NaNoWriMo - My Results

Hello! It’s been a while since I’ve been here, hasn’t it? Well, as I’d mentioned, I was doing NaNoWriMo this November. I made an attempt to write a 50000 word novel in 30 days. It’s pretty intense. So, the question is: Did I “win”?



...No. I made a good showing for my first NaNoWriMo. I got to 36670 words. Part of the problem was that I really had an idea for a long short story or a novella. There’s a lot of fluff and filler in there. Really, it only needed to be about 25000 words. I know, If I really pushed myself, I could pump that up to 50000 in the next few hours, but it wouldn’t be good. Just more fluff that I would delete in editing, if I took I took it that far.
 
I’m not disappointed that I didn’t Win, in the traditional sense. I finished the novel. It has a beginning, a middle and an end. In 30 days, I wrote a novel of over thirty thousand words, and that’s nothing to shake a stick at. I feel like it’s made me a better writer. It stretched my creativity muscles and helped me grow as a person. I think so, anyway.

Now, don’t get me wrong - it’s a terrible novel. Absolutely horrid and unoriginal. My plan at the moment is to let it sit for a bit. A month or two at least. Then I plan to do some major editing and release it as a free ebook. Even with the editing, I expect it to be pretty bad, fyi.

I fully expect to participate in NaNoWriMo next year. Maybe next year, I’ll even win.

How to Tie a Scarf...For Men!

Happy National Scarf Day! We are coming up on the end of it, but there is still time to get in on the fun!

Men...Scarves...I think this is a great combination. If you're a man, and you want to wear a scarf but just don't know how to make it look right: This (last) scarf day video is for you!



What could be simplier? Now, go put on a scarf. No excuses.

How to Tie a Boho Head Scarf

Hello again! It's been a pretty scarf-tastic day, hasn't it? Yes, I totally just wrote that. You've got your scarf on, right? It is National Scarf Day, after all.

So, maybe you're really not in to neck scarves. You can still participate in all the Scarf day fun! Check out these cute head scarf ideas:



These look really awesome, but I don't think I can pull them off myself. I'm just not Boho, ya know?

Do you wear head scarves?

Ways to Wear a Pashmina

Hello again! You've got your scarf on, right?

Do you have a Pashmina style scarf? I have one. I usually just wear it like a regular scarf though. Here is a video of how to wear it with your evening wear. Pretty basic stuff, but some of us need that from time to time. Or in my case pretty much all the time.



Hey, how about sharing some scarf day resources of your own in the comments? I'd love to see it.

7 Ways to Wear a Scarf

Hello my (hopefully!) scarf wearing friends! Welcome to the second post of (possibly self proclaimed) National Scarf Day! Need more scarf ideas? You've come to the right place.



Some of these are pretty similar to the ones in 25 Ways to Wear a Scarf (Companion videos here!), so be sure to check those out as well!

9 Different Silk Scarf Ideas

Today may or may not be National Scarf Day. Either way, scarves are awesome, so look for scarf related content all day.



Put on a scarf today! Even if it's not National Scarf Day. In fact, let's make it National Scarf Day. Who's with me?

Rememberance Day

Take a minute today at 11 o'clock to Remember the men and women who have fought and given their lives so we can be safe. And remember those that continue to sacrifice for the same reason.

Things that distract me from Writing

As I've mentioned, I'm trying my hand at NaNoWriMo. If you don't know what that is, it's this insane thing where you write a 50000 word novel in 30 days. So far, I've had good days and bad days and almost good days. Distractions tend to pile up. What are some of the things that distract me from writing?

Twitter: When I sit to write, I can not have twitter open in a tab of my browser. That little number in brackets telling me how many tweets I'm missing messes with my head. For some reason I can't close it completely, so instead I go to @NaNoWordSprints. Then at least if I'm checking new tweets it's relevant.

Zombie Pandemic: Who has time to write when there are zombies to kill?!

My Cat: Once he has decided it's cuddle time he can be very demanding, and will not be ignored.

Everyday life: You know, everything - work, laundry, dishes, showering...


Do you have any distraction fighting tips for me?

Vote Bay of Fundy for the New 7 Wonders of Nature

This Friday, 11.11.11, voting closes for the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Have you voted? There are some pretty incredible choices. You're allowed to pick seven, and I hope you'll consider the one that is in my neck of the woods: The Bay of Fundy.

