Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Revving up for NaNoWriMo 2010
Participating in NaNoWriMo last year for the first time I was very skeptical of anyone's ability to write 50,000 words in a single month. Looking back on last year I can see that if I had attended fewer birthday parties (November is popular for birthdays because February is 9 months before; but my own birthday in November does not correspond with that), I could reasonably achieved the 50,000 by November 30th. Instead I 'only' wrote 32,000 words in 3 weeks.
I spent this entire past year thinking about my NaNo 2009 novel which has a working title of "daimon hunting" & have fleshed out some of my characters but it still requires a lot of work. So much work, due to the fact that I have to rearrange chapters, get rid of certain distasteful characters, build others up, tear some of their egos down, etc. I have to completely re-write it. So I'm putting it on the cooling block while I rewrite a novel I started outside of NaNo.
In fact, I had started writing the KH novel about a year before I learned of NaNo, so in 2008 I had begun writing it. I did not have too much direction to the plot line and I was nearly writing a fan fiction piece and just rewriting the characters and the period. That was not working as it became a plot filled with scenes where I would just blow off steam. Its odd how much calmer I could get after killing off a character (and not in the way I had to kill off Cody in the NaNo 2009; that was cruel), these characters were bad and needed to go. Now, I'm reworking the plot, the characters, renaming them and such. I found out that my muse was writing herself into the novels and that had to stop: my nomme de plume is that of my muse and she's no longer allowed in the novels. Period.
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The above is my working title and banner for NaNo 2010. Drawing from the forum, I'll just repost the synopsis. I've chosen, since the novel is dark*, to go under the genre of horror and the supernatural; I don't seem to play well with the other Christian writers.
And yes, I cheated and wrote my opening paragraph ahead of time. Unlike last year, I don't have the same strings of unending time: I wasn't working and hadn't gotten any interviews all month and I was probably about 3-4 weeks into depression. This year, I'm determined not to do the depression thing, besides last years was spiritually oriented too. I've got classes and a few papers to write that are due December 1st or somewhere in the last week of November. The nerd in me is pressing me to write those papers already and get them done this week, along with my Halloween costume and the last dregs of research for the NaNo. It's part of the craziness that is NaNo.
And I just wrote my first most in-depth and lengthy post in months on writing. =)
I spent this entire past year thinking about my NaNo 2009 novel which has a working title of "daimon hunting" & have fleshed out some of my characters but it still requires a lot of work. So much work, due to the fact that I have to rearrange chapters, get rid of certain distasteful characters, build others up, tear some of their egos down, etc. I have to completely re-write it. So I'm putting it on the cooling block while I rewrite a novel I started outside of NaNo.
In fact, I had started writing the KH novel about a year before I learned of NaNo, so in 2008 I had begun writing it. I did not have too much direction to the plot line and I was nearly writing a fan fiction piece and just rewriting the characters and the period. That was not working as it became a plot filled with scenes where I would just blow off steam. Its odd how much calmer I could get after killing off a character (and not in the way I had to kill off Cody in the NaNo 2009; that was cruel), these characters were bad and needed to go. Now, I'm reworking the plot, the characters, renaming them and such. I found out that my muse was writing herself into the novels and that had to stop: my nomme de plume is that of my muse and she's no longer allowed in the novels. Period.
Synopsis: Snowed Out
She is forced to leave all that is familiar to flee supernatural forces who oppose every good deed she does with increasingly dangerous consequences.
Excerpt: Snowed Out
The night hung heavy and the chill dug into the skin. If it had been any other evening, she probably would not have noticed, but the dampness caused her to stop and gaze up as fog rolled across her field of vision. Gazing back at the door she had just ran out of, the door that she had just slammed, the dark cold seemed to close in upon her. It hadn’t been hard, but when her heart broke it felt like she was walking barefooted on crystal shards. A whole world built carefully in love, faith and hope was gone; forever darkened. Helene’s vision darkly reverberated as a ripple emanated from the warmly lit house and slammed her into the lawn.
And yes, I cheated and wrote my opening paragraph ahead of time. Unlike last year, I don't have the same strings of unending time: I wasn't working and hadn't gotten any interviews all month and I was probably about 3-4 weeks into depression. This year, I'm determined not to do the depression thing, besides last years was spiritually oriented too. I've got classes and a few papers to write that are due December 1st or somewhere in the last week of November. The nerd in me is pressing me to write those papers already and get them done this week, along with my Halloween costume and the last dregs of research for the NaNo. It's part of the craziness that is NaNo.
