Saturday, September 23, 2006

NaNoWriMo prep 2

What I have done:
Read No Plot No problem
Decided on genre Space SciFi
Played with my Hipster PDA until I cant stand to look at it
Written occasionally

What I need to do:
Get a cast of characters
Think of some plot points
Get my life on a schedule
Write ocasionally
Relax until November

Friday, September 22, 2006

No Plot No Problem review

Cris Baty's book isn't batty at all. some of the contents are lifted right off the NaNoWriMo website but otherwise it is full of unique info for writing a novel in a month. If you are not interested in NaNoWriMo from hearing me rant then reading this book might do the trick. Includes do's and don'ts for getting ready and a week by week guide for writing 50,000 words.

I am glad I got it before Nov. I would not have read it otherwise. Borrow or buy the book and join the madness. I got 2 or 3 of CRSE's friends interested in it. Maybe they will join in.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Bits and notes

  • You know what is so hard about thinking for a living? putty mind in the evening.
  • When one spend 3 hours folding clothes and there are still more in the dryer. That person needs to find something else to do.
  • I am sleeping Restlessly and I don't mind at all.
  • I work with some very distinctive people, but I'm the "wierdo"
  • I quit smokeing more than a year ago and the smell of people smoking is still very alluring to me.
  • MeMes are ok but I can't keep up. Thursday Thirteen is definatly not something I can do
  • I think more than I write.
  • Hey Luckybuzz, These are RBoC.
  • Gospel Bob I am never going to play Ranger, sorry
  • CRSE Thy will be done, again.
  • Right now I hate Flylady, because my house is a mess.
  • I am glad I picked up "No Plot No Problem" it is a good book.
  • I've been reading "Getting Things Done" as well, not sure if it is helping but I try.

Friday, September 15, 2006

5ives For Now

I think I am doing this right: from an original Merlin Mann meme

  1. I have decided to blog about writing instead of putting the writing here. for now.
  2. Although I am as clever as my wife I can not be as funny, this is a "serious" blog. for now.
  3. Our house is a mess and I don't care. for now.
  4. Our children are generally well behaved. for now.
  5. Television is the enemy. for now.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

NaNoWriMo prep 1

Inappropratly went to library las night. Got "No Plot, No Problem!" and a better writing workbook. Why is that inapropriate? because I made us late for Norm's swimming lessons at 6:20. When Norm was dressed in trunks and we got to the indoor pool they were getting the kids out because of lightning. (indoor pool? lightning? WTF?) so into the lounge we go and recap the first half of the show.

Started reading to the tune of "Pay attention to me!" from several quarters, and I'm thinking, "Well this is a taste of what writing is going to be like. Only writing is going to be worse."

Norm has taken to yelling "RAR! RAR! RAR!" as a distracting tool for Turner. the kid has carreer in Heavy Metal music just waiting for him.

CRSE's illness could lead to Encephalitis when she told me about the symptoms to look for I had a hard time not laughing. Inability to concentrate, sentences that trail off, clumbsiness, wild mood swings, and so on. CRSE was thinking that these would be hard to diagnose. I was thinking "so that's what's wrong." Wild mood swings only applies to me really, with everybody else she seems prety even keeled. My responses led CRSE to quote the future me "Yeah, it sucks that she's gone, but it was sure fun watching her go." That's right she said it not me. Who are you gonna believe, me or that fever soaked spider monkey with posible Encephalitis?

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Back at it.

Go see CRSE's posts if you want to know happened to me. Time allowing I have started working on details for my book. I have decided on a spacefaring tale. I'm thinking something in the Traveller vein. So I have been taking notes, writing tidbits, daydreaming, writing character contact records (like I could call them up or send them an email). I think I have kind of decided on a format also, longish short stories where the constants are survival and the unique ship. I was thinking that a couple of the stories could involve some of the same characters.

One of things I always enjoyed about Robert Hienlien's stories was the bits of flavor text. (yes, yes, I know. They are sexist and not that great, and usually missing any real Science. but my goodness how I love to read them) Comercials, or news reports, snippets of text, audio, or video that gave a bit of vermissitude to the story. One of my favs was an ad for a Jane. It was a disposable paper funnel to help women stand and pee. I want that kind of completeness in my book too. IIRC, Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh had those bits to introduce every new section.

