Pathetic Writer Motivation Trick #459
Posted on September 13, 2005 Posted by John Scalzi 24 Comments
With the unexpected but reasonably healthy royalties from one of your other books (which counts as free money because you’ve already budgeted all your bills, etc), buy yourself a shiny, shiny present. Have it shipped Fed Ex ground. See if you can finish the book you’re working on before it gets to your house.
It shipped at 10:55 am this morning from Brooklyn. I figure it’ll get here on, what, Thursday? And me with one and a half chapters to go.
I can do that.
See you when I’m done. And then I’ll show you my present!
*\o/* *\o/* *\o/* *\o/* *\o/* *\o/*
*g*
Go team!
Oh lord, I immediately recognized those as cheerleaders.
You are a sick, sick person, Ms. Bear. But I know you feel my pain at the moment.
Dunno why, but I’m betting your new toy is a camera of some sort.
Yeah I was thinking iPod nano, until you said it was from brooklyn, which just happens to be where the biggest online and B&M specialty and professional camera store in america is…
Well, you’re all just going to have to wait, won’t you.
Could be worse. Your first pitch to New York could be the one you said you’d write in only 30 days.
Yes, I was drunk when I told the editor that.
No, that does not get me out of writing the pitch or showing him a later revision early next year.
I typically just bribe myself with chocolate. Nonetheless, I have a camera arriving tomorrow, for no particular reason than my old one just died.
What kind, Dave?
Wow, those cheerleaders are cool. Did you just think that up or did you see it somewhere else?
See if you can finish the book you’re working on before it gets to your house.(truck pulls up to chez Scalzi; doorbell rings)(typing:) “Just then he awoke with a start. He was at home, in Ohio, in bed! ‘It must have been a dream,’ he said. ‘A wonderful, magical dream.’ THE END”(rush to front door)
Well, that was a pretty good book so I hope you have bought yourself a pretty good toy.
It’s a pony!
You’re having a pony shipped FedEx for Athena!
…
Okay, maybe not.
Mmmmm…. ponylicious.
John:
Congratulations on your success. I noticed that you removed the “Scalzi Consulting” links some time ago.
Are you focused only on books now? Or do you still do corporate work.
I still do corporate work. It tends to find me, rather than the other way around. I didn’t find the Scalzi Consulting pages were driving much business. I may put them back up at some point, however.
The camera I ordered is an Olympus C-5500 Sport Zoom, which I got mainly for the unlimited video capacity and amazing 5X zoom, remarkable for this price point. It’s replacing an Olympus C-3030 zoom, which has about 1/4 the features and cost about 3 times as much when I bought it 4 years ago. That camera lost about 2/3 of its functionality in a rainstorm in the Sierras this summer (still takes pictures, though. My daughter’s eyeing it as something to “inherit”).
Cool. I like Olympus cameras; my first digital camera was one of the Camedias, which I got back in 1999. 2.1 whole megapixels. As with you, I gifted it daughterward when I bought my current camera, the Kodak EasyShare, which I’ve been quite pleased with overall.
As far as cameras go, I’m drooling over the new Mamiya 22 megapixel with a sensor that’s 1.9 x 1.4 inches. I haven’t asked, as I can’t afford it.
John, when you get done with your book you be taking suggestions on what to do in your free time?
I’m saving up for the Canon Eos 5d. Not very shiny, though, with that matte-black finish.
Congrats on both the old book and the new book. I’m looking forward to grabbing the SF Movie Guide. We’ll see if we can help earn that one out for you.
Question on the RGttUniverse. What level is it pitched to? I spent two years as an astronomy major before switching to philosophy… would I find it too basic?
Cisko:
“Question on the RGttUniverse. What level is it pitched to? I spent two years as an astronomy major before switching to philosophy… would I find it too basic?”
Probably. It’s meant to cover the basics of astronomy and then a bit more (i.e., it’s more weighty than most entry-level astronomy texts), so I’d judge it for advanced beginners or intermediates. Someone with your sort of educational experience in the field won’t find anything in it he didn’t already know.
Well, we *knew* it wasn’t going to be a sex toy from Amazon.
…right?
No sex toys from Amazon. I get all my sex toys here.
Dude. It’s all about Good Vibes.
(trying to influence the content of the last chapter here…)