A Whole Neu World

It’s over… well not officially, but the day before yesterday I reached both the end of my plot and the fifty-thousand word finish line for NaNoWriMo. Instead of the Superhero Origin Story/Mystery I had originally thought about doing, I ended up with another story that was more a straight-up urban fantasy that I got inspired to do when I was scanning books at Waldenbooks thinking about what I liked to read. I still have the notes that I am currently working on expanding the form of for the Origin Story bit. I got a good start on writing it, but the way I was going just didn’t feel right for a novel. I’ve been thinking about a series of short stories and a novella format…

Anyway, I’m hoping that it will be something worthwhile in the end, and I’m hoping the same for the story I did write. What I did write feels actually more like a protracted outline. I’m already planning to change a lot of things, like the origin and nature of the parallel world and the introduction and when the opposite number of the heroine shows up and the nature of the ‘items’ she is supposed to protect for the climactic finish. I’m changing a lot of things actually, but I’m not giving up. Sometime next year that thing is going to start being shopped out. I may not have the networking  skills of some, but I can plug away like nobody’s business, can’t I?

I learned a lot of things about myself this year. My volume writing skills are improving steadily, and I believe that the quality has as well. At least, I believe that the quality for speed writing is no worse than the quality for some of my RPG has always been. If I know what I’m shooting for scene- or plot-wise, I have been able to average about five hundred words in fifteen minutes. Being able to average two-thousand six-hundred words a day is a big boost to my writer ego.

The downside to all this is that I’ve been having post-project disphoria that last few days. I’ve been second-guessing my work and the salvagablity of it. Until the holidays are over, though, at most I’m going to make notes about what I can and will change and maybe get a start on the next big thing (aka those pesky super heroes). I also promised myself an iPod Touch if I finished the story and started getting it edited.  So that hunt is on. What, did you think I’d pay fair market value?  Fools…

I’ve got plenty to keep myself busy, don’t you worry world.

It’s that time of year again… writing like a fiend in what is possibly the second worst month for doing so.  There’s holiday prep, it’s a short month (not February, but still), and it ends in travel, at least for me. November, it is, and NaNoWriMo it shall be.

Some years I’ve had a plot, some a gimmick, and some no clue at all beyond a vague ‘hmmm, maybe this idea’ thought. This year I was thinking about doing the one I’ve been prewriting on, but then I decided I didn’t want a repeat of last year’s debacle.  I’m still not happy with what became of “Real Estate is Hell.” I actually thought of doing a complete rewrite/reimagining/remake of that story only more in the vein of what I’d originally imagined for it and not the crapfest Buffy/Kate Connor ripoff with less plot I think it might have turned into.  In the end, at least for now, I’ve gone with a third option that hit me when I was at Archon reading the game blurbs.  A sort of superhero origin story mystery.  I’m not going to say more right now… just because.

As usual, I look forward to the frenzy of NaNoWriMo, although last year it left me feeling drained. I think that was because things didn’t turn out like I’d hoped, plot or quality-wise, and I headed right in to try to edit. This year, I hope I’ll get the energizing effect that usually comes.  Either way, last year at least, did help me get more serious about writing and editing in that I didn’t get back out of the habit of daily writing until late summer.  Most of it, however, did end up being more along the lines of pre-writing, so I won’t pretend I was virtuous.

I am, however, getting better. That’s about as much as the standard person can hope for. No, that sounded pessimistic. It’s not the most or even the best but if you don’t have that then you’re not getting anywhere, are you? I’ll answer that myself: No.

At this rate… well I’m not thinking about that right now.

What I am thinking about is looking around for other writers in my area to help poke me along the trail.  I know of one friend of the on-line variety who is going to be participating, but she’s way more organized in the writerly way than I am.  I might end up shooting myself (joke! or at least figurative speech) if I use her as my measuring stick.  This town has a university in it… there should be way more intellectual (or at least pseudo-intellectual) action going on, but I have yet to see anyone around town or the boards.  I might just haul the old laptop down to the coffee shop some afternoon just to see if I run into anyone– or if I just get the typical scorn of uni students for townies. I never quite got that, although I guess I was a half-and-half even when I was in university because I had always lived in the area.  That, however, is another entry for possibly another blog entirely.

