Cross Post: Summing Up My NaNoWriMo Experience ... again

You can read all about it on my other blog, the one where I write mostly about the creative process and the stuff I make.

This year, the process was more time and resource consuming because my goal was to reach 50,000 before Thanksgiving. I was hoping for an earlier "win." Say, around the 15th of the month, because that would give me a better chance of finishing the story by the end of the month. I have trouble with motivation in months that don't involve NaNoWriMo.

Maybe in December I'll go back to my usually bi-weekly updates. It's not like I don't have anything to write about or show you. My impulses have been satisfied with a daily word count goal of 2000. (Previously 2800.) Not sure what that means, if anything. Wonder what life would be like if I wrote 2000 words every day?

0206 - Words and a photo

hey.
who are you.
i'm your new boyfriend (makes sexy pose with snakelike flexibility gazing over his should at me). yep. that's right. and you can draw me any way you like.
uh huh. i suppose someone hired you to wish me a happy birthday.
no. no. it's nothing like that. ... well, maybe.
well, you're here. i guess that's all that matters. get me a drink, will you?
certainly! love to! what would you like?
surprise me.
right. uh. okay. back soon.

the dust really shows up in the sunlight. and i have this urge to fly away to a sunny beach and lay out ... (2008)

2004 in the office

0201 - Words and Art

why not just get a bunch of rats and toss them in a room with hazards and see how well they do. i be[t] they develop a society much like ours and i bet they also have maniacs who refuse to see the wisdom of the collective. (2005)

I have no idea what this is - a bad day, I guess (2004)

0123 - Words and Art

... my generation and we have other issues now an[d] worse has happened. greater innocence has been lost--like ours. that 's the theme of this generation: loss of innnocence: Vietnam, kennedy, drugs, martin luther, our own acquisitiveness, kids. so there it is. mission acquisition. (2003)

this is not right not good and not the way it was supposed to be. the w[a]y it was supposed to be i was to marry a nice rich man who would care for me and have his children and they would be wonderful children who would grow up to have wildly successful careers and be filthy rich and take their grandma around to lots of interesting places and have scintilating conversaions and know many foreign languages. and after they were grown and gone my wealthy husband and i would travle around and have a wonderful relaxing life on the beach.* (2008)

Name Tag (1999)

*Hah!

0121 - Words and Art

to pull the ichat the ribbons the dregs the highway to pull to reach to run the rails the rails the rails that aren't rails the highways or paths or ways of the energy of time and space the length of the morrison and what's that the fuck of the energy and god dammit and there and there's a still small voice drowned out by energy and direction and flow and although i long to jump into the raging river i stay by the still quiet streams and rest and think and enjoy just having my toes in the water insted of full on swimming whatever that is and why is that and that is and there is no flow and i am just pulled and pushed and then the eddies carry me along to the edge of whatever and i am again at the creek the silent nay burbling creek with it's precious stones and quiet bugs and random footsteps and silly aquinas moments and the dread of something something to take me away ...

those things that i do, art, write, blog, poetry, movies etc. are all ways to touch the real world. the world where the paths are true, the steel true and the blades straight. where it really happens. i wish to live there. to stop wishing and just go with the flow to follow the path. what is required? no one knows. (2008)

Random Sky 2 (2004)

As I look ahead and glance behind this 365 Make Something weighs in as a onerous task. Can I really dredge up the past for 365 days? I've done it for 21 days (with a bit of cheating - back dating posts - although, as I've been told, on page 3 the book says "there are no rules.") and that feels like 60. So. We'll see.

0118 - Words and Art

medieval man, questing man on a horse. a horse draped with the traps and coverings of a man on a saddle slowly moving across the landscape. the heavy, brocaded saddle blanket showing his wealth and vanity and personal preference for green. his head is bowed under a wide brimmed hat that drips with cold rain. he is happy. he looks always ahead at what is to come, knowing he will soon be home. And after that another adventure, another task, another commission. he is quite content with his life. under his merchant demeanor is a master swordsman and knife thrower. he is very comfortable with almost any blade. he passes through the village, barely noticed, his passing is normal and often. it is early evening. as he passes the light begins to glint sporadically off of his various appurtenances. he nods to some passersby. they return his greeting. a couple of children - hair blowing and rough, checks reddened and dry - pass by in a hurry to achieve the home fire. the man stops at an inn. as he ties up his horse he nods again to well appointed gentleman and his wife. (2001)

