kageotogi: (deep breaths)
NaNoWriMo is hosting an event called Camp NaNoWriMo, which is pretty much the same 50k/month word challenge except over the course of July and then August. I signed up for it, but haven't really written a word. I was playing with several ideas but the one I really wanted to do -- a collection of short, semi-autobiographical stories (including stories about ice cream trucks, nuns, and guys who take off their pants for no good reason) -- wound up putting me in a bind. I'm really bad at beginning stories, and a collection of shorts is really nothing but beginnings. I decided to put that on hiatus. I also considered writing an old fanfic idea I'd been playing with, but scratched that as well: that's a story that, if I write it, I want to write it well, and rushing it through a month isn't the way to go.

So, finally, I've decided to skip the Camp NaNoWriMo challenge and instead just make myself write every day on a single story or script (I haven't decided which medium would be better for the idea I have in mind; I'm leaning toward script right now, but I hate writing script so I'm questioning that judgment). I'm starting that today; I sketched out an opening scene for the script version and might try writing it in prose to see how it reads later, but so far it's a decent start.

Unrelated things!

I mentioned in my last post that I was heading to Ireland this fall. I'm really looking forward to that. Things I'm not looking forward to? Well, I have to make an appointment with an oral surgeon. I went to the dentist last week and found out that one of my wisdom teeth (because I haven't had them taken out) was starting to press against one of the molars, which is a Bad Thing. So I need to have it removed, and the dentist recommended I get them all removed while I was at it. My mother has already agreed to cart me to and from the surgeon; I just need to make the appointment. (But guys, I haaaaate the dentist.) I'm going to try and schedule that for after Ireland but before the zombie run in October.

I apparently didn't mention the zombie run in my last post. Whoops! Um, long story short? RUN FOR YOUR LIVES is a 5k obstacle course in which the people running also have to avoid zombies. It's more of a speed and wit thing than anything else, and they were looking for both zombie and running volunteers... so I volunteered to participate as a zombie. I'm looking forward to it, but don't want to have my zombie moans be literal moans of "WHY DOES MY MOUTH HURT SO MUCH?". If that makes sense.

If it does come to that, then there might be heavy drinking involved. Just saying.

The other doctor's appointment I have coming up -- the one I actually scheduled, since I've put it off for over a year now -- is with a dermatologist for a skin cancer screening. Skin cancer is a huge risk in my family (my grandfather died of it) and when my mother was screened last year I promised I would do it shortly after. My appointment is the week (or two weeks? I'd have to look) after I get back from Ireland. That won't be so bad but I'm freaking out a little that they might actually find something, which is stupid because I'm relatively good about wearing sunscreen and really, what are the chances? But still, it's something I'm really trying not to think about right now.

Friend A signed up to do speed dating this evening, and because she didn't want to walk around downtown by herself and I (a) am perpetually single and (b) will try pretty much anything once, I signed up with her. I don't expect much of anything to come out of it, but it should at least be interesting, right? Right. If I get any good stories out of it, I will report back. Promise promise!
kageotogi: (cherry)
Okay, because I apparently have nothing worthwhile to say... Here's a question meme.

Comment with "Come at me, bro," and:
- I'll respond by asking you five questions so I can get to know you better.
- Update your journal with the answers to the questions.
- Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions.

These questions are courtesy of [livejournal.com profile] lawless523.

I answered questions! )
kageotogi: (jeans)
This little experiment went really well (yes, I wrote all three stories before the end of the day), so I'm going to try it again. However, since it's already nearly ten o'clock...

Is anyone even awake?

If so, then the first two people to comment to this entry with a fic prompt (any fandom with which I'm familiar) will receive a small fic within twenty-four hours. If I don't know the fandom, you'll have first dibs on selecting a different prompt; if you can't think of another prompt, the field will open up again.

Go go go!
kageotogi: (writer's life)
Yeah, so all of these prompts that I started almost a full year ago? I might eventually finish them. Maybe. I think I've spent so long thinking about them that I've drained my resources for 'em. But I'm itching to write something, so here's the deal.

