An email sent to the San Diego Zoo last week: Hi! I was visiting your mountain lion page at http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-puma.html, and saw that its genus and species were listed as Felis concolor. My understanding was that the mountain lion had been reclassified as Puma concolor a couple decades back. Is there still debate about the […]
Dear Protagonist, Those “scraggles of dying green scrub” you’re so dismissive of? They’re older than you are. Hundreds of years older. Thousands, maybe. Just so you know. Me =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Dear English Language, My sources vary on whether “scraggle” is a word. But we both know that it should be, right? Me
Today I was working on a descriptive passage that’s pretty much an introduction to the landscape of my story, and, curious, went back to see how the details had changed since the first draft. It’s fascinating to me to see all the ways in which these few lines have evolved, so I’m sharing them in
Four drafts of a scene-in-progress Read More »
Right. Spent the past week or so addressing several dozen stray research notes, all of which are now addressed or in the process of being addressed. Time to focus back in on the story–to immerse myself in writing the next draft, sharpening the descriptions, bringing some of the things behind the words up to the
Now I’m _really_ heading into the fourth draft Read More »
Dear Internet, No, I do not want to buy a golden eagle talon. Where did you get that? Never mind. Just put it back, okay? Me
Sunday afternoon research Read More »
So this morning’s Panthera onca research is focused on the question of whether jaguars purr, to which the answer seems to be: yes, though in a quieter growlier way than the typical domestic housecat, and only when breathing out, not in. Cheetahs, on the other hand, can’t roar but purr quite well, judging from this
The world is filled with secret cats Read More »
As I’m working on this book about ravens, I’ve had several conversations where I’ve explained that no, I’m actually not working on a book about crows. 🙂 Crows being lovely in their own right, but also not frequent visitors to the area where my book is set. (Going by American terminology here; as I understand
Right. Eighty-one “research this” notes and twenty-four “think about doing this notes,” plus more interweaving of descriptions and emotions, plus the general all-around tightening and improving and strengthening, plus whatever comments from critiquers turn up. (rolls up sleeves) (takes deep breath) (prepares to dive back in)
Setting forth for the fourth draft Read More »
Unlike the last time I visited our local zoo, today the jaguars (black morph, both of them), were awake and moving about. When I got there, one was watching from a perch above, the end of her tail twitching; the other paced back and forth, roaring in the quieter-than-lions yet distinctly roar-like way that jaguars
A morning with jaguars Read More »