New schedule

I have gotten absolutely nothing done this week, not even submissions. I know, the shame, the shame. This new work schedule is kicking my butt. I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually. I'm already starting to adapt. By next week I'll be back on track.
And I didn't manage to use any of that joyous down time at work that I bragged about. While the store does have very few customers, the lady that ran the store before me left it looking like crap. So I've been rearranging and reorganizing everything. I'd explain it all but that's a super boring story. I didn't want to live it and nobody else wants to read it.

Good bye to where it all began

Am I the only person that just can't sign into blogger. If I try the regular 'sign in' page it takes hours to load and today I tried signing in by leaving a comment. It told me I had an incorrect password for twelve tries so finally I gave up and came back later. It's just becoming a big pain.

Enough complaining.

Good news, Jenni and I managed to get chapters 10, 11, & 12 of Behind the Naugahyde planned. From what I hear Jenni has already got a big chunk of hers done and well, I haven't started.
On a sad note about Naugahyde, tomorrow will be the last day that I will work in the store that started it all. The store where I met Jenni, the store that had all the crazy customers and employees that may or may not have inspired the novel, the store with the ugly, green, Naugahyde curtains.
I'll still be employed by the same company and there is always a chance that I could end back at the other store for a short or long period of time for various reasons. And to be honest the store really hasn't been the same in a long while. Still, it's sad to think about it. The other store is lonely, it has very few customers and I think they are a different kind of customer, I'm not sure yet. Most of all they only have one stock room/wall with one entrance and it has a fabric curtain, not Naugahyde.

Sci-fi stories and work drama.

I haven't gotten much done this week. I did my obligatory submissions on Sunday but not much else. I guess I thought I would take a small break since I just got done writing a novel. Ideas for my next project are in the works. My plan is to write a sci-fi/fantasy story. I know I'm a genre hopper but I don't want to get stuck in a rut and to be honest I'm not entirely sure what genre I would want to write exclusively. I read everything and I want to write everything.

I had been reading sci-fi short stories trying to get inspired for an idea but I wasn't having a lot of luck. Then I started thinking about the awesome Jenni, fellow author of Behind the Naugahyde. It was her strong belief in animal rights that got me thinking about this idea. I'll give more details when I figure them out but for now I must keep everyone in suspense.

Aside from vague descriptions of sci-fi stories I don't really have much else to say about writing for now.

I am excited that next Monday I will start a new job but really it's still my old job. I'm moving to a different location where I will have no one to talk to and little work to do so I will have plenty of time for writing and reading.
The drama leading up to the new position has been so ridiculous that the sequel to Behind the Naugahyde has pretty much written itself.

Lets hope next week involves less madness and more writing.

It's done, finally

It's been 3 months and 15 days. A little over schedule, well a lot over schedule depending on which goal we consider. My Nanowrimo goal, Nanofimo or just to finish in three months. Anyway it matters no more because after 98497 words, I am finished with my still untitled novel! Yay!
I really have no idea what to do with it. For now I will let it sit and then I'll go back. Hopefully I won't realize that it is all crap but that's most likely what it is.
Now I think I'm going to write a sci-fi/fantasy short story for a little change of pace. Then I hope to make some edits to my comic book script and figure out something to do with it.
And hopefully I will talk to Jenni soon and we can start planning the next chapters of Behind the Naugahyde.

Just watched: The Office, Scrubs, 30 Rock
Just saw: Hannibal Rising
Just read: Dark Tower-The Gunslinger Born #1

A pleasant surprise

After doing my submissions yesterday I decided to check my e-mail one more time before I headed to bed. I was surprised to see Jenni had sent me her part of chapters 8 and 9 of Behind the Naugahyde! So I stayed up and read them. They were so awesome and I'm so excited about them. And I now I'll go through and make comments and fix the things in my part that Jenni noted. We're planning on finding time this week to plan the next chapters. YAY!

I also got a mailbox full of rejection today. One of the editors said that my story couldn't have been more depressing, however it was interesting but I should try not to use so many "thens". At least I learned something, right?
Well not really. I just searched the document. Out of 880 words I used "then" twice!

Only one great line

Tonight I finished my part of chapter 9 of Behind the Naugahyde. It's weird because the idea for Behind the Naugahyde really came from how much Jenni and I wrote about our jobs in e-mails and on live journal. We started thinking we could write a novel.
I just told Jenni this recently, but when we started and even now, I felt this horrible pressure about writing my part. Jenni would always have an amazing way of dramatically retelling stories. There were so many times when the muscles in my face would hurt from laughing so hard. I, on the other hand, wasn't so clever at writing them. I knew Jenni's part would be fabulous and mine would not be. For what we've gotten done, that is true.
Sometimes it scares me that I feel so much pressure about writing. This isn't the first time I've felt pressure to make something good. Of course all authors want to write great things so I'm sure I'm not alone.
The first time I remember having this incredible pressure to write something was in my tenth grade American Lit class. We had to write a poem for some reason, I don't really remember. It was one of those on the spot assignments that I absolutely hate. Anyway, I wrote the first line "She's in love with herself". My teacher came by and just started raving about what a great line that was. "It's a beautiful opening line. It's so powerful. I instantly want to know more about her." That' probably not what she said word for word but it was similar to that. Of course the first line was the only line I had and then I just became run over with this pressure to write lines that were equally great. I sat there forever trying to figure out what else to say about her that would be powerful, something that wouldn't disappoint the people that wanted to know more, like my teacher. Well time was up so I scribbled down a few meaningless lines about how she thinks she's all that, I can't even remember them now. I turned it in completely heartbroken that I had only one good line and that I my never have a series of great lines that make an unforgettable work of art.
I don't know what I ever did with that piece of paper. I'm sure I threw it out because it was awful and I didn't need the constant reminder that I cracked under pressure. Also I think I'm a bit of a coward and don't want to have it sitting around. I might be tempted to try to see what I would have come up with if I wasn't under the pressure of the time restraint. Of course I would always be under pressure with that line because my teacher had put that comment out there and because I want every line of everything I write to be one of those great lines.

