| :: my story makes me giggle :: |
[10 Nov 2008|04:28am] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
 amused |
] |
Still behind, but still hopeful, so as long as I can keep the doldrums at bay, all will be well.
In other news, here's the most recent line I wrote, for your amusement:
Nothing had been the same since those Texas yokels got creative beyond their mental means with particle physics.
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| :: new writing gadget :: |
[09 Nov 2008|03:34pm] |
| [ |
music |
| |
Cake - Short Skirt_Long Jacket |
] |
i wrote 1567 words last night using this odd writing tool called Write or Die. it's awesome, but don't slack on your writing pace or it WILL make you very sorry. it's kind of scary sometimes. but it worked.
i'm rewarding myself with some quick, if chilly, hooping time in hofner park with some other local hoopers, and then i'm coming right back here to try and make up some words.
after all, i'm only 9611 behind.
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| :: everlasting? pshaw :: |
[08 Nov 2008|06:57pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
 apathetic |
] |
I have become addicted to Gobstoppers. They seem to be the accompaniment to this year's NaNo. (Though suprisingly, they have not shown up *in* the NaNo yet.)
Word count growing, not as quickly as I'd like. Reverting to doing some writing on the computer tonight in an attempt to get the words out faster. How much will this help? We'll see...I kind of just want to nap.
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| :: HAHAHAHA :: |
[08 Nov 2008|05:24pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
 surprised |
] |
Kel, dear? I believe I found your dodos.
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|
| :: a NaNo Letter :: |
[07 Nov 2008|12:47pm] |
My reply to the "To The Dark Gods of Writing" thread in the NaNoWriMo Ate My Soul forum.
*******
To the Dark Gods of Writing (most specifically Caffeinatrix, from whom all Blessings and Inspiration Flow,)
Hi. I'm sure you've noticed that I'm quite behind. In exchange for time to write that doesn't jeopardize my job or relationships, the death (or lengthy incarcerations) of my Inner Editor and Inner Procrastinator, interactive, 3-D characters, overactivity on the part of my muse, and some semblance of a point to my story, I will gladly offer up to you:
- The used coffee grounds from every pot of coffee I have to brew to survive this month
- Approximately 1/4 pound of dusty-tasting UDF French Roast coffee
- 1 package of multi-colored Post-It page markers
- All gel ink pens in my possession
- The surprise Great Dane my roommates adopted for use as your personal steed
- My fluffy-edged, sequined, light-up pink bunny ears
- A skein of hand dyed yarn
- An Invader Zim postcard
- The old strings from my boyfriend's mandolin
I also promise to light a circle of candles on the front lawn and fire hoop inside them in your name(s) the moment I reach 50K.
Yours in Wordy and Caffeinated Reverence,
Hex
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| :: well, well, well :: |
[01 Nov 2008|08:26pm] |
Today I discovered a first person narrator - or narrative voice at least - that I didn't know I had - and about whom I know nothing, at the moment. I also met Jasper, who is a Fervid Ember...whatever that is. It does sound promising though.
Just keep writing.
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| :: forum post, copied here for posterity :: |
[22 Oct 2008|05:19pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
hopeful |
] |
Dear Muse,
OMGWTFBBQ? I appreciate your obsession with devotion to this idea you've given me. Honestly, really truly I do. It's a nice, shiny idea. I have a lot of questions about it, which you're currently being kind enough to let me mull over with well-timed input from your Muse-y Self. These things are *awesome.*
HOWEVER.
You do realize, oh giver-of-words, that without characters, nothing will happen in this beautiful world you're driving me helping me to create? If there are no people, there is no sleep to harvest, no dreams to steal, no realities to tear, no zombies to invade, no fire spinners to spin fire....nothing. It is a beautiful, intriguing WASTELAND.
Character concepts are all well and good, and they are helpful, I suppose....but aren't there any actual characters you want me to meet? Any at all? Side characters? Main characters? MC's pets or parents or grocery clerks? SOMEONE?!
I understand that there are still 9 days until these people would be allowed to do anything, but I'd like to get them primed and ready. I've never had a world with no characters. It makes me feel all wibbly-wobbly inside.
Please help. I am off to grind coffee beans in your name, oh Muse.
