Since returning from my parents' house, I've accomplished very little. I did vacuum, clean the bathroom, and straighten up the house a bit but that's as far as I've gotten. I spent the rest of the time re-arranging my bedroom and uploading pictures to Snapfish.
Once I'm done with my cup of coffee, I'm going to venture out into the hot world. In addition to food, I'm going to get another phone. The caller id window on mine burnt out weeks ago and I'm getting tired of picking up when fake charities call me. If I can get one with an answering machine built in, I'll probably do that.
I figured out a few more of the plot details of Murder Lake Massacre, specifically why Sister Mary Slaughterhouse is there mowing people down. I'm thinking it could go 50k now. I may have to write Spider Girls in Heat during a different month.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 31: Preparations
It seems like I just prepared for Camp NaNoWriMo. Today, I'll be taking care of some tasks in anticipation for another Camp NaNoWriMo extravaganza. I'm not all that excited but I'm sure that'll change once I start writing again tomorrow.
The to-do list:
The to-do list:
- Get time-saving supplies
- Clean house
- Mow if it's not too hot
- At least outline the short story for James Steele's contest
- Write down some notes for Tentacle Mustache Double Feature
- Enjoy a block of uninterrupted reading time
Friday, July 29, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 29
I was almost late for work this morning because I was trying to take pictures of two tiny tree frogs that were stuck to my back door. Unfortunately, the humidty kept making my lens fog up. I'm hoping the little guys will be back tonight. They were awfully cute in an amphibious sort of way.
The more I think about Murder Lake Massacre, the more I think it might go all the way in August. I've been chipping away at the nebulous portions of the story in my fleeting moments of spare time at work. I've got a much better idea of the beginning and the ending now, though a lot of the middle is a big question mark. I'll need to come up with a few supporting characters so I have something to work with when I jump back on the roller coaster on Monday. MLM started out as a slasher spoof but it's morphing into something else the more thought I put into it. It's actually seeming a bit more like Jaws in structure.
"You have to close the camp grounds! There's a chainsaw wielding maniac on the loose!"
"It's my busiest season! If I close the camp grounds, my business will dry up. What do you think this is?"
"I think you intend to ignore this particular problem until it chainsaws your ass off!"
The novella I'll write in my spare time, if any? It's looking like Spider Girls in Heat at the moment. I've decided to save Dukes of Alhazred for November so I'll have more time to come up with the plot. I don't want to jump into a time travel story half-assed.
The more I think about Murder Lake Massacre, the more I think it might go all the way in August. I've been chipping away at the nebulous portions of the story in my fleeting moments of spare time at work. I've got a much better idea of the beginning and the ending now, though a lot of the middle is a big question mark. I'll need to come up with a few supporting characters so I have something to work with when I jump back on the roller coaster on Monday. MLM started out as a slasher spoof but it's morphing into something else the more thought I put into it. It's actually seeming a bit more like Jaws in structure.
"You have to close the camp grounds! There's a chainsaw wielding maniac on the loose!"
"It's my busiest season! If I close the camp grounds, my business will dry up. What do you think this is?"
"I think you intend to ignore this particular problem until it chainsaws your ass off!"
The novella I'll write in my spare time, if any? It's looking like Spider Girls in Heat at the moment. I've decided to save Dukes of Alhazred for November so I'll have more time to come up with the plot. I don't want to jump into a time travel story half-assed.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 28
July is winding to a close and August will be upon us in just over three days. I regret not slacking as much as I could have the past few days. I don't really feel ready to dive into another 50k month but I'm going to do it anyway.
Theresa, my co-worker, finished reading Sweating Bullets yesterday. She said she didn't cry at the end but it was close. I had no trouble believing that since I may have teared up while writing part of it. Since I haven't yet had my fill of the Sisters of the Most Precious Chainsaw, I've decided I'll do Murder Lake Masscare first and use my remaining wordage/time for a yet to be determined novella. I don't know how long MLM will be. I should probably jot down some notes for it before Monday.
Work has been really hectic the last few days. I'm going to buckle down and try to finish some things tomorrow so next week isn't such a nightmare.
My brother and I are going to see Captain America this weekend. We're both pretty excited about it. Other things I plan on doing this weekend:
Theresa, my co-worker, finished reading Sweating Bullets yesterday. She said she didn't cry at the end but it was close. I had no trouble believing that since I may have teared up while writing part of it. Since I haven't yet had my fill of the Sisters of the Most Precious Chainsaw, I've decided I'll do Murder Lake Masscare first and use my remaining wordage/time for a yet to be determined novella. I don't know how long MLM will be. I should probably jot down some notes for it before Monday.
Work has been really hectic the last few days. I'm going to buckle down and try to finish some things tomorrow so next week isn't such a nightmare.
My brother and I are going to see Captain America this weekend. We're both pretty excited about it. Other things I plan on doing this weekend:
- Read the new Jim Butcher book. If the meta-plot doesn't advance sufficiently, it will be the last Dresden Files book that I read.
- Write a short story for James Steele's contest.
- Do some super cleaning so I can go right back to neglecting housework again in a couple days
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 27
While I was sitting in the shade watching the other campers toil, I had some time to check the search terms used to find my blog. Here are three interesting ones:
In other news, I figured out more of the plots of my August Camp projects. I can't decide if I'm going to alternate writing the two novellas every other day or write one from start to finish and then do the other. I might put the same befuddled cop in both of them.
In other other news, I owe my brother an apology. I finally found my Flight of the Conchords season 1. It was not in his house.
In other other other news, I watched Hobo with a Shotgun last night when I got home from work. It was okay but nothing spectacular. Machete was way better.
In other other other other news, I may have to mow the grass tonight. It's getting kind of shaggy and it seems like a good time to mow since the high today is less than my body temperature.
- bear orgy
- dans hot orgy
- devil wives of li fong
In other news, I figured out more of the plots of my August Camp projects. I can't decide if I'm going to alternate writing the two novellas every other day or write one from start to finish and then do the other. I might put the same befuddled cop in both of them.
In other other news, I owe my brother an apology. I finally found my Flight of the Conchords season 1. It was not in his house.
In other other other news, I watched Hobo with a Shotgun last night when I got home from work. It was okay but nothing spectacular. Machete was way better.
In other other other other news, I may have to mow the grass tonight. It's getting kind of shaggy and it seems like a good time to mow since the high today is less than my body temperature.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 25
I looked at my work calendar when I got in today and realized Camp NaNoWriMo is over. Yeah, I knew it was over yesterday when I finished my story but it didn't really sink in until this morning. I may be suffering from a bit of post-NaNo depression.
Sunday nights are usually a crap shoot for me. If I sleep too late, the schedule is thrown out the window, and if I stay out late on Saturday, I frequently need a nap in the afternoon, also leading to the schedule being tossed. I don't know what my problem was last night but I could not get my brain to shut up. I kept thinking about what I'm going to write for Camp NaNoWriMo in August and thought about adding some more detail to the last chapter of Sweating Bullets and tossing out the epilogue all together.
Right now, here's what I'm planning to write in August. I have a week to change my mind, though. Since it's not the big deal NaNoWriMo in November, I think I can write a couple novellas and call it a day. If not, I'll pretend its a novel and call it Tentacle Mustache Double Feature and throw some kind of framing sequences around it.
Sunday nights are usually a crap shoot for me. If I sleep too late, the schedule is thrown out the window, and if I stay out late on Saturday, I frequently need a nap in the afternoon, also leading to the schedule being tossed. I don't know what my problem was last night but I could not get my brain to shut up. I kept thinking about what I'm going to write for Camp NaNoWriMo in August and thought about adding some more detail to the last chapter of Sweating Bullets and tossing out the epilogue all together.
Right now, here's what I'm planning to write in August. I have a week to change my mind, though. Since it's not the big deal NaNoWriMo in November, I think I can write a couple novellas and call it a day. If not, I'll pretend its a novel and call it Tentacle Mustache Double Feature and throw some kind of framing sequences around it.
- Dukes of Alhazred - Dukes of Hazzard/Call of Cthulhu/Back to the Future hybrid about a guy who goes back in time to stop Schneider and Wopat from leaving the Dukes of Hazzard for a season. I should probably mention that the guy goes back in time using a Dodge Charger resembling the General Lee that's powered by magic/alien science gleened from the Necronomicon.