Emotional and Rational (2000)

website background (2001)

My man, Kaeel, a stock figure from Daz (2009)

Current Fads
Listening. It's Not For Me to Say - Johnny Mathis and Ray Bradbury Radio Dramas Collection; dog's barking in the distance
Watching. Remington Steele (Season 3)
Activity. looking for work
Gadget. iPhone 3 GS
News Sources. Google News, BBC News (online), random newspapers left lying about in cafes
Reading. Transforming the Mind - His Holiness the Dalai Lama; The Real Thing - Henry James; The Case Has Altered - Martha Grimes
Writing. nothing - it's a bad world!

0117 -Words and Art

Unlock Books! (2008)

On this day in 2004 I also worked on a short story based on a dream. Here's the beginning.

Lanexa Kel Doth - The Wander

At the end of a dry, dusty afternoon between the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, my mother and I wandered out of the desert and into a press of people flowing slowly through the gates of a walled village. Our food was gone, our water nearly depleted. We were nearing the end of my obligatory 18 month spirit wander. We were looking forward to seeing our family again.

It looked like the usual gathering for a monthly market. We slowly followed the crowd through the gates, thinking of water and cool baths. We said nothing nor did we approach anyone. We slowly and carefully joined the crowd, testing the atmosphere, blending into the masses.

We followed the flow of the crowd—stumbling, gazing and jostled . An old woman approached us. She was firm and energetic but reserved. Her eyes were clear and open. Her hair and clothing covered with a large white cloth—well woven but not coarse. She was impeccably clean. She obviously did no labor. Clearly, this was a holy woman.

“You are strangers here.” She said. Almost a question, but not quite. Her hands fluttered halfway out as if questioning an embrace.

“Yes. We are new here.” My mother responded, levelly with no inflection. Kind approaches in the past had turned to hostility.

“My village is preparing for a festival. I must tell you that the village is sealed off during the festival. The gates have been locked behind you. No one is allowed in or out.”

Shock registered on my face.

“However, we are obliged to make strangers comfortable,” she continued, the beginning of a smile on her face and an apology in her eyes.

Pretty Pattern (2008) tee shirt art

While the 17th is a good day for writing, it's not such a good day for art. At least as far as quantity is concerned.

0113 - Words and Art

Tall Tales (2007)

1-13-98b (1998)

1-13-98c (1998)

0108 - Words and Art

foist next day in the stop of well the heavens are not here and i am not you and this is not not and not and just be and think well of me and nonsense of nonsense ... the morning is so red and the evening is so red. so much for that sailor's tale. of which there is nothing left but the ship. (2008)

he's a little oppressive with his courtesies. and like a tiger ready to pounce. i never did find out how to remedy too much tiger. (2003)

in the VCU Alumni Drawing Studio, Jan. 8, 1994

Meet Grar, the Prototype

Here's Grar. He's just a draft. As you can see he has a pigment problem. That's because the version of Michael 4 that I have does not let me use skins I already have for Michael 3 which means I'm going to have to do Grar over in M3. For now, he'll do. Although you see Grar as a warrior this is how he dresses on his time off or maybe in his dreams. Grar is a short guy, compared to the other Pathbreakers, and as a weakling, the job he has is mail carrier. You can see the tension building can't you?

I am a mere 9972 words behind, so it's back to work for me.

songs and guys

Current Fads
Listening. Let My Love Open the Door, Sherie Rene Scott and Heard It In a Love Song, The Marshall Tucker Band; dripping rain
Watching. Breaking and Entering (2006)
Activity. writing (OMG!)
Gadget. iPhone 3GS
News Source. the news feeds in Safari
Reading. The Tao Teh King, or the Tao and Its Characteristics - Lao-Tse (translated by James Legge); Death of a Macho Man - M.C. Beaton; Story - Robert McKee; Ask and It Is Given - Esther and Jerry HIcks
Writing. Cosmic Control: The First Age

novel writing statistics

I'm up to 15,561 words as of this precise moment. I'm ignoring the internal editor with a vengeance and even writing some things on purpose just to make her cringe. Ha! Ha!

