Winner!

 

I've finally done it. After three years and five writing challenges, I have accomplished my word goal. Mind you, it did take a flexible word goal to get there. At the beginning of July, I was aiming for 30k, but about half way through the challenge, I realized it wasn't a realistic goal for my pace. 

Which may have had something to do with those few days of not writing at all.

So I knocked it down to 20k. But an average of 650 words isn't so bad! That is about a page a day.  Yeah, I took out 10k words and yeah I probably could have made it if I buckled down and did absolutely nothing except write. Honestly, I really needed a win.

There is something really satisfying about winning the NaNoWriMo writing challenges. I mean, it's not like you physically get a prize (unless you count the print out certificate).

It felt weird getting more excited the last week instead of despondent. It was such a high though, rushing the last hour, blasting My Chemical Romance to get pumped to finish on time. It was kind of amazing.

Camp NaNo Update

Today I wrote over 2,000 words!

Now if I can just do that for the remaining fourteen days of July, I will crawl out of this 10,000 word deficit and catapult to the finish line of 30,000. The only problem is that I literally did nothing but write today, which is not always possible nor conducive to my sanity. Sitting behind a computer screen all day makes me a little stir crazy.

What I don't understand why I can't just write every day. I mean, it shouldn't be that difficult. It is what I love doing more than anything (other than baking) and I have so many  ideas. And I'm constantly thinking about my story. I dream about it.

So on days that I am feeling less creative, I research, I visualize. The other night I created my characters using the Sims 3. It was helpful in a way, but kind of frustrating because they didn't turn out exactly how I envisioned them.

Especially since one should have floating blue hair and other horns. 

Or the fact that you can't give Sims scars or make them shorter.

However, it did spark the idea that they all had the same iridescent silver-blue eyes. In the story, they are all the offspring of the same deity, but don't know that until they all meet as adults. Having the same eyes will help them recognize each other.

So it wasn't a complete waste of time (though I am not proud of how long it actually took).

Stats Update:

• 6643 words written

• 3 of 4 main characters introduced

• 0 antagonists

• 14 days left to write 23,357 words and have somewhat of a plot going.

Woo! Sounds like a challenge. I can't wait to see how it all turns out.

Building Stories

 

Over the long weekend, I learned how to gut and fillet an albacore. I also shot a gun for the first time. These are the sort of adventures one has in the hidden hills of Wilits; among tall trees and coastal winds. As we went up the winding gravel driveway to the dark wooden house shaded by moss covered oak trees, all I could think about was how perfect a place it would be for writing.

After spending four days of being lulled to sleep by the songs of frogs and crickets, I found that I had spent little time writing. Instead I watched my niece learn how to mimic the sound frogs make and play with bubbles. I listened to stories of how the house was built a little at a time. I climbed across rocks and logs to explore a creek that housed little newts that looked like dragons. I learned that I was really really bad at croquet.

Even though this month is another writing challenge (and I should be pumping out 1000 words a day), I didn't feel like my time was wasted. There was so much new material being absorbed into me with every breath. Everything around me felt like there was magic hiding underneath. So okay, I only managed to squish out about 800 words, but I was invigorated.

July is my month of creativity. Absorbing the magic around me is just as important as the act of creation. Sometimes you have to spend time exploring creation (and destruction) to find inspiration. I am learning to let go of what I think the story is about. It will form naturally by pulling pieces together from my experiences and dreams.

 

My story knows where it wants to go. I just need to move aside and let it.

Off To Camp!

Okay, not actual camp.

This summer, I will be participating in the less intense version of National Novel Writing Month. So this July I will be (virtually) grouped with a handful of like-minded writers marching toward the not-so-intimidating goal of 30,000 words.

That's only 1000 words a day. Totally doable.

In other news, I am now officially unemployed. With a slightly broken heart, yesterday was my last day with the wonderful kids and coworkers I spent the last ten months with.

  I did leave with a few parting gifts.

However, I am now free to enjoy the rest of the summer. Or, more likely, spend my time fixing up my room.

