tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post3536862004055887599..comments2024-03-17T00:24:18.754-07:00Comments on Voyages of the Artemis: How I Write - Part IDiana Gabaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537964955785653500noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-64128668025857957742016-09-29T21:05:28.148-07:002016-09-29T21:05:28.148-07:00Did you know that you can shorten your long links ...Did you know that you can shorten your long links with <b><a href="http://shortener.syntaxlinks.com/r/BCVC" rel="nofollow">BCVC</a></b> and <b>receive money for every click on</b> your shortened urls.Bloggerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07287821785570247118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-36445362978861822592008-04-21T14:41:00.000-07:002008-04-21T14:41:00.000-07:00I must've had my head elsewhere, as i've just hear...I must've had my head elsewhere, as i've just heard about the Outlander series, and cannot put the first volume down! <BR/><BR/>I found this blog through your website and saw that this was a place to put comments...<BR/><BR/>Seeing the image of Claire for the graphic novel is incredible, and my suggestion for Jamie is this: Make him look like Gerard Butler, and I will surely swoon!<BR/><BR/>Keep up the great work, I love my first dive into Outlander books and simply can't read fast enough.Meghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16484045738890045623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-64040210068699737052008-04-13T13:14:00.000-07:002008-04-13T13:14:00.000-07:00Hi EveryoneI'm new to this blog and have read a gr...Hi Everyone<BR/><BR/>I'm new to this blog and have read a great deal of it with interest. Sorry to hear about your dog, Diana - I just had to have one of my 2 cats put down and it is quite a wrench after 14 years.<BR/><BR/>BTW, I liked the picture of Claire, even though I thought the bottom of her face should be just a tiny bit fatter - not much, just a tiny bit - but, as you say, it is simply one picture of many more to come, so let's all wait and see how the images develop. The important thing is that it is YOUR picture of what Claire looks like, not ours,and ultimately this is what counts.<BR/><BR/>On another note, I have just come back from a week away in the Highlands (not far for me, as I live in St Andrews - yes, the home of golf(sigh) but also the home of a nearly 600 year old university (yesss!) originally modelled on the same lines as the one in Paris that Jamie attended in his youth). Whilst there I visited Cullloden - or rather, re-visited it, having been there before the new Visitor Centre was constructed. It must be exciting to have an invitation to go to the official opening on the anniversary of the battle but I DO hope you are not disappointed. I won't say much more, as you must make up your own mind but suffice to say that I was a bit disappointed for various reasons, some of which are still gelling in my mind as I write this. Oh, and be prepared for snow - we were snowed in for the first 2 days of our visit, which is not so usual for mid-April - snow showers yes, but not heavy snow as we experienced.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, keep working on the books - they are wonderful and thoroughly absorbing; also, thanks for being so thorough with your research (but only to be expected from someone such as yourself) - it really matters to some of us that historical details are correct bearing in mind current research, which rarely stands still.<BR/><BR/>Have a good trip to Scotland - and call into St Andrews if you have the time!<BR/><BR/>All the best<BR/><BR/>Wol the WiseIrenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17650976608029928312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-8038425832015222912008-03-25T15:28:00.000-07:002008-03-25T15:28:00.000-07:00Well, now, isn't this a very exciting and pleasant...Well, now, isn't this a very exciting and pleasant surprise?! :) I stumbled upon the news that you had started a blog, and was so excited to find it! I look forward to being a regular visitor. I find it so fascinating to learn the "how" of your writing! Thank you for choosing to communicate with us this way.<BR/>I just began my "umpteenth" re-read (I've lost count!) It is my tradition to reread the entire series before a new installment comes out, and having just finished the latest Lord John books, I couldn't quite bring myself to leave that world. I also justified my guilty pleasure by deciding that with three kids, I may need all that time to get through all of them again before "An Echo in the Bone" arrives in my mailbox!<BR/>Again, thank you! This discovery made my day!