| Gollum sang tragedy, touching our hearts~♪ |
[24 Nov 2009|09:03pm] |
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mood |
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 sore |
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| [ |
music |
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Jig (Alan Menken) |
] |
Word Count: 65,358
Tea: At least 52, probably more
50,000th word has changed again, too lazy to look it up.
I have no idea whether I can make 75k. I'm dragging out the narration to painful lengths - it's taken about a thousand words for the MC to walk downstairs - but it really is getting ridiculous. That said, I've got three and a half scenes with under ten thousand words to go. That sounds almost possible.
Well, I've finished for today, anyway. I can't reward myself with a hot cup of Earl Grey, partly because the kitchen is in use but mainly because, being an idiot, I bought loose leaf rather than teabags, but didn't steal our tea strainer for use in my accommodation. It'll have to be Chai or Orange Pekoe. Maybe I'll just have a hot shower instead.
I need to stop buying Innocent smoothies just for the cute knitted hats. I've got three of the blighters now. One is going to be sent to Ariel, for Pyjamas, but the other two have been donned by Pulley and my knitted cactus. This means I need a further three for my MoodBeam, miniature desktop Henry and Worried Owl statue. But if they have them, why not Prongs at home? Why not my artist's mannequin? Won't I need one for my squash bottle, once lose Ariel's? Buying all of those, according to my maths, will cost £9 even if I take advantage of Sainsbury's 2-for-3 offer.
Last.fm radio is playing Shakira's 'She-Wolf'. For some reason, I'm amused that after some nonsensical line about being abused like an office coffee machine, her supposedly alluring little "uh" sounds more as if she's confused. "Abused like an office coffee machine... uh?" Er, what?
Also, come on. Put some effort into the wolf howls. No self-respecting werewolf says "awoo". If I can type your attempt without using capital letters then you aren't doing it properly.
Last.fm radio is very bad for me, actually. I can't help imagining the staff of Thollecombe Manor doing the Time Warp, as if they don't get up to strange enough things in their spare time already.
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| Words chasing desperately after a plot, which is vanishing into the distance |
[18 Nov 2009|07:17pm] |
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mood |
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 stressed |
] |
| [ |
music |
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--- |
] |
Word Count: 53,079
Tea: 39
New 50,000th word is "anything", having thrown a few extra sentences in. "Anything" might also have been the 50,000th word of Quietus, actually, now that I think about it. My writing is riveting.
I'm having a severe plot crisis here. Every time I write anything, it tries to force me into a premature end. I'm sorry, but I cannot spend fifteen thousand words on the final scene. I'll just have to drag out this painful, pointless rushing around for another ten thousand. My characters have been rushing and panicking for ages now, they must be starting to feel either exhausted or silly.
I don't know why they're panicking, either. It's not as if anything dreadful is going to happen inside the next five minutes should they fail to find a critical clue. It would be a lot easier to keep it going without seeming ridiculous if they calmed down, too, but it's too late for the main character to suddenly say "Actually, I have no idea why I'm acting like a headless chicken, so I think I'll relax and evoke lots of long, word-filled description".
Definitely another point in favour of going for 50k next year and trying to make every word count, rather than this annual charade. I think the need to pad out the last stretch of words after 50k is where the insane knife chase and roof-climbing came from in Knitted Cactus Headline News, too.
I did think about having my MC arrested, but I'm shying away from having to describe any actual police procedure. I'll see how I feel tomorrow, I guess. Off to watches videos on The Spoony Experiment.
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| Papapishu! |
[17 Nov 2009|09:35pm] |
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mood |
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stressed |
] |
| [ |
music |
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--- |
] |
Word Count: 50,024
Tea: 38?
50,000th word according to OpenOffice: it
50,000th word according to NaNoWriMo, 831 words later: dug
At about half past nine on the 17th of November.
Now, on to the end of the story! Only an entire third of the way still left to go, which is somewhat damning, since I've just written the climax to reach 50k. These characters refuse to be bested by the travesty of the knitted cactus!
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| As long as I can cheat, I can play it. |
[14 Nov 2009|12:05am] |
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mood |
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sore |
] |
| [ |
music |
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Some Day One Day (Queen) |
] |
Word Count: 36,606
Tea: 31
Domine grew up to be the court magician and married the prince. See? I can get the good endings when I try!
