Played computer games for first time

On Saturday one of Baby’s friends in the neighbourhood brought a couple of computer games to install in our computer, and she and Baby spent a lot of time playing them.

Today Baby talked me into playing a couple of games with her. It’s addictive!

Until today, I’ve never played computer games. Weird for someone who writes tech-biz. But I figured I already had enough additions – reading, writing, watching too many movies- the last thing I needed was another “couch-potato” activity.

I enjoyed Spooky Castle and Sonic Heroes, and Baby was very happy that we’d found something else we could do together.

The logic of fairytales

Baby also enjoyed my rendition of “Tselane and the ogre.” She listened very earnestly while I related the story and laughed in just the right places.

“Why didn’t Tselane check through the peephole on the door first before she opened the door?”’

‘Couldn’t Tselane tell that it was still NOT her mother?”

I suspect Baby felt sorry for the ogre, because she said who couldn’t help what he was, and she wanted to know why I killed him. “Why not put a spell in the sack so when he opens it he’s turned into a nice, gentle man,” she wanted to know.

I like the current ending where the ogre dies from bee and snake bites, so I promised Baby a prequel to Tselane and the ogre. That way, Baby will hear more about this ugly character that she’s fallen in love with.’

“Will you tell me the story tomorrow?”

She was not impressed when I told her I couldn’t- I hadn’t written the story yet, and I didn’t know what was going to happen.

“Oh no, I have to wait until you make it up? That’s going to take looooooong!”

I pray for eager readers like that.

Famous writers also get rejections

I was visiting Jane Yolen’s web site again today, reading her journal, and she says:

“Email brought me news of a picture book being rejected.”

Intellectually, I know that famous authors have to continually submit proposals and manuscripts to publishers. But the idea that Jane Yolen, author of 250 books including The Devil’s Arithmetic, received a recent rejection boggles the mind.

I guess as writer you can never rest on your laurels, no matter how successful you are.