Ten minutes till go, now.
I just woke up. I've been tossing and turning in bed since 7, fell into a deep hard sleep around 9. Balked about getting up a bit, but I'm excited now.
Making coffee. Getting my snacks strategically placed. Getting the outline ready. Trying to make one of my cats understand that she can not sit in my lap right now.
I'll be checking back in here every hour - I have an Excel spreadsheet that I'm updating with word counts and such. I'm hoping to burn rubber and get ahead in the first few hours, so I can ease up by sunlight and get some food.
We'll see how it goes.
jul
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
The Adventures of Plot Bunny and The Garden Gnome.
I am *so* glad I went to the meetup last night:
I WON THE PLOT BUNNY! Now the Gnome has a friend. The Gnome's name, by the way, is Nomi.
The Plot Bunny's name, I've decided, is Plot.
The meetup was tons of fun. Lots of familiar and new faces; I told lots of people about NaNoWriDay: Which means I *must* succeed!
And Plot and Nomi ride off into the sunset:
Far too crazed
at this point,
jules
I WON THE PLOT BUNNY! Now the Gnome has a friend. The Gnome's name, by the way, is Nomi.
The Plot Bunny's name, I've decided, is Plot.
The meetup was tons of fun. Lots of familiar and new faces; I told lots of people about NaNoWriDay: Which means I *must* succeed!
And Plot and Nomi ride off into the sunset:
Far too crazed
at this point,
jules
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Sorry I Can't Get My Camera To Focus.
Dana.
Last year, I borrowed a laptop through the NaNo lenders program, and became very friendly with the Neo. It was the best ever. I loved having something I could put on my lap and type with anywhere and everywhere.
So, when NaNo told me they don’t lend to the same person two years in a row, I knew I had to buy one from somewhere. And then I saw what Vance Fry did to his. Woowee. I wanted a red one too!
So, I won a Dana on ebay, bought some spray paint, and decided to give it a go.
This is what Dana looked like before:
Day 1
I woke up bright and early on a Saturday morning, and decided to take it apart and spray it up on the roof before work.
The back screws were easy enough to undo. But when I opened up her shell, my first thought was, “I can’t do this.” There was an intimidating looking circuit board, a ribbon, a part under that, a free floating, weird-looking battery. It was all attached to the part I wanted to spray.
After staring it down for about five minutes, I went to work on the easy part – loosening the internal screws. Thank god for the Ikea pencil case with all the different compartments, so I could keep track of what screw went where. I loosened the circuit board, and then the underlying screen, figured out how to take out the battery compartments, I finally got the keyboard ribbon off.
My Dana was now a shell that I could do with as I wished.
Except it was too close to going to work time. I would continue the next morning.
Day 2
Woke early. Washed Dana with soap and water as recommended. Along with the goggles and spray paint, I also bought a respirator mask But, when I opened it, the instructions, on full page paper in tiny tiny print, looked much too daunting. “Screw the mask” I thought. I would try to breathe in another direction.
Took her up to the roof and laid down some newspaper. I am lucky in my positioning. When I put on the large rubber kitchen gloves and started spraying, the vinyl dye flew on the wind…away from me, thank goodness. It took a while to get it covered. I sprayed too much, actually, it hung off the chassis in drips. I figured it would be okay, though. I let her stay there for forty five minutes to dry before bringing her back downstairs.
Later that night I noticed that there were parts sprayed unevenly, and I could still see the logo through the red.
Day 3
The next morning I took her out for another coat. Handling the spray paint can went a lot smoother. It was clear there would be a few imperfections where the drips had collected, but I decided to not get bent out of shape about that.
Day 4
I let her dry.
Day 5
I let her dry all of day 4, and couldn’t resist trying to put her back together on Day 5. I started with the keyboard, by far the most difficult thing I had to do. I think the dye collected in the slots made this more difficult than it should have been. I scratched the paint in a couple of places and decided I couldn’t live with that, so I put newspaper in my kitchen sink and gave the spots a couple of hits from the dye can.
After letting it dry for a couple of hours, I struggled with fitting the keyboard into the chassis for another hour. It still doesn’t fit perfectly into the slots, I feel like it might pop out at anytime. Momentary panic when the control key popped off. After staring the internal key mechanism down and fiddling with it, I finally got it back onto the keyboard.
Putting it together after that was no problem at all. There are serious imperfections in the paint job, there are a couple of scratches and dents. But that’s okay, the desired effect was achieved. It works, and I think I’ve figured out how to sync it up with my computer. Here she is:
Not as super sharp as Vance's but I'm happy with my work and can't wait to take her out into the world.
