NaNo-Noveling, Report #3

by tag Posted on November 14, 2009

And here we are, at the end of Week #2 of NaNoWriMo 2009.

And I’ve won.

🙂 😀 🙂

At the time of writing this, I have 50,495 words. With another half hour to go to type more.

And I’ve also discovered that The Fox’s Journey is, in fact, the title of a series. (Hopefully only a duology….) The current working title for this first book is: “A Vexing Vixen”. And it’s almost finished (I’d say I have about seven to ten more scenes to go, and some of those are small, less than a thousand words long scenes. Action scenes). I estimate I will be done either tomorrow (Sunday, the mid-point – yay, I got the goal before the mid-point!) or Monday.

At which point I start the second book of The Fox’s Journey: “The Trickster’s Trade”. (Yes, tag0 is in to alliteration at the moment.)

So my goal is now 100K words by the 30th. I did it before; I’m sure I can do it again.

The other thing I’ve noticed is that “A Vexing Vixen” is, literally, a skeleton of the story. I’ve got pretty much all the scenes I want, and I’ve got the important stuff (dialogue and some of the actions) in those scenes – but the extras, that help people visualize and inhabit the story – like the description – is missing. It’s interesting, and not something I’ve ever done before. And ironically, it’s sort of what you’re meant to do in NaNo, for the first draft. Get the skeleton of the story, and flesh it out for the second draft.

As I mentioned to Vathara, it’s definitely going to be interesting doing more fleshing out and less actual revising….

Anyway, if I want to get anymore written by midnight, which I do, I’d better get to it.

Hope those of you with whom I’m sharing the NaNo experience are all doing well!

Later, all!
😉 tag0

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NaNo-Noveling, Report #2

by tag Posted on November 8, 2009

Well, the first week of NaNoWriMo-noveling is over. As of yesterday, the Week 1 end point, I had 25,432 words. More than I had at that time last year, but not quite as well as I hoped – I didn’t get all that much done Friday, and then yesterday I wrote only a few hundred words.

But today was the Subway Writing Session for Toronto NaNo-ers, and I had a great time; finally got to see all those faces I missed from last year! (Well most of them.) And Errol, of course. (Toronto NaNo-er in joke, I’m afraid.)

But in other good news, the NaNoWriMo widgets are back! Check out my set (and my progress) at:
tag’s NaNoWriMo 2009 Progress Page!

I’m having a wonderful time; Mayumi and Darrel are reasonably cooperative characters (although Fox, Raven and Coyote are beginning to irritate me a bit with their interference), so they’re fairly easy to write, and setting it in Toronto is great fun. Darrel lives in my old apartment. Darrel’s sister’s family live in our old family house. And Mayumi’s Toronto relatives live in my new neighbourhood! It’s great fun writing places I know.

(And I’ve even got a number of scenes set where I work – wonder just how much you’d need to know about the place to guess where it is?)

Later, all!

😉 tag0

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NaNo-Noveling, Report #1

by tag Posted on November 3, 2009

Well, it’s been three days of NaNo-noveling, and I have an excellent report to make.

The daily word count goal (in order to reach the 50K words by November 30th) is 1,667 words.

So far, in the first three days, I’ve averaged more than 4,800 words per day. I’m currently sitting at a whopping 14,654 words, which means I’m 29% done! (At least, for the 50K word goal. I’m not sure how long my actual novel will be. But if I do happen to finish it before the end of November… well, I’ll do what everyone else does, and start another one! But that’s pushing ahead a bit far, given the third day has only just finished.)

So, I’m understandably quite pleased with myself, patting myself on the back and all that. You see, the best part is, during the quiet time at work… I can write!

Which does mean that starting Thursday for a week (the weekdays only) my word count might go down somewhat, because I’m going to have to do some of the patrols, since my usual partner is going on vacation. But that’s okay, because I’m confident I can still make the minimum count of 1,667 words per day. *g*

Anyway, I’ve now got to transfer the scenes I’ve finished from my NEO to my computer, then I’ve got to go to bed, so everyone, I hope you’re having a good night, and three cheers for any of you who are joining me (or whom I’m joining) in NaNo-ing!

Later, all!
😉 tag0

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Time To NaNo!

by tag Posted on November 1, 2009

Ah, NaNoWriMo hath begun! Hark to the sound of computer keys going, the scent of caffeinated drinks filling the air, and the sight of writers, busy as bees, typing away….

Finally got the explanation for exactly why a Trickster is on the Hero’s Journey last night during patrol (I was working an extra split shift), so I had a bit more to start out with than I was afraid I would. Which was a relief.

