h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Althea isn't going as badly as it could be. 3000 words on monday, only 2000 yesterday, but I didn't start till gone midnight. That brings me up to 10,000 so far for this submission and I really want to double that and finish up 1909. I'll probably leave it till Monday to submit the work so that I can write more on Sunday. It's pushing the deadline, which was rather vaguely set as 'this week', but Tony probably won't notice.

I have come to the definite conclusion that research is a b*tch. Oh, not all research. I only write about things I'm interested in so researching is usually fun. No, I mean the sort of bloody detail that seems like it will be easy to find and ends up eating an hour of writing time. Especially, in my case, plants. Every time I want to mention a plant in the text I have to find out: when it was introduced to England, what it looks like, what properties it has, when it flowers, if it is picky about soil, any folklore associated with it and what its meaning is in the language of flowers. Since the meaning is normally the important bit I can end up researching a dozen plants before I find one that will work. And I can't even do the research ahead of time since I don't know precisely what I'm going to need before I get there.

I also ended up researching Midsummer pagan celebrations and folklore which led, by a strange tangent, to reading a great deal about how a Hand of Glory would be made and used. Not at all relevant but great fun. I also found out about the most magical plant ever - ask me, go on, ask.

I keep reminding myself that this is a first draft and it doesn't have to be perfect but I don't want to be too sloppy and leave myself with an insurmountable mess to work with when I get to the second draft (oh fabled day). I do have to get on and write as much as possible but I'm not sure how much quality and detail I should be willing to sacrifice to do that. It is a bit panic making that I'm still not done with 1909 but I know that not every year will need to be told with such detail. pleaseohpleaseohplease.

If anyone feels a burning desire to read it it's in the usual place.


N

Poor chica. You're working so hard, and it will come along. I'm really impressed by your attentiveness to what you're doing. It would be so easy to forget to concern oneself with things like houseplants.

Hey cool Welsh chick and good writer! (pin told me that)
Have reams of cr*p on plants, me old day job least ye forget.
I'm sure you're covered everything, but if you've missed a morsel ot two send the email address again and I'll more than happily swap data.
Cool gardens at this time of year not so? Snowball won't come out till May but the anticipation is orgasmic!
Take care
boots the belligerent

Thanks

Sometimes I wish I could indulge in a bit of sloppyness but with all those grown up proper writers breathing down my historically inaccurate neck I just can't get away with it.

I wish they wouldn't spring the deadlies with absolutely no warning at all. Not that I could have got anything writ, what with the suicide watch and birthday distractions. Still, aren't young people supposed to be terribly resiliant and able to do without sleep?

If only I knew more about gardening I wouldn't have to look everything up. I'm really trying to learn in the pocket sized mud patch out back but it doesn't come quickly, much fun as it undeniably is. Why did Vita have to be a gardener! Why do flowers have to be such an apt and useful symbol!

boots dear, snowball is a plants I could do with knowing about (see, now who's useless). I haven't used it at all yet because there are a few plants that go by that name so the research is too muddy for me to be sure of it. Is it vibernum macrocephalum? That one seems most likely but I don't want to put it in and look like an utter idiot if I'm wrong. Its meaning in the language of flowers is 'thoughts of heaven' (also goodness in some sources).

I've been meaning to email you for a while but the computer had to be wiped and I know not where I wrote your email down. We're [email protected]

I'm going to stop moaning and get back to work. Boots, I read your Journal. and lashings of sympathy. Balligerent is good and a banging heads together in letter is perfectly sane grown up thing to do.

N