How to Survive Writing a First Draft

New Year's Resolutions

2010-12-30T10:10:00.002-06:00

For the last five years, my New Year's Resolution has been "Write a Book." Now, I have written one. I have written four, in fact, but most of what I have is glorified outlines and stream-of-consciousness drivel. My Resolution for 2011 is this: "Polish a Book." This year, I would like to take one that I have already "written," and work with it--rewrites, edits, more rewrites, critiques--with the intention of sending it to agents by next December.

There are other goals for this year:

Attend graduate school
Grow my business
Read 10,000 pages of books I want to read

Ambitious, but that's who I am: Miss Ambition.

Merry Christmas, to All--

2010-12-25T23:14:00.002-06:00

I bought myself a laptop this Christmas. I have been wanting one for years, but now I can justify the purchase by knowing that I can use it for my theater job. I have a baby laptop that is three years old. No disc drive, no programs, a reduced keyboard, and a bum internet connection. I love the little guy, but it's time for him to retire.

I absolutely adore this new computer. It's a Toshiba, and though I'm a Mac gal by nature, so far Dexter (yes, I name my computers) has held a battery charge and sat on my lap for extended periods of time without burning me.

I have these crazy dreams of sitting around working on my novel.

Has anyone used yWriter? I downloaded it, and I'm excited to load my Work-In-Progress into it.

Merry Christmas!

Returning to my July novel...

2010-12-06T00:57:00.002-06:00

I found a catalyst. I am writing a fictionalized memoir. I won't call it a memoir, of course, because much of it will be made up, but I will take real events in my life and make them more extreme. "What if I never broke up with my high school boyfriend? In fact, what if I never left my hometown?" Me, in that situation, would be very unhappy. I imagine most of my real friends would have given up on me and skipped town. What if I left to pursue my dreams and reconnect with my friends? What if my naive self were to trust too much and go broke too soon? What if I got stuck halfway across the country? When did I become a cynic? What caused that? But can't love triumph over all in the end after all?

We shall see, my friends. New working title: The Cheesecake Fund.

It ain't over 'til it's over.

2010-11-28T20:52:00.003-06:00

I am not giving up yet. Sure, I have two days and nearly 40,000 words to write. It could be worse. I have had a funeral and a convention and a small business and work and sleep and lots of food to deal with this month, and I have felt very overwhelmed. But I'm not giving up yet!

Tonight, I write 'til midnight!

Current word count: Somewhere around 11,000 words.

Day Four and Five

2010-11-05T21:33:00.002-05:00

Alright, I'm behind. But I did more writing yesterday and today. And I'm getting into my story. The key is to just KEEP WRITING.

I don't want to post a word count, because I haven't finished writing for the night yet.

Day Three

2010-11-04T01:22:00.002-05:00

I may write before bed, but right now my word count remains the same. I spent most of the day procrastinating by working on my etsy shop and working with my plot.

Now I have a plot.

Also, I decided to alternate between my protagonist and my villain for P.O.V.

Day Two

2010-11-03T00:31:00.002-05:00

My word count isn't pathetic: 2504

I'm still behind a bit, but I'm pooped. Tuesday is the hardest day to accomplish anything, because it is essentially my Friday, and I just want to curl up in my room, drink a beer, and watch a movie.

I have discovered two things about my novel today: The first is that I am writing the modern equivalent of a "penny dreadful"; the second is that everything comes easier when I imagine Humphrey Bogart narrating the story.

Day One Revisited

2010-11-02T02:18:00.002-05:00

Ok, I didn't go to sleep. I kept writing. Now I'm tired, and I need to remember to fill out my voter's ballot and take it to the drop box first thing in the morning.

Current word count: 1919

I'm still counting this as day one, even though I'm half an hour late. I haven't gone to bed yet.

Excerpt

Soup and juice in arm, I walked home to nurse my ailing roomie back to health. The trek home had become trickier with each passing day as large autumn spiders built webs spanning the sidewalk and the city blocked off corners of each block for repaving. I would have marched fearlessly down the middle of the street if there weren’t so many careless drivers in the neighborhood. My heart stopped every time a car and a bicycle met at an intersection.

Walking afforded me the luxury of greeting the neighborhood cats. There were so many roaming the area. Some had collars; some did not. Some primarily stuck to one house or one corner; some roamed freely in a much wider perimeter. My favorite was a tubby Maine Coon with a gravelly meow whom Katie and I had nicknamed Don Gato. Don Gato spent his days on the stoop of a small brick house three blocks east of our apartment, but each time he was spotted roaming about, a black cat with one white paw flanked his side. Other cats diverted their gaze in response to his arrival. He had always been friendly to me, but he had a way of snarling hello that made it very clear to me that I was to pet him and give him attention or pay the price.

“Don Gato is the Catfather,” Katie had announced aftrt passing him one afternoon. “And that little black cat is his consigliere.”

That particular evening I was balancing the groceries precariously in one hand while simultaneously attempting to answer the phone with the other. I didn’t see Don Gato raise his head in acknowledgement. I didn’t hear Don Gato’s scratchy greeting. I was distracted by Katie’s incessant texts and trying not to be irritated with her since I knew she was genuinely ill. I didn’t see Don Gato hop down from his throne and amble toward the sidewalk.

I looked up just in time to witness Don Gato stepping in his own poop.

It is a rare occasion to see a cat step in poop. The look of shock on Don Gato’s face was unmistakable as he leapt backward with a shriek.

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. A macho cat stepped in poop and jumped two feet in the air and was clearly embarrassed by the whole situation, slinking off with his tail between his legs, and I laughed.

I tried to apologize, but Don Gato didn’t even turn around. He crawled into his furry little cat cave and was gone.

When I finished recounting the event to Katie, she was not laughing.

“You better watch your back,” she croaked. “Don Gato may put a hit out on you. You caught him in a moment of weakness.”

“It was hilarious! How many times have you seen a cat step in its own poop? Cats don’t do that! And he jumped back,” I demonstrated, including sound effects, before doubling over in giggles again.

“I’m serious. He and his minions will come after you.” She smiled at that. “He stepped in his own poop. Haha. It wouldn’t have been so bad if you’d seen it and just kept walking.”

If only I hadn’t laughed.

Day One

2010-11-02T01:37:00.004-05:00

Ever so slightly behind. My current word count is 1,380 which is about 300 under goal, but I'm not concerned. I feel good about what I have written, and while it isn't perfect, it isn't as stream-of-consciousness and packed with filler as other years might have seen.

I am a little irritated that I didn't update in time to get the count posted on the correct day for my stats page, but I'll catch up in the morning.

Off and running.

For those of you also participating in NaNo, I am offering a 10% discount on all journals in my shop through the month of November. Just convo me with "NaNo" in the subject line.

NaNoWriMo approaches.