Anyone out there who is participating, I am nabikineumann on the NaNo forums.  Look me up.

Television new year has come around again.  I’m starting to be a TV-phile again. After I first got married, I cut back on TV watching a bit as a symptom of ‘being grown up’ and having to adjust to duodom. Almost 10 years later, we’re in a comfy place and TV New Year means something again.

In no particular order, the following are the shows I’m watching and some opinions on their seasons so far.

My Own Worst Enemy is Christian Slater’s return to television and what I thought might be a rip off of BBC’s Jekyll. It isn’t, or at least isn’t after this first episode. It’s got more in common with Chuck than Jekyll, and I don’t know if that’s good or bad.  Good, I suppose, for the channel seeing as it shares the same night. So far it’s nothing special, beyond Slater’s performance and that of his boss.  I’m giving it another shot.

Life On Mars is a direct BBC remake. I never managed to fit it’s predecessor into my viewing schedule and, frankly, it didn’t appeal much. However, Harvey Keitel is all you had to say, sir. I think this show owes more to seventies cop shows than actual seventies cops, or at least I hope so. If nothing else, it’s got a fantastic sound track that I am frothing at the mouth to buy.  Two episodes in and I’m not anticipating giving up after the requisite ‘three strikes,’ so that’s a plus. I am just as curios as the protagonist about finding out what exactly is happening to him.

Heroes, I am a die-hard, but you are surely trying to make me let go. So far this favorite of mine has managed to rape my favorite villian of his motivation (Sylar), make me watch the class dumbass remake the fly (Mohinder), and robbed my boy of character development (Hiro, who for the first time in the show is not making me say ‘Hiro, for the win!’).  Only HRG is still earning my love, but he’s doing it so hardcore that I couldn’t dream of abandoning him to ratings hell. So, I’m still in it for the long haul.

Ugly Betty is a show I might not have picked up on by myself.  My mom and a few friends online were in love with it, so I started watching it on ABC’s site and got hooked. This year, my mom has declared it ‘too silly’ and stopped watching regularly. For myself, I am torn. Betty and her outfits are starting to wear on me and even though it sort of embodies the ‘best of the worst of soaps’ thing that I like about the show (come on, this show is completely what one thinks of when one thinks of soaps ‘but I am the father of my brother’s son… even though I am now a woman and in prison and an amnesia victim!’) I can’t imagine that someone could remain so unaffected by working at a fashion magazine that matching would still be beyond her.  I’m still watching… but if The Sarah Connor Chronicles or almost anything else were put up against it I might switch and go back to picking it up when/if I could.

Supernatural left us with a ‘hell’ of a cliff-hanger last season. Dean’s deal with the crossroads demon was collected on and our hero was in hell.  We come back and they wasted no time making us wonder about that (or anything, really). Even though we all know in our hearts that Dean won’t kill Sam, that is our central issue… and yet the show is still imminently watchable. The recent ‘Halloween’ episode, filmed in black and white and shouting out to the classic monster movies, is just exactly the reason I’m still watching.  Way to keep with the vision, guys.

Sarah Connor Chronicles might not have gotten a fair shot if not for the writers’ strike last year. I know I wouldn’t have watched it, because it’s up against Chuck.  That’s why I’m catching it online as I can this year. Initially, I was cynical about the whole alternate timeline  thing, but the ability to ignore T3 was intoxicating and the ‘new’ Sarah was passable. I just heard that they got renewed for a whole season and I say more power to them. A show that can make Brian Austin-Green realistically kick a little ass has props from me. Now, they just need to put it on another night… ANY other night.

Fringe, is J.J. Abrams newest show. Even though he may or may not be raping my childhood with the Star Trek reboot, I had to give this show a shot. I’m glad I did, because he has given me a new mad scientist to love and just enough conspiracy to make me smile. If only I could buy Pacey from Dawson’s Creek as the supergenius and all around kickass guy. However, if that’s the only flaw I can really point to at the end of the season, then I’ll stick with it.

How I Met Your Mother scared me in episode one of season 3. I thought they were going to de-Awesome Barney. They have managed to save that one from the jaws of suck and still have the undercurrent of ‘he’s waiting on Robin to notice’ going on. It’s a sitcom that keeps flirting with formula change just enough to keep me from getting bored and cynical and yet sticks to formula with gusto.  This is good, because it is a formula I came to love when I discovered this show (thanks to people repeatedly beating me in the head with it) this past year.