The first three people to comment with a prompt (fic only; my brain isn't geared toward original stuff today) will receive a fic by the end of the day. Guaranteed. If I fail, you may beat me with shoes.

Ready? Go!

edit: All three spots are taken! Am I the only one horribly amused that all three prompts are for Gravitation? Also, that [livejournal.com profile] elevates and [livejournal.com profile] masteroftrouble clearly secretly hate me?
kageotogi: (that's how she became)
I go longer and longer without posting every time. I'm not sure if this is a personal failing or if I really just have nothing interesting to say anymore, and then I have to wonder what happened to all the things that either were or at least made me think my life was more interesting and get a little paranoid that I've gone completely boring and then I can't post because I'm insecure that no one will care and, really, the eljay is partially for me but let's face it, other people read it so it's really partially for you as well, and what's the point if no one even cares?

And that's why I don't post. Or is it?

It's almost March! Can you believe that? I'm sure you can. You all probably deal much better with the months drifting by than I do. But it's still a bad, bad thing, ladies and gents, because many aspects of publishing go on a month-to-month thing, and that means the end of the month is a mad scramble to keep everything on time. On the other hand, it means we're one month closer to much more interesting things like, say, being able to sit outside and knit without freezing my bejeezus ass off, and that's all well and good. So yes.

I'm being a total slacker on the writing front lately, and that's got to really stop. Not only do I owe, like, a trillion drabbles to various people, but that Super Epic Everybody Does Tragic Fic I keep promising myself I'll do isn't being done. And that's no good.

Thus, even though it's a day early, I'm posting a to-do list. Because sometimes they work, and sometimes they keep me just a little more honest. And I could use a little more honesty, really.

Thursday's Tasks )

Friday's Foibles )

Saturday's Scramble )

Sunday's Siesta )

And that's that.
kageotogi: (comfortable)
A few random things:

  • My mother bought me sleep-aids when I mentioned I'd been having trouble sleeping. She's the best mom ever.

  • I've started writing daily to-do lists in a tiny notebook I've dedicated exclusively to this purpose. I never complete said to-do lists. I've pretty much decided I don't care.

  • The kittehs are very excited about their upcoming vet visit. This is because I did not tell them what "castration" means, and because they can not reach my dictionaries.

  • I've decided to re-try writing a huge, epic story-thing I've been musing over for ages. I just don't know how to do it, exactly. Making notes (and re-reading my old notes) is on my to-do list, and has been every day so far this week. I have not done it. No one is surprised.

  • New recipe ideas: moo-shu vegetables, orange-sesame shrimp, hotty-hot-hot spare ribs. I've gone mad with power. And hyphens.

  • Baltimore Restaurant Week. Best (two) week(s) ever? Quite possibly. Have plans for Friday, and am making tentative plans for next Friday as well. Good times.

  • [livejournal.com profile] elevates owns too many scarves. Sixteen, apparently.

  • I have been knitting the same baby hat for over two months now. It is the baby hat that will never end. My next project will have to be done on HUGE needles so that it can be finished quickly and I can stop hating myself and my knitting, I think.

  • I am reconsidering The Novel From Hell. In that "I should really edit that" kind of way. My brother was supposed to help, but he's been completely loser-ish lately, so scratch that. I'll do it myself.

The end.
kageotogi: (going for it [wizzicons])
Today is the first day of September, and that means it's the first day of our NaNoWriMo test run, which I'm personally referring to as "Omfg What Was I Thinking"-Month. That would be OMFGWTF for short, I think. Or maybe I'll just stick with PreNoWriMo. Anyway, whatever. Let the games begin!

Today's Goal:

PreNoWriMo Total:
kageotogi: (five o'clock somewhere [suzyx])
I haven't posted a to-do list in nearly three weeks! Can you believe it? I can believe it. Nonetheless, I feel the need to rectify these circumstances. So? Yes.