2010-10-28T17:13:00.001-05:00

Kick-off party on Saturday. The noveling begins Monday morning. I'm trying so hard to wait! My wall may be covered in post-it notes before the weekend is over!

NaNoWriMo--Giving Back

2010-10-24T13:44:00.003-05:00

This year will be my fourth year of participation with NaNoWriMo. This year I am flat broke, but I would like to make a contribution to the Office of Letters and Light's programs.

You can help!

This year my friends, family, and followers can sponsor my writing journey by clicking here and pledging a donation.

I pledge to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Help nurture young writers with your contributions!

Thanks!

SO EXCITED!

2010-10-22T01:29:00.003-05:00

NaNoWriMo is almost here!

I was walking to the Post Office today, and I passed by a van with at least five people living in it. They were blasting NPR. I believe that has a place in my book.

"I think I'll follow this bum."

I just wanted to post on 10.10.10

2010-10-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

Happy OCD Day!

NaNoWriMo is coming!

2010-10-02T16:31:00.001-05:00

I'm so ready this year! It's gonna be awesome.

And I'm loving where my current novel is going.

New Goals, New Working Titles

2010-09-26T12:11:00.002-05:00

NaNoWriMo is a little over a month away. But I've done that, the whole novel draft in 30 days thing. What I haven't done is a complete second draft of anything.

I have a new goal this year. I am going to write my second draft of The PDX Project (which I am giving the new working title of The Misadventures of Alex Rose) during the month of October. November, I will tackle a first draft of a new book.

Isn't this what real writers do? They write a new book while they are finishing their previous book?

I'll be back in October to update my progress. Oh! That is only a few days away!

Like I Don't Have Enough On My Plate...

2010-09-18T14:45:00.002-05:00

NaNoWriMo is just around the corner! Ok, actually a few months off. Well, a month and change. The point is, "It is coming!"

I am SO excited for my book this year: Don Gato Steps in Poop

It may sound off-color, and maybe it will be, but this promises to be a very fun book to write.

Speaking of which, I need to get my butt in gear and finish the one I already started. Goal: Second Draft by November!

Life throws a curve ball...

2010-09-08T15:48:00.000-05:00

...and I match my swing.

A miniature post:

2010-09-07T10:49:00.001-05:00

The devil's name is Darius. I'm sorry, all nice Dariuses, but that's just how it is (in the book).

"You are going somewhere quickly."

2010-09-02T18:51:00.001-05:00

So said the man walking past me on the sidewalk. Sir, you may have just solved the ending of my book.

I think I would be best served rewriting the book backwards. I'll rewrite the ending, then the chapter before that, and so on, until I get to the beginning.

I feel like a real writer: I am doing something crazy and calling it my "method."

Frustration of the Week:

2010-09-02T12:34:00.003-05:00

Monday, I believe it was, my gmail account was hacked, and I unknowingly sent spam mail to everyone in my address book. Subsequently, I was locked out of my account.

I could lie and say that I was going to write this week but was too frustrated to sit at my computer. Truth be told, I've just been lazy.

I'll start slow today with some writing research, i.e. sitting outside in the sun and reading a book.

It's Friday.

2010-08-27T20:28:00.002-05:00

Instead of going out on the town tonight, I'm mixing myself a rum and coke, turning on a ridiculous movie, and settling in with the outline for my book.

And I might do my nails.

Anyone for Seconds? or Consider This a Pity Post

2010-08-26T11:36:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I just wasn't feeling the novel. Probably because I had set aside a day to work on it. Today I need to be cleaning, and all I want to do is work on my book.

I've been tossing around a few titles lately. The working title is The PDX Project. I have considered Curiouser and Curiouser, but that title is overdone, as appropriate as it may be. My top choice right now is my NaNoWriMo title from last November: Peanut Butter: A Tale of Unrequited Love. For now, I'm sticking with my working title, so I don't write myself into a corner.

I have several promising pieces to the tale at the moment, but no through plotline, so my next step in the process is to develop a vicious antagonist and draft a new outline. I'm toying with the idea of introducing The Devil, folk tale style. The magic is missing from the story. I'm going for a Big Fish or American Gods adventure, so I either need to introduce Death or The Devil.

I like concept of trying to outwit Death. Maybe that's where I should be going with this. Hmm...

My 100th Post!

2010-08-25T14:03:00.002-05:00

I feel an obligation to write something groundbreaking for this, my 100th post. It ain't happening.

Right at this very moment, I should be toiling over the outline for my novel. There it lies, open on the table, a stack of notecards neatly placed beside it in my work area. I have hours of time today!

What am I doing? Laundry. Sweeping. Putting sheets on my bed (long overdue).

I fully intend to write today. Just not right now.

I can give myself a pat on the back for being diligent enough to write an entry in my blog, as promised, and I can welcome procrastination with open arms, like so many before me.

Happy Hump Day!

It's time to start taking myself more seriously as a writer.

2010-08-22T11:19:00.002-05:00

Sometimes the trick is to simply leave for a while.

I have always considered writing a hobby of mine, but it is clearer to me now that my goal is to be a published author. I have no unrealistic expectations to make it big as a bestselling author overnight (or at all), and I realize that I am wandering down a path of hard work for minimal return, but this is what I want. I have rewritten my schedule to include regular writing sessions during my week.

Forgive me if I offend, but I have been attempting to read Bill Bryson's the lost continent, and I can't help but find it unforgivably boring. It seemed well-suited to my research--I'm writing a travel tale, and I generally enjoy Bill Bryson--but it's all description and no meat. Yes, I laugh at passages and appreciate the portrait of small-town America, but for what it is, I find it's too long for its own good. Having made the cross-country trek recently, I know that most of the trip is dead space, which is partly why I'm having so much trouble writing about it. No one cares how long it takes to get from Point A to Point B, how many toilets there are in a rest stop in Texas versus one in Arkansas, what we ate at the truck stop, etc. Bryson's book is serving as a cautionary tale to my novel: Don't write it like this, as tempting as it may be. No one wants to read an entire book of "You had to be there" stories.

My hope is to write in my blog every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from here on out. You know, to prove I'm a serious writer, or something.

I may have temporarily stopped writing...

2010-08-08T16:39:00.002-05:00

...but only because I want to give my brain a brief break before delving into the hard part: editing. I will be back in September.

JulNoWriMo: The Wrap-Up

2010-08-01T11:52:00.002-05:00

Word count: 55,630

I finished my 50K, and I ended my novel. It's a mess, and it's 220 pages long, but it's workable, I think. Maybe I'll actually follow this one through, folks.

Nearly there...

2010-07-29T11:13:00.003-05:00

Word count: 53,877

The story, as it is, wouldn't make sense to anyone but me. I am trying to get all of the pieces into one document, all of my notes and ideas. I'll have to deconstruct to rewrite it, work out the outline and the character maps, making sure everything is consistent. I have passed the 50K mark, though, and I still have 3 days.

