Writing

Nanowrimo: Day 3

Okay, I really, really have the plot all worked out and I’m very excited by my idea, which I think is fun, entertaining, and a Big Idea, also.

But I have to do some more research, in the form of purchasing the Historic Plan for our neighborhood, at a cost of $5, from the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Society.

Back in a flash to get caught up on the actually writing. And if you been following along with my blog posts over the past several days, you can see hints and drops of my idea scattered among them. Except for the Slush Mug commercial; that’s just silly fun.

National Novel Writer's Month

Continue ReadingNanowrimo: Day 3

Nanowrimo: Day 1

My word count for day 1: 1281 words.
That sucks! I spent most of the day trying to figure out the plot, which I should have had outline in October. It didn’t help that I had my teeth cleaning appointment and the chimney sweeping appointment. Also, the dog barked all day along. Apparently Cthulhu is hiding under our deck again. Pesky elder god.
And today I have a cardiologist’s appointment, and the furnace guy is coming to work on our radiators. Ah, well. I’ll do my best.
National Novel Writer's Month

Continue ReadingNanowrimo: Day 1

National Novel Writing Month 2006

National Novel Writing Month is November 1st, and the sign-up for it begins this Friday October 1st (I managed to skip the entire month of September in my head). One of my friends participated in the past and is going to again this year.

Here’s the scoop:

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that’s a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

I’m going to throw caution, inhibition, sanity, free-time and probably dignity to the wind and sign up. (Doing the math…. hmmm, hmmm… 1,667 words a day. Eh. I could do that.)

Who’s with me? Anyone?

Continue ReadingNational Novel Writing Month 2006

Quiet time

Sorry about the lack of new and unique writing over the last week or so. I’m writing a couple of long book reviews that are still in draft form, and doing a lot of heavy lifting behind the scenes on the site design to get everything cleaned up, so things have been quiet ’round here. I’ve missed posting about the new Abu Graib photos, the VP shooting people, Willie Nelson’s gay cowboy song, and a dozen other assorted cool things in the process, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Continue ReadingQuiet time

A nice cake is waiting for you: recent fortune cookies

A nice cake is waiting for you.
I’m being stalked by a cake. That’s just scary.

Your winsome smile will be your sure protection.
Um, can I have a ball bat instead? I’d feel more secure.

You are never bitter, deceptive, or petty.
Oops, I got someone else’s fortune.

A modest man never talks to himself.
What about singing in the shower? Does he do that?

There will be a happy romance for you shortly.
This one really ticked off my girlfriend

You will step on the soil of many countries.
I’d better get started soon, because we’ve all seen my “Where I’ve been” map.

Express yourself, do something creative.
Gosh, I’ll get right on that after I finish designing this website.

You will always have good luck in personals affairs.
Oh, silly fortune cookie. You are so wrong.

You will always be surrounded by true friends.
Okay, you’re not always wrong, fortune cookie.

And upward movement intiated in time can counteract fate.
Damn, this is the second time I got this ominous cookie, and the first was right before I found out about my heart surgery. Leave me alone, cookie! You’re scaring me.

To be a success in business, be daring, be first, be different.
I think I’ll start with “Be awake” and see how that goes.

Many people who have power become a deaf mute.
And then there are the power people who never shut up.

Good fortune awaits you at the end of the day.
Is it a free monkey? I like monkeys.

From your garden of dreams, many things will blossom.
Hopefully not weeds.

The next full moon will bring an enchanting evening.
With a werewolf!!

You are kind-hearted, cheerful, and well-liked.
I wish I knew which day opposite day is in Fortune CookieLand.

Continue ReadingA nice cake is waiting for you: recent fortune cookies

Fortune Cookie

“An upward movement initiated in time can counteract fate.”
I got this one last week, and it’s easily the strangest, most mysterious fortune cookie I’ve ever received. This is what a fortune cookie should be; inscrutable.

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“Mary Sue” in Online Fan Fiction

MARY SUE (n.):

1. A variety of story, first identified in the fan fiction community, but quickly recognized as occurring elsewhere, in which normal story values are grossly subordinated to inadequately transformed personal wish-fulfillment fantasies, often involving heroic or romantic interactions with the cast of characters of some popular entertainment.

