Category Archives: Randomness

Almost camp time again…

15 Tuesday Mar 2016

Posted by in Creative Writing, Daily Drivel, Escape From Reality, Fun Stuff, My Writing, NaNoWriMo, Random Tangents, Random Thoughts, Randomness, Writing

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CNW_Participant

 

Yes it’s almost that time again…

I’ll be joining the usual list of suspects as a member of Silver Beaver Cabin for the third session of Camp NaNoWriMo in a row April 1st-30th of this year. Camp is a little more relaxed an affair than regular NaNoWriMo in November of each year. Not only can you set your own word count goal, but you can also choose to work on what inspires you whether it be fiction, non-fiction, screenplays, book covers, or illustrations. Being able to set your own goal, can also make it a good test run for people that want to attempt NaNo, without all the pressure of the 50k goal right from the beginning.

My project for this session of camp seems to be coming out quite differently than normal. I know my setting, and a rather detailed cast of characters, and I have a general idea of who they are and how they relate to one another. What is the issue then? I have no plot. To quote Chris Baty: “No plot, no problem.”

I am what we NaNoers like to call a “Pantser.”

I write entire novels by pulling them out of thin air as I go along. Rarely if ever, is anything I write planned in advance, except brief little snippets of scenes throughout the story I have foreseen ahead of time. The getting from point A to point B stuff is always an interesting feat for me. I’ve been known to skip or gloss over entire sections of novels to keep momentum getting to the next part when I don’t know what to write in between two sections. Loss of momentum, not just perfectionism is what kills many stories before they even see light of day.

That’s the point of NaNo, get it on paper, go back and fix it later…

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes…mistakes are what editing is for. You can’t be afraid of writing something that completely sucks in the beginning. Everyone, even a lot of famous authors are convinced that their first drafts are drivel. (and they usually are)

Get it on paper, save the fear and self loathing for this masochistic thing we like to call editing…that comes in December…or May…or August.

See you all at Camp! Someone better save me some smores!

December Again

03 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by in Holiday Thoughts, In Hindsight, Random Thoughts, Randomness, Utter Randomness, Winnifrog

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Time really flies when you’re not blogging. I keep meaning to write something here, but blogging hasn’t been in the forefront of my mind for quite some time. One reason is more than possibly that I have been spending a lot more time living life, and less time in front of a computer screen. Not having a computer of my own for several months due to a burglary kinda gave not getting around to posting a kick in the pants too.

But my oh my a lot can happen in just one year…

As sad as 2011 was for me, 2012 so far has been a vast improvement, but to explain things I guess I should start with the beginning of the year and work my way through.

John and I got engaged in the late summer/early fall of 2011, and thankfully he got the chance to meet my dad once before he passed away in December of last year. I will admit it’s hard being happy about the holiday season even now without dad here, but I have other things to be happy about now that make things a little better.

Not long after dad passed away I apparently got a little surprise in the form of an unexpected mid-life baby. John and I found out a bit after Valentine’s day. While I was really surprised, we were both extremely thrilled at the news, even nervous as I was to be going through it all again at my age.

A lot of this explains my absence, too busy with it all…well that and nausea that made me sick to my stomach to sit at the keys long.

The baby news did speed up our wedding plans a little, we got married in August in my grandparent’s living room with some family and a few friends there. I got lucky enough to have my beautiful now eighteen year old daughter as my maid of honor. Married life so far is as good as I could have hoped for. I’m very blessed to at last have a good man in my life.

Our Wedding

The pregnancy was mostly uneventful, except for the last week, when we went in and found out the baby was breech during our routine checkup. (don’t ask me how he managed to flip around that late) An unplanned c-section and a few weeks of recovering later, we are both doing well. My son is a beautiful and very intelligent baby. I love him so much already it is almost unbelievable. John is a wonderful dad and takes great care of both of us.

Our baby

So for once here’s a blog post without ranting or complaining, something I didn’t seem to be able to do for the longest time. Could it be that I am really happy for once in my life? I think so….it’s almost scary.

Oddness thy name is "Greyhound Station"

13 Tuesday Dec 2011

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Okay, to blog on a somewhat more positive note, Julian has dared me to list some of the strange but all TRUE things I have run into in Greyhound bus stations just this year.

1: An Elvis impersonator. I kid you not, this happened back in September, on my way back to Pittsburgh from Ohio.

2: A bearded Amish WOMAN! Julian himself was there to witness this one. Yes we were polite enough not to stare, but this one did make me blink and look twice.

