Something New and Shiny!

I was on the NaNoWriMo forums yesterday and I thought it would be cool to have a banner and cover made up by one of the local artisans! I'm trying to put the banner on this site but I'll post the cover here. Tell me what you think? I'm a fan but then it's the first time I've ever had a cover done before!

In other news: THERE'S ONLY THREE DAYS LEFT! *ahem* For those of you who don't quite know what I'm freaking out about, I'm talking about the yearly National Novel Writing Month. People all over the world get together on this website to make their lives totally insane for the month of November and hopefully wind up with a fifty thousand word novel at the end of it. If you've ever want to write a novel or even though about it vaguely than you should check it out. This is my third year participating and I am going to finish this year if it kills me! It starts on the fist of November so look quick!

UPDATE 11/7/2010: So I had this wonderful story idea and I was all gung-ho about it and even got one of the talented artists who haunt the NaNoWriMo forums to make up the spiffy cover above. About twenty four hours later I realized that it was a fabulous idea but I had no clue who would populate this novel or what kind of people they were. I also realized that I had no goal for the novel. This left me in a bad place indeed. So at the last possible moment I decided to use an idea that had floating around in my catch-all notebook that had a goal and I had a vague note about the two main characters.I have made a temporary banner below and maybe after NaNoWriMo is done I will make something spiffy for a cover in Corel Paint. As of right now I am not regretting my decision since I have been able to keep up, and exceed in some cases, the daily word count quota. All of which puts me in a great place for the expected mid-month slump and the craziness that comes with Thanksgiving!

Laptop Issues

So I'm gearing up for NaNoWriMo and I realize that I haven't booted up my laptop in ages. I'm not looking forward to it since I seem to remember it running really slow the last time I did. The idea that I may have to wipe and reinstall is not appealing. I've done it a million times but now with a baby and being a full time housewife I really don't want to add something like that to my day. I was also having trouble with my desktop last night which is not making me happy either. I can't listen to a TV show and search the web at the same time without the video stalling. I've run the usual spybot and adaware and virus protection programs but nothing turned up that was really unusual. I'll have to run them in safe mode to be sure. Yay. NOT!

In other news I did start working on my characters and plot description. It's a little rocky and still a bit iffy but better than nothing!

A Couple of Important Tools

So there are a couple of tools that I may have mentioned before that are, I feel, invaluable to my writing. I'm going to go over them quickly just to put it out there and maybe it will help you!

The first is what I call my "catch-all." This nifty tool is really nothing more than a notebook that is a reasonable size that I can stick in whatever bag I'm carrying. Currently my catch-all is a medium sized Moleskin quadrille lined notebook. It's perfect for me right now since the smallest bag I carry is a large hobo that doubles as a diaper bag for quick outings or my actual diaper bag. Anytime I have an idea or see something that I may want to include in a story I can jot it down or sketch it out and have it for later. Since the notebook doesn't have dividers like Five Star notebooks I have a coding system that I made up and have used in a couple of different ways. At the top outside corner of each page I put a letter (or sometimes a combination of letters) to remind me of what is on the page if I'm flipping through quickly. I use the letter "I" for idea. This page will hold a story idea that I can come back to at a later date to flesh out. I use the letter "C" for character. This page wil hold my observations from people watching or character ideas that just come to me. If I ever need a specific type of character I can look for the letter "C" and see what I have. The other two letters that I use most often are the letters "D" and "F" for detail and filler respectively. Detail pages hold little things that might be cool to add into a story. Like a loose brink on a particular building in Boston that should be used to hide a message or a creepy abandoned Metro station in Paris that a train always passes through. Fillers are little scenarios that I can pop in when I'm stuck. To be truthful these usually come from my dreams or day dreams! They are usually wacky things like a flashback to childhood when the character got hit in the face with applesauce or a letter that informs the character that some nutty relative is coming to visit. I've put the letters directly on the page before but I've also used the Scotch brand tabs or flags to help me keep order. The only down side is that the flags tend to come off rather easily so if you choose that method keep it in mind. The Moleskin also has a nifty little pocket in the back that allows me to stash business cards, napkin drawings etc. So fantastic.

My other favorite tool is actually a website that is done by professional writer, Holly Lisle. If you go to the Writing Tools link to the right the link is listed there or click here. Holly has a number of How-To's that really get me going in my stories especially when I'm stuck. Her world builder worksheets are amazing. I have used the map builder a couple of times as starts to my stories since it works so well. Her character and story questionaires are great too. I've used and adapted these for my stories to keep everything straight!

So these are my two biggest tools other than my computer when it comes to writing. I know that the notebook thing isn't new but maybe my way of coding the pages will help you!

Yay! New Content and A Working Title!

So! I have decided that the page needed some sprucing up! As you can see I've changed the layout and design. I liked this one since my desk often looks this way and by that I mean the crumpled pieces of paper and the ever-present cup of tea in my case. I don't have fancy whirly-gigs engraved in my desk though. Too bad, I like them!

I have also added some new content! If you look to the right you'll see a couple of new links that show you where else I hang out on the web and some pretty nifty tools that I use for writing. For the latter list, if you have anything cool to recommend pass it on to me via my contact info and I'll be happy to look through it and possibly add it to my list of favorites!

I have also decided on a working title for my 2010 NaNoWriMo novel! YAY!!!!! It only took me forever! The title is (drum roll please!) : Blame the Dog

NaNoWriMo 2010

So the end of October is fast approaching and I'm ramping up to try and complete NaNoWriMo this year. It'll definitely be different this year since I'm a stay at home mom now to a very active six month old. I'm not sure how I'll do but I figure it'll be a challenge and something else to keep me busy during his naps.

There's just one little problem: I haven't hit upon an idea that really thrills me. I need inspiration! What to do, what to do......I haven't gone though my catch all notebook yet and so maybe I have a good idea stashed away for a rainy day in it. Hmmm. Anyone else in a bind?