Bit of Ivory

Just got The Nonesuch and Frederica in the mail. Still waiting for Venetia.

So on Thursday morning I was awoken by the phone ringing. It was Becky at Deseret Book, asking me if I could come in that day. I had planned on sewing my robe, but they were in a jam (another employee forgot she was working and had a funeral to attend), so I said I’d come in. Man, was that a busy day. We even had the lady who does the sales audit and usually leaves at 10 stay ’till 3. I got home intending to rest an hour or so before starting on my robe when I got a phone call.

Dawnette wanted me to work for her yesterday morning. I am a pushover, so I said yes. Consequently I was rushing to get everything done last night before our party. But I must say that my new robe is be-yoo-tiful, and I had fun at both parties I went to last night; although all my Primary kids thought that I was Hermione, and so did a fair number of my friends at the other party. Another family did a Harry Potter theme– the dad was Lucius Malfoy (well, kinda, he couldn’t find a long blonde wig so he had a black one instead, which probably worked better since he’s Polynesian), complete with snake-headed cane; the mom was Mrs. Weasley, complete with crocheted sleeves, and the oldest daughter was Moaning Myrtle, complete with toilet seat that she wore around her neck. It was great.

We also had a Captain Jack Sparrow at our other party.

When I wasn’t running around madly at DB I snuck a look at one of the newer Mormon fiction books out. We had to read the first 3 chapters as part of a company program to make us more familiar with our stock, and I was amused enough to keep reading. Not because it was any good. No, because it was so darned terrible. I have come to firmly believe that every writer should at least be exposed to fanfiction even if they never write it, so that they’re at least familiar with the term “Mary Sue” and avoid writing them in their original fiction. Luckily this particular novel was not published by Deseret Book.

If I ever teach a creative writing class, I think my first assignment will be to write a fanfic. Writing with someone else’s characters teaches wonderful things about characterization and continuity that would help so many people in original fiction.

*sigh* Too bad it’s too late for that book.