Behind!

D’aww!
(calendar courtesy of tea+failure on flickr)

 

According to that calendar up there,  I’m really behind on my word count for June’s Camp Nano.

Like, ridiculously behind!

According to the dragon, I’m supposed to have at least a little over 10,000 words by now.

As of this moment I have 6,949.

Hrm…maybe that’s not SO bad; that’s a little over 3,000 to make up and catch up.  I think I did at least that much in a day sometimes in November.

Now see??  THIS is why I like NaNo!  Progress bars.  Stats.  Daily word count charts.

Also, encouragement from others!  Seeing other people suffering right along with me.

Only a writer can be so gleefully sado-masochistic in a way that doesn’t at all involve sex.  (Unless we’re writing about it, I guess!)

Anyways, I’m going to go work on it some more.  Hopefully get somewhere before I have to go to lunch.  Today, I’m going to change the nationality of one of my key characters; he’d just make more sense as a _____ rather than a ______.

Yes indeed.

Talk is Cheap! Write moar!!

So, I’ve fallen into that weird valley where I’m talking and blogging about writing fiction, but I’m afraid to actually touch my stories.

Yep.  Downright afraid.

What is this fear?  I really don’t know.  I think part of it could be fear of success, or perhaps just fear of seeing it all actually come together in a sensical way.

For the longest time, my fictional world has been a haven.  The main characters aren’t just words on a page; they are deep-seeded parts of my psyche.  They might as well be real, as important as they are to me.

Or maybe it’s just ‘fear’ of being interrupted once I’m in the Zone.  Oh, you know the Zone!  It’s that place all writers and artists go when the muse really hits us hard!  Beware any who dare interrupt us when we’re in said Zone, for they take their fate into their own hands!

I really, REALLY hate being interrupted when I’m writing.  Yet, interruptions occur, whether in the form of my stomach growling, a persistent doggie, or an even more persistent husband.  (Though both the husband and the dog are cute when they interrupt, dang it.)

So, I guess part of me thinks, “Why bother starting when I’m just going to be interrupted?”

And even though I have time at work to jot down a scene or two usually, there’s always the threat of the phone ringing, or someone asking me for something unrelated to the Very Important Story That I Am Writing.  (Yes, all that capitalization is necessary!)

But, there -is- a solution.  A wonderful, dastardly solution that I’m sure will drive others batty.  I can take my earphones, my Zune (or Android Phone, since it has YouTube), take my stouty little Netbook, and just…disappear.  To somewhere.

Hee hee hee.  Yesss, that is the solution, dear friends!  *rubs hands together evilly*

But I still must decide on one story in particular.  There are two main ideas I could possibly merge all the rest into.  One is a post-apocalyptic story that’s more of a commentary on modern Christianity (not as boring as it sounds, I promise).  The other is a fictionalized account of my three years overseas as an awkward person and a TESOL teacher.

I can’t decide which one to lean more towards, but just writing out my fears and thoughts has helped me realized that maybe….just maybe….I don’t have to!

On the other hand, I feel like nothing will get done if I don’t pick one or the other, and just stick with it.  Right now I’m leaning more towards the second one, but the first one still holds a LOT of intrigue for me.

A third novel idea (HA HA!) is a fantasy world.  I can’t really say what THAT one comprises of, because it’s a bit closer to my heart than the other two.  Let’s just say that I’m a child of the ’80s who -really- loved fantasy cartoons at that time, and you can draw your own conclusions from that.

So, now I have a plan.  Sort of.  I have three solid ideas, anyways, which is a start.

Now let’s see if I can manage to finish them enough to bring them into reality.

(Nope, wait, there’s a fourth, which is basically a re-do of my NaNo 2011 novel.  Yeesh.  Too many ideas, folks, TOO MANY IDEAS!!)

________________________________

Question:  Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of story ideas you have?

Dreams and Hard Work

Writer Wordart (Photo credit: MarkGregory007)

Stephen King is right; writing IS hard work!

These days, I think it’s a lot easier than it was when he first started out, but it’s also harder.

It’s never been easier to share one’s ideas with the world, what with endless video, blogging, and forum sites to choose from!  You can share literally ANYTHING with ANYONE, which wasn’t as much of a thing back in the early 70s.

On the other hand, it seems like everyone and their brother who has access to the internet, whether from “borrowing” a neighbor’s, using a library’s, or even *gasp!* paying for one’s own, it makes it ten times harder to get noticed.

Even when it comes to fiction, I’ve often found myself getting intimidated not because I don’t think I’m a good writer, but because I don’t know if I am good enough to stand out from all the other writers in a positive way!

On the other hand, NaNo 2011, friends new and old, and my own bothersome inspiration all give me hope!  If I have a relatively small group of folks who really like what I have to offer, I think I would be good.  I think too much fame and money can eventually corrupt a person, and I wouldn’t want to become that kind of writer.  At least, not right away.

