Monday, October 31, 2011

Shiny Pennies Part 2 (Updated)

I just wanted to show you the pretty things that are now planted 
and/or carved because of yesterday's crazy.

(Gorgeous fall mums)

I don't think I mentioned the Calla Lilies, but they entered 
the story just after the mums did.

(Black Calla Lilies! How perfect for fall/Halloween!)

Here are the pumpkins. My hand suffered for the owl. 
Luckily it did not impede the ability to type. 
It might hinder the writing, though. 


So, obviously, I played in the dirt, carved pumpkins, 
and watched Ugly Betty instead of writing. 
(The Ugly Betty part might not be so obvious.) 

Alright. The next post will cover all the wisdom I'll glean 
from this writing exercise. And judging by
 my typing this morning, it will be a scribbled mess.

This must be done before NaNo! 
NaNo starts tomorrow!!! 
Yikes!!! 

(The following was completed 24 hours later:)
I only finished half of my short story before I was overtaken by the NaNo wave. However, here's what I found useful, fun, or annoying about pen vs. keyboard:

1. I love scratching notes in the margins of what to come back and fix. - So efficient! (if you can read your own writing...)
2. Doodling. I forgot how awesome it is to doodle!
3. Hand cramping. It brought be back to every first day of school after an entire summer off of taking notes.
4. Batteries or outlets were never a concern. 
5. Non-linear thinking. Sometimes I like to flip the paper around or write in wavy lines. Why not? No one else needs to decipher it. Although typing it later will be trickier. Because of that, I generally keep this practice limited to outlines or brainstorming.
6. (And my favorite) It feels like drawing! Writing is an art. One that is quickly dying in the scope of practical and super fun computers.

One of the main reasons this little project began was because I often think of how much more difficult it must have been to publish any writing before computers, or word processors, or even type-writers. Would I still be writing if it wasn't so easy to edit? What if a manuscript was returned to me with major improvements required? Would I really have to re-write most of the book by hand and then re-submit? 

This blog's namesake was such a writer, fictitious though she may be. She was always described with ink blots on her hand and smudges on her skin. She was easily recognizable as a writer - telltale signs gave her away, even to strangers. For many of us facing the looming wall of NaNo these badges of honor and proof of hours spent in creative toil will be slightly less showy. Disheveled hair, laundry piles getting high, nervous ticks from too much coffee and sudden and quick resurfacing here and there to tell friends and fam that we're still alive - these will have to suffice. Take pride in your messy house and crazy eyes this month. They will be our own inky smudges of acknowledgement to one another of the task we've undertaken. (Unless you're attempting this feat with a pen - then you will have all the original telltale smudges and much of my awe.)

Welcome, November! 


Sunday, October 30, 2011

Shiny Pennies

I have not yet succeeded in my task (see last post), but neither have I yet failed. I simply got distracted. Shocked? No? Neither am I. Today began full of good intent. I WILL write. In a notebook. Wait, notebook? I don't have one of those. Okay, well, legal pads? Umm....hmm. Printer paper. That's all I've got. I could line it, or attempt to write on sheets with out lines (yikes!). OR, I could stop debating it, run to Walmart and pick up a $1.50 notebook. Done. Good. I can do that.

Hubby: "Hey, while you're there, pick up a pumpkin so we can carve it tonight." Me: "Sure, sounds like fun."

The plan: 1) Go to Walmart, buy notebook, maybe cool pens, and a pumpkin. 2) Drive to beach for wildly inspiring setting to write - in new notebook.

October is a perfect time to buy school supplies like notebooks and pens. They're all on clearance! Hooray! Decision time: which notebook? The cool, slightly more grown up, artsy, college ruled one? Or, the super awesome, wide-ruled, strawberry dipped in chocolate, Lisa Frank one? In the end I decide on the slightly more grown up one, but ONLY because it's sturdier and I don't what to also have to buy a clipboard to write on. Okay, notebook. Check.

Pens: Clearance...four pack...nothing too special, but there IS a purple one. That will do...wait...what is this I see? White-out? I didn't think of white out! Is that cheating? I think it's cheating...*hand slowly reaches towards white out (which is also on clearance)* NO! Don't do it. The point of this project is that I can't edit like I do on the computer. White out is essentially deleting. *Snatches hand back, turns and walks slowly away*

On my way to look for pumpkins in the garden center, I inadvertently find a whole other clearance section with MORE school supplies. Here I find an old-school Transformers notebook for $1. You're welcome, hubby. AND 80's Glam Sharpies!! Are you kidding? They come with a 'super special silver marker'. THIS IS THE COOLEST THING EVER!!!!! *Almost grabs two...but thinks better of it*

So, what was I doing again? Oh, yeah, time to grab a pumpkin and get to the beach.

Have you ever tried to find pumpkins the day before Halloween? This is not the first time I've been dumb enough to leave it to the last possible second. I feel like all those husbands who go Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve. Walmart has none and I have no time to hunt them down. Oh, well. Hubby will be sad, but he'll live. Starbucks, then beach!

