An Oft Neglected Blog

The last time that I posted anything to this blog, Barack Obama was still the president of the United States. That was only a few short months ago, although it seems like the longest few short months in the history of the republic. While I don’t think I can directly blame the current administration (or lack thereof) for my inactivity, watching your own civilization teeter toward self-immolation certainly doesn’t inspire great bouts of creativity. Or perhaps it should. Great art often comes from dark times. 

Blogging, of course, as a thing, has become somewhat passé. Facebook displaced much of the social functioning of blogs; and Microblogging through Twitter, and photo and video blogging through Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube meet most internet users online sharing needs. But there is something to be said for the length of expression allowed by blogging, the capacity to write more than a few words about any given topic. The key is having something to say, and to say it regularly enough to keep the blog’s readers interested.

Of course, I have never been that consistent a blogger. Some months I might make two or three posts. Other months, or block of months, I might post absolutely nothing at all. I don’t know that in the future I will do that much better, but however long the bouts of silence, I do plan to continue blogging here. Look for posts in July on villains in comic book movies, reviews of the latest seasons of Better Call Saul and Fargo, and maybe a new post on political institutions as portrayed in science fiction. Yeah, in July. Or August at the latest.

National Novel Writing Month Approaches

Once again November 1st approaches, offering yet another opportunity to participate in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), an annual celebration of stunt writing when several thousand people attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. I've 'participated' a couple of times in this event, although I've never reached the 50,000 word goal. I seem to recall hitting 25,000 one year. The image to the left is a cover I put together for this year's planned entry, a science fiction novel about a lost spaceship. Both the novel and the ship are called Morningstar. I thought it might be easier to write about three different main characters, so I don't get bogged down in any one storyline. Each of these characters get caught up in separate searches for the lost vessel, a thousand year-old colony ship from Earth that contains genetic samples of original human and animal species. The last five chapters will bring the characters together on the cusp of discovery. What will they find?

NaNoWriMo Final

Another November 15th passed by, another end to whatever NaNoWriMo ambitions I may have had for the month. At the halfway point I have written maybe 7,000 words in my main project and the various distraction projects (word count exercises designed to inspire creativity) that I started on November 1st. With two weeks left, there is little chance that I will achieve even my more modest goals. I’m pretty sure that it’s almost impossible to successfully do NaNoWriMo without taking the entire month of November off. Maybe next year I’ll plan to do that and see if I have any more luck.

NaNoWriMo 2

It almost feels counterproductive to spend time blogging during NaNoWriMo, to write something that does not contribute to the legitimate word count of the novel you are supposed to be working on. But then, I've hardly been working on that novel anyway, and as I explained in my first NaNoWriMo post, I’m not taking the whole thing all that seriously.

But blogging does bring up an interesting element of the whole NaNoWriMo experience, the social media aspect. NaNo participants share a certain connection to each other via the official National Novel Writing Month website. Many of them also blog or Tweet or write Facebook posts about their novel, the process of writing, or the various events that they participate in. There are write-ins and meet-ups that allow many them to work together toward their common goal. I suppose the moral support is important to many of them.

Now I’m not much of a joiner or event attender. For me writing is a solitary activity, and I actually prefer it that way. But I do plan to do some social media stuff to promote my participation, and the book (or books) that will be the final product of my efforts. So I’ll use the hashtags #nanowrimo and #amwriting during November when I Tweet about my activity. I also plan to Tweet a line or two of my day’s best work using the hashtag #lineoftheday (on those days I actually produce something). And so far, based on the Tweet below, that has attracted some attention (favorited by four people).

Yes, this writing already requires editing, even the lines that I have tweeted.

NaNoWriMo 1

Another November, another National Novel Writing Month, an opportunity for thousands of amateur and professional writers to get down to work and produce an entire 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Of course 50,000 words doesn’t exactly add up to a complete novel, and 30 days is not sufficient time to produce anything of quality (especially for those of us holding down a day job), but National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short) is always a good opportunity to get inspired, to focus on your writing, and to try to increase your productivity to 1,667 words a day.

