WRITING:
Three days in and I’m enjoying NaNoWriMo & Entangled Smackdown over at SavvyAuthors, so far.
It feels good to finally get those scenes I’ve been running through my head onto the screen. I’m definitely continuing my non-linear approach to drafting but I’ll continue checking my outline to make sure I don’t go off on a tangent I can’t rescue myself from later. Plot holes can only be filled so much.
Every day in November, I’m working on a thriller with romantic elements (as part of the Entangled requirements) entitled Greatest Hits. 50K is the goal, but I’m really aiming for around 80K which is more in the avenue of my chosen genre.
This week and for the next five on FRIDAY FORAGE we talk NaNoWriMo. We also get tangled in the Entangled Smackdown over at SavvyAuthors. I’ll be posting weekly updates on my word hoarding–or how I just typed it at this late hour–woarding. I like it.
WRITING:
I got an email last night that allowed me to switch from the novella imprint to the suspense imprint for November’s Entangled Smackdown over at SavvyAuthors. I appreciate how the editor gave me the option of switching imprints so I wouldn’t have to compromise the integrity of the story I want to write. I’m excited. 🙂
I’m also doubling up by entering this story for NaNoWriMo. The added accountability and online progress chart (that I’d be forced to enter each day before the cut-off) will help make November super productive.
READING:
Much of the same. My WIPs, writing reference, critiques, and beta reads. My TBR list is taking a back seat for the next few weeks, but that’s okay. It’s pretty much non stop.
NETWORKING:
Hopefully, I’ll be able to attend the in-person NaNo Write-Ins, weather and sniffles permitting. I hate drastic weather changes. I’ve got the online sprint partners via Twitter‘s #1k1hr. There’s also the online community at SavvyAuthors and the NaNo forums among many others. The world will be busy this November reaching those word counts.
LEARNING:
I’m tucking back into my treasure trove of already downloaded and purchased webinars to see what’s applicable for my WIP for November. That and my current fix of languages and genealogy should keep me busy.
=8=
It’s one thing to say that November is only two days away. But it’s crazy to think that November is already here. What are your big writing plans for November?
WRITING:
Prep work goes well for Entangled Smackdown over at SavvyAuthors. I already have an idea for the complementary shorter novella. We need to write 50K for the month and break that up accordingly. The previous idea I had will simmer for the time being because after this writing challenge, I’ve promised myself not to write anything new without getting through my revisions for the other stories I’ve written this year.
From my recent excursion to Ontario, I’ve come up with the following story prompts/ideas (that I’ll use at a later time. *ahem*):
1) Black tube (for holding blueprints, etc.) left in departure/ boarding area but no one claimed it when the crew brought it on the plane to inquire
– As a writer, you know how many story ideas zipped through my head and we hadn’t even left YVR yet! No one claimed it. I suppose they left it with personnel at the airport, but I really wanted to see what was inside!
2) The plane taxied down the runway and two of the flight attendants stop in the aisle right beside the Sisterhood. I look up and they’re talking about a sound that’s louder than normal coming from the bulkhead.
– Fantastic. I love when people start talking when they think you’re not paying attention. I also read lips so I found it interesting. We still took off and the flight was uneventful, but hey…
3) In Toronto, on our way to dinner at a yummy Korean BBQ place. I saw a man in a suit sitting on the sidewalk, back against the building, three piece suit, so it caught my eye. What else grabbed my attention? Something that looked like a small dog in the distance. It turned out to be two dolls. The large kind with fancy dresses and the eyes that close when you lay them down.
– CreepsVille much? I would like to think that those were gifts for his daughter(s). However, he was unkempt enough to make me believe, or at least wonder, if he those were his dolls just because.
4) Leaving Toronto was bittersweet. I’d just had my boarding pass scanned and went through to the walkway. I waited for the sisterhood and wondered what was taking so long. Turns out, right when she was about to get her pass scanned, the computer at which supposedly never breaks down does and they manually check people in
– What could go wrong? Well, considering how many news stories reveal children managing to get onboard flights they didn’t pay for or belong on, this could spark many story options.
5) In line with the previous, a member of the crew who did the manual check-in, came onboard. Remember, we were in the first row now thanks to the Sisterhood upgrading our seats. More lip reading came, though they spoke in not-so hushed whispers. He needed to check for two passenger’s IDs because–his words–mistaken identity, whether intentional or not, happened several times previously.
– Oh, come on. I was hoping for a U.S. Marshall to show up or something exciting while at the same time praying that nothing of the weird and sketchy sort would happen on our flight home.
Good stuff and those were just five of many.
READING:
I’m reading class lectures, writing reference, and blog posts aplenty in preparation for November’s writing challenge. Bring it!
NETWORKING:
I’m going to try super hard to go to the NaNo Write-Ins in the coming weeks. The online community’s been great, but seeing and supporting each other in person once in a while also helps.
LEARNING:
Duolingo‘s been great. I’ve recently found Internet Polyglot, an online language learning hub. Whoa nelly.
Last Friday I attended a cooking class with the Sisterhood (who also had a hand in the curriculum) and we made British pub food. Great learning experience and good fun. I also got nostalgic about growing up in the UK. Memo to the Sisterhood: SOON!!!
