Toonbots message board: Stupid Muse

Michael Tue Jul 11 23:01:26 2006 Re: Stupid Muse > I'm up to 12000 words and can't stop. For the sake of comparison, that's one-twelfth of Charlie Stross's _Accelerando_. Does that technically mean that I could write a novel in two months? That doesn't seem right. I think the Muse would fail me at some point.

Michael Thu Jul 13 15:59:00 2006 Muse update I'm up to 18000 words and nearing the second time-travel event.

Michael Sat Jul 15 01:26:26 2006 Re: Muse update > I'm up to 18000 words and nearing the second time-travel event. 23000 and past it. Not sure I believe the new world, though. Not yet.

Michael Sun Jul 16 01:15:45 2006 Re: Muse update > 23000 and past it. Not sure I believe the new world, though. Not yet. 26,395. The new world is growing on me. Work beckons; I'm afraid I must take my leave of my brave new world.

Michael Mon Jul 17 00:22:10 2006 Re: Muse update > 26,395. The new world is growing on me. Work beckons; I'm afraid I must > take my leave of my brave new world. 29,517. This getting out of hand. I'm on my third time-travel event. It's mutated a bit into an alternate history instead of just alternate futures.

mouse Mon Jul 17 18:09:21 2006 Re: Muse update > 29,517. This getting out of hand. I'm on my third time-travel event. It's > mutated a bit into an alternate history instead of just alternate futures. my word - it certainly seems a persistant sort of thing. i would suggest you do that national writer's month thing, except given the somewhat cantankerous nature of your muse, that would probably guarantee you would have writer's block for the month.

Michael Mon Jul 17 23:39:54 2006 Re: Muse update > 29,517. This getting out of hand. I'm on my third time-travel event. It's > mutated a bit into an alternate history instead of just alternate futures. 33,479. This last one is kind of disturbing.

Michael Tue Jul 18 22:55:11 2006 Re: Muse update > 33,479. This last one is kind of disturbing. 36,242. I guess you're all scared off now. I told you it was disturbing.

Michael Wed Jul 19 22:18:35 2006 Re: Muse update > 36,242. I guess you're all scared off now. I told you it was disturbing. 38,434 and all's well!

Michael Fri Jul 21 16:07:54 2006 Re: Muse update > 38,434 and all's well! 43,322. This is actually going to end up as a book, apparently...

Michael Fri Jul 21 17:10:47 2006 Re: Muse update > 43,322. This is actually going to end up as a book, apparently... 44,388. I needed to get a little bit more done before getting back to work.

Michael Tue Aug 1 22:41:04 2006 Re: Muse update > 44,388. I needed to get a little bit more done before getting back to > work. Thank God, the Muse flamed out last week. I might get back to that story, or not. It was fun while it lasted, though.

mouse Fri Jul 14 17:45:07 2006 Re: Stupid Muse > This one might be more publishable. Maybe. It's modeled uncomfortably > close on my actual life, at least until the first time travel incident on > the second page, and I'm not sure it would be possible to change the names > to protect the innocent (I mean, my wife is Hungarian. I could change her > name. Would it be less obvious? No.) is the person in the book hungarian? is it necessary she be hungarian? - or could she be czechoslovakian or romanian or austrian or something? also, i suspect once people hit the first time travel incident, they will pretty much stop trying to tie it to your actual life. ....unless you actually _have_ been time traveling AND HAVEN'T EVEN HAD THE COURTESY TO COME BACK IN TIME AND GIVE US NEW 'TOONS! in which case, we will scrutinize every syllable, and make sure we are in place to stalk you throughout time and ruin your life forever.

Michael Fri Jul 14 20:44:44 2006 Re: Stupid Muse > is the person in the book hungarian? is it necessary she be hungarian? - > or could she be czechoslovakian or romanian or austrian or something? Well, after Hungary becomes a nuclear power in 1993 on our second run through history, I think you're right, people probably aren't going to tie it to my life. Only -- for verisimilitude, a *lot* of people and places and incidents in the story are exactly as I experienced them. It would be autobiographical if it weren't for the, you know, time travel, alternate timelines, and gender changes. Sort of defies categorization. The alternate histories are fun, though: Bill Gates funds Linus Torvalds directly, so that Windows 94 turns out to be based on the Linus kernel and is open-sourced on release. The RIAA supports file-sharing and micropayments by 1992. > also, i suspect once people hit the first time travel incident, they will > pretty much stop trying to tie it to your actual life. It's not people-in-general I worry about. I don't mind you people knowing my sexual preferences, for instance. Given the fact that I'm recycling my wife as a major character, though, it's not really something I'm entirely confident about releasing to the public. > ....unless you actually _have_ been time traveling AND HAVEN'T EVEN HAD > THE COURTESY TO COME BACK IN TIME AND GIVE US NEW 'TOONS! Yes, well, take a number. The next number is 37,823 and the Muse Complaint Department is currently servicing customer #2. > in which case, we will scrutinize every syllable, and make sure we are in > place to stalk you throughout time and ruin your life forever. Hell, you already are. That's what worries me.

