FebNoWriMo!

VP_Benni

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The essay was ridiculous. I got sick of staring at it, so I just hoped the longer one was much better, crossed my fingers and submitted it. May try the haiku thing next year when I have a few more days until the deadline and fewer essays to write for other scholarships. ;)

Finished reading a book this morning! Brings my total to 3 books this month (or 4, if you count the one I read for a midterm yesterday). I feel like reading more. :)

~Amber~
 

ShadowFox

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I've decided to try to learn to touchtype. Going from 45 words per minute to less than 5 is a drag but in the long term I hope it works out.

ps I may not post much this month:)
 

VP_Benni

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Well, that was a waste.

This morning, I asked my supervisor if it was okay if I didn't work today because I still don't feel well (she's EXTREMELY flexible with my hours, so she's okay with me missing and making up the hours later). After Boyfriend's cousin startled me by sitting on the other end of the couch I was sitting on (thought it was a random guy until he said something and it freaked me out a bit), I took a nap for a little while, and asked him to wake me up before he left for class so I wouldn't miss mine two hours later.

I check my email a few minutes after he leaves, and apparently my only class was cancelled.

So, not only could I have kept sleeping, I woke up early to get to school for absolutely nothing.

Oh well...

~Amber~
 

Caitlin Black

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I've decided to try to learn to touchtype. Going from 45 words per minute to less than 5 is a drag but in the long term I hope it works out.

ps I may not post much this month:)

It's well worth it. :)

With some practice, which shouldn't take all that long to be honest, you'll be going from looking at the keys to looking at the screen as the words appear. It's a wonderful feeling.

Plus, if you make a typo, you see it immediately so you can fix it immediately.

One tip: memorise the locations of as many keys as possible (which you've probably done already but yeah) - not just the letters, but all the function keys etc. as well.

Eventually, it'll become part of your subconscious, and you'll find your hand is moving to the right section automatically.

/public service announcement :tongue
 

Caitlin Black

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Spent an hour figuring out 12 Australian agents to submit TEC to. Still need to check their websites, write a synopsis and query, but that can wait. I need a break from all this serious stuff...

Might watch a DVD or read something.
 

SianaBlackwood

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I went back to work on the outline for my March rewriting project today. It's a whisker under 10k at the moment, leading me to wonder how long a normal outline is supposed to be. As long as a piece of string?
 

ShadowFox

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It's well worth it. :)

With some practice, which shouldn't take all that long to be honest, you'll be going from looking at the keys to looking at the screen as the words appear. It's a wonderful feeling.

Thanks for your advice.

Like a lot of people who started using computers very young but were never taught proper technique I developed my own style of typing where I could type with three fingers and while looking at the screen. It works quite well and is really something to see - one hand moving to the next key as I type in the current letter.

The problem with it is that past a certain point you can't get better but learning to touch type involves a relatively long period when you are much slower.

Sigh. It will improve eventually.
 

bdwilson

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Still plodding along, so little reason to post :tongue

Getting close to my second milestone, though, so that'll be good. I expect the last third to go faster than this one has.
 

VP_Benni

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Let's see here...

I'm starting to feel better. I still go into mad coughing fits every once in a while (generally in the middle of the night when I should be doing that "sleeping" thing most normal people do), but I'm improving.

I sat in a study room and did work for three of my classes in the last three hours. I have a newspaper-type assignment that I have to put together though, and while I have my part written the other two people I'm working with haven't gotten back to me on theirs and I have to turn the whole thing in at 5 PM (3.5 hours from now), so I'm getting a bit concerned... If they don't get back to me by the time I leave campus today, I'm going to have to turn my part in on its own. I'm not losing any points.

Boyfriend spent an hour cooking me dinner last night... When we're just about done eating his mom texts him and says she's bringing a pizza. :tongue If only he'd have known that earlier...

ETA: Posting is good for you! They both got back to me about the paper within 5 minutes of this post. :D

~Amber~
 
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Caitlin Black

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The problem with it is that past a certain point you can't get better but learning to touch type involves a relatively long period when you are much slower.

Sigh. It will improve eventually.

Yeah, I tend to touch-type with only about 3 or 4 fingers... I know if I learned to use all my fingers, I'd be faster, but as it stands, I'm at about 64 words per minute, which is quite fast enough for me. :)

I mean, I don't think all that much faster than I type. One day though, I'd like to learn to incorporate the other fingers, if only for my musical aspirations. :tongue I spend a lot more time typing than I do playing guitar or keyboards, but both those instruments require some pretty involved finger work.

In other news, I'm going to a BBQ today at the grandparents' place, so I won't be getting much (if anything) done today. It'll be a full house: me, mum, nanna, grandad, aunt, uncle, sis, her boyfriend and his mum. 9 people! Sheesh! We didn't even have that many people together on Christmas day!

Looking forward to some nice BBQ food. Yummo.
 

SianaBlackwood

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I added about 300 words to my outline, then started wondering if I can combine two broken keyboards into one that actually works. One has worn out keys (including a missing right shift) and the other is a wireless with... well, no wireless. They're the same brand, so it's possible that the right internal components will line up for me to be able to get one working keyboard out of it.

Alternatively, I could go to Officeworks and pick up something cheap but working... but that would be sensible.