I have no idea what my Mythology essay is going to be on. I have to write it tomorrow. Bah. Coca Cola Christmas Trucks advert? Cupcakes? The symbolic image of silhouetted WWI soldiers? Alice in Wonderland?
Hm. Alice in Wonderland might work. A myth of childhood and whimsy, tinged with something darker. I don't know, I'll have to read over the end of 'Mythologies' again to make sure I'm on the right track. Don't worry, I know I won't be, I really can't stand mythologies.
Now, read this. It's worth the time.
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| You serviceable villain. |
[11 Nov 2009|11:55pm] |
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mood |
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 productive |
] |
| [ |
music |
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The Idol (Parts 1 & 2 All Gods Fall) [Marc Almond] |
] |
Word Count: 30,007
Tea: 28?
Playing Princess Maker 2 again. Playing computer games is what I do when I should be writing essays, talking to people and breathing. Marlesse-character grew up to be an S&M Queen, again, only this time she also married the Prince of Darkness. Well, the game never told me she had to be a virtuous princess.
There was a nerve-wracking moment earlier when Thomas crashed and I realised I never got around to e-mailing myself the essay I wrote today. I might have killed something if I hadn't been able to fix him in time. That essay, and the short story which I have practically finished, hallelujah, are the reason NaNoWriMo was such a pain to finish today.
( On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, when we remember four years and sixteen million deaths. )
EDIT: ( Last.fm meme )
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[09 Nov 2009|01:33pm] |
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mood |
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cold |
] |
| [ |
music |
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Good Gone Girl (Mika) |
] |
Word Count: 22,661 23,056 24,195
Tea: 20 21 22
I blame this on my collection of epic poetry. I must confess not actually having the Iliad right now, but that's due to lack of money rather than inclination. I do have Homer's Odyssey, Virgil's Aeneid and Ovid's Metamorphoses on the shelf next to me, though.
I hope my mind finally settles on what it wants to write or adapt for the Journal soon. I sort of need to finish it by Wednesday, so I've also got time to write essays, write NaNoWriMo and edit it in time for the deadline.
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| Between the crosses, row on row. |
[08 Nov 2009|06:22pm] |
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mood |
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 thoughtful |
] |
| [ |
music |
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--- |
] |
Word Count: 20,163
Tea: 18
I decided to give up on modifying FI, focusing on Quietus instead, and promptly had a swarm of ideas for war poetry. Since they aren't actually any good they aren't too much of a distraction.
( Debate about poppies. )
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| Impressively little progress |
[07 Nov 2009|09:19am] |
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mood |
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worried |
] |
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music |
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Romeo and Juliet - Fantasy Overture (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra) |
] |
Word Count: 15,971
Tea: 15
The writer's block question actually interests me today. I would expect myself to be the type of person drawn to others with similar beliefs, but the friend I spend the most time with (and I'm sure she'd agree) has beliefs and interests which are almost the polar opposite of mine in every way.
Insomnia is really beginning to prove a problem. I spent hours last night unable to sleep, going through, of all things, 'Fall In' instead. Though that's probably because of this short story I want to write for The Journal.
I can't describe how much I want to write this, and what's more write it properly. As with the war exam, it's something which I will always want to be perfect but never can be. Whatever I write does an injustice to characters whose concept, at least, is important to me. I'm not saying my portrayal of, for example, Dominic is an engaging character or, indeed, accurate and realistic, but I still feel that I owe this anonymous sergeant of 1916 a memorial worthy of his sacrifice.
Shut up, stop being pretentious and write the damn thing. I've got two essays and NaNoWriMo to do alongside it, so if I don't take advantage of today I'll never edit it in time for the 27th. Nothing, literally, is worse than something. Get on with it and stop moaning.
I had Cornflakes for the first time in months today. I can't wait until I come home for Christmas and I can enjoy this luxury every morning.
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| A pie, a pie, my website for a pie. |
[06 Nov 2009|01:59pm] |
| [ |
mood |
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 nervous |
] |
| [ |
music |
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Good Gone Girl (Mika) |
] |
Word Count: 15,169
Tea: 13
Hooray! The widgets are up! The progress report is brilliant. Now I know how far behind my 2,500 words-a-day target I'm falling behind! Plus it gives me an incentive to have a really good day, so I can see what the outliers look like.
For someone who is barely this side of dyscalculia, I do love statistics.
Despite all of my good intentions, I was still late to the film screening, because it began an hour earlier than listed on my timetable. That's probably fortunate, though, because the comparisons between Richard III and the first incarnation of Blackadder were incredibly distracting as it was.
