Exploding spaceships, a mad escape from thinking robots, boiling mud? Wow, that sounds like some great material for a short story. They are the basic elements of Hunting Harkonnens, the very first story in the entire Dune chronicle. And while the end result might not be the most exciting story, it is a great introduction to the basic ideas of this early Dune universe. Every series has to start somewhere. And, of course, the Dune purist will say that Dune starts with Dune–the original series as written by the venerable master Frank Herbert is all there is. Full stop. Well,…
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Back about 20 years ago I fell in love with Dune. I don’t remember who introduced me to it, or why. It could have been my cousin, who got me reading great fantasy and sci-fi novels, or it could have been a chance purchase at the book store. Either way, the 25th anniversary edition of Dune found its way into my hands sometime around 1993. I was a young teen, and I think the book was a bit over my head at the time. But it still influenced me a great deal. Over the years I’ve read Dune around 15…
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Well, goodness. It’s been ages since I’ve posted and, as I’m sure you have guessed, lots has happened. My focus has been on my needlework blog, and this blog has surely suffered because of that. However, now that Stitching Lotus is so pinpoint focused on needlework I need a place for my other ramblings. Back to The Lotus Pond I go. The first few months of 2013 will see a redesign of this blog. I will be making the Wicca and Tarot information much easier to find and access. I will likely not be expanding the Wicca information, mainly because…
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It’s August 1st, and time to start Camp NaNoWriMo. So far my story is nothing more than a bunch of notes and a vague idea of who my main character might be. Doesn’t bode well, does it? But, hey, at least my butt is on a chair in front of a computer. August has 31 days, right?
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Happy Canada Day! The video below is a beer commercial from the 1990s. It is silly, but at the same time captures a bit of what it means to be Canadian. Check out my other blog, Reflections in the Pond, for another one of my favourite feel-good-about-Canada videos.
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Well, now that the excitement of finally committing to writing the damn novel has worn off, I have to admit that I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed. There is so much to do before August: plot outline, character sketches, background research, etc. Unfortunately, real life responsibilities and promises are going to get in the way for a little while, but I have started thinking. I’m pretty sure the basic plot is going to be about inter-dimensional travel, possibly with a time travel thrown in for good measure. (Yes, I hate the whole trope of time travel, but I have an idea.…
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Yesterday was my birthday. It was a big-ish one, not a 0 birthday, only a 5. But it was big enough to make me think about just what I’ve accomplished in my life. I know that I am really lucky, but there are a few goals that I really haven’t worked towards at all. Writing a novel is pretty high up on the list, and now it is about damn time I do it. Enter Camp NaNoWriMo. Conveniently enough, the email for Camp NaNoWriMo arrived in my inbox yesterday, smack in the middle of my somewhat pathetic navel gazing and…
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I have a confession to make: I just discovered a poem that I absolutely love. Yes, I know that I have spent this month writing about how much I hate poetry. Well, that was before I had heard any Dylan Thomas. My new favourite poem is In My Craft or Sullen Art by Dylan Thomas. In it he describes how he writes for the sake of writing, not for money or recognition. I know that many of us can relate to this, whether our sullen art be writing, knitting, or playing music. There is a deep drive that impels us…
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I’m pretty sure that dreaming about winning or inheriting large sums of money is something that people all over the world indulge in. Sure, we all know that to be happy with life we must first be happy with what we already have. But, honestly, isn’t it nice to daydream about being able to afford or do anything? The next prompt in You Can Do It! is: What would you do if you won the lottery, and money were no object? It is seems appropriate that I’ve come to this prompt on that day that the winners of the huge…
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I’m very slowly working my way through the first badge in [amazon_link id=”0811846350″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]You Can Do It![/amazon_link]. So slowly that I haven’t progressed much at all. I’m going to have to get my own copy, because there is no way I’ll be able to keep the library copy long enough! One of the things I am supposed to consider is the proudest moments of my life. In taking stock, I realized that the most recent ones centre around my son. Just last week, I was so filled with pride when he laid perfectly still while the dental…