anachred

This picture? This is a tradition I have with myself...*

What it means today is
I finished NANO!

It wasn't so much of a battle this time, so I am not really having much of a finisher's high...in fact, that will have to wait till I finish the book. Which still could be quite distant..




StupidFunny Quote of Me in the Past, via tag-surfing today...
Things I have to do Monday other than writing (sadly, there will be no Poisson...) are Legion, but do not include being disenfranchised and critical of: Poets on critique forums, Young Adult/MG writers at NaNo, my own ability to walk away from demeaning situations, the course of the world, the sick state of humanity, or My Own Ability to Accrue Library Loans to Read and Return At Inopportune Times.
(10/11/08)



* I started it back when I was on Xanga with my school friends. I posted hero-pictures when I finished papers or sometimes exams. It just helps express my feelings. ^_^

I was going to write a really tedious NaNo post, and then realized it and the next two attempts were...

Tedious NaNo posts.


Instead, I'll let you know I have watched a shameful amount of Korean drama now (like Coffee Prince 100% better than Boys Before Flowers) as well as a few Taiwanese shows--yes, in entirety--but have finally made myself honest.
I am studying Korean. Out of a book. And writing it down.



This is a good book.
Also, the first thing I've read by Neil Gaiman that is not a poem. (Just...don't say anything about that. Yeah.)

I read this at the jewelry store between handing off watches and taking in rings that had cracked along their sizings, today and yesterday.
It confirmed that Loki is a great Trickster and the extreme I can't love whole heartedly. He's the kind of guy I had painful crushes on as a youth*--very hot, very clever, and not so nice.

Great to read about. though ... and Odd is my man.


*I'm not wiser now. It's just that niceness has gotten much hotter, and meanness more revolting.

This is the part of the process where I realize nothing has happened, and seek desperately to fix that. I wouldn't say it was this far into the word-count on most novels, or even that it happens every time I try to write a novel.
When it doesn't, it's because I make a conscious effort to prevent it, though.

Word-count wise, though, it's going good!

42559 (59224) 2600 today, since I worked hard to get a main plot-point well underway...




Which involves taxis by evening, candle rituals, and a Very Big Press Conference. (Cleverly, I've managed to not make the press conference the actual plot point. This is not just because I know nothing about press conferences, much less ones for entertainer-types.)

Today we touched upon poisoned darts, metallic sneakers, gum-wrapper communication, and a love of airbrushing.

Freedom fears she is a sell-out, but if they're going to make posters of her face, touch-ups are a godsend. She mentions this in a self-introduction. I think this book has more introducing sequences than any book should have, but we'll fix that L8R.
Besides, the point is this is sort of a drill...

Today: 2148 words
NaNo: 33255
Total: 49894

I got to ask my brother a firearms question this morning which turned up info to change what I'd been doing into something cooler. Apparently, they really can shoot darts from an M-16 (the gun I put a picture of last time). It involves blanks, which would still have panic-inducing loudness, and an attachment. It also would kick less so a 17 y.o. girl wouldn't have so much trouble. PERFECT.




You probably already know this, but Linkin Park has some pretty skiffy music videos.
"Leave Out All the Rest" here is straight-up SF, if a bit space-opera.
I mean, these guys are astronauts getting caught in a solar flare or something. Have you seen it?

Up over 30,000 words, the latest section of which includes an emergency escape swing-set, doubling as a Korean boy-band, and intimidating fake weaponry.

Here's a snippet, where Freedom talks with some of the people who are interning at their school. Under the man who maintains and constantly updates the trap-filled Wood behind the gym. (Joey, Chelsea and Sienna are fellow students.)
_________________

“I don't know when I'm going to have the next chance to walk through your little wonderland," I said, "but the bits of it I could process the last time had me very impressed. Is the rain system permanent?”

“Oh yes,” said Clive. “That was here long before I arrived, anyway.”

“What about the Breadbox? We were in that one for a while...”

“We dug for that one,” said John. “And then planted the masking grass and so on. I was surprised it worked, though, with the first trigger, then the second trapping of two people. Glee knows his stuff all right.”

