A vague sort of rambling that really doesn't have a title.

I'm just going to warn you now, I plan on doing a lot of babbling during this post.
Yeah.

NaNoWriMo is over. I spent the first couple of days after November ended just really drifting, the high pace writing really took up a lot of my time and I had a lot of free time I had no idea what to do with. And I finally let my inner editor back into my life a few days ago, um, a bit nervous as to what it'll do to the lovely rambling, 71,215 word jumbled mess I wrote, so I haven't really touched my NaNo novel yet, and I think I'll leave it for a while. Maybe start working back on it oh, let's say Dec. 31st, just for the heck of it.
Which, of course, means that I have to have a new writing project to keep me busy. Actually, I have two, but one is only temporary. Ezra handed over the story our writer's group is writing, and so I've got that to write. There's this lovely little Twilight rant in one of the chapters before mine, and I love it - that and the idea for a certain Nobel Prize. I love the rules in the front of the notebook, because it proves that I'm not the only Death Note fan in the group. Not entirely sure where I'm going to take the story, I'm thinking of starting the chapter with something slightly reminiscent of a Sherlock episode, but I'll get to that when I get to it.
The other writing project I've got is this thing I thought up in the middle of November and it's rather vague, as all my ideas are, but it will keep me busy for the moment. Started off as a sort of fan fiction for a book I liked when I was younger, and then I decided I'd have a bit more fun making it an "original" piece of fiction. And because I'm tired, and I'm sure this will all make absolutely no sense in the morning, I will give you the tentative names of two main characters from this unnamed side project. Alyss, no last name, and Peter Hook. Of course, I'm sure that made it obvious what book I got inspired by.

I had planned for a nice long blog post that made some sort of sense, but I've got Doctor Who to go and watch, so this is a temporary farewell... I hope, anyway.

My friend Ezra created this blog thing where he posted his very organized NaNoWriMo novel and started posting an untitled script, so if there's anyone reading this who hasn't gone and read this, here's the link. http://thestrand21st.blogspot.com/
Go. Read. Now.

Oh, and it snowed a week ago. And yes, I realize just how late this comment is.

Nanowrimo is coming. The drums never stop.

So, less than 90 days till NaNoWriMo begins.
www.nanowrimo.org
Now, last year, a friend of mine and I challenged each other to a sort of race - who could write the best novel, I think it was. Yes, and I quote
"
rock4ever95 said... One message for you Rougewriter, Bring it on!!!!!


For those of you who don't know, Rougewriter and I have a bet on. Whoever writes the worse novel has to write the other person's blog for them for a week.

Don't worry loyal fans, I will win, Rougewriter has no hope of winning. The contest is lost before it is even started.

I am the champion, I am the champion of the world. (Humming tune) "

And my response -
roguewriter said...
. . .
"@ rock4ever95: Talk about being cocky. The battle's been won before we even started, eh? I have no chance of winning? We'll see about that. "
So yeah, that's the motivation I had for starting last year. I wouldn't mind a repeat of that, actually.
Bring it on.
*humming*

Yes, yes I realize that summer hasn't finished yet and that I tried preparing in advance for Script Frenzy and that failed. But this time I've decided to do what I do best - Muddle my way through a story idea and let it weave its threads into a knot. And yes, I do have a story idea. The person who challenged me to write a story about a - oh what was it? - a crazy punk gang member fish or something like that. . . I don't remember. You will have to wait. My NaNoWriMo plans include a punk junkyard gang king and I have no intention of 'cheating'.
Anyone know this far in advance whether or not they'll be trying their hand at writing 50,000 words?
Anyone want to challenge me?

- Scribe Azai

An update (or two)

Well, July 2nd is around the corner, the deadline for my free proof reading copy and I've barely edited anything. Surprisingly I'm okay with that. I just need to organize everything so that I can se what everything looks like, write the introduction for myself, edit slightly, and then send it off. (Now watch as my plans get turned upside down on me)
I'm reworking my main novel, Rebel, for what feels like the 20th time - but I've probably done it more than that. It's turning steampunkish on me, and I get to burn down an entire city towards the end, which is kind of awesome, mostly because I actually know how it's going to end.
I can't plot out my novels and stick to the plot, not even if my life depended on it. I'll start, and Ill be going along pretty well and then a wisp will whistle by me, tantalizingly intriguing and before you know it I've dropped everything and am chasing it around with a butterfly net.
The band ALL CAPS has become my inspiration lately.
I need to stop watching the X-men movies (With Hugh Jackman as Wolverine) so close to bedtime. Late at night is when I get my wacky ideas that might just work, and there has been just way too much inspiration going around.
So how are all of you doing?

Script Frenzy

FADE IN:
ROGUEWRITER sits at the desk, her fingers typing furiously.

ROGUEWRITER (v.o.)

Script Frenzy begins in less than a month, and I have, for some reason, signed up. Don't ask me how I plan on pulling this off, it's like NaNoWriMo, I have no idea how I will survive. Thankfully, Alice in Wonderland rehearsals, if previous plays are any example, will be very inspiring and full of dialogue.
Script Frenzy is writing a 100 page script in the month of April. Sounds easy enough, as a 50,000 word novel comes to about 175 pages.
I have my idea - a beginning, a middle, and no end. The characters are forming in my mind, and I'm scrambling to make sure that I am ready when April 1st comes around.
Is anyone else attending this year? If so, please
a) comment
b) post your username so that I can find you.
Thanks,
Oh, and you'll find me as Scribe Azai.
And that's a wrap!

FADE OUT.

What if . . .

The person who said that the sleepless nights working on a NaNoWriMo novel ended with November was dead wrong. I just thought I'd point that out.

I hate writing out plots, and my attempts never seems to work. It always seems to take the surprise out of writing. However I do enjoy plotting 'what-ifs'.

What is plotting 'what-ifs'?

It's very simple. You take a nice, clean sheet of paper, and draw a circle/square/whatever shape floats your boat. Then you write in that shape a major (or minor) event that happens. Mine might read: Z. sends Rogue and small band on mission. I then begin to draw lines away from it, attaching shapes to the end of the lines, and write in them what might happen, what would happen if character A did this and if he did that. And the lines continue to go off until my page starts looking like a multicolored maze. (I'm doing a wonderful job overusing my latest toy - a four colored pen that actually works)

And that's what 'what-ifs' are.

2010 will be the year

I am putting this pledge on here, so that I will hopefully keep it. My pride and honor are very important to me, and if I tell you, then I have to follow through. I am notorious for not finishing things. My precious work in progress, Rebel, has never had a finished first draft. A crime, in my opinion. I have spent a year and a half of my life working on various versions of it. Two years, if you count that horrendous first attempt at writing I did at age eleven, which I still look back upon, somewhat fondly.

I promise you, that I will finish a first draft of Rebel by the end of this year, or die trying. This will be an awful draft, and in two years, I will laugh at it as hard as I laugh at my first real attempts. You can only give what you have, and I have yet to see enough of the world.

I thank you, all of you, for the inspiration you give me.

Goodnight, and good luck.