And, the NaNo mugs are red this year. Can’t wait to take a pic of them together.
Gnome.
This is my NaNo07 totem, my garden gnome.
The wife of the engineer who mixed my record gave him to me for my birthday. She said every die hard anglophile must have a garden gnome, and I agree with her. I love him. He’s so…amazingly benevolent. He sits on my desk and wishes me well as I go about my life, especially when I’m noveling.
Chair.
This is my new executive leather desk chair.
*Love* my chair, boys and girls.
The chair that preceded was a hideous plastic thing that I couldn’t sit in without feeling my butt bones. There was no way on god’s green earth I could do 24 hours of high powered noveling in that thing. So, I went to Staples and bought this comfie chair. They assembled it and delivered it up four flights of stairs. And now I feel like I’m sitting on clouds.
The challenge will be to keep my cats from scratching it up. Right now I’m keeping it covered with a big sheet. And I’m planning on purchasing a water pistol if they get a little too naughty.
j
Last year, I borrowed a laptop through the NaNo lenders program, and became very friendly with the Neo. It was the best ever. I loved having something I could put on my lap and type with anywhere and everywhere.
So, when NaNo told me they don’t lend to the same person two years in a row, I knew I had to buy one from somewhere. And then I saw what Vance Fry did to his. Woowee. I wanted a red one too!
So, I won a Dana on ebay, bought some spray paint, and decided to give it a go.
This is what Dana looked like before:
Day 1
I woke up bright and early on a Saturday morning, and decided to take it apart and spray it up on the roof before work.
The back screws were easy enough to undo. But when I opened up her shell, my first thought was, “I can’t do this.” There was an intimidating looking circuit board, a ribbon, a part under that, a free floating, weird-looking battery. It was all attached to the part I wanted to spray.
After staring it down for about five minutes, I went to work on the easy part – loosening the internal screws. Thank god for the Ikea pencil case with all the different compartments, so I could keep track of what screw went where. I loosened the circuit board, and then the underlying screen, figured out how to take out the battery compartments, I finally got the keyboard ribbon off.
My Dana was now a shell that I could do with as I wished.
Except it was too close to going to work time. I would continue the next morning.
Day 2
Woke early. Washed Dana with soap and water as recommended. Along with the goggles and spray paint, I also bought a respirator mask But, when I opened it, the instructions, on full page paper in tiny tiny print, looked much too daunting. “Screw the mask” I thought. I would try to breathe in another direction.
Took her up to the roof and laid down some newspaper. I am lucky in my positioning. When I put on the large rubber kitchen gloves and started spraying, the vinyl dye flew on the wind…away from me, thank goodness. It took a while to get it covered. I sprayed too much, actually, it hung off the chassis in drips. I figured it would be okay, though. I let her stay there for forty five minutes to dry before bringing her back downstairs.
Later that night I noticed that there were parts sprayed unevenly, and I could still see the logo through the red.
Day 3
The next morning I took her out for another coat. Handling the spray paint can went a lot smoother. It was clear there would be a few imperfections where the drips had collected, but I decided to not get bent out of shape about that.
Day 4
I let her dry.
Day 5
I let her dry all of day 4, and couldn’t resist trying to put her back together on Day 5. I started with the keyboard, by far the most difficult thing I had to do. I think the dye collected in the slots made this more difficult than it should have been. I scratched the paint in a couple of places and decided I couldn’t live with that, so I put newspaper in my kitchen sink and gave the spots a couple of hits from the dye can.
After letting it dry for a couple of hours, I struggled with fitting the keyboard into the chassis for another hour. It still doesn’t fit perfectly into the slots, I feel like it might pop out at anytime. Momentary panic when the control key popped off. After staring the internal key mechanism down and fiddling with it, I finally got it back onto the keyboard.
Putting it together after that was no problem at all. There are serious imperfections in the paint job, there are a couple of scratches and dents. But that’s okay, the desired effect was achieved. It works, and I think I’ve figured out how to sync it up with my computer. Here she is:
Not as super sharp as Vance's but I'm happy with my work and can't wait to take her out into the world.
And, the NaNo mugs are red this year. Can’t wait to take a pic of them together.
Gnome.
This is my NaNo07 totem, my garden gnome.
The wife of the engineer who mixed my record gave him to me for my birthday. She said every die hard anglophile must have a garden gnome, and I agree with her. I love him. He’s so…amazingly benevolent. He sits on my desk and wishes me well as I go about my life, especially when I’m noveling.Chair.
This is my new executive leather desk chair.
