Category Archives: NaNoWriMo 2012

In which I forced myself to finish Tunerville over the course of National Novel Writing Month

4 Ways I’m Relaxing after NaNoWriMo

Posted on by
6

I’ve been quiet since NaNoWriMo.  The only writing I’ve done is a blog post over on Clerical Chick, some chatting, a few tweets, and cover letters.   Yes, I’m still job hunting *GROAN*.

While I feel a bit lazy right now, after finishing a project that huge I definitely think some relaxation is in order.   You may be compelled to continue, but I am going to take this time before I actually get a job to enjoy my lack of responsibilities.

In no particular order, here are some ways I have relaxed after NaNoWriMo.

#1 – Watching TV series I never saw

I’m working my way through The X-Files on Netflix right now.  I’m up to Season 5, and just watched the one where Scully finds the little girl she thinks is her sister’s daughter.  This show is hilarious.  I don’t believe in alien abduction, so I have to really work to suspend disbelief, but the intentional humor is excellent.

Netflix is awesome too.  I love being able to watch back-to-back episodes of TV shows, except it backfires with How I Met Your Mother, since that show is still airing and I’m behind.  I’m watching faster than they’re posting.

Digital content is much more entertaining when you pause it than videotape ever was.  Check out this ridiculous Mulderface shot:

AAACHOOO!

AAACHOOO!

#2 – Reading

I’ve hauled out some old favorites, but in the next couple of weeks I’m going to tackle the two remaining novels in Robert J. Sawyer‘s Neanderthal Parallax series.  I read Hominid and loved it, but I haven’t gotten around to the other ones.  Sawyer is an excellent writer, and a nice guy too.  I emailed him once and got a very gracious reply.

Last year, when I had two jobs, I wrote way more than I read.  I would like to remedy that.  I’ve missed reading.  So an early New Year’s resolution:  to read more books in 2013, as well as write more.

#3 – Attempting to create handmade Christmas presents since I’m broke

The less said about this, the better.

#4 – Reorganizing the house

Good luck with this one, self.  No one wants the furniture I put on craigslist, and I have TOO MUCH STUFF.

Not quite, but getting there.

Not quite, but getting there.

Image:  Bill Longshaw / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I watch Hoarders to remind myself of what can happen when I’m too lazy to do this (yes, I know it’s a severe anxiety disorder, and I have anxiety issues, so yes, I watch it to scare myself also).  Plus, there’s the added what-if-I-can’t-find-a-job-and-have-to-move motivation.  I actually donated eight boxes of books to the library sale recently, so I’m doing pretty well.

None of these activities takes the place of the job hunt, or getting my ducks in a row for a possible return to school in the spring.   Things are changing little by little.  Let’s hope next year they’re for the best, because this year sucks.

Whatever you’re doing to celebrate the end of NaNoWriMo, I hope you enjoy your holiday.  We’ll all gear up for a visit the Ghost of Editing Yet to Come.

 

 

Related articles

NaNoWriMo Day 30 – FINISHED!!!!!!

Posted on by
4

Word count – 7,266.  Yes, you read that right.

Final word count  – 76,212.

I AM FINISHED.  The first draft of Tunerville is done!

I wrote all day and my hands are killing me.  There is a lot of rewriting to do, and I still have some stuff I’d like to add.  But the rough draft is complete.  It has a beginning, a middle and an end.

Thanks very much to everyone who encouraged me to do NaNoWriMo and for those who were kind enough to comment.   For those who participated, I hope your work went well, even if you didn’t finish.   Keep on going.  There’s no reason to stop now!

Now go celebrate!

 

 

 

 

Related articles

NaNoWriMo Day 29 – One Day Left

Posted on by
7

Word count – 1,382.

Ugh, my WordPress screen is different.  I hate it.

I don’t know if I’m going to finish this book tomorrow.  It’s doubtful.  My total for the NaNoWriMo 2012 is only 23,522 words altogether.  But the book is almost finished, and so I consider it a success.  That’s what I wanted NaNo to do for me this year.