I need to write an ending that ties all the pieces up. That is my primary goal between now and Saturday night. I definitely have enough material to make it al work, though.

Redeeming myself?

2010-07-26T01:44:00.002-05:00

Word count: 36,688

I felt so guilty after my last post, that I sat down and wrote some. It's still technically quarter-of the end of the day here, so I'll count it.

...and, scene.

2010-07-26T01:11:00.002-05:00

Did I write today?
No, I did not.

And whose fault is that?
That would be mine.

Does that mean I am giving up?
Hell, no.

Actually, I cleared my living space, and I cleared my head.

Perhaps I'm a touch too ambitious...

2010-07-25T10:30:00.002-05:00

Word count: 35,668

For those of you keeping track at home, I should be at 41,675 by tonight. 6,000 words is not such an unreasonable goal for one day, even having to work at my job through the middle of it. I am going to set my goal at 12,000 words, and accept some achievement betwixt the two.

I shall return by midnight for the update.

A New Take On An Old Theme

2010-07-21T11:41:00.002-05:00

Word count: 34,007

I'm back on target, but I've come to a stopping point in my account. However, the idea came to me as I was working to take this book and my first and make them work together. Finally, I feel like I have strong characters and a lot of plot to work with. I'm taking a more fantastic spin on the story, but I'm loving it.

Ten days to go. Can I tie everything together?

Pulling from behind...

2010-07-20T00:16:00.002-05:00

Word count: 32,113

I have been slacking and I fell behind, but now I have caught up. Not only have I caught up, but I think I have solved a few problems that I have been struggling with.

I don't think the original story is going to stretch another 20,000 words, but I plan to keep writing things out so I have enough material to work with when everything is said and done. Excellent.

HALFWAY

2010-07-17T01:16:00.001-05:00

Word count: 27,481

I need to pass 30K in the next few days. I'm still slumping a bit, but I'm forcing myself back on target. Perhaps my laundry can be a refreshing distraction? For the sake of my personal hygiene?

I'm still not entirely sure where I'm going with this story.

Entering Week 3...

2010-07-15T11:35:00.002-05:00

Word count: 25,182

I did have a bit of a slump this week, but I think I regained my footing last night. The more that I write, the clearer it is to me what a mess I'm making of the story, but at the same time, if I can get enough material out to rearrange and rewrite, a long mess is better than a perfect couple of pages.

The story is always evolving, shifting between a work of creative non-fiction and a work of pure imagination. The themes that are emerging excite me more than the plotline. One I merge the two, I may have something worth working with after all.

On we blindly stumble...

2010-07-11T11:16:00.002-05:00

Word count: 21,348

It's been ten days now since I started writing. I am finally beginning to come into my voice, but the story is seeming much shorter than it needs to be. I'm right where I want to be, a third of the way through the trip, and a third of the way through the book, but it's becoming more difficult to envision the adventure filling the pages. I suppose this is my slump. Once I hit another 10,000 words, I'll feel better.

Holding off the week two blues...

2010-07-08T11:35:00.002-05:00

Word count: 17,088

I woke up at 5am this morning, but even more mysterious than that, I was out of bed and ready to roll at 5:30. I went for a long morning walk, greeting the sun and picking up my usual morning bagel and coffee, and then came home to hammer out 3,000 words for the book.

This book has potential. Third time's a charm, right? And assuming I get a rough draft together, this will indeed be my third book.

Excellent.

I'm doing rather well for July.

2010-07-06T01:46:00.002-05:00

Word count: 12,328 words

I'm ahead of schedule, but I don't want to get too excited about it. I have to keep the momentum going, and make sure that I write every day. Sometimes I get bored with the story, but there is enough of it (for once) to skip the boring parts and move on to something else. I feel good about the plot and timeline. It needs a little tweaking, but once I have a rough draft down, I think this book may actually be workable!

Hallelujah!

Don't get ahead of yourself...

What's the best way to procrastinate working on a novel?

2010-07-02T12:33:00.001-05:00

Write another novel!

It's JulNoWriMo, and I'm stymied temporarily on my main project, so I'm throwing all caution to the wind and writing a creative memoir. I did, after all, move across the country. I have some fun stories for that.

Hahahaha... oy.

2010-06-16T14:39:00.002-05:00

Unrelated thought:

I just checked my bank account. I have 39 cents in my checking account. I get paid on Monday. Now I feel like a working artist.

Yes, I just walked home with a frozen pizza under my arm--what of it?

2010-06-13T19:46:00.002-05:00

Oh, novel, I have neglected you. I make excuses: "I moved." "I am working three jobs." "I have gone blind and my right hand was tragically amputated. Well, that's not exactly true, but it a metaphoric sense..."

I am armed with a frozen pizza, a case of beer, and a carton of ice cream. I have been reworking the plot, and I have completely recast my main character. Once bland, flat characters have reemerged as their quirky and exciting twins.

I am going in for the second draft of my novel. Maybe Portland has inspired me. Maybe I just need one more thing to worry about. Who knows? Chris Baty style, I am about to churn out a second draft in 30 days. Why? Because I need a deadline.

Bon Voyage.

It's the little things...

2009-12-31T08:43:00.003-06:00

Monday, on a late night coffee run, I ran into a friend of mine whom I haven't seen in at least four years. Halfway through the obligatory, "So fill me in on your life since I last saw you," conversation, he stopped and said, "I hear you're writing again! Very cool!" Which was followed by many questions pertaining to the state of my novel.

To be fair, I do take my writing seriously. I fully intend to sit down and hash out the second part of this year's NaNo, now that I'm more mobile and less violently ill.

It was a magical moment. In that moment, I was a "writer," publicly known as such and celebrated as such, even though I have been battling with what still seems to be a block of overly wet clay, with random pop-vocabulary oozing out the sides, and loosely developed plot hanging pathetically from a lumpy structure.

"I hear you're writing again! How is your book coming along?" Fabulously. Thanks for asking.

Ok, now it's over.

2009-12-17T09:19:00.002-06:00

Um, I didn't write anymore. I got sicker and sicker until a few days ago when I got hydrocodone. Now I'm slightly less sick and tricking my brain into thinking I'm better than I am.

I haven't given up on writing, but there is an awful lot of cleaning that needs to happen first.

More to come.

It's not over til it's over...

2009-11-25T09:17:00.002-06:00

Someone is covering the second half of my shift today so I can go home and sleep this off. I was completely mute (I couldn't even make a sound to laugh) for three days. Last night, I was finally able to make a squeak, and I sounded remarkably like Mickey Mouse. I am still hoarse, and now I sound like I am going to hack up a lung. I am so ready to be able to breathe normally again!

But that is not the point of this post.