I think I'm gonna go borrow "No Plot No Problem" from our local library tomorrow and give it a once over before the NaNoWriMo events begin.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Avoid This

Ok, no writing prompt just pure avoidance, I hate what I am looking at for work (on a sick day) and I just want it all to go away. So I am thinking about my book. I just saw something about a 3 day novel writing contest. I missed it, but it happens every Labor day weekend. Maybe if I start now I can save enough money for the entrance fee. No, I think I'll stick with NaNoWriMo. Free with excess donations going to literacy programs around the world.

I'm thinking about a spaceship, I'm thinking about crew, I'm thinking about purpose. I'm thinking but I am not getting anywhere. I'm thinking about Marc Miller and wondering if he would mind, knowing that he would, I wonder where I should go. How about an outline?
introduction
body
conclusion

There the outlines done. now what?

Saturday, September 02, 2006

About me

My wife who is also my blogging advisor said that these things are supposed to be personal. "No one wants to read your blog because you have a bunch of random crap up there that makes no sense. Where are you in all of it? How can anbody get to know you?" That is a good point. I wanted to write in order to write. I did not care if anybody read it I just wanted to write. I'll tell you why. As a young adult I ended up in an college English class with my mother, who has been in and out of psych wards for a while now, but that's another story. Anyway she was always hogging the computer for her papers, then whan I saw what she was writing I was mortified. She was writing something like:
I like the sea. The ocean reminds me of home. It is blue like the sky. I live in a desert. there is no ocean here.
My son likes the night. I worry about him. he is funny. He is 19 years old

I think above example is actually better writing than she produced. I don't want that to happen to me. I can think and if I can think then I can write. Now getting long thoughts together to tell a story, that's something I need to work on.

Hey blogland, Which is better a long rambly post or lots of little posts? I ask because I still haven't written much about me.

I am the spouse of CRSE, her name should always be spelled with all capitals by the way, we were married for a long time berfore we had children. I have exposure to lots of "out there" material. Books no one heard of, movies no one has watched, oddities of all sorts. I think a good way to describe it is I'm that guy who will watch the documentry acout salt, the funny thing is if you were with me you would think it was interesting too.
CRSE calls him Norm because she thinks he is going to turn out like Norman Bates, I think he is more well adjusted than that. He is a hoot. There isn't a day that goes by where doesn't say something funny. Last night he wanted to watch all of the Ask A Ninja videos. We did, then he wanted to watch them all again. "Buddy, we have already watched them all," I tried to explain. "Yeah I know, it's ok, just do it. OK." Now it may not seem funny to you, but the intensity of him trying to memorize the lines as they are being said anazing. He thought I was just interupting his practice for no reason. Another amusing part was later as I gave him a popcicle he said "thank you, and um daddy, I look forward to killing you soon"
CRSE calls him the Turnip, because of his supposed "tuber like" body shape. I don't think he is that extreme, I remember his cousins being bigger, much bigger. He is a mellow but very intense child. He is working on walking and talking.
Me, I got to go get flour and sugar. I'm like a 70's housewife, working, cooking, cleaning. Keeping 3 spider monkeys is no small feat. No matter what the appeal you should not get an exotic pet, and if you get one? Never ever breed it. your problems multiply instead of add.

Toasted cheese Writing prompt 01-09-06

Snow fell in small, harsh flakes.
Inside the tent the conversation was also turning harsh,"So why did ja bring me?"
"You know why"
"So I can cook and clean like at home?" She was getting pissed, "You know I ain't built like that!"
"No, you know why."
"So you can have your whore in the woods? Com'on now, Why?"
"It was all a mistake." He wanted to run out of the tent and shoot that damn Elk. There was no escaping this talk, nor was there any smoothing it out.
"No, I want to know, Why." She knew it was about the sex as much as she knew she was miserable, "Say it!"
He was staring at the side of the tent avoiding eye contact. The wind was blowing slightly and the cold air was warmer than the mood inside the tent. "We have to go and she is not going to budge," he thought, avoiding the subject even with himself. "You know why." he said with clenched teeth still staring at the tent.
His reasoning was pretty sound, "What do you do up there in the woods anyway, Mountain Man?" She asked after every hunting trip. "Well I never do this." he thought aloud. She wanted to leave almost as soon as they got there.