Similar, since the film is beginning to show its age somewhat, half of the lecture theatre started laughing at the highly tragic death scene. The other half then began laughing at the irony of laughing at a tragic history play. A success all around, clearly.
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| War! Huh! What is it good for? It's good for you and it's good for me~♪ |
[05 Nov 2009|05:13pm] |
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mood |
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cold |
] |
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music |
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It Starts (Nerina Pallot) |
] |
Word Count: 12,569 12,834
Tea: 11
I do love rain. It's wonderful to hear it falling outside when one is inside. It makes one feel cosy.
But right now I want tit to go away because I am freezing. All right, it probably wouldn't be any better if it was a clear evening, but I am so very, very cold. I've been reduced to putting a bottle cap and my knitted cactus beside my laptop's fan, then picking them up and cuddling them when they're warm.
Claire, far too kindly, has offered to cook everyone who's in fajitas tonight. Time to learn how to fold tortilla wraps.
Movie screening tomorrow morning. I must not forget this time.
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| More cheese, Gromit! |
[04 Nov 2009|06:05pm] |
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mood |
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sore |
] |
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music |
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Raspberry Swirl (Tori Amos) |
] |
Word Count: 10,045 10,322 10,426
Tea: 9 10
As usual, I have reached the conclusion that I could delete the first ten pages of my story and not only lose no plot, but also probably improve it by throwing it right into the action from the start. Never mind! Sacrifices of quality must be made for NaNoWriMo.
Not so for The Journal, which is a university publication. I'm thinking of adapting Fall In for it, but I really don't know if I've got the skill to do that. I know I ought to try and see. It feels like a waste of time, though, as if I'm going to work on this, never be happy with it, send it in anyway and be dismissed without consideration.
I know, I know, just do my best and learn how to improve for next time.
Bonfire Night tomorrow! I'm not doing anything for it! This is a travesty. For me, that's the same as not doing anything for Christmas. We are going to a fireworks display as a family on Saturday, but it's just not the same as having our own display set to the 1812 Overture and burning any currently hated people on the chimenea.
I'm playing the computer game Scratches at the moment. Apart from creeping me out beyond all belief when nothing scary has even happened yet, it's frustrating me. My current problem is the fuse box. Is there a logical place in which one would expect to find a fusebox in a Victorian house, or do I have to search every room for it?
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| Stop being so delicious. |
[03 Nov 2009|07:42pm] |
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mood |
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sore |
] |
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music |
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Sweet Painted Lady (Elton John) |
] |
Word Count: 7538
Tea: 7
I'd forgotten how wonderful it felt to reach your target after a hard, uninspiring day. I'm still growing accustomed to writing almost twice as much as I did in 2007, though; I'm used to covering approximately one major event (or, more commonly, the last and first half of two separate events) per day, but I'm finding more frequently now that I have to hit two scenes a day. I still haven't learnt how to write introductions and transitions.
Never mind! Almost at the interesting part now. I'm actually rather nervous about it. I want to pull these characters off, but I never succeed at translating characters from my mind onto paper (or the word processor).
In news unrelated to NaNoWriMo, Ariel and I won't be going to London to see Marc Almond because there's not a cookie's chance in my junk food drawer that we'll win the competition. It's nice to contemplate how we would arrange it if we did win, though.
EDIT: I just went back to check how accurate my claim that I'm writing twice as much is. Not only have I written more than twice as much as I had at this point in 2007, my tea consumption has gone up proportionately. This amuses me.
FURTHER EDIT: I said I'd forgotten how wonderful it felt to reach your target et cetera, et cetera. One of my most vivid memories of writing Quietus is still my first difficult day. I distinctly remember typing that final word, checking the word count and actually punching the air, followed by bouncing around happily in my chair to 'Eisbar', by the Dresden Dolls, with a massive grin on my face.
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| Anonymously addressing acquaintances through LJ is the best form of passive aggression. |
[03 Nov 2009|07:42am] |
| [ |
mood |
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 annoyed |
] |
| [ |
music |
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--- |
] |
Word Count: 5385
Tea: 5
Powerful words of comfort on my failure to achieve one of my most aspired after goals, thankyou. Yes, I was going to say "aims", but the alliteration was beginning to aggravate me.