I started off NaNoWriMo fast and hard this year, and I knocked out 20,000 words easily in about the first week, and then I got sick. (And S.T.R.E.S.S.E.D.) It's not too late to catch up. I have more than half the book to write in a week, and I have a ton to do on my show (which has slowed me considerably with my book), but I am going to try to write and read and sleep this afternoon. Little by little, I may be able to catch up.

28K and 6 days to go. Wish me luck!

I have been sick for more than two weeks...

2009-11-23T09:29:00.002-06:00

It would be a lot easier to get better if I had sick leave and health insurance. But considering that I have been working 10 hour days, 6-7 days a week, with what is possibly the flu or pneumonia, or goodness only knows what else, I'm not getting better. Alright, Washington, get your asses in gear and fix the damn problem!

I had to move home two years ago because I couldn't afford the $1000 bill for antibiotics and the trip to the emergency room (since no doctor would see me without insurance) to take care of a simple UTI. Which, by the way, didn't fix the problem, and I had to go back for 3 more and possibly have permanent kidney damage, and I was another couple thousand dollars in debt. So I don't want to go to the hospital for antibiotics for bronchitis, just because no one will see me without insurance. I can't afford it. I can hardly afford to buy groceries and toothpaste, much less shell out a couple hundred dollars to see a doctor.

I just want to breathe, dammit!

I'm not giving up!

2009-11-14T09:37:00.002-06:00

I haven't written since last Sunday, and I have to work 10 hours today, and I'm still sick. But I'm not giving up yet! I know that if I can just sit down and write for a little while I can easily knock out 2,000 words. A few sessions like that, and I might actually catch up.

This month is killing me. But I really want to write this book.

A note or two on this week:

2009-11-11T10:25:00.002-06:00

I haven't written since Sunday, because I feel cruddy. Drainage, lack of voice, lack of breathing...

On the bright side and the subject of Cruddy, Lynda Barry is the pep talk for NaNo this week. She's my favorite.

Current word count: 20,354

What joy! What freedom! What cause for celebration!

2009-11-09T21:10:00.003-06:00

I hit 20k last night, and while that is all well and good, that is not why I am jumping around shrieking in jubilation.

I FINISHED EDITING THE WEDDING VIDEO! 6 months of hell, now over. Granted I now need to find the program that has the correct spelling of everyone's names before I burn the DVDs, but I AM DONE EDITING! I'm no longer fighting with the camera or the computer (knock on wood); no longer is this black cloud of wedding doom looming above my head. I'M FREE!!!

What a relief. Everything in life seems easier.

P.S. Would my friends please remind me that no wedding job is ever worth the money, no matter how desperate I may be for cash to pay bills. Not. Worth. It. Thanks.

I had a dream last night...

2009-11-08T11:49:00.002-06:00

Part I: Before the Arrest
Part II: The Investigation
Part III: The Trial

Before I go to bed tonight, I want to be done with Part I. My thought on this draft is that if I can get it all written out, I can go back and rewrite one chapter at a time for the rewrite.

This draft of the book (not to jinx anything) has much more structure than the last, even though the characters are still not fully developed, and my actual writing structure and style is crap. Once you give in to changing tenses every other sentence and various points of view and not spell checking and throwing grammar out the window (much like this post), the writing becomes much more enjoyable.

I am starting at about 16,000 words this morning. I'll check in with a final word count later this evening.

My goal for the weekend is 20,000!

2009-11-07T13:45:00.003-06:00

Actually, my goal for tonight is 20,000, but I doubt that will happen. I'm a'gonna try, though.

I have only five hours of work today, and then I'm a free woman until Monday.

Current word count: 14,509

Wow, that was the best first day EVER!

2009-11-01T23:37:00.002-06:00

Current word count: 7,102

I am loving where my subconscious is taking me.

November 1, 2009: Day 1

2009-11-01T09:48:00.002-06:00

I woke up less than an hour ago, choosing to use the extra hour last night to sleep, and SOME people already have 2,000 words written. (Some other people, not including me.) It's on, girl. I'm starting right now...

...Right after my coffee is done...

TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY!!!

2009-10-31T11:29:00.003-05:00

I might start at midnight tonight. Or I might get a good night's sleep, get up early, and start early tomorrow morning.

I painted a NaNoWriMo mug (pictures when it comes out of the kiln on Monday), and I have good breakfast food for all day tomorrow. I almost have my computer decluttered. I have my handy dandy NaNoWriMo helper packet. I do need a chair for my desk. I think spending 100,000 words sitting on a step-stool may become bothersome after a while.

Bring it!

100k it is!

2009-10-29T17:14:00.003-05:00

Two novels this NaNo?! But that is madness!

I am mad.

Novel #1: An Empty Case
Novel #2: Peanut Butter: A Tale of Unrequited Love

Two days.

Empty Case

2009-10-20T00:29:00.001-05:00

Is the title a proper noun? I don't know! We'll find out in NaNoWriMo, 2009!

Did you just say "VLOG"?!

2009-10-13T09:23:00.003-05:00

I got on facebook today, and it told me a friend of mine had posted a youtube video, so I watched it. It turned out to be some ridiculous 8 min rant about McDonalds, but at the end, he says, "Thanks for tuning in to my vlog."

Did I hear that right? "VLOG?" Like video log? Is this a new thing? Blogs aren't enough, so now people are recording themselves and posting regular vlogs on youtube? I mean, I know people have been doing that for a while, but don't give it a name--that validates the practice.

I am embarrassed of this blog now. I feel as though I am contributing to the problem. With the understanding that I am totally hypocritical by saying this: Is there a need to spam the internet with 6 billion people's thoughts on the insignificant moments in their days?

The hour draws nearer...

2009-10-13T08:38:00.002-05:00

For this year's NaNoWriMo, I am going to attempt an entirely different type of novel. I have never written one from multiple viewpoints, but this year I am going to attempt to write the story using five or six different narrators. It will be a challenge, to be sure, but one that I think will be very rewarding.

The working title is Tales of an Apartment Complex, though I expect that to change a hundred thousand times even before November 1. I may not use an apartment complex as the setting, but that is where the idea originated, so I will stick to it for now. I have a very odd downstairs neighbor.

You may recall my first NaNoWriMo attempt: How To Survive Renting Your First Apartment, about the horrors of the Rat Trap I lived in right after graduation. This novel will most likely revisit some of the environmental issues, but I want to delve more into strange people. I don't want to say it is a conspiracy theory novel. It is more of an investigation of "coincidence."

Obviously, I have a very clear picture of where I am going with this.

I may be posting character bios as we approach November...

Third time's a charm...

2009-10-07T00:38:00.003-05:00

Well, Penguins and Chimps, the hour of NaNoWriMo 2009 is steadily approaching. I have, after an extensive internal battle, decided to start a new book rather than starting from scratch with an old idea.

