Some more observations...

I feel I should make just a few more observations about this novel writing thing before NaNoWriMo is over. (Which is in less than five days, people!)

I'm on track with my word count - 41500 words or thereabouts - but I'm afraid my story is going to be over in the next 5k. It's a tight plot, and there's not a lot of room for goofing off. So somehow I have to stretch 5k to 8.5k. This is going to require every adjective I know!

I like working at the university library computers. The keyboards have nice thick keys, not like these skinny flat things on the laptop. You can literally feel yourself pounding away at the story. Plus, libraries are generally good work environments, I find, and they make a change. That's such a great way to get writing, is to go somewhere new. You're coming at the story from a new angle. Love it.

The action of the story is largely humourous and Lord, it's funny in my head, but I don't know how much of that is making it on to the page. Picture this: you're shuffling a dead body through a tiny gap of window in the middle of the night, trying not to make any noise, and its arm falls off. Oh. Crap. But are you laughing? I'm laughing so hard I'm crying - on the inside.

To boost my word count without progressing the story, I added an introduction. It shouldn't be there, it doesn't add to the story as a whole, it's not really even in the same style, but it was a pleasure to write.

Hi. My name is Mark. I’m the narrator of this story. It’s not really my story – it’s Ledger’s – but he's dead, so he’s not in any position to be the narrator. Oh! Did I just spoil the ending? Well, it’s true, Ledger dies. But we all knew it was going to happen, it wasn’t like a big surprise. That’s not what the story is about. Just so you know. So don’t go getting all attached to Ledger, okay? BECAUSE HE DIES.

(So we're clear - Ledger is NOT Heath Ledger. There was maybe some unconscious inspiration going on in the choice of the name, I don't know.)

I think that's all for today, folks. Or Self. Either way.

Thoughts for Sunday

So I've been thinking about how I just finished a 4k essay for uni. There wasn't "actually" a word limit on it, but I guess the lecturer was expecting more like 3k, so... I've never over-written in my life (until now), I was always the one asking how I could POSSIBLY write 1500 for a lab report, that is INSANELY too many words. And this time I've had to CUT STUFF OUT., i.e. EDIT. Seriously.

I don't like the principle of editing. It's like choosing between your children, I mean, it's fascist. Okay, so maybe this paragraph is a bit fat and ugly, and doesn't do much for the essay overall, but who am I to say the paragraph is unworthy because of it? You know? In AmyLand, there is equal opportunity for all paragraphs, regardless of shape, size, beauty, and functional worth. In the Real World, those paragraphs that don't make the grade, don't make the final cut.

Ah, but Nanowrimo... Nanowrimo is awholenother writing game. Here, words - any and every - are inherently valuable because they exist. Doesn't matter if they're not perfect, or beautiful, or functional, or well-structured. They aren't loved because they're worthy, they're worthy because they're loved.

My novel is off to a great start - 5000 words this weekend. And I love each and every one of them.

:D

Q: How do you posthumously fill your own coffin with twelve drugged chickens?

Holy schlamoh!
It's like twelve-and-a-half days till Nanowrimo, kids! Break out the typewriter and the endless roll of paper, we gonna write us a novel!

I peaked for this year's Nano sometime back in July. I had plot, characters, scenes, and scenery all twisting around in my mind like snakes on a plane. (I've never seen 'Snakes on a plane'. I suspect that wasn't a very good metaphor.) And the notes I took! I was a note-taking mahSHEEN, seven pages, I was a machine on FIRE, I was ready to write this book.

Then uni started and I've been studying these last three months, there's a whole new jumble of snakes twisting in my mind - historical linguistics and sound change and Austronesian languages and something called Optimality Theory. Hey folks, I'm writing a thesis!

So I'm starting up the blog again as I try to get my Excited! back about Nanowrimo. Because Nanowrimo beats thesis, any day. Well, at least 30 days of the year it does.

Q: How do you posthumously fill your own coffin with twelve drugged chickens?
A: I don't know, but this November I'm going to find out.

Baleet, Flea, schizophrenia, late night shopping

I just thought of a great character to be Andy's best friend. Then I remembered my Card Isolation rule. Then I baleeted my Card Isolation rule. If characters, instruments, action, and scenery mesh up in my mind, I'm not going to stop that.

Andy's best friend is a skinny boy with outrageously big hair. His name is Flea. He's fairly enamoured of Andy and, akin to the kid in the video below, can't name one thing wrong with her. I 'spect his heart's going to break over her. But he's not going to be that kid you have to pay to leave you alone, and he's not going to be walked all over. He'll turn nasty somewhere, or something.

When I was researching for that schizophrenia review I came across a chapter about how people with schizophrenia can try to control the symptoms themselves. You have to be still fairly lucid to do that, I think, but still -- oh man. Schizophrenia sounds, excuse me, insanely scary. You're an otherwise sane person but sometimes you hear these voices, or have these intrusive thoughts. And you just wish they'd go away. You do everything you can to avoid them but they come anyway. Wow.

