November NaNo Blog! Watch zette's insanity
here!Please keep in mind that the story snippets posted here are often
first draft material and sometimes have typos and such!
Joyously Prolific
first draft material and sometimes have typos and such!
Joyously Prolific
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Back to the real world
We have survived NaNo! I managed 200,775 words on three first drafts. Lots of work to do on them, but I'm really happy with two already. I was really happy to be finished, too. I love it -- bit one month is more than enough. And now it's time to get back to the rest of the insanity of my life.
Today was synopsis and send day for an older work. It should have been out before now, and the end of the year isn't the best time for sending something off -- but I'm going to do it anyway. Getting something ready to go always takes me a lot of time, so I have to get everything else cleared out first. I rewrote a synopsis. And it's about to go off, so I won't sit and pick at it... and not send it out at all. I can do that quite easily if I let myself.
Not this time.
I hit my arm yesterday and it's still sore. Interesting bruise, too. And it is VERY cold here tonight. I'm ready to go crawl into bed and sleep. So, I'm getting this posted (late) and sleeping (late).
¶ 12/03/2009 02:00:00 AM 0 comments
We have survived NaNo! I managed 200,775 words on three first drafts. Lots of work to do on them, but I'm really happy with two already. I was really happy to be finished, too. I love it -- bit one month is more than enough. And now it's time to get back to the rest of the insanity of my life.
Today was synopsis and send day for an older work. It should have been out before now, and the end of the year isn't the best time for sending something off -- but I'm going to do it anyway. Getting something ready to go always takes me a lot of time, so I have to get everything else cleared out first. I rewrote a synopsis. And it's about to go off, so I won't sit and pick at it... and not send it out at all. I can do that quite easily if I let myself.
Not this time.
I hit my arm yesterday and it's still sore. Interesting bruise, too. And it is VERY cold here tonight. I'm ready to go crawl into bed and sleep. So, I'm getting this posted (late) and sleeping (late).
Friday, November 27, 2009
The Truth about me and NaNo
People have often asked how I write so much. Now you know the truth. It's what many of you always susected....
¶ 11/27/2009 07:16:00 PM 1 comments
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| From Captured Videos |
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The last week of NaNo!
I love NaNo. I really do. But the last few days are just tough, even for those of us rushing through the stories. I'm still writing about 6k a day, but it's getting difficult to keep it up. The story is there. I want to tell the story -- but I can see December looming ahead, and I know there are tons of things I need to get done before December 1. And then there is everything that needs to be tied up for the last month of the year.
But...
I love NaNo.
This is a difficult few days. I can see the end. I can see past the end, and I want to get a head start on those things. However, I also have two unfinished novels here -- Wildlands and Autumn Storm. Since my rule is to finish them before the end of the year, I might as well keep pushing here, right?
Like I need an excuse to continue.
The good news is that my replacement part for the computer is here. The bad news is that Russ is not here to replace it. We're going to try to do with pictures, phone calls, and a lot of really good thoughts.
And here is a fun little snippet of Autumn Storm. My main character has brought a couple fae home while they try to figure out what to do next. They're waiting for another person, Tessa, to arrive. Arinith is a very powerful fae who is causing trouble in the area.
I went out to the kitchen and filled the teapot and put it on the stove. I thought I caught a look of curiosity as I moved through the room -- and I realized that York had never been inside a human home before. That might have been half of why Brandis was so on edge as well.
I wanted Tessa here and right now. Could that bring him? Did I dare try to demand it, the way Arinith had done before? That didn't seem like a good idea at all. I had to trust that Tessa would know what to do. I had to believe that this was not the entire crazed, beyond hope situation that I was seeing.
I wondered what Arinith was thinking right now. From the look of the weather outside, it couldn't be anything good.
Cookies. We needed cookies. I got them out as well and put them on a plate, pretending to be a good host. It kept me busy. That helped at first, but the longer it took Tessa to get here, the more worried I became. Even I gave a little jump when the tea kettle began to whistle. But I had the cups ready, the tray, cookies, several types of tea, honey and sugar cubes -- no more reason to linger here.
I set the tray on the coffee table and began to make my own tea, letting them see what to do. "There are many different teas there. Find one you like. And try the cookies," I said. I sat back with the cup in my hand. "I hope Tessa gets here soon."
Brandis nodded. He made his tea slowly and York seemed to copy his moves. They both sat back and sipped, and seemed reasonably pleased.
"Humans live better than I thought they would," York admitted. "Without magic, I hadn't thought you could do so many things."
