It's NaNoWriMo and I'm wearing a dress...

Well, the title pretty much sums it up.

NaNoWriMo started yesterday and I've hit my word count for the Tuesday...just not for today.

As for the dress bit. Well, I am currently wearing the most expensive items of clothing that I have ever owned. And my bra was nearly as expensive as my dress. But it looks pretty awesome.

Okay, let me start that again. You all know that my friend is getting married on Saturday. And, you should know that I am the maid of honour. Thus, I am wearing said items like the poncy git that I am while waiting for my friend to inspect my items since she hasn't seen them yet.

I just re-read that sentence and realised it sounded like the start of a bad porno. (Inspect my items...I think that is a contender for the best/worst pick up line ever.)

Anyway, the bra cost $80. That is a lot of money for something made of lace and wire. Seriously...that is $80 I could be taking with me when I go to America. That's right folks, I'm off to the US for Christmas. Are you jealous? I probably would be.

Okay, and as I type this I realise that the iced coffee I just had may have been a bad idea. Or a good one depending on how you look at it...hopefully it means that I can get my word count done in record time. Bring it on NaNoWriMo.

Well that's all for now.

Take care and if any of you are attempting 'WriMo let me know. We can be writing buddies.

In which I talk about DVDs, writing and the benefits of caffeine

I've been writing like a person possessed. I've also been reading like a person possessed. True to my being a workaholic I have set myself a new deadline as I find the only way I can get things done is to trick my mind into thinking that if it isn't done by this date the world will do one of three things. It will either self destruct, turn inside out or slip into a time paradox where we will all be stuck watching endless repeats of the worst show ever to be invented.*

Anyway, my deadline is this - I have forty days to write, at the very least, 80 000 words. Now, from doing NaNoWriMo I know that this is possible, I also know that it has the potential for disaster, least of which is me running around like someone who has lost their marbles proclaiming myself to be the Queen of the Dorks. To insure that I don't go to bonkers I have created my own little office space and am now devoting most of my day to writing. I give myself plenty of toilet breaks and food breaks - I have even scheduled in Wii breaks. (In my mind that is funny on so many levels...I'm seriously still only thirteen in my brain so fart, poo and wee jokes still have me giggling...)

This morning, however, I was possessed my another form of madness - I had to alphabetise my DVD collection. Which, normally, wouldn't be so bad but since I have well over 300 of the suckers (insert lame 300 Sparta joke here.) it took a little more time than it should of. In the midst of doing this I realised that I need more shelves or less DVDs but the second option isn't really an option. What I am most amused/proud of is the fact that I have actually separated them into their own categories so I can go straight to this shelf for TV shows and that one for Studio Ghibli films and so on.

Anyway, I've covered the first two parts of my title which just leaves the benefits of caffeine. Oh sweet, sweet caffeine. Basically replaced the word Sugar in the song Sugar High with Caffeine and you understand.
In fact - here is the song from Empire Records for your enjoyment:

I will leave you now because it is my scheduled Wii time...

*I am not going to name the show because I have friends who enjoy it and I don't feel like being dreadfully mean today. Maybe tomorrow?

Planes are fun and scary...

I have been travelling for the last day or so, flying from New Zealand to America, and, after about seven hours, it no longer becomes fun rather than an excruciating wait. You sit there, crammed next to many other stinky and cranky people wishing that the flight was over and sighing when you see that there is still another six hours to go.

This also makes writing for NaNoWriMo very difficult. I haven't had a chance to sit down and just type (same with blogging)  so, now that I have everything sorted I can finally sit down and type...and there is the dilemma. I don't want to be one of those people who gushes about their travelling - so I won't. This means that I'm not sure what to add to my blog tonight.

So it will be a short blog tonight because there's dinner on the table and I'm hungry.

Better blog tomorrow I promise.

Peace and pancakes

Edit: I managed to get some of my 'WriMo writing done - 2000 words, oh yeah! Also, far too full from a good meal!
Oh and I should have mentioned that I have now, offically, passed my course! Jolly Gnome dance to follow.

Seven days in and NaNoWriMo is...

Seven days in and I am finding myself wishing that I could move onto a different project. I won't because I am very stubborn and I will not let NaNoWriMo beat me. Yet, with so many other things happening I can't help but feel that I may be in over my head.

So far, my two main characters have just infiltrated a school posing as niece and uncle. They have already met with a golem of sorts and I just feel that there are more nasty things around the corner. It is a good thing I am not writing this to get published. I may use some of the ideas later on but this is just pure brain vomit onto the page.