To Do on Friday )

To Do on Saturday )

To Do on Sunday )

Also, I'm still taking prompts over on this post. I'm about thirteen (fourteen?) prompts behind right now, but I'm also lots and lots of pages behind, so I'll keep taking those prompts! As you can see in the above list, I'm planning to cut through a bunch tonight and tomorrow (we'll see), so keep an eye posted. Post a prompt! Tell your friends! To that one person (you know who you are) who threatened to post to a community... Y'know, go ahead. I know I told you not to before, but dude, why not? The more prompts, the better!

Prompt.

Prompt me!

Jun. 10th, 2009 12:04 pm
kageotogi: (toast love [kageotogi])
I get more and more behind on my page count every day (my fault. I tend to not write as much on days when I work), but you guys have all been really helpful over on this post. I still intend to work on the remaining prompts, if you were wondering (were you?), and am still more than willing to take more!

Ladies? Gents? Please, post more prompts! The same system works -- post a comment to this entry and I will post a reply story as soon as I'm able, more or less in the order prompts are received. You can post more than one. In fact, I implore you to post more than one. I'm trying to do at least one a day, though I make no real promises, and it's really a huge help. You know what? Go on and tell your friends, too! I don't mind. The more the merrier!

Prompt me!
kageotogi: (Default)
...I want to buy new clothes, but really should be saving the money for the house and stuff. Urgh. Stupid priorities. Ann Taylor LOFT, stop looking so damned appealing.

For those not in the know, I write a certain number of pages every day -- usually. I've been so busy lately, though, that I've fallen forty-six pages behind. So I desperately need to write, but, once again, have been struck with the block bug! So here's the deal: anyone to comment with a prompt gets a story, which I'll post here as a reply. Any fandom (provided I have some base familiarity with it; original stories are fine, too), any theme, any rating. This will continue all night, until I either run out of steam or catch up on my page count.

Ladies and gentlemen, prompt me. Prompt me like you've never prompted me before.

Edit: I realized I should probably keep a running page count. So far I have 58 pages out of 46 54 58 64 80 100 screw that noise.
kageotogi: (writer's life [kageotogi])
At 417 pages and 119,971 words...

THE NOVEL FROM HELL IS DONE.


It's all unedited and in dire need of a second look, of course, but goddammit I finished the first draft and that is a good feeling, so there.
kageotogi: (dangerous toast [kageotogi])
House hunting sort of sucks. Just saying. The one I really liked probably can't be negotiated down far enough, and the other one I rather liked has no parking whatsoever. (I have mentioned before now that I'm looking for a house, right? Did I not mention that? Ah. Well, I'm looking for a house. And it sort of sucks.) Looking at all the houses is neat -- I like seeing what people do with their space, and I saw some complete disasters today, so that's fun. One place had, like, nine showers. Four of which were in the basement.

Oh, you wish I was kidding.

Anyway, that was my day. I followed it up with errands and about-the-apartment chores, and am now topping it off with chamomile tea and some goddamn writing, because I haven't actually written anything in days and that so needs to stop. Especially given the whole Novel From Hell thing I've got going.

I'm going to torture myself over this house thing. Just watch me.
kageotogi: (manic [kageotogi])
[livejournal.com profile] thstlenshmrock and I successfully completed this year's Script Frenzy, albeit by the skin of our teeth. Good job, us!

With that challenge done, I have to concentrate on The Novel From Hell, which I promised I'd finish by the end of May. Considering that back in September of last year I swore I'd have it done by the end of October, same year, I'm not really getting my hopes up. But it'd be nice, wouldn't it? And I'm so close to being done. It's really just a matter of writing the last two scenes. The second-to-last scene (the one I'm on) is of course a pain in the butt, though, and thus hindering my progress. But I'll do it, and I'll do it because if I don't do it I'll hate myself forever.

No kidding.