I’m not making excuses, but it’s very hard for me to write when I don’t have other stuff going on.  For most people, that would be heaven.  For me, it sucks.  Not having a job means that instead of thinking about writing, I’m thinking about not having a job, what’s going to happen if I can’t find one, where I should look next, etc. etc. ad infinitum forever and ever.  Makes it really hard to concentrate on anything else except all the things that are making me miserable.

I’m going to try and finish the book before the holiday gets here.  Then I’m going to sit on it for a while, maybe a couple of weeks, before I begin rewriting.  By NaNoEdMo in March, I hope to have at least a second or third draft done.

Here’s a guy who didn’t think his strategy through very well.  WARNING: Spider, but you can barely see it so it’s not very scary.

 

 

Related articles

NaNoWriMo Day 28 – Slowing Down

Posted on by
1

Word count – 559.  So.  Tired.  Once again, I spent most of the day scouring online job postings and trying to check in with references.  Unemployment is getting very old.

There are two days of NaNoWriMo left, and I’m not finished.  But I got so much farther than I thought I would.  Seriously, I figured I would give up after a week.  Even if I don’t finish the book in the next two days, I am so close it won’t matter.

I still have some research to do.  As soon as the last scene is written, I’m going to bust that out while I can, so if I get a job I’ll have any daytime meetings out of the way.  There is actually something I need to do for a Rose’s Hostage sequel that I really need to do during the day, if I can manage to do it.

Here’s a silly little video I saw last year, but it’s worth another look.  Please enjoy these funny cats alternately loving and hating the wet stuff.   The cat at 2:16 chilling in the blue tub must really be enjoying some nice warm water.

 

Related articles

NaNoWriMo Day 27 – Return of the Ouches

Posted on by
1

Word count – 1,317.

Ah ha ha ha, thanks to my fabulous vet, I have obtained some really good information for that pivotal scene I had to rewrite.  I can’t mention names here, but THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

I am very tired tonight, so I won’t talk much.  The minor procedure has been a major pain in the ass, and I’m still not 100%.  So I’ll leave you with this short but sweet video.  Enjoy.

 

Related articles

NaNoWriMo Day 26 – We’re from the government and we’re here to help!

Posted on by
2

No words today.  Only Zuul.

Man, this new refrigerator is acting weird lately.

Image:  dawnofthedad2010.wordpress.com

Today the high was something like 39.  I covered all my windows.  Of course, the forecast says 70 on Sunday.  Midwestern weather is the pits.

Also today, I had to deal with the fallout that comes from trying to do something nice. I gave someone my old car—it needs more work than I can do, and the recipients have ninja car fixin’ skills I don’t have.  Unfortunately, they neglected to register it, drove it, and boom!  It was impounded.

Am I responsible?  No, not according to the police department.  I called the Department of Revenue today to make sure they got the bill of sale I mailed them.  After a stroke-inducing moment of “We don’t have a record of that,” Operator Number Fabulous Customer Service went and checked the records they haven’t entered yet.  She found it.  According to her, I’m not liable for it either; the reason I got the impound notice is that I was the last registered owner.

I sent that thing the first week of August. That’s government efficiency for you.

Image: mrpuen / FreeDigitalPhotos.net         

Well, at least they found it.  So the bureaucracy saved me this time.  I hope.

That’s all for today.  Hopefully I’ll get finished with the basic draft before NaNoWriMo ends.  Tomorrow I have my research appointment.  Should be interesting.

In the meantime, please enjoy this adorable pup my brother-in-law posted on Facebook today.  As puppies are universal cuteness, I’ll let him keep his man card this time.

 

 

Related articles

NaNoWriMo Day 25 – Didn’t Do Crap

Posted on by
Reply

Here’s what I did today instead of writing:

The lights twinkle. I would have made them do that in the picture but I don’t know how yet.

I wasn’t going to do a tree, but after I cleaned the house, I caved.  I put lights on my kitchen window too.

All the ornaments have Snoopy either on or in them.  Most of them are Hallmark ones from the 1970s.  I’ve had them for years.  There’s a silver bow on top.  Usually I do a designer-style tree with gold beads and burgundy bows, but I’m kinda tired of that one.