As of writing this, I’m at 1,943 words, over the first day’s goal (being 1,667 words). Going to keep writing for as long as I can tonight – I’d like to get as much written as I can each day, and hopefully beat out my record of last year – or at least equal it. Which might be harder than it was last year, since I’m working again – or it might be easier, because it gets my brain working, and generally from 9 to 11 at work there’s not much going on. (*smirk*)

Feel free to check out my NaNo profile at:
TrudyG’s NaNoWriMo Page
(Also linked from the sidebar.)

And just like last year, once they get the widgets up and running, I plan to have an update page on tag’s Library as well.

Wish me luck!

😉 tag0

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More NaNo

by tag Posted on October 14, 2009

Okay, everyone cheer! I now have a title for my NaNoWriMo ’09 story:
The Fox’s Journey
This is a tentative title, based purely on The Hero’s Journey, and is subject to change… but for now, that’s what it’s called.

And I have grand plans.

Now if only I had a plot to fit those grand plans about! Not to mention other characters….

Ah well, people start November with less. And I’m looking forward to it still.

Later, all!

😉 tag0

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NaNoWriMo Doth Again Approach!

by tag Posted on October 6, 2009

As we enter October, all over the world, hundreds of thousands of hopeful novelists are preparing for the sheer brutality and caffeine-fueled madness that is National Novel Writing Month. This number includes yours truly.

Last year, I did an SF story and won by having over twice the required wordcount (as well as actually managing to finish the story – which is, after all, one of the points of NaNoWriMo). That story is currently in revision, with the first edits done up to Chp. 5. (It’s getting extensively revised. Like change of major sub-plots revised.)

This year, I’m doing fantasy – and thanks to Vathara, have finally settled on which of the many plot-bunnies bothering me to do. Not surprisingly, it’s a very contradictory plot-bunny, being a fox. Specifically a fox-spirit – a kitsune, a fox that can take human form (if not completely accurately) and has a very long life. This is going to be interesting, because it’s going to happen in the modern era. And at the moment, I have a total of three pieces of information about this story.

– High Falutin’ Summary: A trickster undergoes the Heroes’ Journey.

– Low Falutin’ Summary: A series of events create chaos that brings a young kitsune to centre stage.

– Favourite Quote: “Oh, Inari! I’m a kitsune, not a samurai!”

*snrk* So, there you have it. Everything I know about my NaNo09 story in one easy posting. 😉 Time to explore my fascination with tricksters!

Later, all!

😉 tag0

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Back to Work!

by tag Posted on October 6, 2009

My legs are better, and I’m back to work!

Just a quick post to celebrate that I’m back to work!

Doing the afternoon/evening shift this week, and I’m off on Monday, so I’m probably doing this shift again next week. Not giving up hope for going back to my overnight shift, though!

😉 tag0

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More Dragons! (A Whole Weyr!)

by tag Posted on July 13, 2009

Okay, this is going to be my main post dealing with my dragons (though you can always go through the link to the side to check them out); as I get more, I’ll update this post with the details.

So, we now have a fourth trio formed, as well as a pairing… and I’ve got a few more females, which is all to the good! Not to mention a youngster from two of the oldest trio, and an egg from the third trio….

Check them out! And be sure to click on them to view the information directly….

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Art, 3D Graphics and Digital Art Community

by tag Posted on June 1, 2009

It’s been a busy few months, but none have been as busy as the last couple of weeks. I’m not only going through a “Workplace Essential Skills Program”, to help me find and land a job (I’m looking for an admin job, having worked as such in education and telecommunication), but I’ve also started putting a vague interest in 3D graphic design and digital art into practice.

I started with a program called Dundjinni, to develop maps for myself for my writing (and help friends by creating maps for their writing!). That led me to a 3D graphics program called DAZ Studio, which in turn led me to a huge digital art community.

And they’re great! I’ve got a free account at a site called Renderosity Art Community (see also the link in the sidebar), and I’ve got a gallery on there to which I can upload images I’ve created and photographs I’ve taken. One a day for the free account – but that’s fine.

In fact, my new default Userpic (see above/to the side) is taken from a self-portrait I did of myself and my cats (Aspen and Imber); the entire image – and one like it, as of this afternoon – is available on my Renderosity gallery (search “tag0”, or email me for the direct link).

I’m in love! *grin*

May end up posting more frequently now that I’m going to be having art as well as stories to get up. Which reminds me that I really need to get some more writing done…. *rueful grin*

Chat to you all later!

😉 tag0

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