Script Frenzy

It just kind of hit me that the start of April is just days away now. And I haven't lifted my pen to outline my script or anything - strangely, when writing a script I DO outline, where as I don't really (not beyond the first half of the book anyways) while I am writing a novel.
I'm not sure why this is. It's something I'm definitely going to have to think about during the next week or so.
My idea is old, so old, and... whats the best word to describe it? Designed to make the viewer feel uncomfortable. Written so that you are not entirely sure whether the main character is a good guy or a bad guy, or just you know, an every day guy, the kind of guy you might be sitting next to in the movie theatre.
I'm looking forward to finally seeing it come to fruition.
While cleaning out the cupboards in this room yesterday I came across my folder from my script writing paper, and the last script I wrote, all of which is now sitting on my desk waiting for me to go through again and get my head into the script writing zone.
I'm very aware of the fact that I failed nanoedmo this month. I don't want to fail another challenge. And I know I'm tired, and growing a baby, and feeling sick and all that jazz but sometimes that just doesn't seem like enough reason to fail. So I'm going to do better in April.

But for now, a coffee, or maybe a nap. (wow, I've only been up for two hours and I'm already thinking about a nap...)

Ultrasound #1

I think I forgot to mention that I FINALLY got my appointment letter for an ultrasound. Monday 31st, 2.30pm. Not that far to go now, have been feeling quite nervous/anxious about it, knowing that it will either confirm that everything is going ok (and give a better idea on due date) or give me bad news. While there is nothing at all to suggest that the news is going to be anything other than good, the initial Dr's appointment where she freaked me out and told me she thought it was abnormal sits constantly in the back of my mind. It'll be great to know one way or the other, but I'm still going to be nervous about it until its over with.

Trashing The Dress

Except that it's really not trashed! lol it should really be called 'doing unconventional things in wedding dresses'.
Here are some of the shots from the afternoon, not all of them by any means. The black and white ones seem to go a bit funny when I make them smaller, so it takes ages to upload them original, the colour ones don't seem to have the same problem so much, very odd. Ah well, here they are lol.

THE most fun ever

I had that today, the most fun. It was awesome and while I am totally exhausted right this minute I am still buzzing, hours after the last photo was taken.
A couple friends and I 'trashed' my wedding dress. Decked out as though it was my wedding day we took a trip to the beach where I climbed atop a tunnel, crawled through grass, stood beneath a dying tree, climbed a cliff, sat on a throne carved into the stone, went through a cave and went swimming in a river and the ocean itself. I'll post some of the pics as soon as I get them! Very keen to see how they turned out. We had an absolute blast and the level of attention we got was on some levels astonishing! lol I guess it's not every day you see a 'bride' fooling around at the beach. So many people took photos of me, lots of people asked whether I was getting married that day (well, prior to me stepping into the waves.....) plenty of them came down from the cliffs above to get a closer look at what was going on, and many walked past with strange looks on their faces like they wanted to say/ask something but just couldn't get the words out - hilarious. lol I was laughing the whole afternoon, I can't think of a better way to spend a sunday avo than out and about taking bunches of interesting photos! Am really looking forward to seeing how they turn out.

And on another front, my brother just called to say that he got a new job! They are going sharemilking and we're going to rent their house! Freedom from the evil nasty steep driveway, I was having nightmares about being here late in the pregnancy and not being able to get out to a hospital or something, it's not the most child friendly of houses, nor the most pregnancy friendly either, so it will be great to be somewhere thats easier to get in and out of - not entirely sure what Dad will think but thats ok! (seeing as we rent from dad) we'll have to work really hard to get the place looking super tidy and wonderful for the next lot of people who rent here, two months is lots of notice.

What a great day!

hmm

Every day I tell myself - today I'm gonna get my act together, get stuff done, make a dent on the editing, do the housework etc etc.
Every day I fail at getting much done at all. I'm just so tired, and lethargic, and sick feeling. It's terribly hard to get motivated to do even the smallest of things. But I know they have to be done, and I know that I can't be lazy forever, I have to get moving again. Must summon energy.
The lack of caffeine probably isn't helping, but they say you shouldn't drink coffee while you're pregnant and it's not like it's good for me anyways. I'm gonna fall down in other areas, this is one I know I can hold my ground in - if i can just make it through til a time when I have some energy again. Oh please Gods tell me there is a time I'll have some energy again?

