Now What?

Well, that's not actually a serious question. Now that NaNoWriMo, and NaBloPoMo, are over, it's not like I have a dearth of things to do. I have to turn my mind to Christmas, finish preparations for the book launch this week...and I would like to try and keep blogging. I really enjoy it when I'm doing it, but it's an easy habit for me to fall out of.

Tonight I'm going to start a Christmas knitting project--nothing too difficult, it's quite a while since I've done sweaters or anything else really time-consuming. I have a couple of small projects planned, and if they go well we'll see what else I might tackle.

NaNoWriMo was a bit of a struggle this year, but I'm glad I participated, as usual. The story is structurally not good, but I know there are places where, for first draft writing, it's really improved. I saw a big change in my daughter's committment this year as well--she was really engrossed in her story and didn't need nagging or reminding to get those daily words in. It was fun working with her, and with some new NaNoWriMo buds, like my pal Chivalrybean from Second Life who kept me virtual company many writing nights, and others in the SL F&SF Writers Workshop, where we had weekly meetings to keep each other encouraged. As well, my usual supporters, like McDoogle, the AFWD group, and my friends and family had my back for the month. So, thanks, everyone!

I already have plans for a few writing projects to tackle in the new year. I'll keep you posted as they come up.

And done

Done, with a day to spare. Fifty thousand words in 29 days. It's not anything like a complete first draft, but yes, it has potential. I don't hate it, anyway.

Considering everything else I had going on in October and November this year, I'm feeling pretty good about it, all in all. I'm hoping to do quite a lot of rewrite work in 2009; I may not get to this particular project, but it will be on the list. I think it's mainly lacking the foundational work that I didn't have time for beforehand--if I worked up a better structure, the rewrite would be fairly straightforward.

I'm off to validate, download my certificate, and give my brain a break!

Home Stretch

Three days left in NaNoWriMo.

Three thousand words.

I think I can do it. :)

"Latest" Meme

I am running out of steam on many things right now--NaNoWriMo, book launch preparations, blogging...so today it's a meme again. This one requires some memory work so it could be rough...

Latest Road Trip: 2007 summer vacation to Toronto
Latest Bad Advice: Received or given? Never mind, I can't remember either
Latest Movie I Saw in a Theater: Twilight
Latest TV Show Watched: Kim Possible (?)
Latest TV Show I Enjoyed Watching: Heroes
Latest Book I Tried to Read: can't recall
Latest Thing I Left Home Without: Money to buy my niece a present to take to a birthday party
Latest Take Out Meal: KFC
Latest Celebration: My brother's birthday
Latest Item Loaned Out and Haven’t Gotten Back: Probably a book
Latest New Words Added to Vocabulary: "locus of the points"
Latest New Word of a Foreign Language Learned: attrire (French for attract)
Latest T-Shirt Acquired: Peace & Love graphic from cafepress.com
Latest Package Received: A new bellydance coin belt!
Latest Web Site Visited: http://ocremix.org
Latest Injury: an unexplained bruise
Latest Run In with the Law: n/a
Latest Place I’d Want to Live: I don't know, I pretty much like it here
Latest Physical Fight: I punched a guy once when I was in high school...
Latest Magazine Read: Wired
Latest Thing I Broke: a glass
Latest Thing I Fixed: a wooden rabbit
Latest Thing That Made Me Laugh: A new exclamation coined by my son; "mother catnip!"
Latest Thing That Made Me Go Huh?: my daughter's math homework
Latest Thought: how many more words to get to 50k?

The Daft Draft

I told my sister tonight that this is the worst first draft I've ever written--in fact, I said, I should be calling it a "daft," not even a "draft."

However, I'm not letting that little fact get me down. Here's one thing that I've learned in seven years of NaNoWriMo--every novel is different. Not just in content; every novel experience is different. Some flow like water. Some flow like cold molasses uphill, as they say in my part of the world. Some turn out to be not nearly as messy as you first imagined. Some turn out to be, as my old boss used to say, a dog's breakfast.

