Writing every day

I can hear your groan a mile away. This is not new advice, right?  Yeah, every writer blog you've ever seen tells you that.  It's good advice, but you've already heard it.

Well, I'm not going to tell you to.  Because you already know. What I will tell you is how this advice has started to transform my life!

Seriously, I've been suffering from insomnia for the last year or so. A lot of it is because of my lingering post partum depression (PPD, to the uninitiated.)  Some of it eating habits (Why yes, I'd love a coke at 10:00 PM!). But the primary cause is staying up too late on the computer. There was a study done recently linking computer screen time to insomnia.  My husband told me about it, and it makes sense;  the light emanating from the computer screen interrupts your natural biorhythms.  So I figured... why not. Let's cut out the electronic lap-teat and see what happens.

I don't have any good books around right now, so I pulled out my blank journal, the one I've been half-ass carrying around with me all the time with intentions of writing. 

I wrote 20 pages in two days.

That was four weeks ago. I've only missed three nights, and that was due to unavoidable medical issues.  I've gone from 24 pages to 92 (as of last night.) I'm sleeping better, my back hurts less,and I'm a lot less grumpy. More importantly, the only time I've seen 3 AM has been when the insomnia left me tossing and turning in bed AFTER I wrote.

It feels good. I've actually loved sitting in bed, with my husband, him reading a book, me listening to my MP3 player and scribbling like I did when I was a poor teenager with no computer.

Best of all? No email to distract me from my latest WIP.

Now that, my friends, is good news indeed.

Steampunk art

I met with a local steampunk artist today. She makes steampunk jewelry, and she does really pretty stuff.  I wanted to see some of her pieces in person, so I met her for lunch.  Her stuff's so nice I wanted to share with you guys. Here's her stuff: Dream Steam.  I can vouch for the quality of her work. She's VERY good. If you're looking for that perfect piece to complete a steam punk costume, or you just want something very unique for every day use... this is the place to get it!

Writing and Music

Music is one of those things that just seems to go with writing. Like peanut butter and jelly, or peaches and cream, or Fred and Ginger.  Combine music with writing, and you can transcend the ordinary, stimulate your sense, and inspire your mind.

But how that music affects your writing is as different from person to person as different foods taste to different people.  (Hmm.  I think it might be lunch time... all these food references!)

One of my greatest inspirations comes from one of the strangest places: industrial techno.  I started listening to is while writing Hacker Dragon. The gritty, visceral nature of it has proven to given me a very strong motivator for my writing; not everything, but I never write a battle scene without it! Not all industrial, either... I actually have a penchant for the German stuff. Front Line Assembly is actually one of my favorites.

On the other end of the spectrum, there's Enya. Seriously.  I love Enya. She goes back to a part of me that's been writing for decades. She can keep my brain flowing, without intruding on my words.  Gentle inspiration without overflowing. Marie Brennan (Enya's siste), too, has that effect. 

Hearts of Space often provides me with a random assortment of unexpected gems. Sometimes, it's total crap, weird new-agey lame stuff, but occasionally there's some really spectacular stuff. I used to listen to Hearts of Space on PBS with my dad... there are dozens of recorded tapes of HoS programs around this house. Black, with tiny hand-made labels in my dad's neatly scrawled, cramped hand, and lovingly taped on the front. I love those tapes.  Even though the quality is deteriorating now, it still brings back fond memories of staying up until midnight on Sunday to listen with my dad.  Music is a tactile thing, for me.  Some people have olfactory memories. I never really have. Mine are auditory. 

Music can stir memories that translate into powerful scenes when I'm writing. 

What kind of music inspires you?

Free (non) Fiction - Honey, I'm home!

Many thanks to Violet, whose blog inspired me to write this piece. Special mention to Danie, who has been writing faithfully in her blog and sharing fiction as well. What good is a writing blog if indeed no writing appears? If my friends can do it, so can I! I'm going to start sharing short pieces from time to time, what subjects, I don't know. Whatever takes my fancy. Maybe nonfiction, maybe something from life, but it'll be all creative prose. I haven't written poetry since I won the Young GA Author's contest for a poem I wrote in the 7th grade and my 8th grade literature teacher thought it would be fun to analyze my stuff. Ruined poetry for me completely. No, there is no symbolism in that star. It was just a star, dammit. Okay, I lied. I'll share that poem for you. I wrote it in 7th grade, and I happen to think it ain't bad.