He waved a hand to the wonders of a modern kitchen. I nodded. "Technology is our magic, you know. It's not as reliable has having the power within you, but that works for us sometimes, too. It means we don't have to worry about growing too weak that we cannot provide even the simple comforts. But there is a downside. Technology can fail. With a storm like this, we might lose power and then at least part of my lovely kitchen would be useless."
"Power failures, yes," Brandis said. "We have noticed those things, and how they badly affect the people here. I just had not realized what they use that power for."
"We have moved past the campfires and hunting stage," I said with a smile.
He gave a little laugh. "I had noticed when I saw the cities. I don't understand how you can crowd together so much."
"Sometimes neither can I." I reached for the remote. "Let's see what's going on --"
I turned on the TV.
My mistake.
Tea cups flew, tea splattered everywhere. Both Brandis and York were on their feet, magic aimed at the flat screen --
"No, no, no!" I shouted. It stopped them. "Television. News. Communications transmissions!"
They looked at me, eyes narrowed, hands still raised.
"Television," I repeated frantically. On the screen I saw a too cute and precocious little girl child in a witch costume. She sang as she danced around a haunted house, singing a stupid song about her favorite time of the year, which included spending more money at a certain local shop. I tried not to grimace. "Entertainment. Sometimes. And news. It's a one-way system of delivering information to people in their homes."
Brandis looked at me and back at the screen. The child had stopped dancing and now stood holding out a banner for the store. York looked either intrigued or appalled. I knew that feeling.
"It's not dangerous?"
"No. I am going to change the channel." I held up the remote. "This controls it. On and off, change to a different channel which will show us different things." The little witch appeared on another one. "Most of the time. That's a commercial intended to convince people to buy things."
"And this works?" York asked, still looking appalled.
"Sometimes. There. Weather Channel. They'll be talking about the weather in this part of the country soon, I suspect."
York looked around, and with a wave of his hand, cleaned up the mess. Well, that was handy at least. I poured more water. We had more tea and cookies as the people on the screen took the time to explain the about lows in the Gulf of Mexico and highs spreading down from Canada. We watched the local radar which looked chaotic. Then the weather people came back and talked about the horrible weather around the Omaha area -- though from the excited looks on their faces and the sounds of their voices, you wouldn't have though it was hell out there.
Then back to commercials again.
"Amazing," York said, looking at me. "They almost can make sense of the weather without ever considering the magic involved."
"Yes, and they even made some sense out of it," I said with a nod. "But that's what humans do, you know. They want to understand everything. So they make certain that they have answers."
"And what if they learn that those answers are not right?" Brandis asked.
"Then they search for new ones."
¶ 11/25/2009 06:33:00 PM 0 comments
I love NaNo. I really do. But the last few days are just tough, even for those of us rushing through the stories. I'm still writing about 6k a day, but it's getting difficult to keep it up. The story is there. I want to tell the story -- but I can see December looming ahead, and I know there are tons of things I need to get done before December 1. And then there is everything that needs to be tied up for the last month of the year.
But...
I love NaNo.
This is a difficult few days. I can see the end. I can see past the end, and I want to get a head start on those things. However, I also have two unfinished novels here -- Wildlands and Autumn Storm. Since my rule is to finish them before the end of the year, I might as well keep pushing here, right?
Like I need an excuse to continue.
The good news is that my replacement part for the computer is here. The bad news is that Russ is not here to replace it. We're going to try to do with pictures, phone calls, and a lot of really good thoughts.
And here is a fun little snippet of Autumn Storm. My main character has brought a couple fae home while they try to figure out what to do next. They're waiting for another person, Tessa, to arrive. Arinith is a very powerful fae who is causing trouble in the area.
I went out to the kitchen and filled the teapot and put it on the stove. I thought I caught a look of curiosity as I moved through the room -- and I realized that York had never been inside a human home before. That might have been half of why Brandis was so on edge as well.
I wanted Tessa here and right now. Could that bring him? Did I dare try to demand it, the way Arinith had done before? That didn't seem like a good idea at all. I had to trust that Tessa would know what to do. I had to believe that this was not the entire crazed, beyond hope situation that I was seeing.
I wondered what Arinith was thinking right now. From the look of the weather outside, it couldn't be anything good.
Cookies. We needed cookies. I got them out as well and put them on a plate, pretending to be a good host. It kept me busy. That helped at first, but the longer it took Tessa to get here, the more worried I became. Even I gave a little jump when the tea kettle began to whistle. But I had the cups ready, the tray, cookies, several types of tea, honey and sugar cubes -- no more reason to linger here.
