Things I learned this year in nano....

1) Just because the first week rocks on toast doesn't mean the rest of the words won't come very slowly. Granted, Real Life involved itself, but it was still rather surprising.

2) Do not plan to write 22 years of someone's life as a nano ever, ever again.

3) First person with a cast of over 80 == stupid.

4) Two nano in a month may happen again next year; I just end up having idea A and B and C come screaming along; I ignored them this year, but did a lot of plot stuff for them in 2 notebooks when I could have been working on nano.

5) Do not try to run rpg sessions even once a week during nano. The focus is gone.

6) Starting to do plot stuff in September does not work. A 12K file on the nano seems good until you realize less than 1K of it was actually an outline of the plot :)

And it becomes a wordle.

Nano 08 worldle.

And was done, at almost 75.5K. A strange first draft, heading off into odd places at times, with a plot too big for a nano and too damn many characters. I suspect will (would?) be a better novel if not in first person, so shall let it sit six months, re-read it, and go from there.

Untitled Poem

I walked with her in dusk and gloom
Though the will'o'wisps clear light
In darkness and in fears
And a hundred silent nights
Underneath the newest moon.

Every night I walked her home anon
No matter the rain nor wind
Sometimes we shared our quiet fears
And others would remind
Ourselves to all that's been and gone.

We walk together in memory
My lady's footsteps and I
And still I walk even if my tears
Remind me I shall die
And she never thinks the less of me

Short poem that isn't very good

Failings of kindness
in trying to make your feelings
my own;

failings in love
were we both too weak to let go
of us?

Failing to know
whrre knowing reaches wisdom
and peace,

Failure of -- what.
That I see us and no longer
hurt?

9 days into nano....

43,000 words done, which is not bad at all. I'm only 3 years into the actual plot, which is not as good since said plot spans 22 years, but a lot of the 'now' plot has been setting up characters and back story for some, as well as foreshadowing fun. I think the second draft will shorten the time frame to 10 years (or even less) but that's for then.

Currently, the MC is en route to another dimension - the details and nature of which I've yet to decide - and various things are happening back in his 'real' life that should shake things up some. Social pressure to become a superhero will grow, his brother head down dark paths and possible cracks appear in his relationship with his GF. All of which leads up to the first of 3 (now 4) alien invasions and the price protecting the world exacts on him.

Should be fun, though whether I finish it in the month or not is doubtful...

just an older poem

It's midnight in the garden
And no one's learned to weep,
But Eve is sitting all alone
And Adam's fast asleep.

nanowrimo fun

Ah, nano.. research tonight has been a) syntax of british sign language and b) how one goes about destroying a galaxy

Yes, it is late, but grief comes late and early and all..

I believed in you.
I bought into your stories.
How flexible you were.
That you'd be, for me,
during storm or snow,
hail or winter.

I do not believe that,
in these dark times
of dear, or the mail -
but you promised
flexible keys to me,
cleanable keys for me
even mobile mobility!

(In my loss, I can only link
to you, no tears are mine)

And only the old is left,
to be learned again,
because with it I have
spacesandwithyouI
wouldhaveamissing
spacebar (well, half of one).