(no subject)

[kittydesade.livejournal.com]

So, half my f-list is gearing up for Nanowrimo, as am I. And so we are all making the brainstorming posts, the I have no idea what I'm going to write about posts, the I want to start writing now posts, the how the hell am I going to do this posts.

Me, I'm bibbling like an idiot about my dictate program, which I'm using more than ever now. Except not now, because I'm at work. And the work computers are dinosaurs. Dinosaurs without microphones.

The point of all this being that I'm reading a lot of posts about everyone gearing up for Nano, and we've got The Great Soundtrack Swap going on in someone's journal. And I'm working with my Dragon. But what are your essential tools for Nano that you're starting to accumulate? What do you think you're going to need? What have you used in the past that you may try to do without this year? What can you absolutely not do without? Weird things, not soundtracks and pen and paper and computers and things.

( My List )

I'm sure I'll think of more later. What about you, what are your weird but necessary items?

(no subject)

[kittydesade.livejournal.com]

So, half my f-list is gearing up for Nanowrimo, as am I. And so we are all making the brainstorming posts, the I have no idea what I'm going to write about posts, the I want to start writing now posts, the how the hell am I going to do this posts.

Me, I'm bibbling like an idiot about my dictate program, which I'm using more than ever now. Except not now, because I'm at work. And the work computers are dinosaurs. Dinosaurs without microphones.

The point of all this being that I'm reading a lot of posts about everyone gearing up for Nano, and we've got The Great Soundtrack Swap going on in someone's journal. And I'm working with my Dragon. But what are your essential tools for Nano that you're starting to accumulate? What do you think you're going to need? What have you used in the past that you may try to do without this year? What can you absolutely not do without? Weird things, not soundtracks and pen and paper and computers and things.

( My List )

I'm sure I'll think of more later. What about you, what are your weird but necessary items?

I think I may be crazy...

[celia-sword.livejournal.com]

For the past week or so, I have been hounded by a second plot idea. I have written short stories for both ideas, available in my journal, and I still cannot decide which one I like more.

The detective story has a plot that I am pretty solid on, even though I don't know exactly what clues I'd offer, and I'm not that solid on any but the main three or four characters, while I still have two other suspects along with the four-person household staff to give lively characters to.

The fantasy story has vibrant characters, a world with five countries, each with its own religion and government, but I am not on terribly firm ground with the plot. I know the just of what I want to do with it, but I'm still uncertain.

So, why am I crazy? Because I'm considering writing 6,000 words a day so as to write 3,000 words a day on each of the two stories.

I think I may be crazy...

[celia-sword.livejournal.com]

For the past week or so, I have been hounded by a second plot idea. I have written short stories for both ideas, available in my journal, and I still cannot decide which one I like more.

The detective story has a plot that I am pretty solid on, even though I don't know exactly what clues I'd offer, and I'm not that solid on any but the main three or four characters, while I still have two other suspects along with the four-person household staff to give lively characters to.

The fantasy story has vibrant characters, a world with five countries, each with its own religion and government, but I am not on terribly firm ground with the plot. I know the just of what I want to do with it, but I'm still uncertain.

So, why am I crazy? Because I'm considering writing 6,000 words a day so as to write 3,000 words a day on each of the two stories.

October 17 - Warm-Up

[age.livejournal.com]

Here is the best marketing ploy ever: The Writer's Popsicle - each stick has a single line of text on it, that could fall into any of our three categories, and in order to get to it, you need to eat the popsicle. Simply breaking off the flavoured ice won't cut it. We could make a killing during NaNo. And make them all numbered and force people to collect the entire set, and if they put them in a certain order, they get the ever-elusive Great [insert nation of your choice here] Novel.

Think about it!


( The First Line )

( The Non Sequitur )

( The Last Straw )

...at least popsicles would be less fattening than ice cream, no?

October 17 - Warm-Up

[age.livejournal.com]

Here is the best marketing ploy ever: The Writer's Popsicle - each stick has a single line of text on it, that could fall into any of our three categories, and in order to get to it, you need to eat the popsicle. Simply breaking off the flavoured ice won't cut it. We could make a killing during NaNo. And make them all numbered and force people to collect the entire set, and if they put them in a certain order, they get the ever-elusive Great [insert nation of your choice here] Novel.

