NaNo Space Soundtrack

[ahavah]

x-posted from ahavah_ehyeh

My NaNo project is the story of the first generation ship. I've been trying to put together a Space Soundtrack that I can play while I'm working on it.

I think I've got a pretty good, eclectic list of space-related songs here. Granted, in some places the relationship is thin, but I put in the song because I like it. I've also left out some songs just because I don't like them. Since I have 30 days worth of writing to do, I'd like a fairly big playlist. If anyone has any to suggest, I'd greatly appreciate it.

My list includes links to every song! I'm going to try to download them all for a proper play list (so I'm not bouncing around different sites when I should be working), but I wanted to include them here just because sharing new music is fun. :) Please feel free to leave a link if you have one.

This isn't the definitive order of the playlist, but I tried to set it up in a way that flows - for me, anyway. I'm sure they'll be reordered and everything, but this is a decent first draft.

Oh! Not every song or video is Work-Safe. Let me know if you have any to add!

( Set the controls for the heart of the sun! )

NaNo Space Soundtrack

[ahavah]

x-posted from ahavah_ehyeh

My NaNo project is the story of the first generation ship. I've been trying to put together a Space Soundtrack that I can play while I'm working on it.

I think I've got a pretty good, eclectic list of space-related songs here. Granted, in some places the relationship is thin, but I put in the song because I like it. I've also left out some songs just because I don't like them. Since I have 30 days worth of writing to do, I'd like a fairly big playlist. If anyone has any to suggest, I'd greatly appreciate it.

My list includes links to every song! I'm going to try to download them all for a proper play list (so I'm not bouncing around different sites when I should be working), but I wanted to include them here just because sharing new music is fun. :) Please feel free to leave a link if you have one.

This isn't the definitive order of the playlist, but I tried to set it up in a way that flows - for me, anyway. I'm sure they'll be reordered and everything, but this is a decent first draft.

Oh! Not every song or video is Work-Safe. Let me know if you have any to add!

( Set the controls for the heart of the sun! )

Mapping Programs for Macintosh

[twistdfateangel.livejournal.com]

So, I'm realizing now, it would be a good idea to have a map of the world my novel takes place in. But, I'm an awful artist, only barely competent on a computer and I own a Mac. Also, I'm a broke student.

Does anybody know of any freeware or shareware or, heck, even demos, of map-making programs for the Mac? I've been tearing apart every search engine I can think of and so far, all I've found is a couple of vector drawing programs.

Thanks in advance!

A few personal tips on how to increase your word count...

[minamzi.livejournal.com]

Hi there ! I'd like to share a few tricks I developped at last year's Nano to increase my word count and keep myself going. If you have other ideas, I'd love to hear about them.

* Do not abbreviate

If you write in English, write "I do not" instead of "I don't" or "I could not" instead of "I couldn't". You get three words where you usually have two. I know it might sound a bit posh after a while. For that reason, I don't use it in dialogues. I prefer my characters (who are mostly teenagers) to sound authentic and only a few people speak like they write.

* Be more precise in your descriptions

Use more specific adjectives when describing something or someone. For example, talk about your character's jet black long greasy hair and steel blue almond-shaped eyes, instead of his/er just black hair and blue eyes.
You can also have fun in listing things (ike what your character had for breakfast or what she buys at the supermarket) or by describing his/er bedroom in every detail, up to the motive of the wallpaper (I didn't do that because hyperrealistic descriptions à la Balzac aren't really my cup of tea...)

* Be gratuitous

If at some stage, you run out of ideas about how to continue your description, then go write a completely pointless scene involving your characters. Take this opportunity to have some fun with them. If you can't help fantasizing about a steamy sex scene with 2 (or even more !) of your characters, then don't be ashamed and go for it. If some of your characters are football fans, then why not having them play a five-a-side ? Why not having two of your characters speculating about the meaning of life, or writing one of their childhood memory ? - that's what I did. Another good thing about these gratuitous scenes is they can allow you to explore different facets of your character or help you discover things about them.

