More Speedwriting

I'm sorry, I'm wayyy behind on the blogging, and I really have no excuse. I'll get back into it eventually. Here's a little something (same as last time):

83 words

Typing Test

I did the math, and guess what? I type better then 96% of the people who take this test! I'm telling you, marketable job skill right here.

The end of an era....

Well, it's over. NaNoWriMo 2009 officially ended last night at midnight. And you know what?

I WAS A WINNER!

That's right. Your humble bloggeress (who hasn't been blogging, I know. But I was trying to write 50,000 words in thirty days, and I was behind!) has now written 160 or so pages of....well, mess, but it's a beautiful mess that I will eventually edit. I'll write a post later about all that happened during NaNoWriMo, but for now, I'll just share a link with the, oh, three of you that actually read this blog.

66 words

Speed test

Because I am a dork, and these things appeal to me. Now I'm going to go try to improve my time again. (This actually has practical applications. The more you play, the better you get, which means you become a faster typist. Great for resumes--and last-minute term papers)

NaNo Progress

This is a depressing topic for me--I'm wicked behind this year, thanks to a sudden disinterest in my story after Day 1 and a lack of drive. Trying to catch up now--the current plan is to force myself to write 2,500 words a day for the next seventeen days (starting today) so that I finish in time. Let's hope I find my story somewhere along the way.

Not much more to say at the moment. Here's a word-count widget, for anyone who's interested in my progress.

I dropped off the face of the earth again... but I came back!

All right, I'm not even going to bother with the excuses this time. Just know that I will (hopefully) never disappear for three weeks ever again.

First, I'd like to thank the three people who left me comments, which I did not know about until I finally wrestled past the Google login thing today and saw the "comments waiting to be approved" thing. Thank you for reading my blog and actually letting me know--it was much appreciated.

Next: OH MY GOD, NANO IS IN THREE DAYS! Seriously, guys, think about signing up. It's a wild ride, and it's tons of fun, and it's never too late to join the adventure. It doesn't matter if you don't have an idea yet. Some people don't have any idea what they're writing until the month's, like, half over. You'll be fine.

On the subject of writing and ideas, I saw a most interesting suggestion on the NaNoForums today: that of using tarot cards to help propel your story. Think about it--each card means something, so they're like mini plot generators. They could even generate entire characters--there's a spread that's supposed to show you past, present, and future, after all. It's all in what you make of it.

Oh, yeah, I'm definitely trying this. I knew I bought that pretty deck for a reason all those years ago. I think I'll draw cards with a particular character in mind and see what ideas they stir up. God knows I need some stuff to fill in the large gaps in the middle of my story and to make some characters, particularly the side characters of Luce and Hunter, more dimensional. Even Rose and Kieran, my MCs, could use some filling in.

All right, time to do that homework I totally forgot I had. I promise to be back BEFORE another three weeks have passed.

Night, all.

--Marcie

In Which I Distract You From My Lengthy Absence with Excessive NaNo Chatter

So, I was gone for almost a week again. My apologies. The will just....wasn't there. And then I was sick this weekend.

/endexcuses.

Now, on to the more interesting stuff. NaNoWriMo is in less than a month! (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, that's National Novel Writing Month. You can see my post about it if you click here.) Cue excitement! Cue endless stalking of the NaNo Forums! Cue panic!

I realized I wasn't ready--I had nothing prepared. Now, granted, in my past two Nano experiences, I came up with an idea just around the starting time of the event, so I shouldn't have been so concerned this year. But since I have no life and have been stalking the Nano Forums since July or so and kept seeing people talking about their ideas... I panicked.

So yesterday, I started an outline. It's a really detailed outline that's already over three pages that will hopefully help me reach 50,000 words this year by telling me each day what to write.

It could also have the unfortunate side effect of killing any love I have for my poor story, so it's kind of a toss-up at the moment. For now, I'll just keep working on it, and we'll see what goes down on Nov. 1.

In other news, I'm collecting online writing buddies left and right. Because the ones I got from the first writing buddy thread on the forum weren't enough, so I had to go and put myself out there again. How I will keep up with all of these people--or even keep their names straight--come November, I surely don't know. But you can never have enough writing buddies.

Though if you ever could, I guess I'm pretty darn close.

And now we reach the part where I shamelessly order you all to join me in doing NaNo.

