Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas, from all of us at Shadespinner.
May there be peace on earth, good will towards all.
It is my hope that the light of this season follows you and your communities throughout the new year.
Good fortune go with each and every one of you.

Alright, this just doesn't make sense. . . .

I have been reading up on this, and even after all the research, this still sounds weird to me.
There are these things that have popped up in Cary. They look like Christmas trees, they act like Christmas trees, but they are not called Christmas trees. That's right, in Cary's town hall you have your glorious Community trees. Wait, what? *checks script* That cannot be right. . . Political correctness is behind this, as you've probably already guessed, and the trees have sparked quite the debate. Some say, that this is political correctness gone way too far, and that, as they always have, the trees should be called Christmas trees, and that they should place symbols from other religions near the trees. Others say that there is nothing wrong with having a community tree and that people should just leave it alone. And of course, there are those who say that there should be no trees, no symbols, nothing. The last one probably would be the most politically correct, I personally agree with the first argument.
What is your view on this "critically important" issue.

Hopefully some sanity.

Yes, this is what I call a regularly updating schedule, I'm sorry.
Are the holidays sneaking up too quickly on anyone else or am I the only one?

Hanukkah is in full swing, Christmas, Kwanza, the Winter Soltiace and New Years are not far away.

My family celebrates Christmas, and, like last year, people are ignoring my wishes. The one thing that really drives me crazy about my entire family is they refuse to see reason on that one point. When I say "I don't want anything for Christmas", that is exactly what I mean. It's not that I don't like presents, I love giving and receiving small and/or practical ones, it's just the fact that I think there are better purposes for the money that they spend.

But I am not here to complain. I have more important updates to get to.
I have decided, that what this blog needs more than anything else, is some sanity. And a lot of it. So that is what I plan on supplying.
All right, all right, you can stop laughing now, I am capable of being relatively sane. I survived November, didn't I?
And as my first order of business, I would like to thank you, all of you, for being brilliant and also, for putting up with me. It means a lot to me.

My second order of business is . . . . . . coming up in a later post.

G'bye.

Thank you.

Thank you, everyone, for puting up with me this month. It means a lot.
I have over 50,000 words written, have collected my slip of paper that proves that I did it and am enjoying the fact that I have two more days to write.
Prepare for a return to our slightly more regular updates.
Thank you.

Gender Genie

Hello,
I found this link through the NaNoWriMo forums and thought you all might like it.
http://bookblog.net/gender/genie.php
What it does is take a sample of your writing, analize it, and try to figure out whether the writer is male or female. I find it to be amusing, what do you all think?

13th.

Today is Friday the 13th, a day to get out all your lucky charms, spells, protections, swords and pens.

~ roguewriter

A rather neat idea

http://procrastinatingwritersblog.com/2009/10/put-together-a-nanowrimo-survival-kit/
A NaNoWriMo survival kit.
What an excellent idea.

. . .

Happy Samhain everyone!

~ roguewriter, Azai, and the rest of the crew.

National Novel Writing Month.

"Yes, yes I signed up for NaNoWriMo. So the next few days will be busy, busy, busy. You can't start writing your novel till November, but you can do all the prewriting stuff.
What is NaNoWriMo? A chance to gain recognition through writing a novel in one month, a chance to show all the naysayers that yes, it is possible. Oh, and a reason to drive quite a few people crazy.
Disclaimer: Those reasons are things I made up spur of the moment, thank you very much.

If anyone else is interested - http://www.nanowrimo.org/
I'm Scribe Azai (Thank you Azai dear, for lending me your name and agreeing to take care of the blog while I write)"

~ roguewriter

Lovely.

"Two. Two people voted in the last poll, and one, being me, doesn't really count." The girl crosses her arms, snorting. "I can guess who the other voter was. Alright, alright, what time of day did I forget this time?
(I know it's going to be something obvious)"

~ roguewriter

Quote of the day

"I shall live badly if I do not write." ~ Francoise Sagan

Still Azai here, roguewriter is still arguing with her muse, slightly different subject, I think. I stopped trying to make sense of it long ago.

Well. . .

"Hello, hello, hello. I'm roguewriter's (overworked and underappreciated) assistant, and I will be filling in for her today as she is pouring over a couple of "key" points of her novel and arguing with her muse and isn't in a terribly helpful mood. So you're stuck with me, lucky you, eh? Well, you needn't look like that, she's been telling you about me, hasn't she? It's not my fault she bets with me too much! Er, but - but, you're getting me off subject!" The elf rose, large black wings unfurling. "I've got the feeling I'll be maning the station for a good week or two, so let me outline what the plan looks like: we'll have several quick words on several subjects. First on the list is in relation to Soundtracks, part 1.
rock4ever95,you said "I use real music as my soundtrack. For example, right now I am listening to Dear Mr. President by P!nk and that makes me feel sort of inspired and elegant. But if I were listening to, say, You Don't Know What Love Is by the White Stripes I would feel more, angry and up-tempo. The music I listen to affects my writing style." You are quite right, the music a writer listens to usually affects one's style. Take for example, my writer, she has ben listening to the same two albums over and over again for the past couple of weeks. Dragon Archer, you said "Me, I'll hear songs on the radio and think "Hmm. . .this song would fit Azalea," or "This song would be perfect for Kairan and Kylise as a couple," but I don't really compose music in my head for scenes. At least, not consciously.
It's not unheard of for me to do things like that on a subconscious level." Also very true, as long as it works for you. I think it's a matter of what and how you choose to write. In both your responses I see bits of the writer I'm forced to work with, but in the end, I think it's the way the writer thinks.