*Starts driving out of Walmart* Hey, look - Home Depot might save the day!? Yep. Those are pumpkins. You might not recognize them, but they are misshapen, odd-looking pumpkins. That's cool, we'll carve something funky and then the shape will just add to the funk. *Grabs two* (They're so cheap!) Actually: *Grabs one and then has strange dad-type (who's there with daughter also getting last minute pumpkins) hand her a second because she can't lift it*  Question: Do I check out inside or at the garden center? Crap, these are getting heavy, just decide quickly. Garden center it is. Lovely, kind lady in garden center points out carts to push heavy pumpkins to car. These oh, so helpful carts are next to gorgeous mums, also ridiculously cheap. $2. *Picks up one rusty red mum and places it in cart. Swings back to lovely, kind check-out lady and pays.*

Oh my goodness! How long have I spent at Walmart/Home Depot? How bored are you reading about my distractions? Okay. Starbucks. Beach. Now.

On the way to Starbucks, I realize I probably shouldn't leave flowers/pumpkins in car. It still gets pretty warm in the afternoons.

Defeated for the moment, I get coffee and head home. Unpack flowers. Unpack pumpkins. Carry them upstairs to my apartment. Sit down and sigh. Beach? Maybe after lunch.

Oh no! I left my coffee in the car!

(To be continued...)

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Writing. Actually writing. Not typing.

Objective: To hand write a short story. Why? Because I think it will change how I do things drastically. It will also, probably, prove that I've lost the ability to spell.

While the history of language is long and fluid (and not the subject of this post), I don't think it's changed as quickly since typing/computers/technology in general have allowed it to morph constantly. Just thinking about how I edit on my laptop: type, type, type...ooo...I don't like that, highlight, delete, type, type...how do you spell?...okay, that's not quite the word I'm looking for...highlight...Shift F7...ah, thesaurus...hmmm...words, words, words...got one, type, type type...and so on and so on. Many times I type with my eyes closed, just so that watching the words appear across the page doesn't distract me from what I want to say next.

In this exercise, the point will be to write with something I can't erase on an object that doesn't self-correct or offer suggestions and just observe what happens. Stay tuned...

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Epic Author Live-Blog Battle

I have been doing a lot this week in preparation for NaNoWriMo 2011. Outlines, jumping jacks, and I figured out how to add a picometer to my little blogspot. (Hooray.) But nothing was so inspiring as watching two published authors take on each other in real time. I followed Beth Revis' and Stephanie Perkin's Live-Blog bet last night like my husband follows football.

Perhaps I need to get out of my house a little more...

An explanation: Beth and Stephanie apparently bet that Beth could write 15000 words in one week. Procrastinating like a champ, she had 8400 words to go and 24 hours left. (Can you feel the excitement?) Stephanie decides to do one better and write 15000 in one day. ONE DAY! Gauntlet thrown, challenge accepted.

Read Stephanie Perkin's story here.

Read Beth Revis' story here.

Now, I may have inadvertently tweeted some HBM pictures to Stephanie (for which I heartily apologize...or do I?) and thrown myself into the competition a little too much. (Seeing as how neither of these women know who I am...) However, they wrote a ridiculous number of words in one day and drew in a cheering crowd to boot!

I say NaNo needs some live-blog competitions this year. Anyone with me? I know not everyone responds to competition well, but I sure do. So bring it! Let's pick some days, some crazy word goals and get to it.

NaNoWriMo count down: 12 days to go...

Monday, October 17, 2011

Snowstorm

She falls softly at first
Lazily drifting side to side
Destined for some lovely spot
To dwell, to linger, to shimmer

Drawing joy and excitement
Her hope begins to rise
Looks down to the fated spot
For life, for love, for always

Glowing with red emotion
Not peace, but fire she finds
Scorching the beautiful spot
In fear, in rage, in sadness

Steeling herself for the thaw
Her crystalline form will modify
Since she is aimed for this spot
With tears, with tests, with pain

Strong as phoenix she must rise
And vapor to lift high in sky
Reform and find a new spot
For rest, for health, for happiness

Hope was not lost this time
‘Though she is tired and shaken
Slowly she sinks to a lofty spot
To restore, to reclaim, to live

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Pumpkin Pie Pictography

I hate writing first posts of a new blog. Do you explain your bloggish ideas? Do you write something shocking or clever? Well, I have no explanations to give and there is nothing shocking about what I do. Someone will have to tell me if it's clever.

Objective: Pumpkin pie from scratch.

The scariest thing I found about making pumpkin pie from an actual pumpkin is getting the dang thing cut in half to roast it! Be aware of all fingers!



My ten reasons why Pumpkin Pie is better from a pumpkin than from a can:

10. Check out all those seeds! Those don't come in the can.

9. I know every ingredient I put in this pie. No surprises here.


8. Doesn't that just look like fall?


7. Extra pumpkin in my freezer for muffins!


(I was starting to get a little freaked out here: 
so very bright orange!)


6. Mmmm. Homemade crust. So simple. So yummy.


(So pretty!)


(I don't know if you can tell or not, but this is the consistency of water...)


(So thin...please set, please set, please set!)


(Major dilemma: How to get pie to oven from counter
with out covering the floor in pumpkin...)


(It involved some yoga moves and jedi mind tricks and
still it spilled. Trust me, you don't want to see those pictures!)


(Holy cow, it worked?!)


5. The consistency is super creamy!

4. It tastes ridiculous! So good.



3. Did I mention the pumpkin seeds? They're so good for you.

2. All that extra moisture kept it from peeling away from the crust.

And my last ditch effort to make you want to try it?!

1. It really is crazy easy!  


So there you have it. Plumfield's first project. It was a success (hooray!), but they probably won't all be so simple. "Failure is always an option" - Thank you Mythbusters for teaching life lessons.