Brief babble 2012 Book list

It's almost the end of the year and I tend to keep a book list of everything I've finished in the year along with some comments. So I figured share and share alike ;)

I don't think I will be posting again before next year. Maybe I will if something bites hard enough, who knows? But if not I hope you have an awesome new year with fresh challenges that you feel confident in overcoming and not those frustrating ones that laugh at you at every turn (I've had an awful year, so sue me).

All the best for the rest!


1. How to ruin your life by 40 - Steve Farrar:
          It was okay... some of the principles were fine and legit. The guy is a little old fashioned and most of the book had to do with choosing the right marriage partner (which makes sense since that's probably the biggest thing in your life besides having children). It's just not really applicable to me in particular. Other than that, definitely has some things one could chew on.

2. A feast for crows - George RR Martin:
          There are so many things he leaves us hanging on in this book. Evil, evil author. But still a series I enjoy. This is actually the second time I've read the Song of Ice and Fire series through. I know 'A dance with dragons' is out, but I'm waiting for the paperback version... which looks like it's going to take a while if you consider how long I've been waiting for 'Rogue' by Trudy Canavan to go soft.

3. Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay
          I really enjoyed this book. Dark, somewhat twisted but beautifully executed. Jeff not only managed to convey Dexter's "strangeness" but made you believe it too. You felt his confusion and understood his amusement. I grinned through most of the book and worried through the last. I have to say that the shift to mortal peril was a little jagged and random. But it was a good read. Somewhere in future, I'll definitely get my hands on the second book in the series.

4. The Crucible - Arthur Miller
         Short, somewhat sad and disturbing. Lots to take out of it but still not a play that I'd fall over myself recommending.

5. Basilisk Station - David Weber
          The First of the Honor Harrington series. I've read the series so many times through. Love it. David Weber can be somewhat info-dumpy, but it's easy to overcome.

6. Honor of the Queen - David Weber
          Second of the Honor Harrington series. Just as fun as the first if a little slower. Totally different dynamic with a lot more outer politics thrown in.

7. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
         Thought-provoking. Well written and well thought out. I also love the fact that the movie worked to enhance and clarify the book.

8. A Dance with Dragons - George R R Martin
         Took me over two months to read! Interesting, surprising, confounding. It finally appears as if the real players are beginning to reveal their cards. Still seems far to go though. I wonder how long it'll take for the next book to appear.

9. Equal Rites - Terry Pratchet
        My first step into the Witches series of Discworld. It was a rather interesting journey. I found it a little slow going but it said a lot more than what was written. Very thoughtful approach to gender roles and what is expected and unexpected. I LOVED the concept of headology :) Granny Weatherwax is an interesting character.

10. Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson
        Intriguing. Magic based on science, a well thought out system that is fed to you slowly and steadily as the main character beomces more competent. It was a really interesting read. I admit it took a couple of chapters to pull me in, but I eventually got to the point where I couldn't stop reading. You'll sit through most of the book speculating about what's going to happen at the end. In my case I was about 50% right... but I wasn't disappointed by my accuracy. I felt quite proud that I had guessed correctly. Rewarding the reader is the best way to get them to your side. ;)

11. The Well of Ascension - Brandon Sanderson
        I have some mixed feelings about this one. I only got interested by what I was reading 600 pages in (nope, not making this up). It took me far longer to finish the book than it should have because of how much of a slog it was to get through. Oh the characters were interesting, but it just never got anywhere until the end. Sanderson has amazing setups, but he is his own worst enemy. Instead of keeping important things secret, he ends up blurting them out in the very next page. With that being said, he put it one helluva amazing twist in the very end of the book that made your heart drop into your shoes. I have to read the last book now because of that even if it ends up being a slog too. Bastard.

