15 posts tagged “nano 07”
So, I completed NaNoWriMo. This is great - not only do I have a third of a novel done, I've also proved to myself that my 2005 win wasn't a fluke.
All that writing left my brain a bit dead, though - I'm much more suited to binge writing rather than a thousand words a day. If I have an idea, I sit down and write. If I don't, then I don't force it. I think that when I move away from short stories and on to novels, I'll change writing habits. However, I don't think that will happen any time soon.
Right now I'm quite happy just writing short stories. There's a certain magic to them that a novel misses.
I've currently got 2 short stories being considered for anthologies - CGC at Permuted and TBW at GST. I'm not expecting to get accepted, but I haven't received rejections yet, and that's good enough for me.
This weekend I'm going to be taking it easy. I need to recharge before attacking the two essays and a creative translation next week. It's the end of the third semester - half way through my bachelor's already, what a horrible idea - and the deadlines are looming once again.
But, all that comes Monday. Right now, it's Ramsey Campbell, Phantom Hourglass and brainstorming for future short stories. Oh, and a new haircut and a shopping trip tomorrow. Relaxation is good.
WINWINWINWINWINWINWIWNINWIWNWNWINWWINWINWNIWINW
I won! I did it! I did it two days early! I rock! WOOOOOO!
Almost caught up on NaNo.
Have decent essay outline.
Beowulf was all kinds of awesome, including: meta, violent, disturbing, pretty, cockney, real Old English, clever usage of the oral tradition, Gaiman, shiny stuff.
Can't brain any more. I has the dumb.
I've found a new way to motivate myself into writing. What is it, you may ask? Why, it's 250 euros worth of book vouchers!
The University of Leiden are having a competition. Whoever writes the best University / student-related Christmas story (less than 2500 words) wins 250 euros worth of book vouchers. The second and third place entries get 75 and 50 euros worth of vouchers, respectively.
It has to be in Dutch, but that's okay. And I'll just incorporate it into my NaNo, so I won't have to feel guilty about wasting words. It's a glorious, glorious thing.
Recently I've been waking up at about seven in the morning, even when I don't need to. Even when I wasn't able to fall asleep till 3 in the morning. Even when I go to sleep thinking, I CAN AND WILL HAVE A BLOODY LIE-IN.
My plan of mentally willing my internal alarm clock to STFU isn't working. Although, this morning, I did stay in bed for another two or three hours listening to audio versions of Sherlock Holmes stories, just because I could.
So, I'm tired. Tired Leah is struggling Leah, at least when it comes to writing. I'm now about a thousand words behind on my NaNoWriMo, and I also have two articles due for the Angler... tomorrow. Luckily I've got the basics of both articles down, it's just rewriting them and making them non-embarrassingly bad. Seeing as a large part of the Leiden English students will be reading these, and my name will be at the bottom. Not fun.
This is the first time that anything that I've written by myself is going to be out there for people I don't know to read and think, "Wow, this chick sucks at writing, yo." I hope they won't, obviously, but it's possible, and therefore somewhat nerve-wracking.
Right now what I really want to do is curl up and go to sleep, and not wake up till half-way through December. There's so much stuff that needs doing in the next few weeks, and I feel extremely unmotivated due to this constant tiredness. Still, four weeks and then the semester's over. Then I can just chill out and revise for two weeks, and enjoy my dad's cooking for prolonged periods of time. Oh yes.
If you look at my NaNo 07 post within 5 hours of this post being posted (ah, NaNo sentences), you will see how much I rock. Laws yes.
If it wasn't sad even by my standards, I'd high five myself.
...Or maybe not because the widget isn't updating, even though I updated my wordcount on the NaNo site. Anyway, I'm now on 29429 after writing almost 4000 words today. Win.
NaNo is starting to seriously prod my behind. I've got to write another 400 words to reach today's goal, and I'm drained. All I want to do is go lie down and play some mindless computer games.
But I'm not going to, and not just because I've already wasted an hour on my DS today. I'm going to continue to slog away at my NaNo because I refuse to give up! I'm not going to let last year repeat itself. No way. Well, unless my hands fall off or something else dreadful and unforseen happens.
Tomorrow I don't have any classes so hopefully I'll be able to build up a bit of a surplus, wordcount-wise. Then I'll be able to take a well-deserved break on Thursday.
If my brains haven't completely degenerated into a lumpy goo by then, naturally.
Today, Leah is a happy bunny.
Firstly, because over the past three months I've lost a lot of weight. I bought a pair of jeans 3 months ago that fit me perfectly. Today I can pull them down without unbuttonning or unzipping them. This is awesome.
Secondly because Scott Sigler actually replied to my blog post about him. I know he's big on audience interaction, but this is an author whose work I really enjoy, actually leaving a comment on my blog. I'm officially star-struck.
Lastly, because I can finally log in to Vox from my parents' computer again! All in all, this is pretty awesome, people.
NaNo is starting to go my way again. As of yesterday, I was only 200 words behind. I've yet to start on today's writing, and I was stupid enough to not mail my progress to myself. Now I'm away from my own computer and I can't remember where I left off yesterday. I don't have time to wait for Marijn to get home and mail me what I mailed him yesterday, so I'll just make it up. I'm going to have to edit the crap out of this beast anyway.
Also, I have to read Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison for Tuesday. Holy crap that's a big book. My entire weekend is going to be consumed by NaNo, Old English, Ralph Ellison, Crescent, and hopefully some blissfully useless hours on my DS.
I've got a head cold, which rejoices in giving me a splitting headache. As a result of this, I can't sit at the computer for too long.
I decided that it would be better to give myself a break, so yesterday I didn't work on my NaNo at all. I felt a bit guilty about that, I will admit, but I think it's better in the long run.
Today was my first day of catching up, and I'm now at 10943 words, whereas I should be at 11669. So, I'm only about 700 words off of my target. That's quite doable.
Unforutnately I have to write two articles for the Angler this month (one on NaNo itself, one on Malaysia), and although they're only about 500 words each, it's still time I'm going to have to spend writing something else. I also need to make a start on the two essays due for December. Come to think of it, I also have one for Philology, and I have no idea when I have to hand that in. Will have to look that up.
Luckily, other than that uni isn't taking up too much NaNo time. Once I get rid of these headaches, I'll be fine.