And the big news is...

I'm pregnant.

Ta da! Just like that.

So I have known for a couple weeks now, but didn't want to mention it until I thought that everything was okay - initially my Dr. freaked me out by saying that she thought it was abnormal, but its worked out that things are normal and I'm just not as far along in the pregnancy as she thought I was. Which is good. I was stressing out for a good solid week before she called me to say that she thought everything was normal and on track.

And now I am waiting for an ultrasound, it would put all my worries to rest and give us a date to go on. As it is I really have no idea when I got pregnant, but going from my hormone levels at my last blood test I'm around 7 weeks now.

I have been waiting two weeks for an appointment card, and nothing. So I rang this morning and I'm not even on their list/in their system. So I had to call the Dr's and get them to send another request through, which means more waiting - the ultrasound place couldn't even give me a rough estimate to go on for how long I can expect to wait for one. It's all a little frustrating.
I have never been good at patience. Never. Waiting = bad. I just want to know that everything is okay.

On the other side of things we are totally thrilled to be pregnant. It's probably happened while I was on the pill (don't freak out anyone who uses it!! I've managed like ten years without any accidents lol this is the first), and before the wedding, all of which is totally fine by me.
I don't care that people are going to count back and realize that I was knocked up before getting married, I'm having a baby! And that is super cool. I've been waiting for this for years now, and finally, it's happened and so quickly and easily and it's just really wonderful.

I knew it was going to be a big year, and my goodness it really is :-)

OK. I'm IN.

I just got email from the nanowrimo team, about ScriptFrenzy - and I am in. For some reason I thought it was a word count total that you had to get to, but no, it's merely a page total, 100 pages to be more precise. I remember writing my script for my script writing paper and I think it had to be 60 pages, and it took me like 3 days. So I can totally find time to write 100 pages during April, even though I will undoubtedly be juggling editing still during that month.
I've had this idea burning away inside me for years now. YEARS. And the only reason I didn't write it for my class was because I really thought the idea was just going to be too out there to get a good grade - (as it was I wrote about succubi anyways, which is really I guess, not that common either...).

Anyways. I'm making a commitment to sign up and get this script out of my head and onto the page.

I DID my 10K for the fantasy challenge, I'm working on my 50 hours for editing - I will get there, trust me. Yeah I know, I'm only 10.5 hours in and half the month is gone, but I can do this. I refuse to break it down into how many hours a day from here on in I need to do because that will make it seem harder....

Having something else to be excited about the month after this will help me get more stuck in. I don't need to think of a script idea as I have it, I don't need to research formatting because I know that - and in reality you don't actually have a hell of a lot on each page if you're formatting a script the way it should be, nothing like writing 100 pages of novel.

And with that, back to the editing before my first visitor of the day arrives!

sidetrackings

I wisely decided not to get any more books out of the library yesterday. The more I'm reading, the less I am working on my own writing. And while I think reading it important, I've definitely been hiding in books recently instead of writing - I had my reasons, but no more hiding in books.
Secondly, man I just love the Sweeney Todd soundtrack. I mean, I loved the movie and it's so great to be able to listen to the songs. I am such a sucker for musicals - and anything with Johnny Depp.

beginnings

Beginnings are very important, its important to get them right.
And so, moments after sitting down in front of the laptop/novel, with two versions of 'the beginning' in front of me, I begin to question which one is the right one to go with.

Originally the story starts with a death, it gets the story moving quite quickly but then we slip into some back story - which is important, before picking back up where the intro left off.
The new beginning, starts with a wedding, and the first inklings that the MC's sister has married a control freak. After this I am imagining that time will zip forward until the MC moves in with her sister and takes over the business due to her sisters illness, which then leads to the death, and the rest of the story.