I’ve never taken NaNoWriMo seriously enough to finish the thing, that is write a complete 50,000 word novel in November, and I have no intention to start now. My “official” NaNoWriMo project is not even a novel, but a 20,000 word novella that I’m planning to self-publish as an e-book. And it is the sequel to a first novella that I am still working on that I hope to finish by the 15th. So both novellas will only add up to about 40,000 words, are actually two separate stories and I’ve already finished two and a half chapters of the first. Those are three rules that I’ve broken right from the start. 

So clearly my goal is not to win NaNoWriMo, but to use the time to complete other projects, my own personal interpretation of the event. The novellas I’m working on are science fiction time-travel adventures titled Tethys Trades: Pirates and Dinosaurs and Tethys Trades: Convicts and Castaways. More details on these works will follow as I use this blog to report on my progress (or lack thereof).

Good luck to all NaNoWriMo participants!

September Events

Two events for writers (and readers) are coming up on the third weekend of September, the Williamsburg Book Festival...

...and the Hampton Roads Writers Conference.

For those who wish to attend both, the Hampton Roads Writers Conference does have a one-day rate. You can attend on Friday the 19th and go to the Williamsburg Book Festival on the 20th.

You Really Can Write Every Day: My 4 Tips

You Really Can Write Every Day: My 4 Tips (via http://raygates.me)

If you’ve ever tried to be a writer, at some point you will no doubt have come across the sagely advice that to become a good writer, you must write every single day. There is certainly truth to this: writing is a skill, and like any skill, the more…

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Flash Fiction Friday: Introduction

The flash fiction piece published in the next post (the one above this) was produced in response to Chuck Wendig’s weekly Flash Fiction Challenge (full details below). Based on random number generation, I needed to write a story featuring An Ancient Tree and A Pair of Detectives. I decided to use a couple of characters I had already created, private detective Martin Cutter and police detective Danielle Monroe. The tree doesn’t get much screen time, and I added A Hard Drive Filled With Secrets because I needed a MacGuffin of some sort.

Chuck’s Challenge:

I’ve got two lists at the bottom. Pick (or randomly choose with dice or a random number generator) one from each list, then make sure your flash fiction contains each of those things.

That’s it. Easy-peasy, Ramona-and-Beezy.

You’ve got an upgraded 1500 words. Due in one week (March 14th). Post it at your online space of choice. Drop a link to your completed story in the comments below. Any genre. 

Now, the lists…

MUST CONTAIN #1
1. A lover’s betrayal.
2. A dead body without a face.
3. A mysterious — perhaps even magical — photograph.
4. An antique gun.
5. A terminal illness.
6. An ancient tree.
7. A time machine.
8. A monster.
9. A faithful hound.
10. A talking cat.

MUST CONTAIN #2
1. A distant outpost.
2. An infernal bargain.
3. A pair of detectives.
4. A stolen treasure.
5. A forgotten manuscript.
6. An escaped prisoner.
7. A hard drive filled with secrets.
8. A plane or train ride.
9. A piece of lost technology.
10. A comatose patient.

Book Report 1/2/14

Currently Reading (fiction): The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Steig Larsson

I’m still reading this, going through about a chapter a day. Book generally meeting my expectations based on what I remember from the film (well over a year since I viewed that). I find the overuse of the phrase ‘glass cage’ to describe the editor’s office at Erika Berger’s new place of employment a little annoying. I think I get the point. Also I’m not entirely sure how the Berger subplot is relevant, will work into the resolution of the main story about Lisbeth Salander. Seems like an unrelated subplot that is just wasting my time, but maybe Larsson will surprise me and it will tie significantly into the main plot by the end of the novel.

Currently Reading (nonfiction): Carthage Must be Destroyed by Richard Miles

Have not read any additional chapters here. You expect more time to read during the holidays, but sometimes you have less.

On the Horizon (nonfiction): A Writer's Guide to Characterization by Victoria Lynn Schmidt

New book on the craft of writing (first I have purchased in a couple of years). Looks like it will provide character archetypes that might be useful in creating characters and give some solid advice on how to make these different character types interact with one another. Full report pending.


Book Report 12/26/13