All of the culture and history I breathed in while in Ontario made me rekindle my passion for Genealogy and history, in general. I’ve been watching Who Do You Think You Are? on YouTube. Fascinating. It makes me want to dig into the archives of my own life, as well. That’s a project I’m looking forward to tackling sometime in the future.
So much stuff packed in the last couple of weeks. Busy, busy.
THE FORTNIGHT EDITION, PART ONE
Yes, you read that correctly.
My usual Week In Review is going to run a little differently this time around. To avoid any eye bleeds, I’ll split up what’s happened in the last two weeks over three instalments.
=8=
Greetings, gentle readers. Long time, no blog post. When I went back east a couple weeks ago, I didn’t realize that the internet would be an issue. I was all set to continue writing and blogging. However, life–and a full-on vacation–happened.
Let me start with many a mea culpa for the unexpected absence. It was just as unexpected for me, too. But as soon as I missed the first blog post and realized that it was out of my control, I let the tension slip away and for the first time since I began blogging and doing all these writing challenges, I truly went off-grid.
You know what?
I liked it.
I’d almost forgotten what it was like to live away from a notebook or computer screen.
It all began with a Red Eye to Toronto on the 10th. More like Dry Eye. All the moisture sucked out of me in a most uncomfortable four hour plane ride. Still, the Sisterhood and I were chuffed to get on our way. We even had an unplanned twinsies moment with coordinated outfits. No probs. They went with our matching grins and giddiness at the prospect of travel.
We left Vancouver before 2300 PST, Thursday in order to maximize our Friday by arriving in Toronto around 0600 EST. I was excited, bordering antsy. I hadn’t been back to that side of our home and native land in eighteen years.
I decided to mull over what I’d write for my FRIDAY FORAGE post, as I’d been excited to use the trip as inspiration. I also realized that I’d want to experience the day before writing the post (to gain said inspiration) but that was not to be. Instead, I was greeted with a crisp autumnal morning befitting Ontario standards.
The day bloomed into a beautiful climate–as though mocking the dreariness I’d left behind in Vancouver–and I spent every waking moment squeeing at how much and how little things had changed in nearly two decades. We had two hours of non-waking moments for a much needed snooze at the Sisterhood’s Bestie’s house (who was also gracious enough to pick us up at the airport).
The graciousness continued with ahMAHzing food at Canoe Restaurant.
The view wasn’t bad either.
As the sun sank below the horizon, we walked through downtown to get to our next major destination–on DAY ONE, mind you–and the much needed calorie burning trek did little to calm the nerves for what was next to come.
The Sisterhood and I make it a point to see the play whenever it’s in town or whatever town we might find ourselves in. As a storyteller, I’m always keen to see how this masterpiece is interpreted by the various players. While the set has since changed because of the movie, I’m still in awe of live theatre.
I tread the boards, once upon a time, but not in anything so grandiose. I appreciate the hard work that goes into it. Also, I never leave this play without bawling at least three times. I could say it was the exhaustion of travel, but the performances were surreal and I believe I cried harder that night than at any of the previous performances I’ve seen, and I’ve seen it five times. Fortunately, there were new cast members each time so it’s been a real treat.
Was the Red Eye worth it? Yes. Was it a good idea to take the nap midday? Definitely. Was it super fun times jam packed into a single day? Positutely!
We even had a chance to mingle with the cast after the show. By mingle I mean gush at seeing them come out the stage doors behind the theatre and pose for pics and sign autographs.
To cap off the wonderful day, us siblings partook in late night munchies. Awesome nachos via room service.
=8=
I would be remiss if I didn’t put some update into this post, even if I had to divvy up all the deets of my trip. If you’re still reading, big hugs.
WRITING:
Nothing major in the official new output capacity. But I did plenty of brainstorming and exploratory writing for the upcoming Entangled Smackdown over at SavvyAuthors. I also crafted a plethora of new ideas, character sketches, and interesting scenarios for possible use in upcoming stories, as well. It’s hard not to be inspired with such diverse culture all around. Thanks, Toronto.
Despite the delays in my prep work, I’m pleased to say the forums are working for me again and I can make ample use of the well-timed workshops in the two weeks we have left before the writing challenge begins. I’ll be scrambling to catch up due to my time away from technology, but at least this compressed preparation will get the creative juices flowing.
READING:
Due to the off-grid situation, I had to drop the Coursera class Fantasy and Science Fiction: The Human Mind, Our Modern World. I didn’t want to leave my classmates hanging while I submitted assignments a week after the deadline. Not cool, even if it is for a non-credit class. I’ve added the class to my watchlist and will take it when it becomes available again.
In the meantime, I have plenty of reading material on my endless TBR list to tide me over.
NETWORKING:
I didn’t get a chance to network much while in Toronto, but I’ve recently discovered just how much the Sisterhood posted me or tagged me in various realms of social media to document our travels. So, I suppose we can say I networked by proxy.
LEARNING:
Would you believe I kept up with Duolingo? In those moments before I drifted off to a deep sleep after a long day out, I became a polyglot. My dreams–if I remembered any of them during the vacay–probably took place at the United Nations.
=8=
So, that’s a glimpse of what’s been up in my world, as of late.
Tune in tomorrow, as I recap more highlights of my romp back east.
Textploits of the Writerly Persuasion 