And they're in!

"Poll results are in!" The girl grins, looking up from a landslide of votes. "Humour and Fantasy tied with four votes each, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction and Theater/Drama all came in close with three points. Thank you for voting."

New poll

"As you can see, we have a new poll. There are a couple of glitches, I created the new poll then realized - I hadn't recorded all the votes from the last one. I think Fantasy won the last round, it got four votes.
I remembered humour and romance this time. If I foegot something else (again), there is a nice shiny poll option for notifying me. Thank you."

Quote of the day

Two quotes for today

"The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say." ~Anaïs Nin

"Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia." ~E.L. Doctorow

So. . .

It looks like I forgot to place a genre in the poll. . . I apologize, and I would appreciate knowing it so I can place it in the round 2.

Soundtracks, part 1

5...4...3...2...1.. lights come on, and we're set.


The girl paces the floor, scowling. "So, I hit a new low, well, actually, I've been this way since the last plot idea failed.
"But I'm not here to talk about that, no, I'm here about soundtracks. Come on, I can't be the only person who "composes" music in their heads to go along with scenes. . . am I? I mean, that's the problem in life, unlike movies, there is no danger music. If there was, life would be quite a bit simpler." She pauses, looking around. "And that's really all I have to say on Soundtracks, part 1."

And the winner is. . .

Autumn wins. You lot don't really like Winter do you? No, thought not. Ah well, Autumn won fair and square.
I know there are still three days left on the poll, but everyone who watches this blog has voted and I don't know of anyone else who visits this blog.

As you can see. . . .

". . . I cut the poll short, alright? I know who has done it, and I know who did it twice (me). Everyone who has visited this site has voted, and no one is able to vote twice. So, we have a new one!" the girl points excitedly to the new poll. "Careful, you only have five days to vote."

*edit*
"Three votes down and Autumn is in the lead."

Autumn, part I

Autumn is coming. My favourite season for many reasons. It is a great time for writers in my opinion. Back to school sales are still going on in some stores, notebooks, pencils, erasers, and all sorts of little thingamajigs are really cheap, bags to put it all in, apples. . . It's just a really good season, alright?


Yes, my muse is still on strike, thank you ever so much for asking.

Consider this your poem of the day.

Why do we do this?

Damn.
Why do we do this to one another?
You used to smile
I used to laugh
Why do we do this to one another?
Have we grown up
So that we see things in a harsher light
Less cheerful
Breathing in the smog of the city
Polluting the children.
Damn
Why do we do this to one another?
Why are we killing each other?
Why?
Why?
Neighbors pull triggers
To guns that kill.
Wars.
Wars for religions
For conquest.
Why?
So much senseless violence.
Make it stop
We've got to make it stop.
I'm begging you
Make your stand.
Damn.
Why do we do this to one another?
Why?
Why?
We're killing each other.
Why?
So much violence.
Needless violence.
People dying
For nothing.
Nothing.
Damn.
Why do we do this to one other?
Why?
Damn.
Why do we do this?


Abby, you probably remember this one. Origionally written for Memorial Day, but I think it fits this as well.

Nothing to do with writing.

Hard to believe it was eight years ago, the planecrash. Still doesn't seem real and I don't think it ever will for me. . .

...

I meant to write a very long post right now, but when I sat down to type, my muse deserted me. It's insisting that I work on a scene that should have been done months ago, and refuses to help with the nice long blog post I had planned. So, you'll end up with a shorter one and I"ll post the longer one when I get my muse back.

Writers are always able to think up an excuse not to write, in fact we're kinda famous for it. We should be making breakfast, getting the paper, feeding the cat, doing homework, mowing the lawn, searching for mushrooms, cleaning the house. . . the list goes on and on. It's any wonder we're able to write at all. But we manage, thankfully.

And, that's about all I've got, thank you for letting me waste a few minutes of your day.

Something to think about for today.

"It's not a matter of right and wrong - It's a matter of what I can, and cannot get away with."


Something to think about. . .

Writing goals

3.....2.....1.......lights, and we're on!
"Writing goals, are very important - providing, you actually keep up with them. That's the hard part." The girl points to a notebook. "The really hard part. You think it's going be easy, and then - " she slams the notebook hard on the table. "And then, life happens. You no longer have enough time, you lose interest, whatever. Or, you're one of the lucky who can actually keep a writing goal, not get discouraged by setbacks and succeed. I envy you."

Quote

"A writer is working when he's staring out of the window."
Burton Rascoe


What do you think?

Plots

Plots, I spend night after sleepless night working on one, get to perfection, and start writing - only to have it fall apart. So I mope for a few days/months, throw things at my personal assistant (see About Me for details) , try to work on the story without a plot, and give up in disgust. After spending a fairly sleepless week or two working, I come up with a "better" plot, start working - three weeks/a couple months later, I have to scrap it, because it makes no sense, I've lost interest or it stinks. I mope, I become miserable, I start working again.

And the cycle continues for months. . .

Sounding familiar yet?

'ello.

The girl looks around the blog, pokes head into closet.
"Wow. Big place, we can put the desk in that corner, the chest over there, by the window. . . Oh, hello." She waves, smiling. "Don't mind me, I'm just setting up shop. What shop? Why, I 've moved in. If you want, dig through that chest, I know I put the chocolate pot somewhere. . .

"We're all mad here."

I think it was the Cheshire Cat what said that, or something along those lines. It fits.

Welcome, by the way. Now if you don't mind, I'm off to do some exploring. . . "