12. Mass Effect: Revelation - Drew Karpyshyn
         I was rather apprehensive about reading a Mass Effect book. I've read a couple of Star Wars extended universe ones, and they've been... very coincidental. I was afraid I'd find something similar in this book. Surprisingly, that was not the case at all. The story was well set out, easy to read without being simple, and finely crafted. It expanded on a well known character without throwing him out of sync with what he appeared like in the games. The book also presented concepts and explanations of the 'verse that broadened and enriched what I already knew. Nice.

13. Mass Effect: Retribution - Drew Karpyshyn
          So I only realised that this is the third book in the series when I was already something like a quarter into it. By then I was already well into the story. Going on about how much the book helped me with getting ideas for my story and how I had to jump up, grab a notepad and start taking notes won't really make anyone all that eager to read it. But Drew Karpyshyn - having been one of the main writers who brought ME & ME2 to life - will pique every ME fan's interest. He knows his lore and shares it freely without boring you.

14. The Hero of Ages - Brandon Sanderson
         A bit of a weird ending to the series. Some interesting twists and turns. It was rewarding in its own way, but I wouldn't exactly call the book satisfying. I'll have to sit on the fence with this one.

15. The Walking Dead - Kirkman, Adlard and Rathburn (Issues 1-30)
         I read the first 20 issues a couple of months (or maybe over a year) before the series came out. I thought it was rather interesting - and this from someone who doesn't do horror at all. I decided this year to start from the beginning and work my way through. I've gotten to 30 and it's good. It's not necessarily excellent. I do feel that it's lost its punch, but that seems to be a trend with most graphic novels that don't have a definite end. I know there are some twists coming (don't spoil me), but I'm giving it a break for a bit. There's only so many crazy people you can take at a time.

16. Mass Effect Redemption #1 - Story by: John Jackson Miller & Mac Walters
         Short but rather interesting. Some key moments that link up with Mass Effect 2. I'm not completely convinced of the Liara-Feron friendship. He seems too much of a greasy git and she seems far too passionate about his plight. Not that I'm saying she's interested in him, but seriously? Too much angst, too little foundation.

17. Mass Effect Invasion #1-4 - Story by: John Jackson Miller & Mac Walters
         Again an interesting series detailing the seizure of Omega by Cerberus. It was noteworthy how many plans-within-plans there were. Cerberus are a bunch of seriously sneaky bastards, that's all I'm saying.

Maybe next year I'll keep a list of movies and series too. I'm nerdy enough to do that, after all. :)

Anime Babble: Read or Die

So I was sick this past week (no I'm not making excuses, damnit. I'm using this as means of introduction). I don't know about you, but when I feel sick and miserable and brain dead, I like to sit and watch something that doesn't really require much in the line of thought. A friend of mine recently directed me to the anime series 'Read or Die' and this ended up being the brain-dead story I chose to watch.

Big mistake.

As it turns out, the series actually sparked my mind and sent it flying in all kinds of directions. Granted this is me and I'm an over-thinker but I finished it yesterday and 24 hours later, my mind is still working overtime. So clearly it gave a lot more than I was expecting.

I usually like structure with posts and I can't really do that here. Also this more a "I seriously need to share this and get it out of my system" post than a review. So I'm just going to babble and we'll see where it goes. FYI I'm going to be referring to the original video animation (OVA) and the series as the same thing since that's how I watched it. Oh, and another reason for the lack of structure is the whole being sick thing... I don't whether I sleep longer than I'm awake, but if not, I'm always half asleep and drugged out of my mind. (So this is probably the best place to apologize for any language issues in this post. If anything is unclear, point it out and I'll fix it, but I can't say I'm really thinking clearly in any language at the moment and a warning should probably be made about it.)

So what's it about?

It an alternate history where knowledge is absolutely everything, the world is run by large Libraries (think more government agencies than book-nerds with paper cuts) - each moving powerfully to achieve their agendas for a better future at the expense of the common man. Caught in the maelstrom are six women, each extremely capable in skills sought after. It'll be up to them to face conflict from all sides in hopes of saving those they love, righting their own wrongs, and bringing to heel those who seek to destroy everyone for the gain of few.