- Murder Lake Massacre (or Spring Break Slaughterhose) - A string of chainsaw killings brings Sister Mary Hatchet to Marder Lake (aka Murder Lake). It looks like Sister Mary Slaughterhouse is running wild after the events of Sweating Bullets. But is there a method to her madness?
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo Day 24 - Finish Line!
Yeah, I'm not completely thrilled about the aftermath but it's finished. If I think of a way to expand it, I will during one of the subsequent tweakings. For now, I'm relaxing and pretending that I haven't already committed to doing this all again in August.
Time for some much-needed relaxation.
Time for some much-needed relaxation.
Camp NaNoWriMo Day 24 - Check-in 2
All I have left to write is the aftermath. I've written over 5000 words today and need to take a short break and eat that lunch I mentioned 2000 words ago. I'm a little fried so I'm going to rest a bit before I tackle the aftermath.
That's all the material I have at the moment. It's been a pretty eventful morning, writing-wise.
That's all the material I have at the moment. It's been a pretty eventful morning, writing-wise.
Camp NaNoWriMo Day 24 - Quick Check-in
I've been writing for the past three hours and am at over 3000 words for the day so far. I've got one chapter and the aftermath left. My current word count is 58089. I expect it'll be close to 63k when I'm finished.
I think an early lunch is in order as well as a quick dog walk.
I think an early lunch is in order as well as a quick dog walk.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 23n
What time did I say I was getting up? It was a lot closer to seven...
No writing yet. I'm drinking coffee to de-zombify myself and then I'm heading out. I'm taking my flash drive with me in the event my trip gets extended.
In between chapters this afternoon, I think I should do some much needed cleaning...
No writing yet. I'm drinking coffee to de-zombify myself and then I'm heading out. I'm taking my flash drive with me in the event my trip gets extended.
In between chapters this afternoon, I think I should do some much needed cleaning...
Friday, July 22, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 22: Fried
I had a feeling two chapters was overly ambitious. I managed one chapter, close to 3000 words, and now I'm done for the night. I have at least three chapters left, possibly four. The current plan is to get up at my normal time, 4:30 am, tomorrow and try to get a chapter in before I visit my parents. We'll see if that happens. I'm thinking about bringing my laptop or possibly my flash drive to my parents' tomorrow in case the visit gets stretched like last week.
I had some ideas about last minute treachery earlier that I'll work into the final chapters. Theresa, my co-worker that traditionally gets to read my NaNoWriMos while they're in process, is going to be pissed at me at the end. The nuns are her favorite characters and she keeps asking me if they're going to get killed. I almost teared up last night during a particularly emotional scene.
Eyes tired. Time to go to bed.
I had some ideas about last minute treachery earlier that I'll work into the final chapters. Theresa, my co-worker that traditionally gets to read my NaNoWriMos while they're in process, is going to be pissed at me at the end. The nuns are her favorite characters and she keeps asking me if they're going to get killed. I almost teared up last night during a particularly emotional scene.
Eyes tired. Time to go to bed.
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 22: Later
I'm about halfway into Chapter 21 and pausing to eat dinner.
The Kill Bill soundtrack has been my writing music for the past couple days, particularly the Battle Without Honor or Humanity and Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood/Santa Esmerelda. It works pretty well, regardless of whether you're writing a chainsaw melee or a corn dog eating contest.
I've drunk quite a bit of coffee since I got home so I'm going to try to write as much as I can tonight. I have to finish Sweating Bullets this weekend so I have some breathing room next week.
Did I mention I got my goodies for winning Eric Hendrixson's Bucket of Facebook giveaway? I got a 50 Trillion Dollar Bill from Zimbabwe, three Bucket of Face magnets, and a really cool Bucket of Face t-shirt. I'll be posting pictures sooner or later.
I'd better wolf down dinner and get back to it.
The Kill Bill soundtrack has been my writing music for the past couple days, particularly the Battle Without Honor or Humanity and Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood/Santa Esmerelda. It works pretty well, regardless of whether you're writing a chainsaw melee or a corn dog eating contest.
I've drunk quite a bit of coffee since I got home so I'm going to try to write as much as I can tonight. I have to finish Sweating Bullets this weekend so I have some breathing room next week.
Did I mention I got my goodies for winning Eric Hendrixson's Bucket of Facebook giveaway? I got a 50 Trillion Dollar Bill from Zimbabwe, three Bucket of Face magnets, and a really cool Bucket of Face t-shirt. I'll be posting pictures sooner or later.
I'd better wolf down dinner and get back to it.
Camp NaNoWriMo Day 22 - Navy Blue Friday
I wore my navy blue Forbidden Future shirt today. I'd supply a picture but apparently Woot doesn't sell it anymore. There are twenty people in my department. Eleven have shown up for work. Seven of those eleven are also wearing navy blue t-shirts.
Nothing happening on the writing front yet. Work's hectic but I may have some time this afternoon. I'm going to buckle down this weekend and try to finish the rough draft of Sweating Bullets so I have some time to rest on my laurels and do other things before starting Dukes of Alhazred in August, my Call of Cthulhu/Dukes of Hazzard/Back to the Future story.
Nothing happening on the writing front yet. Work's hectic but I may have some time this afternoon. I'm going to buckle down this weekend and try to finish the rough draft of Sweating Bullets so I have some time to rest on my laurels and do other things before starting Dukes of Alhazred in August, my Call of Cthulhu/Dukes of Hazzard/Back to the Future story.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 21: Progress report
I got home today after not getting a hell of a lot written. After walking the dog and sweating off about a third of my body weight in the 104 degree heat, I decided to break out the most nefarious of my strategies: No eating until the writing is finished!
Needless to say, food is the third most motivating factor in my life. Books are the second and the first is the same as any red-blooded male's.
"So, what's your word count?" you ask. Thanks for asking, by the way. My word count is 3423 for the day, bringing my total wordage up to... 50,023! I am now in the gravy zone. I'm going to walk my dog and think about the next chapter, though I may celebrate by finishing the book I'm reading instead.
I have the following left to write:
Needless to say, food is the third most motivating factor in my life. Books are the second and the first is the same as any red-blooded male's.
"So, what's your word count?" you ask. Thanks for asking, by the way. My word count is 3423 for the day, bringing my total wordage up to... 50,023! I am now in the gravy zone. I'm going to walk my dog and think about the next chapter, though I may celebrate by finishing the book I'm reading instead.
I have the following left to write:
- Cooper's eating contest against Haruki Kanemoto, complete with Deathcap attack
- The assault on Gray Coven headquarters and the summoning of the Nanomancer
- The battle against the Nanomancer
- The aftermath
Camp NaNoWriMo Day 21 - Still Hectic
Yeah, it's been another busy damn day. I found out I'm responsible for getting a project that should take about two months done in less than two weeks. Don't tell anyone but the only time I find my job stimulating is when I have crazy deadlines. Other times, I waste a shameful time surfing the internet and have been known to participate in novel writing months.
I'm about 800 words into chapter 20 and not completely thrilled with it. I'll likely scrap a lot of what I have so far when I tear it apart during editing. The big chainsaw melee is coming fast.
I'm about 800 words into chapter 20 and not completely thrilled with it. I'll likely scrap a lot of what I have so far when I tear it apart during editing. The big chainsaw melee is coming fast.
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 21: Ketchup
Yesterday was a hectic day at work. I pretty much took the evening off last night and watched Return of the Living Dead 2 and The Last Starfighter and went to bed. Today is probably also going to be busy but I plan on stealing some writing moments throughout.
That's about all I have going on. Captain America comes out this week and I'm very excited about it. I may have to quit on superhero movies for a few years if it sucks.
That's about all I have going on. Captain America comes out this week and I'm very excited about it. I may have to quit on superhero movies for a few years if it sucks.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMO - Day 20
So far today, I've busted out a computer program and interviewed two potential future teammates. On the writing front, I have accomplished nothing thus far. I also remembered that before I can do the big chainsaw fight in chapter 20, I'll have to watch the Darth Maul lightsaber fight in the Phantom Menace. It's possible that if I free up some time this afternoon, I might be able to get chapter 20 written up to that point.
That's about all I have at the moment. I'm excited about getting within shouting distance of 50k and even more excited about wrapping this story up the next few days. I've got reading to catch up on, a short story to crank out for James Steele's Felix's Epic Journey contest, and ideas to throw around before I do all this again in August.