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15803250156179719575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-17252890211055465242008-03-14T12:32:00.000-07:002008-03-14T12:32:00.000-07:00FYI :) As a person who has taught in K-4 classroom...FYI :) As a person who has taught in K-4 classrooms at one point or another, teachers do not always "catch" misspelled words in student work because maybe certain spelling patterns have not been taught or the teacher's focus may be on a particular writing concept or the teacher is examining the misspellings for clues on how much to teach a phonics or grammar concept. (Sigh) And then again, you can not believe how difficult it is to get students to understand, "i" before "e" except after "c" :)Traceehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00471800458018661976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-81839386254117656542008-03-14T12:30:00.000-07:002008-03-14T12:30:00.000-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Traceehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00471800458018661976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-28728121481199850892008-03-14T10:21:00.000-07:002008-03-14T10:21:00.000-07:00Diana:It felt like withdrawal while you were gone....Diana:<BR/>It felt like withdrawal while you were gone.... so glad to have you back.<BR/><BR/>When you mentioned William with reference to the Great Dismal, I had to look it up (I also lived in Virginia for 15 years). I found the most fascinating diary of William Byrd about surveying the swamp in the early 1770s. Especially his comments about the settlers in North Carolina. You must be familiar with it if you're exploring the swamp for storyline. I recommend it for your other fans who might be interested in colonial history.<BR/><BR/>AnitaAnitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15520345967775675502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-5873921402790348792008-03-09T20:01:00.000-07:002008-03-09T20:01:00.000-07:00My daughter's teacher has a master's degree and sh...My daughter's teacher has a master's degree and she had 'niece' misspelled on the board the other day. Similarly, when my daughter was in kindergarten, there was something grammatically incorrect on the board, and I called their attention to it, and a group of teachers gathered in the room to try to figure it out!slfisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07786437732691082667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-79537458511599074922008-03-09T11:00:00.000-07:002008-03-09T11:00:00.000-07:00Sunflowerfairy-- Names...well, sometimes a perso...Sunflowerfairy--<BR/><BR/> Names...well, sometimes a person just kind of "comes" with a name. Other times, I sort of cast around, trying things on for rhythm, ethnic plausibility, symbolic value (like "Ishmael," the _houngan_ in VOYAGER--that's a double-handed reference, both to the Ishmael of the Old Testament (the vengeful outsider, the wanderer), and to MOBY-DICK [g]).<BR/><BR/> Some characters come straight out of the historical reference material. The one-armed slave named "Temeraire" was real, for instance, as was M. Forez, the hangman from DRAGONFLY. There are a lot of bit-players in the books with real names (Arch Bug, for instance, was a real Scottish immigrant; his name, and the description of him as a man "aged 69" was on the manifest of a ship sailing from Scotland to North Carolina. His history, though, is mine [g]).<BR/><BR/> Other names come from the several books of names I have; SCOTTISH CHRISTIAN NAMES, by Dunkling, or SCOTTISH SURNAMES, or one of several baby-naming books.<BR/><BR/> Worst comes to worst, there's always the phone book. [g]Diana Gabaldonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09537964955785653500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-15595715308274798252008-03-09T10:54:00.000-07:002008-03-09T10:54:00.000-07:00Dear Midge-- Oh, it _is_ magic. Not the slightes...Dear Midge--<BR/><BR/> Oh, it _is_ magic. Not the slightest doubt about that.<BR/><BR/> It's just that you do the hard work _first_, and _then_ the magic happens. [g]Diana Gabaldonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09537964955785653500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-66831071186320870642008-03-09T10:53:00.000-07:002008-03-09T10:53:00.000-07:00Sharon-- It's also possible that the teacher did...Sharon--<BR/><BR/> It's also possible that the teacher didn't mark misspellings because s/he didn't recognize them _as_ misspellings.<BR/><BR/> I know it's not PC these days to criticize people for not being able to spell (it's all genetic, presumably, so it's "unfair" to expect people without the spelling gene to learn how)--but dang.<BR/><BR/> I used to correct misspellings in the permission notes my kids brought home _all the time_ (which I doubt endeared me to the teachers, but on the other hand--all my kids _can_ spell, and had noted the errors themselves. Couldn't very well say, "Well, that's OK, since she's the teacher." [cough])<BR/><BR/> Man, though, watching the news-crawl or the closed-captioning on TV shows...[clutching head]. All right, the occasional typo is unavoidable, but "ice sickels"? Come on!Diana Gabaldonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09537964955785653500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-1828950359132012472008-03-09T07:38:00.000-07:002008-03-09T07:38:00.000-07:00Last comment on this but,Sharon,I have firefox on ...Last comment on this but,<BR/><BR/>Sharon,<BR/><BR/>I have firefox on all my computers and I wouldn't have anything else. It installs like a charm, has a great interface and a bazillion add-ons to make it exactly what I want.