Saturday, November 29, 2008

Jane Austin vs. NaNoWriMo

(my inner debate) "What about that novel over there? Why don't you finish it" "It is...tolerable. But not Austin-ish enough to tempt me."

Oh dear. Today and tomorrow are the last days of November, and thus the last days of NaNoWriMo. I have about 6,000 words to go. It might be pulling teeth to get them.

It was probaly a bad idea last night to start watching the A&E Pride and Predjudice... "Just a litte," said Rael. Ha.

Now, the problem was not that it took much time. After a full day of writing (I cranked out almost 5,000 words yesterday!), it felt like a well-earned treat. I didn't even finish the first disk before I started dozing off and had to hit the bed.

But now that I've already written the turn of the climax in my story, I'm feeling rather unmotivated. Sure, the heroes are surrounded by hordes of evil minions, but we know they'll get out of it. Then it's all happy ending stuff.

At the moment, I'd much rather keep remembering why the long P&P is my favorite, savoring the lines, and chuckling at the humor. A cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows would go along nicely.

But no! Must keep writing! Must must must!!!!!! Lizzy and Co. will still be there when I'm done! Hmm, maybe if I can get out 3-4,000 words starting now, I'll be able to watch more, guilt-free.

I needn't be thrilled to death over my story at the moment to write it, I suppose. Maybe I'll fall into it again as I write, but otherwise, the main thing is to get my words on paper and get my characters out of trouble. And then to get back to Lizzy and Co.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

NaNoWriMo Exerpt

I think I'm going to finish my novel this year! 6 more days! My printed chapters are making quite a pleasingly thick little stack in the blue notebook. :-) Just to attest that I am still writing, I thought I'd share a small sample. My characters are walking in a huge, gloomy, evil forest, almost as horrid as the nagging feeling in my head trying to tell me I won't get 50,000 words by midnight no November 30. Ahhhh!!!! But with such an opportunity to write quick corny songs, how can I not finish? ;-) It's most definitely far too much fun. Muhahaha!


~~~


"We are walking in a strange web of darkness that can only have been made by Ukka the Ma’lae.”

“Ah, well, we know we’re on the right trail, then!” said Melod brightly. Looking around at the gloomy faces, he added, “I think this calls for a song!” No one answered, so he took out one of his smaller whistles, piped a little intro, and began,

“When the woods are dark, and the sky is black

And the shadows sneak behind your back

And the scheming Demon lurks ahead,

We know we’re headed true!


When the sun don’t shine, and the wolves attack,

And the food’s all eaten from each pack,

And we’ve forgot – what is a bed?

Our journey’s nearly through!”


Somehow, this song didn't have quite the cheering affect Melod was looking for...

~~~


I can still invite anyone to read the tale thus far, but to do so I must have your email. And your word that you shan't try to steal my wonderful prose and poems.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Come What May



Thanks to the suggestion of my friend Charity, I watched a grand film last night when I probably ought to have been writing. Of course it wasn't your fault, Charity - but I do tend to snap up distractions rather easily when I should be working on big projects ;) I highly recommend it, especially if you love to see well-done, epistemologically-sound films done by homeschooled Christians. The acting was great, the story compelling, and the issues the characters struggled with vital. It is an excellent pro-life story, and an excellent character-affirming story. Again, I say to you, I highly recommend it. :-)

Watch the film in five streaming segments here.

Visit Advent Film Group's home page here to learn more about the film and watch trailers.

I think it would be grand to get to help directly with one of these sorts of films some day. If nothing else, I can cook, and I hear food is a much-needed necessity in such endeavors. ;)

Monday, November 03, 2008

"NaNo what O?"


"What have you been up to, Rael?"

"Well, I'm doing this thing called NaNoWriMo..." Thus I begin, and is it any wonder I'm met with confused stares?

National Novel Writing Month is an event, a challenge, a crazy and frantic month of scribbling or typing, wherein the participants attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in November.

That's approximately 1,667 words a day, roughly 2 and 1/2 pages (single spaced, 12pt font).


I attempted it last year.

Here's the official site explaining it.

Though this year I don't have a school work load, I do have my family and various responsibilities to think about. As much fun and as useful an excercise as NaNo can be, I'll need to be careful not to put sacrifice more important things on its alter.
But handled carefully, it could be a monkey barrels of fun. Muhahahaha!

Three days in, I am on track so far, wondering if this will be the year of a completed NaNo novel.
If anyone is interested in reading what I've done thus far, I am posting it on a private blog, but can send you an invitation to read it if you promise you won't steal all my clever plot ideas and stunning prose. ;)

This year my story is about a boy who has been a slave nearly all his life, but must set out on a quest to find and rescue his father, who has been turned into a monster. It is very deffinitly fantasy, and I'm sure will at some point contain all the stereotypical and overused elements of that genre. But maybe some original stuff will show its face now and then.

That's rather one of the points of NaNoWriMo. You just focus on writing lots, and once your inner editor stops hyperventilating about all the hokey things you actually let stay on the page, the stage is set for refreshing and surprising things to begin happening.


And if anyone wants to do this with me next year, or jump in now (you'd only need to write about 5000 words today to catch up), let me know, and I'll do all I can to badger- excuse me, that is,
encourage you to join the madness- er, I mean fun. ;-)