*Love* my chair, boys and girls.
The chair that preceded was a hideous plastic thing that I couldn’t sit in without feeling my butt bones. There was no way on god’s green earth I could do 24 hours of high powered noveling in that thing. So, I went to Staples and bought this comfie chair. They assembled it and delivered it up four flights of stairs. And now I feel like I’m sitting on clouds.
The challenge will be to keep my cats from scratching it up. Right now I’m keeping it covered with a big sheet. And I’m planning on purchasing a water pistol if they get a little too naughty.
j
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Woot.
I, jaybizz, am a busy buzzing bee.
Bzzzzzz.
I sent all my CDs out this morning for the NaNo CD exchange.
I am steadily cleaning my house up and getting the space ready for the EXECUTIVE LEATHER DESK CHAIR which I will order from Staples tomorrow. They're bringing it to Brooklyn up four flights of stairs, which is mighty kind of them. The plastic abomination that currently sits in front of my desk/table will be shown the door hastily.
I've also been up early the past few morning occupied with a nifty little project that I'll show you in the next couple of days, as soon as it's done and I can take some pictures.
I've yet to start an outline for the big novel. Which frightens me a little, but I know that I have to do a ton of other things before my mind is free to work on it. The plan is to have the house all ship shape, bills paid by Thursday, and then sit in my NEW EXECUTIVE LEATHER DESK CHAIR and outline until the cows come home on Friday.
The outline for the little Novel in a Day, however, is growing nicely. I've outlined all the major plot points and now it's all about the detail (I'm saying that like *I* *even* *have* *a* *clue* what it's all about; I don't).
This morning I came in to work, and the usual entrance was blocked off. The hallway leading into my section of the floor looked like a tornado hit it, water dripping from the ceiling and floor boards all torn up, men in blue shirts buzzing around the area carrying strange diagnostic instruments. The suited security person told me there was a water pipe break on the fourth floor (I work on the third) and that most of the floor was trashed, except for the area where I work.
I walk the long way around to my office, and the wide screen TV behind the front desk people had close up coverage of the California fires.
I had a "What is this world coming to?" moment.
But I'm sitting at my desk now with my favorite cup of coffee, properly coffee-mated and then slightly cooled. My client is not in at the moment, my boss is not in at the moment. I love it when I'm allowed to ease into the end of my work week this way, think about the things that are important to *me*, with a laser printer and T1 line to hand.
Life is good.
j
Bzzzzzz.
I sent all my CDs out this morning for the NaNo CD exchange.
I am steadily cleaning my house up and getting the space ready for the EXECUTIVE LEATHER DESK CHAIR which I will order from Staples tomorrow. They're bringing it to Brooklyn up four flights of stairs, which is mighty kind of them. The plastic abomination that currently sits in front of my desk/table will be shown the door hastily.
I've also been up early the past few morning occupied with a nifty little project that I'll show you in the next couple of days, as soon as it's done and I can take some pictures.
I've yet to start an outline for the big novel. Which frightens me a little, but I know that I have to do a ton of other things before my mind is free to work on it. The plan is to have the house all ship shape, bills paid by Thursday, and then sit in my NEW EXECUTIVE LEATHER DESK CHAIR and outline until the cows come home on Friday.
The outline for the little Novel in a Day, however, is growing nicely. I've outlined all the major plot points and now it's all about the detail (I'm saying that like *I* *even* *have* *a* *clue* what it's all about; I don't).
This morning I came in to work, and the usual entrance was blocked off. The hallway leading into my section of the floor looked like a tornado hit it, water dripping from the ceiling and floor boards all torn up, men in blue shirts buzzing around the area carrying strange diagnostic instruments. The suited security person told me there was a water pipe break on the fourth floor (I work on the third) and that most of the floor was trashed, except for the area where I work.
I walk the long way around to my office, and the wide screen TV behind the front desk people had close up coverage of the California fires.
I had a "What is this world coming to?" moment.
But I'm sitting at my desk now with my favorite cup of coffee, properly coffee-mated and then slightly cooled. My client is not in at the moment, my boss is not in at the moment. I love it when I'm allowed to ease into the end of my work week this way, think about the things that are important to *me*, with a laser printer and T1 line to hand.
Life is good.
j
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Plot Fatigue.
Anyone else out there experiencing plot fatigue?
My outline for Novel in A Day is five pages. Started in a blaze of glory two days ago, it's rounding out nicely, I'm trying to outline everything in digestible chunks so I can keep the word goals clear and focused - It's not only my goal to write 50,000 words in a day, but to finish a rough draft of the entire story in a day, so I can't get bogged down in any one part.