Anyway, my outline is progressing reasonably well. Something about planning for one project makes other stories I'm trying to ignore decide to come back to life, though. I think I have stuff to write lined up for the rest of the year now.
 

WendyN

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Stayed up too late late night researching agents but I'm feeling good about my list... so far 40 potentials, and I've already starred three that I'm REALLY excited about.

94% through this editing pass, and I've worked in a few more things that really bring out the main conflict and put the choices into the MC's hands instead of just letting the circumstances play out around her. It makes me glad that I started working on my query letter last week -- that has helped keep me focused on the 'big picture' as I've been deciding how to fit everything all together.

Which brings up the other good news: I think I'm making good progress on my query letter. I have a few awkward phrases to polish up before posting my newest version in SYW/QLH, but I'm hoping to get that done sometime today.
 

WendyN

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Finished this editing pass!! Then, last night as I was drifting off to sleep, I came up with another awesome line to add in, so after I typed it in this morning, I declared the February draft officially 'done' (*cue Hallelujah chorus*).

The plan is to give it a giant read-through sometime over the next few days, and then starting Thursday let it sit for the rest of the month, which works out fabulously, since we're having company next week anyway. Hopefully by March, I'll have word back from some of my betas on the Part I/early Part II that I sent out, and be able to send them the rest and begin another (final?) round of polishing.
 

Almondjoy

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Finished this editing pass!! Then, last night as I was drifting off to sleep, I came up with another awesome line to add in, so after I typed it in this morning, I declared the February draft officially 'done' (*cue Hallelujah chorus*).

The plan is to give it a giant read-through sometime over the next few days, and then starting Thursday let it sit for the rest of the month, which works out fabulously, since we're having company next week anyway. Hopefully by March, I'll have word back from some of my betas on the Part I/early Part II that I sent out, and be able to send them the rest and begin another (final?) round of polishing.

WOOT, congrats!! That is SO exciting. I'm glad the timing worked out so perfectly! =)

Well, I got some more of my homework done. However, it wasn't as much as I wanted to get done. So, that means I'm going to have to do even more today. But that's okay I guess.

Ugh, I totally feel you on the homework thing. I was planning to get some done yesterday, but decided to read instead. Now I have a crap-load of it to get done today!

Yeah, so homework has been basically taking over my life at this point. I managed to squeeze in a tiny 250 words today that I will hopefully add to once I take another break from the endless pile of homework.

How has everyone else been doing?
 

VP_Benni

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How has everyone else been doing?

Busy with homework. :tongue Not nearly as much as I had the last few weeks, but it's taking me just as long...

Cleaned my room today. Noticed the cats had clawed up my suitcase. About three minutes later, I took a pic of one of them clawing it up even more. Not surprising.

Congrats WK! :)

~Amber~
 

SianaBlackwood

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I sort of accidentally wrote about 5k yesterday. It was across two different projects - some planning on both followed by some rewriting on one. My hands are regretting it now, so I guess I'm taking it easy for today.
 

Caitlin Black

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Congrats on finishing the editing pass WK!

And go go go Bettie! You're so close!

I've done nothing the last few days, but it's Monday now, so I'm going to see what I can get done.

And I imagine in a few weeks' time, I'll be bogged down with homework like some of you. I mean, I only did 3 subjects last semester, and I barely had time to eat due to all the homework. And this coming semester, I'll be doing 4 subjects... Eep!
 

Caitlin Black

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Erm, let's see if I can remember...

Some sort of law subject within philosophy. Like, law as it relates to the citizen, that sort of thing. Because the one I wanted to do wasn't available, and I needed an extra class. (I'll be doing one on mind and consciousness next semester which IS what I want to do.)

Approaches To Creative Writing, which is a standard second-year creative writing topic. No idea what the workload will be for that... My English/Writing topics so far have had a lot of homework.

Sociology of Deviance, which will hopefully be interesting.

Gender and Sexuality which, if nothing else, will give me some interesting stuff to think about for my fictional characters.

They're all second-year topics, and I imagine there'll be quite a bit of homework for all of them. Tons of reading to do, plus some large assignments, seems to be the standard.

In other news, I've been researching Australian agents. I've looked at 6 of 12 so far.

1. Closed to submissions until May 1st.
2. Doesn't take fantasy.
3. Can submit to only in hard copy. (This is one that I did alright with the last time, so hopefully if they do remember my name/story, they'll realise how much better it is now instead of just going, "Didn't we reject this already?")
4. Can submit query letter by email, but nothing else unless they ask for it.
5. Site won't load. (I know, right?)
6. Not accepting right now.

So out of 6, I have 2 I can submit to. I have 6 more to research after I get off AW, and that's it for the Australian agencies.
 

Caitlin Black

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Hmm, okay... Interesting...

The other 6 agents on my list?

1. Had a website. That happens to be a medical website, and not a literary agent, though with the same person's name.
2-5. No websites. 2 require a phone call, 2 require an email.
6. Can submit to by email. Not clear on what genres they represent, but they want 70-100k stories... And mine was 61k if I recall correctly. Hopefully they can make an exception!

So that took all of about 5 minutes, whereas the first 6 was more like half an hour.

ETA: So that makes 3 I can submit to, 2 phone calls to make, 2 query emails, and a site that won't load. At most, that's 8/12. The 4 without sites weren't clear about what genres they represent in the book I found them in. So it might be as few as 3 or 4 I can submit to... *sigh*