he vivido tanto tiempo sin sentir

[timeripple]

Huh. 'Sbeen a while, no? Even if LJ does keep messing up the dates. 'Snot just your computer, Kate! For the record, it's August 3, 5:00 pm Pacific time. More or less. Just in case.

So, how does one go about choosing un-stupid names for fantasy characters? Sometimes tacking letters onto extant names (or using unusual spelling) works, sometimes it doesn't. And three-letter names get boring after a while; one can only use so many of them before the reader starts to think, "huh, this author has no idea how to come up with decent names". Also, I'm getting tired of writing [insert name for so-and-so character] every five minutes. Salmon P. Wiggle, Esq. : Gentleman was an aberration; I can't go around muttering about bizzare foods with friends who aren't even on the same coast as me. And it really, really helps if they're pronounceable.

Speaking of the Count of the Starry Down, GG&HTOTW...E,SI is mostly done. I just hate to post it while Melanie isn't in a position to read it. I'll finish it soon and hand her a complete manuscript for airplane reading when I see her in SF next week. Anybody want me to convey any messages, friendly greetings, blackmail extortions, etc. to her while I'm there?

*listens to current music* Oy. I really need to brush up on my Spanish. Figures I'm losing my second language, and my third one is absolutely useless in conversation with anybody born in the last, oh, thousand years or so. I wonder when Ancient Greek became ancient? The day of my return (or departure, depending on how you look at it) draws nigh (sort of), and I'm getting nervous. On plus side, I'm trying to worm my way into attending a Natalie MacMaster concert (only 1.5 hours away from my town!) the night before my insanely early flight to NJ. Perhaps will be able to convince ex-violin teacher to take a group, and can bum a ride. Should probably call her first. Am v. excited!

... and quoting Homer has got to be better than quoting H&Q, right? ... Right?! *jubilation* Hey, I once read a book with a character named Jubilation, aka Jube. Hmmm.

On other plus side, the Great Fantasy Novel (or Short Story, as appears more likely) that will win me the esteem and adoration of all generations and make me rich is now at 1,139 words and rising. I keep trying to calculate that in paperback-sized pages and failing. Must be at least three pages, though! :)

Comments

[kayselkiemoon.livejournal.com]

Hey, I once read a book with a character named Jubilation, aka Jube. Hmmm.

Jube Harshal? Stranger and so forth? if not, cool. if so, cool. i'm flexible. *laughs* ^_^

[timeripple.livejournal.com]

Actually it was one of the Brian Jacques books... Mattimeo, I think. However, I sense reading fodder!

[satakieli.livejournal.com]

hah! I also thought you were referring to Stranger in a Strange Land.

We stand in Heinlein solidarity, Kate.

And Fiona, if you don't yet read Heinlein, for the love of fuzzy kittens don't start with Stranger in a Strange Land. Just... don't. :-)

[satakieli.livejournal.com]

Oops! And there I let it go without a recommendation in its stead. Perhaps... The Moon is a Harsh Mistress?


or you could always go for his juvies; they're rolicking good fun and totally meritless, just as they should be.

[timeripple.livejournal.com]

Excellent! Fiona loves recommendations. And comments.

[kayselkiemoon.livejournal.com]

We stand in Heinlein solidarity, Kate.

*grin*

And Fiona, if you don't yet read Heinlein, for the love of fuzzy kittens don't start with Stranger in a Strange Land. Just... don't. :-)

I thoroughly agree. I know at least three people who read that one first because it won an award or was on a recommended list, and were too weirded out to read anything else of his. *sigh*

[timeripple.livejournal.com]

*Solemn Nod of Advice-Taking*

Besides, I love fuzzy kittens.

[(Anonymous)]

lol. the moon is a harsh mistress was my first heinlein. and stranger in a strange land was my second. i was weirded out by both of them. and that's coming from me (the not-very-easily-weirded-out)(siena, in case you hadn't figured that out yet). his social theories are interesting (from what i remember - it was a few years ago), but his ideas about relationships annoyed me and struck me as pretty sexist. or at least overly hormonal.

you're writing a fantasy novel?? that's exciting. what's it about? and don't use stupid fantasy names. it really annoys me when people feel like they have to give characters weird names because they happen to be in a fantasy stories. of course, i don't really read fantasy (because of that and other pet peeves) so feel free to disregard this advice. if you have to use unusual names, make sure they have some significance besides just being weird. like use the names of obscure goddesses or something. my mom always looks through baby books to find names for characters, i'm sure you could do that in this case.