But, what's the alternative? NOT writing? Is that really better?

I don't think so. So I'll be happy with my daft draft, whatever I have to do with it to make it to the 50k finish line.

Until I get to the rewrite...but there's lots of time to worry about that.

Bellydance

Didn't know I was a bellydancer? Well, you learn something new every day.

Just a beginner, of course; my sister and I took a class last fall, and now we're taking another with a few more friends and family in tow. It's great fun and exercise and I think we're going to continue with it. And the costumes are fabulous!

We've found a choreography online that we're going to try to learn ourselves, outside of the class. It will take a while, but it's very pretty and a steady workout as well. We took a first stab at it tonight. I'm glad no-one was watching. :) However, when we're done, it will look something like this:

NaNoWriMo Update

Of course if you're keeping up with my little widget in the left sidebar you can see my NaNoWriMo progress in terms of just word count, but it doesn't speak to my mental state.

This is the hardest NaNo I've ever done.

Well, maybe that's not true. The first attempt last year was going so badly that I switched horses in mid-stream and had to make up a week's worth of writing, but after the change it flowed like water.

I think the problem this year is that I didn't have enough time to think about it beforehand. I'm not much of an outliner, but I do like to have an idea of the story arc. This year I only had an idea about the beginning and not much more. So it's going very slowly.

In addition, planning the Undercurrents book launch and doing all the promotional work for it is taking far, far more time than I ever expected. That was due to my own naivete, but it's been a learning experience all the way through, so why should this part be any different?

Anyway, I hit 40k last night and want to put on a drive now to the finish. The house is clean, groceries are laid in, and I'm making a map of the week that includes lots of writing time. Hopefully it will work out.

The Birthday Month Personality Meme

Fresh out of ideas tonight, which could be because I've written almost 3000 words on my NaNo novel today already. However, this little meme looks interesting. It's interesting to wonder how much family and friends would agree with one's own estimation of personality traits.

I don't think I'll tag twelve people to do it, but if McDoogle, Helen, and Karen would like to try it out that would be fine. So, here goes. The instructions:

1. Mention the person who tagged you and create a link back to them.
2. Copy-paste the traits for all the twelve months (see below).
3. Pick your month of birth (see below).
4. Highlight the traits that apply to you. (I can't seem to highlight so I've bolded. I've also inserted some entirely unnecessary comments)
5. Tag 12 people and let them know by visiting their blogs and leaving a comment for them.
6. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve done it.

I wasn't tagged, but snagged this meme from cotojo.

My birth month is June.

JUNE: Thinks far with vision. (not quite sure what this means, but...) Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. (if this means procrastinating, oh yeah) Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. (Hmmm...I think I'd still be a lawyer if this were true) Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. (Ha! I can't remember the last time I was bored!) Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn. (possibly)

Overall, more like me than unlike, although a few characteristics are really out there. Fun to think about, though!
____________________________________

JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

Twilight

I should say first off that I haven't read the Stephanie Meyer series that begins with the book Twilight, although I may in the future. I was not one of the wide-eyed fangirls standing hours in line at the theatre to be one of the first to see the movie. In fact, I broke a little personal rule of mine about not going to a movie on the opening day by going to see Twilight last night. However, there were extenuating circumstances, and see it I did.

I did enjoy the movie. I did have some quibbles with it. They were, however, not really story quibbles as much as movie quibbles. I found some of the vampire makeup not terribly well done (too stark), and I think the movie didn't need to be as long as it was. (No doubt die-hard Twilight fans will think it was exactly the right length, and since they're the target market, I won't fault the moviemakers for that.) The main character, Bella, who is also the story's narrator, didn't come across as a very sympathetic character in some ways. I think, though, that as is usually the case, her motivations are probably very well-explained in the book and glossed over in the movie. So anyone who has read the book(s) will be able to fill in the gaps.

This is not a movie for horror-movie fans. It's a movie for romance fans, and particularly teen-romance fans. So be warned.