Another thing I am finding is that some of the words begin to blur together and I find my characters acting out of sorts. I may not be overly invested in these characters as of yet but I still find them banging around with my other, more well rounded, characters. I don't know if other writers have the same uh...'problem'...You know, where you try to make your characters do something that is against character and they raise such a ruckus.

On a side note it turns out that one of the brake pad things* shattered while I was driving home yesterday. This explains why my brakes gave out. Thankfully I was just about home and managed to glide into my park. My dad, bless him, is going to get a new 'shoe', as he calls it, for my car tomorrow.

This is going to be another shortish, almost pointless, entry as I have to get cracking on this NaNoWriMo effort. Also, I had more sugar today than usual. Every so often I just crave chocolate even though I know that I shouldn't have it...

Also, I got three new books yesterday and I want to get cracking into them. Is it bad that I am inclined to read more at the moment. (So there, Laura Miller...I may be doing NaNoWriMo but I'm still reading...)

*Things - this word is right up there with stuff to explain random things that I don't know the technical terms for.

Word Count - 14 452
Tunes - NCIS on the telly in the background.

Cheesy Dialogue and The Pirate's Mistress

I entered into the idea of NaNoWriMo with a smile and thoughts of it being a piece of cake. I now realise that I was very delusional - this may not come as a surprise to many of you but I thought, after a year of writing essays on changing curriculum and classroom management that writing 50 000 words in 30 days was going to do fine. I admit, the word count is going okay so far. The plot, however, is more than a little shocking. There are some redeemable points, I just have to dig through the bad dialogue that is coming through.

I do have to admit that I am having a strange form of fun in testing the limits of my writing. I can look at this as a great experience, whether I finish it or not. I hope to finish it, don't get me wrong, but I don't feel that is the real aim of NaNoWriMo - well, at least not for me.

Anyway, my plot is all over the place a the moment and the character development is kinda being made up as I go along. I currently have two main characters and half a dozen minor characters. There has already been several spells cast and one case of bleeding ears. And, before you ask, it isn't fantasy - well not normal fantasy but it is urban fantasy.

Funny side note - writing this reminds me of a story I wrote to amuse myself and others while I was working a dull job inputting data and dealing with rather snobbish customers. I think the title was The Pirate's Mistress. Now, this was a comic attempt at writing and I made it to make people laugh and to show how easy it was to write a bad story. The basic plot was the pirate of the story had two mistresses, one in Tortuga (guess where that came from) and the other was the sea. And the sea was a harsh mistress. There was also the first mate who had a peg leg that had roses and other pretty things carved into it. A neurotic, depressed parrot who was down to his last few feathers and the sweetest whore in the world. Now, if that isn't bad writing I don't know what it. It was a lot of fun to write, though, and it got the desired laughs.

The reason I brought this up is because, even though the plot for my NaNoWriMo won't be winning any awards, I know that it is bad writing and it has made me re-evaluate my finished novel. So, all in all I have to thank 'WriMo for helping me appreciate my writing style and for giving me that chance to explore a different form of writing. It's helping me hone my skills and hopefully others are finding the same.

Also, I don't know about you but forcing myself to continue with this story has made me think of ways to finish other drafts. For all the supposed writer's block I feel like I've been getting, this is really helping it.

Sorry for the short post today. I've had car troubles which meant I couldn't make it to a friends engagement party. (Sorry!) And then the eftpos went down at work, meaning that everything was cash only today.

Peace, love and pancakes to you all.
JJ

Word Count: 13361
Tunes: Hey, Soul Sister - Train

Day Five - Into that dark night...

It's quarter past ten and I was hoping to have something up over five hours ago. I realised, however, that after yesterday I wasn't sure whether I'd have anything interesting to say but I had made a deal with myself to attempt to update all through NaNoWriMo and I am one of the most stubborn people that I know. I get that from my dad.

So, it is day five of NaNoWriMo for all us New Zealanders. (I'm sure it is day five for others as well but I tend to give myself a headache when I try to figure out time zones and the such...) Five days of insane writing and hours of solitude, not to mention blurred vision. Yet, I am enjoying it, regardless of what my tweets say.

I don't know if it is down to the sheer abandonment of writing something that I know is 'craptastic' or whether it is the fact that I have been writing far too many essays revolving around education in New Zealand. I can say this much though, I would definitely recommend this month long 'competition' to anyone who has ever thought of writing a novel. I'm finding out things about my writing that I didn't really notice prior to this.