* Try different possibilities

Ever seen Run Lola Run ? You know, that German film with the same story told three times but each of the versions has a different outcome. Last year, I sometimes found myself so unsatisfied with the way the story turned out that I wrote an alternate version of a scene. I know it doesn't help your novel progress, but as long as it keeps you writing, there's nothing wrong with trying to fix things. It's like recording a different take of a song - with a slightly different arrangement. That helps too increasing the word count - on condition you don't erase what you wrote earlier.

* Write in a different language

That works only if you are multilingual like me. The good thing about latin languages like French (my mother tongue) is that they are less compact than the English one and thus, use more words. It would have made much more sense for me to write in French, but the story came in English to me, so I went for English.
OK, I admit it : I actually didn't know you could write in your native language >.<
However, although my whole manuscript is in English, I wrote some sentences in French because I couldn't find how to put them in English. It's quite odd, I know, but I had to keep writing.

A few personal tips on how to increase your word count...

[minamzi.livejournal.com]

Hi there ! I'd like to share a few tricks I developped at last year's Nano to increase my word count and keep myself going. If you have other ideas, I'd love to hear about them.

* Do not abbreviate

If you write in English, write "I do not" instead of "I don't" or "I could not" instead of "I couldn't". You get three words where you usually have two. I know it might sound a bit posh after a while. For that reason, I don't use it in dialogues. I prefer my characters (who are mostly teenagers) to sound authentic and only a few people speak like they write.

* Be more precise in your descriptions

Use more specific adjectives when describing something or someone. For example, talk about your character's jet black long greasy hair and steel blue almond-shaped eyes, instead of his/er just black hair and blue eyes.
You can also have fun in listing things (ike what your character had for breakfast or what she buys at the supermarket) or by describing his/er bedroom in every detail, up to the motive of the wallpaper (I didn't do that because hyperrealistic descriptions à la Balzac aren't really my cup of tea...)

* Be gratuitous

If at some stage, you run out of ideas about how to continue your description, then go write a completely pointless scene involving your characters. Take this opportunity to have some fun with them. If you can't help fantasizing about a steamy sex scene with 2 (or even more !) of your characters, then don't be ashamed and go for it. If some of your characters are football fans, then why not having them play a five-a-side ? Why not having two of your characters speculating about the meaning of life, or writing one of their childhood memory ? - that's what I did. Another good thing about these gratuitous scenes is they can allow you to explore different facets of your character or help you discover things about them.

* Try different possibilities

Ever seen Run Lola Run ? You know, that German film with the same story told three times but each of the versions has a different outcome. Last year, I sometimes found myself so unsatisfied with the way the story turned out that I wrote an alternate version of a scene. I know it doesn't help your novel progress, but as long as it keeps you writing, there's nothing wrong with trying to fix things. It's like recording a different take of a song - with a slightly different arrangement. That helps too increasing the word count - on condition you don't erase what you wrote earlier.

* Write in a different language

That works only if you are multilingual like me. The good thing about latin languages like French (my mother tongue) is that they are less compact than the English one and thus, use more words. It would have made much more sense for me to write in French, but the story came in English to me, so I went for English.
OK, I admit it : I actually didn't know you could write in your native language >.<
However, although my whole manuscript is in English, I wrote some sentences in French because I couldn't find how to put them in English. It's quite odd, I know, but I had to keep writing.

i need a disease please help me get one ;(

[lizzy-chan.livejournal.com]

this year the book i'm writing is about someone who is mistaken for having a terminal illness but really doesn't
so in short he is going to live like he is going to die

it needs to be something that can be easily confused with nothing at all.

it needs to have mild, little to no symntoms so that you can think you have it but not

help?

i need a disease please help me get one ;(

[lizzy-chan.livejournal.com]

this year the book i'm writing is about someone who is mistaken for having a terminal illness but really doesn't
so in short he is going to live like he is going to die

it needs to be something that can be easily confused with nothing at all.

it needs to have mild, little to no symntoms so that you can think you have it but not

help?

Writing Icons

[agdhani.livejournal.com]

( Writing Icons here )

Writing Icons

[agdhani.livejournal.com]

( Writing Icons here )