I find some of the discussion around this aspect of the movie (and the books) sort of amusing. The protests that the vampires in the Twilight series are not "real" vampires--in essence, that Meyer has not followed the vampire "rules." I think it's funny that some people think writers should be constrained in their original treatments of imaginary creatures, because they're not doing it "right." I think there's always room for a fresh take on an old idea, and writers have every right to go ahead and explore those new ideas.

The real question for me in going to see Twilight was whether I would find it a difficult movie to watch because of my...you know...thing about vampires. The thing that started when I read Stephen King's Salem's Lot. It's not that I can't stand vampires--I've watched movies like Blade and Underworld--but I'm always a little worried that I'll get too creeped out.

Not a problem in Twilight, really. Much of the violence happens off-screen and what blood-sucking there is, isn't very horrific.

Which is not to say that I didn't hurry in from the car when we got home. There might have been something lurking in the shadows.

What and How I Write

A meme for today, and perhaps particularly apropos during National Novel Writing Month:

1. Do you write fiction or non-fiction? Or both?

I write both, since I write non-fiction primarily for The Scriptorium and fiction for...um...everything else. Fiction is my favorite, although there's a certain satisfaction in a good non-fiction piece as well.

2. Do you keep a journal or a writing notebook?

I'd like to keep a journal. I really, really would. I have, in fact, started keeping a journal many, many times. I just can't ever seem to stick with it for more than a few days. I have no idea why.

3. If you write fiction, do you know your characters’ goals, motivations, and conflicts before you start writing or is that something you discover only after you start writing? Do you find books on plotting useful or harmful?

It depends on the story. Some of my favorite things have come about by just making it up as I go, very little figured out beforehand. Others, I fail to plot at my peril, and end up mired in quicksand and directionless. I love to read books on plotting, and then decide whether or not the various suggestions might work for me.

4. Are you a procrastinator or does the itch to write keep at you until you sit down and work?

Champion procrastinator.

5. Do you write in short bursts of creative energy, or can you sit down and write for hours at a time?

I did a lot of writing when my children were very young, so I think I trained myself to write when the opportunity presented itself, instead of waiting to be inspired or for that perfect block of writing time. So either way works for me.

6. Are you a morning or afternoon writer?

Morning and nighttime are actually my most productive times. Afternoons, I feel lazy and my brain doesn't cooperate so well.


7. Do you write with music/the noise of children/in a cafe or other public setting, or do you need complete silence to concentrate?

I'm flexible. I can write through distractions, I can write with music (as long as it has no lyrics to distract me), and I can write in complete silence.

8. Computer or longhand? (or typewriter?)

Usually, longhand notes and computer for the actual writing.

9. Do you know the ending before you type Chapter One? Or do you let the story evolve as you write?

It all depends on the story.

10. Does what’s selling in the market influence how and what you write?

Not really--I don't write quickly enough to cash in on what's hot at any given moment, so I think it's better to write what I want/need to write and hope it will find a home when the time is right.

11. Editing/Revision - love it or hate it?

Sometimes it's hard work, and sometimes it's nice to sit down to some good right-brain application. I do love the results of an editing job well-done, and it's part of the package, so I try not to complain about it too much.

Quantum of Solace

Last night we went to take in the latest James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. It's actually been a while since I saw a new Bond movie. I loved them at one time, but the past few Bonds haven't really piqued my interest. I felt that the movies had perhaps devolved too far into fantasy and too far away from Fleming's original vision. In fact, I didn't even see Casino Royale.

However, I plan to correct that little oversight since seeing Quantum of Solace. I like Daniel Craig's interpretation of Bond--more serious (in fact rather tortured in Q of S) and actually involved in a plot with some meaning. Craig's personification hearks back to Sean Connelly's Bond, although without Connelly's sardonic amusement with the world at large. I also enjoyed Judi Dench as M. She brought a new dimension to the character, which I appreciated.

The movie is fast-paced with tons of action, as a Bond film demands. My only slight quibble is that I realized upon leaving that I still didn't really know what the title meant. I believe it was mentioned in passing, but I might have been distracted by something else because, although I have the impression that it refers to a geographical place, I'm really not sure. I think with a title this intriguing, it could have been emphasized just a bit more.