I set the tray on the coffee table and began to make my own tea, letting them see what to do. "There are many different teas there. Find one you like. And try the cookies," I said. I sat back with the cup in my hand. "I hope Tessa gets here soon."
Brandis nodded. He made his tea slowly and York seemed to copy his moves. They both sat back and sipped, and seemed reasonably pleased.
"Humans live better than I thought they would," York admitted. "Without magic, I hadn't thought you could do so many things."
He waved a hand to the wonders of a modern kitchen. I nodded. "Technology is our magic, you know. It's not as reliable has having the power within you, but that works for us sometimes, too. It means we don't have to worry about growing too weak that we cannot provide even the simple comforts. But there is a downside. Technology can fail. With a storm like this, we might lose power and then at least part of my lovely kitchen would be useless."
"Power failures, yes," Brandis said. "We have noticed those things, and how they badly affect the people here. I just had not realized what they use that power for."
"We have moved past the campfires and hunting stage," I said with a smile.
He gave a little laugh. "I had noticed when I saw the cities. I don't understand how you can crowd together so much."
"Sometimes neither can I." I reached for the remote. "Let's see what's going on --"
I turned on the TV.
My mistake.
Tea cups flew, tea splattered everywhere. Both Brandis and York were on their feet, magic aimed at the flat screen --
"No, no, no!" I shouted. It stopped them. "Television. News. Communications transmissions!"
They looked at me, eyes narrowed, hands still raised.
"Television," I repeated frantically. On the screen I saw a too cute and precocious little girl child in a witch costume. She sang as she danced around a haunted house, singing a stupid song about her favorite time of the year, which included spending more money at a certain local shop. I tried not to grimace. "Entertainment. Sometimes. And news. It's a one-way system of delivering information to people in their homes."
Brandis looked at me and back at the screen. The child had stopped dancing and now stood holding out a banner for the store. York looked either intrigued or appalled. I knew that feeling.
"It's not dangerous?"
"No. I am going to change the channel." I held up the remote. "This controls it. On and off, change to a different channel which will show us different things." The little witch appeared on another one. "Most of the time. That's a commercial intended to convince people to buy things."
"And this works?" York asked, still looking appalled.
"Sometimes. There. Weather Channel. They'll be talking about the weather in this part of the country soon, I suspect."
York looked around, and with a wave of his hand, cleaned up the mess. Well, that was handy at least. I poured more water. We had more tea and cookies as the people on the screen took the time to explain the about lows in the Gulf of Mexico and highs spreading down from Canada. We watched the local radar which looked chaotic. Then the weather people came back and talked about the horrible weather around the Omaha area -- though from the excited looks on their faces and the sounds of their voices, you wouldn't have though it was hell out there.
Then back to commercials again.
"Amazing," York said, looking at me. "They almost can make sense of the weather without ever considering the magic involved."
"Yes, and they even made some sense out of it," I said with a nod. "But that's what humans do, you know. They want to understand everything. So they make certain that they have answers."
"And what if they learn that those answers are not right?" Brandis asked.
"Then they search for new ones."
Friday, November 20, 2009
One book completed
In January 1989, I finished reading a book called Disraeil, A Picture of the Victorian Age by Andre Maurois. It was a fascinating book about a fascinating man, and even as I read it, I knew that it was going to inspire me to write something. I wanted to write the story of someone who came to power in a place he had no right to be. I began it almost immediately.
That book was Silky, which first saw publication in 1998. Much, much later, Silky 2: Lord of the Land saw publication along with a new publication of Silky. Then I wrote Silky 3, but I felt that it just ... lacked something. For NaNo this year, I decided to write Silky 4, which would be the last book in the series. I also re-read Disraeli in October of this year, for the first time since the original reading. (I put the dates inside the book, by the way, so I know.)
I finished the first draft of Silky 4 tonight, almost 21 years after I wrote the original book.
It's an odd feeling to have it done. This has always been one of my favorite sets of characters, and while I really love the last chapter of the final book, I have a problem knowing that it is really done. The only thing that is saving me from being depressed is knowing that book 3 still needs 'something' and that I might end up melding 3 and 4 into one book, which means a lot more work.
And who knows -- since the stories do take place in the Tales from Another Place universe, a character or two might yet show up elsewhere.
But... I am done.
¶ 11/20/2009 12:41:00 AM 0 comments
In January 1989, I finished reading a book called Disraeil, A Picture of the Victorian Age by Andre Maurois. It was a fascinating book about a fascinating man, and even as I read it, I knew that it was going to inspire me to write something. I wanted to write the story of someone who came to power in a place he had no right to be. I began it almost immediately.