Now, I have to create an outline for the behemoth 100K word thing I want to write for the rest of the month. Anytime I think about putting that together, I feel TIRED. It's so big (and I wanted it to be big), but I feel like I'm looking at a broken porcelain bowl on the hard kitchen floor - there are a million pieces to put together and I'm not sure I have the skill.
Plus, it's so...Literary Fiction. No big screaming "PLOT" to speak of. The Big Novel looks like a Toyota Celica, next to the Ferrari that is my smaller, almost-mainstream plot.
Haven't done the first character sketch. It all feels so out of control.
Plus, there's a ton of crap to do for work, and I still have make and send the CDs for the NaNo CD exchange, and clean my house, and buy my chair and get a timer and figure out how to sync my dana and my laptop...
My mind is being pulled in ten directions.
Which means I should probably stop blogging and go DO SOMETHING.
jules
My outline for Novel in A Day is five pages. Started in a blaze of glory two days ago, it's rounding out nicely, I'm trying to outline everything in digestible chunks so I can keep the word goals clear and focused - It's not only my goal to write 50,000 words in a day, but to finish a rough draft of the entire story in a day, so I can't get bogged down in any one part.
Now, I have to create an outline for the behemoth 100K word thing I want to write for the rest of the month. Anytime I think about putting that together, I feel TIRED. It's so big (and I wanted it to be big), but I feel like I'm looking at a broken porcelain bowl on the hard kitchen floor - there are a million pieces to put together and I'm not sure I have the skill.
Plus, it's so...Literary Fiction. No big screaming "PLOT" to speak of. The Big Novel looks like a Toyota Celica, next to the Ferrari that is my smaller, almost-mainstream plot.
Haven't done the first character sketch. It all feels so out of control.
Plus, there's a ton of crap to do for work, and I still have make and send the CDs for the NaNo CD exchange, and clean my house, and buy my chair and get a timer and figure out how to sync my dana and my laptop...
My mind is being pulled in ten directions.
Which means I should probably stop blogging and go DO SOMETHING.
jules
Friday, October 19, 2007
And There You Have It.
Um, the outline for my Novel in a Day is done.
Essentially.
Yesterday I sat in Barnes & Noble, and hashed it out from beginning to end, roughly. I'm actually excited about pulling this off.
Plot/theme-wise I'm traipsing very close to one of my favorite books with this one. But, it's okay. If it comes off the way I want, it will be a little more on the Literary Fiction side and less on the Mainstream Fiction side. It is pretty mainstream, though. Almost Fantasy. Which is really really different for me (what am I saying!? I am not a writer!)
My original novel is jealous about how much energy the new project has around it, about how contained and specific (and, let's face it, how "mainstream) it is.
Hm.
Speaking of mainstream:
I bought Joni Mitchell's new album from a Starbucks.
And PJ Harvey's new album from Barnes & Noble.
Something feels wrong about this, although the prices were fairly reasonable (for albums from my favorite writers). I just happened to be standing in line, so maybe you could call them impulse purchases, but I would get them anyway, at some point. Better to pay $15 at B&N than $20 at Virgin.
It's 7:00am. I'm going to make this a Power Friday. There's a ton of things I'd like to get done today, before meeting up with a friend I haven't seen in years for drinks tonight. The sun is coming up and Baldi is on the radio. I'm feeling good, rested.
julx
Essentially.
Yesterday I sat in Barnes & Noble, and hashed it out from beginning to end, roughly. I'm actually excited about pulling this off.
Plot/theme-wise I'm traipsing very close to one of my favorite books with this one. But, it's okay. If it comes off the way I want, it will be a little more on the Literary Fiction side and less on the Mainstream Fiction side. It is pretty mainstream, though. Almost Fantasy. Which is really really different for me (what am I saying!? I am not a writer!)
My original novel is jealous about how much energy the new project has around it, about how contained and specific (and, let's face it, how "mainstream) it is.
Hm.
Speaking of mainstream:
I bought Joni Mitchell's new album from a Starbucks.
And PJ Harvey's new album from Barnes & Noble.
Something feels wrong about this, although the prices were fairly reasonable (for albums from my favorite writers). I just happened to be standing in line, so maybe you could call them impulse purchases, but I would get them anyway, at some point. Better to pay $15 at B&N than $20 at Virgin.
It's 7:00am. I'm going to make this a Power Friday. There's a ton of things I'd like to get done today, before meeting up with a friend I haven't seen in years for drinks tonight. The sun is coming up and Baldi is on the radio. I'm feeling good, rested.
julx
Thursday, October 18, 2007
The Madness is Taking Over, Folks!
