Caffe Med

Things are moving a bit faster since finding Scrivener. I'm completely up to date in translating the old Word outline into the app, and it's clear that the old outline was part of my problem. I had made many notes about how to change the path of certain chars, like the Spook, but had not reconciled the outline. And there it sat in front of me night after night. After night. After night. Now that I have this malleable electronic outline, I am able to operate and understand the flow. And able to manipulate it. I started looking into DropBox and Scrivener's syncing features. It allows editing on the iPad via the PlainText app. I like the idea of reading through what I've written in near-book form on the iPad. And editing there, too.

There are a few new routes I need to pursue based on my unincorporated notes:

The Spook is the Boy's father.
LSPA first appears in what I've written as a complete moron.
There is no reconciliation between the "golem" and El Cliquero yet.
There is a new concept: instead of a one time pad, a one time phone. Malbec.

Each of these developments need to be played out. Each was a significant milestone in creating the concept for LD, but they still lie outside it.

TEXT: Testing

“Testing is inventing, without it, there is nothing.”


PAs painted camo had been bolted to the underside of the hull of the helicopter. Braced against the runners.

Inside, the equipment hung in netsacks. No one seemed that interested. Everyone was pretending they’d seen this before. No one had seen this before. He knew that. Why was it green to seem curious?

“In the brief it says you’re some kinda disc jockey,” the pilot’s voice yelled over the rotor whine. His fist grabbing the unzipped coveralls, just to steady me in front of him, in front of his helmet.

“I heard this was going to be something big. I didn’t know it was a dance party,” he laughed. “I don’t think you’re going to find many prom dates around here once it’s over. Well anyway, Merry Fucking Xmas.” He released the coveralls and turned to his flight check. “They celebrate Xmas down here don’t they?”

The helicopter was big like a stretch limo version of the Huey. There was room and a clear view past the machine gun mounted at the door.

“La Navidad,” came a voice over the headset. It was the Spook. “Down here they call it La Navidad and it goes on and on.”

“Where are you?”

“I am on a beach with a stiff marguerita on my right and a lovely señorita on my left.

“Bullshit.”

“Let’s just say this. I can see you from herrrrrrrrrr,” his voice broke into echoed electric bits and shards. “Yyyyyyyyyyou’re boots are untied.”

There was nothing in the still quiet sky overhead.

“Are you all set? Our window is approaching.”

Bird headset and my headset. Should have tested that. Should have tested the levels through the headset with the rotors going.

“Make sure the test is ready, put the birdset back on til we’re nearly there—I’ll let you know—and then ready thyself. I’ll have the pilot give you the hi-sign to start.”

“You know it takes something out of me when it’s on, I—“

“I know, sport, I know. You’ll do fine.”

The pilot put up his hand. “Okay, raise your hand if you’re thinking this will be the deejay’s first firefight.”

They raised their hands. All except a stocky black man named Roan. Roan was the door gunner. He simply nodded with his chin and turned to the open door.

Landscaping in St Helena

I brought Muriel and Leland to St Helena to study the landscapes of Lakes Hennessey and Berryessa. The whole weekend we were deluged with rains coming from the Pacific and covering the entire state. On Lake Berryessa we were caught in what should have been called a squall. Sudden, gusty, and very very wet. We captured hundreds of photos, some audio of birds and rain, and a few drawings. In the afternoons, we returned to the motel and dried out, making sculpey models of the landscapes we'd seen in the mornings.

In the late evenings, I got to work a bit on the novel. I've found a great little application called Scrivener. It's a novel writing and organizing program made for the Mac. I have no idea why it didn't show up when I was looking for just this in 2008, but here it is. I ended up using DevonThinkPro, which is a great research app, but not necessarily a friendly writing app. And I can never ever remember its name.

So I've now seen a quick and dirty compilation of the pages I've got. I included former sets, too, at first and had around 200pp. A strange feeling.

Tonight I filled out the remainder of the placeholder sections in Scrivener with elements from my outline. I have not bee updating my outline based on the thinking I've been doing--especially about Adara and the Boy. The story has taken a turn from the last full version of the outline.

I've lost one notebook--or it feels lost. It had some good notes, but mostly good drawings. Many significant things came out in that notebook. After I returned from India my life has not resumed its normal flow. I'll have a few days this week and a few next week to find that rhythm again.