i can't wait for the next installment of goat girl and friends :) you have no idea how excited that makes me. and natalie macmaster? so cool. did i tell you i met her at the phili folk festival when i was 7 or 8 or so? (i'm sure i have)

and, lastly, in relation to the topic of your previous post and thread of comments, a math teacher at my high school and husband of my first violin teacher, paul pelli, was the creator (discoverer? writer? what would you call this?) of a mathematical theory about dimensions, called "pelli's triangle". if i can remember it, i'll explain it the next time we're in the same room because triangles are sort of visual. in a non-typed sort of way.

return to where? aren't you going to scotland this coming semester? when are you leaving? and, more importantly, when are you coming back?

~siena

[timeripple.livejournal.com]

you're writing a fantasy novel?? that's exciting. what's it about?

Um. Dunno what it's about, per se. (Read: haven't decided yet.) But it starts with a very dysfunctional wedding. Sorry, that's dysfunctional double wedding. And I have no intention of using stupid fantasy names. I will use cool names that are just off-the-wall enough to be plausibly fantastical. (I will also take your suggestion of looking through baby books.)

That's way cool about meeting Natalie MacMaster. I wish I'd discovered her before this year, because she seriously rocks! Try to go to the Boston Folk Festival if you can! And drag everybody along with you. Perhaps a Fiddleheads & Groupies outing?

I really, really want to hear about this triangle thing! But yes, it had better wait til I get back from Scotland. I need visuals for this sort of thing! And you'll be at Williams-Mystic, yes? I leave in the early hours of Sept. 14, and return (as of last time I checked) Jan. 4. Am hoping to catch New Years celebrations in Edinburgh, I guess. So I'll see y'all when second semester starts. *sigh* I miss y'all so much!

[(Anonymous)]

a dysfunctional wedding. ok. there's a buffy episode about a dysfunctional wedding. sounds good.

yes...meeting her was very cool. she had cool bouncy blond hair. natalie macmaster=childhood mini-crush. when is the boston folk festival? right now i'm in michigan, so the only folk festival i'm going to is the great lakes folk festival, which is in a week or so (!) and is free and i can't wait. but very far from boston :(

remember to remind me to tell you about the pelli triangle when we meet again in february (so long! *sob*). in the meantime i will try to make sure i remember what it's all about. i leave for williams-mystic on august 23 (getting close! so excited!), and our last day is december 17.

i've found these celtic/old time music sessions in lansing and east lansing that i've been going to, they're really fun. i wish i were more disciplined and practiced more, but playing for two hours twice a week is helpful even by itself. fiona, do you have the "fiddler's fake book" or something like that (i forget if that's the exact title)? i've been told by the people at the sessions that that's the best book to have for going to sessions. oh! and when you're in scotland sometime, try to get to inverness (we took the bus...i think it was 3 or 4 hours, and not too expensive, maybe 20 pounds or so) because that's where the best music is. i'll give you the contact info for the girl i met there who's really friendly and plays the fiddle and knows all the local musicians. she could take you to sessions and stuff.

i'm really excited about next year. we're all doing such cool things, and yes we'll be apart for a long time but then we'll all be back in the spring and at wellesley taking exciting classes and doing cool fiddlehead stuff. and my sister will be applying to colleges and visiting them and all that fun stuff and i'm going to try to convince her to apply to a women's college (she refuses to consider wellesley, but i think mt. holyoke would be almost as good). anyway, i'm thrilled. and i really want it all to start and to be done with michigan and census data already.

...back to the census data
~siena

[timeripple.livejournal.com]

I've heard of the Fiddlers Fake-Book, but that was a long time ago. Can you send me a list of the tunes in your session book? I bet I have some of them, and probably know a couple others. I've been behind on my tune-learning because of another project that shall remain mysterious and nameless for the moment. I'll be in Scotland a couple of weeks after the semester ends, so perhaps I shall be able to go to Inverness, which would totally rock! Am so. jealous. of you, going to real sessions! Sadly, the Boston Folk Festival is the weekend of Sept. 19, so you'll be a few hours away. :(

I don't envy your sister all the college-searching! Crazy times. All that stress and dashing about the country, missing important AP Bio classes (that was the only one I minded missing). Mt. Holyoke's a nice place. Definitely wasn't going to go there. But nice place.

Next year... next year shall be a year to remember. Although we should probably start calling it "this year", doncha think?