Sunday, November 30
Best of 2008
I haven't been looking closely for other best-of lists yet (it's still [barely] November), but the New York Times has checked in (first?) with their 100 Notable Books of 2008. Turns out I've read none of them. Fine.
My favorite new book this year: Neal Stephenson's Anathem.
My favorite new book this year: Neal Stephenson's Anathem.
Saturday, November 29
End of November
It's nearly the end of November and I can barely type a word without making a mistake. Seriously, that first sentence started out like this: I't snealry the end of novemrber and Ic an barely type a word withou making a mitsake.
Blame it on the thousands and thousands of words I've typed this month in my pointless quest to type 50,000 words in 30 days. Right now, with 24 and about 7 hours to go, I'm at 47,820. One more sit-down, and I should be there.
The story I'm working on isn't done yet, though. I had about 25,000 words on the novel before the month started, and now I've tacked on another 50k, of which I hope 30,000 are useable/keepable after I get done editing it. And I'd say I'm about two-thirds of the way done with the actual plot, such as it is.
It's hard to say, though, since it meanders so much. I worked for about three hours today at the library, and thought back to the beginning. I've started and created abandonment on about four different plot directions. My guess this is not good, at least not for a traditional story telling point of view.
But, after one more hour tonight, I should be a fifth-time winner at the big NaNoWriMo game. So there you go.
Blame it on the thousands and thousands of words I've typed this month in my pointless quest to type 50,000 words in 30 days. Right now, with 24 and about 7 hours to go, I'm at 47,820. One more sit-down, and I should be there.
The story I'm working on isn't done yet, though. I had about 25,000 words on the novel before the month started, and now I've tacked on another 50k, of which I hope 30,000 are useable/keepable after I get done editing it. And I'd say I'm about two-thirds of the way done with the actual plot, such as it is.
It's hard to say, though, since it meanders so much. I worked for about three hours today at the library, and thought back to the beginning. I've started and created abandonment on about four different plot directions. My guess this is not good, at least not for a traditional story telling point of view.
But, after one more hour tonight, I should be a fifth-time winner at the big NaNoWriMo game. So there you go.
Friday, November 21
In which your blogger plays a tag game of Seven
I'll play, Jonathan, but only because you did. And I'll raise you one by saying this is the first and last tag/meme game I'll ever do here on the edge of nowhere. The rules:
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog. Dr. Jonathan B of Dial M for Musicology tagged me with this, the Meme of Seven.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
5. If you don't have 7 blog friends, or if someone else already took dibs, then tag some unsuspecting strangers.
Here goes: seven random facts about me:
1. I competed in the 1983 World Grape Stomping Championship finals. I did not place.
2. I loathe the Los Angeles Dodgers. Growing up in Northern California, I was naturally a fan of the Great San Francisco Giants and the good players like Willie Mays and Juan Marichal and Willie McCovey and Gaylord Perry, not the evil bums like Wes Parker, Don Drysdale, Tommy Davis and those idiots of the '70s: Garvey, Lopes, Cey, Sutton, Russell and Tommy Freakin Lasorda. Now, as an adoptive fan of the Colorado Rockies, I still hate the Dodgers, mostly because aside from one glorious season, we can't beat them.
3. I once rode my bicycle 212 miles in a single day. I ate a lot of bananas that day, and then didn't touch them again for about six years.
4. The band I've seen live the most times (aside from school bands involving my children) is the now obsolete Oingo Boingo, which band I've seen five times in both sold out monster 12,000 seat venues in California and empty hockey arenas and the Glenn Miller Ballroom in Colorado. I know, five isn't very many. Then again, I wasn't a Deadhead.
5. I had a bit acting part as a zombie in "The Darkness," a small independent film which won the award for best action/suspense film at the 2008 Silver Spoon Film Festival.
6. I ghostwrite a blog for my dog. (OK, this one isn't so much a random fact as a dorky, embarrassing fact. On second thought, maybe it's just sad and pathetic.)
7. As this blog proves, I write a lot of unpublishable novels. I believe my current project is novel number seven. Or maybe eight? But: a guy's gotta dream. And have a hobby. And he has to keep at it, because one of these days.... I'll be happy with the finished product.
