Jeff O'Handley

The Doubting Writer Finds His Voice

Weekend Update

Hmm, this is one Monday where I feel less prepared than usual. Let’s see, what’s new?

-We took the Magpie back to college yesterday, and already the house seems much quieter. Sadly, her roommate had to leave school at the midpoint and she was assigned a new roomie. The good news is, they seem to have hit it off so far.

-After a week of relatively warm temperatures, it looks like we’re heading back down into the single digits, with a smattering of sub-zero nights ahead. Interestingly, when I used to work at a particular environmental education center on Long Island (roughly 5 years in two different stints) I remember Martin Luther King Day weekend as being the coldest of the year, and we always had groups, usually Girl Scouts, at the place. Meanwhile, our family has been up here for ten years now (wait–almost 11) and it definitely seems like the trend has been for warmer (relatively) winters with the bulk of the snow occurring later in the winter than it used to. Of course, I haven’t kept records, and ten years is nothing when we’re talking about climate patterns, but still.

-On the writing front, I actually put some time into a ‘new’ project that has languished for quite some time while I was wrasslin’ with BARTON’S WOMEN. I’m a little stuck with it, though this could be because it’s been ignored for so long. Meanwhile, I edited my short piece for the Elephant’s Bookshelf Winter anthology, and finished edits for the three pieces I have going in my writers’ circle book. I have been quite fortunate so far to have worked with editors who are very professional and very qualified. An interesting thing is that the process for me (so far) has been much like working with a beta reader–yet different at the same time.

-We caught up on BBC’s Sherlock–I have to say, the episodes were interesting and entertaining, and while Benedict Cumberbatch’s Holmes can be a complete tool, it’s really nice to see that he’s a little more human, a little more cognizant of how he affects people–though he still can’t help but be a tool on occasion. I’m curious to see how they handle the new dynamic, what with Watson ***spoiler!*** being married. Hopefully, Mary will get to be more than just a pretty face, and a pressure point for bad guys to get to Watson. She’s off to a good start.***end spoiler!***

-Cracked into A Dance With Dragons this week. It’s slow going so far, as I reacquaint myself with characters who were largely missing from A Feast For Crows. I’ve found most of the Martin books to be this way, a little bumpy at the start, then picking up and providing one hell of a ride.

-Hmm, time for some music, perhaps? Sure, why not:


-And that’s it for me–how was your weekend?

10 Responses

  1. Kind of had a lazy weekend. Hey, what am I saying? They're all lazy! HaHa! But we did have a nice dinner with our friend, Mary (since we were in the area for my writers group meeting). And then both football teams I wanted to lose lost yesterday, so all's good for the Superbowl. Now I just hope it's a snowy one!

  2. You've been busy, and it seems everything on the writing front is progressing well. Congrats on that! (Vampire Weekend cashing in on the whole emo Twilight thing, right? lol The harmony vocal was well done.)

  3. I remember the days of taking kids back to college and the empty house feeling afterwards. Good for you for working on your WIP. All the best in 2014.

  4. I'm excited that I finally got a kindle copy of Starters by Lissa Price so we both can enjoy a really good book Jeff. Glad the Magpie is hitting it off with her new roommate and a professional editor is always a great thing. Enjoy your day.

  5. Hope the Magpie and her new roommate continue to get along! There is another fear for me: how am I going to go with a most likely completely new set of housemates? The other nine people I lived with last year were pretty cool, will I be so lucky this time around…

    Hope you guys don't get too cold! Anything below 15 degs is too cold.

    It's awesome that you've been doing some edits and working on another project. Keep it up! And I hope you enjoy the new book… hoping to catch up to you by this time next year :p

  6. Prediction: The NFL says, "What the eff were we thinking?" and that's the last cold weather city Super Bowl in history.

  7. It was -24 by 7AM Tuesday, Bonnee–my mustache nearly broke off! Does your school typically shuffle people around, and do you get any chance of picking your own housemates? Good luck with them!

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