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 |  If you don't have a dream, how are you going to make a dream come true? |
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2013 Goals
Write 52 Reviews / current = 27 Read 40 books / current = 9 Enter 12 Contests/Activities / current = 4 Host/Judge 2 Contest/Activity / current = 2 Other goals:  Be patient Let go of anger/negativity Monthly bloggingSome other places you can find me: http://www.twitter.com/spidergirl502 http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1792019-tonia http://365project.org/spidergirl/365
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| I hit 40k today!! I'm in the homestretch now! I like keeping track of the milestones. It helps me stay motivated to keep on writing, writing, writing. Yesterday poisonivy  and I discussed our NaNo novels and what we were trying to do vs. what our characters were doing. I said that I was having to force my characters to like one another, whereas she had to separate hers to keep them from sleeping together constantly!  I have characters who are supposed to be discovering their identities and coming to terms with certain things. And they're just not doing that... It seems like all my characters want to be the "bad guy," and they're all turning out to be jerks! (Or is that my frustration with them coming through?) Of course, my NaNo novel isn't turning out to be exactly what I had planned, but then again, I didn't have much of a plan to start with, so what can I really expect? It's been a fun journey so far! Let's hope the last 10k goes as quick as the first did!  |
| I find myself very motivated today . . . to do everything except writing for NaNo! I'm writing articles, doing laundry, cleaning my house, baking cookies. Everything except writing in my novel. I play the number game. I keep a spreadsheet, calculating everything from how many words I have to write per day to finish by the 30th (1175), to how many words I'd have to write per weekday to finish by the 30th (1616), to how many words I'd have to write each day to finish by Thanksgiving (4310). Also, if I write the requisite 1667 words per day, I'll finish on November 25th. Knowing all this somehow motivates me to keep going. Except for today. Today I don't feel like writing at all. Of course, I said that yesterday, and ended up adding almost 3k to my word count. (In other news, my first official Contests & Activities Newsletter will be sent out this week! Be sure to subscribe to it! There will be a monthly contest associated with my regular newsletter! This month you get gps just for entering, so enter away!) Happy Monday! |
| I always love the first snow of the season. I made a snowman! Invalid Photo #1012126 He borrowed my scarf and my husband's top hat for the photo. His eyes are made out of coal, too! (You can find it everywhere around here) |
| Since I heard it again this morning, this will be another entry about my favorite Christmas song. "I Believe in Father Christmas" written by Greg Lake (Emerson Lake & Palmer) Video for the song - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq54OSEmJ44 A newer version - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O_fCs5Buwg&feature=related Interview about the song - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VGB-LRuwNU&feature=related The song is often misinterpreted as an anti-religious song. It's not; instead, it's a song against the commercialization of Christmas. It's about the spirit and feeling of Christmas. Lyrics: They said there'll be snow at Christmas, They said there'll be peace on earth, But instead it just kept on raining, A veil of tears for the Virgin birth. I remember one Christmas morning, The Winter's light and a distant choir, And the peal of a bell and that Christmas tree smell, And eyes full of tinsel and fire. They sold me a dream of Christmas, They sold me a silent night, They told me a fairy story, 'Til I believed in the Israelite. And I believed in Father Christmas, And I looked to the sky with excited eyes, Then I woke with a yawn in the first light of dawn, And I saw him and through his disguise. I wish you a hopeful Christmas, I wish you a brave New Year, All anguish, pain and sadness, Leave your heart and let your road be clear. They said there'd be snow at Christmas, They said there'd be peace on earth, Hallelujah! Noel!, be it Heaven or Hell, The Christmas we get, we deserve. It may be surprising that the religous Christmas songs are among my favorites (O Holy Night is a close second to this one), but I very much love the spirit of Christmas and Christianity. (No NaNo writing yet today, but I'm sure I'll get to it eventually. At the moment, I'm too excited about Christmas. It's even snowing outside!) |