And I just wrote my first most in-depth and lengthy post in months on writing. =)
* From 8th grade through my junior year in high school I wrote a serial murder story with input from my then-best friend. The characters were careful reconstructions of certain fellow students. That's probably not as bad as a fellow friend & later boyfriend who was found with a hit list in his locker. Also, I'm not known for chick lit or 'run in the meadow' or 'find prince charming' or what I like to call 'bubble gum perky'.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
A little update
I'm busy studying to get my CAADAC certification, which will hopefully open up some employment opportunities for me. Apparently it's unusual to have a MSW with CAADAC licensing. Already I'm seeing some potential positions open up. I'm hoping that the internships will be good; might take a class just for the heck of it.
I'm poking holes into my fingers, sewing the bodice and remaining details of my Renaissance Faire outfit which doubles as my Halloween costume. I will likely have to replace the bodice as I forgot to cut tabs. Lesson learned, I also know how to get cheap 'boning' at $0.59 This time next week I should be able to post photos.
Between all this I'm looking for employment; still nothing in this department to report. I figure that I have a 93% failure rate; seeing as how there are 6 rejection letters sitting on my desk and a rejection email, with what could easily be more than 100 jobs applied to in the past month. 100 applications and 7 interviews. That's not too bad.
NaNoWriMo starts in 6 days; I'm fairly anxious to start. I decided on my plot - and I've completely reworked the KH details and now have a working title. Hopefully this will really turn into a manuscript.
That's about all in my little corner of the world
I'm poking holes into my fingers, sewing the bodice and remaining details of my Renaissance Faire outfit which doubles as my Halloween costume. I will likely have to replace the bodice as I forgot to cut tabs. Lesson learned, I also know how to get cheap 'boning' at $0.59 This time next week I should be able to post photos.
Between all this I'm looking for employment; still nothing in this department to report. I figure that I have a 93% failure rate; seeing as how there are 6 rejection letters sitting on my desk and a rejection email, with what could easily be more than 100 jobs applied to in the past month. 100 applications and 7 interviews. That's not too bad.
NaNoWriMo starts in 6 days; I'm fairly anxious to start. I decided on my plot - and I've completely reworked the KH details and now have a working title. Hopefully this will really turn into a manuscript.
That's about all in my little corner of the world
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Brief Update
Few things have changed in my life, therefore little impetus for me to update here, or on any other site that I frequent.
I've now made myself more marketable on the job sites because I'm bilingual. I get a few more calls for jobs since that addition to my resume. Like when I apply to 50+ applications per week I get two call backs instead of one.
Since the job market is still flatlining despite the stimuli bills, I'm resuming classes at at local community college in a counseling certificate.
And November is sort of just around the corner so I will be participating in the mayhem of NaNoWriMo 2010.
I've got a few plot ideas up my sleeve:
I've now made myself more marketable on the job sites because I'm bilingual. I get a few more calls for jobs since that addition to my resume. Like when I apply to 50+ applications per week I get two call backs instead of one.
Since the job market is still flatlining despite the stimuli bills, I'm resuming classes at at local community college in a counseling certificate.
And November is sort of just around the corner so I will be participating in the mayhem of NaNoWriMo 2010.
I've got a few plot ideas up my sleeve:
NaNo participant discovers that when she thinks about writing her novel and enters into deep imagination she is transported into it; she does not lose time present day. But will she choose the imaginary world where she can control everything to the extent its like a fairytale, or will she simply write her novel and continue with daily life?
Re-write KH: KH travels to a rural town, flees actually. She’s trying to expunge her memory and just start over again. But supernatural remnants of her past crop up and make it even more difficult for her to create a new life in a town that is hostile to newcomers and is trying its best to expel her.
Re-write NaNo 09.
Friday, August 6, 2010
I've Been Tagged
Joe tagged me over at his blog, on my five favourite devotions (not in order of importance)…
1. Consecration to the Sacred Heart
2. Chaplet of St Michael
3. spontaneous prayer to St Benedict & St Anthony
4. prayer to Guardian Angel
5. talking to Jesus
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