Big Bang Theory is coming into its sophomore year strong. I thought they might be giving up by having Penny date Leonard, but for once writers aren’t jumping the shark or making it into a Who’s the Boss? style sexual tension fest. Sheldon remains my favorite character, I get him although I feel certain I might well smack him in real life. My one gripe about this cute sitcom is that sometimes it seems to be laughing AT their geeky protagonists rather than WITH them… which is a huge mistake.

Sanctuary is a two-time miss in my book. I missed it last summer when it was a web series and again on the first-run for TV because we were off at a con. Catching the pilot (which is a compilation of the webseries) on hulu.com hasn’t encouraged me to become an avid follower, but I do like shows crossing over from the web and I do like the hellboy-esque underground organization… the time will come when I catch up on this show for real.

Z-Rock is a surprisingly interesting show, but probably not a more than one time watch. It appeals to the part of me that likes Metalocalypse and Behind the Music, actually insert all of VH-1 there. The mockumentary-like half-hour show follows a Jersy band that plays kids parties as their day job. The lead singer sports a fab jewfro and they have managed to get some b-list guest stars (notably Joan Rivers and Dee Schneider [who gets love reflected over because of Bastard!!'s author's love]). There is a fragile web of interest in this show in my house, but given competition or reruns and it will not come out the winner.

There it is, shows catching my eye this season.  I’m looking forward to catching Dollhouse and of course Lost. When they finally peek their heads onto the schedule, but overall I’m satisfied. I have plenty to catch my eye when I’m too lazy to do something else and just enough to obsess a little over.

That’s what’s important right?

I suppose The Simpsons should get an honorable mention, but I have only caught that sporadically since getting married as my husband hates it with a passion… and there have been a lot of things to scoff at since season 15.

My husband and I went to Archon last weekend.  Last year, we missed it because of NasFic was there instead, and no one was willing or able to convince us that it was worth over a hundred dollars to come.  It was a long and short story in one, trust me.

This year, there were some missing familiar faces, but some interesting new ones.  There were more artists in the hall and more variation in the art types. I was blown away by the hall displays.  We almost blew our budget before the dealer room opened on Friday.

There was a man who made original props, Joshua Hart.  His flagship item for the con was a gorgeous steampunk-esque cane that had industrial looking grip and tip with a hand embossed leather grip and a lighted fiber optic clear staff.  It was absolutely gorgeous and as soon as I get my pics and files sorted out I’ll be posting images of the one my parents bought for my husband for his birthday (by proxy through me).  Or rather, it seems, I won’t because I can’t get a decent pic of it.  This will take time and patience, and possibly the movie camera.  Rest assured, it is gorgeous so go buy things from Mr. Hart.

Also in the ‘not pictured here’ catagory, because my batteries died on me, is the brilliant sword etching of Gwyneth Morford. We bought two swords.  I got a dragon etched down the blade of mine and my initials on the hilt.  My husband got the Soulcatcher’s symbold from Glenn Cook’s Black Company series on a black gladius.  It was very sharp and she did it freehand!  I am a total disciple of this woman.

The game blurbs are always interesting and I think I have more fun trying to think of how the story could go than joining and finding out how it does go.

My personal highlight would have to be the MST3K folk’s panel.  We got to see some of the early SOL action and it was just informative and great.

Okay, so you got me.  This turned very stupid very fast, but my excuses are twofold:

1: I got distracted with tech problems getting my photos to show up.

2: I started this healthy, but between tech and interruptions I am now sick with a cold and that makes Thinking a no.
That said, I’ll end with pictures.

I’m still technically on vacation, but I’m to the staycation portion.

I’ve got a post in the works about the wonders of Archon and the inspiration therein, but technical difficulties are making that more arduous than I had originally planned.  Nevertheless rest assured that it was a great weekend that included visits with my aunt, uncle, and his unspeakably cool mother as well as costuming, shopping, gaming, and lots of foot pain, as well as a weekend that gave me lots of new ideas.

Speaking of ideas… It’s getting to be the NaNoWriMo time of year again, which is always a good time for thinking. I’ve got a few ideas in my head banging around.  Of course, I also need to do a near-complete rewrite on last year’s story.