It's going to be a busy weekend! There is pie to be had tonight, I'm working the MASL cruise tomorrow, and [livejournal.com profile] punctuates, [livejournal.com profile] thstlenshmrock, and I will be rocking the Sheep & Wool Festival on Sunday. I'm holding out some hope that I can find a yarn I need while at the festival, but I'm not wholly confident in that one. I may have to bite the bullet, so to speak, and get a different dye lot. Le sad.

To close, [livejournal.com profile] mortenavida tagged me for a meme. I'm a little sad about this. In any case, I did the meme, then realized I had no way to post it, as my scanner is hidden away at my parents' house (the ink in the printer part dried up, so I didn't even bother taking it to the apartment... Not to mention how rarely I'd use it and how little room I had for it at the time). So I can't post the meme. Today.

Maybe this weekend.
kageotogi: (going for it [wizzicons])
The Novel From Hell? Yeah. I'm going to finish that this year.

For that matter, I'm going to finish it by the end of May. At the very, very latest. If I worked my ass off, I could probably finish it by the end of January, but, well, we all know how I feel about working my ass off.

Yes, I know I say that every year. This year, it's actually going to happen. Why is it going to happen? Because I'm hoping one (or more) of you will help me make that happen. Remind me. Constantly remind me. Ask how it's going. Ask how far I have to go. Ask until I'm ready to scream at you, and then ask again.

You'll be doing me a favor. ♥
kageotogi: (vote for porn [sa_kanya])
I've lately been terrible about answering emails, live journal comments, and phone calls. I mean, I've always been bad at that sort of thing. Now I'm exceptionally bad at it. It's exciting, in that not really kind of way. I've got to stop putting things off.

[livejournal.com profile] thstlenshmrock and I joined flute choir, as I mentioned previously, and we're really enjoying it so far. I mean, there are some aspects that bother me, but those are all minor minor minor things, and I can overlook them. It's just great to be playing with a group again, to have new music, to actually have a reason to practice... It's nice. I'd forgotten how much I liked to play my flute. The music varies in difficulty, and I always seem to wind up with the part with all the middle-register Cs (which I guess will force me to start playing those in tune, huh? It's the hardest note to pin down, and of course here I am without a tuner to my name...), and it's great.

Also, the conductor (B., as I'll refer to him from here on out) is sort of a younger, hipper K. (my college director) in the respect that he says some really, really silly things. He has yet to say anything along the lines of "Get your clothes back on!" or "Let's go back to sex... section B", and I doubt he'll ever need to (Anna and I are very easily the youngest people in the choir right now), but he's pretty funny. Rehearsal yesterday was spattered with references to goop and blobs, and the one before that included a fishing metaphor.

It's fun. ^__^ I'm glad Anna talked me into it.

On the writing front, things are starting to look up. I'm still relatively idea-dry, but that's all right; I have some prompts left to do, and then I intend to seriously buckle down with the Novel From Hell. My new goal is to have it finished by the end of October -- well before NaNoWriMo begins -- so that I can justify stepping away from it for a month or two before I get into the tasking task (...) of goring it. I know from experience, sadly, that I'm absolutely horrific at goring my own work, so I may recruit some "volunteers" to help me out. We'll see how particularly brave I am about sharing that monster.

I've been staying late at work a lot lately, which is okay because I keep catching the late train to get in to work. I mean, I'm still working later than I should (going by the standard "working hours"), but whatever. It's working for me, seeing as how my most productive times typically come later in the day. It does sometimes make for a sketchy train ride home, but that's no big deal. When it starts to get dark early, however, I may need to change that up. I don't mind walking home alone in the dark, and I live in a relatively safe neighborhood (you know, for Baltimore), but still. You guys know the old adage. Better safe...

...I feel like I should post something really fun and interesting in order to make this journal entry worth it for you. Here. Have a baby in a tunnel, the best x-over picture ever, and political-themed Magic: The Gathering cards. Will that do? That'll do.
kageotogi: (abuse and adoration [kageotogi])
I feel as though I'm going to be horribly busy terribly soon, but I'm really not. What I'm probably doing, really, is combining all my weekend plans for, like, ever into one weekend, which will only confuse me in the long run. (In other words, I need a better method of organization. Oooh, tricky.)

