I want ten 1-yard lengths of PVC pipe and don't ask

[mikailborg]

Contractors are using heavy power tools less than 25 feet from me as some remodeling goes on. Noisy only begins to describe it; at one point they were using some kind of pneumatic punch which made me jump 18 inches evey time it went off. This has been going on for weeks.

Today, I'm prepared - I have headphones and iTunes. I can still hear them, of course, but I can ignore them much easier. I think they know that, too; today they've decided to set off the building alarm 3 or 4 times for my office enjoyment. Oy.

Forged in the fires of Home Depot: While I was snickering, I couldn't help but wonder if anyone still goes to "Toy Depot" to buy stuff for, you know, actual home improvement.

Finished "To Say Nothing of the Dog" last night. Often funny in a "heh" way, and an interesting look at a modern time-traveler stuck in Victorian England, but it was another example of characters dragged helplessly through the plot for a couple hundred pages. My own preference is for protagonists who get some kind of grip on things sooner or later.

Comments

[madwriter.livejournal.com]

>>My own preference is for protagonists who get some kind of grip on things sooner or later.<<

Most editors agree with you. A good portion of the submission guidelines I've read, especially from book publishers, is that the characters must make things happen rather than have stuff happen to them.

Comedies being a good exception, of course. :)

P.S. I should clarify that "make things happen" includes "fighting against what's happening to them". They can lose, but they still have to fight.

[eeedge.livejournal.com]

I would actually prefer an interesting passive character to some of these uber-protagonists who are perfect in every way except that they can't see their own awesomeness.

Mercedes Lackey and Tamora Pierce are guilty of this a lot.

[rubinpdf.livejournal.com]

Fortunately, I see my own awesomeness. Unfortunately, we must await the numerous novels of my adventures to be written. 8-)

[platypusgirl.livejournal.com]

well - if your PVC pipe is less than 2" in diameter - I have cutter for it... (if your title actually had a meaning...)

[mikailborg.livejournal.com]

No, that was just a joke :) But thank you anyway, I'll keep the offer in mind once I get out of this rented room and into the house we'll be staying in for the next year!

Be seeing you Saturday afternoon!