The bay of Fundy has the highest tides anywhere in the world - 16.2 metres or 53 feet. That means that, twice every day, one hundred billion tonnes of water flow in and out of the bay that runs between New Brunswick and my home province of Nova Scotia.

Take a look at these videos, if you still need convincing. Or just like watching videos.









Plus, it gives us some awesome mud to play in:






Alright, that's all I've got. If you haven't yet, go vote. I hope you'll seriously think of voting Fundy. And, hey, why not visit us sometime? See the magic for yourself.

ps: If you don't want to word for it, how about some Canadian Celebrities?

Music Monday: Take a Minute

This song is incredible. That's all I have to say.

Twitter in Plain English

I love twitter, but have trouble explaining why to people who don't get what twitter is all about. I'm sure other people have this problem too. Maybe this video will help.

Happy Friday! Lets pour some Rainbow Shots!

 Rainbow shots, you say? Yes, these are pretty incredible and if you make them it will be sure to wow and amaze.



Yes! RAINBOW! SHOTS!

 Lets look a another video.



I KNOW! I told you - incredible, right?

Ok, one more.



Insane!

Ok, how to time.

(Skip to 0:50...Intro is kind of annoying)



Ok, this one is a little less annoying.



 Now you're ready to make some rainbow shots!

0 to 50000 words in 30 days...I'm in!

It's not too late to join in!

nanowrimo.org

Rick Mercer's Rant: Teen Suicide

If you haven't yet seen this rant/call to action from Rick Mercer, please watch it and share it with everyone you know. It's heartbreaking and important.



It's important for us all to be role models. I can't, and wont, pretend to know what it's like to be a gay teen. And I won't pretend I know what it's like to be bullied (which is surprising, because in high school I dressed like a Kandi Raver. In small town Nova Scotia). What I can say is I have read and heard too many stories like Jamie Hubley's and it breaks my heart. We all need to stand up and show kids that it's not only ok to be be different, but it's awesome to be different. We also need to find a way show bullies that this will not be tolerated.

Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I’d been interested in checking it out for some time now, and I finally had the chance to read it. I quite enjoyed it.

So, the story is about this guy, who’s a journalist. He gets convicted of libel. And then he gets offered a job to write a book about a very prominent family, while secretly trying to solve a murder mystery. It’s also about this tiny tattoo covered girl, who’s a private investigate and hacker, emotionally damaged and may or may not have asperger’s syndrome.

  I love a good mystery. I’m also usually pretty good at figuring them out. I remember watching The Sixth Sense for the first time with a friend who had already seen it. We were sitting in her basement. About half way through I made a statement about the outcome of the movie, to which she replied, “How could you possibly know that already?” I thought it was quite obvious. I’m not saying I’m never surprised and that I always know everything about everything, just I’m pretty good at figuring things out, is all. While reading this book, I had two main theories, and was certain that one of them was correct. Either/Or. Definitely one or the other. I’ll tell you, I was surprised. The outcome was an option that I knew was an option, but I never in a million years would have thought it was a real possible outcome for the story. I was impressed.

The story is very dark. There were some very uncomfortable, horrific situations in it - torture, sexual abuse - it’s not for everyone. Also, they killed my favorite character. No spoilers, but I will say that fire and torture were a factor, and they left her head on the motorcycle seat.

There was a lot of talk of food in the book. Mostly sandwiches. There were so many sandwich references that at one point I had to stop reading and go fix one for myself. This, I suppose, says a lot more about me then the book. One other food mention sticks out in my mind: bacon pancakes with lingonberries. I don’t know exactly what such a thing would taste like, but I suspect it would be incredible.

The descriptions of things and people are fantastic. My favorite was of the first sighting of Isabella Vanear: “She looked like an aging vampire---still strikingly beautiful but as venomous as a snake.” There was a lot of name dropping product descriptions - something that normally drives me crazy, but it didn’t even seem out of place. It’s something has the ability to ruin a perfectly enjoyable book for me, if done wrong.

On a scale from Totally Awesome to Horrifically Awful, I would give it an Almost Awesome. I absolutely enjoyed it.  I will be reading the other two books in the series, that is for sure. I also can not wait for the movie.