I don't know which way to do this. After writing it like that, possibly the second way seems the best, though in reality, the story isn't about the wedding, or the marriage, or the sister who dies so much as it's about the MC and her relationship with her sister, her nephew, and the other mysteries which are not even hinted at in the beginning of the novel (well, in rewrites there will be some hints, just so that the reader is prepared, though it's never come up as an issue for any of the people who have read it so far).

I'm aware that too much back story can sink a story, but then I am also really wary of starting a story in the wrong place. Too early or too late can be killers for a good story.

I want the focus to be on what the story is about, not on the back story - which leads me to the conclusion that I should stick with the original opening, and find ways of incorporating all the relevant, important information into the story without drowning the reader in it. It won't be that hard, I just have to be a little bit clever about how I do it.

And now to figure out how to do that....

Query: For people who have edited novels before, do you break the whole thing up into scenes and/or chapters before you start editing? or do it all in one big document?

P.S: Thank you ten minute blog for clearing that all up for me!

Seriously, where is the month going?

We are almost halfway in - now that freaks me out. How did this happen?
So, every other day I say to myself "yeah, I am going to get WAY into my editing tomorrow" and it never really seems to eventuate. Today, I am though. I have every intention of it. I am full to brimming of good intentions.
In fact, after I post this I am turning on the laptop and writing.
I've been getting bits of editing done here and there, I worked on a short story instead of the novel the other day, which I think helped me get back into the mindset of it. I can do this, I will do this.
What motivates me more is that a friend has had his full manuscript requested - now, he's not getting too excited about this but I am. It shows that people can get this requested, sure I know, it's not been accepted or anything yet, but hey, in a world where you are always being told that you'll never make it, that there is so little hope, when you know someone who has had a full requested it shows that there IS hope. I mean sure, it means that there is one less slot for you to fill.... lol not really, we don't write the same kinds of things anyways ;-)
Ok, off to write/edit. I can do this.

Sunday. 9th

Wow, I have blown 8 days of the month already, thats pretty scary!

The happy news: I'm feeling more motivated than I have in a long time. I think, thanks to some alternate opinions on whats going on with me and getting back into some exercise. I feel more together at the very least, and that helps. And I am loving adding some words to my WIP!! I really do adore the story, unfortunately I thought up some massive time killers that could be 'useful' for it... but they are time wasters.... so I am going to try and avoid, even though it would be pretty fun lol.

The not so happy news: the laptop is now lasting only like 20minutes sans powercord. That is not long!!! I took it to bed last night, thinking yeah no worries, I can get to 7k easily before it dies.... well, no such luck, in fact I don't think I even got to 6500... It is pretty tragic, unfortunately there is nothing which can be done about this. I have to wait and hopefully something will come up - Simon says that I don't really need a laptop, but then, on the other hand, there are ones out there that are BETTER than my computer - maybe what I really need is to get one of those and forget about the upgrades? I know having two computers is pretty wasteful (two just for me that is) but I have found it really helpful to only write on the other one, and to game/waste time on this one. When it comes down to it, I find it impossible to get focused on writing when I am sitting right next to Simon and hes gaming... and both of the PC's are on the same desk, we're side-by-side gamers (very cute), but not very helpful for the writing thing. I like sitting next to him when we play games, I don't want that to change. But I really do need to be able to escape his lovely presence in order to focus on the writing side of things. Ah well, something will come up! lol
Even if I do sell a novel this year (which, in all honesty who knows if it will happen), I am gonna have to put the money into savings - I had promised myself a new laptop, but I think it's more important that we have savings. Savings = getting into a new house. Though, whether we'll ever be able to do that with the one income is yet another story and I am too scared to actually look at the details! lol.
Ok, better get some work done before little one needs me again. I'd love to finish the 10K writing challenge today, so thats what I am going to push forward with, and then tomorrow get stuck into the editing once and for all.

