I stayed up until 4 AM the other day reading Girl Genius... and the more I think about it, the more I think I'd like to try my hand at steampunk for this novel. The big ship that they use to ship off the poor people could be a steampunk-style airship/zeppelin sort of thing.
I think it would be fun to try, have some automatons, that sort of thing. I'll need to research the whole steampunk think a bit more.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Sponsor my NaNoWriMo challenge!
Okay, so now marks the first time I've ever done this.
I'm going to ask you for money. :) Okay, okay, it's not for me... it's for the NaNoWriMo Young Writer's program. I'm asking you to sponsor me on NaNoWriMo - my goal is $250. I want to do my part to help meet that 10% of Wrimos who have donated, but I really can't spare it on my own. It's our tenth year, and I've only donated ONCE.
This is a crying shame.
So I'm asking you for help!
Please consider sponsoring me... any amount. I am so passionate about NaNoWriMo and the Young Writer's Program, and one day, I hope to enroll both Elisabeth and Rebekah in the program. I can't do that if it's not here. ;)
I'm going to ask you for money. :) Okay, okay, it's not for me... it's for the NaNoWriMo Young Writer's program. I'm asking you to sponsor me on NaNoWriMo - my goal is $250. I want to do my part to help meet that 10% of Wrimos who have donated, but I really can't spare it on my own. It's our tenth year, and I've only donated ONCE.
This is a crying shame.
So I'm asking you for help!
Please consider sponsoring me... any amount. I am so passionate about NaNoWriMo and the Young Writer's Program, and one day, I hope to enroll both Elisabeth and Rebekah in the program. I can't do that if it's not here. ;)
Thursday, October 23, 2008
LJ luvs NaNoWriMo
Livejournal will be making donations to the NaNoWRiMo Young Writer's Program on behalf of its winners, $1 per winner, as well as donating 50% of the proceeds of its NNWM-related v-gifts to the cause.
If you have a Livejournal account (or don't) and will be participating in NaNoWriMo this year, please, go sign up!
If you have a Livejournal account (or don't) and will be participating in NaNoWriMo this year, please, go sign up!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Plot bunny!
Last night, I had a dream, and it gave me an idea for my NaNo!
I'd talked with a friend about maybe doing a sort of fairy-tale retelling. I want to do a male protagonist this time (I always do females), and I thought the story of the Firebird would be something fun to use as a plot framework. I may still incporate some elements of it.
Last night, I had the COOLEST dream... and I think I'm going to incorporate some of it into my story.
There will be a Truthsayer... someone who is capable of absolute recall (think eidetic memory) and who is considered absolutely trustworthy... you don't call a Truthsayer a liar. The punishment for a Truthsayer lying is immediate execution. So they walk a fine line... they get conditioning that eliminates the ability to lie, but they can't just go around telling absolute truth, so they learn to omit. Talking to one is like talking to the ultimate politician. ;) Only a court of law can force them to answer questions, though.
There will be an enforcer... the law-enforcing counterpart to a truthsayer. Based on a truthsayer's word, an enforcer can enact judgment and sentence in one person for some crimes... again, there's a lot of conditioning going on, etc.
There will be a conspiracy to eliminate a large portion of the poor/"useless" population, and it will involve a large spaceship. The captain of this ship has to get rid of the enforcer and the truthsayer, because if they report back, then his life/fortune is forfeit.
At some point, the enforcer will say or do something illegal... which the truthsayer will have to report.
But through their trials, they become friends/trust each other, that sort of thing. The enforcer will ask the truthsayer to not report. The truthsayer may or may not... but if he does, he will have to actually wipe the action/conversation from his memory. Because if he remembers, and is asked, he will have to report it.
I love dreams. I get all my best ideas from it.
I'd talked with a friend about maybe doing a sort of fairy-tale retelling. I want to do a male protagonist this time (I always do females), and I thought the story of the Firebird would be something fun to use as a plot framework. I may still incporate some elements of it.
Last night, I had the COOLEST dream... and I think I'm going to incorporate some of it into my story.
There will be a Truthsayer... someone who is capable of absolute recall (think eidetic memory) and who is considered absolutely trustworthy... you don't call a Truthsayer a liar. The punishment for a Truthsayer lying is immediate execution. So they walk a fine line... they get conditioning that eliminates the ability to lie, but they can't just go around telling absolute truth, so they learn to omit. Talking to one is like talking to the ultimate politician. ;) Only a court of law can force them to answer questions, though.
There will be an enforcer... the law-enforcing counterpart to a truthsayer. Based on a truthsayer's word, an enforcer can enact judgment and sentence in one person for some crimes... again, there's a lot of conditioning going on, etc.