For the year or so I've been back home, I have avoided fully unpacking. My reason for this was that it was a temporary situation; thinking I would be off to San Francisco by now. Well, after reality set in (in the form of a rejection letter from SF State) I realized I will be here a while longer than I originally planned.  So I might as well make it my own.

Since I have all this free time now I will be able to focus on my latest attempt at a literary adventure. This time, I will be fleshing out (... such an odd phrase) a story that my younger brother thought of for a comic. My siblings have such great minds to plunder for ideas.

After I finish the story, we can start the wonderful process of turning into a comic! Woo!

Hopefully with the lowered word count I won't get so despondently discouraged as per usual. Also, Mom has decided to participate as well, so I'll have a writing buddy.

Wish me luck!

I just can't get enough of these logos.

Sundae Challenge #2

Memorial Day means Monterrey. Monterrey means Cannery Row. What's in Cannery Row?

(Other than the aquarium...)

The Ghiradelli Ice Cream Shop!

Now, some of you might remember the sundae challenge a few years ago. This year I decided to hang out with the boys for the day, for which I would suffer the consequences. Luckily, I wasn't the only one eating this time.

The Earthquake:

 Eight scoops of various flavored ice cream topped with whipped cream, fudge and cherries. 

 It was a mountain of ice cream.

Between the four of us, we decimated it. 

Now keep in mind we had stared drinking at 11:30 am (feeling like alcoholics standing outside Bullwhackers waiting for it to open...) AND went out to eat before finding our way to the magical ice cream shop.

Needless to say, once we stumbled back to where we were staying in a booze/sugar induced daze, we all crashed for a couple hours. 

Monterrey also means awesome crayon drawings on the paper tablecloths at our favorite lunch place (called...something...). We always have quite some interesting artwork. 

Johnny's was...interesting.

Dylan's was creepy (as usual). 

 

Dom's was pretty exceptional. 

Now, I know it has been two months since my last post, which is inexcusable. So now that school is out, I'll have more time to do ridiculous things and blog about them. 

Pinky Swear. 

Vacation

This is the first Spring Break I've had in a while and it was pretty magical. I hopped on a train down to see two of my favorite people and relax. I realize that most people don't go to Los Angeles to sit in their pajamas, read, draw and go to comic book stores, but I don't think I need to mention that I'm not like most people.

Meltdown Comics

Boo-boo Monsters and...

$5 Mystery Grab Bags!

Who doesn't love comics about monsters?

I finally got to play with my chalk pastels.

I also finally caught up on my reading, i.e. finishing the Song of Ice and Fire series. Now I can begin the Dance with Dragons! I am so excited. It took my waaay too long to finish this last one partly because of school and partly because it was reeeeally slow. 

All in all, it was a pretty fantastic vacation. Originally I was torn between travelling or staying home and doing nothing, but it turns out that I can do both! Plus I got to see one of my best friends who, in a cruel twist of fate, moved to Los Angeles a couple months after I left. I try not to think about all the fun we would be having had I stayed here. 

My only regret was not going to the Grove, where apparently there were dinosaur shaped donuts. 

Next time.

Oh Universe...

Sometimes the universe has different plans than you do.

For instance, when I moved back from Los Angeles, I had a very specific plan to finish up classes at the Junior College and be on my way to SF State within a year. Last week I got an email from Admissions informing me that I am not eligible for transfer due to my GPA not being at least a 3.3. I calculated it and it will take six consecutive A's for me to raise my GPA that high. Or, in other terms, another year.

I don't think that I need to say that I was a little disheartened.

So when in doubt (about life stuff) I did what makes sense to me.

 I baked some cookies.

Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies!

The past week has been full of random outburst of frustration and self reflection. So far, I haven't come to any sort of conclusion. I am trying not to let my discouragement get the best of me. The emergence of Spring helps quite a bit. It's difficult to be downhearted when everything around me looks so beautiful.

 

Mustard flowers bloom painting the field yellow.

So I am going to escape to Culver City for Spring Break. I think a change of scenery will help clear my head. I can't wait for friendly faces and sunshine. Only one more week to go!

But to leave on a positive note, I did get an A- on my first English paper! Woo!