That's about all I have at the moment. I'm excited about getting within shouting distance of 50k and even more excited about wrapping this story up the next few days. I've got reading to catch up on, a short story to crank out for James Steele's Felix's Epic Journey contest, and ideas to throw around before I do all this again in August.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 19: Not Much Happening
Work's been hectic so I haven't written anything yet. I'm also not quite sure what's going to happen in this chapter. All I know is that Cooper trains for his showdown with Kanemoto and the nuns are having a crisis of faith and end up back at the nunnery. It's the least exciting chapter I have left.
What have I accomplished today? I interviewed a candidate for the empty programmer spot in our group with my boss. It was painful. I knew it wasn't going to work after three questions but the interview went on another twenty minutes. I kept doing the move along gesture Roland does in the Dark Tower books. Two more interviews tomorrow, one without the boss. Should be interesting. Both of these candidates look good on paper. I also discovered my boss's boss uses the phrase "In essence" at least once per phone call he's on. It gets a little irritating having him in the cube over the wall from mine sometimes.
Oh, I did accomplish something else today. I came up with yet another story idea I might attempt during August. It's going to be an homage to Back to the Future with Cthulhu cultists and rednecks.
What have I accomplished today? I interviewed a candidate for the empty programmer spot in our group with my boss. It was painful. I knew it wasn't going to work after three questions but the interview went on another twenty minutes. I kept doing the move along gesture Roland does in the Dark Tower books. Two more interviews tomorrow, one without the boss. Should be interesting. Both of these candidates look good on paper. I also discovered my boss's boss uses the phrase "In essence" at least once per phone call he's on. It gets a little irritating having him in the cube over the wall from mine sometimes.
Oh, I did accomplish something else today. I came up with yet another story idea I might attempt during August. It's going to be an homage to Back to the Future with Cthulhu cultists and rednecks.
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 19
I almost dropped the ball last night and watched movies instead of writing. I was on a good non-writing roll. I'd actually made dinner for the second night in a row and watched Leatherface. It wasn't as scary as it was when I was a kid. Around 7:30, I had a difficult choice to make.
I made the right one. My word count is up to 44,185. I don't imagine I have more than six or seven chapters left to go and I figured out how I'm going to do the aftermath without making it seem ham-fisted on the way to work this morning. I think today's writing will be the last chapter that isn't action-packed until the aftermath. Almost all the cards are on the table.
It may be difficult to steal some writing moments today. I'm supposed to interview a guy at 10 and I should probably spend my free time this morning preparing. We'll see, though. It can't take that much prep.
I made the right one. My word count is up to 44,185. I don't imagine I have more than six or seven chapters left to go and I figured out how I'm going to do the aftermath without making it seem ham-fisted on the way to work this morning. I think today's writing will be the last chapter that isn't action-packed until the aftermath. Almost all the cards are on the table.
It may be difficult to steal some writing moments today. I'm supposed to interview a guy at 10 and I should probably spend my free time this morning preparing. We'll see, though. It can't take that much prep.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 18
After giving another Camper the advice to take the night off, I took the night off myself last night. It was okay but I felt like I should have used the time to get ahead in my word count. Instead, I got grociers, unwound with a couple beers, and read fifty pages in Ask the Parrot, the second last Parker book by Richard Stark. I also wasted a shameful amount of time on Facebook.
According to my calendar at work, I should be hitting 50k sometime on Thursday. I'm not sure how much story is left after that. After today, I have the following events to cover and am not sure how long any of them are going to take:
- Cooper training for the eating contest
- The nuns having a crisis of faith over the revelations they learned from Nathaniel
- The disastrous first attempt to stop the Gray Coven
- Debbie getting home to find Cooper in a compromising postion with Sister Mary Hatchet
- The Eating Contest
- Detective Pope showing up to throw a wrench in the works
- Jailbreak (probably, I'm a little fuzzy there)
- The Summoning
- The aftermath
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 17
Staying out past midnight sure isn't conducive to writing. It's taken me all damn morning but I've manage to write 2485 words, bring my wordage up to 41,800. 50,000 is finally within sight so I'll be attempting another chapter tonight. I finally figured out what Tommy's role was in things and finally revealed the true origin of the universe so I'm excited to start wrapping things up.
That's about all I have. I'm going to go out for supplies in a bit, then probably take a nap. Maybe I'll take some time to read or watch a movie before I get back on the horse.
That's about all I have. I'm going to go out for supplies in a bit, then probably take a nap. Maybe I'll take some time to read or watch a movie before I get back on the horse.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 16
I'm at 2002 words for the day already. That's what happens when you get up at 4:45 on a Saturday, I guess. I'm not incredibly proud of the chapter I busted out this morning but it had to be done. I had to get Cooper through an entire day so I could do the meeting with Nathaniel, which will be the next chapter. I'm excited about writing that one and hope I have time to at least start it this afternoon.
I finally finished reading Wolves of the Calla last night. It was better than I remembered. I've got two weeks before Song of Susannah and I'll probably spend it reading unchallenging things until I finish Sweating Bullets.
I finally finished reading Wolves of the Calla last night. It was better than I remembered. I've got two weeks before Song of Susannah and I'll probably spend it reading unchallenging things until I finish Sweating Bullets.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 15: Time for Some Reading
I was a little gunshy about writing anything today after my technological setbacks of the past two days but I banged out another chapter. My word total is 37313. I should write more but I think I'm due for some reading.
Tomorrow is going to be a busy day so I'm going to attempt to get up at my normal time and try to get in a chapter before I head over to my parents' house. I'm banking on going above and beyond the call of duty Sunday and getting at least two chapters in. I think I'll be revealing Tommy's allegiance in the next chapter. Also, I'm looking forward to the nuns trying to fit in while disguised as normal women.
I'm off to walk the road to the Dark Tower. It's amazing how much I've forgotten since I last read Wolves of the Calla. Until tomorrow, here are two little snippets that I like.
excerpt 1:
excerpt 2:
Tomorrow is going to be a busy day so I'm going to attempt to get up at my normal time and try to get in a chapter before I head over to my parents' house. I'm banking on going above and beyond the call of duty Sunday and getting at least two chapters in. I think I'll be revealing Tommy's allegiance in the next chapter. Also, I'm looking forward to the nuns trying to fit in while disguised as normal women.
I'm off to walk the road to the Dark Tower. It's amazing how much I've forgotten since I last read Wolves of the Calla. Until tomorrow, here are two little snippets that I like.
excerpt 1:
The nun called Hatchet spoke. "I'm Sister Mary Hatchet and this is Sister Mary Severa. We're members of a religious order called The Sisters of the Most Precious Chainsaw."
"Makes sense," Cooper said. He rolled a cigarette and put fire to it.
"Smoking is bad for you," Severa said.
Cooper raised an eyebrow and blew smoke in her direction. "It sure looks cool, though. Go on, Hatchet."
"Only if you roll me one of those cigarettes. I haven't had a smoke in ten years," Hatchet said.
Cooper nodded and rolled another cigarette. He lit the cigarette with the end of his and handed it to Hatchet.
She took a puff and smiled. "Better than I remembered," she said. Severa frowned at her. "What? I'm not breaking any commandments. There's no commandment that says 'Thou shall not enjoy a smoke after smiting one's enemies,' is there?"
excerpt 2:
Without warning, the Smartcar turned down a narrow alley. The station wagon was too big to fit so Hatchet was forced to turn at the next corner.
"See what I mean? That little booger is trying to get away," Severa said.
"Severa, that's pretty harsh language coming from you," Hatchet said.
Severa glanced at Hatchet. "Booger isn't taking the Lord's name in vain. Not unless that was Jesus's nickname in school."
"I'm pretty sure his nickname was Skippy but I'll research that," Hatchet said.
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 15: Setbacks
I'm beginning to think that saving documents directly to my flash drive is causing some problems. I was pasting all of my completed chapters into one document so I'd have something to refer to when I have questions as to how things happened. It turns out that a chunk of Chapter 7 got corrupted somehow. It was even more garbled than yesterday's mishap and pretty well unreadable. I was able to rewrite a lot of it from memory but it looks like I lost close to 400 words, lowering my wordage to 35,261.
The morning hasn't been all bad, however. I did write down what needs to happen in each of the next five days in Cooper's life. I also jotted down some backstory that Nathaniel will be revealing soon.
If I keep up my current pace, I should hit 50k by next Wednesday or Thursday. I'm hoping to be a couple chapters ahead by the time Monday rolls around, however.