Though not nearly as much as a painting in the game 'Scratches' did yesterday. I knew I'd seen it before, in our post-offer Open Day lecture on Romanticism, but I couldn't remember what it was called for the life of me. Thomas isn't taking screenshots, for some reason, so I couldn't even show it to anyone. In the end I photographed the screen with Dad's camera, uploaded it and promptly discovered that no one else was online by that time.
After much searching on Google, I finally found it and, yes, I did kick myself, as I knew I would. 'Saturn Devouring His Son', by Francisco Goya. If I hadn't found it I think that I would still be searching now.
Early lecture, study group, the Hunt for the Creative Writing Society, seminar. I don't like Tuesdays. At least the procrastination I've been doing on NaNoWriMo by writing this entry can be caught up with in the evening, not that I ever sleep any more anyway.
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| These aren't just any half price Halloween leftovers. These are M&S half price Halloween leftovers. |
[02 Nov 2009|08:19pm] |
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mood |
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cold |
] |
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music |
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Boulevard of Broken Dreams vs. Wonderwall (Green Day/Oasis) |
] |
Word Count: 5147
Tea: 4
I swear, if I have to come up with one more name for this I will strangle myself. Let this be a lesson in character creation, children. Do it. Ironically, writing up character notes is actually one of my favourite NaNoWriMo activities, because it feels like planning without any real effort on my part.
Today was cold and mildly damp. I'm not a fan of walking down the main hill on campus in the dark while it's raining. One of these days I'm going to slip over, skid down the path and take every student in the vicinity careening with me into the traffic at the bottom.
Anyway, having finished with NaNoWriMo for today, I'm going to make myself a cup of tea and settle down with Scratches. I need a distraction from the thought of Chaucer first thing in the morning tomorrow. Hopefully I can finally catch up on sleep tonight - after my exhausting, sleepless weekend, my body decided to be obstinate last night and just not go to sleep. Bah. See what you think about that when you have to get up at seven in the morning, body.
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| "Why is Postman Pat not on strike? You've let the Union down, Pat." |
[01 Nov 2009|11:01pm] |
| [ |
mood |
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 lonely |
] |
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music |
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You Know Who You Are (Judie Tzuke) |
] |
Words: 2649
Cups of Tea: 2
Unsurprisingly, browsing the NaNoWriMo forums is akin to wading through treacle in concrete boots.
I really ought to be getting some sleep here. I hardly got any last night, what with the launch and everyone getting back from their Halloween parties just as I was finally about to drift off. Combine that with getting up early for work and the result is thorough exhaustion.
My mind is going blank. Time to rest for my morning lecture tomorrow, I think.
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| When the rain it rains, it raineth every day~♪ |
[01 Nov 2009|08:44am] |
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mood |
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 happy |
] |
| [ |
music |
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Little Bit (Lykke Li) |
] |
Word Count: 2109
Cups of Tea Consumed: 2
No sleep due to NaNoWriMo and no sleep due to flatmates arriving back at three in the morning make Toz something something.
Isn't it reassuring that I have to walk to work and man a panini grill all day today?
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| Fudge Crisis: Resolved. |
[31 Oct 2009|05:26pm] |
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 lazy |
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--- |
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You know all that moaning about there not being a Roly's Fudge Pantry here?
In the street market today, there was a Role's Fudge Pantry van.
I wish everything I moaned about on my LJ subsequently appeared in real life. Can I have someone willing to do joint Let's Plays, please? Someone who will see past my social anxiety and be a friend at university?
Guess not. I suppose I'll have to try doing things myself.
Today was actually pretty fun. After the gift of fudge from the heavens (or street van) I walked down to the Quay and, on the way back, met an adorable young child and a swarm of comic book character cosplayers. My junk food drawer has been fully stocked for NaNoWriMo, too, so all in all a remarkably productive day given that I have once again spent the majority of it watching TheSpoonyOne's LP of Phantasmagoria 2.
Since it's Halloween and I have no Halloween events to attend, I might dress up with whatever I have hidden in the back of my wardrobe and start NaNoWriMo on Cathedral Green at midnight.
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| GET RID OF THIS INFERNAL FUDGE FIXATION |
[27 Oct 2009|08:26pm] |
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When Did I Become Such A Bitch (Nerina Pallot) |
] |
I was only joking when I suggested helicoptering Roly's Fudge Pantry out of Ilfracombe, but on their website they do actually have a form for businesspeople to fill out in order to set up their own Roly's. Come on, people in this city, take this opportunity! I, for one, will become a regular patron.
