Yes! We got rain on Wednesday. Enough for flash flooding in San Antonio, but where we live, the grass just grew in gratitude. So I got to mow this morning. Thankfully, I mowed when we were here for the fourth, or, oh, my, I hate to think how tall it would have been.
The Good Stuff:
- I've trimmed two hedges and mowed the front lawn
- I did a Hangout on G+ for the first time on Thursday while working with Margaret on some changes for FM. Whew. Six hours to make several small changes in site usability.
- I got the base sticker for hubby's new truck (but they aren't needed anymore for any of the San Antonio bases).
- My back has mostly unlocked, and I've been able to do most everything I need to do since Tuesday.
- I attended a friend's change of command on Friday (he turned the reigns over to a new guy). He and his daughter celebrated by going to dinner at a local burger place and invited me (his wife is in DC househunting this week). Haven't seen his daughter since his incoming change of command ceremony two years ago. Both his daughters are neat people, so it was good to catch up (the older daughter is away at college).
- Blog posts are coming along well. I prefer the revised schedule to my original one.
The Not So Good Stuff:
- I did a lousy job tracking this week and gained a couple of pounds.
- I hope this back stuff isn't related to something discovered at my annual exam (I have an appointment set up for the end of the month, and I'll be asking if it might be related). If you want more specific info, email me. Stephen, I'll spare you the details. You really aren't interested at this point.
- PBOTL has been haunting me from it's bag on the chair beside me. I think my problem is I've encountered a philosophical problem with the whole concept as Inuit and her life developed. There's too much room for animal rights discussion in this book, and I do not believe animals have the same rights as humans. I don't want to convey that impression (challenging when the bear is attempting to live as a human, I know). This is a fundamental part of the book, and I must resolve it. Is the book unfinishable? Am I taking this whole light-hearted thing too seriously? I don't have a serious antagonist in the book other than Inuit overcoming her challenges. Is this an opportunity to provide a serious antagonist? Do I abandon or figure it out? Will it change the story too much and take it away from my original idea? Is that a problem? Not working on it won't solve that, but I can't continue merrily along my way and ignore this either.
The Week Ahead:
- Work through PBOTL issues
- Mow back yard, trim and edge front yard, trim corner hedge, trim patio hedge, weed in back yard
- Service the hot tub
- Haircut, renew driver license, renew truck sticker, take truck in for four-wheel alignment. I got a sheet at the last service saying it needed it, but the service rep subbing for my sick rep didn't bother to ask me what I wanted them to do about it, so I have to ask mine what it means -- and probably have them do it. According to the report, it's just outside tolerance--odd for a vehicle with less than 12,000 miles on it.
Tammy, we miss you, but I don't want you to break any rhythm you've just established to update us.
8 comments:
Who is the target audience for PBOTL as you have it now?
I've always categorized it as mainstream. I've heard it described as fantasy or science fiction, which may be possible in a round about way. Fantasy for the anthropomorphism. Science fiction due to the technology required to enable Inuit to speak. I think the science fiction may be a stretch. I only refer to her implant and don't provide many details about it. And, it's only one tiny (but critical) aspect of the story.
Inuit is the first to do something, but there are so many human parallels to her story. The opposition will be very familiar. The outcomes for slavery, women's rights, equal access for the handicapped, etc. are worthwhile and appropriate. I'm not sure I would want this co-opted as an animal rights/animal liberation story. What it awakened in me as I was writing was the equal access for the handicapped angle. Inuit is a metaphor for the handicapped (in my mind -- not sure a handicapped person would agree). She needs physical assistance to participate in human life, but she's mentally able to do so. (This was not how the story started, by the way. This was an epiphany as I wrote.) The "I believe" button the reader needs to push is that polar bears are intellectually capable of competing with humans. Except, I've come to realize there are groups who are likely to seize on this, right or wrong, as a rallying cry. They would be wrong, but I don't want that audience to hijack my story. Once it's out there, I would have no control of that.
Of course, I'm probably being incredibly vain to even think that could happen.
Well, as the author, you can simply avoid the animal rights discussion, but it may be a moot point. After all, bears are not as intelligent as humans, and without significant upgrades -- genetic or maybe cybernetic -- they would not be able to handle language. I think most people would read the story as a fantasy. Fanatic animal rights people will find support where they see it.
But your story may have that internal philosophy, and you have to be true to it, even if you personally disagree. Inuit has apparently grown to the point that she's somewhat independent of her author. That's a wonderful thing. I think -- other than God -- authors are the only people who are able to breathe life into their creations.
I do think that, if you allow Inuit to pursue her rights, she shouldn't choose to be remain subservient to humans. Before the Civil War, many books contained the "contented slave." The idea being that slaves were happier being taken care of by their betters. You can see this in both "Gone With the Wind" and "Uncle Tom's Cabin."
If there are parallels, then I think Native American rights would be obvious, particularly since you named the bear Inuit.
Or is this just resistance taking another approach to keep you from writing? I do that a lot: I start to mull about the reality of amateur sleuths actually solving crimes and the dangers involved therein. My mulling often keeps me from writing, and I have to remind myself that my fictional world DOES have amateur sleuths who get involved in murder. That's my concession -- my suspension of disbelief to allow Bernard and Lisa to stick their noses into places they shouldn't be allowed.
Stephen, I think you've nailed it exactly. I'm letting reality interfere with the story. So, if I'm to take your point and apply it to my situation, MY fictional world has polar bears who can function linguistically on par with humans with the simple addition of an electronic voice box. Of course, the challenge for that world is, would other mammals have the same capability, and should they be able to exercise them. That, of course, is what THAT world has to deal with. Not ours. And, yes, Inuit will be lobbying for full rights. Native American rights have a place as well, and it is one argument used when she lunched on a California Sea Lion.
That puts my suggestion in left field, then. I was wondering if you had considered breaking the book down into a series of kids' books. Kids would have no problem with a talking polar bear, although some parents might take exception to her lunching on sea lion!
I'm trying to keep it YA or better, but I think it's more involved than children's literature would allow. Inuit, of course, has no problem with writing some kids' books. As Stephen has noticed, Inuit has grown somewhat independent of her author. She's also much more entrepreneurial than I am, so she makes me uncomfortable far too often with her willingness to try new things and take risks.
I'm chalking it up to writing resistant and getting back to work.
Excellent, Jean! :)
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