Damn setbacks.
The morning hasn't been all bad, however. I did write down what needs to happen in each of the next five days in Cooper's life. I also jotted down some backstory that Nathaniel will be revealing soon.
If I keep up my current pace, I should hit 50k by next Wednesday or Thursday. I'm hoping to be a couple chapters ahead by the time Monday rolls around, however.
Damn setbacks.
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 15
I don't know what my dog's problem was this morning but I could not get her to go to the bathroom before work no matter what. When I finally did get her to go, apparently she wasn't finished. She stood in front of the door and wouldn't let me leave. I took her out again and she went to the bathroom a second time but not until after I took her for a little walk. The net result was me being a half hour late for work and pissed off. Luckily no one else is here yet so I can pretend to have gotten here on time.
I'm not really sure how long the chapter of Cooper and the nuns is going to be. It occurs to me that the cops should show up to ask Cooper why his car was at Uncle Leroy's Diner with flat tires. I should also reveal Tommy's true allegiance pretty soon, probably after the eating contest. Timing is going to be sticky from here on out. I have to coordinate the twists and keep in mind when Debbie gets back home and when the Grand Alignment occurs. I should probably also figure out what the monster that gets summoned looks like before it gets summoned.
I'm not really sure how long the chapter of Cooper and the nuns is going to be. It occurs to me that the cops should show up to ask Cooper why his car was at Uncle Leroy's Diner with flat tires. I should also reveal Tommy's true allegiance pretty soon, probably after the eating contest. Timing is going to be sticky from here on out. I have to coordinate the twists and keep in mind when Debbie gets back home and when the Grand Alignment occurs. I should probably also figure out what the monster that gets summoned looks like before it gets summoned.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 14: Bedtime
I really wanted to take this evening off but I pushed ahead. After procrastinating for half of the evening, I finally forced myself to sit down and write. I have a pounding headache but I'm now at 35,612. I've both established Sister Mary Slaughterhouse as a bad ass and got her captured by the Gray Coven.
That's about all the material I have. I'm tired and I'm going to bed.
That's about all the material I have. I'm tired and I'm going to bed.
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 14: Running in Neutral
So all of my stolen moments today were spent putting chapter 11 back together. I tried everything I could think of, even trying to try Google Documents into opening it for me. All I figured out was that the file couldn't be read as an .ODT, .DOC, or .RTF. Good thing it was my shortest chapter and not a gargantuan like chapter 1 was. Trying to extract meaningful stuff from a corrupted file really sucked. I'm wondering if I wouldn't have been better off rewriting it from scratch.
To sum up, no forward progress yet today. I guess I'll be burning the 9 o'clock oil tonight unless things flow very smoothly when I get home.
In non writing news, I'm very interested in watching Hobo with a Shotgun.
To sum up, no forward progress yet today. I guess I'll be burning the 9 o'clock oil tonight unless things flow very smoothly when I get home.
In non writing news, I'm very interested in watching Hobo with a Shotgun.
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 14
Well, shit. I was skimming older chapters, figuring out how I was going to go about Sister Mary Slaugherhouse's finding the Gray Coven's hq, when I tried to open Chapter 11. It would not open in Word or Google Documents. I opened the file using notepad and saw a ton of gobbledy gook. The text is still there but there's a space between every letter. I'm going to try to open it with Open Office when I get home. If not it doesn't work, I guess I'll be chopping up the document and deleting a lot of spaces at some point.
I'm thinking about taking tomorrow off and then doing some marathon writing for the next three days. I have a ton of days off left to take and I'd like to have some breathing room before Camp NaNoWriMo in August.
I'm thinking about taking tomorrow off and then doing some marathon writing for the next three days. I have a ton of days off left to take and I'd like to have some breathing room before Camp NaNoWriMo in August.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 13: Time to Relax
I just finished Chapter 13 and reached 32916 words. The slaughter in the diner was a tough piece to write. There was a lot of "How many words was that? It had to be at least 200. Shit, it was only 29." I got through it but I'll definitely have to tweak it later.
Tomorrow's writing will be Sister Mary Slaugherhouse doing some detective work tracking the surviving Deathcaps back to the junkyard and trying to stop the summoning. If I manage to write some extra tomorrow, it will be the nuns and Cooper having a chat, followed by the nuns going undercover as Cooper's bodyguards and trying to fit in, which should be hilarious.
Until tomorrow, here's an excerpt:
Tomorrow's writing will be Sister Mary Slaugherhouse doing some detective work tracking the surviving Deathcaps back to the junkyard and trying to stop the summoning. If I manage to write some extra tomorrow, it will be the nuns and Cooper having a chat, followed by the nuns going undercover as Cooper's bodyguards and trying to fit in, which should be hilarious.
Until tomorrow, here's an excerpt:
The sound of metal crashing into metal rang out, audible even over the fighting. A handful of objects glowing as bright as the sun flew through one of the windows and rolled across the floor. After a second, Cooper realized they were road flares.
Deathcaps swarmed the front door of the diner, bracing themselves against it, but it was no use. Two chainsaws roared to life and cut through the door like chili through a nun, cutting through wood, flesh, and bone, until the door was cut from its hinges and fell inward.
Cooper shook is head in disbelief as the chainsaws idled and two nuns walked in, their habits blowing in the breeze.
"When there's bloody work to be done, the Lord always sends a nun," one of them said.
"Did you make that up, Severa?" the other asked.
"Yes. Do you like it?" Severa said.
"Quite a bit, actually," Hatchet said. "Ready to do the Lord's work?"
"I was initiated into the Sisters of the Most Precious Chainsaw ready," Severa said.
They clicked the blades of their chainsaws together and set upon the Deathcaps, chainsaws roaring.
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 13: The Neverending Afternoon
When the crap is this work day going to be over with so I can go home and write? I've stolen moments for writing here and there today but I'm 90% done with the setup and the rest should be pretty smooth sailing. There's just a little expositon left from the Sisters of the Most Precious Chainsaw and a little more from Nathaniel. I'm not sure how much longer its going to be but I'll be surprised if it hits 75k this draft. There's just not a lot left that needs to happen, although I'm a little fuzzy about exactly what the ending is going to entail.
Away from Camp:
I've made pretty good progress in reading Wolves of the Calla the past two days and I'm enjoying it as much as the first time I read it. Dark Tower lingo keeps trying to invade my everyday speech. I had the urge to say "You say true, I say Thankya" several times today. Roland might have inspired me to make Nathaniel be carrying two old revolvers for weapons but I think it was for the best. The leader of The Acolytes of the Revolver would go heeled in any case.
I was almost late this morning trying to take a picture of a spider that spun a web in front of my back door. The brightness of the porch light and the size of the spider made it too hard to do at 5 am, though.
Away from Camp:
I've made pretty good progress in reading Wolves of the Calla the past two days and I'm enjoying it as much as the first time I read it. Dark Tower lingo keeps trying to invade my everyday speech. I had the urge to say "You say true, I say Thankya" several times today. Roland might have inspired me to make Nathaniel be carrying two old revolvers for weapons but I think it was for the best. The leader of The Acolytes of the Revolver would go heeled in any case.
I was almost late this morning trying to take a picture of a spider that spun a web in front of my back door. The brightness of the porch light and the size of the spider made it too hard to do at 5 am, though.
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 13: Chaos!
Day 13 of Camp NaNoWriMo is upon us. Pretty soon, we'll be at the halfway mark. Before you know it, we'll be heading home for a quick refresher, then getting back on the bus for the August stay at camp.
I've written 350-ish words today. Work's been busy and the piece I'm writing today is going to be pretty chaotic. I've got a gunfight in a restaurant to write and there are a lot of things to consider.
I've written 350-ish words today. Work's been busy and the piece I'm writing today is going to be pretty chaotic. I've got a gunfight in a restaurant to write and there are a lot of things to consider.
- How many bullets do Cooper and Nathaniel have?
- How can the Deathcaps go up against Cooper and Nathaniel with what they brought and not go down like Stormtroopers?
- When should I have the lights go out?
- When do the chainsaw wielding nuns arrive?
- When does Cooper find out about Tommy?
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 12: Time to Relax
I just finished chapter 12 and hit 30,795 words. I'm finally ahead of where I need to be and I left off at a place that's going to be fun to write tomorrow. I don't think I've ever written a battle with this many characters before but it should be fun.