Lots of Hope (and caffeine!),
Hex
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|
| :: musings :: |
[21 Oct 2008|06:43pm] |
maybe i'll do this and maybe i won't. between gigging/practicing with incendium, teaching the circus class, drag, band, and work, i feel like my life is - thankfully - busier than ever before. but this has been such a fantastic and amazing year so far that i have a feeling i won't be able to resist seeing what happens if i tackle nano in it. bajillions of new things happened to me this year...maybe winning nano could be on that list too.
i'm starting to get story ideas. the idea i've been tossing around with jon off and on all year about what would happen if you could transfer sleep between people is starting to branch off and make me wonder more things, and the only way to answer those questions is to - duh - write a story. so there's that plot line/societal institution.
i'm also still really interested in last year's zombie apocalypse plot line. okay, so we have a zombie apocalypse in a world where sleep - and hence maybe dreams/abilities/nightmares/drug trips as well - can be transferred between people?
but i also kind of want to write about burning man. okay....underground dreamweavers at burning man who fight off a zombie invasion?
oh wait and i want fire spinners. i might want them to save the city/region/world by fighting off the zombies with their amazing fire spinning skills.
where do these things come from, and why do i keep doing this to myself?
i also think i will probably have to make a promise to myself to handwrite the story this year. i don't have a laptop and i don't know anyone who can loan me the use of one. in past years i've gotten really caught up in the process of transferring things handwritten into the hard copy in the computer. i always wind up finding myself stricken with words somewhere away from a pc/the lappy (in years when i've had a lappy.) i wind up with too many copies, i wind up wasting time transferring words, i might not hit save...too many horrible options to contemplate. plus that process opens the door WIDE for my internal editor - who is loud and proud and difficult enough already to contain - to go rampaging through my hard-earned words, ripping things out left and right.
in the days of my most prolific writing, my best creative writing was always done by hand, even when i was simultaneously chatting and looking up supporting info on the compy. i'm kind of in love with my own handwriting, i am DEFINITELY in love with the feel of a good ink pen gliding across paper, and if there's one thing i love to buy, it's new notebooks/journals and writing utensils of all sorts. i'm thinking i'll bribe myself with a thick, beautiful notebook - maybe a moleskine - and a package of pens with the smoothest flow i can find. (bonus points if they're available in multiple colors, negative points if it's gel ink.) it'll be super portable, so i can write any/everywhere, i'll only get to use the notebook and pens for nano, and if they're good enough pens, you wouldn't believe how much motivation that will be for me.
so handwriting 'twil be for this gal, and i'll get to keep a crazy word count and force myself not to edit b/c the pages won't be as pretty and my count will be frakked if i do. a few people in the forums number every word they write when they count their totals - it's a procrastination thing, as i understand it. that would be an amazing way to enforce an "absolutely no editing whatever happens" rule on myself, which would undoubtedly be a very Good Thing...we shall think about this plan, yes we shall.
now, if only i could find myself some characters. i can only pull so directly from "real" life....
bardi...what are the guidelines for writing a border wars story? i mean...what are the established truths or histories or whatnot of the world? should i just go back through and read what's been written in the universe so far? is there a compendium list of those lj entries anywhere (tags, whatnot)? mind you, i'm not trying to start a deep philosophical discussion here, although i've a feeling i may've done so. i just have a sneaky suspicion that it's going to wind up creeping up in my stories...especially if lean away from the zombies, which i think i've figured a way to do...gotta think up some conflict...oy. rambling. good practice, lol. anyway, yes, border wars info please kay. :) thanks.
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| :: a taste :: |
[08 Nov 2007|08:14pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
 geeky |
] |
| [ |
music |
| |
Imogen Heap - Have You Got It In You? |
] |
Kay, so I am the world's biggest NaNo slacker. I know, big surprise. I just...I've been getting flashes, but no big long marathons of writing. I'm trying tonight. We'll see. In the meantime, here's the beginning. Maybe if someone looks at it I will be more motivated to write the frakkin thing.
( on the river... )
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| :: most. appropriate. icon. ever. :: |
[01 Nov 2007|01:14pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
geeky |
] |
| [ |
music |
| |
Nightmare - Sally's Song |
] |
So this year, I'm writing zombie apocalypse Cincinnati. Not sure who precisely is behind it yet - I suspect Dayton and Lexington may be ganging up on the 275 loop - and I have no characters with names, but I know where it starts and I know that at some point there is a zombie brain-licking chihuahua puppy. (Her brothers are a pair of pit bulls.)
I have a flash drive - the one I'm using for work too, thanks to my company for that - and I'm picking up a copy of the Zombie Survival guide today. Or tomorrow, since now I have to go into the office today. *sigh*
At any rate - this should be interesting. As usual.
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| :: no words free :: |
[16 Nov 2006|09:53pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
anxious |
] |
| [ |
music |
| |
something....ambient but with a beat |
] |
Dear Inner Editor,
Get the everlasting FRACK out of my head.
No love,
nanowrimolissa
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| :: redirecting thought and energy :: |
[13 Nov 2006|10:52am] |
| [ |
music |
| |
forgotten not forgiven is STUCK IN MY HEAD |
] |
It's all material. Direct it all into your novel. That's what you have characters for - to subject them to things, right? So what if it turns into chick lit urban fantasy - that's not so bad, that's almost kind of a new genre sort of but not really. At least it would be different. Maybe it doesn't distract the mind, but at least it turns it into something quasi-productive/worthwhile.
