Thanksgiving has come and gone, Black Friday has passed, and yet there is still hope as we approach the final of the triplet holidays. The final one is known as Cyber Monday and, in the only way that can make sense, happens on this upcoming Monday. So what does this mean for everyone else out there? It means that I am once again uber-distracted by all of the awesome deals coming in.
Thanks to Facebook, I’ve become an addict to the online game Millionaire City. It’s like all the other games out there on these social networking sites. You start off small with the hopes of becoming something big and you have to watching it at least once a day to really get the full benefit of the game. Thank you Farmville for starting all of this...
BUT WAIT, there is way more than just that. As if I don’t already have enough video games to distract me, the large internet based game-center (for lack of a better term) called Steam has decided to also run a huge sale. Basically each day they will be giving out games at a huge discount (50% or more, sometimes close to 99% off) and so I’ve been watching it and collecting a large library of video games now. This has also taken both time and money from me. So, I’m having the greatest of trouble trying to get back into the whole “write stuff” thing. I have ideas, a lot of them, and they are all over the place. I’m ready to write them down too... but then I see the games and go back to that.
As far as my Holiday goes, this was definitely one of the more interesting ones. I’m not going to say it was good or bad, but it was somewhere in between for sure. Anyway, how was your holiday?
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Fixing the Text
So I always forget that I just have these texts installed, because I like these texts. As such, the people reading my book may not get the full effect of the text on the page without a few updates. Granted, so far I’ve only used 1 text that needs to be downloaded from the web, but here I am to give it.
http://www.dafont.com/angryblue.font
That will lead to my all-time favorite text, which I think anyone that reads the manuscripts of these novels should probably have since I do use it so often. If there are any other texts I get that don’t come through, please reply to this and I’ll go hunt down their original locations. Like I said, I sometimes don’t remember getting these texts but I do I have them.
On another note, I just tried moving my file from my Windows side (where everything works) to my Mac side (where everything works... but differently) and found that I will not recommend this. I mean, seriously, my book increased in size and lost a ton of the formatting that I do to really give it that flare. So, if you are a Mac user, please switch to windows to read the novel because otherwise you will ruin all of the efforts I put into it.
Thank you for this service announcement...
http://www.dafont.com/angryblue.font
That will lead to my all-time favorite text, which I think anyone that reads the manuscripts of these novels should probably have since I do use it so often. If there are any other texts I get that don’t come through, please reply to this and I’ll go hunt down their original locations. Like I said, I sometimes don’t remember getting these texts but I do I have them.
On another note, I just tried moving my file from my Windows side (where everything works) to my Mac side (where everything works... but differently) and found that I will not recommend this. I mean, seriously, my book increased in size and lost a ton of the formatting that I do to really give it that flare. So, if you are a Mac user, please switch to windows to read the novel because otherwise you will ruin all of the efforts I put into it.
Thank you for this service announcement...
Monday, November 15, 2010
Change of Plans
Change of plans (Gasp, didn’t see that one coming), but I may not be doing the NaNoWriMo anymore. Besides the fact that I’ve been stressed to hell and thus have not been writing, I also got torn away from Colorado to go visit my Grandmother’s grave in Connecticut. I did enjoy going to Connecticut and seeing her grave, but I did so without my computer and thus greatly lost time in the NaNoWriMo as well as lost ideas/interest in the story I had.
However, I did randomly decided to start writing something else. To what effects it might be, we’ll have to see, but I’m going to send a small portion of it to one of my friends and see what she thinks. It should be weird.
However, I did randomly decided to start writing something else. To what effects it might be, we’ll have to see, but I’m going to send a small portion of it to one of my friends and see what she thinks. It should be weird.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
A New Story Now Named
So I know this is not the greatest of ways to start a new story, but it is a start. I have come to the conclusion on what the name of my story will be along with how the entire thing will be written (which is, of course, different than anything I have done before). As promised this is a comedy, though maybe darker than originally planned. At any rate, here is the name of my story for the NaNoWriMo.
The Deathly Letters of Collin Millstone
That’s right, its a book that of course has death involved. Because I plan to make this strangely legible yet easily findable on any aspect to the book, I’ve decided to throw in a “Index of Chapters” (also known as a table of contents). In this way the people that want to read my book will be able to quickly see when a new letter will appear along with what chapter it will appear in. All done by word of course (because I am lazy).
