JanNoWriMo 2015!

Happiness update:

Been trying to decide if I should do honours this year after all, frustrating myself no end: -7, medium-term time.

Happiness update:

Came up with a new story idea that sounds really solid, and made some notes for it: +8 (it would be a lower score, but after the last few days, this was a welcome relief).

CoffeeBeans said:

• Finish Beta in progress done
• Read other swap/beta done
• Gather notes from my betas and combine
• Apply beta notes
• Plot SNI
• Go to remaining classes
• Keep up with homework

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Finished my reading! It was nice to read, and not comment, for a beta. I'll comment for the sequel, once it arrives. It was relaxing to just read an MS for the reading. I can't think of the last time I'd done that.

I'm really reluctant to dig into the notes for my own MS. I'm really anxious that once I dig in, I'll hate everything about the story.

I'm also going to class tonight without having done my homework. It feels very slacker-y. I missed class while I was sick, and then the teacher was away, so I'd never gotten the assignment. It makes perfect sense, but I do feel guilty.

I could just skip ahead and plot the SNI.... (no, I can't.) Does anyone have any best tactics for compiling and applying beta notes?

Received first rejection on Shyster & Shyster. Decided to put off sequel in favor of a related short story. Gonna write Fried Calamari about a pet raccoon that can cook.

Happiness update:

Spent a few hours looking for jobs to apply for, applied for 2, but here's the kicker - it wasn't as soul-crushing as it has been! : +4, short-term time score.

ETA:

Just wrote a blog post (blog not available yet, it's in the planning stages) and I didn't hate it. What's more, it's the first time in ages that I've had inspiration and followed it through! : +6, short-term time score.

I finished another proofreading project. I have one more that I need to finish by Monday, and I might have to do a second round of edits for a project this weekend as well, although I'd originally planned it for next week. Then I also have to work through edits for my own book.

And I have an important test coming up tomorrow, so I can't do anything today (except study, that is). Busy, busy!

I'm editing. I learned the strange and foreign magic of merging word docs, so I skipped manually combining comments all together, since I can have them all there when I go through the draft. (seriously, MAGIC)

I marked up the first forty pages. It's less bad than I had expected by far. (So far, because the front half is cleaner than the second...)

I'm bringing back the planner/stars system, because if I don't keep on top of this, I'm going to drag it out forever.

CoffeeBeans said:

I'm bringing back the planner/stars system, because if I don't keep on top of this, I'm going to drag it out forever.

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My inner child requests details of these stars.

Parametric said:

My inner child requests details of these stars.

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They're brilliant. This is my bookkeeping system (pun intended) I have bigger glitter-stars for highly productive days.

Happiness update:

Currently obsessed with wanting to spend money, but not wanting to spend it. I mean, I'm saving for moving out (which can only happen once I have a job, of course, but I'm still saving towards it), but without a job, I'm wanting to spend what I do have on Shiny Things. : -5, medium-term time score.

Cliff Face said:

Currently obsessed with wanting to spend money, but not wanting to spend it.

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I get into this mode every few months - usually when I work a lot of OT at work, and want to "reward" myself. I rarely fight the urge completely, so I either buy a bunch of smaller things that I don't really need, and won't get much use/pleasure out of later, or buy one shiny thing.

Since I have way more stuff than any human actually needs, I've been working on the premise that I can spend an allotted amount of money (more than I would casually spend, but probably less than I would spend on a number of random small splurge things) on a certain thing so long as I know exactly what that thing is and how I'll spend it. The build up to the item I buy helps me determine if that thing is actually something I want and will be happy with when I have.

This has resulted in all sorts of things - a really great pair of boots, a language class, and a bottle of expensive nail polish.

I have revised through the first chunk of the novel. My "chapters" are more like "parts," so I've done 70~ pages of work. I'm pretty happy with how the first chunk looks. Can I just stop now? (no) I feel like it's only going to go downhill from here.

For me, it's an ex-shopaholic thing. Up until recently, I was the sort of person who spent money if he had it, and rarely saved for anything. So having savings now is kind of torture for my old self... Enough money to buy something really cool, but wanting to save for moving out instead... Eek!

But, happiness update:

I talked myself down from making a big purchase: +6, medium-term time score.

Spent some time writing today. The words just poured out. I was on a roll!

Then I counted the words and found it was only 1,400. It felt so much longer...

Cliff Face said:

So having savings now is kind of torture for my old self... Enough money to buy something really cool, but wanting to save for moving out instead... Eek!

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I think of it like healthy eating vs a really restrictive diet. All or nothing doesn't work so well for most people, so it there's a specific thing you want, you can put x dollars aside for it, and begin to research. The rest of the money is safe, and you can find something you want vs just buying something to buy something.

chompers said:

Spent some time writing today. The words just poured out. I was on a roll!

Then I counted the words and found it was only 1,400. It felt so much longer...

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That sounds like a really good day to me. It's not a huge wc, but it's more than solid, and if the words came easily, that's even better.

Yesterday was all work and robots. No robots today, but editing time might lose out to football-watching time. I need more hours in a day to fit in all the cool stuff.

CoffeeBeans said:

Yesterday was all work and robots. No robots today, but editing time might lose out to football-watching time. I need more hours in a day to fit in all the cool stuff.

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I can't watch anymore football this season. It's so depressing. Good thing the season is almost over. Both my college and pro teams got jipped big time this year. Like controversially. But Dez Bryant, you put in a good effort. Every game you are the definition of effort. I <3 you.

Typed that 1,400 into the document, then added an additional 400-800 words (can't remember how much was already in there to begin with).

It's a new story, so it should be moving fast in the beginning. I'm doing things a bit backward this time around. I usually pants the whole thing and then figure out the backstory as I go along, but this time I tried to figure out the backstory first before pantsing the rest. So it's a bit slower going than usually in the beginning, but I think in the long run it'll be easier.

Happiness update:

Just finished rearranging some of my personal belongings, and thanks to having decluttered a bunch of stuff, I found I suddenly had enough room to set up my keyboard! Woo! : +8, medium-term time score.

I have a crazy to do pile today, but I tend to do most on the crazy days, so let's hope that happens too this time around.

Today's list includes:
- finish proofreading a project for a client
- get through edits for two chapters of Reflected
- finish short story for week four (at 3k out of about 5k now)
- if I have some time, write 2k in Ghostslayer
- write two reviews on my book review blog

Wanted to get another 1,000 words in tonight. Instead...I procrastinated.

I went though and split up the chapters. Two giant, five short. I did one of the short ones today on paper. It wasn't so bad. It does mean I'm 100 pages through edit two on paper.

I'm unsure how I can make ch2 better. Other than killing some extra stuff that is slowing it down. There are no fresh problems for a bit.

Editing is hard.

Did almost all of my homework in advance of class though. I have one more workbook page that I ran out of interest for. I still have a second day off, and it's only afternoon...

I'm debating going on to ch3, but I worry that I'm just going to rearrange deck chairs, because I'm guessing some larger pieces will have to be moved in ch2, I just don't know which...