NaNo is exciting me more and more by the day.
I have latched on to a project that is going to make you think me mad.
NaNoWriDay.
National Novel Writing *Day*.
Fifty thousand words, twenty four hours. November 1. Midnight.
I was going to do something completely spontaneous, but I've got charcters and a plot already.
And then, once that's out of the way, I'll...write a novel.
Hee hee.
jx
I have latched on to a project that is going to make you think me mad.
NaNoWriDay.
National Novel Writing *Day*.
Fifty thousand words, twenty four hours. November 1. Midnight.
I was going to do something completely spontaneous, but I've got charcters and a plot already.
And then, once that's out of the way, I'll...write a novel.
Hee hee.
jx
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
A Mini Report Card.
Well, I didn't 100% succeed and being Ms. Love and Light last weekend.
I did go be a backup singer in front of a bunch of Floridians. It was an interesting experience, I got a mysterious headache for some of it.
I don't like airports. I'm not all that comfortable flying, but I really, really don't like airports. I don't like the fact you have to take off all your clothes and then instantly put them back on again (a reason why I hate trying on stuff in stores). It was, however, good to leave New York after the coldest day this season. I was walking around Friday in gloves and a jacket, shivering.
Work is utterly unsatisfying today. I have to come up with my yearly goals, a process which I think is a total joke. I met and exceeded my goals last year, it did not reflect itself in my raise, and I resent being put back into that process.
Ack...I'm complaining again.
Well, I'll tell you something good....my producer submitted final mixes to me last week. My goal for this week is to try out my running order, get a feel for the album proper.
There's one song still being worked on by a friend of mine. We're nearly done with that one too, though.
Things are looking up, boys and girls.
I'm working on my novel plot, wondering if I'm doing too much plotting. Or taking it into places that are too predictable. I joined a group in the forums called "The 3+ Novels and Other Insane Goals club," and thought, if I reach 100K on my first novel, I would start another 50K project that I wouldn't plan at all. The idea of working without an outline or plot scares the crap out of me.
Which is exactly the reason I'd like to try it. Hm.
Anyhow, back to work.
jules
I did go be a backup singer in front of a bunch of Floridians. It was an interesting experience, I got a mysterious headache for some of it.
I don't like airports. I'm not all that comfortable flying, but I really, really don't like airports. I don't like the fact you have to take off all your clothes and then instantly put them back on again (a reason why I hate trying on stuff in stores). It was, however, good to leave New York after the coldest day this season. I was walking around Friday in gloves and a jacket, shivering.
Work is utterly unsatisfying today. I have to come up with my yearly goals, a process which I think is a total joke. I met and exceeded my goals last year, it did not reflect itself in my raise, and I resent being put back into that process.
Ack...I'm complaining again.
Well, I'll tell you something good....my producer submitted final mixes to me last week. My goal for this week is to try out my running order, get a feel for the album proper.
There's one song still being worked on by a friend of mine. We're nearly done with that one too, though.
Things are looking up, boys and girls.
I'm working on my novel plot, wondering if I'm doing too much plotting. Or taking it into places that are too predictable. I joined a group in the forums called "The 3+ Novels and Other Insane Goals club," and thought, if I reach 100K on my first novel, I would start another 50K project that I wouldn't plan at all. The idea of working without an outline or plot scares the crap out of me.
Which is exactly the reason I'd like to try it. Hm.
Anyhow, back to work.
jules
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
An Experiment.
I have decided that I must stop being depressed.
I am boring myself. Everytime I got to touch the keys and talk about how I'm feeling, everytime anyone asks me how I am, I am depressed. Boring, boring.
So.
I'm not at work again until Monday morning. From now until then I will:
Relish every activity I perform
Listen to my finished album tracks, and love them
Dive into daily exercise, and love it
Enjoy getting on a plane and singing in Florida
Enjoy spending time on stage and with the band
Have a lovely Sunday afternoon off
Write songs and love each and every word
Do new blog entries for MySpace and my main web page
Plot my novel for NaNo, which will be wonderful
Send my sister her birthday package
Email O, C, and L something elegantly written and heartfelt
From now until Monday, one of my (many) middle names will be 'Love'.
Love, love, love.
Love,
jules
I am boring myself. Everytime I got to touch the keys and talk about how I'm feeling, everytime anyone asks me how I am, I am depressed. Boring, boring.
So.