All in all, I think fans of the early Bond films, or of Fleming's books, should enjoy this newest incarnation.

Chandler Project

A quick note today on a new organizer I've been trying out--and already I love it. Chandler (http://chandlerproject.org/) is a free, open-source organizer with the ability to share data with other users or across multiple computers using the online Chandler Hub.

Tasks, to-do lists, calendar events and the like are tracked on a triage basis of "now," "later" and "done," which makes it easy to see at a glance what should be on your immediate radar. There's also an option to create an email directly from Chandler, so that you can take some tasks from start to finish without switching programs.

I'd like to be able to customize the interface colors a little more, but other than that I have no complaints. It's easy to learn and is proving very helpful as I organize all this book launch data.

Book Launches

The past year+ has been busy for me with the task of co-editing an anthology of speculative fiction from regional authors. We received, read, commented on, accepted, rejected and edited stories, dealt with the jobs of deciding on a print/sales venue, book design, typesetting, cover art, back blurb--it's a lot of work to make a book!

I've decided that all that went before was basically a cakewalk compared to the job of organizing a book launch. Venue considerations, refreshments, arranging readings, arranging inventory and sales details, invitations, press releases, posters, flyers, promotional copies, review copies--wow. I have to have lists to keep track of my lists. ;)

Random 10 Monday Meme

This sounded like fun:

List 10 songs that sum up your weekend...or were on your weekend playlist...and one picture that relates back. (oh, and if you feel like it, tell us why you picked the songs you did)

Ten songs that actually summed up my weekend would be rather dark so I think I'll just list ten that I listened to and enjoyed over the weekend.

1. Old School ~ Hedley
2. Dark Moon, High Tide ~ Afro Celt Sound System
3. All the Strange, Strange Creatures ~ Dr. Who: Series 3 Soundtrack
4. Feel the Rush ~ Shaggy
5. Raks Asherof (bellydance music)
6. Sleepless Nights ~ Faber Drive
7. Whirl-Y-Reel 2 ~ Afro Celt Sound System
8. The Futurekind ~ Dr. Who: Series 3 Soundtrack
9. Never Again ~ Kelly Clarkson
10. Fall for You ~ Second Hand Serenade

Lots of instrumental music there--not hard to tell it's NaNoWriMo. ;) As for a picture...I might think of an appropriate one to add later.

Reading Meme

Well, it's the 16th of November and this is the first meme I've included all month. I think that's pretty good. And this was an interesting one to answer.

Do you remember how you developed a love for reading?
Really, I don't remember a time when I didn't read or when reading was not important to me. The library was one of my favorite haunts as a child, and I remember the wonder of the big floor-to-ceiling bookshelf at my grandparents' house, its shelves piled with everything from science and astronomy texts to fiction to art books to field guides. I loved it.

What are some of the books you read as a child?
Well, this could take a while if I answered it in detail. I was never afraid to bring home more library books than I thought I could read in two weeks. I recall some favourites, at different ages, being Edward Eager, Enid Blyton, L.M. Montgomery, Walter Farley (were there ANY Black Stallion books I didn't read?) Nancy Drew, Bobbsey Twins. On that bookshelf I mentioned there were also old titles like Invisible Scarlett O'Neil, Girls of Silver Spur Ranch and The Casting Away of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine.


What is your favourite genre?
Definitely speculative fiction, although I have an abiding love for well-written mysteries as well. I branch out sometimes with historical fiction, thrillers, YA, chick lit, and the occasional "literary" novel, although I find them generally trite, misery-obsessed and pretentious. I also like non-fiction on topics that interest me, which could be anything at any given time.

Do you have a favourite novel?
Wow, I don't think I could pick one. Some favorites are The Sea and Summer, The Hitchhiker's Guide series, Discworld, and Beggars in Spain, but there are many, many more I love that I'm leaving out.

Where do you usually read?
Anywhere, really.

When do you usually read?
Anytime, although often at bedtime.


Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?
It's not unusual for me to have more than one on the go, especially if they are different genres, or if one is non-fiction.

Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?
No.

Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library?
I don't buy as many as I used to, and I check more out of the library now. Which is probably a good thing, since all our bookshelves are full and there really isn't much space to put more bookshelves.

Do you keep most of the books you buy? If not, what do you do with them?
I do keep most of them, in case I want to re-read or loan them. I should cull more than I do, but it's difficult.

If you have children, what are some of the favourite books you have shared with them? Were they some of the same ones you read as a child?
I've read and recommended a lot of my old favorites to my kids, as their ages match up. Some tastes in reading are not the same though, and books that appealed to me don't stand the test of time with young readers now. My daughter and I often read and enjoy the same newer books now; in fact, we're reading the same copy of the same book right now. That takes some scheduling! I am glad to say that we are a household of readers.

What are you reading now?
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, and Kiki Strike by Kirsten Miller, and Payback by Margaret Atwood

Do you keep a TBR (to be read) list?
It's more like a stack, which starts on the floor and reaches a little higher than my nightstand. Oh yeah, and it's double-stacked in some spots.

What’s next?
Not sure--possibly Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, but it will depend on my mood on the day I'm choosing.


What books would you like to reread?
I reread the Douglas Adams books every couple of years, just because they are so much fun and they still make me laugh out loud.


Who are your favourite authors?
In no particular order, Terry Pratchett, Nancy Kress, Connie Willis, Dave Duncan, Jack McDevitt, Elizabeth Moon, Neil Gaiman, Sophie Kinsella and I could go on and on...

Borrowed, Stolen, or Merely Recycled?

With the unexpected addition of a new character who just showed up in my NaNoWriMo novel tonight, I've come to the realization that the book I'm writing is almost the same as the book I'm reading. Change the setting and the genre, add a few characters, change a few circumstances, and really, it's the same story.

This is bugging me somewhat. Although I should hasten to add that I don't mean I'm plagiarizing the book, or deliberately lifting ideas, characters, incidents or anything else from that book and putting it into my own. What I mean is more subtle. I can't really even put my finger on it; perhaps it's merely a mood or an overtone, a resemblance in character interactions, an examination of similar relationships.

And really, is this all bad?

Depending on who you ask, there are a limited number of "plots" available for the writer to address in any given story--that number ranges from one to about sixty-nine. Perhaps we shouldn't worry too much about absolute originality. At my daughter's school the other day I noticed a poster that read something along the lines of, "Those who are afraid to imitate never create anything."

I guess I'll just get on with the creation and not worry about the imitation. It's the sincerest form of flattery anyway, so they say.

Tyrannosaurus Rex Digestion

I took a "useful" quiz today to find out how long it would take a Tyrannosaurus Rex to digest me if I were accidentally consumed by one.

Good to know, good to know.

An apt quote

Came across this quote today in the signature of another writer. It is particularly apt for writers, considering the long waiting times we endure while hoping against hope that this time it will not be another rejection letter.

"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide whether it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they're deciding, make even more art." ~ Andy Warhol

It strikes me that during NaNoWriMo, we can't even wait for ourselves to decide whether we love it or hate it. We just have to keep going.

And come to think of it, it applies equally well to a lot of things in life.

The Worst

I'm thinking that this is probably my worst NaNoWriMo story ever, at least so far. What I'm writing seems pretty much irredeemable at this point, and sadly, there isn't even enough of it to be able to say I'm on track with my word count.

And I really hate that bar in my NaNo Report Card spreadsheet that keeps telling me, "At this rate, you won't finish on time." Shut up, already.

I'm thinking it's time to take a day, sit down with some index cards and colored pens, and brainstorm a plot for the next 30,978 words. That might help. Probably couldn't hurt.

NaNoWriMo gripe

Why does it seem that for every NaNoWriMo project, I have one word that I can't seem to type without getting it wrong? And it's invariably a word that comes up over, and over, and over...

