The Others

As in other blogs. It seems everyone has a blog these days, personal, professional, both, one to vent on, one to lurk on, it's all out there. I have several I read daily, but it's hard to keep up! Especially when most are much better at daily updates than I ever will be. Too exhausting.

But they're all informative, even if it's their own personal publishing crisis. It serves to keep me reminded that only about .001% of those published are done on their first draft (and you can certainly tell many of them!) with their first publishing house choice, on their first try. I'll never be one of them, too much bad Karma in my aura I think. Either that, or I'm like the thousands out there that have to plug away at it until I get it all right.

Still doesn't make me feel that bad, knowing there are others like me out there. Somehow it makes for a nice group quality.

Buy Nothing Day

Black Friday, the day stores make their money and are 'in the black'. You've got to be joking me. I refuse, refuse to deal with those people, all rude and pushy, tearing things out of your hands, stampeding in the aisles.

I've discovered the Buy Nothing Day. It's a 24-hour event billed as a “festival of restraint.” In North America: 23rd November, 2007; International: 24th November, 2007.

I don't advocate never buying a gift, but this is an interesting concept, and one worth thinking on a little more.

Happy Thanksgiving

Whatever you're thankful for this year, I wish you the best.

More on music

They've started playing Christmas music! I adore Christmas music (except everything by the Carpenters because Karen can depress even a Christmas song).

Yes, I can write to Christmas music, though strangely enough I find myself cleaning to Christmas music. For some odd reason it makes me look at my (admittedly messy) house and think - clean! But for writing, I prefer upbeat songs, or the classics - Bing, Frank, The Ronettes, The Muppets. What? They're classic...

However, I'm writing a particularly angsty scene, and need a new favorite - Amy Winehouse. Man, her second album is full of angst; the beats are wonderful and the rhythm fantastic. Just what I need to get the heartbreak down.

Music to Write to

There are days I love the peace and quiet. the sound of a neighbor will interrupt my concentration. These days are few and far between and usually end up with me puttering - cleaning. And I hate to clean!

Most days when I write I listen to music. I love all kinds (ok, not hip hop, I admit) but my favorite writing music are soundtracks. Currently, my favorites are from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. That music is some of the best I've heard in a while. For angst try the organ from Davy Jones. For hopeful romantic scenes, try Parlay or One Day. Big fight scenes? What Shall We Die For?

There are other music I write to, but for right now, Pirates is it. Of course, it could be Orlando Bloom, decked out as a pirate, with all that curly hair at the end of At World's End...yum.

NaNo - what?

Commonly known as the National Novel Writing Month, what I refer to as November. I didn't join - too much pressure and November is ALWAYS busy for me. The goal "is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30."

I can manage maybe 1/4 of that, and then only because I now take a lunch where I can sit in front of my laptop, in a home, with no distractions. Otherwise...no.

It's a great idea, and I highly recommend it for others, but can't it be, say, February? Much less busy for me. Or maybe May? June? September? I'm good those months, too.

Despite my goal (which is more of a wish) to write something every day, I wrote nothing yesterday. But I did get some Christmas and birthday shopping done! Surely it counts as something.

New attitude

Resolved: to ignore pesky historical problems and write the story.

This does not mean I plan on ignoring history, or even those problems I've just resolved to ignore. It means I'm not going to waste time finding the answers when I can easily gloss over them. The sticking points aren't that important, and adding in another character isn't that hard and won't change the story significantly.

I'll go with what I know inheritance laws were for most of the world at that time, and be done with it. If I need something specific, I plan on looking it up afterwards. This might not work, those things have a habit of coming back at you, but c'est la vie. If I don't stress now, some of this story might actually be written.