My part of these tag game is now complete, so I'll tag Jared, England, Jeff (attention visiting Dial M readers: check out Jeff's band and help spread the word about 100 Year Picnic) photoblogger Tom and.... uh... uhm, I guess they're the only bloggers I know (and in Dan's case, I only sort of know). 3.5 is nearly seven, and point-five more than Jonathan pulled off.
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog. Dr. Jonathan B of Dial M for Musicology tagged me with this, the Meme of Seven.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
5. If you don't have 7 blog friends, or if someone else already took dibs, then tag some unsuspecting strangers.
Here goes: seven random facts about me:
1. I competed in the 1983 World Grape Stomping Championship finals. I did not place.
2. I loathe the Los Angeles Dodgers. Growing up in Northern California, I was naturally a fan of the Great San Francisco Giants and the good players like Willie Mays and Juan Marichal and Willie McCovey and Gaylord Perry, not the evil bums like Wes Parker, Don Drysdale, Tommy Davis and those idiots of the '70s: Garvey, Lopes, Cey, Sutton, Russell and Tommy Freakin Lasorda. Now, as an adoptive fan of the Colorado Rockies, I still hate the Dodgers, mostly because aside from one glorious season, we can't beat them.
3. I once rode my bicycle 212 miles in a single day. I ate a lot of bananas that day, and then didn't touch them again for about six years.
4. The band I've seen live the most times (aside from school bands involving my children) is the now obsolete Oingo Boingo, which band I've seen five times in both sold out monster 12,000 seat venues in California and empty hockey arenas and the Glenn Miller Ballroom in Colorado. I know, five isn't very many. Then again, I wasn't a Deadhead.
5. I had a bit acting part as a zombie in "The Darkness," a small independent film which won the award for best action/suspense film at the 2008 Silver Spoon Film Festival.
6. I ghostwrite a blog for my dog. (OK, this one isn't so much a random fact as a dorky, embarrassing fact. On second thought, maybe it's just sad and pathetic.)
7. As this blog proves, I write a lot of unpublishable novels. I believe my current project is novel number seven. Or maybe eight? But: a guy's gotta dream. And have a hobby. And he has to keep at it, because one of these days.... I'll be happy with the finished product.
My part of these tag game is now complete, so I'll tag Jared, England, Jeff (attention visiting Dial M readers: check out Jeff's band and help spread the word about 100 Year Picnic) photoblogger Tom and.... uh... uhm, I guess they're the only bloggers I know (and in Dan's case, I only sort of know). 3.5 is nearly seven, and point-five more than Jonathan pulled off.
Tuesday, November 11
Fictionalizing Google's street view
I love it: A couple of artists have created several fictional scenes in a short section of street in Pittsburgh, PA, viewable via Google's Streetview. For example, escaping out a window. And mad scientists.
PS: My own current fiction project has hit 21,000+ words for the month of November, and more than 45k overall.
PS: My own current fiction project has hit 21,000+ words for the month of November, and more than 45k overall.
Saturday, November 8
NaNo's back
I'm a week into this year's NaNoWriMo, and I guess I should report an update as supporting/reporting my fiction writing efforts is/was the nominal point of this four-year-old blog.
Yes, I'm making an effort this year, after going through the motions last year. I'm writing the middle section (I assume, since I don't really know how it comes out, and nothing is outlined or plotted) of the book I've been working on since January.
Through yesterday, I was at 17,002 words. At a bit over 2400 words per day, I'm pretty much right on pace, which is good because I'm going to take a two-day mini-road trip to New Mexico tomorrow.
I should also note I've taken two weeks vacation to give me plenty of time to get off to a great start. And it's working.
Yes, I'm making an effort this year, after going through the motions last year. I'm writing the middle section (I assume, since I don't really know how it comes out, and nothing is outlined or plotted) of the book I've been working on since January.
Through yesterday, I was at 17,002 words. At a bit over 2400 words per day, I'm pretty much right on pace, which is good because I'm going to take a two-day mini-road trip to New Mexico tomorrow.
I should also note I've taken two weeks vacation to give me plenty of time to get off to a great start. And it's working.
