…but it sure is fun!
You drink that?!
Hey there
November 11, 2009
Hanging the word count has not effected the amount of words I have been writing. It has, however, changed the quality of my writing–for the better, Mom says and I agree. It has also changed my attitude towards NaNo: before when I was focused on making the word count, writing was a chore that I didn’t really want to do. Now that I’m focused on the words and what I write instead of how much I write, I am happy to be scribbling away…I want to be scribbling away. And oddly enough, I must be writing faster, because I see a whole lot more of my family these days!
So, the word count stands at 14,243. That is where it should be after 8 and a half days of writing (I don’t write on Sundays).
Here’s to only counting pages and having a blast!!!
November 11, 2009
When I write creatively, I write long hand via pen and paper. I’ve done this for so long I mostly forget there are other ways. It often causes quite a bit of confusion among my writing friends when I start jabbering away about pages, Paperblanks, what a hassle it is to count words and such like. I guess that despite hand-writing being historically the most common method of recording words, it is a minority these days? Last night, fellow NarniaWebber stargazer asked me the following question:
Avra, I gather you’re writing your novel longhand? Very impressive! How do you manage to avoid writer’s cramp?
I thought this Q & A would make a good blog post, so:
There are a few methods I use to deal with writer’s cramp:
a) Complain and push through it.
b) Complain and take a break.
c) Get so excited that I don’t even notice…until inspiration runs out and then I really notice.
Seriously though, your hand is just like any other muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes and the more it can do.
My greatest trouble with hand-writing is actually my kitten taking off with my pen…in fact she has it right now.
Well, I better get off here and go write: one more page and I’ll have met my goal for the day! First I’d better go rescue my pen…
I would add for here that handwriting is slower, but this is what I like about it. It forces you to slow down and consider each word as it crosses from brain to hand to page. The movement of the hand writing one word becomes that of the mind forming the next one…I may be sounding a little wierd here, but it really is a neat thing. Not, of course, that there isn’t value and a rhythm that comes from typing in a computer; I believe that everyone who writes should find their own pace and rhythm. For me, that rhythm is conected with the physical act of writing out each word. (Also, nothing can beat the smell and feel of acid free, sustainable forest paper. Never underestimate the value of the eco-friendly.)
It suddenly strikes me that this is all pretty funny, considering that I typed these words about the value of hand-writing!
November 10, 2009
I now have a wardrobe to replace the closet I so gleefully took down. One of my neighbors bought it at a flea market or something, decided they didn’t want it and traded it to me for babysitting ”credits”. Pretty cool!
My Wardrobe
I doubt anyone going into it will find anything other than a very tight space.
That’s me in the reflection, by the way.
November 10, 2009
After going to Ivy Tech on Thursday, Mom and I stopped by the pet store for her to buy some fish for her aquarium. While we were there, I looked at birds. I’ve really been missing Chip, and somehow I came home with two new parakeets.
These are some unusual parakeets: they do not swear, scream or otherwise engage in loud and obnoxious behavior. Instead they sing to us and live together peaceably. Wierd. So, introducing Daniel and Jack (named for Dr. Daniel Jackson and Jack O’Neil of Stargate SG1):
Daniel
Jack
Daniel and Jack 1
Daniel and Jack 2
November 4, 2009
3,535 as of last night. Slow and steady might just make the race yet!
These last two days have proven that 10 pages equals about 1,667 words, which is the minimum I can do and still make 50,000 words in 30 days. (Well, actually it is 1,666. a very long stream of 6’s. But I don’t think leaving .3 off a word will be very good for my already stretched sanity.)
The day before yesterday I was just overwhelmed. Yesterday I was fixated on the word count. Today I’m going to just write, and enjoy writing. I’ll try to make sure I do about 10 pages, but let the word count be hanged! Until tonight, that is.
In other news, I’m going to Ivy Tech tomorrow to met my instructor and be shown the lay-out of the place. I’m really rather excited!
November 3, 2009
If it did, I would have higher Spider Solitaire stats than 17 % after 135 games.
A familiar image on my computer screen
November 2, 2009
- Despite what one might have thought, you do not have to breathe to write. (I’m at the stage of flu recovery when everything is dripping and/or completely stuffed up.)
- If you are me and frustrated, for goodness sake, take a break! More words and better will be written in the long run that way.
- Changing a character’s name mid-page is really confusing.
- DO NOT use the Paperblank journal if you feel the need to hear paper rip.
- Counting words can lead to counting all sorts of other things.
- Unfortunately for the word count, “into” and “upon” are each only one word.
- Mothers are the greatest.
- Dads are pretty great, too.
- So are patient brothers who let you take over the computer to update your word count.
- There is no limit to how many times a day a person can say “word count”.
- Even in a “month of literary abandon”, one cannot escape mathematics.
Oh, and I’m at 1,300 words or something. Just a few more and I’ll make my wordcount for the day. Now to make up yesterday’s…
November 2, 2009
Yesterday began National Novel Writing Month.
I reached 1,500 words.
However, I only am using 908 of those. The other 600 made up a false start that I just couldn’t continue. If I tweak it around, though, that false start may work pretty well later on…but despite the “anything goes” attitude we’re supposed to have, I still have a firm conviction that quality should come before quantity. Now that I have a firm start, though, I should be able to make up my wordcount today.