| Today's question: How often do you check your word count? (This doesn't apply to those like Ivy who have the handy word counter at the bottom of their document. Lucky ducks!) If you have to click to get a word count, how often do you check it? I used to try to wait, to write at least a few paragraphs before I check the word count. Sometimes, I'd try to wait a few pages. I tend to click the word count button without even realizing I'm doing it. I've found that it's more of a disappointment to wait for a while, then click it to find out I haven't written much. I'd rather check it often. For some reason, it feels more like I'm moving forward if I check it often. Current WC = 34,326 |
Almost forgot to write today!  Well, yesterday wore me out, I suppose. I managed to write 5,141 words. Today, nothing. I didn't write a single word of my novel today, though I did manage four articles. I had a good relaxing day today, which I need every so often during NaNo. I purposely write extra so I can enjoy these days off. I can feel the urge to start writing like mad, though. I like being done before Thanksgiving, so I can truly enjoy the time with my family (instead of thinking about plot, characters, etc.). |
| How are the NaNo-ers doing? Have you lost your minds yet? (Ivy, naming your characters after cheeses is perfectly normal... for NaNo-ing! You're crazy!) I've taken to listening to musicals while writing. I watched Reefer Madness three times in a row yesterday! I have two goals for today, one realistic and one not so realistic. My first goal is to reach 30k today. At this moment, i'm only 420 words away, so it's very likely I'll reach it. My second goal is to write over 5,000 words today. I did it last year on the 15th. It's not impossible, but it means I really have to focus. I've used only one of my tricks so far! Today I had two of my characters see a fortune teller who gave them a tarot card reading! (It actually does fit with the plot, though) At day 15, I start to feel very anxious. The thought of having to write on the last day horrifies me. I don't think I'd be able to wait until the last few days to finish up. I'm certain it can be done (lots of people do it), but just the thought scares me! So I'm racing ahead, trying to finish early like I did last year. Then I can relax. |
| So, I know it's probably too early for this, but I'm going to throw this one out there, anyway. What's your favorite Christmas (or winter holiday) song? ...and really, I want you to be specific, not just "Carol of the Bells," but which version. Can you name the artist that performs your favorite one? (If you can't, what's your favorite general song?) I think my favorite could very well be, "I Believe in Father Christmas" by Emerson, Lake & Palmer. I just heard it again, and no matter how many times I hear it, it gives me chills and brings tears to my eyes. I listen to Yahoo's Launch Radio mostly, and you can rate genres. I've rated Christmas genres high, and they've played 3 of them so far. I'm not ready for snow & ice, but I am getting in the mood for all the other stuff that goes along with winter, like getting together with family, decorating my house (is it too early for that?), hot cocoa, Christmas songs, cookies, etc. Follow-up question: What's your favorite thing about Winter? (Yeah, I can tell I'm going to get a lot done with NaNo today... Well, I think I deserve a tiny bit of a break since I hit 25k yesterday! Maybe I'll only write the usual 1667 today and then take a break.) Alright, get answering those questions!! |
| I'm halfway done!! I just hit 25k!!!! *dances around the room* |
| Today's one of those days... I'm so busy, which is why I originally said I wasn't planning on trying NaNo this year. Of course, I had to try, anyway. I got WOM stuff done today, a lot of it, actually. I've only managed to write about 1k so far today, which is good, but I tend to get the bulk of my writing done in the morning because mid-afternoon (right now), I tend to get sleepy. I'm really trying to reach 25k today! That means I still have about 2k to write, but I know it can be done. (I wrote over 3k yesterday, after all!) So, my idea to get some inspiration today is to try writing on location. Do any of you ever try this? Let's say you're writing a scene about being in a store. Do you go to an actual store to see if the setting inspires more words? I have a cemetery scene coming up in my NaNo novel, so today I'm travelling to a cemetery near my house (my town has quite a few cemeteries, actually), to see if it inspires a few thousand words. Wish me luck! |
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