Word count too depressing to post. See me after I use my story as therapy.
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|
| :: stand another round :: |
[10 Nov 2006|01:44am] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
geeky |
] |
| [ |
music |
| |
the hum of battlestar being downloaded |
] |
Well, I'm still not being as productive as I'd like, but I passed a milestone today, so I'm happy for that. Plus, I'll be at home for a couple of days, and I'm hoping I can swing some outdoor writing time now that I have the laptop and I've learned that for a pentium II running 98 FE, this computer gets hella good battery time. Well over an hour of browsing time, probably closer to two. It's not perfect, but the Muses know neither am I, nor is my novel. So we're getting along well, at least so far, barring some quirkiness.
Out of town, thus can't make the Saturday write-in. And likely I won't be able to make the one on Thanksgiving weekend either as I have unique and faboo plans for that day. Though I don't know what time, so maybe...
But I babble unproductively. Off to try to channel it into the book. My MCs are almost all still in the coffee shop...though at this point it has digressed into a drunken revel complete with Irish jigs and songs by the band to which I was so fortunately recruited, Nil. (Thanks to Bardi for letting me use the lyrics free of charge. ;) Oh, and one of my male MCs is glowing green, but only out of the corner of my female MC's eyes.
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| :: movin on up :: |
[09 Nov 2006|04:07am] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
 thankful |
] |
| [ |
music |
| |
trying to conquer quicktime |
] |
Dear Muse,
I'm not sure who you are just yet. I thought you were Stephen, but he's one of the masterminds behind Operation Battlestar Distraction, so I think that idea is right out the window.
Whoever you are, thank you for letting me somehow write almost 2000 words today. That is, quite frankly, stellar. I feel better about my novel at least, which is saying something.
I also deeply appreciate the fact that I've been privileged with some basic information as to why this is all happening, and what the sweeping plot arcs are. FINALLY.
Just let me know what kind of offerings you accept and prefer, and I'll be all sorts of there.
Yours in much <3 and gratitude,
nanowrimolissa
Dear Loki,
Thank you for being a crazy fucked up pseudo-god. I apologize for turning you into a petulant, self-pitying, slightly dumb resevoir of anger and boredom. You are my hero for finally making up your mind as to exactly what role you wanted to play in this thing I call a story. Woot. I'll try not to abuse you too terribly much.
In Thanks for the deus ex machina,
nanowrimolissa
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| :: my steam is gone: maybe I can switch to coal? :: |
[08 Nov 2006|10:30am] |
| [ |
mood |
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 confused |
] |
| [ |
music |
| |
pssh |
] |
Dear Fictionnati,
I apologize from the bottom of my heart for losing interest in you so abruptly and so thoroughly. It's not that I don't like you; I do indeed, and the characters with which you people yourself are fascinating to me. It's just that I've discovered this other 'verse, where there are also fascinating characters. I don't even have to put words in their mouth or pull on their strings to get them to move around their world! And no offense, but I think Starbuck is way hotter than the main female currently wandering around and hanging out in your coffee shops.
Unfortunately for my craving, but luckily for your fledgling-novel status, there is a finite amount of Galactica available to me. While your word count may suffer now, I hope it will soar rapidly...as soon as I figure out who really is a Cylon and who isn't.
All my Love, Your Creatrix,
nanowrimolissa
Dear Battlestar Galactica,
STOP BEING LIKE CRACK FOR MY SCI-FI LOVING BRAIN! Your characters and plot themes are invading my fictional city! Your devilish tension and gripping battle scenes occupy all of my brain's energy, making it nigh on impossible for me even to WANT to write, much less be able to put words down on screen. Every time I try to figure out why the hell Loki is tricking himself into giving up his powers, Boomer jumps into my head - traitorous Cylon hussy that she is - and I just want to set things on fire instead of explain them in torrents of words.
So please, I beg you...try to tone down your siren call. Or at least don't pipe it directly into my brain...
At least until November is over.
No Love but Much Turmoil,
nanowrimolissa
Dear FMC, aka Sam,
I'm sorry that you're still stuck in that coffee shop. I'm sorry that the most interesting thing that's happened so far is an outburst of military marching cadences and you speaking briefly in a mystical magical language. I promise the Cockney Rhyming Slang will cheer you up. Maybe then, I'll even let you go home; hell, I'll even describe the place you live and maybe let you have a nightmare!