I think I'm going to relax a bit before bed and make some progress in Wolves of the Calla. Until tomorrow, here's a small exchange between the nuns.
I think I'm going to relax a bit before bed and make some progress in Wolves of the Calla. Until tomorrow, here's a small exchange between the nuns.
"How are you feeling, Severa?" Hatchet asked.
"Tired but okay. Why?" Severa said.
"No reason," Hatchet said.
"Why, Hatchet?" Severa asked with a little more force.
"Sister Mary Caligula has called us to her office. There's a good chance we're in trouble."
"Why? We didn't do anything wrong. It isn't our fault that that maniac was also investigating Cooper."
"Yeah, but we probably shouldn't have left the saws in the car. We could have carved his ass up like a Christmas goose."
"You're so eloquent, Hatchet. If someone listened to recordings of the Sermon on the Mount and what you just said, I doubt they could tell the difference," Severa said.
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 12: The Hunger
I'm starving. My salsa pork chops last night must have jumpstarted my metabolism. Good thing lunch is only 30 minutes away.
Today has been pretty productive so far. I've stolen moments here and there and have written almost 1600 words, the scene in the junkyard that introduces the Deathcaps, the part I should have written last night. I'm feeling better about Sweating Bullets than I was earlier and if I can stay focused this evening, I might actually be able to pull ahead of my 2450 word per day goal.
Up next is the meeting between Cooper and the leader of the Acolytes of the Revolver, which will be interrupted by a Deathcap attack. I can't have the old guy spill the beans about everything in the first meeting, can I? I have to come up with a name so I stop calling him "the old guy." It might wind up becoming two chapters. I haven't decided if Sister Mary Slaughterhouse will show up to save the day yet, wielding her twin chainsaws like Darth Maul. I'm really getting to the point where I should outline things.
Something that happened yesterday that I forgot about:
I was half-listening when I heard a co-worker tell a story about being interrupted by her daughter when she was on a converence call. The daughter said "The fish had babies" but she heard it as "Fishhead Babies." I'm definitely using Fishhead Babies in something in the future.
Today has been pretty productive so far. I've stolen moments here and there and have written almost 1600 words, the scene in the junkyard that introduces the Deathcaps, the part I should have written last night. I'm feeling better about Sweating Bullets than I was earlier and if I can stay focused this evening, I might actually be able to pull ahead of my 2450 word per day goal.
Up next is the meeting between Cooper and the leader of the Acolytes of the Revolver, which will be interrupted by a Deathcap attack. I can't have the old guy spill the beans about everything in the first meeting, can I? I have to come up with a name so I stop calling him "the old guy." It might wind up becoming two chapters. I haven't decided if Sister Mary Slaughterhouse will show up to save the day yet, wielding her twin chainsaws like Darth Maul. I'm really getting to the point where I should outline things.
Something that happened yesterday that I forgot about:
I was half-listening when I heard a co-worker tell a story about being interrupted by her daughter when she was on a converence call. The daughter said "The fish had babies" but she heard it as "Fishhead Babies." I'm definitely using Fishhead Babies in something in the future.
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 12
This morning on the way to work, I had a bout of NaNoWriMo Doubts.
I've written about 400 words so far today and thought of something to make Webcap seem a little more villainous. I'm hoping to get the Gray Coven thing out of the way so I can have Cooper have a chat with Magnus (or whatever I end up calling the old man) tonight.
Oh, and it's my Dad's birthday tomorrow. I think we're doing something on Saturday but we might be doing it on his actual birthday instead. That should take a nice big bite out of the writing time.
On the non-Camp front, I'm way behind on my re-read of Wolves of the Calla. If I don't get it in gear, I'll be going from Wolves right into Song of Susannah when August hits.
- Is this any good?
- Is anyone going to want to read it?
- Am I wasting my time?
- Am I insane thinking about doing this two months in a row?
I've written about 400 words so far today and thought of something to make Webcap seem a little more villainous. I'm hoping to get the Gray Coven thing out of the way so I can have Cooper have a chat with Magnus (or whatever I end up calling the old man) tonight.
Oh, and it's my Dad's birthday tomorrow. I think we're doing something on Saturday but we might be doing it on his actual birthday instead. That should take a nice big bite out of the writing time.
On the non-Camp front, I'm way behind on my re-read of Wolves of the Calla. If I don't get it in gear, I'll be going from Wolves right into Song of Susannah when August hits.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 11: Bedtime
Well, that split chapter turned into one chapter featuring only the nuns. I knew Severa and Hatchet would take over. I'm at 27148, 198 words ahead of where I need to be. Once again, I'm baffled at how I got to 50k by the evening of the 13th of November.
I should have been able to write more but I procrastinated until almost 7. My time management skills really need some work. Other than that, things are going well. Sister Mary Slaughterhouse has been given her task. People will be getting hacked down with chainsaws very soon.
Time for bed. I'm really tired.
I should have been able to write more but I procrastinated until almost 7. My time management skills really need some work. Other than that, things are going well. Sister Mary Slaughterhouse has been given her task. People will be getting hacked down with chainsaws very soon.
Time for bed. I'm really tired.
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 11: 33% of a day's work
I've been stealing moments here and there to work on Sweating Bullets today and it's going well. I think Chapter 10 is going to be longer than many of them. Sister Mary Severa and Sister Mary Hatchet have a way of doing that. I've been looking forward to unleashing Sister Mary Slaughterhouse since before I started writing. I'll definitely get to that sometime before I go to bed.
I forgot to mention a few things that aren't related to Camp:
I forgot to mention a few things that aren't related to Camp:
- Eric Hendrixson's Bucket of Face page on Facebook has been giving things away once a week since he hit 100 likes. I won. On my birthday. When I get whatever goodie he sends my way, I will post a picture of it.
- So far today, I've been given the following items of free food from co-workers: two hard tacos from Taco Bell, two cups of fries from Five Guys, Burgers, and Fries, and several chocolate chip cookies. As I've said in the past, I think I could get by just fine if I suddenly became homeless.
- What the hell is this Google+ thing? Do I need another social networking time waster?
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 11: Interlude
I sat hunched over my computer, banging out word after word, pushing toward the daily goal of 2450 words, when she walked in, grabbing my attention like the claw machine I see kids feeding quarters to in the lobby of the gas station.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"A new idea you had on the way to work, Massacre at Murder Lake. It seems like the slasher is running amok but it turns out one of the campers is trying to summon some kind of Lovecraftian horror that's dead and dreaming under the lake."
"But I've already got an idea. Her name is Sweating Bullets and I've spent over ten days on her," I said.
The new idea stroked my arm. "Don't you want to work on me instead?"
I raised an eyebrow. "August. I'll work on you in August. Now get going. I'm trying to work here."
"Fine," she said with a huff. "See if I still want to work with you in August."
The new idea looked attractive as she stomped away from my cube but I fought the temptation to call her back and went back to writing.
I'd barely written twenty words when I sensed someone behind me. I swivelled my chair to find another idea, this one just as attractive as the first. She was wearing a low cut blouse and made sure I noticed.
"I suppose you're another idea wanting to seduce me away from Sweating Bullets?"
She nodded. "Is it working?" she asked.
"Almost but I'm in a committed relationship with Sweating Bullets until August at least. What was your name?"
"Spider Girls in Heat," she said.
"Really? I would have thought it would have been The Long Green Good-Bye, or possibly Death Walks on Eight Legs."
"August, huh? I guess I can wait that long," she said.
"Well, there was this other idea..."
"Who are you?" I asked.
"A new idea you had on the way to work, Massacre at Murder Lake. It seems like the slasher is running amok but it turns out one of the campers is trying to summon some kind of Lovecraftian horror that's dead and dreaming under the lake."
"But I've already got an idea. Her name is Sweating Bullets and I've spent over ten days on her," I said.
The new idea stroked my arm. "Don't you want to work on me instead?"
I raised an eyebrow. "August. I'll work on you in August. Now get going. I'm trying to work here."
"Fine," she said with a huff. "See if I still want to work with you in August."
The new idea looked attractive as she stomped away from my cube but I fought the temptation to call her back and went back to writing.
I'd barely written twenty words when I sensed someone behind me. I swivelled my chair to find another idea, this one just as attractive as the first. She was wearing a low cut blouse and made sure I noticed.
"I suppose you're another idea wanting to seduce me away from Sweating Bullets?"
She nodded. "Is it working?" she asked.
