Thursday, March 11, 2010

I'm feeling guilty, so I'm posting this on my blog anyway



This here would probably be more appropriate for my blog, but I'm sharing it here because my blog's been a bit neglected lately, and not too many people care to check it out these days. Kind of hurts my widdle feelings, but it's my own fault for not updating.

Anyway. I'm writing this because I had a good writing day today (sixteen pages) and I reached two monumental goals. Number one: I am at the exact center of my outline, which means I'm halfway done with the first draft, and number two: I killed a really charming character. Falkane the paladin, with his lopsided grin and trademark shock of blonde hair sticking out under the hood of his mail hauberk. He was drowned. Right in the middle of cracking a joke. And unfortunately, we'll never know what the punchline was.

So goodbye Falkane. You were fun to have around, and we'll all miss the light you carried throughout our story. I shan't enjoy writing your funeral, or the dark turn the next hundred pages are scheduled to take.

In other news -- I'ma get my party on this weekend.

I have tomorrow off from work, and Cindy and I are attending a very exclusive, 'invitation only', St. Patrick's Day party at MacCunniffs Pub. Did I mention the invitation came in a bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey? Fer serious.

Saturday we're taking the twins to Crazy Bounce in Holland, and then heading up to Whitehall for the big Blarney Bash. We're gonna meet dozens of friends and drink Guinness and get henna tattoos and cheer for MacCunniff himself in the racy 'Mr. Kilt' contest. (Don't hike that thing too high, Rich). And then on Sunday, assuming I've managed to pace myself and my taste for the black brew, we're going to a kick-ass Irish concert: "Slide IE", performing at the Fricano Event Center and capping off the Irish Music Festival's St. Patrick's Day celebration. And I freaking LOVE those guys.

Ougghter be fun. Holler back if you're planning on going to any of these things.

13 comments:

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

I've missed you, Mr. Veen. Love all this Irish stuff. When I grew up on Long Island, we had neighbors from Ireland. Every time they'd go back to visit, they'd bring us something wonderful. I had a wooden, painted object that kind of looked like a ladle they gave us hanging on my wall for years. Still brings smiles to my face today. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Tina Laurel Lee said...

Glad you posted here. Awesome news about all those pages! And your weekend sounds fab! And I'm always excited when you post. And killing you character mid-joke sounds like my kind of book.

Heather Kelly said...

Ray--sorry I haven't been commenting. I actually thought that I had commented when you were doing the whole lying award business, because that was a hoot. Evidently I didn't. Or maybe I failed at the word veri, and didn't realize that I failed. So, anyway, sorry. Thanks for posting, and I'm psyched about the 16 pages. Something to shoot for as I muddle through revising a quarter of a chapter a day. I'm serious. A quarter of a chapter. Oh, well. For me, that's revision sprinting. I'm glad you're blogging, even as I am cutting back...kinda.

K. M. Walton said...

I love Irish anything, I guess because I'm 3/4 Irish. Go figure.

Go with your bad self writing 16 pages. Nice.

Keri Mikulski said...

Good stuff - the writing and your weekend!! Enjoy! :)

Ray Veen said...

lil test to see if I can comment with my Blackberry.

Bryan B. said...

Halfway done! I'm glad to hear that, man. I'm still waiting to hear back (again) as MB reads the new bits I put into the book... not much. We should go out on submission soon...

Kelly Polark said...

Congrats on halfway done with the draft!
And speaking of draughts, let the Guinness flow. Enjoy the Irish fun with your family and friends, laddie!

Anonymous said...

Halfway through!! Congrats!

Have fun this weekend! I, too, am having a party, only I'm not sure what we're doing yet. Ideally I'd like to write for two weeks straight, subsisting only on Coke Zero and starlight.

It's good to see you back, Ray! :D

-Mercedes

J.R. Johansson said...

That sounds like a truly Irish weekend. Congrats on the writing progress, it sounds like you deserve to kick up your heels a little Mr. Veen. Enjoy!

HUBBYMAN said...

Congrats on the writing thing. I've got less than 100 pages to go in transcribing the Second Book Of The Umbra. It's been years in the making -- perhaps decades. Glad you don't do _your_ stories longhand! Hope you enjoyed your weekend!

Frank Baron said...

Sounds like it'll be a hoot. Enjoy!

Vikki said...

Okay, I'm a little late in commenting, but I hope you consumed massive amounts of Guinness, Ray! I should have told you to have four or five for me (I'm not allowed any right now).

And may you have many more good writing days. It helps that spring is in the air, doesn't it?