Glimmering Beauty

Glimmering beauty,
shimmering sight.
Bathing our world
in its beautiful light.

Flickering in,
Flickering out.
Dance in the sky,
spread yourself all about.

Falling down,
for all to see.
Flickering out,
after dancing with glee.

Little one, little one,
so high, so far
Don't you know
you're a shining star?

This is the only poem I ever wrote that I liked. I never wrote another one after this. (Thanks Mrs. Held! I appreciate that! No, really! Oh, and you ruined Les Miserables for me, too. I can't even stand the sight of the posters.)

That had nothing to do with anything. Anyway. Here you go.

This is not fiction; it's a blow-by-blow retelling of about four hours ago. Harrowing experience, it was! But I survived! Let me tell you the tale...

****

Thunder rumbles outside the window. I glare at the slats of the back door, but the storm was not impressed. "Well damn. I guess I'd better get moving before the storm gets bad." My friends and I had already procrastinated enough as it was. I wave and than them, and left the bright, cool apartment for the oppressive heat and dark.

The sky above flashes, nearly blinding and deafening me as a few fat drops of rain splatter on my treasured hand-made card. I press it to my chest as I fumble in my purse for my keys. The flashes of lightning are near constant, illuminating the dark, heavy, low-lying clouds in the night sky. I jump in the car, thankful I'd made it before the bottom dropped out.

I triy to call my husband, but no answer. Must have fallen asleep. I'm not running that late. Maybe he's just catching a smoke on the back porch?

I stare up at the sky. Another blinding flash of white-hot light crawled across the black sky, reaching twisted fingers over me, a plasmic creature aching to seize my dirty car and fry me.

I jerk the wheel, nearly slamming into a curb in my inattentiveness. Eyes on the wheel, stupid.

The sky never stops moving, never stops flashing and belching its anger overhead. The fat drops of rain come faster as I take the curve of the entrance ramp a little too fast in my haste to get ahead of the storm before it overtakes me.

A huge gust of wind blasts the car, nearly knocking me into a creeping semi in the left lane.

Uh oh.

Rain inundates my poor car. The duct tape half-covering the driver's side window doesn't keep it all in. I take off my glasses and try to wipe the droplets off, succeeding in nearly rearending the guy in front of me as I stare down rather than out.

What the hell is wrong with me?

I put my glasses back on my face, and grasp the wheel firmly at ten and two. I lean up and stare out of the window, trying to see between wiper swipes and locate the reflective bumps on the center line, since the paint was covered by the deluge, reflecting too bright street lights instead of the faded stripes.

I slow to a crawl, not noticing the flashing blue lights behind me when a cop came up, because I was too low to see the rear view mirror.

I signal and shift to the left lane, letting the officer pass. I'm under the speed limit, so he can't be waiting for me. Sure enough, he slides past, and then pulls off over the hill where another set of flashing blue lights indicates either a motorist in distress, an ill-timed bust, or something else entirely.

The road is invisible. Several times the car hydroplanes, just a bit, pulling me too close to the edge of the road, the guard rail and rumble strips threatening and warning me of the danger. My night blindness is getting worse. Every little car dealership's overlit parking lot blinds me as I pass.

Nearby, a bolt of lightning strikes a telephone pole, leaving my ears ringing and my eyes blotched in negative colors. I panic and pulled into the right lane, but it clears in a few seconds. Fortunately, no one was nearby to be a victim of my momentary blindness. For future reference: Driving blind is not a good thing.

I veer around the curve of the I-75/I-16 split at a whopping forty miles an hour.

As if a curtain was pulled back, the rain clears, leaving a dark, slick road reflecting more street lights and my windshield wipers squeaking and protesting at the sudden lack of wet. I turn them down, and lean back against the damn driver's seat. Thunder is still rumbling, lightning is still flashing, but it's behind me, not above and ahead of me. I don't make it far, though, before the rain catches me again, but this time the road is prepared. No more huge puddles of rain that haven't had a chance to drain off.

It's a little easier as I pull off of the interstate onto the sharp round curve of the exit. Every car is actually going slow for once, cautious in the downpour, instead of the usual willy-nilly oblivious driving I'm used to around here. The rain fades again, foiled by my sudden change in direction, and I can actually speed up to Pio Nono's limit of 50 miles per hour.

I make it into the driveway as the fat drops of the front catch up to me. I seize my "shit" from the night's activities, clutch them to my chest, and duck through the rain across the three feet from my car to my front step.

Safe!

