To one and all.

May you find all that you could want under the tree/in your stocking, and the day be filled with joy.

Give me a topic -ANY TOPIC- and I will write my thoughts on it. The catch? You have to post this in your journal and I get to pick the topic you write about.

Rules: Whatever the topic is that you write about, you must have at least 10 sentences or 2 paragraphs. Lets have fun. And this is freewriting so I'm not asking you to deliver a masterpiece, just two paragraphs of your thoughts on whatever it is the person requests.

And to follow the trend: If you want fiction rather than fact let me know. Feel free to choose a character, though some I may ask to pass on.

I crashed our car on Saturday.
It wasn't fun, and I've already been reliving it through nightmares and flash backs so I won't go into detail. But I lost control of it on a wet hill, the brakes didn't respond in the way I wanted (causing me to skid into the path of oncoming traffic was definitely not what was wanted) and in trying to overcompensate I found myself going up the kerb and the verge, through a fairly hefty wooden fence, and into a field.

So, a few days later, and aside from the mental issues, I'm not having back and neck pain. So have been signed off work till Tuesday, and have a massage booked for tomorrow. This would be better if it wasn't for the pain that makes it necessary.
And then I can work on being in a car after dark without flinching. Yay.

They ask me;
What do I do?
They mean my job
As though the title given,
The company's reason to sign my slips
Is an indication of my total value

They seek to define me
Refine me, confine me
By a corporate preconception
But I take exception
To being limited for life
By my nine to five

What do I do?

I reinvent myself a hundred times a day
So that I can be the absolute very best me
For your very individual and tailored needs
And then laugh about it afterwards

I dance when the people who matter don't mind
And the people who mind don't matter
I sing when I'm too happy not to sing
And when I'm too sad to stay quiet

I invent worlds and fill them
With tiny details and hidden quirks
Partly to reward those who look close enough to notice
But mostly because it amuses me to know they're there

I cook, inventively
I tidy, infrequently,
I laugh, infectiously
I love, completely

They ask me
What do I do?
I live my life, my way
How about you?

Nov 20th: 36258 (target: 33333)
Nov 21st: 37094 (target: 35000)
Nov 22nd: 39618 (target: 36667)
Nov 23rd: 41299 (target: 38333)
Nov 24th: 42977 (target: 40000)
Nov 25th: 43572 (target: 41667)
Nov 26th: 45246 (target: 43333)
Nov 27th: 46468 (target: 45000)
Nov 28th: 46704 (target: 46667)
Nov 29th: 48422 (target: 48333)

Nov 30th: 50246 (target: 50000)



Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Okay, so NaNo says I have done 50,053, but you know what? That's still over 50,000 of continuous, original fiction over 30 days, that included GMing twice, my Granddads 96th, Shadowrun, the Christmas Market, and work.

I think I am just a little proud of myself right now.
Of course, next comes the decision as to what to do next; I reckon I am 1/3 through. And proof reading - ay ay ay, the proof reading.
But for the next week, I am taking a break. I hope you'll agree, I might have just about earnt it.

http://www.nanolyser.org/

So, this was on the front page. You just put in the number from your nano url and it tells you all sorts of stats.

I'm thinking of making a set of trop trumps for the people I know who have been Nanoing. Anyone have strong opinions either way.

Nov 13th: 24185 (target: 21667)
Nov 14th: 26009 (target: 23333)
Nov 15th: 27681 (target: 25000)
Nov 16th: 29389 (target: 26667)
Nov 17th: 31069 (target: 28333)
Nov 18th: 32798 (target: 30000)
Nov 19th: 34531 (target: 31667)

It becomes increasingly obvious (to me anyway, with my advantage that I know what plot there is still to come) that this story is not going to be finished in 50,000 words.
The three options I can see are

a) Make a push to get it done in November, when I am committed... to writing, not an alsylum. (Though if I seriously make this my target, the second could easily apply.)
Pros: I'm already writing, I'll keep my momentum. Cons: I may cut down on what I write to get the damn thing done, I'm struggling some days to hit my minimum as it is. If I try and extend that, it will be painful.

b) Do the 50,000 now, and then keep going after November with whatever is left.
Pros: It means November is still likely to be won, and I'll be a big chunk in. Plus, it'll be more relaxed. Cons: It will be more relaxed. The drive will be gone and I may very well tail off.

c) Do the 50,000 now, and then take on the rest next November.
Pros: When November ends, the euphoric bliss at being Done with the whole silly idea of NaNo will be enough to ride out for a good while. I'll have next years NaNo sorted. Cons: It's cheating. I may lose all momentum, and interest in the story and the characters, and decide I hate it. And then the 50,000 words become so much wasted time and lost sleep.

So, any opinions out there? Am I missing a sensible option through lack of thought and hope, or should I throw my lot in with one of the above and hope the pros steamroller the cons?