I should do a site for the less ‘undone’ of my stories.

I’ve also gotten my last piece of the puzzle for the XBox (again).  Apparently the splicers I had or the pieces I was splicing to did not work, so I caved and bought a new AV wire for the thing.  When the staycation is over and I can techno and curse to my hearts content in private I’ll get that set up.  I look forward to sharing my triumph over the cable company… and yes, I know I could just  use a computer, but I don’t have a spare sitting around that is suitable for the purpose.  I came across this old XBox and the article I used in the same week (article was free, machine was $20).

I’ve also found the remainder of the old ties my husband keeps around.  Now that I’ve seen some craft ideas for old ties, I wish we still had all of the ones we used to, but I gave them to charity so hopefully someone is enjoying the out-of-date things.  Thing is, I don’t know if I’ll hand-sew or try to use the sewing machine that my Grandma-in-law gave me for my birthay.  Now that it’s in my house, it kind of intimidates me.

Also intimidating, but in a good way, is the Coach purse I bought on sale.  It’s rich, supple leather and pristine creaminess makes me happy, and yet almost afraid to carry it.  I’m a big fan of Coach. I have a weakness for their design. I guess at least it’s not some other big Italian name or something that has my brand loyalty… right?

So, The Dude and I are trying to think of products/crafts we could provide at conventions (because convention going is fun, but pricey). We’re so far thinking about utilising photoshop/greenscreening skills as well as my crochet and knitting and his… was it the dice-carving?  I forget because I think I’m about to come down with a cold and that makes me less brainy. The talk has made me think about getting all Etsy up in there, which I had previously been avoiding.

This Winter when I have less sunshine to distract me I am going fullbore back to the ’semi-pro’ writing and the hardcore crafting.  I have these ideas and then I just want to keep them for myself.  That is less good than sharing or selling, methinks.  Winter/Fall is my really productive, yet semi-depressed about the weather, time.

This Winter

• Get one story (short or long) out for shopping around
• Design one product
• Look for more webwork

Those are the goals, people.

Just took some time to write 100 points about me.  It was very hard, and I meant it to be more ‘accomplishment’ and ‘biography’ oriented, but just couldn’t keep focused for 100 points.

Some weeks are just good. Conversely, some weeks are the opposite, and we won’t talk about those. This one, however was one of the good ones where everyone gets along like sitcom families at Thanksgiving don’t and people give you cake and projects get done and if they don’t then they get that next step towards getting done out of the way.

I’ve been turning in homework (hoping to get ahead before our mini-convention vacation) like there’s no tomorrow, and getting great grades on them.  This semester I’m taking Introduction to Networking.  It’s a 2-hour course, and so far we’re just learning operating system basics, but it’s promising and has required a little bit of thinking on my part, which I like.  I’m meandering slowly toward official confirmation of most of the things I already know and learning some that I don’t. My husband is the greatest and most supportive guy out there.  I can not say enough about this guy– but saying much will get me the gas face, both from him for revealing too much and from the world at large because no one lies gooey gushing commentary, am I right?

I got the last of my hardware for my project to computerize my home media center.  Sadly our big TV has poofed, but that’s just a minor setback. Now, I have to get into my techno-zen state to finish installation and set-up and, of course, the inevitable bug-killing that comes with techno-projects. As a warm-up today I used my woot buy to digitize my analog copy of the show that I was working on at the college station when I met my husband (about whom I will not gush at this time, but gushing is implied).  It worked out wonderfully and I plan to link or embed here as soon as I get it uploaded.

In other audio-video adventures, I leveled up as an editor for Buffy Between the Lines. Previously I’ve, beta’ed, done voice work, and basic editing. This week, though, I’ve made my first foray into Intermediate (gasp!) editing.  It involves more decisions, like which take of the line works best.  It also requires barely a touch more technological savvy (you have to be able to work with more than one audacity session at a time and generate silence).  I’m pretty happy with the results, and I always like a good level-up.

Wonderful, non-gushed-about, husband had a hellweek of work that ended in triumph of a public and impressive sort… ’nuff said.

Nevertheless, I’ll skip to the good part: celebration.

