Wednesday, November 29, 2006

I did it!


With a day to spare, no less. Gloating to follow. Right now, I'm off to celebrate.

Monday, November 27, 2006

Double dose of me

I'm in the Piker Press twice this week. Once with a poem, and once with my debut as a cartoonist. Sand has mucked up her wrist, and was going to rerun old Fever Dreams cartoons, but I offered to send her one. Actually, I sent two, so I may be there again in a week or two.

We've been having weird weather here. It's been in the 50s and 60s for several days. I noticed this weekend that my lilacs have some buds, and the rose has some new leaves. It's supposed to snow in a couple of days, though, so the plants are going to be in for a rude surprise.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

The last ten percent

I passed the 45K mark today. Monday and Tuesday are not good word count days because of other obligations (real life - phooey!), but I am off Wednesday and hope to finish then, a day early. That would be a huge accomplishment for me.

Over at the NaNoWriMo forums, a user called Migratory has created some icons here and here. This one was spoke to me because it is true:

That's right. 45,114 words in, and I still don't have a title.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Google Spreadsheets - just playing around

Allegedly, when you click here, you will be able to see my personal NaNoWriMo chart as stored in Google Docs and Spreadsheets.

The good - heck, amazing - news is that I have ended every day ahead of where I should be for that day.

Time to give thanks

Today is Thanksgiving. T and I had a potluck with a couple of the KnitWits, which was nice and easygoing. I'm from a small family, and we didn't live near our extended families, so four people for dinner seems just about right to me.

As always, I am thankful that I have everything I need, and a few of the things I want, and good people to share my life with. This year, I am also thankful for the doctors of Iowa Health System, who told me several times during the year, "This should fix you right up." So far, they have been correct. *knock wood*

My wish for you is that you will also find reasons to be thankful, today and every day.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have 1667 words to write.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

A bunch of cat photos and not much content

You've been warned.

Katie secures the perimeter from ladybugs and spiders--

Katie patrols the printers--

See down in the corner? I really have been writing.

Katie the newshound--


Today is mid-point of the NaNoWriMo month, and I should have at least 25,000 words to be on schedule. I am on vacation today, so I should be able to get to 25K before lunch. Then I can use the rest of the day, and tonight's write in, to build up my cushion again. And shop. After trying to write in a noisy coffee shop Monday night, I really want some noise-dampening headphones.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Cast your bread upon the waters

Last month, I surprised my friend Sand with a hat and wrist warmers.

Today she surprised me with a cartoon - the Knitting Kninjas. She drew this even though she is nursing a bum wrist and doing NaNoWriMo and wrangling the Piker Press.

Thanks, my friend.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

NaNoWriMo Day 11




What I predicted would happen yesterday? Happened yesterday. I completely squandered my word count cushion. But I got to visit with some regular people (in other words, non-Wrimos) and do some knitting.

Today, though, I was invited to a jet-pack write-in, where the goal is to write hard for a long time. and build up your word count. Hello - I left the coffeeshop with more than 3300 words, and my total word count just inched past 20,000.

The coffeeshop was next door to a yarn shop. My deal with myself was that I would write until I hit 2000, and then I could go look at yarn. It didn't work. I kept writing right past their closing time.

20K is huge for me. I've always been a slow starter in NaNoWriMo. Prior to today, the earliest I ever hit 20K was 11/18. Two of the four years, I didn't even get to 16K.

The most important things I have been doing this year are:
1. Writing every day. EVERY day. The chart above says that I didn't write last Tuesday, but I did. I just got busy watching the election returns and didn't post my word count until after midnight.
2. Whenever possible, exceed the minimum words (1667 words x 30 days = 50010) needed. There have been just two days where I fell short, but I stayed ahead on total word count because of the cushion I had from previous days.
3. Write with people. It's easier to stay BIC HOK (butt in chair, hands on keyboard) when others are doing the same.
4. The Fetching Gloves of Noveling Doom rock.

There is another jet-pack tomorrow. Some of the writers are hoping to have 25,000 before Monday. That seems a little unlikely for me. but anything over 2,000 will be fine with me.

I have a really short excerpt of my story here. On the right side of the page, click Turn to see the next page. Then, on the right side, Click To Load.

Friday, November 10, 2006

Snow and Stars

I've been busy with NaNoWriMo, and not much else. The writing is going well. Thanks to our fabulous local group and many write-ins, I have been staying ahead of schedule. It's probably going to blow my cushion, but tonight I plan to knit first, write later. After all, if I don't stay in touch with humanity, what am I going to write about?

We had snow today! It was the best kind - fluffy and pretty in the air, and melted immediately from the streets.



Last weekend, Terry finally received his Messier Club certificate and pin, which he earned last spring. He had to observe the 110 items on the Messier list of deep sky objects, and could not use computer guidance on the telescope to find them.


Katie's new favorite hobby is killing the phone book.

I found this picture from a few months ago while I was looking for the snow picture on the pda.


Doesn't everyone deserve a personal watermelon?

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

The battery is recharged...


...and I now have pictures of the Lucky Fetching Gloves of Noveling Doom.

(ETA that instead of the picot bind off, I did an i-cord bind off. I know Amy hates attached i-cord, but I thought it was easy and made a nice finish at the top.)

I wore them to the write-in tonight, and I am now at 2168 words. I'm also hopped up on iced tea, so I may still write a bit more before I go to bed.

I still don't hate the story, and I don't think this heroine is going to be wimpy. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

One finished, one started...

...and technology is my enemy.

I finished my own pair of Fetching gloves today. I took two pictures, and the camera battery died before I could upload the photos. So you'll have to wait for that.

NaNoWriMo started today, and I have hit the ground, not exactly running, but at least sauntering steadily. Because the site is overwhelmed and horribly slow, the word count widgets are balky as well. At this posting, I am at 1060 words, and on my way to a write-in, so I should easily make my word count today. So far, I don't hate any of my characters. I'm still struggling with including enough stuff to make a scene last long enough, though.