The plan is to go all Dickensian on y'all's tails and write about several seemingly unrelated characters who all get wound into the same plot. Would it make sense if I did more planning? Probably so.

In any case, it just seems like fun. And right now, I could use a little fun.

I'll be in Portland in 10 days. Very cool.

I know, I know, I've been slacking...

2009-09-27T09:33:00.002-05:00

I have been sitting on this book for almost a year now, and my greatest challenge continues to be fictionalizing reality.

This morning I had a breakthrough.

I have been so overwhelmed by how all the details of reality have woven together that I haven't considered the possibility of telling a different story. My story has been, until recently, "Will my friend make it through the trial?" I have decided that the question in the book should be, "Am I homophobic?"

As a song in Avenue Q says, "Everyone's a little bit racist," and I think it is time to point out that everyone's a little homophobic as well. How many closeted gay men target other openly gay men? How many fag hags are secretly bitter that they are still single? And then there are the obvious religious conservatives who use ancient texts to condemn modern men and women. The "defenders of marriage." How many people start a sentence with "I'm not gay, but...?"

I was watching Glee with my mother, and Curt came out of the closet to his dad, and she cried. I hate it when my mother cries, especially over a television program, so I turned to her and said, "Mom, I'm gay. Just kidding."

Her response: "I couldn't handle that right now."

I know she meant nothing by that remark. I know that if I were gay, my parents would at least tell me they still love me, and they would try their best to be supportive. I also know that deep down, they would be crushed that I'm not giving them any grandchildren. I'm sure they wonder if I am a lesbian--a 25 year-old Oberlin graduate who rarely dates and spends far too much time with women and gay men at the theater. Even as a straight woman, it hurts to think that they would be disappointed in me if I were gay. In turn, I'm sure I internalize that sadness, and I'll admit, I am jealous of the happy gay couple. I look at my queen walking beside me and know that I'll never be more than a friend to him. A little part of me hates that he'll always be a little sick at the thought of my womanly parts.

Maybe the story that I'm too afraid to write is the story that explores all of my bitterness and hatred toward homosexuality. I am afraid to admit that somewhere, though I try to calm it and ignore it, I'm just like everyone else.

I think I'm finally ready to write this book.

Taking another crack at it...

2009-08-27T09:10:00.002-05:00

I am writing again.

I am also prepping for NaNo3: Return of the Dime Novel.

Stay tuned for further developments.

...And so (almost) ends another month of not working on the rewrite...

2009-07-26T22:31:00.003-05:00

Directing a show put a damper on my writing plans. I'd like to say that of course I will be on top of my game from here on out, but the truth of the matter is that I have certain obligations to fulfill first.

My life is completely up in the air right now. I might semi-permanently settle here, or I might move across the country in two months. Ah, to be young...

JulNoWriMo

2009-07-01T22:28:00.002-05:00

True, I didn't even know that such a challenge existed until the last week. I was just planning to rewrite this month. But since it's a "thing," I guess I have 31 days to get out 50,000 words. Though I'm aiming to finish the rewrite, which may be (hopefully) longer than that.

I mean, see how I'm writing even now? I'm writing for my blog about my novel. Which is sort of related. Topically and literarily linked. Almost exactly the same thing!

...so, now I'll just do my laundry and clean my bathroom and take a nap and THEN write my 1600 words for the day. Or I could just do it now.

Right... NOW!

Ok, now. Really. Now.

I am contemplating the story again...

2009-06-23T09:18:00.002-05:00

The problem with basing a story in reality is covering your own behind in terms of avoiding a lawsuit. The real story has gone beyond complicated: police officers are distant cousins of the real guilty parties; there seem to be cover-ups, character smearing, and gay bashing; hate crimes are rampant; and there is a side story of a series of drug overdoses and a suicide. The real story is far more interesting than anything I could come up with myself.

The challenge, then, is telling this story without bringing a lawsuit upon myself. I don't know everything that I believe to be true, but so far, even my most ludicrous hunches have proven to be correct. What I need is a few private investigators and a really solid work of non-fiction, but many crucial plot points which likely are true are also unverifiable.

So how do I keep the complexity of the story without writing myself into court?

I'll be in New York this weekend...

2009-06-03T09:52:00.002-05:00

When I return, I will be writing full force.

I can probably blame The History Channel, but...

2009-05-14T21:21:00.003-05:00

So, I got hooked on The History Channel's special series on the seven deadly sins, and I thought it might be interesting to weave them into my book. Which was much easier than I expected. More later.

Right now all I can think about is how much I want to go to Ren-Fair.

I started writing again...

2009-04-29T09:56:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I started writing the book again. What I'm aiming for is a second draft by June 30. I recognize that this second draft is realistically a rewrite of the entire manuscript for content, but my rule is that something has to be happening at all times. Any time I slip into description (that is not relevant to a plot point), I will skip ahead to action. It is much easier to edit dialogue and prose when the story has been finalized.

Wish me luck. Here I go.

Why am I writing this book? SPOILER ALERT

2009-04-13T16:04:00.004-05:00

Again and again I have hit a wall when I've tried to rewrite this book. The question at the crux of the conflict seems to be this: Why am I writing this book?

Sure, I think the subject matter is socially relevant. The gay rights movement is the up-and-coming civil rights movement of the 21st century. (How I somehow became a gay rights activist, I am not entirely certain, but I've got both feet in the pot now. Thanks, Oberlin.) What drew me to the story initially was the absurdity of it all--the way people's stories cross each other's, the way everyone is connected, the way the conspiracy stretches far beyond the people throwing around accusations, into the legal system and the community. I was shocked at the drama and publicity, particularly because I think the story would be much less widespread if the accused were heterosexual. In that sense, I hope to write a novel worthy of a place in the gay rights movement, to expose the undercurrent of distrust and the quickness to accept horrible accusations and rumors as true, just because of someone's sexuality.

Part of the moral battle in this story comes with my own hesitations to defend an accused "rapist." I think that creating a heroine who has worked for women's rights, who has worked as a rape counselor, who has been outspoken about punishment for rapists, and then throwing her into a situation where she has to defend an accused rapist creates the inner conflict I need to make the book really work.

These two issues aren't necessarily at odds with each other, but I don't want to bog down the reader with a bunch of moral judgments or propaganda. I am seeing two separate witch hunt stories here: one where people target the gays, and one where people are falsely accused of rape. The point I want to make with the book is that people who are different are being targeted, whereas the people really committing the acts are getting away scott-free.

Maybe the solution would be to expose the seedy-doings of everyone else in the town as the heroine searches for evidence of the "victim's" innocence. Affairs are brought to life, gambling, practicing without a license, tax evasion. So that in the end, everyone's secrets are out, and it is all about "casting the first stone." However, I don't want to minimalize the issue of rape here. Someone has to pay. I'm pretty sure that one of the secrets will be that the accuser was abused by his father. There will be a suicide. Someone may kill someone else. A few people will end up in jail.