Also, NaNoWriMo gives you the chance to try new styles. That is one of the great things about it. What I am writing is for me and me alone. It may not be up there with any great authors but it is one way for me to hone my craft - if that is not too cliched to say. The fact that my paragraphs are stilted and some of the dialogue doesn't flow is a good sign because it means that I am not pouring over every word as I write. Instead, I am enjoying the flow that comes with getting involved in something that makes me happy.

Anyway - this is a message for everyone else doing NaNoWriMo this year:

Good luck to each and every one of you. Enjoy the time you spend crafting your new worlds, characters and scenarios. Enjoy playing with those adjectives, verbs and nouns. Indulge in the occasional cliche or create a new one. Dive into the beautiful world of night-time inspiration and follow it wherever it goes. Once again I wish you luck.

From a fellow bibliophile and lover of the written word,
JJ.

Peace, love and pancakes.

Word count: 11 042
Tunes: Billionaire By Travie McCoy feat. Bruno Mars.

Edit: I still cannot figure out why my blog keeps coming up with the wrong date and time. But since I am heading to America next week I will leave it at that for now. JJ
Also - it's Guy Fawkes here in New Zealand. I love the fact that we celebrate a guy who failed to blow up parliament and was burned at the stake...sigh...

An open letter - or a response...Laura Miller vs NaNoWriMo

As I sit here, preparing to type this out I am overcome with nerves. I fear that I will come off as woefully uneducated or just another person standing on their soapbox spouting their beliefs and truly believing that their view is the right and only view when I know it isn't. That being said, I also feel I cannot stand by and let people feel bad for being themselves or doing something that they really enjoy.

In case you haven't heard about NaNoWriMo I will give you a basic run down. This is all my own understanding and I am more than happy to have someone correct me if I get anything wrong. NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month where the aim is to write 50 000 words in 30 days. This can be a whole novel or novella depending on your views of word count or it can just be part of a novel. There is no prize aside from the knowledge that you managed to write that amount in the time limit. Not everyone can do this and, as has been pointed out, the work that does come is not going to be of a publishable standard.* Yet, as far as I am aware, the pure goal is a test to your own abilities and it is also something to do for fun. Yes, fun...I know it seems like a rare idea but for me this is the whole reason I am attempting to do NaNoWriMo. After a year of writing essays and attending teaching placements writing an almost stream of consciousness form of writing is like diving into a swimming pool on the first day in Summer when the weather is just right. It is refreshing. **

Why am I going into this, you may ask? Well, my attention was drawn to Laura Miller, a writer of Salon, who posted the following article panning NaNoWriMo. Better yet, DON'T write that novel. I'm not going to pick it to pieces because everyone has the right to their opinion. I can understand where she is coming from and I am not here to call names or to villianise anyone but I do feel that there are two points that she brings up that I feel come across rather...condescending.

The first point is that she thinks NaNoWriMo is a waste of time. Sure, it can be if you are on the outside looking in. That being said you can say the same thing about absolutely everything. Personally, I feel rugby is a waste of time and I'm a New Zealander - it's our heritage...*** So, Laura, you can think whatever you like about NaNoWriMo - just remember that people are going to disagree and argue against it. Although, I feel that your argument was very one sided I still feel that you were giving your opinion - though, to be honest, you could have been somewhat less aggressive in your commentary as belittling people doesn't make for positive comments.

The second point is the more serious matter and here is where I might have to drag out my soap box because, as a pre-service teacher, I have seen first hand the effects of reading. I have worked in two schools in my training and I have to say that I found a strong streak of avid readers and an equally strong streak of people who hate reading. The reason I bring this up is that I feel you are wanting to encourage reading, am I right? And for that, I applaud you. There is nothing more exciting than entering Narnia for the first time, or adventuring through the Forbidden Forest. I still remember crying as Beth died or feeling the excitement of reading Wilkie Collins. I dove head first into Wonderland and have had many adventures in Tortall. I have fought pirates and have flown on a luck dragon.

With that being said - the way you have gone about trying to encourage people to pick up a book is not the way about it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you are saying that anyone who doesn't read Chabon, Franzen or Eggers is not a real reader. To me, that is just literary snobbery and that is one of the reasons that many people choose not to read. (This is in my own experiences and I know this is a bold generalisation.)

And, if that truly is your view I feel almost sorry for you. Reading is not always about reading the books that appear on best seller lists. Reading is not about reading a book so you can tell people that you've read all the great classics. Reading is about fun. Reading is about adventure and, most importantly, reading is about enjoying yourself. I don't choose a book by the number of weeks it has been on a bestseller list. I buy a book because I've been told by a friend that it is good or I've read an extremely good review.