I'm not at work again until Monday morning. From now until then I will:
Relish every activity I perform
Listen to my finished album tracks, and love them
Dive into daily exercise, and love it
Enjoy getting on a plane and singing in Florida
Enjoy spending time on stage and with the band
Have a lovely Sunday afternoon off
Write songs and love each and every word
Do new blog entries for MySpace and my main web page
Plot my novel for NaNo, which will be wonderful
Send my sister her birthday package
Email O, C, and L something elegantly written and heartfelt
From now until Monday, one of my (many) middle names will be 'Love'.
Love, love, love.
Love,
jules
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Not So Bad.
Today was not-so-bad.
Had enough work today to keep me busy. The general angstiness was minimized. Got some good emails, spent some time answering them.
I have to be at work on Wednesday, which makes me slightly resentful (I'm usually not at work on Wednesdays), but I'll live. I'll be loving life on Sunday when I'm sitting around in the sunshine instead of slaving away at work. Yay.
Last night I pulled out "Plot" in the Writer's Digest Fiction Writing series. There's some good info here. I keep coming up with dribs and drabs of plot that I'm tacking on to this NovelMonster I'm creating. Can I really write 100,000 words and have them all point toward the same organizing idea? Will it be any good?
The NaNo board is still not functioning properly, which is a major drag. The camaraderie is two-thirds the fun, and I'm missing it, blathering out my plans and listening to other people's.
Still haven't listening to my album mixes. But I'll do that tonight and tomorrow.
There are friends to meet! Must get the social calendar squared away for this week and next. I'm going to Florida to sing backing vocals on Saturday.
I've hit the moment where I realize that I have 10 things to do, and only 10 minutes left in my shift. And each sentence that I'm typing bears little or no relation to the previous one.
Gotta dash! But I'll be back soon.
jules
Had enough work today to keep me busy. The general angstiness was minimized. Got some good emails, spent some time answering them.
I have to be at work on Wednesday, which makes me slightly resentful (I'm usually not at work on Wednesdays), but I'll live. I'll be loving life on Sunday when I'm sitting around in the sunshine instead of slaving away at work. Yay.
Last night I pulled out "Plot" in the Writer's Digest Fiction Writing series. There's some good info here. I keep coming up with dribs and drabs of plot that I'm tacking on to this NovelMonster I'm creating. Can I really write 100,000 words and have them all point toward the same organizing idea? Will it be any good?
The NaNo board is still not functioning properly, which is a major drag. The camaraderie is two-thirds the fun, and I'm missing it, blathering out my plans and listening to other people's.
Still haven't listening to my album mixes. But I'll do that tonight and tomorrow.
There are friends to meet! Must get the social calendar squared away for this week and next. I'm going to Florida to sing backing vocals on Saturday.
I've hit the moment where I realize that I have 10 things to do, and only 10 minutes left in my shift. And each sentence that I'm typing bears little or no relation to the previous one.
Gotta dash! But I'll be back soon.
jules
Monday, October 08, 2007
Crazy.
I am sitting here at work, trying not to go insane.
For the past few months I have been a camera lens, struggling in and out of focus every minute. I like to think that I'm moving daily toward the life I want, but I also know that I am lazier than I should be.
How do you reconcile that?
Dunno.
I'm just walking around the office, trying to cajole the most busy people into pointless conversations. Sometimes it works, and I succeed in wasting time.
NaNoWriMo isn't loaning me a Neo this year, so I had to take matters into my own hands and try to get one from somewhere else. Seconds ago, I won a Dana on ebay, and I plan on juicing it up. Just how?, maybe you're asking yourself? Heh, heh. Details to come. But I will say, it involves fire engine red. Rrrooowwwwrrrr.
I am poking at the novel plot.
It's still not a plot, as such, just a loose list of characters that I plan on throwing into a soup. I'm not sure if it's going to fly, though. Namely, because you usually need a plot to get a novel off the ground.
So the question of the moment is: How do you take someone potentially reprehensible and make them sympathetic, or even, hilarous?
It's been done before, authors with more skill than myself. The example that calls to me most at the moment is A Confederacy of Dunces, the funniest book I have ever read. Just brilliant. Both Martin Amis and David Foster Wallace have managed to pull off humorous, intelligent ensemble pieces that were Lit Fic-cy, so there isn't a ton of action happening every minute. How do they do that?
I am reading greedily, but not for pleasure. Last night I had to slow myself down...after finishing The Autobiography of Red I tried to move straight on to Nabokov's Despair without a breath. I had to stop, dizzy, like I'd just been running down a hill too fast after eating too much. I feel like I'm cramming for exams, needing to take in as much good writing as possible before November 1st. My fingers itch to write right now, just to get back into the habit of slinging words together again, but I don't want to take a chance on writing something that might end up a part of the novel.