Nov 10th: 18940 (target: 16667)
Nov 11th: 20633 (target: 18333)
Nov 12th: 22356 (target: 20000)

It's becoming hard going. The beginning, where I had my ideas and I was full of keen, it all just poured out onto the page, and I had created a two day buffer in five days. My average word count was in the 2,000's.
Now, it's an effort to get the requisit 1,667 on paper (or harddrive); it feels a little like I'm writing for the sake of the word count, rather than the story.

And yet, there's enough left that my characters have to say, have to do, and have to realise, that I still have hope that it will change; that I will make it through this middle phase of "why the hell did I decide to Nano?"

Fingers crossed

Nov 7th: 15136 (target: 11667)
Nov 8th: 15435 (target: 13333)
Nov 9th: 17265 (target: 15000)

Sunday saw me so tired that I couldn't even reach 300 words before falling asleep, and swallowing one days worth of buffer. Still, I had 2, and that's what it was there for. Now need to build it back up again, but I can do that. I hope.

In other news, tired, very very ired in general. Hoping it will pass in time to do what needs to be done.

I haven't been posting public progress for the last few days, because I was getting very tired with 8am starts and then staying up to keep writing.
So, for anyone who's missed them desperately:

Nov 4th: 9344 (target: 6667)
Nov 5th: 11675 (target: 8883)
Nov 6th: 13345 (target: 10000)

6,737 - 1 day ahead. Have tweaked earlier stuff slightly, but cba to repost just now. Maybe when draft 1 is finished and reviewed.
Slightly worried that plot hasn't happened, merely exposition, and uninformative exposition at that
I'm hoping the next chapter, when the characters meet, may start stuff happening

Word Count is 3804. I hope to do a little more later, but considering todays target is 3333, I'm happy enough.

In other news, life continues much as before. I'm sorry there's not many entries - any time something interesting does happen, I tend to procrastinate until writing about it no longer seems appropriate.

I am thankful for my family, and for my friends, and for Peter, who all put up with my brand of crazy and disorganisation.
One day, I plan to be better.

And my word count is 1475

I'm not sure I like what I have written. But I have more of today, once I have slept, and it's a start.

So, November looms and once again I am attempting NaNoWriMo. This year I’m upping the stakes and attempting to do all 50,000 words in the same story; this could end very, very badly, but I’m going to try anyway.

This years attempt is Superhero based, working on the idea that, when the Incan world calendar resets in 2012, super powers will develop, and an industry will spring up around them – following the rule that you should write what you know, if by “what you know” you mean “taking my experience in a call centre and mangling it horribly” and by “following” you mean “vaguely heading in the suggested direction”.

I've already written the first two and a half chapters in my head a dozen times over, so in theory, tomorrows word count should be solid. In practice, what goes down on paper will probably feel thin and poor compared to what has been scrolling through my mind.

As you can tell, I'm not overly optimistic. I can’t guarantee that this will be successful, or that I’ll get to the end (or 50,000), but if anyone wants to come along for the ride, if you leave me a comment I will set up the filter. Will probably do what I did last year - daily entries under an LJ cut - except unlike last year there may be some random end points. Updates on progress (when it happens) are likely to be public; it’ll just be the writing itself that’s on an Opt-in basis.

Of course, it starts on the day I’m helping GM, so this could be a sign of things to come…

http://www.feywinds.com/comic/page.php?id=123

Just because this is damn near perfect.

Peter got it too

THIS JOURNAL IS MINE NOW! MINE, I TELL YOU! I CLAIM IT FOR THE GLORIOUS EMPIRE OF PETER!!!!!11!!ONE!!

<ahem>

In other news, Caroline has managed to acquire swine flu, so this is a public service announcement to pretty much cancel any Caroliney-goodness that you might have booked for the next 3-5 days.

PJW

Right - Food is happening at Botellinos at 7pm. People to meet there by 6.50pm, pls?
I have down as attending:
Myself (just as well really)
Peter
James
Warren
Judith
Elizabeth
Lucy
Dan
Tim
Greg
Louisa +1
Doug
Rachael (work)
Marcus
Dom
Rachael

Drinks will happen after this - if I say 9, at Weatherspoons, does that sound completely stupid?

(*Edited to remove the second Greg. Even if it is my birthday, I'm not that lucky)

Right - plans.

Have decided against the idea of a masked party; that I am saving for my 25th. You have all been warned in advance.

This year I am having drinks, followed by food. I have provisionally booked a table for 20 at Bottelinos on the Saturday 25th July for 7pm.

What I need to know is who is interested in what.

If you'd like to come to the meal, please let me know within a week so I can confirm numbers for that booking. An actual - not optimistically inflated - number would be good.

If you just want drinks, that's good too - firmer plans will be made for that later.