2. A distinctive type of character appearing in these stories who represents an idealized version of the author.

3. A cluster of tendencies and characteristics commonly found in Mary Sue-type stories.

4. A body of literary theory, originally generated by the fanfic community, which has since spread to other fields (f.i., professional SF publishing) because it’s so darn useful. The act of committing Mary Sue-ism is sometimes referred to as “self-insertion.”

Sounds dirty.

Making Light’s lengthy article on the concept of “The Mary Sue” is well worth reading.

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American Rhetoric

A have a few of my favorite speeches here on my own site: [Martin Luther King, John F Kennedy] but here’s a website that has everything… AmericanRhetoric.com. Tons of the best speeches ever delivered in the United States. I wonder a bit about a site that has more speeches by Georgie boy than by Bill Clinton. But there’s lots of great stuff here, so I can overlook them including some crap.

My favorite part of the site is the page on Rhetorical Figures of Speech which illustrates examples of figures of speech using clips from various speeches. I know that I tend to use Epithetons too much. Also, hyperbole. Although hyperbole is much more fun when used in gesture form than in verbal form:

Party at the Pumpkin House

I’ve always loved Personification: Figure which represents abstractions or inanimate objects with human qualities, including physical, emotional, and spiritual; the application of human attributes or abilities to nonhuman entities.

Bear Wearing PantsAnd the best kind of personification has always been anthropomorphism: attributing human qualities to animals. Like having bears wear pants. That’s so cool. Anthropomorphism also figures into one of my favorite quotes of all time: “I mock you with my monkey-pants!”

My second favorite figure of speech: Anadiplosis: Figure of repetition that occurs when the last word or terms in one sentence, clause, or phrase is/are repeated at or very near the beginning of the next sentence, clause, or phrase. “They call for you: the general who became a slave; the slave who became a gladiator; the gladiator who defied an Emperor. Striking story.” — delivered by Joaquin Phoenix (from the movie Gladiator)

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My Chinese horoscope

Figuring out my Chinese horoscope.

Birthday/time: June 6th, 1968, 7:01 a.m.

Latitude and Longitude where I was born: West Des Moines, IA (US): 41n35, 93w43, Iowa.

Timezone: -6 GMT.

You are Red Sheep, born in the year of Brown Monkey. The first character in DAY represents you. So you are equivalent to Fire.

Lucky element: Water.

Luckiest decades – age 40-50, age 50-60, age 60-70

My Chinese Horoscope

Continue ReadingMy Chinese horoscope

You have an ambitious nature

You have an ambitious nature and may make a name for yourself.

Executive ability is prominent in your makeup.

You have a keen sense of humor and love a good time.

Drink to your health!

Your luck has been completely changed today.

Put the data you have uncovered to beneficial use.
That’s an interesting if slightly paranoid cookie. I wonder what “data” this is.

People in your background will be more co-operative than usual.

Through greater effort and hard work a precious dream will come true.
And my house will get renovated….

We must always have old memories and young hopes.
in bed.

Your eyes are the windows of your soul – Don’t worry, be happy.
I love a cookie that’s a call back to the 80’s.

The world looks brighter from behind a smile.
They forgot to mention this only works if you’re Pollyanna.

The faith you seek lives within you.
Some cookies are so true you just can’t make fun of them.

You are going to have some new clothes.
See, the perfect fortune cookie. Specific, upbeat, to the point. I immediately went shopping.

You will soon take a very pleasant and successful trip.
That was Vegas, baby!!

Your eyes will be opened to a world full of beauty, charm and adventure.
Again, must have been my trip to Vegas.

Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think.
But the real question is, does it have a laugh track?

Life always gets harder near the summit.
So are you saying I’m almost over the hill? Because I don’t know if I like that idea

You will succeed to a fortune.
Hey, I like that one.

May life throw you a pleasant curve.
Geez, and what I really wanted was a knuckle ball.

Continue ReadingYou have an ambitious nature