Because that's cheating.
Exams, indeed.
And why do I start every sentence with 'I'? That's not good form at all.
jules
For the past few months I have been a camera lens, struggling in and out of focus every minute. I like to think that I'm moving daily toward the life I want, but I also know that I am lazier than I should be.
How do you reconcile that?
Dunno.
I'm just walking around the office, trying to cajole the most busy people into pointless conversations. Sometimes it works, and I succeed in wasting time.
NaNoWriMo isn't loaning me a Neo this year, so I had to take matters into my own hands and try to get one from somewhere else. Seconds ago, I won a Dana on ebay, and I plan on juicing it up. Just how?, maybe you're asking yourself? Heh, heh. Details to come. But I will say, it involves fire engine red. Rrrooowwwwrrrr.
I am poking at the novel plot.
It's still not a plot, as such, just a loose list of characters that I plan on throwing into a soup. I'm not sure if it's going to fly, though. Namely, because you usually need a plot to get a novel off the ground.
So the question of the moment is: How do you take someone potentially reprehensible and make them sympathetic, or even, hilarous?
It's been done before, authors with more skill than myself. The example that calls to me most at the moment is A Confederacy of Dunces, the funniest book I have ever read. Just brilliant. Both Martin Amis and David Foster Wallace have managed to pull off humorous, intelligent ensemble pieces that were Lit Fic-cy, so there isn't a ton of action happening every minute. How do they do that?
I am reading greedily, but not for pleasure. Last night I had to slow myself down...after finishing The Autobiography of Red I tried to move straight on to Nabokov's Despair without a breath. I had to stop, dizzy, like I'd just been running down a hill too fast after eating too much. I feel like I'm cramming for exams, needing to take in as much good writing as possible before November 1st. My fingers itch to write right now, just to get back into the habit of slinging words together again, but I don't want to take a chance on writing something that might end up a part of the novel.
Because that's cheating.
Exams, indeed.
And why do I start every sentence with 'I'? That's not good form at all.
jules
Thursday, October 04, 2007
The Difference A Day Makes.
Okay.
I think I'm hatching a plot. Yee!
Well, it's not really a plot as such, yet. What I have are a bunch of characters that I can throw into apparently interesting situations that are loosely related to one another. I've been reading a lot of ensemble pieces that are slightly surreal, post-modern, I think they're called. Martin Amis, David Foster Wallace - they do that kind of thing, and I dig it.
The situations are pretty bleak. Hope I can inject enough humor/absurdity to balance the dreariness. Hm.
Today I walked to the library. I walked for half an hour to the main library, paid the enormous fine I accumulated a year ago, and checked out three books which may or may not be on my list (White Noise, The Autobiography of Red, and Nabokov's Despair). That list needs some serious updating, I'll take care of that tomorrow.
And then I went to the gym and power walked for an hour. My legs are *jumpy*, but it's good.
I got a brand new notebook for my novel notes. Got some bad news today - I can't borrow a Neo (NaNo doesn't lend to the same people two years in a row). Which means I'll have to buy one. There's no way in hell I'll get the kind of word count I need without having a word processing implement with me all the time. But then, the question arises - should I get a Neo, or should I get one of the fancy portaPCs from ebay????
Decisions, decisions.
I'm happy about these character seedlings. This could be good.
jules
I think I'm hatching a plot. Yee!
Well, it's not really a plot as such, yet. What I have are a bunch of characters that I can throw into apparently interesting situations that are loosely related to one another. I've been reading a lot of ensemble pieces that are slightly surreal, post-modern, I think they're called. Martin Amis, David Foster Wallace - they do that kind of thing, and I dig it.
The situations are pretty bleak. Hope I can inject enough humor/absurdity to balance the dreariness. Hm.
Today I walked to the library. I walked for half an hour to the main library, paid the enormous fine I accumulated a year ago, and checked out three books which may or may not be on my list (White Noise, The Autobiography of Red, and Nabokov's Despair). That list needs some serious updating, I'll take care of that tomorrow.
And then I went to the gym and power walked for an hour. My legs are *jumpy*, but it's good.
I got a brand new notebook for my novel notes. Got some bad news today - I can't borrow a Neo (NaNo doesn't lend to the same people two years in a row). Which means I'll have to buy one. There's no way in hell I'll get the kind of word count I need without having a word processing implement with me all the time. But then, the question arises - should I get a Neo, or should I get one of the fancy portaPCs from ebay????
