Super Squirrel

Last night Alice and I got to see Charles De Lint at Malaprops in Asheville. Charles Vess was there too and I don't want to underplay the fact that he signed the out of print, first edition hardcover copy of Peter Pan he illustrated. But this is about writing and Charles Vess, while a great guy, isn't a writer.

Like most author meetings I have been to, people asked Charles questions about writing. He discussed both where he got his ideas from, how he got so good at writing, and many other things regarding the world of writers. I enjoyed the author meeting, but when it cames to the aspect of writing, I found myself once again learning nothing new. It seems, at this point in time that I have learned everything that can be taught to me. Sure, I could stand to go a college grammar course and hopefully get the rules drilled better into my head, but beyond that there is nothing I think I can learn from another.

I went home, as I often do having seen a writer or having watched an inspirational movie, with enthusiasm to write. And when I returned home, I had some new feedback on the prologue and Chapter 1 of my story. The feedback only emphasized my own satisfaction with my writing abilities. There were key paragraphs that the reader liked. One paragraph is the image, by which, I end the story. I was very happy to know that this particular imagery stood out to her. She also went to comment that she really liked Ferris. Ferris is my favorite minor character in the story. His role is crucial and knowing that one of two readers to comment on my story connected to Ferris is a good sign.

I had been planning on taking a day or two off from editing. And yet, after I finished Chapter 2 and posted it to my official writing blog, I found myself opening up and starting into Chapter 3. I need to spend some time tonight and tomorrow getting ready for game on Saturday, but I guess my mind has decided that I get no breaks writing and editing.

In other news, I picked up the book Medieval Folklore by Carl Lindahl, John McNamara, and John Lindow. The book is a great find, covering various myths, legends, and even certain aspects of culture during Medieval times. If you are looking for this kind of thing, I highly recommend the book.