Saving and signing in

I never knew what auto recovery was or that I had it turned on until I wrote for two hours last night and then my computer froze. It decided to shut down Word and take all my unsaved writing with it.
After a search on the Internet I found out that there is an auto recovery option for Word files but I was certain I had never turned it on. Apparently it was set to save every ten minutes anyway so I only lost a paragraph. Yay!
And no the novel still isn't done yet.

I would have posted this last night or earlier today but ever since the new blogger happened it takes me a year to get on to the "sign in" page. It wasn't until I was on someone else's comment page where I needed to sign in so that I could comment that I figured out I could go right to my blog and post since I was already signed in from posting the comment. It's depressing to think of the time I wasted trying to sign on before I figured that one out.
All the time I tried to sign in and failed I kept thinking of the Slowsky's. Those cute little turtles that prefer DSL to cable Internet because they like things to be slow. I love them.

It's kind of cold

Goodness, it's cold and I mean 5 below actual temp cold with a wind chill of negative 25. That's what I mean by cold. But I'm not complaining. I prefer this over the heat waves of summer. In fact it's the perfect weather to sit inside and finally finish my NaNo novel because I haven't done that yet. So close though, so close.
I did work on Behind the Naugahyde, which is kind of my Saturday thing. After working and dealing with loony customers each and every Saturday it's quite easy to come home and write about loony customers. I also re-read the whole chapter seven and sent some notes of to Jenni.
Today I worked on submissions and they were boring as usual.
That's been about it this weekend. I didn't get too much done because I had to work both Saturday and Sunday despite the advisory to not leave your house. Why can't they cancel work the way they cancel school? Oh well, I have tomorrow off and hopefully I will finish my novel.

Recently watched: Capote
Listening to: Barenaked Ladies-Are Me

Lucky number 7

What a day?! The release date for the 7th and final Harry Potter book was announced today. Coincidentally, it was on the same day that Jenni sent me a completed (but not yet edited) edition of chapter 7 of Behind the Naugahyde. Is it the universe's way of trying to intertwine the fates of great books present and future? Probably not, but both things happening have made my day super exciting. (Anyone else think it's odd that Jenni made one of these great things happen and J.K. Rowling made the other. That's two J's folks go ahead and count them. Sorry I'll stop now. Unless I think of something else like that if you combine "Behind the Naugahyde and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" there are 7 H's within. And yes I know it's sad that I counted those.)

I got a chance to read the completed chapter of Behind the Naugahyde and now I'm making some notes and Jenni will make some notes. Then we'll combine minds to either act or not act on particular notes. Then we'll do the acting or not acting. After that it's on to chapter 8.
As for the Deathly Hallows release date I am excited but also bummed since it will be the end and of course I'm naturally always bummed that I am not the author. I will still count down in great anticipation and will be in line at midnight on July 21. The store I bought the last three at is out of business so I'll either have to brave the long line at some giant store or find another independent store. And no I don't care if it cost more. Also I will have to ask for the Friday and Saturday off of work. On Friday there will be all kinds of festivities which I cannot miss and I need Saturday to read the book before someone ruins it for me. And someone will because mean people do that.

So it's been an exciting day for me. I made it to the library and found the book I was looking for. I actually ended up going to the branch in the richer part of the capital district which was lacking in parent-free children but was not void of snotty librarians. Not that I'm complaining. It's more of a comment. I could never complain about a place that lends me numerous amounts of books for free. I love that!

Library blues

Wow! I cannot believe January is now over. And no my NaNo novel is not finished but I'm so close that it's really shameful. If I had just worked a little harder on any given day I could have been done with it in three months but no need to dwell. I'll get over it. And finish it, by the end of this week.

I think I'll make another trip to the library tomorrow. A different branch. There's actually one within walking distance off my house but when I'm there I feel like I'm in a day care. The parent to child ratio is discouraging. I almost think parents drop their children off thinking who's going to kidnap them in a library. And it's horrible if that really is their only alternative or if they have other choices and that's what they go with.
The downtown library is better. Although most of the library has started to become consumed by the DVD section. It's depressing to see it change but I'm sure I'm not the first person nor will I be the last to hate to see something change. I just try hard to remember it the way it was. When I was younger I loved the library. My grandma would walk with me to the library every week. I remember having a goal of reading every book in it. And I used to picture that all the souls of the people in the books came out at night and haunted it. I don't think even now that I'll ever be able to stay in a library at night by myself.
Although if it does become completely dominated by DVD's I might be okay. I don't really get weirded out by video stores.

Just watched: The Devil Wears Prada (and no I did not borrow it from the library.)