I opened the ornament box and found that my colored lights from two Christmases ago were half burnt out.  So I had to schlep to Walmart in my Crocs and socks (shut up) to get more.  I should have purchased more tinsel, but they didn’t have any decent stuff.  I swear, it gets skimpier every year.  Probably to force you into buying more. Jerks

Before I did that, I went to skating practice.  We have a Christmas show on December 15th.  I actually skated a mostly clean program today.  Whee!  Now if only I can do that at showtime….

Hoping this doesn’t happen. Owch.

Image:  Gabriel Bouys / Getty Images- Los Angeles Times blog

Do yourself a favor:  be careful when you google.  I searched for “skater on butt” instead of “skater falling on butt.”  Don’t search it!

Time for some really cool animation.  Check out this cute Simon’s Cat video.

Related articles

NaNoWriMo Day 23 – Back in the Saddle

Posted on by
1

Word count – 1,730.  Whee!

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.  Writing is tiring when you’ve not been feeling well.  At least the fire has turned to coals, which a well-timed 600 milligrams of ibuprofen is more than capable of handling.

Oh yeah, much better.

Image:  snty-tact (Talk) / Wikimedia Commons

I’m very close to the end of this novel.  So I decided to merge a copy of all my pages in PageFour and get a total word count.  I have 65,031 words so far.  So I’m well over the NaNoWriMo limit.  Since I’m cheating by finishing something I’d already started, that’s no surprise.

What does surprise me is this:  I thought this stinking book was longer than that.  A mainstream novel is usually between 80,000 and 100,000 words.  I’ll need 15,000 more just to reach the minimum there.

I’m sure it will work itself out.  I’m not quite finished, and there will be copious rewrites.  There are also a few things I’ll probably add after the fact.  Rose’s Hostage ended its first draft at 125,000 words, roughly, and the first rewrite took it up to 165,000!  It took about nine edits to get it to its current state of 97,000 words.  I can still probably cut, but I need to have someone look at it and that I can’t afford.

Today’s video was posted on Facebook a few days ago.  I laughed so hard I nearly cried.  Enjoy!

WARNING:  Contains a bad word.

 

NaNoWriMo Day 22 – Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted on by
2

NO WORDS TODAY ONLY FOOOOOOD

 

Clockwise from top right: Frodo goblet full of milk, sweet potato patties, mashed potatoes and gravy, ham slice cooked in apricot jam sauce, carrots with butter and dill, crescent rolls.

I made a metric ton of mashed potatoes.  I like to do that and make potato patties later.  Besides, I had too many potatoes.  They don’t keep forever.  Probably won’t be doing this again ever.  It’s super depressing to cook for yourself on a holiday.

Some things I am thankful for today include:

  • My parents, for finding me a good car when I really needed it.
  • Whoever approved extended unemployment benefits.
  • Whoever is going to give me a good job very soon.  Ha!
  • A roof over my head.
  • Food in the fridge.
  • Chocolate cupcakes with pink icing.  Mmm.
  • People who are there when I am sad.
  • People who don’t judge me for being sad.
  • People who post really funny things on Facebook, like George Takei and my friends Heiko and Cheryl J.
  • My kitty, although she drives me nuts most of the time.
  • That even though my mower broke, it was a nice day so I could get the leaves raked up.
  • That I can actually write, since I like doing it so much.
  • Everyone who reads my blog and follows me on Twitter, even if I don’t actually know you in person.  Thank you so very much!!!

Related articles

 

NaNoWriMo Day 21 – Blanket Day

Posted on by
4

Word count – nope.

Minor procedure caused major pain.  It’s now receded, but I’m hanging on to these Tylenol 3 pills for a while.  Just.  In.  Case.

A similar dosage of this substance was helpful.

Image:  piyato / FreeDigitalPhotos.net          

Today was a rest day.  It was very nice out, so I opened the window.  Tomorrow will be our last nice day, so if I feel up to it, I’m going to mow my leaves in the front yard.   Hopefully I can find a gas station open.   My little can is empty.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.  If you’re traveling today or tomorrow, please be safe.  Enjoy this video of the ultimate epic Thanksgiving entrée.  Vegetarians and vegans may want to leave the theater.