There. I feel much better now. I might even have a halfway decent book brewing.

Let's be honest...

2009-03-22T09:43:00.004-05:00

I haven't done anything on my book this month.

BUT Scriptfrenzy starts next week, and I will be writing a musical.

http://scriptfrenzy.org for more information

I am in the process of making a blog for April, so I can further procrastinate work on my novel.

NaNoEdMo

2009-03-01T10:31:00.003-06:00

I am going to sit down and edit/rewrite this novel this month.

A breakthrough!

2009-02-27T09:54:00.002-06:00

I have been struggling with the structure of the novel--whether to go in chronological order, or how to let the events unfold as I found them out. My solution is that I am going to start at two points in the story:

Prologue-ish: William Daniel Goodman arrested newspaper article
Ch. 1: Backup to when Katrina is auditioning for the show. She is asking a friend of hers in the rape crisis training course if she knows anything about Dan Goodman.

And so forth, back and forth between the show leading up to when Kat is told about the incident, while at the same time, following Dan as he is arrested, beaten, and slandered. Probably all of that in the first Act of the book. That way the audience can be introduced to Dan at his highest and lowest points before the details of the case begin to unfold. The first Act will end with Dan taking Kat into the green room and asking, "How much can I trust you?"

Begin Act II: In this section, there will be multiple flashbacks to the night of the alleged incident, each time adding more details (as Dan remembers more). Kat begins to meet more of the players of the story, people from Dan's past, and people at the theater. This section leads up to the arrest. It ends with a voicemail message: "911. Call my lawyer."

Act III: A few weeks after the arrest, awaiting trial. The lawyer has brought in an investigator, but they are not getting what they need so Kat goes undercover. Dirty pasts of all at the theater are dug up. Charges are made against the villains, driving the main villain to suicide.

Denouement: All goes back to "normal," though Dan never gets his job back, and there will always be an unsettled air hanging over the town.

FIN

Progress? Yeah?

Following the leader...

2009-02-02T09:33:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted in a while, either, lolasangel:

In the meantime I have learned that too much planning can be just as paralyzing as too little planning. Today, I am jumping in and writing the second draft. (Not all of it, obviously.)

I know my characters, though they don't all have last names yet. I don't think they need definite names until they are introduced in the book, though, and some of them may not be mentioned for a while. For now, I have Will Goodman, my victim, and Kat Need-a-last-name, my detective. I'm starting with a newspaper article about the crime (as a prologue), then picking up "three months earlier."

I have been overly concerned about genre conventions this past month. I know my genre, even if I am more familiar with the television version than the printed word. Now I need to just write my genre.

So, here goes.

I'll give you a weekly Monday update from here on out...

It's a boy!

2009-01-17T09:24:00.002-06:00

This morning in the shower, I named my characters. I have really been struggling with their names, so I'm excited to have settled. I have reasons for each of the names that I picked:

The Villain: Brett, short for Aaron Barrett Williams, III. Also know as Burl, Burt, and A.B. Williams. I need to change his last name, or maybe I don't. He's projecting himself onto...

The Victim: Will, as in freewill, as in short for William, as in, should I change Brett's last name, or does it work having them share a common name? I think it works, actually. Kind of cool, and almost random. I'm sure my subconscious had something to do with it.

The Kid: Adam, as in the first man. Also tempted by the apple, incurring sin and God's wrath, yada yada...

The Director: Don, because then his drag name can be Dawn, and because I was originally pushing for Ron, but didn't want him to be confused with Ron Weasley or Ronnie in Little Children.

The Sleuth: Kat, after Katherine Hepburn.

Do we like the names?

A Title and a Villain

2009-01-07T09:48:00.003-06:00

Actually, that wouldn't make a bad working title either: A Title and a Villain

My working title is, for now, Whose Plot is It, Anyway? A little exhausted, but I won't be keeping it, and it helps to keep me on track and encourage me to inject humor into what may easily become a very dark tale.

My villain is Aaron Barrett "Brett" Willaims, III. He goes by many names corresponding to his many personas: A.B. Gillaim, Burt, Burl... For now, I'm writing his backstory--how he was beaten as a child and beaten as an adult, and now he beats people that remind him of himself. I want the reader to hate him, but feel sorry for him.

A break in the case, so to speak...

2009-01-01T19:57:00.002-06:00

After a month's respite, I am returning to my novel. I have decided to rewrite it as a mystery novel. The conventions work, I think, with the exception that no one will die. Or at least the victim will not die. There will probably be other casualties, and much needs to be changed. I am not starting over, and I probably won't change that much of the plot, but the characters will change significantly, and the storytelling must be entirely restructured.

Ah, Editing, I've only danced briefly with you in the past. How we shall cover the floor this spin around...

This evening, I shall introduce myself to my "killer."

It's a New Year!

2009-01-01T09:53:00.002-06:00

New Year's Resolutions 2009

1. Write every day.

2. Write the second draft of my novel by March 31.

3. Edit a rough cut of The Dead Hear Footsteps: The Movie by February 14. Edit a fine cut by March 31.

4. Write a rough draft of Baker's Dozen during Script Frenzy (the month of April).

I was going to put a short stop-motion film on my list, but in addition to the list above, I will be working full-time at the pottery studio, teaching a film class Monday nights, planning for a new theater on Thursday nights, designing a website for South Jackson, and going to school online for Residential Planning. I'm trying to be optimistic without overextending myself too much...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sometimes things in life are hard...

2008-12-24T14:14:00.002-06:00

Saying that you love and support a person does not mean that you speak for them, or that their actions and feelings represent your own. It does not mean that you believe they are without fault. It does not even mean that you will side with them in every argument. Saying that you love and support a person means that you accept them as they are--faults, shortcomings, and all--and you love them for being human. Forgiveness is love. May we all take a moment to remember the people who accept us for our own faults. Whatever that means to you, Happy Holidays.

And now for something completely different:

2008-12-22T17:43:00.006-06:00

Yes, I will be returning to my novel after the first of the year. With any luck, I'll be portable, though I don't want to get my hopes up.

