NOOOOOOOOOO!

I found another typo in The Dying God & Other Stories!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

So far, there's only one. Which is good. I suppose. If that proves to be the only one, I'll fix it and publish without ordering yet ANOTHER proof, I think.

I swore like a sailor when I saw it; and it's such a stupid typo as well. One would think that by this stage of my life, I'd know how to spell the word 'knives.'

I need to punch something.

Le sigh. Today, I'll go on with writing Ethan Cadfael: The Battle Prince and then continue to proofread The Dying God & Other Stories.

I'm so mad at myself!

Called to Straw

A woman who is called to straw is about to have a baby. I first assumed that it referred to a straw mattress, just as "hit the hey" signifies "go to bed." But many natives, including physicians and midwives at widely separated points in Missouri and Arkansas, assure me that straw means the act of parturition ... It is sometimes used as a verb as in "Mable's a-strawin' right now."

- Vance Randolph's Down in the Holler, 1953

I'm still mad at myself.

Do a Little Dance!

Ohhh yeaaaaah! I'm past the half-way mark. Ooooh yeah! Do a little dance...

That was my minor celebration on this project. Past the half-way mark is a big deal since I started not loo long ago.

If I stay on track, that's just about three more weeks of writing, and then I'm done the obnoxiously written first draft. For the record, all first drafts are obnoxious. Just so you know.

I can then edit and format, then shelve for a while before I edit again... and then send it out to Beta Readers for more edits, before getting it back and editing again and then...

... I can prepare for self-publication.

A few reasons why I want to self-publish this one (I've touched on these before):

1. This is really a just-for-fun project; a silly thing that I don't expect will get a large readership.

2. You pretty much have to live in Ottawa, and know my friends and I (and the ridiculous things we get up to) in order to get any of the jokes.

3. I whipped this up in a little over a month. Unlike The Great Man series, I haven't been slaving over this for years and years. I'm not so attached to the characters or the story that I feel I really desperately want to see this printed traditionally in the same way I do The Great Man. Of course, that said, I am exceptionally concerned about the quality of all my work, so never fear, dear reader. I will endeavour to create the best possible piece of printed material I know how.

There were other reasons, but I can't remember them now. Right, I should get on with it. Have a good Tuesday everyone!

Magastromancy

A word invented by Gaule for magical astrology; so magastromancer, one who practices magastromancy, magastromantic, pertaining to magastromancy.

- Sir James Murray's New English Dictionary, 1908

Examples of the magastromancer's fatall miseries are too many to be instanc't... To what end serve the feigned mirables [wonders] of mature but to feigne the magastromantick art for the greatest mirable.

- John Gaule's Mag-Astro-Mancer; or, The Magicall-Atrologicall-Diviner Posed and Puzzled, 1652

A Dull-ish Weekend

You know those lives in which nothing exciting happens? Yeah... sometimes I feel like I'm living one (which is ridonkulous - I do so many cool things, it's not funny).

I'd love to excitedly tell you about an agent who wanted read more of my manuscript, or having met someone I just can't get out of my head.

I've got nothing. I spent most of this weekend in bed, trying to get my lower back to stop aching. It's been hurting for the better part of a fortnight. Woah... when did I turn into an eighty-year-old? Do I honestly have nothing more exciting to do than grumble about my latest ache? Man... time for a switch-up!

Here's some awesomely good news that I heard via my father on Sunday. My kid bro is thinking of moving over here in October! Yay! That makes me happy! I can't wait to introduce him to the Kung Fu gang!

There really isn't anything else. It's back to writing today, after a good long break. If I stay on target, I ought to kick the pants out of the half-way mark. If not, oh well. There's always catch up time on Friday, I suppose.

I should get to it. Oh, since I forgot to prepare a post for Saturday, you lucky ducks get two Forgotten English entries today.

Boniform

Of a good nature or character; from Latin bonus, good, and forma, shape.

- Edward Lloyd's Encyclopaedic Dictionary, 1895

A faculty by which moral goodness is appreciated; from Latin boniformis.

- Sir James Murray's New English Dictionary , 1893

Batten

To fatten, or grow fat. In Stenberg's Folk Lore and Glossary of Northamptonshire [1851], the local phrase is quoted, "Them pigs batten in the sun."

- Charles Mackay's Lost Beauties of the English Language, 1874

Fattening and battening, a toast of a child's fattening and thriving given at its baptism in private, when the bread, cheese and whisky are partaken of.

- Alexander Warrack's Scots Dialect Dictionary, 1911.

A Day Off

I happily managed to make my target yesterday, which means I don't have to write today after all. I shall be spending the day watching Mock the Week, I think.

In other news, Rita Webb, fellow author and one of the geniuses behind the Unlocked anthology has a new book (entitled Tears) soon to be released!

*sounds of cheering and joyous whistles

To celebrate, she's giving out 5 free Kindle copies of her book. It's well worth a try right? Just go HERE and leave a comment with an email address to enter.

Good luck!

Right, I'm going to spend the day goofing off.

Roger

The penis, from circa 1650; perhaps originally cant. To coit with a woman.

- Eric Partridge's Dictionay of Slang and Unconventional English, 1956

To bull, or lie with a woman' from the name of Roger being frequently given to a bull.

- Francis Grose's Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 1796

To have sexual intercourse with.

- Sir James Murray's New English Dictionary, 1914

Wow. Give a whole new meaning to the phrase 'roger and out,' right?

The Road Goes Ever On and On

A small victory for me yesterday - I caught up on my writing! I'm right where I need to be at the start of today.

DANCE PARTY

Of course, I'm not yet finished the book, so the dance party will be relatively quiet, with not too much drinking and an early night. There's work to do.

I'm having so much fun with this book, it should be illegal. I'm sticking in people I know left, right and centre. I'm putting them in places I'm familiar with (hello, Carleton University), and the adventure is just good clean fun. Only two people die - and neither of them are the protagonist!

I think that's a record for me.

Right, I want to get finished writing early enough to goof off and watch Mock the Week. With luck, I won't fall behind again today!

Oh! And before I forget, The Dying God and Other Stories is now available on the kindle! What will hopefully be the final proof of the paperback edition has been shipped, according to createspace.com. I should be getting that early September. With luck, everything will finally be in order and I'll be able hit that important 'publlish' button.

For now, there are two e-Book editions available. The Illustrated Edition, available via the Kindle HERE, and the Unillustrated Edition available in multiple formats via smashwords.com HERE.

I'll still fighting with the uploader at Lebrary.com. With luck, I'll be able to get that up and running soon.

Also, here's an excellent article on genre writing.

Right, now I must dash. Until tomorrow, then!

Bizz

Hair all tossed on end is said to be in a bizz; from the English word Frizz.

- John Mactaggart's Scottish Gallovidian Encyclopedia, 1824