"Almost but I'm in a committed relationship with Sweating Bullets until August at least. What was your name?"
"Spider Girls in Heat," she said.
"Really? I would have thought it would have been The Long Green Good-Bye, or possibly Death Walks on Eight Legs."
"August, huh? I guess I can wait that long," she said.
"Well, there was this other idea..."
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 11
The coffee may have kept me awake a little last night but it could just as easily have been the name at took at 3 in the afternoon. I had a dream about a celebrity death but couldn't remember who the celebrity was when I got up this morning.
On the way to work, I figured out what I have to do today. The next chapter is going to be a setup chapter. Sister Mary Caligula is going assign the two nuns to be Cooper's bodyguard and unleash Sister Mary Slaughterhouse to find the Gray Coven and take them down before the Grand Alignment. Meanwhile, the Gray Coven is going to unleash a squad of Deathcaps to capture Cooper. I figure the Deathcap attack will be a good way to cut short Cooper's conversation with the guy from the Acolytes of the Revolver so he won't learn everything until later.
I've been thinking about the August Camp NaNoWriMo. As of right now, I'll be writing Tentacle Mustache. It's actually going to be a couple novellas rather than a novel but don't tell anyone. I'm thinking that I'll do the detective story I've been thinking about and possibly a slasher spoof called Massacre at Murder Lake.
On the way to work, I figured out what I have to do today. The next chapter is going to be a setup chapter. Sister Mary Caligula is going assign the two nuns to be Cooper's bodyguard and unleash Sister Mary Slaughterhouse to find the Gray Coven and take them down before the Grand Alignment. Meanwhile, the Gray Coven is going to unleash a squad of Deathcaps to capture Cooper. I figure the Deathcap attack will be a good way to cut short Cooper's conversation with the guy from the Acolytes of the Revolver so he won't learn everything until later.
I've been thinking about the August Camp NaNoWriMo. As of right now, I'll be writing Tentacle Mustache. It's actually going to be a couple novellas rather than a novel but don't tell anyone. I'm thinking that I'll do the detective story I've been thinking about and possibly a slasher spoof called Massacre at Murder Lake.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 10: Progress at last
I finished the chapter I was working on today and I'm at 24604 total words. I was hoping to be quite a bit farther ahead than this at the end of the weekend but I'll take what I can get.
The story is moving along quite nicely. Cooper challenged Kanemoto to an eating contest, had another confrontation with Detective Pope, and finally met one of the Acolytes of the Revolver. Tomorrow's probably going to be a split chapter between the Sisters of the Most Precious Chainsaw and the Gray Coven. I also revealed that Tommy is working for someone and isn't the hero-worshipping sycophant I've been portraying him as. I haven't decided who he's working for quite yet.
I guess I'm going to read for a bit and go to bed. I hope the afternoon pot of coffee doesn't keep me awake for too long.
The story is moving along quite nicely. Cooper challenged Kanemoto to an eating contest, had another confrontation with Detective Pope, and finally met one of the Acolytes of the Revolver. Tomorrow's probably going to be a split chapter between the Sisters of the Most Precious Chainsaw and the Gray Coven. I also revealed that Tommy is working for someone and isn't the hero-worshipping sycophant I've been portraying him as. I haven't decided who he's working for quite yet.
I guess I'm going to read for a bit and go to bed. I hope the afternoon pot of coffee doesn't keep me awake for too long.
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 10
Yeah, I didn't write any more last night. I did figure out what I have to write today, however, so all was not lost.
According to my calculations, I'll need to have 24450 words by the end of the day to stay on track to write 75k this month. It's a little less than 2000 words so I should be able to do it barring any unforeseen circumstances. I'd like to write more than that, of course. I'm getting to the point where I should probably roughly outline the rest of the book. I've got a lot of twists planned and I haven't even introduced the Acolytes of the Revolver yet.
I had a dream last night that I was playing Contra for the NES and couldn't find a weapon better than the machine gun.
According to my calculations, I'll need to have 24450 words by the end of the day to stay on track to write 75k this month. It's a little less than 2000 words so I should be able to do it barring any unforeseen circumstances. I'd like to write more than that, of course. I'm getting to the point where I should probably roughly outline the rest of the book. I've got a lot of twists planned and I haven't even introduced the Acolytes of the Revolver yet.
I had a dream last night that I was playing Contra for the NES and couldn't find a weapon better than the machine gun.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 9: Back on Track
I'm at right about 2100 words for the day. I wrote a brutal kung fu fight scene between Sister Mary Severa and Webcap, the agent of the Gray Coven. I was so into it I'd get up from the keyboard and pace around my house imagining what was happening every few paragraphs.
I'd probably be farther but I stopped to eat dinner and lost momentum. Walking my dog got the old gears turning again though, like it normally does. It's time for Cooper to stop having things happen to him and start making things happen. Everyone else might have other ideas, though. I'm starting to think that this story might not be too terribly much longer than 50,000 words. Not the first draft, anyway.
On a side note, I remembered why I stopped walking my dog while listening to my iPod. It turns out that I sometimes strut in time to the music and I almost always belt out the tunes when I'm lost in thought.
On an additional side note, my crock pot is once again proving itself indispensable to the NaNoWriter. Throw food in, turn it on, a hot meal is ready hours later. Magic, I tell you.
Time to take a shower and then maybe get back on the horse. I might reward myself with some reading instead, though.
I'd probably be farther but I stopped to eat dinner and lost momentum. Walking my dog got the old gears turning again though, like it normally does. It's time for Cooper to stop having things happen to him and start making things happen. Everyone else might have other ideas, though. I'm starting to think that this story might not be too terribly much longer than 50,000 words. Not the first draft, anyway.
On a side note, I remembered why I stopped walking my dog while listening to my iPod. It turns out that I sometimes strut in time to the music and I almost always belt out the tunes when I'm lost in thought.
On an additional side note, my crock pot is once again proving itself indispensable to the NaNoWriter. Throw food in, turn it on, a hot meal is ready hours later. Magic, I tell you.
Time to take a shower and then maybe get back on the horse. I might reward myself with some reading instead, though.
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 9: Time management? What's That?
On Day 3 of camp, I observed that I'm less productive when I have more time. That is very apparent today. I wrote about three hundred words this morning. Here are the things I did so far today instead of writing:
- Got my tires rotated
- Bought groceries
- Hung out with my brother for an hour
- Got to page 90 in Codename Prague
- Vacuumed the house
- Washed the sheets on both beds
- Took a two hour nap
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 9
Not much going on so far. I've been up for almost two hours but I've only written about five hundred words. I've managed to do a fair amount of procrastinating, though.
The impending trip to the tire place is making it difficult to concentrating on the impending Webcap vs. the Sisters of the Most Precious Chainsaw fight. I had to go back and change a couple things to set up the fight. Instead of a door blowing shut warning the nuns, I thought it made more sense to have Webcap accidentally knock over a plate. I also had to go back and make sure Cooper left his coat behind in the condo when Debbie took him to the hospital so it would be there for Webcap to find the derringer in the pocket.
I'm still not sure about Detective Pope. I think he's just going to keep showing up when I need things to get complicated. For now, anyway. It would be easy enough to reveal there is no Detective Pope on the Gateway City Police Department later.
There's still some time before the tire place opens. I guess I should take my dog out before I go. Supplies are dwindling a bit so I should probably take care of that while I'm out and about.
The impending trip to the tire place is making it difficult to concentrating on the impending Webcap vs. the Sisters of the Most Precious Chainsaw fight. I had to go back and change a couple things to set up the fight. Instead of a door blowing shut warning the nuns, I thought it made more sense to have Webcap accidentally knock over a plate. I also had to go back and make sure Cooper left his coat behind in the condo when Debbie took him to the hospital so it would be there for Webcap to find the derringer in the pocket.
I'm still not sure about Detective Pope. I think he's just going to keep showing up when I need things to get complicated. For now, anyway. It would be easy enough to reveal there is no Detective Pope on the Gateway City Police Department later.
There's still some time before the tire place opens. I guess I should take my dog out before I go. Supplies are dwindling a bit so I should probably take care of that while I'm out and about.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 8: Bedtime, Shmedtime
I am on a roll. Disconnecting my computer from the internet and writing at the kitchen table worked wonders. I'm now at 20182 words and I'm planning on burning the midnight oil. Or possibly just the 10 o'clock oil. I did just turn 34 the other day.
