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Randomocity
Aug. 31st, 2007 03:39 pm1. The "truth" about people depends so much on how much (or how little) you know. I have this character who was--let's not say based on; let's say loosely inspired by--a real historical figure. The woman married one of Charleston's "nobility" and moved from Pennsylvania to Charleston to be with him. She was apparently one of those people who don't transplant well, and she missed her family and familiar surroundings very much. She hated Charleston, was terrified of the environment of SC, and was also afraid of the slaves. Her husband built a HUGE botannical garden at the their plantation to show her that SC really was a bit of Eden. (See here to see if you think he succeeded.) I don't know if she ever grew to love it, but generations of visitors afterwards sure have. So my plot is totally different, but I was thinking of her when writing this one character. She was very sympathetic in my early drafts. Well, she was in the three chapters that got crunched to one, which means that the only bits that remain are the ones with plenty of tension. And alas! She is no longer the sympathetic (if clueless and misguided) character she once was. Now the text makes me want to wring her neck. And I haven't changed anything; just removed material. Man, I sure hope nobody thinks I'm saying everyone in Charleston is grumpy. I had a lot of very nice, friendly people in my story, but they are all getting the ax, it seems.
2. Why I hate malls: We live in this lovely town with typical German shopping; ie, large pedestrian zones with little shops up and down the street. Well, the new mall opens at the end of next month, and nearly all the "important" stores (and a whole lot of less-important ones) are moving in there. When they move out, the buildings get gutted for hopefully the next occupant. Between that and the palace restoration (booting the library to the new location on Unicorn St., as I mentioned), the entire town is a construction zone. What will happen to all these empty stores? And how will I ever find Sunday shoes for daughter #1? Every shoe store seems like they're moving, and they aren't restocking until they get to their new place. Which means that they have every size but the one we need. Arg!
3. The official job list for this year's hunting--ahem, hiring--season comes out on Sept 14, but a few job postings have come out already. Today's was at the University of Otego, in Dunedin, New Zealand. If I were to fly from my parents' house to Christchurch (the nearest airport, I think), it would cost me between $2000-5000. Total flight time? Between 25 1/2 and 27 1/2 hours. No. No, no, no, no, no. Just no.
2. Why I hate malls: We live in this lovely town with typical German shopping; ie, large pedestrian zones with little shops up and down the street. Well, the new mall opens at the end of next month, and nearly all the "important" stores (and a whole lot of less-important ones) are moving in there. When they move out, the buildings get gutted for hopefully the next occupant. Between that and the palace restoration (booting the library to the new location on Unicorn St., as I mentioned), the entire town is a construction zone. What will happen to all these empty stores? And how will I ever find Sunday shoes for daughter #1? Every shoe store seems like they're moving, and they aren't restocking until they get to their new place. Which means that they have every size but the one we need. Arg!
3. The official job list for this year's hunting--ahem, hiring--season comes out on Sept 14, but a few job postings have come out already. Today's was at the University of Otego, in Dunedin, New Zealand. If I were to fly from my parents' house to Christchurch (the nearest airport, I think), it would cost me between $2000-5000. Total flight time? Between 25 1/2 and 27 1/2 hours. No. No, no, no, no, no. Just no.