I love the statistics page. I love seeing precisely how many words I've written and how many I need to write each day to make it to 50,000. I also like seeing how many days it will take me to finish at my current pace. I like it because even though the statistics are right they are wrong. You can't predict my novel writing behavior from what I've done in the past. I know that I will catch up (at least I'm assuming I will because I have in the past). I plan to catch up. I plan to make the goal no matter what it takes. Last year it took more than one 5,000 word day. This year I am (again!) trying to keep up and even get ahead. I'm not sure but might be that huge rolling stone of words left to write giving me the momentum I need to keep going.

I also like the process. I had no plan when I started writing. I simply began typing and a story presented itself. The story evolves on it's own. I open up and let the story out. That's all it takes.

Last year one of my motivations was having a donation page on FirstGiving where some of my family members had donated to my little write-a-thon. So, I had to finish. This year I'm just writing. I plan to finish, though. I've written it here so it must be happening.

You can find out more about this year's novel by clicking on the mini-graph on the right.

James River Writers Convention blurb

I felt like "the woman who walked out on David Baldacci" as I left the auditorium. David was, indeed, in the podium answering maybe the sixth question following his presentation. Well, if everyone wants to do a marathon Q&A with David, okay, go ahead, but I have to get up every so often and move around. I was sitting in maybe the fourth row and the room was packed. I was at the third Plenary Session (whatever that is – I think it means for the entire group) of the James River Writers Convention.

David is a good speaker. Very entertaining. Gives good answers, too. My favorite: to the question "Where do you get your ideas?"

"People act as if I have about 12 ideas and that when I'm done writing about them it will be over." He went on to say that he is passionate about curiosity and is an information junkie, collecting from everywhere he can. "As long as I have a passion for curiosity, I'll have ideas." Which I loved because I'm curious and love collecting information. Nice to know my penchant for web surfing is an asset.

Passion, vision and themes were words I heard a lot throughout the day. They were good for fiction, non-fiction, talking to agents, publishing, discovering your novel's genre and screenwriting.

The critique of first pages (which followed David's talk), during which the first page and a half of a novel were read anonymously, focused on those old journalism W's: who, what, where, when, how. If you can't stuff that into the first page and a half you will lose (apparently) four out of four editors and agents. Still, it was instructive to see how an agent's or editor's personal preference and speciality influenced wether or not they decided to pursue publishing a novel.

I didn't hear any analysis about the current and long-lasting fad for lean writing or hollywood influenced action/adventure stylistics. The novel has got to rock in the first few paragraphs or it's over. Apparently no reader is willing to hang out for awhile and take the time to become slowly immersed in a novel. Ah, the 1800's!

I'm going back tomorrow for another full day. I'm looking forward to it even if it means that today doesn't feel like Friday and I might be even more tired tomorrow than I am today. I learned a lot. I'm looking forward to the last minute addition "Connecting Fiction and Non-Fiction." Seems to be a trend.

Good Quotes from Small Gods

Time is a drug. Too much of it kills you.

You couldn't put off the inevitable. Because sooner or later, you reached the place when the inevitable just went and waited.

"There's a God of Lettuce?"
"Why not? If enough people believe, you can be god of anything ..."

– Terry Pratchett

Want to know more? Read the book!

Stephen King for Free!

Watch a series of animated graphics. Reminds of "The Plant" serialization days. Never did get the whole thing. I guess the publisher got wigged out over PDFs. You know, there's just too much concern about locking up content.

too many notes

I actually spent most of the day not at Ravencon (see previous post). The lawn needed clipping and with my hack of a mower I cut the whole thing nearly twice. A week of rain has done its damage. There was a lot more to do out there. Instead, I relished the fruits of my labor by planting myself in the sun with a book.

I attended exactly one workshop, the Poetry workshop. It was (I should have guessed) about sci fi poetry. Defined as speculative, not necessarily otherworldly. We wrote and read haikus and expanded on them and read those. My poem had too many adjectives. I tried too hard. I just can't write poetry on command. I try but it doesn't work. Anyway, here is my improved poem

Expansive
arrested by a curving range of desert mountains
hovering between beige and aqua
translucent copper orbs
expand
fill the curve
spreading
in silent brownian motion

below
agate bowl of water
tilted in the sand
drink of recognition

Interested in real sci fi poetry (mine's a bit too zen, I think)? Hie thee to Helix and Mythic Delirium.