Do it! Do it! Do it! Go to the link here and check it out. Sign up! It's tons of fun if you maintain a good attitude and try not to take yourself too seriously. (Not that I've ever been guilty of that...) I'd love to have more people I know trying alongside me this year.

And, okay, if you're really set on refusal, there is something else you can do for me: offer as much support as you possibly can. This may sound like a silly adventure, but it's very important to me, and there will be times when I feel like giving up. Any encouragement any of you provide could mean the difference between meeting my goal and missing yet again. Whether it's a kick in the pants in the form of a "Have you written your 1,667 words today?" or a simple--but appreciated--"You can do it!", I cannot begin to express how much the littlest motivation will do for me.

Well, that's all for now, folks. Off to do that schoolwork thing and stare at my outline some more, willing it to grow. Until next time!

Your anxious-excited bloggeress,

Marcie

The Prodigal Blogger Returns

Okay, it's been over a week since last update...

I am a bad bloggeress. -hangs head in shame- In my defense, I would post more regularly if I had a following.... Hint, hint. Comments would be appreciated. Just something to let me know there's a reason to continue.

Now, to the continuing.

I love writing late at night. There's an energy as well as an openess that comes when darkness falls and you have some modicum of privacy. It's easier for me to speak my mind, to a degree--the words flow easier. There's an illusion of safety in the silence that says it's okay. Whatever you want to say is fine. It's not enough to break down my walls entirely--I don't think I'll ever speak without thinking or choosing my words carefully--but it thins them, so that a few more things than usual can pass my guard and slip through, onto paper or into the air.

Peanut is staring at me with thoughtful brown eyes as I type. I just read an article about a book in which a woman looks into the psyche of dogs and directly discourages anthropomorphizing, but I can't help it--maybe I want her to be regarding me thoughtfully. I like the company. I like the idea that her thoughts might be running on something akin to mine.

This is called projection--we learned about it in Psychology. Doesn't change the fact that I think my dog knows more than she's saying. Just because you really want to see something doesn't mean it isn't there.

And with that, I'll make my exit for the night, before my free-running brain spews off even more psychobabble to scare off what few readers I have. Night, all.

Your humble scribbler of thoughts, both reasonable and not,

Marcie

Bad Mood =....Productivity?

Whod've thought, right? Especially since, earlier today, the thing that upset me made it so I couldn't write. The mind is funny that way. I guess I should fill you in before I continue.

Earlier I was extremely wound up by an unpleasant encounter with someone who used to have my respect who has long since ceased to treat me with any level of consideration. Obviously, this left me with bruised feelings, and after an upsetting comment from this person, all ambitions of adding to the more lighthearted of my two current novels-in-progress this afternoon totally vanished. I couldn't focus, and in that mood, I really couldn't do right by my poor characters. So I got out of the house for a bit, sort of cheered up, and came home to watch Bones, the best television show in the universe.

Flash forward to a few hours later. My temper's jumping around again as I consider whether or not to send this person a letter in the hopes of making my feelings known and getting the last word. In an effort to calm myself after I've essentially decided, with the help of a friend, that the letter won't really get me anything and that it would be best to just let it all go, I start playing music. I click through a few songs when, bingo! I start playing "Won't Go Home Without You" by Maroon Five, which happens to be on my playlist for novel number 2. Suddenly, all the energy trapped to my system can be put to good use, because I feel like writing.

Naturally, I raced to my document and threw it open, retrieving my powerpoint outline and finding my place. I started typing like a madwoman, replaying "Won't Go Home" every time it stops. This pattern is still going.

There really wasn't much point to this entry, I guess, except to tell you all of my success--I've been terribly remiss in my noveling as of late and have frequently lacked the motivation to dive back into my story. I'm glad to have written a few paragraphs that for once came with relative ease and to have the promise of a few more--I'm determined to get at least this one scene from my outline done before I trot off to bed.

So, the moral of the story is: when stuck, play one song over and over again, and do not stop until the work has reached completion.

Okay, and something in there about channeling negative energy into positive production. Something healthy and mature like that.

Now it's back to work for me. Night all. Remember: no matter what else, keep writing!

EDIT: Wrote 703 words. Not that much, in the grand scheme of things, but it's more than I've been doing lately, and at least that scene is done. I'll do some more planning and hopefully get another one or two written tomorrow.