Think about it!


( The First Line )

( The Non Sequitur )

( The Last Straw )

...at least popsicles would be less fattening than ice cream, no?

Daily Introduction Post - October 17th, 2007

[alison-sky.livejournal.com]

Go forth and introduce thyself to thy comrades!

Daily Introduction Post - October 17th, 2007

[alison-sky.livejournal.com]

Go forth and introduce thyself to thy comrades!

Time

[carlosn.livejournal.com]

I love to write. It's funny, when I first started I couldn't do it purposely any longer than 5 to 10 minutes. Then one day I realized I spent lots of time writing letters I never sent. Then, at this point in life I decided to write for a longer period of time- 20 min. Then I tried writing one page but felt it too much of a hassle to fullfill a personal deadline. Then I decided- I know, I will take the writers approach of busting out 1500 words. It's hard coming up with that many words, especially when your story is not planned out.

Now, I must say I am proud that I can write up to 20 hours at a time without stopping- if I am prepared with a wicked good idea. Anyone else ever had the problem of time. When there was enough or not enough? Do you ever just not feel like writing and when or do you love to do it all the time?  

Time

[carlosn.livejournal.com]

I love to write. It's funny, when I first started I couldn't do it purposely any longer than 5 to 10 minutes. Then one day I realized I spent lots of time writing letters I never sent. Then, at this point in life I decided to write for a longer period of time- 20 min. Then I tried writing one page but felt it too much of a hassle to fullfill a personal deadline. Then I decided- I know, I will take the writers approach of busting out 1500 words. It's hard coming up with that many words, especially when your story is not planned out.

Now, I must say I am proud that I can write up to 20 hours at a time without stopping- if I am prepared with a wicked good idea. Anyone else ever had the problem of time. When there was enough or not enough? Do you ever just not feel like writing and when or do you love to do it all the time?  

progress widget!

[gngr.livejournal.com]

A couple years ago, a nerdy friend and I came up with this very simplistic PHP script that creates a gif image showing your progress on your novel thus far. It's useful for NaNoWriMo, and many other things for which you want a static image of the progress of something.

If you want to see how to use it, and where to download it, clicky here. The download link is at the very top of the page.

If you do not have a webhost, or don't know whether your webhost allows PHP scripts, you're very very welcome to link directly to the script hosted on MY website--it's very stable and hasn't gone offline in over six years.

To do so, cut and paste the following code, changing the hexidecimal color codes to match your own journal/blog's theme:

<img src="http://gngr.net/nano/progress.php?current=25000&target=50000&progress=AAAAAA&background=FFFFFF&border=000000" />

The code looks like this:


My friend and I tried to make each customizable variable in this script readable to human eyes: current is your current wordcount thus far, target is your total wordcount (usually 50000), and so on.

You can paste this code into any webpage, any sidebar, or any entry on LJ or anywhere else. It will show up as a normal graphic.

This code was born of an idea I had for a very simplistic progress bar, which I could not find anywhere online. I ended up making my own instead. ;)

progress widget!

[gngr.livejournal.com]

A couple years ago, a nerdy friend and I came up with this very simplistic PHP script that creates a gif image showing your progress on your novel thus far. It's useful for NaNoWriMo, and many other things for which you want a static image of the progress of something.

If you want to see how to use it, and where to download it, clicky here. The download link is at the very top of the page.

If you do not have a webhost, or don't know whether your webhost allows PHP scripts, you're very very welcome to link directly to the script hosted on MY website--it's very stable and hasn't gone offline in over six years.

To do so, cut and paste the following code, changing the hexidecimal color codes to match your own journal/blog's theme:

<img src="http://gngr.net/nano/progress.php?current=25000&target=50000&progress=AAAAAA&background=FFFFFF&border=000000" />

The code looks like this:


My friend and I tried to make each customizable variable in this script readable to human eyes: current is your current wordcount thus far, target is your total wordcount (usually 50000), and so on.

You can paste this code into any webpage, any sidebar, or any entry on LJ or anywhere else. It will show up as a normal graphic.

This code was born of an idea I had for a very simplistic progress bar, which I could not find anywhere online. I ended up making my own instead. ;)