Thursday, March 04, 2010

You tell me.

My next post will be on the Wild 'n' Woolly World of Editors. I've had quite a few in my day, quite a few, in addition to having been one myself. Therefore, I have many thoughts on the subject, all born of experience. But I just don't have the energy for pulling that together right now.

I don't know what to post about in the interim. If you have any ideas, lob 'em at me . . . as long as they don't involve werekangaroos. If I can't dream up some crap on my own, I can always consult the Opinionator, aka Ho Lee Zhit. (He doesn't live under my desk, for obvious reasons, or in the closet, because that's where Castanet likes to lurk. He either stays in one of the drawers or hides behind the globe.)

Seriously, if there's anything you feel needs babbling about, let me know. I'll give it my best shot.

34 comments:

Kris said...

*wonders what the hell is wrong with werekangas*

I think you, Castanet and Ho Lee Zhit should do a guest post at my blog about the extent to which female authors get aroused whilst researching and writing romance fiction, especially gay romance. I think that would be... interesting. *g*

Tam said...

Do a post about your character's names. How did you come up with them? I'm always curious how people choose names. Totally random? Baby book? Based on people you know? Something you read or saw in a movie? Any villains named after the kid in Grade 3 who tripped you and you needed stitches? That kind of thing unless of course you answers are all really boring like "I don't know, they just popped in my head". :-P Ever read a book with a hero you just couldn't love because you knew someone "evil" with that name?

Chris said...

*caves under the pressure and can't come up with anything at all*

K. Z. Snow said...

Commenter #1 - Perv.

Commenter #2 - Thank you, Tam, for keeping your mind out of the gutter. Actually, I can answer your question right now. Mostly it's a matter of: a.) trying not to re-use names; b.) staying away from strange ones and, if the book is a fantasy, apostrophes.

I did get the name Hosea from an unusual source -- a contestant on "Top Chef." And Adin became Adin when I decided I needed a Jewish vampire, which has to do with the storyline in Plagued.

Commenter #3 - Wimp.

Chris said...

I found something you could blog about!

Tam said...

I so have to tell my daughter you named someone after Hosea on Top Chef. She'll love that.

I wrote a story that I wanted to have a Muslim (or half in this case) character. So I needed a name. My daughter mentioned a kid in her class named Omar. Okay, Omar, but he needs a last name. I didn't want him to be from the Middle East but from Libya so I looked at our listing of the Libyan diplomats stationed in Canada and picked a name I thought fit from the list. The other guy was Nordic and I used the last name of someone I worked with who was Norwegian.

In the mitten story there was a news item about a Canadian athlete (skier or snow boarder) name Crispin something-or-other. It was on at the time I was thinking about the story and voila, Crispin was born. You gave me Arnie's name in advance.

My curling story had him originally named something else, Jeff maybe, but I thought Martin sounds cooler with a French accent so I changed it. For the French guy I looked at all the name of the Francophones that I worked with but none of them worked so I went with Guy. But his skip was named after a guy in my Division. The other curlers on Martin's team were named after my cousin, my uncle and another cousin's fiance. Kept that team in the family. LOL None of them fit the descriptions much except for the names though.

I love picking names. It's like the upside of having a baby but without diapers and night time feedings. :-)

K. Z. Snow said...

Chris :-D You know, I just might do that.

K. Z. Snow said...

Tam, a Norwegian Muslim? What were you smoking?

(Oh gawd, I have tears in my eyes!)

I love how French names are pronounced. The first name of a major character in Mobry's Dick is Alain. Now you've got me wanting to use more French names.

Speaking of that novel, it also has a character named Kafele. I discovered while researching Middle Eastern names that they're often more country- or region-specific than Muslim-specific. "Omar" strikes me as Egyptian.

Tam said...

No, no, the other guy was Norwegian. The Muslim was half French Canadian. LOL Sheesh. Oh wait, is that still weird? It's normal for here I guess.

Egypt, Libya, same thing right? LOL I'm not sure where Omar is from, I can ask the kidlet for confirmation. :-) Probably Palestine knowing my luck.

Kris said...

"Commenter #1 - Perv."