I *would* like to make enough money to get my dream house, and to pay off student loans!  That would be kind of awesome!  It would also be awesome to be able to take my job with me wherever I go, instead of having to find jobs in different locales wherever I go.

These are my dreams:  To have a successful fiction-writing career, and live in a cool, interesting place.

That’s not asking too much, right?

Right.

ON-WARD HO!!

Scrivener vs. WriteWay: A No-Contest Contest

Scrivener is the best thing that’s happened to my writing since I first discovered typing.

*WriteWay, however, absolutely is NOT!

I learned this lesson the hard way.  I thought I had learned everything I could about the standard-version, $24 WriteWay software before making a decision; I had downloaded and used the trial and everything!  Thus, it seemed to have everything I wanted.

It didn’t.  Namely, one can not import one’s previous documents without the Pro version.

The Pro version is $45.

Oh, but I could UPGRADE from Standard to Pro!  For another $30.

None of that makes sense to me.  At all.  

Along with the inability to import (which I could have gotten over), it’s also not behaving properly on my Netbook.  And the helpdesk has been….less than helpful.  They don’t seem to understand that yes, I tried uninstalling and re-installing; that yes, I was logged in with administrator rights; that yes, we (my IT husband and I) tried everything under the sun to get it to work.  And no, it still does not work.

Fine.  It doesn’t work, and I’ll never see that $24 again, likely as not.

However, I was still on the prowl for a writing program to help me organize my novel writing.  I had heard a lot about Scrivener from the NaNo site, and saw that one of the prizes for winning NaNo was a discount code that would give me 50% off of the Scrivener software.

I downloaded the trial….and I haven’t looked back.  This is the organization I have been searching for for over a decade!!

I always said that what I needed was a way to organize my thoughts, but I had no one who seemed to have any ideas on how to do that.  (I began writing around the turn of the millennium, when the Internet was still a rather new-fangled thing among the general public.)

But now, I do!  And I couldn’t be more excited!  I’m almost over-whelmed by the possibilities, and can imagine myself actually PUBLISHING now!!

It’s a great feeling.

Other lovely features of Scrivener:

— Doesn’t have different “levels” of software.  What you buy is what you get, and that’s awesome!

— Works on both PC and Mac, which WriteWay does not.

— Works on Netbooks without the need for doing anything special!

All those things together means I’ll be sticking with Scrivener for a while!

(Rest assured, if I become disenchanted, I will DEFINITELY be telling the world about it.)

________________

*BTW, the trial for WriteWay is a trial of the PRO version, not the Standard.  That was something else that I didn’t notice.  Ick..

Oozing Into 2012

Stupid dragons..

As I said in my main blog, I’ve been recovering from the holidays this month.  And by “recover” I mean “ignoring writing” and “playing Skyrim“.

Don’t get me wrong; I’ve written some, including at least one entry for an Easter devotional book for my church, EOBC.  I still have a few more entries to write, which I’ll be tentatively sharing as they progress.  (Feel free to drop by EOBC if you’re in the area; we’re always open to visitors!  :D)

As for fiction, I was feeling confused and frustrated by it recently.  All the progress I made during NaNo started fading away, and I was just left with that old irritation with the whole mess.  Discussing this on Google Plus, I had a couple of folks offer to look at it.  I was grateful for the offer, but something about sharing my stories with people on the Internet that I barely know and will likely never meet just doesn’t seem like the best plan.  I absolutely do want an editor, but an editor *I* seek out, one I trust and comes with great references from other authors I know AND trust!

It would also help if I could, y’know, talk this future editor in person rather than over the computer.  (Even if it was a video conference, it just wouldn’t be the same as being able to talk to them in person.

As far as the writing itself, I’d nearly given up on TRK for now, and was going to concentrate on an earlier part of the same storyline when three of the main characters had first met while living overseas.

But I just couldn’t get into it.  I don’t know why, but it was just bugging me to death.

Then I realized that I really did like TRK, and wanted to work on it more.  Sure, certain things from the overseas story would apply in TRK….but TRK is the story I want to refine, the story I want to create a beautiful ruby and silver necklace out of.  Possibly enchant with +30 health to make it more valuable.  *continues muttering incoherently, making vague references to smithing and dragons*

But still, I’m not done!  On my main blog, I stated how I was going to cut my definitive posting down to no less than one per week.  Preferably on Mondays.  I would probably post more than that throughout the week, but the GOAL would be at LEAST one post per week.  On Mondays.

(DO YOU HEAR ME, FUTURE LADY TAM?!  AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK, ON MONDAYS!!  DOOOOO EEEEET!!)

So that’s devotionals for church, editing/rewriting TRK, and weekly blog updates.