I am a strong advocate for literacy because I find it sad that there are children out there who haven't had the same joy that I have had in my adventures through the pages. But, if one child picks up a book, be it a picture book, a graphic novel or Dickens, then that is a good sign. We cannot stand over people and beat them with books in the hope that they will read. We need to encourage people to find a book that they like. And, once they find an author that they like we need to support them so that they foster that love of reading.

I'm going to get off my soap box now - mainly because I'm rather short of stature and my soap box is unnecessarily high. Also, I wouldn't mind getting back to my attempt at NaNoWriMo

Thank you to everyone who got to the end of this post. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know your own views. Like I said, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Peace, love and pancakes.
JJ


* I could be wrong because, being human, I don't know everyone in the world nor do I know the extent of their writing abilities. All I know is there is no way in hell that I would send my 'manuscript' off after 30 days of writing and no editing...
** I am at the tail end of completing my post grad diploma of secondary teaching.
*** Sorry New Zealand and all rugby fans. I've been to games but it's just not my cuppa tea...

My musical year...

As I alternate between my attempt at NaNoWriMo and finishing uni I find myself thinking back over the year. In doing this I have realised that the best way that I measure time is via music. Since I have spent a lot of this year in a car I have turned to itunes in an attempt to make my trip less boring. Podcasts have become good friends but they are a lot harder to sing along too. Whereas, songs provide the perfect opportunity for me to embarrass myself almost daily. Those of you who know me understand what I mean...

I better explain what I mean by measuring the year by music. Well, I am somewhat neurotic in that I date and label any Cd's that I burn.* And, as I was attempting to clean my car the other day I came across a series of these Cd's and, just from looking at the dates, I could trace my year back to September of last year...**

Along with dating the Cd's I give them funky, or what I think are funky, little names. Some of my favourites include Bad Day Mix, Geek Mix 2.4 and Tunes for Driving. As you can see, my creativity knows no bounds. Also, on these Cd's I have a mix of current songs and old school songs. So if we go back towards the start of the year there would be some Lady Gaga, followed by Jason Derulo, BEP and so on. I put these ones here because they are a bit more chart noticed. Along with these popular choices I also have some Trock (Time Lord rock - songs about Dr. Who) and some Wrock (Wizard rock - songs about Harry Potter) ***

With all this talk about music I keep thinking about some of brilliant singer/songwriters out there, especially on YouTube. There is so much talent there that I am just plain amazed at how many people go unsigned. Then again, I have no idea about marketing or getting an agent so it could be that there is a lot more that goes into that.

What I am trying to say is that I thought I might list some of my current favourites on YouTube and let you guys decide what you think about these amazing people.

Danna Richards
Tyler Ward and Co
 ALL CAPS
Kurt Hugo Schneider and Sam Tsui

There are many more but, as per usual, I was unprepared for what this was going to be about. Now I must get back to my writing and I'm technically supposed to be working as well...

* After I have bought the tunes from itunes
** I failed at cleaning the car though I did find out why my backseat was smelling a bit funky. My niece had secret squirrelled away her MacDonald's hamburger in the fold of the seat. Sigh...let's just say that it wasn't what I expected to find in my car...most normal people I know find money not bits of hamburger.
*** Thus proving that my geekiness also knows no bounds.

NaNoWriMo wordcount - 5445
Tunes - Airplanes - BoB feat Hayley Williams

Oh Harry...what will we do without you...

One: It's Tuesday
Two: It's the Melbourne Cup
Three: Gym tonight
Four: NaNoWriMo (You knew that this was going to come up...)

Isn't that a pretty list. I've seen better though. Anyway, the writing is going surprisingly well and I still wish that I didn't have to travel to lectures daily at the moment. Though...Thursday is library day and I hope you know, by now, what I am going to be doing on Thursday.
Instead of prattling on about 'WriMo I thought I would randomly talk about something else. The only problem with this is that I don't have a pre-arranged topic to discuss in analytical length thus revealing some unknown wisdom to someone (normally me.) Oh my, doesn't that sound horribly pretentious of me.

The only thing I really feel like discussing is the upcoming Harry Potter film. We all know that HPatDH (Part one) is signaling the beginning of an end, so to say. I keep recalling the day that a friend of ours (who happens to be a primary school principal) told my mum about this brilliant book. I, somewhat ashamedly, dismissed it as a children's book and that it was too young for my 15 going on 16 year old self.

