Oh Yeah, This Thing...

Of Monsters and Mud

Getting Back Into It

It has been a crazy weekend/beginning of the week. I was sick, but running around doing stuff all weekend in preparation for the visit to Rocklin to move a bunch of stuff from one storage facility to another (much cheaper) place. Then, because I was already IN Rocklin, I of course had to visit a bunch of people in the area, and wander around the school for awhile marveling at how much has happened since I left those hallowed halls 6 months ago. And I got to go to the concert with the new advanced choir and the Wind Ensemble, which was so amazing. Can I just say, Eric Whitacre? If you haven't heard his music, look up his Virtual Choirs. For serious. They are absolutely brilliant.

Unfortunately, all of this madness has meant my word count for the weekend was just under 2K for the weekend and a big whopping 0 for the past two days. And today I slept until 1 pm, simply because I was so freaking exhausted from the tail end of sickness, and not getting whole lot of sleep when spending the night at my friend's house on Monday. So I got the whole day started late, and there was a whole lot of catch up on life that I had to do before I could even think about writing. Including writing this blog, because this is sort of my way of psyching myself up for actually getting around to this whole writing thing. It's not like I haven't thought about the novel at all. I mean, I talked about it with all my friends, including the one who helped me iron out a lot of the plot in a pre-November brainstorm. It's just I didn't actually write, not even 750words, which was sad because it means I lost the monthly challenge and my streak. I tried, but even writing on my phone, I couldn't find a half an hour to myself to work on it.

So here's to word counts and getting back into the swing, and hopefully writing enough to feel like I'm caught up with everything and can live my life.

It's Here!!

November is finally here and I have so far spent the whole day on the computer either writing or taking mental breaks! Good times. I decided that I wanted some serious buffer (because next week is going to be especially crazy), so I challenged myself to 10K for the first day. Currently, I'm at just under 8K and I'm going to a write-in in about an hour, so I'm hoping to be able to knock out the rest of it there. If all else fails, I'll write the scene with the eggs... But so far, I've been able to maintain my train of thought.

The only problem I seem to be having so far is something that I probably should have foreseen. I decided to do this novel in a completely different tone than basically anything I've written in the past year or so. I have written in the style I want before, but it's been awhile. So I'm this far in and just now starting to get back into the swing of the tone. But I'm getting better at translating the humor in my head to humor on the page. As I was writing the first 2K, I realized that there was no other substitute for the problem then just working through it and going back on December 1st to edit and actually make the first part as funny as I want it to be. And until then, I will push through. I'm also hoping that the write-in will help me to unlock that part of my brain a bit, as human interaction seems to do.

Next time, I'll try and have some excerpts to post up here. And until then, happy writing!

Oh the Joys Of Internet Woes

I realize that title contradicts itself. But it is a reason, however shoddy for my lack of updating. It is a very long story as to why my internet is now sporadic and contains mostly of my phone serving as a mobile hot-spot. But it involves making money by staying in a house that has no internet access. And a computer that is having issues with the world. Suffice to say, I am taking my web where I can get it.

I'm hoping this won't interfere with my NaNo plans too much. I just have to check to see if the new features Yarny just released include an offline feature. If they do, then my prayers have been answered! If not, I'll live somehow. There is always the lack of distraction argument, but I don't know how well I'll do with that in practice if I'm always forced to have the web connected when writing. It may be a trial and error kind of month. My favorite.

In other news, I started this thing called 750 words. It's basically a challenge to write 750 words a day. The best thing is, they're private and it can be everything, not just a day to day report of your life. Like a thought dumping ground that reminds you to dump every day with a handy dandy e-mail. I'm thinking of using it to brainstorm for NaNo and/or to clear the decks for NaNo. Again, something that will work itself out. And 750 words seemed to me like a lot (though it really shouldn't...), but once I actually did it a couple of times, I realized that if it's just a train of thought entry, it takes me like, 5 minutes. Fast typing honed by the 20-30 page, and endless 1-5 page college papers that I wrote within hours of their due date have prepared me well for this. If anyone who may happen to read this wants to try it, the website is 750words.com. I like it.

And that is all, for it is late, and although I have loved these hours of uninterrupted internet time, I must away to the land of minimal connectivity. Until next time.

Oh, the Forums!

I have never been a huge participant in forums. I would check them out years ago when Neopets was still cool (oh how long ago that seems) and I was avid on certain Lord of the Rings fan sites, but since then I have contented myself with other forms of internet addiction. Now though, I have discovered the NaNo forums, and it has effectively sucked me in. There's just so many interesting threads! And people keep posting! And I feel a little bit like a n00b for just now discovering this, but I'm okay with that!