“You'll have to see if the veterans get fooled,” I said. “We're the perfect suckers for any of them. If it was a barb-wire fence I'd get right over it, but my trap sense is not so good yet.”

“Y'all from farm country?” Clive asked with a grin.

“You betcha,” I said, in my best redneck accent.

“Hey, you eat up, girl,” he said, apparently adopting me for my bob-wire skillz. “No use in exercising if it don't give you license to eat hearty.”

“Once I'm used to the exercise maybe it won't be so hard.”

Chelsea was looking unhappy. Maybe it was something personal, but Sienna also had an eyebrow raised.

“Sorry, did I come interrupt a conversation?” I asked.

“Not really,” said Joey.

“You're doing your job well,” Chelsea told me. “Filling the awkward silences.”

“Apparently, all those years keeping my stupid comments to myself were a mistake.”

John the Earnest laughed at this, and the other guys smiled.

“Maybe just a different one than you're making now,” Sienna muttered.

I've reached the point of this book where I have room in my head for other stories to fit.
This is also the point where one is throwing cues around and hoping for an exit strategy... The significant lack of plot is going to be fixed soon, though. I just have to wait until the time zones align and then--WHAMMO.

Freedom's problems go nuclear mutant.

This is, in any case, the theory.


Today there is climbing of trees, and silver headbands. Also, reappearance of eyeliner angst.

Nano Count: 23802 (total MS count: 40387)


The greatest thing about this book is that it's full of girls--they talk all the time!
The worst thing about this book is that it's full of girls, and...

Right now, the Backlash Girls are discovering the delights of the Danger Wood training ground at their new school which include:
a fort, trip-wires, and menacing ponds.

I'm particularly proud of that trip-wire image--despite the fact that it was sheer luck I came across it. Man, I love autumn colors...


The Facts Are...
I have no neuroses to report today, nor any particular triumphs. I was up to almost
14,000 words
new since NaNo started, though. (As of yesterday.) That makes the novel a little over
30,000.
I think it's a little fat, but this is a voice-driven YA superhero story. Whatcha gonna do? She's just *talking*...


The Big Question:
To bring to writer's group or not to bring?

Okay, it's official.

Backlash Girls is the book I'm writing this month.


(Yes, this is a mini-collage for the book. Yes, Ouran's Kyoya is pertinent.)

State of the NaNo

For one thing, the other project I tried to start is just not mature yet.
(My judgment about this has been way off lately, so I'm trying to be more careful. The signs are, it still needs to wait a bit.)

And I was reading it aloud to my sister, and my brother Dan joined, both laughing enough they got hysterical, when *everything* was funny.
Which is the kind of fuel I need to keep going. I'm more of a performer than I think.


Also, my heroine and a few of the other characters have started taking on that extra dimension of life that's so important. (Sometimes you just need to keep plugging secondary characters in until you have Chemistry...) So, that's that.



Snippet:
in which superhero costuming is just concluding...

When we were done, I noticed a woman with steel curls close to her head and the expression of a vet watching us from the entry to the stairs.

“Hello Freedom,” she said. “What a perfect hero name. You're going to be sorry.”

“That I got turned into a Power? If that's a warning, you're late to the party.” I collapsed dramatically to the floor, and winced away from the construction-sign orange on my legs. “Orange. Curse you, Ena, I hate orange.”

This is Wolf...Wolf was not in my plans, but now the plans have been rewritten. (As if I wrote a plan...)

Intervention Program Status

Today I only thought about getting on the Internet 3 times instead of 15.
I did break down and use my own Internet on my own computer with my own bookmarks yesterday. I did not write a whole 2000 new words, either. But I figured it's all about moving in the right direction...


photo found searching for "november sky"

Book Report Card

I did not write on the same project today, but I decided to allow that.

Until a few years ago, my system of priorities in writing was fairly regular. I had one project that was the Main Project, and a few others waiting, including a Side Project. The Side Project  was picked up when I was stuck on the other. Occasionally, it took pre-eminence after kicking into gear and replaced the first Alpha Book as the Main Project.

I've had various theories running around each other in my head like competitive gerbils about why all my projects felt like Side Projects lately. My two courses of action have been:
- Purposefully delaying starting a book (something I've forgot to do in a while)
- Allowing myself to nominate a Beta Book


(also found under "november sky")

Stats
So, Backlash Girls is functioning as the Beta. Today I worked on that, and also wrote a 1500 word story that is probably Not A Story, but hey, tale as old as time as far as I'm concerned... (It's about the Song of Endings, in case this ever comes up.
And, hey! I wrote over 3000 words today, even if none of it counts toward a strict NaNo tally.

I'm writing this from someone else's computer. (One of the approx. 10 in the house...)

I am not being held hostage, have not broken anything, or lost my Internet service.
I have, however, decided, to revoke my connection privileges until I remember how to Write for Serious.

I'm kind of using NaNo as an excuse.
I'm not sure I'm going to be focusing on word-count so much as writing ONLY for some time every day.



Obviously, I'm going through withdrawal. I've only scribbled on two pages so far, though I did also create a bad map, racial distinctions, and
decide to make international tensions a much bigger factor in my heroine's Senior Project. I may be here every day just to whine.

But. I DIDN'T get on the Internet probably 8 times before I came out to take a break.




Current Research Roster:
Odd Girl Out: bullying among girls
Introvert Power: reclaiming the internal gifts
Blink: what we know without thinking

This is the sequel to Thirteen Orphans, Jane Lindskold's fantasy where magic of ancient China has been coded into mahjong for the heirs of the Thirteen Orphans: powerful incarnations of the zodiac plus the emperor they served.

The fresh clothing of magic and the interesting background of the characters is really well served by Lindskold's ability to evoke images without bogging down into imagery. The Asian culture gives real color, and depth, too. The weak point in these books has been (to my eye) the rather wooden information-through-dialogue points. When one person shares knowledge, backstory there is no problem. When more than one person is talking about what they're doing, though, it is not fluid.

This bugs me, but not enough to pull me out of the story much.

I recommend this series, and may have to go looking for her other series' to last me until the next comes out...



Random Unfinished Short Opening:

SeBria was sitting on her duffel, looking about like every other cheap commuter in the station when o,Dickon came to pick her up. She swung up and grabbed her bag in a motion fluid enough for a wandswoman, but she was lanky and sat immodestly—he really didn't think he was going to like her kata. Didn't matter though; this was a favor to his sensei.

 

( Read (a smidge) more... )


...this story is one of the ones where I've used odd bits of Japanese culture/language to create something completely different. In this case, the overall concept of martial art and some bits of honor-language. I keep messing with this in short stories: hopefully someday I'll have a powerful enough idea to bring into a novel.

Since all my short stories still sound like Exercises in Fiction.

I can smell autumn coming.

Every year I sense it approaching and get shivery, waiting.
This year I enjoyed the summer, oddly enough, and still I am waiting for it.

The colors, the smells, the symbols. Layering clothes, rotting leaves, the burdens of harvest, I like it all.


NaNo is coming, too. I feel like doing it, though I don't know *why*. Or what. Maybe if I get the first Pirate book written, and it seems like it's going to be the right size, I can do the next in November. Hmm...



oh, and there was this...
A bit of book review, in the form of a video showing off my newest yarn project based on a literary character...

Thornmallow, of Jane Yolen's Wizard's Hall

For a Read-and-Knit-Along on A Midsummer Night's Dream, I created this yarn,
representing the character Puck, the Robin Goodfellow who is curiously sane
for the prankster fairy, in a play full of madness.

I have more pictures and rambling about this at my fiber blog.






In other news, I'm doing a copy-edit pass through Sheridan in Charade, the sequel to The Carnie's Con {Poisson}, and enjoying it a lot.

I did find one major bobble, though. Master Mandrake has a Sekrit Lab'ratory!

...and keeps Sherry locked out of the study earlier on, to do a procedure with chemicals.
I didn't know about the attic at the time, but I'm not sure how to fix the bobble. I like the revelation of the magician who loves science being where it is in the story. Right beat, if you know what I mean.

Maybe he'll just have to disappear to do it. Though that feels a little too easy. Dunno...

Heigh-ho, to work I go tomorrow.
I'm whispering sweet nothings to myself about the temporariness, though.

This week turned out to be my rest from NaNo--immediately after I was too exciting to write something ELSE to not write. This week I've been scanning over The Carnie's Conspiracy (Poisson) again, and that's about it.

Oh, and reading Charles DeLint's "Dingo". It's the first YA of his I've read that really impressed me as being natural. Also? It was very good. Really nice cover too:



My Big Bad Book Awards Post is coming
eventually. It's half-written, too.

Brace yourselves.

Chyaaa!
The book is done!

And for an image that really expresses my feelings:



(This picture thing is in the tradition of my previous blog--
I'd forgotten about it, but now I'm reminded there is no escaping!)

Eurgh...

chatting on Facebook, pulling out the Real Life Princess' book, anything but writing today. Because writing is creeping like a paralyzed Gollum.

I want to finish this book this week, but I don't think it's going to happen.

I seem to be making the word count by the skin of my teeth, but we'll see.

Writing Quantifications for Today--

Trace Elements on Manuscript: baby slime. Aww.
Hours spent Writing (w/ Procrastination): 12. At least.

Wordage accomplished:

 

28878 / 50000 words. 58% done!

That's 2446 today. Yes. A WHOLE day for that.
Hopeless.

General Mood to the Effort: like crying fake tears. (Which I cannot do even with much effort.)

Current Outlook: grim

Musical Influences: LotR soundtrack, Anuna *heart Gregorian chants*, Narnia, Within Temptation "Pale"

*cough, sputter, gag, DED.*

I think I'll break 20,000 words tonight!

I think I'll be able to finish *Silas Escapes* tomorrow, if I keep going a bit. (I've been writing since 10, pretty much, and only just hitting my stride. Figures. But then, I'm also just hitting the conclusion, w00t!)

So. In good trim to write both books before the end of November. ^_^

A Quiz Thingie:

( I like These Too Much...Me, as A Dewey Category )
Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com</div>



They give you three, and one of the others which was also apt, if total balderdash again (I really wish these things weren't so creepy coming from mere numbers)



</div>

The FLOGGINGS will continue until Morale Improves

I have this sticker hanging just behind my computer right now. I bought this on Martha's Vineyard, during Viable Paradise, which was terribly a'propos.
I've taken it for my inspirational theme this NaNo, too.
Feelin' it today, since I wrote till I went to sleep last night, which is not a great way to get refreshed.
I woke up this morning dreaming a different story I've had in the background for a while, which involves a re-envisioned Batman and a girl doing a Catwoman act to get his attention.

12322 words
as of this morning.
Which. Is over half-way to the minimum word-count for this novel. Not too bad! So *Silas Escapes* is at 50%. No wonder I've been feeling like tying things up...

I want to reintroduce Alan. (Alan Birch, he's our man!)
I do believe this would take jury-rigging.
But it would make the following scenes move so much more quickly...! I guess I'll have to settled for Grannie the Hooligan.



For a series of haiku about a spider, starting with:

The spider hung loose
arms out, embracing the world
swinging in breeze-time

go to Gossamer_Spun

I know such creative people I surely rank in the richest world-wide for it...




My childhood friend Dani hand-made these wings for her costume. They are about 10 feet across.
She's studying art at Gordon College, and would love to go into film special effects props and costuming. (If Facebook hints are any clue, I think a different picture of her was in the Boston Globe.) She's enormously talented, and I wish I was closer geographically to her, coz then I could stalk her.
   Uh, in a friend sort of a way, of course.

And though terribly anti-climactic, I will post my own costume photo:



Got any eye-candy links to share today?

nanowrites
This morning I commenced with 1580 words. Since 2000 a day is my Sundays-off wordcount, I guess it's not terrible, but I am being valiant to hardly any avail right now.... Currently at:
2619 words. Which is what, halfway done for the day's requirements? *gah*

syned, a brik