3: A very flamboyantly gay actor who tried to lead the entire bus station in a showtunes sing-a-long. When this didn’t work he resorted to instead trying to talk us into a game of poker.

Maybe more will pop to mind later…but those are the ones I can remember for the moment.

It's NOT beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

13 Tuesday Dec 2011

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Things are rough here this year, there’s no denying it. Between the break-in at my home this fall, my unexpected sudden move to Pittsburgh, and everything else thats gone on, I’m not sure holiday spirit is going to be something I will be capable of this year.

The worst thing to happen to me so far in 2011, was when my Dad passed away last week from cancer at the age of 69. It’s times like this I really wonder if the universe does give us more than we can handle. I’m glad to have Julian’s love and support right now, or I think I would really be going crazy.

If anyone’s out there listening, please, please let 2012 be a better year.

 

It's raining, it's pouring…

22 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by in Randomness, Rants

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I think the cats have the right idea, as far as finding a warm place to curl up in. Today is grey and rainy outside, and there’s a general feel of blah in the air. Stressed out and bored is not a good combination, but I find myself feeling a lot of both lately.

It seems the world has turned upside down, and it’s almost like I don’t recognize my own life now. I’ve gotten most of what I’ve always said I wanted, but I never expected to receive it quite this suddenly, or to have it cost me so much that I cared for. I’m happy with him, and grateful that he’s here to help me pick up the pieces, but this is still really scary how fast everything has changed for me.

Sometimes it’s hard to feel at home somewhere when nothing there really belongs to you. I know I wasn’t really given a choice in that matter. The house is full of Julian’s books, and our roommate’s junk, but the most I have is a stuffed animal here, or a small picture frame there. As George Carlin would say “I need more stuff….”

In the meantime, I’ve got more cats than I can shake a stick at, and I still miss mine…

The sleepyheads are awake now

17 Saturday Sep 2011

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This has been one of those days when we have seemed to have no inclination to get out of bed. The cats got us up at about 6 or 7 for food, but after a series of naps, it’s now a bit after 3PM. It seems that around here , you only sleep as long as the cats allow you to 🙂

We don’t have any real plans for today, but just hanging out around the house. The cats make very good supervisors as I type this and Poly seems to now be giving me his input so I can’t see a thing that I am typing presently.

It’s just time for a warm shower and then maybe crawling under the covers to get warm again. Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day, so I think today we may just relax and rest up for then…well until it’s time to feed the cats again.

Hello from Pittsburgh

15 Thursday Sep 2011

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Yes I am alive and in one piece. I have not been tied to the headboard or buried in the back yard. Actually I’ve been having quite a wonderful time here….obviously since I haven’t been writing updates since I’ve been here.

Even though I’ve been here since early Tuesday morning yesterday was the first we’ve really been able to pry ourselves out of the house. We took a bus ride, and then a long walk, and went shopping for a present for my daughter. Most people would bring back the usual cliche things for their teenager when they go on vacation, like a t-shirt. I bring my kidlet a frog and a bag full of rocks hehe. (actually a frog shaped purse and a lot of really nice stones from the new age store here)

Today we have some plans with some of Julian’s friends, and I am really looking forward to meeting them. I will write when I can, but well, can’t promise I won’t be quite happily distracted and otherwise occupied.

Greyhound take me away

12 Monday Sep 2011

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Seemed like forever I’ve been waiting, but the day is finally here. I’ve only got a few more hours to wait before I’m on my way to see Julian again. I’ve missed him so much, unbelievably badly, for it having only been a couple of weeks since we’ve seen one another. It’s amazing just how hard and how fast you can fall for someone when the right person comes along.

For now the cats all curled up asleep in my lap, and I’m hoping my aunt manages to get over here to get her soon. If not I have put out plenty of food and water to last her for the time I will be gone, just hate the thought of leaving her by herself for very long. I don’t think I’ve been away from Neia for more than a few days the entire five years she’s owned me.

For now I’m trying to think of any last minute things I may need to pack, that I may have forgotten, got clothes, some toiletries and such but am not taking much in the way of anything else, as I’m trying to pack lightly as I can so I have some small hope of being able to carry the suitcase. I’m going to eat dinner before I leave so I don’t need much more than a snack while I am on the bus.

Mu aunt just called mid post to tell me, she will meet me at the bus stop to get the keys so she can come and pick up the cat, great news. Now I at least won’t have to worry as much about my four legged furry one while I am gone. I am sure Airianna will have her quite spoiled by the time I get back.

Julian, if you are reading this, and I have a feeling you will before the day is over, I love you, and I will see you soon baby 🙂