That book was Silky, which first saw publication in 1998. Much, much later, Silky 2: Lord of the Land saw publication along with a new publication of Silky. Then I wrote Silky 3, but I felt that it just ... lacked something. For NaNo this year, I decided to write Silky 4, which would be the last book in the series. I also re-read Disraeli in October of this year, for the first time since the original reading. (I put the dates inside the book, by the way, so I know.)
I finished the first draft of Silky 4 tonight, almost 21 years after I wrote the original book.
It's an odd feeling to have it done. This has always been one of my favorite sets of characters, and while I really love the last chapter of the final book, I have a problem knowing that it is really done. The only thing that is saving me from being depressed is knowing that book 3 still needs 'something' and that I might end up melding 3 and 4 into one book, which means a lot more work.
And who knows -- since the stories do take place in the Tales from Another Place universe, a character or two might yet show up elsewhere.
But... I am done.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Nearly done with one
I am down to the last two chapters of Silky 4, as well as some pieces I want to add in a little earlier in the story. The book is nearly to 60k, so I think it will be somewhere around 65k in the first draft. For my first drafts, that's running about right and maybe even a little higher than usual. The book is going to need considerable editing, fixing, reworking -- but now that I finally have this last story written, I can see what I want. Until now, I've been playing with it, dancing around the ideas -- and afraid to face it, I think. I don't really want to end the Silky books.
But it is time.
I'm over 128k in the NaNo run. After this I'll likely work on Autumn Storm and run it to The End as well. Then I'll go back to work on Wildlands and get it at least to 50k. I'm looking at a NaNo run this year of somewhere around 180k total, I think. Very good, considering the problems I've had.
Did I mention the problem with my computer? Fan on the video card, but it's a known problem and I'll get a free replacement. However, that has to wait until Russ can help me with it, either via Skype or in person. And that's going to be a while yet. So I have to keep turning the computer off to get rid of the incredibly horrible noise that drives me nuts.
And I can't do much with graphics at all. Even just getting pictures for the blogs tends to fire it up into screeching range.
It's late tonight. Right now I'm writing in a couple little things I wanted to add into the Silky Story. Then I'll head for bed. Tomorrow I think I'm going to finish the novel. and I know the ending scene. I am really looking forward to that part.
Even though I'll be sorry to be done.
Writers are such contrary people sometimes.
¶ 11/19/2009 01:40:00 AM 2 comments
I am down to the last two chapters of Silky 4, as well as some pieces I want to add in a little earlier in the story. The book is nearly to 60k, so I think it will be somewhere around 65k in the first draft. For my first drafts, that's running about right and maybe even a little higher than usual. The book is going to need considerable editing, fixing, reworking -- but now that I finally have this last story written, I can see what I want. Until now, I've been playing with it, dancing around the ideas -- and afraid to face it, I think. I don't really want to end the Silky books.
But it is time.
I'm over 128k in the NaNo run. After this I'll likely work on Autumn Storm and run it to The End as well. Then I'll go back to work on Wildlands and get it at least to 50k. I'm looking at a NaNo run this year of somewhere around 180k total, I think. Very good, considering the problems I've had.
Did I mention the problem with my computer? Fan on the video card, but it's a known problem and I'll get a free replacement. However, that has to wait until Russ can help me with it, either via Skype or in person. And that's going to be a while yet. So I have to keep turning the computer off to get rid of the incredibly horrible noise that drives me nuts.
And I can't do much with graphics at all. Even just getting pictures for the blogs tends to fire it up into screeching range.
It's late tonight. Right now I'm writing in a couple little things I wanted to add into the Silky Story. Then I'll head for bed. Tomorrow I think I'm going to finish the novel. and I know the ending scene. I am really looking forward to that part.
Even though I'll be sorry to be done.
Writers are such contrary people sometimes.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Things not to worry about
We're midway through NaNo. Now is the time to think about what it's going to take to reach your goal and still have fun doing it. Your goal doesn't have to be 50k. It can be more or less than that number, and it's entirely up to you what you decide. You need at least 50k to get the winner's certificate at the end of the month, but that's just a computer-generated file and really doesn't say anything about how hard you worked. If you are happy with your work, then that's all that matters.
What you don't need to worry about is what anyone else is doing.
More words, less words, good words, 'bad' words (whatever you think those might be) or anything else. This is now between you, the blank page and the calendar. That's all you need to consider.