Mum, thankfully, bought a copy and on the drive home I began to idly flick through the pages and I can honestly say that the first page had me captured. From there on out it was a battle between my mum and me to see who could finish the books first and we devoured them.

I remember when the fourth book came out and I stayed up all night, stoking the fire and reading by candlelight. (This is probably why I needed glasses...bad reading habits) The pages couldn't turn fast enough and I couldn't get enough. Within several hours I had finished it and found myself left with an empty feeling, knowing that I had to wait until the next book. At least there was fanfiction. Some of it was absolutely brilliant, a lot of it was average and some of it was down right scary.

As I read back over this blog I get the distinct feeling that I sound like an addict who needs a hit...of great literature. I also realise that I've moved directly from the film to the novel. I feel that Rowling is one of those authors who just happened upon the magic formula and had the skills to back up her ideas.

We interrupt this babbling to let you know that my horse didn't win the Melbourne Cup...there is a reason that I don't gamble...;o)

Anyway, although there is a lot more that I could say I best be getting back to my writing.

Wordcount: 2511
Tune: Random announcer for the Melbourne Cup

Entering the fray...

It has begun...well it began at one minute past midnight but, apparently, my brain did not want me to be awake for that as I fell asleep watching Halloween (the Rob Zombie one, unfortunately...).

What has begun you may find yourself asking...well...NaNoWriMo of course. (www.nanowrimo.org) So, I have started this epic task of writing an average of 1667 words per day for the next thirty days. I am pretty sure that I am still in the 'honeymoon' stage as I am super excited and have managed to convince several friends to commit themselves to this challenge. (I am hoping that they will still be friends after the thirty days...fingers crossed.)

So, after the initial rejection of the first eighteen paragraphs those wonderful muses that I have came a-running and the creativity has begun. The only down side to this euphoric sensation are my final days of lectures. Now, it has been a long hard year and writing just for the sake of writing had become somewhat of a novelty to me but now it's all guns blazing and ignore everything else - aside from these infernal lectures...

There is, however, something that I have forgotten to organise in this mad dash to attempt NaNoWriMo and that is music. I normally have my ipod on shuffle but I feel that I may need to organise what I am listening to a bit more because I would like to keep the same tone throughout my novel and I have this feeling that my writing might change according to my mood...and we can't have a serious novel turning into a comedy before jumping straight over that shark Fonzie style into a drama.

So, for anyone reading - I would love suggestions of music to write novels by...

I realise that this may seem like me babbling and you would be correct but it is good babbling and I shall leave it at that.

Much love, peace and pancakes...mmm pancakes...

NaNoWriMo word count: 956
Tune of the moment: Everything You Want - Vertical Horizon

Edit: I know that the date says the 31st of October - I'd just like to state for the record that I am in New Zealand and it is the 1st of November...I promise I'm not cheating! :o)

Dusting off and NaNoWriMo

It's an update...ha! but since I don't think anyone has been reading this I can view it as a fresh start - notice my deviousness...

So - I'm not sure whether I do a re-introduction...ah, what the hell...

I'm a 28 year old geek girl from Aotearoa(New Zealand) who is far too obsessed with Firefly, Serenity, Joss Whedon in general, Battlestar Galactica, dinosaurs and so much more that I won't go into. I have written a novel but have yet to send it off due to an undying fear that I will be held accountable for corrupting young children with bad writing (subtle dig at someone who remain nameless...maybe...)

I have a constant need to be reading or travelling or something...I have an unhealthy obsession with many weird and wacky things...tartaned goldfish being one of them...oh and occasionally acting as a velociraptor...I mean, who doesn't want to be a raptor at one point in their life.

That aside - I have nearly finished my teaching course but am still very undecided on whether I will actually will go into teaching but that is neither here or there. The main point for restarting this little old blog here is because I no longer have the constant stress of lectures and assignments so I can readily update without pressure but also, NaNoWriMo starts at midnight tonight and I am looking forward to getting my fingers to do some more typing. This is the fun kind of typing - hopefully since this is the first year that I am attempting this.

For those of you who don't know what NaNoWriMo is check this link www.nanowrimo.org
Basically, over the month of November your aim is to write 50 000 words for a novel. So, no real pressure there, right...?

So this blog will help me track my process while letting everyone see the spiral of insanity that I often get myself into...don't worry...it's all in the name of fun...

This is the part where I tell my readers to strap in for the bumpy ride...don't worry though, I always provide food and entertainment. Oh, and you may want to keep your hands inside the cart at all times.

Oh and any tips or ideas are welcome!