September is going by so quickly! I can hardly believe that it will be October next week... and that registration for NaNoWriMo will be starting on Monday! (Am I pimping? Oh yes I am.) I guess I should start thinking about my novel topic, maybe do some plotting... All that good stuff, for whatever help it ever gives me. Considering I have a very bad habit of quitting my projects in favor of new ideas sometime during the first week of the month, plotting might actually slow me down... but whatever. It'll be good to force myself into the write-like-a-maniac routine again. I've let that slide. Um. A lot.

End of September and the weather is up in the nineties. Argh. Summer is officially over, and I would like some end-of-summer weather, thank you very much. Cool breezes, early-morning frosts, and all that jazz. That would be lovely. (Make it happen, would you?)

I'm having a love affair with the parenthesis lately, can you tell? It's probably similar to my previous love affair with the em dash and will eventually die off over the course of several years, but this parenthetical love affair bothers me more than my fling with the em dash -- probably because I've always given the parenthesis considerable more interruptive credit than the dash. (Whoa, that did make sense to anyone? Where my English peeps? Can I get a holla'? [I should never be allowed to do that again.])

I have a sudden urge to title all my journal entries in a manner akin to the old-time chapter-title style. You know, the sort of title that essentially summed up everything you ever wanted to know about the chapter? Things like "In which Candide sees monkeys tormenting small children and winds up a captive" or whatever. (Actually, I don't think Voltaire did those. Who am I misrepresenting, then? Victor Hugo? Jane Austen? He or she is a classic(ish) author who I rather like. I just can't remember who it is. Sad.) In any case, I want to do descriptive and unnecessary wordy chapter titles for everything from now on. It might save me some trouble in thinking up catchy subjects (although that might cause me more grief in that the subject line for LiveJournal has a character limit, as I've just discovered...).

...I can't concentrate worth a fig today. Also, I'm wanting for a piece of gum.

Ah, well. One problem at a time. ^_~
kageotogi: (topeka [domacatrix])
I miss feeling like I matter to other people (and how's that for an angst moment of the day?).

Random memes, moving, and work aside, it's been a rather slow few weeks. I've done little to no writing (because I'm a baaaaaad person), even less rp stuff (which might be a good thing? I'm not sure; I enjoy that sort of thing, after all), and a lot of reading (which I know is a good thing. Yay reading!). I'm suffering a sort of general malaise, and I'm not sure how to feel about it just yet.

In other news, I have the most completely stupid fish ever. But that makes her funny, and I'm all for it. ^__^ The fact that she's suddenly a little bit paranoid probably has something to do with it (Hobbes, K.'s kitten, hasn't learned that Kaylee is not a toy/source of attention/food group, and has made a habit of clawing at her aquarium. I'm not blaming him for it -- it's a cat thing! -- but it'll be nice when he grows out of it). Then again, Kaylee's always been a little paranoid. She's weird like that.

...I need to write something before I go absolutely bonkers, I think. I used to get most of my writing done during class or slow hours at work, but the Real World rarely allows for that sort of thing. The weird thing is, I've had lots of inspiration bursts (but they're mostly all things I want to save for when NaNoWriMo comes around in November) but little drive to actually sit down and write something. That's a problem.

It sounds like all my journal posts lately have been complaining. Argh. I really don't mean for them to sound like that. I'm a happy person, and I'm content with almost every aspect of my life (except for the bits where I've gone weeks without seeing certain people -- you know who you are).

I'm almost a whole month behind in my Word of the Day calendar. Ack! I'd better get cracking. ^^ That means more writing. I should probably get on that.

Ooh, vicious cycle. They're my favorites. >D

This icon is courtesy of [livejournal.com profile] domacatrix. Because it rocks.

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