I introduced my cop earlier but I haven't decided what I'm going to do with him yet. I might just keep him around and have him show up when I get stuck.
I'd better get back to it before I lose my resolve. The nuns are about to go up against an agent of the Gray Coven. I'm not sure if I want to do a shovels vs. chainsaws battle yet though.
I introduced my cop earlier but I haven't decided what I'm going to do with him yet. I might just keep him around and have him show up when I get stuck.
I'd better get back to it before I lose my resolve. The nuns are about to go up against an agent of the Gray Coven. I'm not sure if I want to do a shovels vs. chainsaws battle yet though.
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 8 - Oh No! Quicksand!
As you can see by the title, I have yet to write a single word today. I'm pretty swamped at work.
I've decided that I'd like to be at or over 25k by Monday. This isn't an insurmountable goal by any means. It just means another weekend of hermitting it up. I'm also planning on getting up at my normal time instead of sleeping an hour or two extra. I have to get my tires rotated tomorrow morning but I'm doing it as early as possible so the impact should be minimal.
Things I need to figure out before I get home and get back to the writing:
I've decided that I'd like to be at or over 25k by Monday. This isn't an insurmountable goal by any means. It just means another weekend of hermitting it up. I'm also planning on getting up at my normal time instead of sleeping an hour or two extra. I have to get my tires rotated tomorrow morning but I'm doing it as early as possible so the impact should be minimal.
Things I need to figure out before I get home and get back to the writing:
- The cop (or is he?) that comes to the hospital to visit Cooper
- How the fight between the nuns and ???? goes down
- What Cooper does after he gets released from the hospital. He's been a little on the passive side so far, what with everything happening to him and all.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 7: Bedtime
It's just about bedtime. I'm at 17068 words, just short of my goal of 17150. I'm not going to lament the missing words, however, since I just waited out a tornado warning in my basement for an hour. I think weather hazards are perfectly understandable.
As the first week of camp draws to a close, I'm pretty pleased with things so far. While I'm well ahead of the official goal, I'd like to be ahead of my goal. How the hell did I manage 50k by November 14th last year?
Story-wise, things are going very well. Once I get Cooper out of the hospital, I think things are going to start moving a lot faster. That reminds me, I have to think of a name for a character I'm going to be introducing soon. The nuns continue to be my favorite characters.
Until tomorrow, here's another quick excerpt:
As the first week of camp draws to a close, I'm pretty pleased with things so far. While I'm well ahead of the official goal, I'd like to be ahead of my goal. How the hell did I manage 50k by November 14th last year?
Story-wise, things are going very well. Once I get Cooper out of the hospital, I think things are going to start moving a lot faster. That reminds me, I have to think of a name for a character I'm going to be introducing soon. The nuns continue to be my favorite characters.
Until tomorrow, here's another quick excerpt:
The Sisters of the Most Precious Chainsaw made their way down the hallway and discovered the TV room. Slate tiles covered the floor and the walls were painted a relaxing shade of beige. Shelves full of DVDs lined the walls. Small speakers were mounted around the perimeter of the room. Overstuffed couches formed a U-shape around the room's centerpiece: a seventy-two inch plasma screen television mounted against the far wall.
"That's the biggest television I've ever seen," Severa said.
"Not surprising. The only other one you've seen was fifteen inches and black and white, the one Sister Julia Marie used to watch her stories on while she worked in the kitchen. We had two TV's when I was growing up but neither of them was even half this big."
"It's almost obscene, the excesses in this house," Severa said. "There are more movies on these shelves than I've prayed rosaries."
"We'll be out of this den of sin and back to the old humdrum convent soon enough," Hatchet said.
Sister Mary Severa crouched to look under the nearest couch when Sister Mary Hatchet plopped down on it. "The sinners sure know how to live," she said. "I would marry this couch if I wasn't already married to Jesus."
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 7
After a brief excursion from camp to devour a birthday meal and take a few pictures of spikey catepillars, I found myself back at camp this morning. My brain is a little fogged today since I went to bed late last night. I'd planned to go to bed in a timely fashion but one of the authors I was wanting to interview for my book blog sent my questions back right as I was getting ready for bed.
The word count for the day isn't not very high as of yet. Something like 700. The two Sisters of the Most Precious Chainsaw are easily my favorites so far. It's going to be a sad day if it turns out one of them has to die during the story.
The word count for the day isn't not very high as of yet. Something like 700. The two Sisters of the Most Precious Chainsaw are easily my favorites so far. It's going to be a sad day if it turns out one of them has to die during the story.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
More interesting search terms
Since I'm such a geek about my blog stats, here are some interesting search terms. Or interesting to me, anyway. The first three are from my book blog.
- Turjuah porn - I think Turjuah was a wizard from Jack Vance's Dying Earth series. I had no idea he also moonlighted as an adult film star
- Llandra shi at - I know Llandra was the Majestrix of the Shi'ar in the X-Men comics. I'm guessing that's where it came from.
- Pig Hoo-o-o-o-ey summary - Pig Hoo-o-o-o-ey is a P.G. Wodehouse short story. I just love that someone searched for it.
- G I Joe Body Massage - If I hadn't posted the doctored G I Joe PSA's a couple weeks ago, this would easily be my favorite search of all time.
- Is it jard to dig up a yucca
- Picture of eve father
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 6
After going the extra mile yesterday, I only have to write something like 500 words to stay on track today. I've already written half of that. This may not be a productive evening for me since I'll be visiting my parents. It's my birthday so I thought I'd come home from Camp for an evening and get fed.
Here's what I've written this morning. I think it demonstrates the tone I'm going for without revealing a whole lot. Enjoy!
Sisters Mary Severa and Mary Hatchet sat in the station wagon and stared at the front door of Cooper and Debbie's condominium, waiting for Debbie to leave so they could search for anything that could confirm that Cooper was the Bulletmaker the Acolytes of the Revolver had spent centuries waiting for.
Severa rubbed her eyes and patted the steering wheel nervously. "Our agent at the hospital said the woman Cooper has been living in sin with was leaving early this morning. It's already 5:15. Is she planning to sleep all day?"
"People who live outside the confines of the convent sometimes sleep as late as 7am, Sister," Hatchet said. "Besides, patience is one of the thirty-nine virtues our order upholds."
"You're one to talk about virtues. You used the b-word to describe Sister Mary Anvil in the past twenty four hours," Severa said.
"Bitch?" Hatchet said. "There's nothing wrong with Bitch."
"It's swearing. That's a sin," Severa said.
"Swearing's not a sin. Taking the Lord's name in vain is a sin. Nowhere in the Ten Commandments does it say 'Thou shalt not call a bitch a bitch.' I'd remember a commandment like that," Hatchet said.
"Sister Mary Hatchet!" Severa gasped.
"What? It's true," Hatchet said.
"Sometimes I worry that your soul is circling the drain and will soon be traveling down the pipes to hell," Severa said. "Must you always test the boundries?"
"Look, Severa. We're nuns, Sisters of the Most Precious Chainsaw. We're not saints. If I want to call people bitches and whores, who is it hurting?" Hatchet said.
"Jesus," Severa said.
"It's not hurting Jesus," Hatchet said. "He and I have a great relationship and I think he'd tell me if it was."
"No, I meant look over there. She's finally leaving," Severa said, pointing at the front door of the condo.
Here's what I've written this morning. I think it demonstrates the tone I'm going for without revealing a whole lot. Enjoy!
Sisters Mary Severa and Mary Hatchet sat in the station wagon and stared at the front door of Cooper and Debbie's condominium, waiting for Debbie to leave so they could search for anything that could confirm that Cooper was the Bulletmaker the Acolytes of the Revolver had spent centuries waiting for.
Severa rubbed her eyes and patted the steering wheel nervously. "Our agent at the hospital said the woman Cooper has been living in sin with was leaving early this morning. It's already 5:15. Is she planning to sleep all day?"
"People who live outside the confines of the convent sometimes sleep as late as 7am, Sister," Hatchet said. "Besides, patience is one of the thirty-nine virtues our order upholds."
"You're one to talk about virtues. You used the b-word to describe Sister Mary Anvil in the past twenty four hours," Severa said.
"Bitch?" Hatchet said. "There's nothing wrong with Bitch."
"It's swearing. That's a sin," Severa said.
