“It’s the job that’s never started as takes longest to finish.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
* * *
Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category
Gamgee the Wise
Posted in Likes, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, inspiration, procrastination, Thoughts, Writers, writing on December 6, 2021| Leave a Comment »
When Sharing Isn’t Caring
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, drabble, Drabble Dabble Do, Fiction, inspiration, short stories, Thoughts, writing on December 3, 2021| Leave a Comment »
As mentioned the other day, I recently read a book starring interesting and complex retirees.* It got me thinking, and now I have a new drabble.
Enjoy!
When Sharing Isn’t Caring
There’s a lot to be said for the “sharing economy.”
My granddaughter DeeDee introduced me to the idea. Say, if you need to cleanup around the yard but don’t have all the tools. Because the neighbor is kicking up a fuss (and poor Mr. Kittikins), wasting Saturdays complaining about trees overhanging his fence.
And the things you can borrow these days!
Order up a tool here or there, pay a reasonable delivery fee and voila, the item comes right to your doorstep.
Like this nice policeman.
“Such terrible news about the neighbor. And no, officer, I don’t own an ax.”
* * *
* Disclaimer: I also happen to be related to a number of interesting and complex individuals of a certain age, but they are in no way associated with mysteries or mayhem!
* * *
How to Win by Losing
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, Fiction, genre fiction, nanowrimo, sff, Thoughts, writing, yay on December 2, 2021| 2 Comments »
To Whom It May Concern,
Enclosed please find my NaNoWriMo after-action report. Please be advised that this AAR is a summary document of an ongoing project and may be reassessed upon future review.
* * *
Project: NaNoWriMo 2021, Modified Edition (a.k.a. NaYes, a.k.a. NaNoFinMo)
Overview, or The NaNo Plan-Mo
- Goal, Part 1: Plan a story
- Did I do this? Yes!
- Goal, Part 2: Let’s just focus on Part 1, shall we?
* * *
Analysis
Looking back, how did it go?
- After years of NaNo pantsing,* was planning the story a good idea? Yes, to a point. It got me out of being stuck mid-month, but then I went a little overboard and realized that I was probably planning myself into a corner. Backing off, making sure I had a solid foundation under the piece, getting inside the heads of my characters, that made the most sense. (And that wasn’t always easy. One of the characters is an alien space mouse.)
- Was I efficient? Not so much. Taking the word count pressure off was great in many ways, but also allowed me to spend too long vacillating about which awesome idea was the most awesome of all the awesomes. And then writing, backtracking, and writing some more. Not helpful.
- Was I creative? Yes. See the aforementioned space mouse.
- Did I accomplish more than a big fat zero? I did!
- I began the month writing countable words and considered putting out enough verbiage to qualify for the formal challenge. This option was rejected because 50,000 words to no apparent purpose? No thanks!
Notes on the process, using previous related posts and their goals as guides:
Yes, I took on the challenge. Go me.
No, I did not actually finish said story. And yes, I will expect this fact to be reflected in my end-of-year bonus package. No need to remind me.
I am happy to report that I fixed the stopping and restarting problem, picked one idea and rolled with it for the rest of the month.
About halfway through the month I decided that project parameters be damned, I really didn’t care about the word count. At all. What I wanted was a platform to act as a springboard for next steps. So that’s what I did.
* * *
Recommendations & Action Items**
What would I change for next time?
- Skip the prep reading; it was helpful but now I’ve crossed it off my list.
- Go faster, not spend the whole month on one idea, develop more stories, spend more time noodling, more wandering the neighborhood thinking up fun stuff.
- I considered a reading hiatus but then all my library books arrived and I just didn’t want to, frankly. Probably would have helped, though!
- Make December the official followup month, where actual writing shall occur.
* * *
In Conclusion!
Experimental or not, this year’s NaNoWriMo actually went pretty well. My main takeaway is not to stress very much. Or at all. I’m much more productive when I’m having fun.
Because I didn’t bother with the 50,000 words I didn’t count this NaNo as a “win” in the formal sense. I do count it as a win in the “getting things done my own dang way, thanks very much” sense, so yay.
I may be the only one in this particular race, but still. I win!
* * *
* * *
* A guide to NaNoWriMo strategies, including pantsing. I suppose you could say I’m a “plantser” at this point, but really, that’s a pretty terrible word.