Sir Gawain response finished today. It wasn't particularly good, but I did get to feel smug about not needing to resort to Wikipedia to find out who Aeneas was. I haven't read anywhere near as much as everyone else on the course, but I have read Virgil's Aeneid and its background. I suddenly appreciate the torture of the Psychology AEA so much more.
It took my mind off tomorrow morning, anyway. I've got the earliest appointment to discuss our first "real" essay, so I have to get up early on my day off to be told that I ought to drop out now before I waste any more of anyone's time and money.
Once that's over, though, since I have no intention of dropping out - if I can't meet the course standards, I'll just make sure I FAIL IN EPIC PROPORTIONS, appropriately given my mention of the Aeneid up there, ah ha, ah ha - I get to go shopping. I've written another one of my patented Bizarre Shopping Lists™. Slightly less random than previous ones, but "Pears, toilet cleaner, sketch pad" is still fairly erratic.
Communist Manifesto next week. I've already read that, too, which should make the re-read a little easier. Hurrah! Don't even talk to me about Chaucer.
On a note unrelated to university, I love Nerina Pallot (and have seen her live, yay).
It's like a sickness, I'm powerless to stop it -
My boring life, my little heart made misanthropic
Don't give me reasons, just give me therapy
But really? Just give me what I want...
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| Surely you realised I would take that as a challenge? |
[26 Oct 2009|08:58pm] |
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mood |
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stressed |
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music |
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Hey Bulldog (The Beatles) |
] |
Because Kev and Nash both commented on how I never update my LJ any more, I felt obliged to update my LJ.
Unfortunately, the only thing on my mind is fudge. Assorted fudge, to be exact, and how it doesn't exist. Why is that? What is so unusual about wanting more than one type of fudge in a bag? I like vanilla fudge, but I can't eat it without any variation. The same goes for dairy fudge, rum and raisin, lemon meringue, butterscotch and, to summarise, anythin-
HOLY CRIPES ON TOAST. My browser just cackled at me.
-anything you can find in Roly's Fudge Pantry. Thornton's, the site which cackled at me, do an assorted fudge bag, but their fudge is both nasty and expensive, not to mention the fact that none of their interesting flavours appear in their assorted bag. I like cheap fudge. Or Roly's fudge, but I'm not hopping on a bus solely to buy some. I'm a poor student now, I can't afford such reckless behaviour.
Yes, fudge is going to get more space in this rare entry than starting university.
One of the reasons I stopped updating is that I never came up with an alternate layout. I don't feel like making one on Thomas, either, but we'll see how bored I get.
It's typical that I update just before NaNoWriMo. I think that's been the case ever since I started doing it. My entries suddenly shoot up throughout November, lasting until the drought over the next summer.
RIght now, apart from fudge, I crave Sam & Max. More, I think, than I do Monkey Island, which is shocking. Perhaps it's the aspect of wanton destruction which is appealing.
Really, there's far too much for me to detail in this entry. Since I stopped writing I've been to Italy, started university, had all sorts of fun days out, got exam results. I'm now automatically trying to write an eloquent conclusion for this entry, but because it's my LJ and not an English essay I don't need to, so I'm going to stop here without any conclusive remark. Ha ha ha! Feel the rebellion!
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| I spend my days off from work "not working". |
[20 Jul 2009|11:03am] |
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mood |
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 excited |
] |
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music |
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We Are Golden (Mika) |
] |
We started playing the new Monkey Island last night! I was afraid that the new 3D Guybrush would annoy me, but I take it back. He still looks adorably pathetic. Not to mention wearing a close approximation of 2's blue coat, which I love and covet.
Doodles of Captain Toz and Pulley have shot up in the past evening. If I can just get one good picture of Pulley, I will buy that jumper.
Latest Hetalia episode out in raw. New Mika single. Monkey Island Monkey Island Monkey Island. Torchwood this evening. Today's lazy, comfy day is going to be a good one.
Blue Eyes! I was humming that on the way up the hill after getting off the bus from work yesterday. That is notable, because Pub 'n' GO! has dominated every instance of me humming songs to myself recently. Fish and chips~♪ I'm doing it now even while listening to Mika.
Wonderful, now I can't wait for the new album. At last, something to look forward to this Autumn!
EDIT
35,000th Last.fm track: Hiroki Takahashi – Marukaite Chikyuu (Japan)
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