Complaining about what others are writing is egotistical and rude, though I don't think the people doing it quite realize it at the time. Well, at least some of them. You can say things in private. We all do. (It's no secret that I'm not a big fan of fanfiction.) But posting on the boards about it shows that your focus is not where it should be -- on your own work.
I spend a lot of time defending NaNo to people who think that it is some sort of attack on literature and a travesty against the 'real' authors of the world. Then, finding people talking about what people should and should not write in NaNo just annoys the hell out of me. It's much the same as being told that the science fiction and fantasy genres aren't 'real' writing, which is another longtime problems those of us in the genres face. It's defining what's proper based on personal likes, dislikes and goals.
It's no one's business what others write. It's not going to affect your life one way or another. Celebrate that they are writing at all and enjoying themselves and don't worry about it!
And on my own writing, I am in the midst of writing probably the most boring magical battle I've ever seen. Right now it's mostly just a set of actions and occasional dialogue to remind me of what I want to happen. When I get to the edit phase, I am going to focus on this scene and see what I can do to bring it back to life. Right now, though, I'm going to keep moving to the end of the novel. I know that there is one more major magical battle by the end. I think, when the novel is done, that this battle that I'm writing now is going to partly foreshadow the final one. So... writing the final one will actually give me more focus on this one.
With that in mind, I think I can stop fretting and picking at it and just move on. I need to get back into the focus of NaNo and past being ill for the last week.
¶ 11/15/2009 04:16:00 PM 1 comments
We're midway through NaNo. Now is the time to think about what it's going to take to reach your goal and still have fun doing it. Your goal doesn't have to be 50k. It can be more or less than that number, and it's entirely up to you what you decide. You need at least 50k to get the winner's certificate at the end of the month, but that's just a computer-generated file and really doesn't say anything about how hard you worked. If you are happy with your work, then that's all that matters.
What you don't need to worry about is what anyone else is doing.
More words, less words, good words, 'bad' words (whatever you think those might be) or anything else. This is now between you, the blank page and the calendar. That's all you need to consider.
Complaining about what others are writing is egotistical and rude, though I don't think the people doing it quite realize it at the time. Well, at least some of them. You can say things in private. We all do. (It's no secret that I'm not a big fan of fanfiction.) But posting on the boards about it shows that your focus is not where it should be -- on your own work.
I spend a lot of time defending NaNo to people who think that it is some sort of attack on literature and a travesty against the 'real' authors of the world. Then, finding people talking about what people should and should not write in NaNo just annoys the hell out of me. It's much the same as being told that the science fiction and fantasy genres aren't 'real' writing, which is another longtime problems those of us in the genres face. It's defining what's proper based on personal likes, dislikes and goals.
It's no one's business what others write. It's not going to affect your life one way or another. Celebrate that they are writing at all and enjoying themselves and don't worry about it!
And on my own writing, I am in the midst of writing probably the most boring magical battle I've ever seen. Right now it's mostly just a set of actions and occasional dialogue to remind me of what I want to happen. When I get to the edit phase, I am going to focus on this scene and see what I can do to bring it back to life. Right now, though, I'm going to keep moving to the end of the novel. I know that there is one more major magical battle by the end. I think, when the novel is done, that this battle that I'm writing now is going to partly foreshadow the final one. So... writing the final one will actually give me more focus on this one.
With that in mind, I think I can stop fretting and picking at it and just move on. I need to get back into the focus of NaNo and past being ill for the last week.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Back...
I've been busy, ill, busy, busy, busy. I'm still holding on to the NaNo work, but it's not been easy. I'm somewhere over 92k. Yes, that's a really good number. I don't know how I've managed it, given the week I've had!
Oh, and I have a wonderful story in print. Info here:
http://darwinsevolutions.com/
I am having fun with NaNo, but it's harder and harder to fit the time in to write. More work just landed in my email box even while I'm writing this.
I hope that by this weekend I'll be feeling better and have more time.
Hey, I can hope for miracles, you know!
¶ 11/12/2009 12:23:00 PM 0 comments
I've been busy, ill, busy, busy, busy. I'm still holding on to the NaNo work, but it's not been easy. I'm somewhere over 92k. Yes, that's a really good number. I don't know how I've managed it, given the week I've had!
Oh, and I have a wonderful story in print. Info here:
http://darwinsevolutions.com/
I am having fun with NaNo, but it's harder and harder to fit the time in to write. More work just landed in my email box even while I'm writing this.
I hope that by this weekend I'll be feeling better and have more time.
Hey, I can hope for miracles, you know!
