday everyone!

Last night Steve and I started Lark Rise to Candleford. I must have missed it when it aired on PBS, and perhaps I'm the last costume drama fan to get around to watching it, but here I am at last. Very sweet! And Brendan Coyle (Nicholas!) is so brawny and fatherly and wonderful. Looking forward to more.

(In the meantime, all the new fall shows are piling up on my DVR.)

Let's see . . .

I WILL go to yoga today.

And I'm going to get serious work done on this outline.

Guess I'd better get crackin'.

1. Yesterday was lost to computer issues brought on by my impatience and idiocy. Why can't I just read the instructions and do things in the proper order? Nearly lost all the data on my iPhone. Had to reformat hard drive on new computer and start over with data transfer. But all seems fine now. And I have a shiny new MacBook Pro! (Old one is working just fine -- it will become "family computer," which means I won't have to share when Steve leaves his laptop at work. I hate sharing!)

2. I'm taking a break from edits. My editor wanted me to set the ms aside for a bit so I could see it with fresh eyes before sending it back to her. I should be working on new WIP, but brain is a little fried. Later today I will kick it into gear.

3. I had hoped to have a post about ghostly movie recs for October, but you guys! I'm trying and trying and just can't find any good ghost movies to rent. Watched Don't Look Now and Session 9 recently (both featured on various "Best Ghost Movies" lists). The latter was more gripping (with a GREAT setting), but I still can't recommend it wholeheartedly.

4. I'm in the last 100 pages of Her Fearful Symmetry. Not sure I like where it's going.

5. It rains and rains and rains. Cold today. Yay!

An excerpt from one of Keats' letters to Fanny Brawne:

Perhaps on your account I have imagined my illness more serious than it is: how horrid was the chance of slipping into the ground instead of into your arms -- the difference is amazing Love. Death must come at last; Man must die, as Shallow says; but before that is my fate I fain would try what more pleasures than you have given, so sweet a creature as you can give. Let me have another opportunity of years before me and I will not die without being remember'd. (my emphasis)

That's pretty darn sexy!

Loved it!

*happy, sniffly sigh*

Two silly and mostly non-spoilery thoughts:

1. Topper the Cat should get a Best Supporting Animal award for his performance. He stole my heart. (And he's Jane Campion's own cat! Eeeee!)

2. Keats holding the cat? That scene was awesome.

Oooh, now I want to read this.

ETA: I like this interview.

Two fabulous book contests!

-- L.K. Madigan is having a photo contest to celebrate the release of her debut novel, Flash Burnout. The winners of the photo contest will have their photos hosted on L.K.'s website, plus receive $50 gift certificates to the online merchant of their choice. WOO HOO!

-- Jackie Dolamore is giving away an ARC of Magic Under Glass, plus lots more prizes. Find all the details here!

Huzzah for agent sisters and their awesome books!

From Entertainment Weekly's A- review of the new Jane Campion film:

" . . . Ben Whishaw, in a teal waistcoat, is a vision of 19th century emo tubercular hotness as the great Romantic poet John Keats."

Bwahaha!

Other news from EW -- there's seriously going to be an A-TEAM film? With Liam Neeson as Hannibal? But that's the old news. The new news is that District 9's Sharlto Copley is going to play "Howling Mad" Murdoch, which I think is a brilliant casting choice. But will I go see it? "An insider to the project told EW that filmmakers plan to abandon the series' campy tone in exchange for high-octane action."

Hmmmm . . .

emo tubercular hotness . . . hee hee

This weekend I took a break from revising in order to clean my house. What an ordeal! I could write a horror novel to rival Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth -- mine would be titled The House of Dust and Hair and the protagonist would get sucked into one of the ginormous whorls of ick that float across my wood floor. (I originally thought "Dust and Fur," but truly, I shed about as much as Cedric does.)

Now nobody will ever want to visit me.

But anyway, as soon as I run my errands and do the workout thing, I'll be back at my computer tweaking away. Yay?

Tomorrow night I'm going to see Ellen Hopkins speak! She originally was scheduled to speak at one of our middle schools, but a parent convinced the superintendent to put an end to that (argh!), so she's visiting a local Baptist College instead (ironic?), and now I get to see her, too. (I missed her presentation at SCBWI.)

I have a question about last night's INSPECTOR LEWIS: ( cut for spoiler )

Castle returns tonight!