Today's post is about my 2008 New Year's Resolutions. I actually only made one: Read 10,000 pages of reading for pleasure. I am currently about 1,500 pages from my goal, but I don't count books until I'm finished with them, and I'm reading four or five right now. What I've read:

Stardust by Neil Gaiman, 333 pages
In the Best Families by Rex Stout, 256 pages
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, 331 pages
The Sisters Grimm: The Problem Child by Michael Buckley, 292 pages
Atonement by Ian McEwan, 351 pages
Fer-De-Lance by Rex Stout, 285 pages
The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers, 456 pages
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, 383 pages
Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde, 399 pages
Alice, Let's Eat by Calvin Trillin, 182
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, 550 pages
The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde, 373 pages
When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris, 323 pages
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, 406 pages
Naked by David Sedaris, 291 pages
The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter by David Colbert, 314 pages
The Sisters Grimm: Once Upon a Crime by Michael Buckley, 272 pages
The Color Purple by Alice Walker, 295 pages
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith, 436 pages
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, 326 pages
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson, 268 pages
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko, 225 pages
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznik, 525 pages
Little Children by Tom Perrotta, 319 pages
Cruddy by Lynda Barry, 305 pages
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling, 111 pages
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale, 314 pages
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, 288 pages
The 13 Clocks by James Thurber, 124 pages

Current page count: 9,333

I will continue to update this post until I reach my goal, or until January 1, whichever comes first.

I have decided that a laptop might be rather useful...

2008-12-19T11:53:00.002-06:00

When I begin editing in January, it would be advantageous to make my work more portable. If I spend two or three months locked in the house without sunlight or communication with the world outside, I will go stir crazy.

Starring in... Why the hell am I still awake at 2:17am?

2008-12-15T02:12:00.003-06:00

I finished reading a book today, and it was undeniably satisfying. I haven't finished reading a book for almost two months, though I am reading seven or eight concurrently. My New Year's resolution for 2008 was to read 10,000 pages of reading for pleasure, and I am at about 9,000 pages, with about two weeks to go. Can I make it?

The good news is that it gives me something other than my lack of job to focus my attention on for a few weeks.

On a related/unrelated note, I'm tired, and growing more tired by the second. Why did I drink a large coffee three hours ago? Because I'm stupid. That's right. Stupid.

Who needs alcohol when they get this punchy just being an insomniac?

The up side of being unemployed is that when I finally do crash--minutes from now, hours from now--I don't have to be up before four tomorrow afternoon.

Did I mention that WATER FOR ELEPHANTS started as a NaNoWriMo book?

2008-12-09T12:26:00.002-06:00

At least, that's the impression I got. I loved that book, so maybe there's hope for mine, after all.

I'm trying really hard not to work on the book this month. I know I need a fresh pair of eyes to really give it the attention it needs. The story is changing so much with each passing day, and I know that I'm going to have to do one complete rewrite just to get everything in the right order, and then another to iron out the prose. And probably a third rewrite to tweak. THEN maybe it will be ready to send off to agents, or publishers, or whoever.

One step at a time.

By the way, lolasangel, you're amazing. I can't believe you've cleared 100,000 words this year. Do you know how cool that is?

Here's where the real work begins...

2008-12-02T15:05:00.003-06:00

I've promised myself that I won't read my book until January, to give me a little distance. But I can research now, right?

I have my handy, dandy list of books to read and movies to watch and facts to research. I've started character sketches and plot arcs... In essence, I'm doing all the pre-noveling work now. Then at least I'll be ready for the rewrite.

I did take one day off...

Welcome, December!

2008-12-01T10:35:00.002-06:00

The rough draft of my novel is finished! 68,814 words. 204 pages. 30 days of my life.

Now, I'm making a list of things to research, drawing up character sketches, starting to plan the plot, and getting ready for a rewrite. I'll sit on the story through December, probably, but I'm really excited about digging in after that!

I won NaNoWriMo!

I ROCK!

2008-11-29T16:14:00.002-06:00

Yeah, I get to brag. I won NaNoWriMo for the second year in a row. It's true that I have miles to go before I sleep. Not only do I have to think about extensive rewriting, if I plan to finish this novel, but I am nowhere near even finishing the rough draft! And I don't know that I'll be able to finish it by tomorrow at midnight.

I am going to try! Even if I have to roughly sketch out the rest of the novel, at least I'll end up with a good, long, solid outline!

Current word count: 52,067

For Current and Future Use: a PSA

2008-11-29T12:42:00.001-06:00

Can I scramble my novel before submitting it to your untrustworthy word-counting goons?

If you are using Microsoft Word it is very easy to scramble your novel in a way that will not affect its word count.

Open the file and make a new copy of your novel using 'Save As...'
Open the Find and Replace dialog box (Edit -> Replace).
Click the "More" button to expand the box.
Check the "Use Wildcards" checkbox.
In the "Find What" field, put this: [a-zA-Z0-9] (include the square brackets, no spaces before or after)
In the "Replace With" field, put this: a
Click "Replace All"
Save the scrambled file as a text file, and upload away!
The procedure for Open Office is essentially the same, except that Open Office refers to 'Regular Expressions' instead of 'Wildcards'. (Thanks to Peter Dudley for this advice!)

You can get the same effect in a more cumbersome way by just doing a find-and-replace on every letter in the alphabet, one letter at a time. Open the find-and-replace interface on your word processing program and tell it to replace every "b" in your story with an "a," and every "c" with an "a," then every "d" with an "a." And so on.

An excerpt:

2008-11-27T13:32:00.003-06:00

“It’s The Cracked Cake Painting!” someone yelled, and they laughed. I didn’t know what they were talking about. “The Cracked Cake Painting” sounded so funny, but I understood the situation to be very, very unfunny. There was black goo all over the floor, and it could have been dye or ink, or paint. But I knew it to be blood. Black blood, all over the floor. Smeared all over the canvas. All over my hands. And Greg was standing in the doorway, hating me. Why couldn’t I remember the show? Why didn’t I know what was going on? Did anyone even care I was there? I was trapped in this little room, with Greg at the door, and a canvas smeared with dark colors in a room that otherwise was a dingy, gray broom closet, and I had black blood all over my hands and on the floor and in my hair…

And then I woke up.

Coming into the home stretch...

2008-11-27T12:59:00.003-06:00

I plan on writing most of the afternoon while my parents are sleeping off the food coma, but this morning I cleared 45,000 words, so I am on the last leg of the word count challenge. I'd like to make it to 50K today so I might have a chance at finishing the story before the end of November as well, but we'll see how it all works out. I'm confident that, barring any major catastrophes *knock on wood* I'll be a NaNoWriMo winner for the second year in a row. But I suppose I shouldn't be counting my chickens just yet.

Current word count: 45,595

Aha!

2008-11-26T15:07:00.002-06:00

I am caught up. Not only that, I am ahead! And hopefully I will have more time to write tonight!

Current word count: 43,674

Ok, so maybe I'm procrastinating...

2008-11-26T13:50:00.002-06:00

It's 1:56pm, and I need to be at 43,342 words by the end of today. Right now, I am at 41,000. My goal is to not only catch up, but to get ahead.

On your mark, get set, GO!

SPOILER ALERT!

2008-11-25T12:31:00.002-06:00

I had a breakthrough in the shower this morning! (Always my favorite place for inspiration...)

I'm sending in a spy. When everything else they try to do fails, Kim goes undercover as a spy and finds out more than she even expected. In the end, it gets so bad that Charlie kills himself.