As for motivation, I joined WriYe, which is like NaNo only:

— It lasts all year.

— Writers can set their own wordcount goals.

— Community isn’t quite as large.

Despite that last one, I still think it will help.  One of the moderators provided a spreadsheet to help folks keep track of their progress!  Thus far, though, all I have is a bunch of zeros for January.  Hopefully, I can turn that around!  And though it may be cheating (sort of), I may include some pre-written material in with my “new” material.

The point of all this?  To motivate me to FINISH what I’ve STARTED!!

I hope that all this will help!!

WRITERS:

What motivational tools do YOU use??

Infinite Days: 2011 NaNo End!

Image via Wikipedia

So NaNo ended a week ago, but I still feel like writing every day.

But I also feel like playing Skyrim.

I’ll let you guess which one has won out during the past week.

That being said, I’m happy to say that my regional group for NaNo wants to meet monthly throughout the year of 2012!  I’m super-excited about that, because the main thing that got me through NaNo was having a fantastic support group, both online and off.  And, though it seems silly, the chart of progress on the NaNo site helped me quite a bit too!

That being said, I’ve discovered that I hate editing.  Yes, it’s necessary, but oh….I loathe it so!  As funny as it sounds, I don’t enjoy reading my own material.  I don’t know why; it’s a similar feeling to when I had a deep aversion to mirrors.  It’s a complex emotion that I can’t fully describe.

But, read I must!  Because if I don’t, I can’t form it into the awesomeness that I know is hidden in there somewhere.  So, like a smithy who needs to refine her ore, I’ll put in the heat, sweat, and time to refine this ugly ore into a lovely necklace!

Even if it does take me another five years!

In addition to that, I’m going to keep updating this blog with my writing adventures, woes, and inspirations.  Also, if you want to follow my main blog, feel free to jog on over to The Lady Expounds to see what deep and meaningful things I have to say from time to time!  (Though how deep or meaningful any of it is really depends on the reader.)

I hope to see you all for Camp NaNo!  Or even Script Frenzy!  😀  Ciao!

Day 29: WINNER!!! WI-I-I-NRRRRRRR!!

***WARNING!!  The post below contains explosions of joy and happiness over conquering NaNo.  Not recommended for the NaNo-ly stressed.***

I won it t3h NaNoz!!1

[Insert video of Squidward dancing after he finally wins the skill crane.]

I actually won a couple of days ago, on the 26th.  I didn’t post then because it was 7 ’til midnight, and I was TIRED baby!

But I have that nice, shiny purple bar, and I have to tell you:  Purple is now my favorite color.  XD

I finally PROVED to myself that yes, with enough dedication and motivation, I CAN do a thing I set my mind to do!  For years, I have looked at NaNo and said to myself, “I know I can do it!!  So…why can’t I do it?!  ;____; ”

The first time NaNo came around, I found out about it late.  I wrote some, but I didn’t stay with it.  The second time around, it was a half-hearted attempt, where I think I may have written a couple of pages then given up.

But third time’s the charm, apparently!  XD

Now comes the hard part:  Editing.  (Dun dun DUUUUUNNN!!!!)  I can already tell this is going to be an interesting task, and I’ve already seen places that are going to have to be cleaned up.  I have half a mind to simply start over, but I’m not sure I have the energy for a complete rewrite.

At the same time, there’s definitely things that aren’t going to work, scenes and characters that I can already tell aren’t going to make the final cut for CCS-TRK.  But, I’m okay with that.  🙂  At least I’ve proven to myself that I CAN write at LEAST 50,000 words on just one story line, and not skip around to a billion different times and worlds.  And, while it’s currently an incoherent mess, it’s organized chaos, unlike CSWP.  CCS-TRK is an unfinished, partly-constructed building:  I can see the general form it will eventually take, though I don’t know exactly what that form will look like.    CSWP is more like the aftermath of an unexpected, random explosion, with time-lines and characters and subplots all over the place, missing various critical limbs and organs.

Tomorrow night is the Last Chance Write-In for my regional group, so I’ll be walking in that Starbuck’s with  ridiculous grin on my face!  😀  Because despite the work I have to look forward to, I’m just happy that I’ve accomplished at least one of my self-made goals.

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!!

How is your writing going?  

Day 21: Garglblargl!

Image via Wikipedia

Yesterday, I only wrote 151 words before midnight.  And that was in the 15 minutes right before midnight.

There was two reasons for this:  One, Mother Nature’s gift hit me harder than I expected.

Two, my adventure to McDonald’s did not go as planned.

In our region of the world, just about everything closes around 7 PM on Sunday nights.  Coffee houses, malls, stores, even some grocery stores.  So, if one wants Internet and coffee….or really, just the coffee and a public place to sit and write….McDonald’s is pretty much the only option.