So its a small, short, very slow start, but it is a start. Also please note that I’ve changed the statistic from Total Chapters, which is very vague and hard to understand as to what I might mean to total chapters completed, which gives me a much more easy value to place there. As I finish them I will say so there (of which I currently have not done even one). It’s a start as I keep repeating.
Words for the Novel: 195 / 50,000
Total Chapters Completed: 0
The Deathly Letters of Collin Millstone
That’s right, its a book that of course has death involved. Because I plan to make this strangely legible yet easily findable on any aspect to the book, I’ve decided to throw in a “Index of Chapters” (also known as a table of contents). In this way the people that want to read my book will be able to quickly see when a new letter will appear along with what chapter it will appear in. All done by word of course (because I am lazy).
So its a small, short, very slow start, but it is a start. Also please note that I’ve changed the statistic from Total Chapters, which is very vague and hard to understand as to what I might mean to total chapters completed, which gives me a much more easy value to place there. As I finish them I will say so there (of which I currently have not done even one). It’s a start as I keep repeating.
Words for the Novel: 195 / 50,000
Total Chapters Completed: 0
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
National Novel Writing Month
So starting yesterday was the first day of the National Novel Writing Month or whatever (preferably called NaNoWriMo online, google it if you wish). Anyway, I have planned to actually try to do this challenge since it seems to be not exactly a whole lot more than what I was trying for in past months. Here’s the quick facts:
Goal: 50,000 word novel
Ends: December 1st at 12:01 AM
In other words, write a book in one month that is at least 50,000 words in length. I think I can do it and so I’ve decided to try for it. I will be putting down my other book for the time being and setting out to see if I can accomplish this task of a full book in the month’s time.
What this does not mean is that I am done with Broken Falls (the other book I’ve been working on). I made a promise that I would finish that novel by the end of the year and I plan to stick to that, with much of the final chapters works being done in the next month. So to my friends that are reading that book, do not be discouraged that it has made the shelf like anything else I have written, just know that it has been put on hold for exactly one month and then I will finish the first story in the series. Also, I don’t think I could stop writing that book since I can’t seem to get the ideas out of my head.
The rules will be much like when I started writing my other book for this new one:
Words for the Novel: 0 / 50,000
Total Chapters: 0
Also, I made one final graffiti that I thought I would post. Its kind of weird for me, but I like it. I don't know exactly what it was suppose to be either, but the main idea was like a plant and bubbles or something and it just didn't come out to look like anything except abstract artwork. Oh well.
Goal: 50,000 word novel
Ends: December 1st at 12:01 AM
In other words, write a book in one month that is at least 50,000 words in length. I think I can do it and so I’ve decided to try for it. I will be putting down my other book for the time being and setting out to see if I can accomplish this task of a full book in the month’s time.
What this does not mean is that I am done with Broken Falls (the other book I’ve been working on). I made a promise that I would finish that novel by the end of the year and I plan to stick to that, with much of the final chapters works being done in the next month. So to my friends that are reading that book, do not be discouraged that it has made the shelf like anything else I have written, just know that it has been put on hold for exactly one month and then I will finish the first story in the series. Also, I don’t think I could stop writing that book since I can’t seem to get the ideas out of my head.
The rules will be much like when I started writing my other book for this new one:
- Words only count for writing in that book
- Chapter names count towards the total word count
- Notes do not count towards the total
- Friends that ask to read it may receive the piece chapter by chapter
Words for the Novel: 0 / 50,000
Total Chapters: 0
Also, I made one final graffiti that I thought I would post. Its kind of weird for me, but I like it. I don't know exactly what it was suppose to be either, but the main idea was like a plant and bubbles or something and it just didn't come out to look like anything except abstract artwork. Oh well.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Haven't Been Feeling Good
Just a quick little update. I didn't complete last month because I was upset for the entire last week. Short explanation, my Grandma has added stress to my life. Had that same stress all of the first week of this month and it has kind of carried over and just lasted the past few days.
On the other side of the stress that never ends (mainly because there are more stressful people than just my Grandma in my life), I start to get into art. So my output has been to the facebook App Graffiti. I'll post a few of them below so everyone has an idea of what I spend maybe two or three hours on in any given day.
As You can see, I've had a bit of time to make things like these. I like how these three have come out and all of them were started with the colors I chose in mind, but with the scene out of hand. What I mean to say is that I didn't know what I was going to draw, just that I wanted to draw something. One thing led to another and I had vibrant reds coming down from the clouds and blues lighting up the background. It's stress relieving to just start using Graffiti on facebook.