October 28, 2009
They say that the big thing about swine flu is that it goes away and comes back. After I recovered from my bout with it, I swore I wouldn’t get the second round. I mean, come on, I’m a healthy gal! What use do I have of getting the flu twice in two weeks?
I stayed active, I drank tea and consumed foods stuffed with garlic.
Not an hour after I posted that last post, my throat started to hurt. Now I have a fever of 99.1 and those (never mind those adjectives popping up in my mind that are most unwelcome) body aches have returned.
I am not happy. In fact, I am rather cranky.
October 28, 2009
And this time it’s got MA. “It” being to the flu, that is. Unfortunately, while I was able to escape the high fever, my brother was not.
By the way, the flu combined with asthma–not pretty. He is doing better today, though.
Prayers would still be greatly appreciated.
October 27, 2009
I found this on Just The Words, a blog I found today. I love both Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Kraus (altough I’d have never thought to put them together), and so just had to post this.
Tyrant of all I survey.October 26, 2009
Something tells me that readers of the male gender are going to be inclined to sigh, shake their heads and think to themselves: “Women”.
There are certain genes in my mother’s family that predisposes females to large hips–genes that I have inherited. I also have a tiny waist. This puts me rather firmly in the hourglass-shaped figure.
However much certain artists of the past may have enjoyed hourglass figures, the clothing industry tends to forget us. In particular, it is very hard to find bottoms that fit which do not have a drawstring. If I find a skirt or pants that fit my waist, it takes a great feat of willpower to squeeze the rest of my bottom half in them…and I won’t be caught dead in public wearing something that tight. If I find something that fits my hips comfortably, I end up with a horizontal pleat and an extra inch or two of hem.
This hourglass problem never really used to bother me; but those were also the days when shapeless sacks were my prefered clothing of choice. (And usually the top sack would be something like a purple polka-dot and the bottom sack would be a light blue print…my Aunt Kelly used to try to call the fashion police on me.) Even today my house wear of choice is drawstring capris.
But I have learned to appreciate a good fit for out-in-public wear and I wanted to find some nice, comfortable yet practical pants for my EMT course. The hourglass problem has become one in earnest. LL Bean has this ingenious Curvy fit, especially made for women of my proportions. The trouble is that LL Bean’s clothes, being of high quality, are somewhat pricey.
We (Mom and I) were going to see if someplace like Dillard’s or Kohl’s had something that would do before we called in the clothing cavalry…and while out with a friend, Mom found some slacks that were exactly the style that I wanted. She called to make sure of the size and returned triumphantly, ordering me to try them on almost before she got in the door. I did and they were absolutely perfect…except that damn waist band.
Well, I’m going to get off my soap box and go take in the waist-side seams of my almost perfect slacks. My penny jar got renamed: “For LL Bean’s Curvy fit slacks or jeans.”
October 25, 2009
I absolutely love my little small town church…but sometimes we do things that make me crack up. (Catch the “we”.)
Take today, for instance. There is a young man in our ranks, probably middle to late 20’s. He comes like clockwork every week about 20 minutes before the service starts, sits in the same pew as his mother and grandmother (usually the one right behind my family’s), tithes regularly and is just in general a pleasant, quiet person of the type that forms the backbone of all organizations.
Today he was absent and in our church, if someone is absent the reasons are sought out by most members of the congregation. When the question: “Where’s your son?” was politely put before the mother, she replied: “Oh he’s at a wedding.”
“He’s getting married?!”
Every head in the church whipped around, every mouth dropped, every ear strained to hear the mother’s next words.
Much to everybody’s relief, he had done no such thing as get married without informing us first. It was just a friend’s wedding.
I wonder what we would have done if it had been his wedding. Probably had a few funerals.
October 23, 2009
Remember Chip, the surviving parakeet of the Chip Peter duo?
He died yesterday. This is his life story.
A picture of Chip and Peter. Chip is the one on the right, in front of his mirror.
When Mom and I got parakeets in late 2006, she chose the one most likely to be a good pet. I chose the one with the most spirit…much to the dismay of the girl who had to catch them.
While Peter devoted himself to a quiet life of the average pet bird, learning to sing for us when we called his name, Chip proved himself to be a crazy bird. (Why is it that most of my pets have temperaments ranging from eccentric to insane? Please, don’t answer that.) He liked to pick up his feed in his mouth, cross his cage and dump it in his water. Then he liked to watch me fuss and change his water. Then he’d start it all over again; and if by some chance I didn’t change his water immediately, he would swear up a storm until I did so. And as I said in Peter’s post, “Chip…doesn’t use English. He doesn’t have to.”
The only time he liked to sing in was in front of his beloved mirror (beloved because it showed him his own reflection–he did not like to see anyone else’s in that thing!)
Despite the differences between them, I think Chip was really fond of his companion, Lord Peter Death Bredon Whimsey. It was many days after his death before Chip raised his voice again, either to swear or to sing. When he did lift his voice, it was to swear and scream at Ellie, whom he detested. This was probably Ellie’s fault as she had once knocked him and his cage off the table.
Even after recovering his swearing, Chip was a different bird after Peter died. He was more subdued, more sane.
I found him yesterday on the cage floor, midway between perch and food bowl. We shall miss him…and his colorful personality.
