So, the tentative title for my NaNoWriMo novel is A Tale of Real Irish Tea. I kind of feel like that's false advertising, but that was kind of the point. Hee. I'll try to craft the story so that it's not entirely random (but I might just need a new title, which sucks because I hate trying to figure out titles).
In related news, I have the first four chapters outlined, and the main events of the novel listed in a nonlinear fashion. I can't go much further than that, though, because I need these beginning chapters fresh in my mind. I'm starting to get the itch to write them. I can see several of the scenes (both outlined and otherwise), and the dialogue is taking shape, and I think if I have to pin down any more details, I might just lose some of what I have already.
That probably doesn't make sense, but I've never successfully outlined more than four or five chapters in advance. The story kind of takes its own shape when I write it, and if it wants to veer in a direction other than my outline, I let it. Thus, there really is no point in working on an extended outline I'm not going to enforce, is there?
And that's all for now.
28 October 2010
21 October 2010
Biding time, yet again
I'm in one of those odd situations where I'm waiting around for the month to be over. It's only the 21st, I know, and I could be doing so much plotting for NaNoWriMo, but, see, my deadline isn't close enough for me to feel any need to plot more than I already have. I know what happens in the book. I know the basic order. I just haven't fit it into an outline yet, because outlining is usually the last thing I do before I sit down an write the dang thing. And I can't outline something ten days before I write it, or I'll totally hit a big fat wall of apathy by the time November 1st rolls around.
Ideally I should be coming up with a title, but that's eluding me too. I hate titles. Every one I come up with might work for a single chapter, but it's no good for the book as a whole. Kinda makes me want to kick something in frustration.
So, the good news: I finally broke down and created an Amazon account. It was only because they had a book priced $5 cheaper than B&N.com, though. If the price is within a buck or two, I don't care, but $5 is a happy meal. Or, well, five rolls of floss, since I'm more likely to buy those than a happy meal. And five rolls of floss would last me six or seven months, maybe longer!
Wait. 100 yd/roll x ~1 yd/night = ~3 months/roll x 5 rolls = 15 MONTHS!!! I COULD BUY 15 MONTHS WORTH OF FLOSS WITH THE MONEY I JUST SAVED ON AMAZON!!!
(Incidentally, I currently have three rolls of floss on reserve, so I won't be using the $5 I saved to buy floss just yet. But wouldn't that be a fantastic Amazon slogan? "Now you can afford to keep your mouth healthy. Amazon.com, saving you floss money on every purchase. You're welcome.")
Oddly enough, I also placed an order with B&N that very same day (Tuesday). Since I'm a member there, I was eligible for free 2-day shipping. The Amazon order qualified for free shipping too, but it was 5-8 days. And here's how it's all fallen out: part of the B&N order shipped today. Its estimated arrival is the 25th, with no word so far on when the missing book will ship. My whole Amazon order also shipped today. Its estimated arrival is the 23rd.
What the crud, B&N? No wonder you're hemorrhaging customers.
Anyway, it's a good thing I wanted the Amazon books first, because they're coming first. I need one of them for my NaNo novel, and the other for my backup NaNo novel. Y'know, research. And yes, I'm fully aware that I only have ten days. (It's too much time! My Procrastination Override doesn't engage until we've come within three days of the deadline!) So I guess I'll just sit here and twiddle my thumbs while I wait.
Or I would if twiddling my thumbs didn't send my right arm into a vague numbness, but that is another story entirely.
Ideally I should be coming up with a title, but that's eluding me too. I hate titles. Every one I come up with might work for a single chapter, but it's no good for the book as a whole. Kinda makes me want to kick something in frustration.
So, the good news: I finally broke down and created an Amazon account. It was only because they had a book priced $5 cheaper than B&N.com, though. If the price is within a buck or two, I don't care, but $5 is a happy meal. Or, well, five rolls of floss, since I'm more likely to buy those than a happy meal. And five rolls of floss would last me six or seven months, maybe longer!
Wait. 100 yd/roll x ~1 yd/night = ~3 months/roll x 5 rolls = 15 MONTHS!!! I COULD BUY 15 MONTHS WORTH OF FLOSS WITH THE MONEY I JUST SAVED ON AMAZON!!!
(Incidentally, I currently have three rolls of floss on reserve, so I won't be using the $5 I saved to buy floss just yet. But wouldn't that be a fantastic Amazon slogan? "Now you can afford to keep your mouth healthy. Amazon.com, saving you floss money on every purchase. You're welcome.")
Oddly enough, I also placed an order with B&N that very same day (Tuesday). Since I'm a member there, I was eligible for free 2-day shipping. The Amazon order qualified for free shipping too, but it was 5-8 days. And here's how it's all fallen out: part of the B&N order shipped today. Its estimated arrival is the 25th, with no word so far on when the missing book will ship. My whole Amazon order also shipped today. Its estimated arrival is the 23rd.
What the crud, B&N? No wonder you're hemorrhaging customers.
Anyway, it's a good thing I wanted the Amazon books first, because they're coming first. I need one of them for my NaNo novel, and the other for my backup NaNo novel. Y'know, research. And yes, I'm fully aware that I only have ten days. (It's too much time! My Procrastination Override doesn't engage until we've come within three days of the deadline!) So I guess I'll just sit here and twiddle my thumbs while I wait.
Or I would if twiddling my thumbs didn't send my right arm into a vague numbness, but that is another story entirely.
05 October 2010
One of those days.
The weather has been fantastic today. It rained, it hailed, it sun-shined brightly. 60-70 mph winds tore down half the trees in our neighborhood. And now all is calm and the sky is pretending as though nothing whatsoever of interest has happened. Too bad the streets are still wet, the yards are still flooded, and debris is strewn everywhere.
Bi-polar weather is kind of a mainstay in these parts at this time of year, though.
I had intended to work with another random writing prompt today, but I think I'll save it for another time. I'm excessively tired, for one thing (rain and chilly weather do that to me), and it's October, for another. I have NaNoWriMo to prepare for, so I'm less inclined to spend my time writing silly, aimless stories and more inclined toprocrastinate in other ways outline my November project.
It has no name yet. That's probably because it's still in the fledgling stages of planning. I kind of dread having to write 50,000 words this year, so I really need to focus on pre-writing and catch the vision.
And on that note, I think I'll go take a nap.
Bi-polar weather is kind of a mainstay in these parts at this time of year, though.
I had intended to work with another random writing prompt today, but I think I'll save it for another time. I'm excessively tired, for one thing (rain and chilly weather do that to me), and it's October, for another. I have NaNoWriMo to prepare for, so I'm less inclined to spend my time writing silly, aimless stories and more inclined to
It has no name yet. That's probably because it's still in the fledgling stages of planning. I kind of dread having to write 50,000 words this year, so I really need to focus on pre-writing and catch the vision.
And on that note, I think I'll go take a nap.