After the flood

It's been a crazy last few days in the ATL. It started raining last Tuesday and kept on raining until yesterday, when the soggy ground, storm drains and swollen rivers decided they'd had enough. Seven people died, thousands of homes were flooded and roads were closed. For a few hours the main interstate that runs through downtown was flooded and it looked eerily like New Orleans post-Katrina with submerged cars, people trapped and standing on overpasses (see the photo at left). The sun is out now, but all the schools are closed, many highways are still blocked and the city's main sewage plant was compromised and has been overflowing into the Chattahoochee River.

Sunday night -- while the rain was pouring -- I finished Chapter 18 of the next book in the Conquering Venus trilogy. I'm guessing I'll have a full first draft by Christmas, then it's on to rewriting, editing, etc. I'm excited about the sequel and where it's ultimately going to wind up before the story jumps ahead 10 years in the third book. Filling in nearly a decade could lead to a flashback fiesta, but I'm thinking about a narrative where the events between the second and third book are revealed in snippets of conversation, poems from Martin and other cleverness. We shall see.

As for Conquering Venus, I'm still trying to set up some additional readings and events both locally and out of town. Stay tuned. I'm also making the call again for those of you who have read the book to put a review on Amazon.com. If you know of a book club looking for a novel to read this Fall (which begins today...yay!), kindly direct them toward Conquering Venus. There are book club discussion questions and topics on the blog.

BFF Joy and I never made it to the movies (we were planning to see The September Issue), but I did see the Swedish vampire flick Let The Right One In. It was like Bergman does bloodsuckers -- winter landscapes, lots of meaningful looks and silences, characters with unclear motives. The young actors were exceptional, but I thought it went on about 20 minutes longer than it should have. 

Is it my imagination, or have more people abandoned blogging for Facebook? I've noticed on my blog -- and others I follow –– that there is less commenting and activity. Thoughts?

Comments

Suzanne said…
It's not your imagination. And I'm glad you're safe and dry.
Karen J. Weyant said…
Hi Collin -- I was thinking about you today! I'm glad you are okay.

I'm not on Facebook -- I've just been really busy. But I have been keeping up on all the blogs.
The Peach Tart said…
I don't know about the Facebook vs. blogging thing. I personally don't really do anything with Facebook. I hear more about people blogging and tweeting.
I started saying that people were leaving blogger for facebook months ago. It' me, you, and Loudon, sugartit, that's all we have left. Well, that's all I read on a daily basis anymore.

I don't understand how people can showcase their written work on Facebook.
Nancy Devine said…
when i saw news on the flooding in atlanta, i was thinking of you. glad you're okay.
Justin Evans said…
I see a lot fewer updates from the people I love to read. I know I have become more busy lately, but I still loves my blog.
T. said…
Your book is on the list for my bookgroup for November (we choose from five titles) and I'm going to lobby heavily for Conquering Venus.

I've wondered the same thing recently about facebook vs. blogging, and admit I'm enamored of both. But Montgomery is right -- they are such different animals, I don't see how one can substitute for the other
christine said…
This rain did almost seem apocalyptic, and it was only a drop in the bucket compared to Katrina... .

Congrats on being so far along in CV part 2. I really admire how you dive into the work and keep yourself motivated. Keeping the dreams alive, the story dreams, the ideas, the characters.

I haven't been blogging as much because of GSU, but I haven't been facebooking much either. But I do think people who blogged merely to connect are going more to facebook. They play Mafia Wars and some farm thing, and send each other flowers. Whatever.
Collin--Hi there. I'm guilty of reading Facebook, and doing less blogging...however, the NEED to write is kicking in, and I am going to be posting every day again at Lisa Allender Writes, starting tonight....
I always read your blog, Kate Evans, Betmo's , Marianna's("A Momentary Cloudiness of a 'Dirty' Mind"), Selma in the City, Harnett-Hargrove, etc...
But Facebook is fun to see what everyone's up to, in a just a few minutes of time---it's very efficient.

I don't play those "farm" or "mafia" games...

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