Wind chases me through the door, following by wet grasping droplets of rain catching the heels of my shoes. Triumphant, I slam the door a little too hard, and yell, "Honey, I'm home!"

To plan or not to plan... that is the question

Every year I have ever planned for NaNoWriMo in anything other than a vague, general sort of "this is the idea" I've failed. If I outline, plan, plot, do dossiers and stuff... I fail.

If I get a few character ideas, a few plot bunnies, the occasional odd plot point... I win. Usually in record time. (Current record is 10 days.  I do not recommend it. I had my wrist in a splint for weeks.)

I sorta want to plan, but I'm currently working on a novel that's been around forever.  I want to continue with it, I don't want to lose it. I'm in love with these characters, with this story. 

I think I may do something with last year's steampunk characters... the story fell flat.  They were good characters, but I did not have them in the right story, I'm afraid. Happens from time to time.

I think I may do something new. To keep me in this world, and not too far in the future, I may work on the sequel.  It's actually written with my MC's children (Albino twins. I KNOW, I know... they probably won't stay that way, but in all fairness, I was 17 when I came up with the idea.)

I've got a few title ideas: The current one: Spirit of the Hunt. The sequel: Scion of the Hunt or maybe Song of the Hunt.

I promise. No violent rape scenes like in 2007.

To plan or not to plan... that is the question

Every year I have ever planned for NaNoWriMo in anything other than a vague, general sort of "this is the idea" I've failed. If I outline, plan, plot, do dossiers and stuff... I fail.

If I get a few character ideas, a few <a href="http://pics.livejournal.com/pernwebgoddess/pic/0010tk9d/g120">plot bunnies</a>, the occasional odd plot point... I win. Usually in record time. (Current record is 10 days.  I do not recommend it. I had my wrist in a splint for weeks.)

I sorta want to plan, but I'm currently working on a novel that's been around forever.  I want to continue with it, I don't want to lose it. I'm in love with these characters, with this story. 

I think I may do something with <a href="http://writing-dragon.blogspot.com/2008/10/plot-bunny.html">last year's steampunk characters</a>... the story fell flat.  They were good characters, but I did not have them in the right story, I'm afraid. Happens from time to time.

I think I may do something new. To keep me in this world, and not too far in the future, I may work on the sequel.  It's actually written with my MC's children (Albino twins. I KNOW, I know... they probably won't stay that way, but in all fairness, I was 17 when I came up with the idea.)

I've got a few title ideas: The current one: Spirit of the Hunt. The sequel: Scion of the Hunt or maybe Song of the Hunt.

I promise. No violent rape scenes like in 2007.

Grammer illogic and fun sentences

Thanks to my friend Richard, I now have been reading over the joys of the English language.

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. (Grouch Marx)

For example: Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo. No, really, it's an actual, grammatically correct sentence.

There's also: Rose rose to put rose roes on her rows of roses. That's a fun one, but not quite as mind bending.

Now, you can really start playing with the English language when you break out garden path sentences. These fun little bits are perfectly correct, but lead the reader down the wrong path of logic, forcing them to back up and parse the correct meaning of the sentence. Syntactic ambiguity makes for some really fun

Some examples (culled from Wikipedia):

The old man the boat.

The man returned to his house was happy.

The government plans to raise taxes were defeated.

The farmer threw the cow over the fence some hay.

Comedian Mitch Hedberg was a master of this sort of ambiguity; his short, clipped style, distinctive speech pattern, and tendency to take advantage of syntactical ambiguity made for some classic jokes.

"I haven't slept for ten days, because that would be too long."

I wish I had the skill for these kinds of Enlish shenanigans, but alas, I do not. All I can do is turn a poetic phrase now and again, and share the joys of the masters who CAN with you!

Testing Scribe Fire

I'm testing Scribe Fire, a Firefox add-on that's supposed to let you update your block from within your browser. I tried Deepest Sender, but that's primarily a livejournal client,  and I need one that updates both LJ and Blogger.  So far, I like the interface on this one; it just opens a window beneath the browser site you're looking at, so you can blog about whatever you see there, if you want, or just not be interrupted while you do. 

So far, I like it.  This may help nicely when I'm working NaNo site and need to update this blog.

The dragon awakens from her slumber

Did you miss me? I missed me. It's been almost a year now, and it's about time for NaNo season to come! We're gearing up and making big changes to the site.

In even bigger news, though, I've finally broken through my nearly one-year dry spell! I bought a nice blank journal book, and have been writing by hand. I'm up to page 72! the story is going well, and it's an old favorite.

