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What I'm writing in YEAR OF THE DOG

I just finished writing Year of the Dog ! It had a massive plot hole that I had to fix which turned out to be more work than I expected. Here’s a snippet: “Hey, Auntie Nell.” He wrapped his arms around her, bussing her on the cheek and breathing in pikake flowers and shortbread cookies. And suddenly he was nine years old again, and her solid presence had made his chaotic world stable once more. “What are you doing here?” He usually took her to dinner on Wednesday nights, but today was Tuesday. The edges of her smile faltered a little before brightening right back up again. “What, I can’t visit my nephew?” She angled around him to enter his home. “Is this your new house? Looks lovely.” Which was a blatant lie, because the fixer-upper was barely livable, much less acceptable to a neat-freak like his aunt. She also left four matching pink and purple floral suitcases on the stoop behind her. Only then did Ashwin notice the cab driver standing slightly to the side of the walkway. “Can ...
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Readers Writers meme

Captain's Log, Supplemental

Ane Mulligan tagged me!

Update: Amy Wallace and Robin Caroll tagged me, too!

Update: Crystal Miller tagged me, too!

1. What's the one book or writing project you haven't yet written but still hope to?

My six-part fantasy series (I’m totally not kidding)

2. If you had one entire day in which to do nothing but read, what book would you start with?

I read pretty slowly, so I probably wouldn’t get through more than two books. I’d start with something by Mary Ann Gibbs or Norma Lee Clark, two of my favorite Regency romance/historical romance authors.

3. What was your first writing "instrument" (besides pen and paper)?

My family’s old Apple IIe computer.

4. What's your best guess as to how many books you read in a month?

Here’s my dirty secret—if a book doesn’t interest me by the end of chapter three, I don’t finish it. Why?

Because life is too short to waste on uninteresting books.

So ... I probably start about twenty books a month, but I finish anywhere from zero to ten books a month.

5. What's your favorite writing "machine" you've ever owned?

My Macbook Pro laptop. Hands down.

I used to use Macs in college, but switched to PCs when I started working because most biotech programs use PCs. Then I joined a company with all Macs, except I got stuck with one of the oldest Macs in the entire company, and it totally sucked. It made me quite upset at Macs in general, because of that terrible experience.

However, my husband got a Mac laptop, and after using it a little, he could tell me how it was better than his old PC computers. For my purposes as a writer, it seemed ideal.

The learning curve was very steep for me, because my head just doesn’t naturally wrap around the way things are laid out in a Mac. However, Mac users are extremely helpful and there were tons of online discussion boards for anything I needed help with.

I can now say I am extremely glad I switched over. For me, as a writer, a Mac is wonderful computer, far better than my old PCs.

6. Think historical fiction: what's your favorite time period in which to read?

Regency!!!!!

7. What's the one book you remember most clearly from your youth (childhood or teens)?

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Update: Originally I wasn't going to tag people, but people started tagging me left and right.

Tagging:
Sally Bradley
Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt
Donna Fleisher
Rachelle Gardner
Jenny Jones
Ronie Kendig
Dineen Miller
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
i find it REALLY hard not to finish a book i've started unless it is undisputable trash (eg, morally)! :) i feel like a quitter...does that tell you anything about what personality i am? :)
Wed Jul 18, 11:27:00 PM 2007
Anonymous said…
OH Camy, we TOTALLY had an Apple IIe!!!! In fact, that old computer got hubby and me both through our Master's degrees!!!!!!!
Thu Jul 19, 06:41:00 AM 2007
Southern-fried Fiction said…
Man, I'm getting closer and closer, in fact I think I've made my decision to get a MacBook when my Vaio dies. Are you bringing yours to Dallas, Camy? If so, you can give me a "tour" of it. :o)
Thu Jul 19, 07:09:00 AM 2007
Unknown said…
:p on your MacBook

double :p on Regency!

Ughhhhhhhhh
Thu Jul 19, 07:22:00 AM 2007
Ronie Kendig said…
Man, I got tagged again. LOL I can't wait to read your six-part fantasy? when will you be sending that to me?? LOL

My hubby works for Dell now, so, um...no comment on the Mac. :-P
Thu Jul 19, 03:12:00 PM 2007
Anonymous said…
Rarely do I accept these tags, but for you my friend, I will oblige. Stay tuned for my post...probably Friday or Saturday.
Thu Jul 19, 05:07:00 PM 2007
Deborah said…
just got my daily email for the Zondervan Breakfast Club

and at the very end of the email:

"Monday we begin the book SUSHI FOR ONE? by Camy Tang."

next week...hundreds maybe thousands will get to read the first part of your book......:)
Thu Jul 19, 06:57:00 PM 2007
Crystal Laine said…
Camy, I really wanted to see your answers, so I'm glad you were tagged so much!

If you write the fantasies, I am there, sistah! I love fantasy and my first book doctor was a fantasy.

Ok, I will read your book when it comes out. (Since I like that kind of book and am looking forward to it.)

I have gotten the Breakfast Club since the early beginnings, so I'll be reading your excerpts! Too cool.
Sat Jul 21, 03:51:00 AM 2007
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