** I just wanted to say “action items” because it’s ridiculous and fun.
Ghosts and Fairies and Angels and A.I.
Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, Fiction, free fiction, genre fiction, sff, Thoughts, writing on December 1, 2021| Leave a Comment »
I’m a little too caught up in work to write the piece I was planning for today, so instead we have a free story via Slate’s Future Tense Fiction. It’s long, so save it for when you have time to do a little thinking about the environment, technology, and society.
“Ride,” a new short story about climate change, A.I., and social credit by Linda Nagata, with a non-fictional response by Henry Grabar, a journalist who reports on cities and autonomous vehicles.
Jasmine’s thoughts turned to the boy. He’d claimed he’d met someone on a shared taxi ride, a nameless stranger who’d told him about the Easter egg—a hidden bit of code embedded in the programming controlling the city’s autonomous taxi fleet.
Probably, the boy had been stringing her along. Yet there had been something about him, a sweetness, a rare sincerity that made her want to believe him—and anyway, what was the harm?
* * *
Today’s Game
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, #amwritingscifi, creativity, Thoughts, Writers, writing, yay on November 27, 2021| Leave a Comment »
“Read books. Care about things. Get excited. Try not to be too down on yourself. Enjoy the ever present game of knowing.”
― Hank Green
* * *
A Day of Delights
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, inspiration, quotes, Thoughts, Writers, writing on November 21, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Our creativity is a wild and unexpected bonus from the universe. It’s as if all our gods and angels gathered together and said, “It’s tough down there as a human being, we know. Here—have some delights.
— Elizabeth Gilbert
* * *
Appliance Rodeo
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, fixing things, home, Thoughts on November 20, 2021| 4 Comments »
The microwave crapped out on us last night, again. Fortunately, it looks like it’s the same problem as last time, which means we still have extra spare parts from last time. So I’ll be assisting Mr. Man in another great Appliance Disassembly Rodeo!
Fun, right?
Brief aside: I really dislike throwing away mostly ok items and think the right-to-repair movement is a fine idea. Progress is being made on that front, but there’s still a gap between having the right to fix a thing and having the knowledge and equipment to fix a thing. Mr. Man is mechanically-minded and experienced, and also has pretty much all the tools a person could need (allll the tools!). A lot of people don’t. If you’re one of them, check out online sites for manuals or search for local tool lending libraries. Or make friends with a handy neighbor! (I recommend a smile, beer and/or brownies.)
* * *
(update)
I wrote this yesterday. Since then, we pulled the microwave off the wall and took it apart. It was not, in fact, the same problem as last time. Sadly.
(cut to two hours later)
We have procured what may very well be the last microwave of its kind in Eastern Canada. The floods out West have done absolutely nothing good for already challenged supply chains, so we’re counting ourselves very lucky. It should arrive Thursday.
Fingers crossed!
* * *
Writer Goals
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, inspiration, quotes, Thoughts, Writers, writing on November 18, 2021| Leave a Comment »
“And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.”
― John Steinbeck
* * *
Baby Steps
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, Fiction, genre fiction, Thoughts, Writers, writing on November 16, 2021| 2 Comments »
I’m experimenting with reading/media deprivation. Gotta say I’m not loving it:)
I’m also terrible at it, especially where the reading is concerned. So let’s just say I’m trying to reduce, not eliminate. Baby steps!
It would be nice to have more time and get more done, though. I do love crossing things off my list.
Side note, my NaNoWriMo project wants to be a graphic novel. Surprise!
* * *
Fixing What’s Broken
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, Fiction, free fiction, genre fiction, sff, Writers, writing on November 12, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Seems to me like it’s free fiction Friday. Here’s a story from Josh Bales via Future Tense Fiction. I particularly liked the ending.
The shop was a three-story brown brick building on the north end of downtown. The pawls on her bike clicked slower as she pulled up in front of it. Block letters in faded gold paint proclaimed REVERTE REPAIRS on the front window. Beneath that, in smaller letters: WE FIX YOUR BROKEN THINGS.
* * *
-
Recent Posts
She Said, He Said
-
-
Favorite Posts
Archives
Categories
It’s All So Random
What I’m Reading
You must be logged in to post a comment.