As far as writing goes, I do plan to finish the book I started (since I am SO freakin close to finishing it). I am, however, in no current rush at this point because I don't have the creativity in me to write. Some would call this writers block, but it's not really a block since I know what I want to write. I just am missing that passion I had when I started writing. I will make this promise though, I'll have that book done before the end of this year. If I don't, it'll become lost in the void of my thoughts for a very long time, and feeling so close to finishing it, I really don't want that to happen.
If I make any more graffiti artwork, I'll try to remember to do a large post here with a lot of it. Until next time (and there will be a next time :D)
On the other side of the stress that never ends (mainly because there are more stressful people than just my Grandma in my life), I start to get into art. So my output has been to the facebook App Graffiti. I'll post a few of them below so everyone has an idea of what I spend maybe two or three hours on in any given day.
 |
| Twilight Woods |
 |
| Tree in the Blue |
 |
| Radiance |
As far as writing goes, I do plan to finish the book I started (since I am SO freakin close to finishing it). I am, however, in no current rush at this point because I don't have the creativity in me to write. Some would call this writers block, but it's not really a block since I know what I want to write. I just am missing that passion I had when I started writing. I will make this promise though, I'll have that book done before the end of this year. If I don't, it'll become lost in the void of my thoughts for a very long time, and feeling so close to finishing it, I really don't want that to happen.
If I make any more graffiti artwork, I'll try to remember to do a large post here with a lot of it. Until next time (and there will be a next time :D)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
One Day Off then Back to Action
I started yesterday off perfectly as far as writing for me goes, got up and was ready to write a thousand words easily. I had my coffee in hand and my computer on the table and was typing away, until I realized I had put myself into a strange hole.
I don't think I meant to bury my own thoughts in the catastrophe that had happened, but I did. I ended up writing myself into either 1 more chapter that explained too much about something I really do mean to start talking about in the second book (it's going to be a trilogy or something, remember?). So I was left with an option, continue writing and send out the eighth chapter as it was OR go back and try rethinking the whole scenario so that I didn't have to do another chapter in there. I chose to take the second option and spend all of yesterday coming up with the revision. I like what I thought of but it wasn't the easiest thing to write, so we'll just have to see what my friends think of it.
Anyway, back on the novel today and continuing as planned towards the final finish. I am only a few thousand words or so away from the end of chapter eight, I can tell from just what is happening, and then I'll send it out to be interpreted by my friends. This chapters has been fun to write and I think it really shows where I want to go with this series, too bad it is far from the end of this book. No, I think I have at least 3 or 4 chapters left before I can end this book (two of which will be devoted to a single place... or at least I think so). That means I have 30k-40k more words to write after this... which is not a good thing for a new author.
The average book length is 60k to 100k words, the reason why being that at 100k words the average paperback book hits 400 pages. If I got over 400 pages, the chances of getting the story published go WAY down. So I'm left with a few options, write a shorter novel and hope to gain popularity off of it (current plan for the month of November... along with the NaNoWriMo). So we'll see what happens.
Last, just wanted to say that I started watching a British television show called Psychoville. Oh my God, that show is amazing. It is weird enough to keep me enthusiastically watching it and crazy enough to meet my standards of interest. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. And just so I say this, it is a dark comedy that you can't find in America.... sad day...
Words for the Month: 14,995 / 40,000
Total Words: 95,054
I'm gonna go write another 5 words to make it a perfect 15k
I don't think I meant to bury my own thoughts in the catastrophe that had happened, but I did. I ended up writing myself into either 1 more chapter that explained too much about something I really do mean to start talking about in the second book (it's going to be a trilogy or something, remember?). So I was left with an option, continue writing and send out the eighth chapter as it was OR go back and try rethinking the whole scenario so that I didn't have to do another chapter in there. I chose to take the second option and spend all of yesterday coming up with the revision. I like what I thought of but it wasn't the easiest thing to write, so we'll just have to see what my friends think of it.
Anyway, back on the novel today and continuing as planned towards the final finish. I am only a few thousand words or so away from the end of chapter eight, I can tell from just what is happening, and then I'll send it out to be interpreted by my friends. This chapters has been fun to write and I think it really shows where I want to go with this series, too bad it is far from the end of this book. No, I think I have at least 3 or 4 chapters left before I can end this book (two of which will be devoted to a single place... or at least I think so). That means I have 30k-40k more words to write after this... which is not a good thing for a new author.