I had been impressed by their Peppermint Mochas earlier in the week, so I thought this would be a good place to sit and spin a couple thousand words.

I was sadly mistaken.

First, I waited forever to get the coffee.  Normally, I could do with this, but I was already feeling weirded out by that McD atmosphere that always makes one uncomfortable when one is alone.  (The only time I’ve ever felt completely relaxed at a McD is when I was overseas in China.)

Once the cashier finally got around to not only TAKING my order, but MAKING it, I decided to sit in a secluded booth in the back where I would not be bothered and could spread out a bit.  But as soon as I walked into the area, a smell accosted my senses that I’ve only ever associated with dead animals or something extremely spoiled.  So there went THAT idea.

Not to be undaunted quite yet, I tried sitting at a high-top table at the front…only to hear loud clattering and noise at the drink machine and counter.  Plus, the smell….that horrible, gut-wrenching smell!!!…was wafting from where I just was to attack me all over again.

Not only that, but there were no outlets.  NO ELECTRICAL OUTLETS!!!!  AT ALL!!!!

I decided that now was the time for me to make my escape.  I took my things, including my skim milk mocha, and left.  As I was driving home, I opened the mocha to taste the wonderful goodness I had first tasted the week previous….and was likewise disappointed.

It was bitter, and not sweet at all.  Now, as far as I know, sweetness has nothing to do with what kind of milk you use.  And I’m fine with artificial sweetener; I’ve been drinking diet and “zero” drinks for a long time now.  I use Equal in anything requiring sugar.  I’m used to aspartame.

But this…this wasn’t EVEN aspartame!  It was an assault on my tongue!

When I got home, I poured a liberal amount of Equal into it, and it finally tasted right!

Needless to say, after this experience, I shan’t be venturing out to McD to stay late on a Sunday night again!

Where is your least favorite place to write?  Why is it a horrible place to try and be creative?

Day 15: Lightbulb!

I’ve found a way out of my dilemma, and the solution was so simple that I can’t believe I didn’t start off this way!

I’ve been shuffling awkwardly between Group A and Group B via chapters, and even chapter breaks.

It’s….not working.  And it’s giving a weird tone to the whole story.

So Act I will be for telling Group A’s story, Act II will be for Group B’s story, and Act III will be when A vs B, as intended.

I think it will work out well, and with a little more re-organization, I’ll be a lot freer to approach both sides of this tale!  HOO HAA!!

Have you had those lightbulb moments?  When suddenly it all snapped together?  What was that moment like?

Day 15: Losing Steam.

 

It’s halfway through November, and I’m at the half-way mark with my NaNovel wordcount-wise.

And now I’m losing steam (even though I wrote 300+ words this morning at 4 AM.  (The Husband and I were both having trouble sleeping:  me because it was too hot and I felt icky, and him because of sinus trouble and a sore shoulder.)).

It’s not that I don’t have parts I could write on, even exciting ones.  I do.   But sitting down and writing…especially when I have Skyrim at home waiting to be explored and conquered…is getting more and more difficult to do.

I feel almost like I’m getting tired of my own novel.  The awesome idea I had when I first began this month is starting to seem less and less awesome, and I’m tempted to send them all to the circus or throw in some ninjas or some other thing to jazz up my own interest.

Or maybe it’s because I’ve very rarely sat down to write at least 1,667 words every day, even when I was focused on writing every day last spring, outside of NaNo.  I wrote sporadically, and I honestly couldn’t tell you how many words a day I was writing then.

But I *did* give Starbuck’s a lot of my money.  THAT I know!

Maybe I’m having a hard time because of Netty the Netbook.  I’ve been lugging her around with me everywhere I go, and am now only using Google docs as yet another back-up.  (Netty, Cruzer the USB disk, G-docs, and Droppy the Dropbox.  Four back-ups.  HOO HAA!!)  When I began NaNo this time around, I was using G-docs because it was convenient for work.  But then I remembered Netty, so now I’m taking *her* everywhere, which has been a mix of a blessing (I can write literally anywhere) and a curse (I feel I MUST write on Netty….and nowhere else!)  I’m now using OpenOffice, not G-docs, for the simple fact that Netty can’t access the Internet at work.  If I could get G-docs to somehow psychically link with Droppy, that would be absolutely ideal!!

Then again, it could mean that a virus could destroy them all in one fell swoop, which wouldn’t make me happy.

Anyways, I’m hopefully going to meet a writing buddy this afternoon after work.  Maybe that will unstick me.  (Or maybe I really do need to “just add ninjas”.  x_x;;;

Or maybe Apocalypse Ponies, which is closer to how I think anyways:

How do wordcounts make you feel??  Are you aiming to “win” NaNo, just write your own thing, or a little of both??  What are your feelings on the four ponies of the apocalypse??