One year it was "wormhole"--in fact, that was the bugaboo for two years, counting the sequel. Another year it was my main character's name, "Rosinda," which kept coming out as "Rosidna." I forget last year's, but there definitely was one. This year it's another character; not my main character, but one very close to her. Caleb. I keep typing his name as "Cable" or "Calbe." And dammit, his name is Caleb. I can't change it.

When I think of how many more words I could have written now, if it weren't for all that backspacing and re-typing...

Remembrance Day Musings

Today, as most years, I went to the Remembrance Day service in my small town. There's a park and a beautifully-maintained Cenotaph. A small contingent of veterans, cadets, and other groups (like the volunteer firemen) march from the Legion to the Cenotaph, where a service and wreath-laying are held. Pretty much the same thing is going on in other towns and cities all over the country.

It was a mild day for November 11th here; although a few rain droplets fell while we watched the veterans pass and walked after them to the Cenotaph, the sun came out soon after. It was warm on my back as I listened to the opening remarks, although there was a breeze stiff enough to send the Canadian flag and those of the Colour Party snapping while we observed two minutes of silence.

The service is fairly well-attended in our town, and today I was observing the diversity of folks who turned out. During the two minutes' silence I watched a blond teenager quietly and carefully join the crowd, carrying his skateboard so as not to disturb the quiet. He wore a black "30-hour Famine" hoodie and part of a shiny bicycle chain hung as jewellery around his neck. He softly laid his skateboard out of the way so no-one would trip on it and waited until the silence was finished to take a few photographs of the veterans and assembled honour guard. Then he stood quietly and attentively throughout the rest of the service, next to an elderly couple, bundled in warm coats and scarves and hats, who undoubtedly still hold hard memories of war. Nearby, some young children played quietly, surely not understanding even a fraction of what was going on around them, but picking up somehow on the sombreness of the event.

As usual, the playing of the Last Post made me tear up, as did the Piper's Lament. At one point I was thinking cynically about all the politicians turning out today to pay tribute and perhaps take advantage of a photo opportunity, even while they have made or helped make decisions that sent others off to war. Do they feel conflicted? Guilty? Remorseful? Or are they fully convinced that their decisions were absolutely necessary and have no need to reconcile the two?

Today I'm thinking about two family members in particular. My great-uncle John, who fought in the Second World War and came home with scars mental and physical and a drinking problem that eventually ended his life; and my grandfather's cousin Alec, who went off to the First World War and sadly did not come home at all. We have a postcard that he (then around 18) sent to my grandfather (then 9 or 10), who was worried about him. It's very poignant to hold it and read it, and know that he would die shortly after writing it.

A lot to think about today, and no conclusions to arrive at. Perhaps the thinking is enough.

National Gaming Day

Okay, so it's a project of the American Library Association, not the Canadian one, but still, it's a great idea: National Gaming Day @ Your Library. Raising awareness of the fact that libraries in the 21st century may still have books and reading at their heart, but their reach extends far beyond that. Wizards of the Coast is among companies donating copies of games to libraries.

Sounds like a great idea!

Spring in November?

There are purple crocuses blooming in my garden right now. That's an oddity in this part of the world for November. A good friend remarked that she hoped her 12-year-old son doesn't see them, as he's already worried about global warming.

Actually, he doesn't have to worry, since these are fall-blooming crocuses anyway. They're not a sign that anything is wrong, they're just doing what they're supposed to do, when they're supposed to do it. It's all good. I'm not certain that planting them was actually a good idea on my part...I did it for some fall colour/interest in the garden, but seeing them now has had the effect of reminding me how far away spring really is.

What's really sad about the whole thing is that kids have to worry about these things. Some of them are aware enough to know that the problems we've been making are going to be theirs to inherit.

Crank it up

The last two nights I haven't gotten to any NaNoWriMo writing until 10 at night--not a good habit to get into. I'm predicting, though, that it might continue this way for a few more days yet. Here's to cranking words when the opportunity arises and not falling behind.