I'm also sorry that this is probably going to turn into Feminist Chick Lit Urban Fantasy with you as my MC. I know it's not what you wanted, and it's not what I envisioned. But well, I guess we'll both have to suck it up.
Now do something interesting or I'm going to leave you in that coffeehouse for all of eternity!
Love When you Inspire Me,
nanowrimolissa
Dear Loki,
Would you mind telling me why in the hell you've decided that giving up your powers of your own volition is the key to setting yourself free? And is that mysterious stranger who's putting the idea in your brain really a projection of yourself, or is he someone else? Is he from your pantheon? Why the hell would you GIVE UP YOUR POWERS?? And why does it WORK?? I know how they're getting to the mortals... how are you going to get your powers back? And why is it part of someone's evil plot to get you to give up your powers anyway? I AM SO CONFUSED!
Desperate for Almost-but-not-quite-Divine Help,
nanowrimolissa
PS: Are you looking for followers since you were never actually worshipped? Is that it?
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| :: rage, rage against the dying of the light :: |
[30 Oct 2006|03:44am] |
| [ |
mood |
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anxious |
] |
Once more into the fray and all that stuff. I find myself for another year attempting this craziness we call National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo for the savvier. For those of you keeping track at home, this will be year five for me and the Nano, though I've approached it with differing levels of seriousness each year. (I don't like that word and would prefer something like "seriosity" instead, but meh...)
This year, I have the use of a laptop, which I'm hoping will make a huge difference in my word count. It eliminates duplicating my work, which I've had to do every year previously. That makes it hard to keep the inner editor at bay, and it eats up valuable writing time as well. I type much faster than I can write, so I'm ahead there too. And everything can go directly into my Google Docs account. Wee-ha!
I also decided that I'm probably not writing a novel, strictly speaking. Rather it'll be a series of interconnected shorts that all take place on the same day in a city I'm currently calling Fiction-nati until it develops more of a unique personality. I've taken enough liberties with the place already that I can hardly claim it to be Cincinnati itself, so we'll see what kind of creatures populate it and what their mood is before I dub it anything. Maybe I'll be lucky and it'll wind up being a two or three word city name. ;-)
The basic premise is that for whatever reason - I haven't figured it out yet and the why/how story will probably be the last in the set - magic happens to this city for one day. Each story is going to be about a different way it manifests. Different characters, POVs, etc, but all the same city, same day, probably some character swapping etc.
There's a dog with aspirations of becoming a god, banshees replacing the sirens in ambulances for a day, causing the sirens to turn to prostitution to make a living, the story of ganja bull the 4:20 mascot, and a haunted equipment closet on a tech support helpdesk. There will likely be an appearance of microphone gremlins. There is a woman who shares her cat's mind for a day, a pair of friends thrust into a real life session of Heroes of Might and Magic V, and a boy who sets things on fire. There may or may not be lesbian vampires. Around all of this, the cops have gone Super Troopers for a day.
1667 words a day. I never think that's too bad until I'm actually in the thick of it. Here's to insanity; see you in December.
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| :: Dear Caffeinatrix... :: |
[28 Nov 2005|02:04pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
frantic |
] |
| [ |
music |
| |
umm....don't know yet |
] |
Oh High Lady of Hot Caffeinated Bean-based Beverage Goodness, please help me to write swiftly and in deafness to my Inner E****r, evil word count smiting bitch that she is. Thanksgiving was not kind to my waist or my words, and now I am paying the price.
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|
| :: ah HA :: |
[20 Nov 2005|10:46pm] |
| [ |
music |
| |
Patrick Doyle - Voldemort |
] |
Wheeee! I am all caught up! YAY!
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| :: yipes :: |
[20 Nov 2005|04:34pm] |
Haven't updated in awhile. Have been quite behind on my novel for a few days, owing in part to Harry Potter and partly to a very distracting boyfriend who decides suddenly to skip his classes one morning and not let me get up to write. How terrible. < / sarcasm >
Haven't posted a word count in forever, so here's that:
Looks like I'm actually going to wind up getting caught up today, and maybe gaining ground, as my plot suddenly flows forth. (Haha.)
And, since I'm feeling cheeky, a page or so from my NaNovel:
( Cut For Your Reading Pleasure )
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|
| :: argh :: |
[14 Nov 2005|02:25pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
 cranky |
] |
| [ |
music |
| |
Patrick Doyle - The Quidditch World Cup |
] |
I lost a bunch of words somehow. I guess I imagined saving them or something, because when I opened up the file today, they were gone. Fortunately, it was a pretty memorable bunch of words, so recreating it all shouldn't be too difficult, and it'll probably be better this time around anyway, but still. ARGH. I am *SO* mad. Ah well. The pen pushes on.
Everyone please think verbose thoughts for me today. I need them.
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nanowrimolissa's journal