<BR/><BR/>I have to say, Diana (may I call you that? I feel odd doing that) I can hear my gran and grandsire when I read the dialect in your books. It brings back a lot of memories :)nightsmusichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05984119792540771870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-31340850621112082312008-03-09T06:01:00.000-07:002008-03-09T06:01:00.000-07:00Does somebody know between which ribs you have to ...Does somebody know between which ribs you have to stab someone,when you want to hurt the heart and the lung?<BR/>No,I don't want to kill someone,I just need that for a story I write.I hope someone can help me with that.<BR/>JuliaNenyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00949732461243067084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-60925807202871822252008-03-09T06:00:00.000-07:002008-03-09T06:00:00.000-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Nenyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00949732461243067084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-33872457768403634392008-03-08T20:57:00.000-08:002008-03-08T20:57:00.000-08:00Karen-henry:EG--- aha!I never would have gotten t...Karen-henry:<BR/><BR/>EG--- aha!<BR/>I never would have gotten that one!<BR/><BR/>Tfti!<BR/>(thanks for the info!)<BR/>Sharon ☺Sharon Ricklinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07593982360066406207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-17459553489164587832008-03-08T20:48:00.000-08:002008-03-08T20:48:00.000-08:00Nightsmusic:I do have IE 7, so yes, I have figured...Nightsmusic:<BR/><BR/>I do have IE 7, so yes, I have figured it out...I have to check my favorites every day, and that is where it was saying (0 New) feeds. I changed it to be updated more often per day, maybe that will work. I am tempted to install FireFox...but a little nervous to switch anything on my computer...sometimes change makes them go bonkers!<BR/>And you have been helpful! Thanks!<BR/><BR/>Merrymags: <BR/><BR/>I really hate texting too; it takes me more time than an actual phone call would take...and speaking of the illiteracy of our youth, our grand daughter (4th grade) has brought home graded papers with obvious misspelled words that the teacher has NOT marked wrong. I guess the teachers these days are too afraid the children will suffer from low self-esteem if they point out their errors. :P Don't get me started about the education system!<BR/> <BR/>SharonSharon Ricklinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07593982360066406207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-75284798107035748532008-03-08T19:00:00.000-08:002008-03-08T19:00:00.000-08:00That's fantastic. I've always wondered how great w...That's fantastic. I've always wondered how great writers do it.<BR/><BR/>Can I ask a question?<BR/><BR/>Where do you come up with the names for your characters? Not necessarily J&C, but just the random "players" in your books.<BR/><BR/>(I was at a signing a couple of years ago and really wanted to ask you that, but didn't have the guts.) ;)Sunflowerfairyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14921897456456428941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-41945572009607188472008-03-08T18:07:00.000-08:002008-03-08T18:07:00.000-08:00Melissa:I wonder, too, how Diana organizes her not...Melissa:<BR/><BR/>I wonder, too, how Diana organizes her notes... can you imagine what her office could look like?!? Yikes!<BR/><BR/>Diana did mention that she was checking out a new writing program made for Mac -- so sorry that I cannot exactly recall the name (if you scroll through her previous posts, you'll find it but it's in an early post.) It's a cool program.<BR/><BR/>Sharon:<BR/><BR/>The only abbreviations I know are the ones from LOL, and I have to ask for translation every so often. I HATE texting. IMHO (!) it is one of the major contributors towards illiteracy among our youth. Add to that, half the kids are texting during class so they're not learning anyway. Grrrr. <BR/><BR/>MidgeMerrymagshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03067685823930927536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-10838069111404960822008-03-08T16:59:00.000-08:002008-03-08T16:59:00.000-08:00Sharon, do you have IE7? IE6 doesn't have a feed o...Sharon, do you have IE7? IE6 doesn't have a feed option. IE7 puts your feeds under Favorites so you'd have to check your favorites every day, which is the same as checking here every day, which is why I like FireFox. Any time I have a new feed, a little icon at the bottom of the browser window lights up so I'm notified throughout the day.<BR/><BR/>Sorry I couldn't be of more help.nightsmusichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05984119792540771870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-52415979917702079262008-03-08T16:45:00.000-08:002008-03-08T16:45:00.000-08:00Sharon:"EG" would be "evil grin" :-)KarenSharon:<BR/><BR/>"EG" would be "evil grin" :-)<BR/><BR/>KarenKaren Henryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07635855088490793965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-35653090307268520802008-03-08T16:32:00.000-08:002008-03-08T16:32:00.000-08:00Nightsmusic:That is how I originally subscribed to...Nightsmusic:<BR/>That is how I originally subscribed to the "feed" but I don't seem to have the same choices you have...