"Swearing's not a sin. Taking the Lord's name in vain is a sin. Nowhere in the Ten Commandments does it say 'Thou shalt not call a bitch a bitch.' I'd remember a commandment like that," Hatchet said.
"Sister Mary Hatchet!" Severa gasped.
"What? It's true," Hatchet said.
"Sometimes I worry that your soul is circling the drain and will soon be traveling down the pipes to hell," Severa said. "Must you always test the boundries?"
"Look, Severa. We're nuns, Sisters of the Most Precious Chainsaw. We're not saints. If I want to call people bitches and whores, who is it hurting?" Hatchet said.
"Jesus," Severa said.
"It's not hurting Jesus," Hatchet said. "He and I have a great relationship and I think he'd tell me if it was."
"No, I meant look over there. She's finally leaving," Severa said, pointing at the front door of the condo.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 5 - It must have been the Doritos
Even though I'm at that stage of tiredness where my brain feels hot, I reached 14,239 words today.
One thing I know I'm going to have to work on when I start tearing this thing up is maintaining a consistent tone. Now that I'm a few days in and more comfortable with the act of writing, the tone is changing to something more natural to me. I'll have to retrofit that into the previous four chapters.
Overall, I'm pleased with the way things are going so far. I have a pretty good idea what needs to happen in chapters six and seven, though I'm not sure when I want the action to pick up. I think Cooper is going to have to be in the dark for a few more chapters at least, even though he started sweating bullets today for the first time.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to treat myself to some reading before I go to bed.
One thing I know I'm going to have to work on when I start tearing this thing up is maintaining a consistent tone. Now that I'm a few days in and more comfortable with the act of writing, the tone is changing to something more natural to me. I'll have to retrofit that into the previous four chapters.
Overall, I'm pleased with the way things are going so far. I have a pretty good idea what needs to happen in chapters six and seven, though I'm not sure when I want the action to pick up. I think Cooper is going to have to be in the dark for a few more chapters at least, even though he started sweating bullets today for the first time.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to treat myself to some reading before I go to bed.
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 5: Crossing the Threshold
Well, I'm 400 words ahead of the bare minimum I wanted to write today so I think I can relax a little. I don't feel as exhausted as I did earlier. Must be all the tea and Doritos.
Something that I think is going to be more complicated later is figuring out where the characters are when various events are happening, like where the nuns are going to be while Cooper's in the hospital and Webcap is watching his house. I may have to write up a time table or timeline or something so I don't get confused. Also, I'm sending Debbie out of town for work for a few days so I'll need to keep in mind when I have her coming back. I should probably start outlining a couple chapters ahead of where I am in case I get stuck.
On the plus side, I forgot we were going out for Gyros for lunch!
Something that I think is going to be more complicated later is figuring out where the characters are when various events are happening, like where the nuns are going to be while Cooper's in the hospital and Webcap is watching his house. I may have to write up a time table or timeline or something so I don't get confused. Also, I'm sending Debbie out of town for work for a few days so I'll need to keep in mind when I have her coming back. I should probably start outlining a couple chapters ahead of where I am in case I get stuck.
On the plus side, I forgot we were going out for Gyros for lunch!
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 5
The good news is that I made it to work without wrecking my car.
So last night started well. I was in bed by 8:45 and asleep by 9. Fireworks woke me up at 9:30 and I was quickly able to go back to sleep. However...
It seems my dog ate something that didn't agree with her when she was running free at my parents' yesterday. Between 11 and 3:30, I took her outside six times. And I couldn't get back to sleep after the 3:30 jaunt. So, yeah. Another day of feeling like crap. At least I'm at work so it's not like I'm missing anything.
Reallistically, it's not that bad. I'm trying to do 75k in July and according to my calculations, I only have to write 750 words today to stay on track. I think I can manage that much.
On the plus side of the column, someone left an unopened bag of Doritos on the free counter in the break room. I'll give them a good home later.
So last night started well. I was in bed by 8:45 and asleep by 9. Fireworks woke me up at 9:30 and I was quickly able to go back to sleep. However...
It seems my dog ate something that didn't agree with her when she was running free at my parents' yesterday. Between 11 and 3:30, I took her outside six times. And I couldn't get back to sleep after the 3:30 jaunt. So, yeah. Another day of feeling like crap. At least I'm at work so it's not like I'm missing anything.
Reallistically, it's not that bad. I'm trying to do 75k in July and according to my calculations, I only have to write 750 words today to stay on track. I think I can manage that much.
On the plus side of the column, someone left an unopened bag of Doritos on the free counter in the break room. I'll give them a good home later.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 4 - Meh
Well, I managed about 1200 words today despite my brain being the consistency of oatmeal. I'm at 11,518. Not bad. I'd only planned on having 10k by tomorrow. Still, I wish I would have been able to write more.
I've got notes on how the next chapter is supposed to go. It shouldn't be hard to bang it out tomorrow. I think having all day to write is actually hurting my progress. I'm much more focused after a day of work with only a few hours in which to work.
I'm actually wondering how much story I have with Sweating Bullets. With all the things I have planned, I know it's going to be over 50k but I don't know how much more. I sure wouldn't mind NOT writing a 100k novel in one month, especially with part 2 of the Camp NaNoWriMo extravaganza coming in August.
So who's got BBQ that I can mooch?
I've got notes on how the next chapter is supposed to go. It shouldn't be hard to bang it out tomorrow. I think having all day to write is actually hurting my progress. I'm much more focused after a day of work with only a few hours in which to work.
I'm actually wondering how much story I have with Sweating Bullets. With all the things I have planned, I know it's going to be over 50k but I don't know how much more. I sure wouldn't mind NOT writing a 100k novel in one month, especially with part 2 of the Camp NaNoWriMo extravaganza coming in August.
So who's got BBQ that I can mooch?
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 3: Bed Time
I'm at 10,628 words and I'm a little fried. I'm just a hair ahead of where I was on the third day of November. Unlike November, I don't have a daunting number of characters to work with and the plot is fairly clear in my head. I'm halfway through the fourth chapter and have already introduced most of the groups I'll be playing with in the story. I know what needs to happen in the second half of the fourth chapter but I'm not quite up to writing it yet. Incidentally, this is my first NaNoWriMo novel that will feature the traveling shovel of death.
My attention keeps wandering. I should probably just hit post and go to bed.
My attention keeps wandering. I should probably just hit post and go to bed.
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 3: Mid Afternoon report
I'm at 9400 words. I checked my NaNoWriMo 2010 blog entries and I had about 10,400 by the end of Day 3 last November. I'm hoping to pass that today since I don't have all that much to do and it's so hot outside that I don't feel like leaving the house.
Sweating Bullets is the first time I have tried to write a conspiracy novel and I think it's going okay so far. I'm sure I'll be changing things in the re-write but I'm happy with it as of the close of the third chapter. Once I introduce the Gray Coven and the Acolytes of the Revolver, I'll be into the meat of things.
Can a guy go to hell for writing about kung fu nuns with chainsaws?
Sweating Bullets is the first time I have tried to write a conspiracy novel and I think it's going okay so far. I'm sure I'll be changing things in the re-write but I'm happy with it as of the close of the third chapter. Once I introduce the Gray Coven and the Acolytes of the Revolver, I'll be into the meat of things.
Can a guy go to hell for writing about kung fu nuns with chainsaws?
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 3 - Brunch Break
So I've managed about 1000 words already today and decided I'm allowed to stop and have a bite to eat. The writing flowed smoothly until I stopped to think about how smoothly it was going.
I may have to go out for supplies later. I need more things I can eat with minimal prep but am out of lunch meat and cheese. I might also have to track down a DVD of the Phantom Menace since I want to change the lightsaber fight with Darth Maul into a chainsaw fight.
I may have to go out for supplies later. I need more things I can eat with minimal prep but am out of lunch meat and cheese. I might also have to track down a DVD of the Phantom Menace since I want to change the lightsaber fight with Darth Maul into a chainsaw fight.
Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 3
Well, I didn't get nearly as much as I wanted written on Day 2 but I'm still ahead of where I need to be. I'm at just over 6500 words. Once I finish up the Sisters of the Most Precious Chainsaw piece I'll be ready to catch up with Cooper at his apartment and inflict further misery on him.
That's about all I have for today. My calendar is mostly clear other than an offer to eat some BBQ for dinner. I may check in again later.
That's about all I have for today. My calendar is mostly clear other than an offer to eat some BBQ for dinner. I may check in again later.
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