Here's the excerpt from this year's novel that I have posted on my NaNoWriMo page:

Luke sat on the end of her bed, his dark hair sticking out everywhere in a truly impressive bedhead. She’d have to wet it down for sure to tame it this morning. “It must have been a pretty bad dream to make you scream like that. Was it about Dad?”

“I don’t remember, okay?” Maddie regretted her flash of annoyance almost immediately, but Luke didn’t seem bothered by it.

“Okay, whatever. I’m going downstairs. I might as well eat since I’m up.”

Fear clutched at Maddie’s chest for a moment, and she almost told Luke to stay upstairs. She didn’t know where that thought had come from, though, and it was gone as quickly as it had come. “Sure,” she said. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

After Luke had padded out, Maddie thought about the dream. Oddly, Luke’s mention of going downstairs had brought it back—or parts of it, at least. She and her father had been at the bottom of the stairs, right here in their house, and he’d been trying to tell her something. Something she didn’t want to hear, although they hadn’t been arguing, exactly. He kept repeating something about the staircase, but although in the dream she could see his lips moving, that was the only word she could make out. He’d held out something to her—a flat box, she thought, but her hands passed right through it when she tried to take it.

That was startling enough, but then she’d realized that her hand had also passed right through her father’s fingers. Panicked, she reached out to touch his arm, but her hand met nothing. Then she was wildly grasping, trying to take hold of his hand, his shirt, anything. Every time her hand passed through.

A noise surrounded them suddenly, seeming to come from all directions at once. It started low, a murmuring like water over stones in a brook, then grew to a roar—and shattered into the sound of something tumbling, clattering down the stairs toward them. The Maddie in the dream knew suddenly that they had to get out of the way, and she made one last grab at her father’s arm. He was no more substantial than he’d been before, but this time her hand somehow knocked the box from his grasp. It fell and broke open on the wood floor, and a swarm of black beetles erupted from it, their legs whirring as they poured out and scuttled in every direction. Her father didn’t seem to notice them, but his already-ghostly form began to fade.

Just then whatever had been falling down the stairs tumbled into Maddie’s legs and knocked her down, into the mass of beetles. Their legs skittered horribly over her skin, and that’s when she’d started screaming and woke up. She shuddered at the memory.

Abruptly, Maddie swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. It had just been a stupid dream, and she didn’t want to think about it any more. She’d go and wake Ren, and they’d all be ready for school early for a change.

As she pulled clothes out of her dresser, wishing she’d thought to throw her good jeans in the washer last night, she thought she saw movement on the floor under her window, just out of the corner of her eye. Her heart leapt again as images of the beetles from the dream flashed in her mind, but when she turned, there was nothing there.

“Hey,” said a voice from the doorway, and she jumped and almost screamed again. It was only Luke, a slice of toast smothered with peanut butter in one hand, ever-present math book in the other. “I forgot. Happy birthday.”

“Thanks.” Maddie took a deep breath and forced a smile.

“Guess what? I’ve got the first fifteen digits of pi memorized now. Three point one four one five nine two six five three five eight--”

“Great, Luke!” Maddie interrupted. Luke and his math obsession. Why couldn’t he be obsessed with something useful, like making dinner or keeping his room clean? “Go wake Ren, would you? Then you can tell her, too.”

He went off down the hall and Maddie sighed and turned her attention to her clothes again. Some birthday this was starting out to be.

November 7th

This is always a sad date for me, since it's the anniversary of my Dad's death. He died suddenly in 1982, when I was just nineteen. My youngest sister was only a year old at the time. And my father was only 45, just the age I am now.

That is a very strange thought.

Today I read over some poems I wrote in the months after his death, and they still made me cry.

A NaNoWriMo Tip

I suppose this tip really applies to writing anytime of the year.

Clean up your desk.

If you're anything like me, November swoops down seemingly without warning, while you're barely recovering from (or not quite finished) all the other projects you've been trying to clear away before NaNoWriMo. Most likely, your desk or writing area looks like a bomb hit it.