Yeah, but you'll do it right?

K. Z. Snow said...

I'll do it if you review Valley of the Dudes from Ravenous Romance. Seriously. I read the title and blurb and thought, Kris or Chris or Tam or Jen or Tracy --somebody -- should really check out this book and clue in the rest of us.

I'm too busy being a diva. Surely you understand.

Kris said...

Do you really need anyone to read the book now? The whole story is in the blurb.

K. Z. Snow said...

Yes!

No it isn't! (You can't possibly get the full effect of any book from the blurb alone.)

Chris said...

Other than those books you wish you'd simply stuck with the excerpt...

K. Z. Snow said...

Well, hmpf. I would've hit up Val, but she's on a roll now with some really interesting posts. Besides, she doesn't want something from me.

Chris said...

She's our scholar, that Val!

You might be able to lure Jen into your trap, KZ. She asked me for more details on something from Resplendence I'd read, so...

Kris said...

Yeah suck up to Jen. She might do it.

Tam said...

Is Valley of the Dudes by Ryan Field. Ummm. He doesn't really work for me so I don't think I'd be a good choice to read that one.

Chris said...

With that title? You KNOW it is, Tam. And he doesn't really work for me, either. *ahem*

K. Z. Snow said...

Chris, you stole my line.
:-)

The book just caught my eye, because I remember reading Valley of the Dolls waaaay back when and subsequently seeing the movie, which was an even bigger wheel of cheese. It would be interesting to see Field's gay-perspective take on it. The concept alone is a trip.

K. Z. Snow said...

Forgot to add: Wish I'd thought of it!

Chris said...

That's his schtick, though, "riffing" off a well known movie. I see from LibraryThing that I've read one Ryan Field book, Pretty Man (one guess which movie it's from...). I gave it one star and didn't bother with a reviewette on my blog.

Tam said...

Well, I read Pretty Man and An Officer and His Gentleman and I kind of called it quits after that. The guy had a pump fetish (I mean high heels not "fetch me a bucket of water" pumps) and it just threw me off. That and a couple of other issues. So I figure if it happened in two books it's likely happen in more. (not that two books had shoe fetishes, but issues)

Tam said...

Huh, it just struck me that both movie inspirations starred Richard Gere and I remember panting over him in both. Must have been my motivation to buy them. I didn't pant much.

Kris said...

Okay, I noticed the trend the later novels, but didn't click with the "Pretty Man" story.

I prefer being known as oblivious rather than slow.

K. Z. Snow said...

Oh crap, Tam, let's hope Kris doesn't see the phrase pump fetish. Lord knows where she'd go with that one.

My best bud in Minneapolis was a gay man with a monster crush on Richard Gere. I never got his appeal. I mean, a honker nose, slitty eyes, and rumors of a rectal pet? I'll take a pump fetish over gerbils scampering down the Hershey Trail any day.

Chris said...

I only read the one, so I think I can safely plead that the sample was too small.

Wow, are we easily derailed or what?! *waves at KZ from her comments*

Tam said...

It's okay honey. We still love you. *pats Kris on the head*

K. Z. Snow said...

(Wow, she missed it!)

Tam said...

You know what they say about a man with a big nose KZ. *waggles eye brows*

I like shoes as much as the next girl, but that's the point, I like them on girls. LOL Pumps anyway, a good sneaker or motorcycle boot on a man is a beautiful thing. High heels not so much.

K. Z. Snow said...

I think that rule applies to fingers (or hands) and feet, not noses.

If it does apply to noses, damn, Bill Clinton must've been hung like a moose!

Tam said...

Hillary stuck around for something. :-)

Would Discovery Channel lie?

Jeanne said...

I *like* Richard Gere!
He was a Buddhist before it became popular; he knows the Dalai Lama; he's for a free Tibet; he's done wonderful photography; he's had (don't know if he still does) Tibetan Terriers (our darling dogs) and I like his hair. '~D

K. Z. Snow said...

You know, this is what I love about blogs: they broaden my horizon.

I take back what I said, Tam. You're much more aware of recent scientific findings than I am. ;-)

And Jeanne, now you've given me the guilts!