There will be a conspiracy to eliminate a large portion of the poor/"useless" population, and it will involve a large spaceship. The captain of this ship has to get rid of the enforcer and the truthsayer, because if they report back, then his life/fortune is forfeit.
At some point, the enforcer will say or do something illegal... which the truthsayer will have to report.
But through their trials, they become friends/trust each other, that sort of thing. The enforcer will ask the truthsayer to not report. The truthsayer may or may not... but if he does, he will have to actually wipe the action/conversation from his memory. Because if he remembers, and is asked, he will have to report it.
I love dreams. I get all my best ideas from it.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Political post
As a general rule, I try to keep my writing blog separate from my politics, but this piece was so beautifully written that I just had to share... I'm an Obama supporter, so before you click, be aware. :) This is NOT anti-McCain... simply pro-Obama. It was written by a white, conservative, right-wing Republican. The words are well crafted, which is one of the reason I chose to post it here... I hope I can inspire people like this one day, with the written word.
Obama Will Be One of The Greatest (and Most Loved) American Presidents
"Great presidents are made great by horrible circumstances combined with character, temperament and intelligence. Like firemen, cops, doctors or soldiers, presidents need a crisis to shine.
Obama is one of the most intelligent presidential aspirants to ever step forward in American history. The likes of his intellectual capabilities have not been surpassed in public life since the Founding Fathers put pen to paper. His personal character is also solid gold. Take heart, America: we have the leader for our times.
I say this as a white, former life-long Republican. I say this as the proud father of a Marine. I say this as just another American watching his pension evaporate along with the stock market! I speak as someone who knows it's time to forget party loyalty, ideology and pride and put the country first. I say this as someone happy to be called a fool for going out on a limb and declaring that, 1) Obama will win, and 2) he is going to be amongst the greatest of American presidents."
This article articulates, beautifully, why I'm voting for Obama. I think McCain would be an adequate President. I think he would do his best, and I think he wouldn't be nearly as bad as Bush. For all that he has agreed with Bush in the past, I really think he's smart enough to avoid those mistakes. However, we don't need an adequate President... we need a great one. And I think Obama will be that President. I really do.
Obama Will Be One of The Greatest (and Most Loved) American Presidents
"Great presidents are made great by horrible circumstances combined with character, temperament and intelligence. Like firemen, cops, doctors or soldiers, presidents need a crisis to shine.
Obama is one of the most intelligent presidential aspirants to ever step forward in American history. The likes of his intellectual capabilities have not been surpassed in public life since the Founding Fathers put pen to paper. His personal character is also solid gold. Take heart, America: we have the leader for our times.
I say this as a white, former life-long Republican. I say this as the proud father of a Marine. I say this as just another American watching his pension evaporate along with the stock market! I speak as someone who knows it's time to forget party loyalty, ideology and pride and put the country first. I say this as someone happy to be called a fool for going out on a limb and declaring that, 1) Obama will win, and 2) he is going to be amongst the greatest of American presidents."
This article articulates, beautifully, why I'm voting for Obama. I think McCain would be an adequate President. I think he would do his best, and I think he wouldn't be nearly as bad as Bush. For all that he has agreed with Bush in the past, I really think he's smart enough to avoid those mistakes. However, we don't need an adequate President... we need a great one. And I think Obama will be that President. I really do.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Getting some ideas
Well, NaNoWriMo 2008 has begun. The sites are launched, and the official countdown has started.
I have an idea, sorta. More like a scene. It's an old warehouse... abandoned, empty, maybe some old factory-type equipment lying around. In the middle, sits a woman, kneeling, hands on her knees, looking up towards the ceiling, eyes close. Maybe. She's wearing a long, black leather trench coat that's carefully arranged so she's not sitting on it. Her face is tattoed, a geometric squares and triangles pattern that creates a lattice frame from her cheekbones to her widow's peak, and running down to the middle of her nose.
It's cold, and you can see the breath in the air.
Beyond that... I know nothing, not even genre. I'm inclined to think sci-fi, but I dunno yet.
I have an idea, sorta. More like a scene. It's an old warehouse... abandoned, empty, maybe some old factory-type equipment lying around. In the middle, sits a woman, kneeling, hands on her knees, looking up towards the ceiling, eyes close. Maybe. She's wearing a long, black leather trench coat that's carefully arranged so she's not sitting on it. Her face is tattoed, a geometric squares and triangles pattern that creates a lattice frame from her cheekbones to her widow's peak, and running down to the middle of her nose.
It's cold, and you can see the breath in the air.
Beyond that... I know nothing, not even genre. I'm inclined to think sci-fi, but I dunno yet.
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