Emsworth Mon Jul 17 17:16:53 2006 Re: Stupid Muse > Yes, well, take a number. The next number is 37,823 and the Muse Complaint > Department is currently servicing customer #2. Reminds me, happy one year of full time hiatus! I'm not counting the part time hiatus periods, where there were only three to five month gaps and between one and four new Toonbots. Toonbots is dead, long live the Hungarian time travel thingy!

mouse Mon Jul 17 18:07:35 2006 Re: Stupid Muse > Reminds me, happy one year of full time hiatus! I'm not counting the part > time hiatus periods, where there were only three to five month gaps and > between one and four new Toonbots. Toonbots is dead, long live the > Hungarian time travel thingy! a celebration that can be taken many ways, but in typical toonbot fashion, it does deserve to be celebrated. and also the hungarian time travel thingy. by the way - do you suppose it will have wolverines? as a sort of homage to you previous creative endeavors.

Emsworth Mon Jul 17 22:14:01 2006 Re: Stupid Muse > by the way - do you suppose it will have wolverines? as a sort of homage > to you previous creative endeavors. If I know Michael, and I'm often not sure I do, a lack of wolverines would be intentional, to spite us, as is his way. In fact, he may well have flagrantly brought attention to the complete and utter absence of wolverines, and possibly penguins, butterflies, and mice as well. But not dead Communists, I'd wager. That would be taking things too far, and besides, what's the good of a time travel event if you can't meet dead Communists, or at least dead hatchet-wielding prohibitionists? Ah, Carrie Elizabeth Nation.

Michael Mon Jul 17 23:47:03 2006 Re: Stupid Muse > If I know Michael, and I'm often not sure I do, Do any of us, in the final analysis, ever know one another? > But not > dead Communists, I'd wager. I had some live ones. I've wandered too far afield, though, now. I'm on to Nazis with nukes and information technology now. Dick Cheney seems to have become my arch-enemy. Unwittingly.

mouse Fri Aug 4 17:23:40 2006 Re: Stupid Muse > Dick Cheney seems to have become my arch-enemy. Unwittingly. i think he's prime arch-enemy material, myself.

mouse Mon Jul 17 18:10:51 2006 Re: Stupid Muse > The alternate histories are fun, though: Bill Gates funds Linus Torvalds > directly, so that Windows 94 turns out to be based on the Linus kernel and > is open-sourced on release. The RIAA supports file-sharing and > micropayments by 1992. do i detect a certain...well, i can't think of the word for it here. that keep happening to me lately. your muse must be appropriating all my words.

Michael Mon Jul 17 23:42:35 2006 Re: Stupid Muse > do i detect a certain...well, i can't think of the word for it here. You do. It would be a spoiler to say more. I'm still working up my courage to give you something to have spoiled.

mouse Fri Aug 4 17:20:47 2006 Re: Stupid Muse > You do. It would be a spoiler to say more. > I'm still working up my courage to give you something to have spoiled. by the way - i have it, and i just absolutely haven't had time to look at it. sorry, should have said something sooner, but i haven't even gotten through my entire webcomic list in over week - anyway, i didn't want you to think i had read it and was totally appalled and repulsed. i mean, i _might_ be - but i'm not yet.

Michael Sat Jul 15 00:16:26 2006 Re: Stupid Muse > is the person in the book hungarian? is it necessary she be hungarian? - > or could she be czechoslovakian or romanian or austrian or something? On that point, by the way. I don't know anything about Czechoslovakia or Romania or Austria. Not at the level I know about Hungary, Germany, and the Caribbean, for instance, all places I have actually lived. I'm pretty sure that as much as I like story #2, both of these are going to have to be considered practice runs. But I really, really like this second story. At least -- I like the first alternate timeline. The second just started, and I'm not at all sure it's going to stay the way it is right now. It's much weaker at the moment, I fear. Um. mouse, I don't remember your email address. On this particular note, you may want to correct that. Further deponent sayeth not. But the same conspicuous lack of offer applies to the rest of the titled elite. You're all cool enough.

mouse Mon Jul 17 18:06:06 2006 Re: Stupid Muse > Um. mouse, I don't remember your email address. On this particular note, > you may want to correct that. Further deponent sayeth not. But the same > conspicuous lack of offer applies to the rest of the titled elite. You're > all cool enough. well, since emsworth seems to be the only other person around here, and he already knows my e-mail address, i suppose i am safe in telling you i have a gmail account, as mmwhite. i trust you to put the pieces together properly, without me having to spell it out for potential webcrawlers.

Emsworth Mon Jul 17 22:16:50 2006 Re: Stupid Muse > well, since emsworth seems to be the only other person around here Hi! In Hartford, Hereford, and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen.