This is the last day of October. It's a wildly important day!
Halloween. I am prepared for it. I bought bags and bags of Halloween candy. Now, a logical person might point out that last year I got 4 trick-or-treaters so this might be a bit of overspending on my part, but last year the porch light wasn't working, and--oh, who am I kidding? I need it because it's also the last day before....
NaNoWriMo. How can I write a book without the proper amount of snackiness? Do you really think that this brain works on broccoli and brown rice? I hardly think so. I have to come up with a plot really quickly, in like *consults clock* 11 hours and 25 minutes! Or maybe not. Maybe I have 12 hours and 25 minutes. Who knows? Because tonight is the start of....
Daylight savings time. Or is it daylight saving time? I never know if there's an s in there, just like I never remember if we spring forward or back, or fall forward or back. Back in my springing day, I could spring forward or back, just like I have fallen forwards or back. This has never helped me with DST. What I need to know is simply this: Do I get an extra hour? I do? Good! I need it because after October 31 comes....
November. I love November. My birthday! Thanksgiving! And NaNoWriMo in full swing!
Let's give Oct. 31 a big hug today. It deserves it!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
NaNoWriMo preparations
I'm starting to get ready for NaNoWriMo. It starts in ONE WEEK! And here's what I've done:
*I've figured out which book I'm going to write! This isn't as simple as it might seem. My brain is full of shelves and hooks and tables piled full of ideas. Some are noiser and pushier than others, but that doesn't make them better--necessarily. So I have to look at each one separately, and this is where I get in trouble because I fall in love with them all over again. But one persevered, clamored the most, and was pretty cool, so I chose it.
*I've got the beginning! And the ending! Now I just have to figure out that pesky middle stuff, like who does what when and where and why and how. You know, the details. Okay, not the details. The good old basic plot. This book I chose to write had better get busy in my brain and start laying itself out. Sheesh. Do I have to do EVERYTHING myself?
*These characters need names. I am all over the map on naming my heroine. Nothing seems to quite fit her. I will consult a name book. Hopefully something will leap out of the pages and into my brain. I'm choosing Josh for the guy because I am all about Destination Truth, which is an awesome show on SyFy and I think Josh is smart and funny and cute.
There. Pretty productive weekend, wouldn't you say? Plus I shopped like crazycakes at a couple of BIG HUGE MALLS in Minnesota which was fun but now my entryway is filled with shopping bags I have to unpack and laundry that needs to be done. It's always something, isn't it? And thanks to Harry and David, the best store in the world for snacky food, I'm all set for stuff to eat and type my way through November.
ONWARD!
*I've figured out which book I'm going to write! This isn't as simple as it might seem. My brain is full of shelves and hooks and tables piled full of ideas. Some are noiser and pushier than others, but that doesn't make them better--necessarily. So I have to look at each one separately, and this is where I get in trouble because I fall in love with them all over again. But one persevered, clamored the most, and was pretty cool, so I chose it.
*I've got the beginning! And the ending! Now I just have to figure out that pesky middle stuff, like who does what when and where and why and how. You know, the details. Okay, not the details. The good old basic plot. This book I chose to write had better get busy in my brain and start laying itself out. Sheesh. Do I have to do EVERYTHING myself?
*These characters need names. I am all over the map on naming my heroine. Nothing seems to quite fit her. I will consult a name book. Hopefully something will leap out of the pages and into my brain. I'm choosing Josh for the guy because I am all about Destination Truth, which is an awesome show on SyFy and I think Josh is smart and funny and cute.
There. Pretty productive weekend, wouldn't you say? Plus I shopped like crazycakes at a couple of BIG HUGE MALLS in Minnesota which was fun but now my entryway is filled with shopping bags I have to unpack and laundry that needs to be done. It's always something, isn't it? And thanks to Harry and David, the best store in the world for snacky food, I'm all set for stuff to eat and type my way through November.
ONWARD!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Of Hamsters and Hoovers and Nanowrimo
You know those hamster wheels, the ones that the little critters get in and run like crazy and go nowhere?
Cue the metaphor music. Doesn't that kind of seem like LIFE?
But sometimes it's not quite right. Sometimes it *does* go places, and things get accomplished.
My book is done, and the deep copyedits are done. The writers conference I was the head chick for is done, and it went quite well, I think. I'm look ing forward to doing it next year, too.
Things are quite productive at work and I am never bored.
My house looks like monkeys have been living in it, though, and I have to fix that soon. Shouldn't be a problem. I am ROLLING in free time, right?
Here's the deal: Everybody gets exactly the same amount of time in each day. But something happens to mine. Somehow it gets vacuumed up by the big cosmic Hoover and my seconds, minutes, and hours end up in a canister with goldfish crackers, cat hair, and odd dusty things that nobody knows what they are.
(Aside: I really don't understand why, when the massive Hoover is collecting up all my precious time, it can't take a quick tour down the hall and around the couch. Those two places could really use a quick run-over.)
So, finally my life inhales and exhales and all is good. Everything I've been putting off, I can get it done NOW! Soon! YES! Oh, it will be beautiful!
Until my friend Kacie says, ever so sweetly, "Janet, let's do Nanowrimo," and I'm gone.
For those who don't know what Nanowrimo is, let me explain. For one month, you write like crazycakes and get a book done. Now, that's not at all undoable and I know this from--ahem--personal experience. That was a long time ago and I'm a wiser writer now.
Sure.
Anyway, the goal is to do a book in a month and the deal is that EVERYBODY in the world is doing it. And when I say EVERYBODY I am not exaggerating, not even a tiny bit. EVERYBODY.
Or maybe everybody who's ever thought:
1. This book is dog drivel. I can do better.
OR
2. I have the BEST IDEA EVER for a book!
OR
3. I need to be rich. I will write a novel.
I'm adding one more:
4. Kacie told me to.
I just have to come up with a plot. No problem. I have, like, two weeks!
WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG????
Cue the metaphor music. Doesn't that kind of seem like LIFE?
But sometimes it's not quite right. Sometimes it *does* go places, and things get accomplished.
My book is done, and the deep copyedits are done. The writers conference I was the head chick for is done, and it went quite well, I think. I'm look ing forward to doing it next year, too.
Things are quite productive at work and I am never bored.
My house looks like monkeys have been living in it, though, and I have to fix that soon. Shouldn't be a problem. I am ROLLING in free time, right?
Here's the deal: Everybody gets exactly the same amount of time in each day. But something happens to mine. Somehow it gets vacuumed up by the big cosmic Hoover and my seconds, minutes, and hours end up in a canister with goldfish crackers, cat hair, and odd dusty things that nobody knows what they are.
(Aside: I really don't understand why, when the massive Hoover is collecting up all my precious time, it can't take a quick tour down the hall and around the couch. Those two places could really use a quick run-over.)
So, finally my life inhales and exhales and all is good. Everything I've been putting off, I can get it done NOW! Soon! YES! Oh, it will be beautiful!
Until my friend Kacie says, ever so sweetly, "Janet, let's do Nanowrimo," and I'm gone.
For those who don't know what Nanowrimo is, let me explain. For one month, you write like crazycakes and get a book done. Now, that's not at all undoable and I know this from--ahem--personal experience. That was a long time ago and I'm a wiser writer now.
Sure.
Anyway, the goal is to do a book in a month and the deal is that EVERYBODY in the world is doing it. And when I say EVERYBODY I am not exaggerating, not even a tiny bit. EVERYBODY.
Or maybe everybody who's ever thought:
1. This book is dog drivel. I can do better.
OR
2. I have the BEST IDEA EVER for a book!
OR
3. I need to be rich. I will write a novel.
I'm adding one more:
4. Kacie told me to.
I just have to come up with a plot. No problem. I have, like, two weeks!
WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG????
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