I have a very strong image of a middle aged lady in a raincoat wandering around a harshly lit mall on late night shopping, trying to crowd out her mind with the stores and food and people so that the voices can't get in... but she's losing the battle and she knows it.

At the same time, I don't want to write anything depressing. Last year was a little too faux-dark for my liking. I enjoyed writing it, and yet I didn't. Not as much as '05. That was teh awesome :)

my bane, Dusun, womanhood, song

yrc. Just saw the first cockroach of the summer. Those beasts are my bane.

On the other hand, I handed in my big psych. review today so I don't have to worry about that subject again until the exam. Which means I can spend the next two and a half weeks concentrating on linguistics, woop! And there is a lot to be concentrated on. Dusun is a pretty cool language to be documenting.

I found this video linked in Debbie Ohi's Blatherings, and I think it's pretty awesome. Not just 'cause of the girl's name, obviously. It's cute and poignant. The subtitles are going in my novel somewhere.

(Card #4: lines)




Card #5: song

Bittersweet, by the Hoodoo Gurus. What a great song. If I can transpose the sound of this into writing, I'lla be happy. Something like, I don't know... drinking beer and surfing and the middle of Australia. Great combination.

There're a lot of songs I want to put into words. Some lyrics for songs I want to rip straight off. For the next six cards I'm just putting up my six favourite song lyrics. I like that. Halfway through the novel, I deal a line card, and so the plot thickens :)

Cards #6-11 : lines

Would you like to learn to fly?
Would you like to see me try?
(Pink Floyd, 'One of my turns'

We sailed away on a winter's day
With fate as malleable as clay...
(Joanna Newsom, 'Bridges and Balloons')

It was dark as I drove the point home...
(The Smiths, 'That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore')

It's a shame we have to die, my dear, but no-one's getting out of here alive this time
(Foo Fighters, 'DOA')

Jacob wrestled the angel and the angel was overcome
(U2, 'Bullet the Blue Sky')

I'll make origami of your lyrics
Heyyy that's good Suffa, what is it?
IT'S A SWAN
(Hilltop Hoods, 'Dumb enough')

Princess Cassandra

Card #3: character
Princess Cassandra

...aka 'Andy'.
Andy's ripped off a girl I know in RL. Warped, but essentially the same. (If you're reading this: No, it's not you.)
She doesn't want to be a princess and will fight any impression that she is. She's strong, sulky, can hold her breath underwater for seven minutes, has big colourful dreams, and is a lot daggy.
Without actually being George from the Famous Five.
We'll see how that goes.

For much of this year my potential November novel revolved around Andy, but then I got a bit sick of the RL model, and decided I didn't want her as my MC afterall. (Novel writing is so bitchy like that :)
And anyway, I can only do one concept per card, so I can't assign Andy a story right now. She has to luck upon one.

Canaaaadia

Card #2: Concept
'Canadia' and 'Cassiopeia'

I've never been to Canada but a friend was there on exchange last year and his description plus Michael Moore's portrayal of the place makes me think it must be a pretty great country.

Canadia is an extension of Canada - it's that fantastical place wherein dwells all the good stuff:
The Colin Mochrie half of the Colin/Ryan comedy gold duo, linguistics , sunrise, sunset, snow, mountainous scenery, New Zealand, "The New Cobweb Summer" by Lambchop, "Bridges and Balloons" by Joanna Newsom, tattoos, Icarian Games from Cirque du Soleil, piano, my rabbit Eleanor, Orange Intense chocolate...

'Cassiopeia' is like 'Canadia' except that specifically it's the Canadia of Princess Cassandra - Andy. It's the place she dreamed up. One day she's going to runaway and find it. Oops, that's a few new cards right there.

Impeccable awesomeness

"Two negatives make a positive. But isn't it funny how two positives don't make a negative?"

"Yeah, right."

That's my new favourite nerdy language joke.
It probably works better aloud.

Best record shop in Perth: Dada Records (36 Pier Street, 9325 2666). I like walking around in there, flicking through the old vinyl, checking out the posters and magazines and t-shirts, not looking for anything in particular. I pretend I'm a super talented cool musician. That place just makes me feel good. Last year I found half a dozen Alex Harvey records (including Alex Harvey Without The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band Without Alex Harvey) waiting patiently for me to give them a home. Hot dang!

And so it comes to light that I prefer to sit and listen to a good album than to sit and read a good book. So sue me.

First ever favourite band/singer: Roxette. (But my second was the Cure. That's 'spectable, innit?)
Most recent : Joanna Newsom.

First album/single bought with own money: Lo Tel, 'Teenager of the Year' single
Most recent: Joanna Newsom - Ys; - Lambchop - How I quite smoking; Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty

Most embarassing album: I purged LoTel ages ago. My collection is impeccably awesome.
Most cool album: Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty. Oh, man. I am not cool enough to own this album.

I could write about music all day. I reckon there's going to be a lot of music culture in my novel.