Decisions, decisions.
I'm happy about these character seedlings. This could be good.
jules
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Turning On The Heat.
Alright, I'm getting myself back in the habit of blogging daily.
So, now that I know what to expect for NaNo, I have been thinking of ways to turn the heat up and make it extra challenging. For starters, I think I should *double* the word count goal. And then make every Thursday in November a 10K day. That should keep the fire under my ass.
Once I figure out what I'm writing about.
Ack.
This lack-of-plot thing is starting to worry me. It's how I know I'm not a writer at heart, I have no good ideas.
I have a bunch of mixes in hand from my producer. I'm afraid to listen to them, for a few reasons. Tomorrow I'll get a nice glass of wine, turn the lights down low, and listen.
I finished Lolita today. It took me a long, long time to get past the ick factor and get into this book, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Man, Nabokov gets my vote, for turning this vile man into such a sympathetic character. By the end, my heart was breaking for him.
Nabokov - now *there's* a guy who never lacked for literary ideas.
Off to listen
for the plot whisperers,
jules
So, now that I know what to expect for NaNo, I have been thinking of ways to turn the heat up and make it extra challenging. For starters, I think I should *double* the word count goal. And then make every Thursday in November a 10K day. That should keep the fire under my ass.
Once I figure out what I'm writing about.
Ack.
This lack-of-plot thing is starting to worry me. It's how I know I'm not a writer at heart, I have no good ideas.
I have a bunch of mixes in hand from my producer. I'm afraid to listen to them, for a few reasons. Tomorrow I'll get a nice glass of wine, turn the lights down low, and listen.
I finished Lolita today. It took me a long, long time to get past the ick factor and get into this book, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Man, Nabokov gets my vote, for turning this vile man into such a sympathetic character. By the end, my heart was breaking for him.
Nabokov - now *there's* a guy who never lacked for literary ideas.
Off to listen
for the plot whisperers,
jules
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Something.
Damn, it's been *ages*.
It's been a long long time, even for my standards. I figure I should write in and say...something.
November is coming, faster than I'm comfortable with. I have to write a novel in November, I know. But I have no ideas, not the shell of a worm of an idea. My favorite thing to do is to go to the seventh sanctum's idea generator. Not that that's really helped me think of something to do for November.
I'm trying to recruit my friends to write novels. Because I want company. It's a burgeoning theme - I've been a lone wolf all my life. Now I want my tribe. I want a tribe around me, doing the crazy things I do, with me. I want that.
I'm still making an album. I'm a little closer to finish than when last I wrote, but I'm still not finished. Too much drama to recount here. Hope to be done by October's end.
I have read some good books: Cormac McCarthy's The Road, lots of delicious Martin Amis, I'm reading Nabokov's Lolita.
Have seen some great Netflix: Jan Svankmeyer's films, The Office (UK),
There's some good stuff on YouTube: Bill Maher's Real Time, Sensitive Skin, lots of good political documentaries.
Work is less and less satisfactory. I'm sitting here now, my brain about to explode. Some chance encounters with some of my favorite musicians have left me wanting the lives they lead. They travel and make music and meet each other for coffee while we office drones are wasting our lives in front of computers getting brain cancer.
I don't know.
I promise to write soon. And have something a little more positive to say.
jules
It's been a long long time, even for my standards. I figure I should write in and say...something.
November is coming, faster than I'm comfortable with. I have to write a novel in November, I know. But I have no ideas, not the shell of a worm of an idea. My favorite thing to do is to go to the seventh sanctum's idea generator. Not that that's really helped me think of something to do for November.
I'm trying to recruit my friends to write novels. Because I want company. It's a burgeoning theme - I've been a lone wolf all my life. Now I want my tribe. I want a tribe around me, doing the crazy things I do, with me. I want that.
I'm still making an album. I'm a little closer to finish than when last I wrote, but I'm still not finished. Too much drama to recount here. Hope to be done by October's end.
I have read some good books: Cormac McCarthy's The Road, lots of delicious Martin Amis, I'm reading Nabokov's Lolita.
Have seen some great Netflix: Jan Svankmeyer's films, The Office (UK),
There's some good stuff on YouTube: Bill Maher's Real Time, Sensitive Skin, lots of good political documentaries.
Work is less and less satisfactory. I'm sitting here now, my brain about to explode. Some chance encounters with some of my favorite musicians have left me wanting the lives they lead. They travel and make music and meet each other for coffee while we office drones are wasting our lives in front of computers getting brain cancer.
I don't know.
I promise to write soon. And have something a little more positive to say.
jules
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