The average book length is 60k to 100k words, the reason why being that at 100k words the average paperback book hits 400 pages. If I got over 400 pages, the chances of getting the story published go WAY down. So I'm left with a few options, write a shorter novel and hope to gain popularity off of it (current plan for the month of November... along with the NaNoWriMo). So we'll see what happens.
Last, just wanted to say that I started watching a British television show called Psychoville. Oh my God, that show is amazing. It is weird enough to keep me enthusiastically watching it and crazy enough to meet my standards of interest. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. And just so I say this, it is a dark comedy that you can't find in America.... sad day...
Words for the Month: 14,995 / 40,000
Total Words: 95,054
I'm gonna go write another 5 words to make it a perfect 15k
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Time is Now Midnight!
I did it today, I accomplished writing more than ten thousand words in two days flat. That's really impressive once you consider I normally spend a week writing that many words for my story. Then again, I've felt really involved with this chapter and I've been really proud of the artwork it has become. That's right, I said artwork.
This chapter has changed so much from my original idea that if I read it to myself from ten days back, I'd have hardly known it was the same thing. The basic principle I had so many days ago is still very much present in the chapter, but what happens has become something much more grand than I could have imagined. And maybe this is all because of the process of writing, I really can't be sure, but I am pleased to say that this is by far one of the best chapters I have ever written.
The best part, the scenery is actually really simple and easy for anyone to imagine. It was what I did with the surrounding atmosphere that makes it so sophisticated. I could have written this chapter a thousand different ways, but I'm not sure I would have been as proud as I am. Not only that, but to my readers (to which has now become three people...) I hope they see all the symbolism and symbols I gone to lengths to throw into each place. I think this one might also send a few shivers up their spines.
So am I done now that ten thousand words have passed, the normal average length of my chapters. I think not and I might actually be far from it. I'm not certain that I will need another ten K to do the job, but for sure I will need a few thousand more just to finish the explanations I have ended up in. And yes, I thought about breaking this part up into two separate chapters, but the problem is that the whole thing lies in such perfect unity with itself that I thought breaking the pieces apart would only ruin and not strengthen the value anyone will find by reading it.
To tomorrow I will write more, the ideas are still flowing vibrantly through my head and I have probably enough to keep writing peacefully onward for some time. I wish I would have known how much joy I'm getting out of writing this a few days ago, but then again I probably would not have developed the ideas I have. It's that strange state where I wish I had done so sooner while at the same time it would not have been as great had it been performed before the best time. There has to be a word to describe that, someone out there probably knows it.
And for now, have a wonderful night!
Words for the Month: 12,445 / 40,000
Total Words: 92,504
This chapter has changed so much from my original idea that if I read it to myself from ten days back, I'd have hardly known it was the same thing. The basic principle I had so many days ago is still very much present in the chapter, but what happens has become something much more grand than I could have imagined. And maybe this is all because of the process of writing, I really can't be sure, but I am pleased to say that this is by far one of the best chapters I have ever written.
The best part, the scenery is actually really simple and easy for anyone to imagine. It was what I did with the surrounding atmosphere that makes it so sophisticated. I could have written this chapter a thousand different ways, but I'm not sure I would have been as proud as I am. Not only that, but to my readers (to which has now become three people...) I hope they see all the symbolism and symbols I gone to lengths to throw into each place. I think this one might also send a few shivers up their spines.
So am I done now that ten thousand words have passed, the normal average length of my chapters. I think not and I might actually be far from it. I'm not certain that I will need another ten K to do the job, but for sure I will need a few thousand more just to finish the explanations I have ended up in. And yes, I thought about breaking this part up into two separate chapters, but the problem is that the whole thing lies in such perfect unity with itself that I thought breaking the pieces apart would only ruin and not strengthen the value anyone will find by reading it.
To tomorrow I will write more, the ideas are still flowing vibrantly through my head and I have probably enough to keep writing peacefully onward for some time. I wish I would have known how much joy I'm getting out of writing this a few days ago, but then again I probably would not have developed the ideas I have. It's that strange state where I wish I had done so sooner while at the same time it would not have been as great had it been performed before the best time. There has to be a word to describe that, someone out there probably knows it.
And for now, have a wonderful night!