catching up

I've decided that - I can do it. It's just a matter of putting in the effort when I can.
Today I cannot. I think I am going to have to accept that any day that it's just me and the little one all day I'm going to get hardly anything done at all. If I accept that, I don't have to spend ages beating myself up over getting so little done. What it means that I need to make up for that on the three days a week that she has care for a few hours.
Today, I wish that she was in care, I so need a little space. She refused to stay at home with Simon this morning when I had to get another blood test done, I even faked a phone call with the blood lab in which they 'advised' me that she couldn't come, she forced the phone into my hand and made me fake a call back to say that she would be coming with me.
I had some other stuff to say, but I desperately need to get her out of the house so we are going to go and visit the ducks at the park.

arg

Stupid Word...I can't seem to make it stick to an NZ dictionary for spell checking and whatnot. It's driving me nuts - specially because I keep missing the fact that it keeps flicking back to US dictionary because I am so used to reading US text books.
Does it matter a lot? If you are submitting globally, probably not. If you are submitting within NZ then it may do. We're not a big country, but we are a fairly proud one right, you'd think the least we could do is spell correctly for our own country.

I fail

At this writing gig anyways. I am feeling a lot of failing. Something always seems to come up. Big somethings. I find it hard to write when those big somethings hit.
Last month it was the wedding, a good big something. This month, well, I'm not going to go into it, but it's one of those sad and tragic somethings. I just hope that I can pull it together well enough to manage to complete even one of the challenges that I set myself this month.
Fingers crossed.
Little one is in care this afternoon and I shall attempt to focus myself.

Day 2

Day 2 did not go so well, everyone was home, people came and went, pain was consistent and so was my level of 'tired'.
So... Edmo: 1/50 hours
March Fantasy Madness Challenge: 2033.

I really do hate getting off to such a slow start. But I have to admit that weekends are never good for my writing. This coming week should be awesome though as Simon is working 2pm-10pm, there won't be the temptation to play games, I can instead focus on the writing. That's the plan anyways!
Getting my hair cut today and still deciding just how different I want to get it done. We shall see! Will post a pic if it's really very different lol.

Day 1

I know that technically it's day two, but there is no way I could post my daily accomplishments on the actual day they were done.
SO:
March Madness Challenge: 2033/10,000 words
NaNoEdMo: 30mins/50hours.

I didn't really do a lot on the editing thing yesterday, and am really hoping that I manage to get in there and nail some more time today, or I'll really start falling behind and the earlier I do that, the worse it always is for me.

Simon was called into work last night at 730 and didn't get home til 1am, so I had a fairly early night due to the pain in my back, read some, slept, slept badly though, waking up every time I tried to turn over. By 1am when he got home I'd developed a sore throat as well woohoo. So, tired, and sore this morning, not the best combination but I will just have to make it work for me.
Oh, had a really long chat with my brother last night who is dead keen on me writing the novel I'm editing for edmo into a script and made into a movie. LOL, he thinks I should sell the book and then sell the movie, it's so lovely when your loved ones think you have so much potential.

And March is on!

It's here, it's here!!!
And I am tired.... lol I just realized about 15 minutes ago that it was actually the new month. Wooo, go go sleep deprived brain.
I went out with a couple of my friends last night, we had fun. I was sober and I still had fun, which is fantastic. We chilled at Sarah's for a couple hours, chatting, then went into town and played some pool, had a big of a boogie and then went down to the beach for a midnight swim. I was the only one who got in very far... lol the others just rolled their pant legs up and paddled. Admittedly the water was pretty dark, and there was a chilly breeze, the water was so nice tho! It's a very safe beach in the port though, it was refreshing, enlivening, took me back to my teenage years when anything was a possibility and ever suggestion was considered.
I think I'll be doing things like that more often.

Anyways.... I should really start something today! I have two weeks to write 10K, and in those two weeks I also need to get at least 25 hours of editing done. My brain isn't functioning well enough to be able to do the math there - other than to suggest that today, I really need to get a good start! I think I will begin with getting a good start on the fantasy challenge, and then move onto some editing later this evening, we'll see how it goes.
We're having a roast post for dinner tonight, followed by some home made dessert, and then a DVD. I'm looking forward to it. It feels like awhile since we just kicked back and relaxed for an evening rather than trying to get things done.