The weekend was spent in a haze of triumph and good, if heavy, foodstuffs.  There was the triumphal dinner, followed by the triumphal browsing of stores we have to return to later to get our full geek on for the con.  Later there was the triumphal visit of the in-laws, at which we enjoyed the local historical goodness (we had a fake Lincoln and Douglas and barbecue, how can there be fail?).  They bought belated birthday cake and presents for me… and THAT, my friends, is always good.  Every day that starts without cake and ends with cake is a day you can celebrate.

We also gorged ourselves on popcorn and caught Tropic Thunder at discount price, but that is another story and another entry.

Recently completed tasks:

1. Made a new dice bag for husband with the new Bernat Glow Yarn.
2. Got a few weeks ahead in my homework.
3. Assembled the hardware for my XBMC project
4. Hunted down proper drivers for the hardware and software for my bargain-priced VHS conversion project.
5. Did some outlining for the new story idea.
6. Made some sketches for what I want to do with the side yard of the house

I’m not generally a materialistic person (she says surrounded by scads of books and DVDs that she feels  compelled to own), but lately I have become enamoured of the idea of owning that marvel of tiny media wonder, the iPod Touch. Now that they’ve got a second generation coming out, I might actually be able to snag a generation one Touch. This makes me unaccounably happy, and I’m not even sure why.

Okay, I take that last sentence back. I do know why. I love a multiuse item. The Podculture podcast, as well as a few other recent ‘coincidental’ (no, I really think somehow Steve Jobs is trying to pull me in, here… the cult is that pervasive) references have made me notice how cool the free apps are and how nifty it would be to have that screen and all that memory for my music and video at my fingertips.  Yes, all right, I realize it doesn’t have any expansion slots, but if I had the 16 or 32 gig of memory, maybe I’d finally be satisfied.  Being a memory whore, I have to admit that the bigger hard drives are a huge draw to me, but the wifi is another, as well as the bible on there and the complete works of Shakespeare.  The information junkie in me is going crazy over this toy, and that is what it is, a toy… another toy.

I am, however, not spoiled. I don’t crave the second generation product. Strike that, I do after a fashion, but I’d be just as happy with the product I first fell in love with. Anything ‘greater than’ that would be considered gravy. I see the newer product at the means to drive down the price on the ‘obsolete’ model that I wanted in the first place. Devious, am I not?

Already the 8 or 16 gig is in the ‘This is what I want for Christmas’ realm.  Too bad my birthday has passed already because it would have been a possibility on that list, I know. Well, it might have been if I hadn’t had some really practical things on the list, or at least I think I did. I don’t remember half of what I typed there because I suck at actually asking for things in an imprompteau fashion.

Mostly I am just surprised at myself for falling in lust with this product. I have been avoiding Apple products because of the DRM and other freakishly cultish and proprietary issues therein. Lately, though, the image of me reading a book on screen or whipping out my little device and checking my e-mail quickly and maybe sending a couple of tweets is branded in my mind’s eye as ‘cool.’ I suppose I could run up a huge phone bill and do the same with my fairly dinky cell phone browser window, but it wouldn’t be the same and its memory is considerably smaller.

Point of the day: When will someone send me an iPod Touch?

I was vibrant and productive today.

What I have to say:

Sinus meds kicked in and yesterday’s exercise left me sore.

What I can say in spite of that:

I cowboyed up and did my errands (afoot yet! I am a combining fool!) as well as a little bit of writing, some homework and a wipe-down of the kitchen. On a more vain note, I have already reached my weight goal for the week.  While I’m all for body image acceptance, I know how I’m best and after the move last year I lost (gained?) that ground.

I am, however, not giving in to the urge to ‘hardcore’ diet (i.e. change my ways radically a la Atkins) to get to the zone ASAP.  Not healthy, physically or mentally, in my opinion. I did get 9 points over on my triglicerides when I had my check up this year, so I do know I need to look at my carb consumption in the long run, but that is another story that is only peripherally related.

In Summary of the summary:

I’m pretty proud of today even if I was a whiny, sore, sinus whimp. Possibly I wasn’t full-speed-ahead, accomplishing everything in mass quantities, but I did get everything I planned on done.  Rather, I did the things I planned to do (the entirety of my class work for the semester and the things I’m working on in the writing realm are not done, but I did work on them).  I killed a giant spider– after I screamed like Jamie Lee Curtis.  That alone should count as a day for arachnophobic me.