Words for the Month: 12,445 / 40,000
Total Words: 92,504
Monday, September 20, 2010
Day Two of the No Video Games Program
And so I failed to make 5,000 words in my wake of what was yesterday (I don't honestly count it to be the next day until I sleep, the only exception of which being that I need the number of words completed before everyone else considers it to be the next day at midnight) and I haven't played video games yet. This of course makes me sad, because I love video games.
SO I started the program again today, 5,000 words to start playing video games. I figured that it helped me get 4,700 or something words yesterday so it wasn't a complete failure and already today I've made headway towards the final goal. Also, I might have to work a little faster if my friend calls me and wants to play and five... Anyway, it seems to be working really well so I think I'll keep this program in action. Next month I might keep it but I will lower the amount required each day so that I don't finish in the first eight days and then wait to play all month long. I'm not saying 5,000 words isn't a bit too much, just that I've gone into crisis mode and need to fix the problem that video games has caused this month
On a different note, the evolution of chapter 8 goes well. I've had a lot of interesting things to write about and kept the pace fairly forward for someone who is basically alone in the world I am describing. That's about as much as I can say, really. Actually I'm really looking forward to what happens after this chapter, there are some funny thing I want to say and some interesting points to make before the next stop on the list.
Well, gonna take a small break and then hop back on it.
Words for the Month: 9,206 / 40,000
Total Words: 89,265
SO I started the program again today, 5,000 words to start playing video games. I figured that it helped me get 4,700 or something words yesterday so it wasn't a complete failure and already today I've made headway towards the final goal. Also, I might have to work a little faster if my friend calls me and wants to play and five... Anyway, it seems to be working really well so I think I'll keep this program in action. Next month I might keep it but I will lower the amount required each day so that I don't finish in the first eight days and then wait to play all month long. I'm not saying 5,000 words isn't a bit too much, just that I've gone into crisis mode and need to fix the problem that video games has caused this month
On a different note, the evolution of chapter 8 goes well. I've had a lot of interesting things to write about and kept the pace fairly forward for someone who is basically alone in the world I am describing. That's about as much as I can say, really. Actually I'm really looking forward to what happens after this chapter, there are some funny thing I want to say and some interesting points to make before the next stop on the list.
Well, gonna take a small break and then hop back on it.
Words for the Month: 9,206 / 40,000
Total Words: 89,265
Quick Update (sorta)
Just a quick update, but I wrote a little bit more before I decided to turn in for the night. Also, I noticed I haven't done many posts this month. That made me feel bad, like I was disappointing a crowd that does not exist. So now I'm trying to make at least one a day to make up for the lack of posting I've done for the previous parts of the month.
On another strange note, this month sucks compared to the last two. Yes, I've gotten lazier and lazier as I try to force myself to continue writing. And yes, I am trying to complete this month so desperately because I know that if I do I win a huge prize and get to laugh a whole lot as my ex-girlfriend wonders how I mysteriously was able to get not 1 or 2, but 3 months of meeting a strange goal I've never tried to before. That's right, I'm trying to complete this month for the fun of amazing her and seeing her reaction. Sometimes life gives you lemons, and then you laugh cause you just saw a car explode. Sure, it might have been your fault the exhaust was clogged with lemons but who would know that.
Anyway, quick update, things got done, stuff happened, more commas where used, a person talked to me, interesting things, reviews, fans, worlds of worlds, and end quick update.
Words for the Month: 7,152 / 40,000
Total Words: 87,211
Also, note that for today I never made over 5,000 words and I never got to play my games... stupid me not working harder to get video games... Also again also, I've strangely already used lemon in my labels... how did that happen?
On another strange note, this month sucks compared to the last two. Yes, I've gotten lazier and lazier as I try to force myself to continue writing. And yes, I am trying to complete this month so desperately because I know that if I do I win a huge prize and get to laugh a whole lot as my ex-girlfriend wonders how I mysteriously was able to get not 1 or 2, but 3 months of meeting a strange goal I've never tried to before. That's right, I'm trying to complete this month for the fun of amazing her and seeing her reaction. Sometimes life gives you lemons, and then you laugh cause you just saw a car explode. Sure, it might have been your fault the exhaust was clogged with lemons but who would know that.
Anyway, quick update, things got done, stuff happened, more commas where used, a person talked to me, interesting things, reviews, fans, worlds of worlds, and end quick update.
Words for the Month: 7,152 / 40,000
Total Words: 87,211
Also, note that for today I never made over 5,000 words and I never got to play my games... stupid me not working harder to get video games... Also again also, I've strangely already used lemon in my labels... how did that happen?
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