Take a few minutes, an hour, an evening or a weekend (!) to clean up. When you approach your desk for your daily writing session, you'll feel lighter, less guilty about all the other things you "should" be doing, and the words will flow easier.

Try it and see if it makes a difference for you. Obsessive neat-freaks can ignore this advice. :)

At the Sign of the Starcase

Here's a brief description of my 2008 NaNoWriMo novel (YA fantasy):

In the five years since Maddie’s father disappeared, she and her family have struggled to go on with some semblance of a normal life. That life is shattered by the arrival of Neb, a vaguely rabbit-like creature who turns up in Maddie’s room one night, pleading for her help in finding a powerful book called the Cyclopedia and telling her that her father is still alive—but trapped in an alternate world. There’s no question that Maddie will try to help Neb and hope that by doing so she’ll be able to rescue her father. But keeping the rest of her family safe grows increasingly difficult once she finds out that there are others from that world who want the Cyclopedia too...and they don’t care what they have to do to get it.

Maybe tomorrow I'll post a little excerpt. Tackling the word count early today since I might go Christmas shopping tonight.

What else?

What else could I blog about today, other than the US election? As I write this, the polls are coming in, but the end result is still unknown. I feel very apprehensive, worrying that the wrong result will be returned--"wrong" meaning that it will not be best for America, or for the rest of the world.

I am very worried about what will happen if McCain and Palin are elected. I feel it will signal the start of something very, very bad. Something that will have repercussions far beyond the US.

So, fingers crossed for Obama. I'm not a very political person, but I certainly have my opinions.

The Empty Car

This morning as I was driving my kids to school, I turned onto a side street to find an SUV sitting smack in the middle of my lane, not moving, no brake lights. I slowly drove around it and realized there was no-one in the vehicle. Weird. I dropped my daughter at her destination and drove past the SUV again. This time I looked carefully to make sure that there was no driver slumped sideways whom I had missed the first time, but no, it was definitely empty.

I kept on with my appointed school rounds, but now my mind was racing through all the scenarios that might result in the empty vehicle in the middle of the street. Sudden illness, crime, alien abductions...you get the idea.

I drove past it one more time on my way home, having decided that if it was still there and empty I would drop into the police station and mention it, because it was certainly creating a hazard. This time, though, there was another vehicle and the SUV was open and they were working around it. So, a simple case of some kind of mechanical failure.

However, I found the whole experience somewhat weird and unsettling--my mom says due to my writer's imagination--and I was thinking how much we take for granted on a daily basis; that pretty much 99% of anything that happens to us on a given day will be within the range of "normal" as defined on any other day. When something outside that range of normality happens, it throws us off-balance. And it doesn't have to be something big.

A good thing for writers to keep in mind, I think.

Noveling, Blogging and Bellydancing

Our household is off to a good NaNoWriMo start: we are all on track so far. My daughter and I both woke up early this morning (without alarm clocks) with the idea of writing before the day got too busy. I have about a third of the days' words done.

We also went to our bellydancing class. This is the second class I've taken, and the first for my daughter. We are having so much fun with it! It's just a beginner level class but we are already talking about moving up to the next level once this one is done. Today we learned new choreography, so we'll need to find practice time soon to get it stuck into our heads.

On the blogging front, I think the most difficult part of keeping up with it will be remembering to actually do it. I had a brief panic this morning thinking I'd missed a day already. :)

Now off to a NaNoWriMo meetup. It's snowing just a bit for the first time this season, but I don't expect it to amount to much. Made for a chilly drive to bellydancing class, though.

November 1st

Well, it's been a busy day. I had family things to do in the morning, a workshop session this afternoon, and now I've been working on a few administrative things for NaNoWriMo. It's 8 p.m. and I've yet to write a word of my own story...but it will come in a bit. I'm not worried yet. My daughter and I are going to start together once I have these odds and ends out of the way.

My eight-year-old son started his NaNoWriMo project last night after midnight, following trick-or-treating and a Halloween party! He was very keen to get started, and he's set himself what I think is a very reasonable goal. It should be an interesting month with three of us writing in the household.

Wish us luck!