<BR/>Even though I do have google as my homepage, I didn't see anything regarding google reader or anywhere I could add it to google front page...I guess it may have something to do with "firefox" versus IE...I deleted the feed and re-added it, maybe there was a glitch...My only other option is to open up VOA every morning and read whatever is new! I hate it when I miss a DG Post! Thanks for helping me though!<BR/><BR/>Merrymags:<BR/>Ever since reading the Outlander books I have been drawn to anything Scottish and Celtic...I love the music, the history, the accents! The artist on my webpage is HEVIA. I agree with you about how DG gets it so perfect. I have read other books with so called Scots' accents, something is off just a bit. <BR/>I'm not so sure I would want to read this book you speak of, but please tell me what is EG? Sorry to be so ignorant of the abbreviations, I am not that great at "texting" either...BTW my kids laugh at me all the time! You know; bff, roflol, wtf, (did I just say that?)OMG!<BR/>(g) <BR/><BR/>SharonSharon Ricklinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07593982360066406207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-409828540752610362008-03-08T16:30:00.000-08:002008-03-08T16:30:00.000-08:00I guess it's kinda like asking Picasso how he pain...I guess it's kinda like asking Picasso how he paints.<BR/><BR/>Truly, it's a God-given gift. I write, clumsily, slowly, but I plug on. I'd much rather be able to see a kernel and then make it blossom, but it just doesn't happen that way for me - and that's ok. One thing that Diana has taught me via the net is that there is no wrong way to write, no matter what anyone else has told you. The world needs karaoke singers as well as opera singers. I'm just glad that I get to go the opera. Thanks Diana.Bedeliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15658352822026274568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-67937822041429592022008-03-08T14:49:00.000-08:002008-03-08T14:49:00.000-08:00I have to say that I made an embarrassing squeal w...I have to say that I made an embarrassing squeal when I saw a new post. Good to see you back!<BR/><BR/>Your writing style seems so specially unique, it's awesome to see how you sit down and get to it.<BR/><BR/>And I agree with Karen on this one; I'm so eager to see who William is, how much of him is Jamie and how much is Lord John, and his own distinct self as well. I can't help but imagine him being a little Mini Jamie, though [g]. The mind wanders... blissfully.<BR/><BR/>This might seem strange, but I was wondering how you organize (or don't organize) your writings, physically. Are they millions of little word files lying around in the depths of your computer? I write in scenes and pieces and I hate the clutter it creates.Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01735757885150992020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-75310751547089004912008-03-08T12:19:00.000-08:002008-03-08T12:19:00.000-08:00sharonjIf you go all the way to the very bottom of...sharonj<BR/><BR/>If you go all the way to the very bottom of Diana's blog page, you'll see this:<BR/><BR/>Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)<BR/><BR/>Click on the Posts (Atom) and it should take you to your reader page. Mine is Google and when it takes me there, I have the option of adding it to my Google Front Page or my Google Reader. I choose Google Reader. <BR/><BR/>I also use FireFox which, for me, is ever so much more user friendly than IE.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, once you add it to your reader page, your reader should show you that you have new feeds and will show all on the current blog page.<BR/><BR/>Sorry, Diana! Didn't know how else to answer her.nightsmusichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05984119792540771870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-44768153438665866452008-03-08T12:04:00.000-08:002008-03-08T12:04:00.000-08:00Sharon:I know for myself that I cringe when I read...Sharon:<BR/><BR/>I know for myself that I cringe when I read most stories that have a Scots person in it. More often than not, the accent, dialect, and idioms don't work. <BR/><BR/>I remember when reading Outlander the first time how captivated I was by Diana getting it just right, what with the B&B owner "Hoovering" outside F & C's bedroom, the reference to the old way of perming, etc. That was before C's time travel. Then, there's the obvious difference in speech between C and BJR, C and the MacKenzies, etc. It had that unmistakable feeling of correctness. I was not distracted by it.<BR/><BR/>That's how far on the other end of the spectrum Rick's writing was -- it was soooo wrong that it was painful. BTW, would you like to read his book? Another EG!<BR/><BR/>Oh, and I LOVE the music at your website. Good stuff.<BR/><BR/>MidgeMerrymagshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03067685823930927536noreply@blogger.com