Attendees were dressed up. Fun to see. I bid on a piece of dragon artwork. I have to go back tomorrow to pick it up. The games room was packed. The hospitality shelter was packed. The halls were packed. It's a party.

And you are ...?

I'm attending Ravencon. My first con. I know where all the geeks are. Well, not all of them. I don't qualify, of course. I can clear a conference room in no time. I came in on the end of the "Are comics just for kids?" forum by which time the seven attendees were engaged in desultory conversation about prejudice against graphic novels. After I sat down they ended the discussion and cleared the room. I stayed for the next discussion on "How to write a blurb." Which turned into "How to write a query letter" which will later be the blurb used on the back on your dust jacket and in all other attempts to sell your book.* The tiny room was full except for the two chairs on either side of me which were apparently off limits to everyone else or were covered with a frost that I couldn't see. Half way through the hour a very senior gentleman entered pushing his walker. I shoved the furthest chair and mine aside, making room for him to exit his walker and enter the nearest empty chair. A tiny rustle stirred the room. Ah, now they knew who I was. Friend of old man. Nah. Guess again.

Last weekend I attended my first non-denominational earth-centered spirituality retreat. For the first 24 hours I got pretty much the same reaction. No one is rude or cold. There just happens to be a larger berth of air around me than anyone else has. I'm sometimes talked to as if I have made a wrong turn and am too proud to admit it. No. I want to be here. Listen. I've tried everything else, why not this? And get used to it. I'm not the only bored boomer out here. There's plenty of us looking for new, different and educational experiences.

*It's scary the amount of marketing publishers expect author's to do. The author is supposed to determine their market, locate the editor or agent who covers that market, sell it, write the blurb and the pitch. Really. I would have thought just writing a good book was enough.

I love you! You're wonderful!

Thanks for hanging in here and waiting for me to return to blogging. I don't know what it is, but nothing is inspiring me to write. Sure sign of an amateur or I might just be lazy or it might be spring and I'm having too much fun or ... Whatever. Pick a lovely reason and hug it close to your heart.

I'll be back.

Current Fads
Listening. Time Waits for Everyone, Viggo Mortensen; Love and Other Obsessions, Spyro Gyra; Deep Sleep Every Night, Glenn Harrold
Watching. L.A. Story (early nineties)
Activity. making others happy
Gadget. iPod Shuffle
News Source. none
Reading. The Terra-Cotta Dog - Andrea Camilleri; not reading a lot right now even though I am a reading addict. SL is sort of getting that time. I'm building a grove. It's totally cool and I have this pet fish named "Fin" that swims around my avatar's head and blows bubbles. And my avatar has lovely ragged fairy wings and she's blue.

I'm Back!!!

Woo hoo! Happy Dance! I gave up on Verizon and adopted Clearwire. And guess what? Clearwire really works! And it's faster than Verizon! and it's cheaper! Nyah! Nyah! Nyah!

Is that great dialogue or what? Oh? It's a monologue? Why do I care? I have joined in for the annual madness known as Script Frenzy. This year I will be writing a screenplay even though I had a choice of TV script, stage play and screenplay. I am now the proud author of 1.5 screenplays. Which is great? Right? Wish me luck.

Better yet. You do it, too. We need more stories.

My Popular Mom

My Mom was interviewed by Gus Lloyd on Sirius Satellite Radio "The Catholic Channel" about her "little book." My Mom has written books, articles and text books. She has been referenced as an authority on Catholicism by well-respected theologians. She was amazed to discover herself listed as a footnote in a well-known theologians book. However, nothing seems to match the attention she is getting for her little book. "Words of Comfort ... As You Grieve" is a tiny book, about the size of a playing card, that matches specially selected scriptures with the stages of grief. Today at lunch I told a couple of friends about Mom's little book and they asked for a link. See! I'm not just anyone. I'm the daughter of a Catholic celebrity!