To avoid writing a full soliloquy on forums, I'm going to change the subject now. I spent all day yesterday typing back and forth with a friend of mine on facebook chat, hashing out various details of the book. I now have a plot, a cast of characters, a name for my countries and the various deities in charge, and sea monkeys. I'm very excited, particularly about the sea monkeys. Also, I came up with a legitimate way to incorporate one of my dares into the story, and it even worked perfectly to fill a plot hole. It was a good day. Now I'm left counting the days until I can actually start writing this wonderful story I have cooked up in the space of the last 5 days! I suppose I'll live. There are always the forums...

Apparently people never grow out of dares

I discovered this while wandering through the forums on the NaNoWriMo site. There are multiple threads dedicated to adding random scenes, characters or lines into your novel for no particular reason other than comic relief. It's brilliant. The threads are worth it just to read through and imagine novels in which they would actually happen, even if you can't use them. And of course I picked up a few things that should fit nicely, seeing as I'm already planning on doing a random and off-the-wall plot. I was glad to find them.

And I worked up the first of my character profiles, at least partially. I'm excited that I'm finally starting to get something solid set down for this. Based on the rules of the event, you can't start writing anything that will actually be in the novel before November 1st, but you can outline, profile and plan details as much as you want. The dares help with the plot details, providing jumping points and ideas for supporting characters. I picked up a few running gags too, just for good measure. I think the next step after figuring out the characters will be building the world. I'm still trying to figure out how I want to finish the novel. I have this feeling that if I don't figure it out now, and have it tangible and dangling in front of me like a carrot throughout the month, I'll never end up finishing the thing. No bueno. I did figure out a title though, thanks to one of the other forum threads. It shall be called "History is Written by the Reluctantly Contracted." I think it's great. This is going to be fun...

Also, I think I'm finally recovering from my stupid wisdom tooth thing. At least, I ate a full, solid meal today for the first time since I got the work done. It was sooo tasty, and so worth it, even though I had to ice my jaw for awhile afterwards to kill the pain. It will be a long time before I take solid food for granted again.

Insanity

So apparently, when I'm low on insanity, I must come up with ways to inject more into my life. It amazes me that I just now realized. Enter NaNoWriMo, the short way of say National Novel Writing Month, which takes place in November. 50,000 words. 30 days. How much more insanity could you ask for?

I actually heard about this last year, but it was already about half-way through the month, and finals were looming, so I declined to start late. Then, last night while wandering around the internet (after creating this blog...) I remembered this opportunity and went to go check it out. Minutes later I was signed up, and now I'm trying to figure out a plot, characters, title, main agenda, etc. So far I've figure out it will probably be YA, probably sci-fi/fantasy, and hopefully very humorous. I just have to find something that I can sink my teeth into. We'll see. One thing I do know: this certainly helps get me to my goal of writing more in the near future. And if I make it through, it will be further proof that I can withstand incredible pressure and not come out of it babbling like a maniac. Because if four years of finals twice a year couldn't do it, 30 days to write 50,000 words could.

http://www.nanowrimo.org

This is when I realize how much I need to get a job

When I start looking for any way to have contact with the outside world, even starting a blog. A blog is something I have avoided since Xanga died out years ago, when I realized I needed to start making sure I knew what I thought before unleashing it on the world. Plus, there is always the stereotypical blog with no purpose other than to make the author feel validated, when they're really mostly getting ignored. But hey, I feel like after four years of being forced to articulate my thoughts for a grade, I'm ready! I can be ignored, and I'm okay with that. Mostly, I'm just bored of being stuck at home with no job, only one friend really close to me, and no money to travel and see my other friends. So in their place, there is a blog. Not that a blog could ever remotely replace my friends. I'm going to stop digging that hole now.

Anyways, I realized when school started again and I wasn't in it that I had never actually not been a student. This freaked me out more than a little. And after I got over the shock, I discovered something even more shocking. I miss it! After swearing up and down for most of the last two years that I was so done with school for at least 5 years once I got my Bachelor's. Maybe, maybe if I hadn't had a complete crisis of life over the summer and had started this time with a plan, I wouldn't miss it so much. But right now, I miss having that intellectual conversation surrounding me constantly. There's a sort of energy, a feeling of being part of a bigger unit, a shared sense of purpose that I never noticed until it wasn't there. Now my lack of motivation isn't as big of a mystery to me. I know what I'm missing. The hard part is finding a way to have motivation without that.

So there it is. The main reason I need to get a job (because leaving my thoughts to bounce around with no direction for too long will end badly), but also why I started this blog. To give myself a place to write, to work through my thoughts enough that I can actually remember why I wanted to do this thing called Life at one point. Maybe that's why I don't care if it gets ignored. Because it's as much for me as anyone. Isn't that how writing should be?

Until the next time my thoughts overflow...