Now all I can think is, "Shit! Shit! Shit! I need so much more than 15,000 words to finish this book! Write, dammit, write!"

Word count: 36,737

Well, I'm not where I'd like to be, but...

2008-11-17T12:14:00.003-06:00

My friend, you have passed me gallantly, clearing 30,000. I am lagging behind at 25K. However, though I am a day behind, I am now only one day behind, and without a play or strike, I will have more time the next two days to write. No longer will I be cleaning to procrastinate writing--now I'll be writing to procrastinate packing.

I have been in a slump with my book, unsure of where to take it, but last night I decided that I am going to approach it like a play, and the second act will be related but entirely different. Different mood, different POV, but the same story. Much more experimental, where the first half was relatively conventional.

I have a working title, finally, which makes a huge difference in how I feel about the book: Foxes and Bluebirds

Current word count: 25,000

Slowly we roll along...

2008-11-12T20:26:00.002-06:00

There is a challenge on the table to make 35,000 words by Sunday night. My book, so far, seems to be writing itself (knock on wood), so hopefully I can keep it going without too much fluff. As you may have noticed, my syntax and vocabulary are suffering, but my plot is still going strong! And really, editing is much easier if you have a good foundation.

We're off!

Current word count: 16,074

Word Count Update

2008-11-11T12:57:00.002-06:00

I am still ticking along with my word count. I am currently about 5,000 words behind where I should be at the moment, but that's a doable amount, and if I'm really diligent today, I might be able to continue to close the gap, bit by bit. That was a really long last sentence. I'm sure when I go back to read this book, it will be one long run-on sentence.

I haven't given up yet. Things are continuing to fall into place.

Word count: 13,325

Slowly covering some ground

2008-11-08T14:07:00.002-06:00

I am not yet caught up, but I am having much better luck with the story I have been working on. And there have been some seriously life altering events in the past few weeks, so I have been a little distracted. However, the new story is taking off like wildfire. If I really put my mind to it, I'm making 2000 in an hour of hardcore work. Unfortunately, there are few days that I have more than an hour of time. But this week will be different. And if I can get in even 500 extra words each day, I'll be in good shape.

Word count: 8,184

It's true what they say...

2008-11-04T09:34:00.002-06:00

It is much harder to write a story in which you have a deep emotional investment. I have spent a year working on Evelyn's story, but going into NaNo, I'm left with no character names, no town names, and many many plotholes. The truth is that my story is still a series of ideas without much holding them together, and I don't want to rush through this. I know that the story is good, and I want to do it justice and give it the time and love it needs. Besides, I'm already stumped at 900 words.

I'm starting over with a new story--an account of the last few months of my life, and how my life has become so intwined with that of a complete stranger. Because really that's all I can think about right now.

Aha!

2008-11-03T13:11:00.003-06:00

There's an article today on the Steampunk Home blog about hidden messages built into houses. That could solve a lot of problems for me. If Evelyn is tipped off somehow that she has to get into her old house... If somehow she found out that it was broken and parts were burnt but that the ruins still hold clues...

I have a white rabbit, though he doesn't have a name yet. He's a jovial ex-circus ringmaster living in an abandoned shack in the woods.

And I have decided to write the entire thing out of order. Which may be maddening, but I suppose I'll just have to find out for myself!

Current word count: 876

I have a working title!!!

2008-11-02T10:05:00.000-06:00

The Escape

Day One ticked right past me...

2008-11-02T00:58:00.002-05:00

So, life kicked my ass on day one, but fear not! My story is brewing.

And lolasangel and I are racing to 4000 words today. (No worries, I haven't started yet--I'm just updating the blog before bedtime.)

Clocks roll back, I get an extra hour of sleep, and all is well with the world tomorrow!

I'm just out dealing with things way beyond my maturity level.

2008-10-30T10:39:00.002-05:00

In the past few days, I have gained life experience that I had hoped never to have. My heart goes out to my friend and his family.

By some sick twist of fate, everything that has happened has inspired my story. Suddenly all the bumps and plot-holes seem to be smoothing themselves out.

I have an antagonist. Actually, a small group of antagonists. They use fear-mongering to turn the community against the good people, and when everyone is scared and trusting, they attack. Much like Dick Cheney. Also much like things happening here. The good people are locked away, and many are killed. Perhaps they are sent to labor camps. Their children are taken away and given to party families so that their rebellious spirits might be bred out of them, and they might be integrated into the new society. But when Evelyn discovers that she was taken from her parents, she sets off to find them, finding out more along the way about the world that had stolen her away from them. In her quest to find her family, she uncovers an evil plot that could destroy much much more than a pile of books.

On your mark...

Operation Photo Inspiration - Status: IN PROGRESS

2008-10-29T11:04:00.002-05:00

I have recovered the tape.

Option 1: I know of someone with a miniDV camcorder. He says it may need a new battery.

Option 2: I could go to the local pawn shop to see if there is a cheap one there. But what can I afford?

Once the footage has been captured, I'll take the stills and hang them around my room for inspiration.

And a-one, a-two, a-one, two, three days...

For real, now

2008-10-28T08:54:00.005-05:00

Well, I have put off and put off cleaning my bedroom, and now the entire downstairs is so congested that I can hardly make it down the steps, so I am really cleaning my bedroom today.

Here's the plan:
Mom comes to pick me up, and we drive to Manchester, so we can get Starbucks for breakfast, since neither of us can move around the house enough to find food.

I come home sated and proceed to sort laundry, throw trash away, charge my cell phone, and make a shopping list.

I leave again for Wal-Mart and food, returning to watch Rabbit-Proof Fence (see how I'm sneaking in a little research time?) as I eat. All the while, the cabinets are being installed.

Finally, once everyone has left, I can start actually doing my laundry, taking breaks to go grocery shopping with Mom, look over my lines for The Bad Seed, or watch an episode of The Daily Show that I missed last night. I envy Rob's TiVo.

I need to be at South Jackson by 6:30 for the Playhouse meeting, and Mom and I are eating sometime before then. Throughout the day, I am working on coaxing a miniDV tape of footage I shot from the cable station so I can pull stills for inspiration... So far, Pete has sent me some neat stills, but they are not the ones I'm looking for, so I hope he'll allow me to borrow the tape. (I really hope he knows where the tape is...)

I almost forgot the most important part! I was looking on a Steampunk interior design blog, and they had an article on hidden doors. Which got me thinking about hidden rooms possibly in Evelyn's adopted home...

2+2 and 2 x 2 and 2 squared comes to 4 days until NaNoWriMo.

Organization can be so...

2008-10-27T10:14:00.002-05:00

Today, I must organize my room and my life. I can take this mess no longer!

I have procured Rabbit-Proof Fence, and I have read my books on book banning. I should perhaps sketch an outline before Saturday, but we shall see.

Take 5