October is Still Here

Halfway through the month or so and 19 posts later, I've still managed to keep it up for NaBloWriMo!

Congrats to the others who are participating with me! I've seen consistent posts through October--let's keep it up, all! Type, type, type!

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I'm supposed to write a backstory piece of one of my characters. I haven't written a thing, and consequently the document is titled CURRENTLY UNTITLED AND PRETTY DARN UNWRITTEN.

Eloquent, right? I figured CAPS whenever I turn on the computer would get my attention . . . sadly though, my inspiration seems to have decided I'm not worth the effort. But I'll get something done--it's just that if I write down a particular character's past, then it's full of spoilers. Another person's history takes place in a military academy. Other people don't remember their history, and even if they did, it wouldn't make much of a story.

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I hate sloppy first drafts. I know, I know, I see in a lot of places "Don't worry about your first draft!" and to just write, (Zemanta is offering my an article that says "Get the damn thing done!") but if I don't edit/revise as I go, I end up stuck, with too many loose ends, impossible situations, and just general chaos--and I don't like the feeling. Kenneth Oppel (who is one of my favorite authors) actually suggests editing/revising the draft if you get writers' block, which I think is excellent advice. It's works for me, anyway.

Sort of. I've been working on my first draft for over a year now, and it still is not finished. I love writing it, don't get me wrong, but I tend to be astonished (and maybe a tad envious) when people say "I wrote this in _____ months!" because it's certainly taking me longer than that.


Do you think writing the first draft as fast as possible is the best idea, or do you like editing as you go along?

(Chopper rattling the windows right now--and pounding the eardrums. Very annoying. Might be some planes up there, too. Although, it's not all bad. There are helicopters in my story, believe me, so I guess it's just a another writing experience, eh?)

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Fall has almost definitely set in now. The heater is on, (boo--do you know how much oil that takes?) and the days are brisk. I love brisk, and windy too. There's a lot of wind these days, and it finally cleared up after half a week of rain; it's sunny, the trees are orange, and the sky is blue. Huzzah!

Another aspect to fall is the winter squash--my mom got some for free where she works and I can smell it baking right now. It smells better than it tastes, I'm afraid. I don't like squash, generally--I've never liked pumpkin, hubbard tastes blah (despite what the people at the senior center state), I'm not a fan of acorn. But zucchini can be okay.

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I'm done with the miscellany! I think . . . yes, that's it. Have a great Sunday, everyone!


-----The Golden Eagle

The First Day of Fall!

Huzzah! 

(Image found online.)

I love autumn. It's cool, the trees are colorful around here, people are back to school, I love the way the air smells, I love brilliantly blue skies, and I also love the holidays that come with this time of the year. I also like this day in particular, because it means the days and the nights are exactly the same length. Isn't that an interesting thing? That the night and the day balance each other out?

Are you looking forward to fall? Hopeful about anything to come?

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I've also been tagged, so here are the questions, rules, my answers, and the list of people I'm tagging:

Your favorite thing about September:

Why September? By the time fall starts it's almost over. But I do like the sense of beginnings and endings.

What you wear in September:

Shirt, (long or short sleeved) pants, (capris or long pants, depending on the temperature) sweater/sweatshirt/sweatjacket, (light or heavy, again depending on the temp) sneakers, (preferably running or walking style) and I almost always have my hair in a ponytail. I don't like wearing by hair down.

Activity you do in September:

Write.

Your idea of how a fairy would dress:

Okay, this is probably from reading too much Fantasy/Paranormal, but I think of fairies as being tall, skinny, cruel-looking, and back-stabbing creatures that wear either tight jeans and sweaters or long gowns/medieval dress.

Your idea of how an elf would dress:

Ditto, although I usually associate them with a being a little less back-stabbing than a fairy, a little taller, and living in the trees or wearing lots of green clothes.

Your favorite tree:

Sumac!

Your favorite September color (orange, yellow, red, gold, brown, etc.):

Gold. That's one of the major things I like about autumn. I'm not obsessed with gold or anything! I just like it when leaves are that color. I don't like the metal.

Your favorite feeling in fall:

Breathing in cold air and crunching leaves. There's something satisfactory about crunching leaves.

And this tag involves adding another question, so . . .

Are you less or more cheerful in the fall as opposed to in the spring?

More, probably. :)


I tag everyone. Yes, this means YOU, but only if you want to do it.

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You know those things that aren't particularly funny but you find amusing despite it all? Well, severely bruising (possibly breaking) my second toe for 2010 did that for me. Especially since the irony of it all is the first toe I broke back in January just finished healing and I have a dance class later today. I was half-snorting half-grimacing after I banged it. :P

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My writing has been, for lack of a better word, flopping. I don't know why. I've tried plenty of stuff, closing my eyes, listening to music, arguing with the characters, revising my outline, but I think I'm just going to have to edit (I've got loads of editing to do) and see if anything strikes me while I'm doing it. Garrar. It's frustrating, since I've got ideas bouncing around (they're more like slogging around by now, though) in my head and I HATE writing ahead of where I left off. It throws everything out of balance for me, so I try and stick to writing everything out chronologically.

A final note: I have 87 followers! That is . . . very surprising and very gratifiying. Thank you, my lovely followers, readers, and whoever else is looking at this blog! I do appreciate it. :)

-----The Golden Eagle