Keep your eye here, I'm working on some amazing updates for my blog, including a new look and feel, twitter updates, and more!

I won

I did it.

Barely. I was writing right up until 11:50.

The gauntlet is thrown

As some of you have no doubt noticed, I am woefully behind. My deficit is such that I'm struggling to keep ahead... no motivation! NaNoing with two small children has proved more challenging than I thought. I haven't written a word in days. In fact, the last increase in my count came from the validator, not writing more words!

So, my friend Lousy Writer 13 has challenged me. If either of us should fail to win this year's NaNoWriMo, we get to publicly mock the loser in the Shoutouts forum. Notwithstanding family emergencies type stuff, naturally. Any such circumstances will officially call off the competition.



We are formally announcing this challenge so that we can't back out for lack of accountability... public humiliation is the best motivator, from time to time.

And should we both fail? Well, that's going to mean it's up to YOU guys to mock us mercilessly, since it would be awfully hypocritical to mock each other for what we failed to do!

He's got the lead... who do YOU think'll get there first?

Day 9 - behind

Good lord, I suck. I'm behind, for the first time in what, three years? Something like that. As you can see, I'm working in fits and starts. Two or three days i've written nothing. I've got an hour and 15 minutes left in this day, and I haven't written anything.

I think it comes from having beaten the challenge so often, and in record time, that it's just not a big deal. I'm going to win... I know that, and it gives me no reason to rush.

I have nothing to prove.

With that said, I'm starting to enjoy this story. Characters are starting to come alive, and some of them are really taking on a life of their own. I have a mystery going, and I'm not sure where it's going to end up-- this is why I don't like planning. Half of the fun is discovering where the story is going. I am really enjoying myself this year. I'm not as frantic, and I'm sure my husband is glad of that.

One thing I didn't anticipate was how much harder it is to write with two small children. With one, I could just plop her in a playpen, or write during naps. Right now, there's always something going on. Being forums moderator hasn't taken much time away (I spent the same amount of time last year doing it on a volunteer basis without all the cool tools) . Doing write-ins is hard with a baby. Last year, Elisabeth was two, and the year before, one... so she wasn't in the wiggly non-walker phase Rebekah's in now. It's definitely a challenge.

I'll manage. Off to get in my word count before midnight (and I may fudge my time zones a bit to get it on my graph under the wire. Naughty Heather!

Day three, much frustration

As usual, the site is painfully slow. It hasn't crashed, which is, I suppose an improvement, but honestly, I think I'm more easily annoyed by it these days.

My novel is coming out like pulling teeth. Not having a real plot does have its disadvantages. I'm spending so much time being annoyed at the site that I can't really focus on my novel. Unlike most folks, I don't have the option of not going to them. :) Stupid paycheck, demanding I work for it!

Another part of it is that I've been doing this since 2002... I completed it in 10 days, one year. It's not like I have anything to prove! If it weren't for being staff, I'd really only be there for the people. That's what makes it worthwhile.

I think I'll get back in the groove soon. The story is starting to gel. I'm taking my time. Write-ins will probably help. I wasn't able to go to Saturday's because the baby had a stomach bug.

NaNoWriMo 2008: Day 1

Title: Edge of Sanity

Wow. This is the first time that I’ve really worked with LSB more than a few minutes. It's a powerful program. I'm absolutely loving it! There’s so many neat tools. I really need to spend a little more time working on it, but not too much... I think once I get things settled, I’ll be able to really get a lot of inspiration from it.

I did some image hunting; I found a bunch of great steampunk stuff that’ll help. I also found what I want my cover art to be of.

I’ve established three characters. The truthsayer, the enforcer, and a weaponsmaster... I'm not quite sure who she’ll be, only that she’ll be a little bit crazy. I want her to be my foil for Morgan. His complete opposite. Not love; just a foil. His female negative image.

I’m a few words shy of my word count goal for the day, but I think I’ll have little trouble making it up. I mean, come on... I'm the super writer!

My current count for the day is only 1,491. Definitely under goal. I've got so much to gel in my head! I think once I get the bit in my teeth, I'll be full steam ahead. Lord know if the site continues to be painfully slow, I'll have plenty of writing time. I think my entire region is ahead of me in pure word count! I've spent a lot of time planning and thinking and plotting though... my caution will serve me well, methinks.

More brainstorming

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.

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. ;)

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!

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.

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.

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.