Sounds pretty epic, doesn't it?

The OVA basically lays down the groundwork by introducing you to Yomiko Readman, a constantly distracted bibliomaniac with a powerful ability to shape paper into whatever she wants to. It exposes you to the British Library and the background of some of the characters who continue on in the series. The series takes place several years after the OVA's events and brings in three sisters, each specialising in their own form of paper mastery. Together are assigned the task of looking after a extraordinary author who everybody (assassins, agents, crazy fans) seems to want a piece of.

I can't talk much about what I didn't like. Because honestly, my biggest disappointment was running out of episodes. I'm still sulking.

I don't believe the series is for everyone. For one thing, it is extremely female-dominated with hints of same-sex interests - none of which are ever confirmed; the orientation of virtually all the characters are (purposefully?) left obscure. The story revolves around strong relationships (friendship and familial) more so than the events surrounding them. It is definitely character-driven and the moments where the circumstances are emphasised more than the relationships, the story actually begins to drag.

The things that made me go hmm...

Characters

By now, you should know that I'm a sucker for good characters. So obviously that's the thing that struck me the most of this story. I'm not going to go into each and every character. They are all pretty interesting and the bonds between them are fun to explore. I'm specifically going to focus only on three of them as they are the ones who made the biggest impression on me.

And they are called The Paper Sisters.

Michelle Cheung, Maggie Mui, Anita King are three non-biological sisters who have their own detective agency and are hired as body guards of Nenene Sumiragawa - the author who everyone loves and hates and wants to use.

Michelle (25), the eldest and often the leader of the three, is cheerful, ditzy and (like Maggie) an extreme bibliophile. In moments of conflict she is often able to keep a calm, almost detached, attitude and as a paper user primarily fights from a distance.

Maggie (20) is tall, reserved and easily embarrassed. As middle child, she looks up to Michelle while always keeping an eye on Anita. She is extremely protective of her sisters and doesn't hesitate to step into danger if it keeps them safe. She is considered the strongest Paper sister and uses her ability primarily to defend others.

Anita (13) is small, fierce and outspoken. Extremely agile, she uses paper in close combat along with martial arts. She dislikes books (which is uncommon for a paper user) and seems to enjoy being contrary and difficult.

Personality reflected in action
I found it fascinating to see the personality of the character reflected in the actions taking in their daily lives as well how they manifest when using paper abilities. You have the spitfire who is amazing at close-quarters combat, the collected leader firing at her targets with precision, the strong guardienne who always manages to shield the others. It really made me re-examine this dynamic of personality vs behaviour; looking at characters in other stories as well as people in real life.

Weakness/Strength/Unity

Reading the descriptions, you'll note how these three complement each other perfectly. Each weakness is balanced out by a strength be it in terms of personality, behaviour or ability. And, obviously such diversity brings conflict, it is still noteworthy how that very same diversity brings balance and unity. Most of us would say "Sure, nifty, but in real life it's not going to work that way." and probably it won't. However, a strong case is made and I can't say that what was presented was particularly one-sided. Nothing was perfect, left unquestioned or uncontested. It was really insightful to watch that play out.

Relationship/Family

What struck me the most was that the three really embodied the idea of family - which is particularly powerful considering they're a self-made unit. It's always said that blood is thicker than water, but in this story the bonds of the three are really tested and it's quite extraodinary to see how they deal with these challenges. They are broken and separated quite a few times and the ache produced by these moments of isolation is actually something I would easily compare to a 'natural' family unit disintegrating. And being able to provoke such an emotional response is quite noteworthy.

Maggie

I cannot begin to express how stuck I am on this character. She's going to haunt me for ages to come, I just know it. I could write paragraphs as to why. Instead, I'll note how awesome it is when you watch something and a character just sticks. When multiple aspects of a character just fuses into your mind so powerfully that you'll always carry them with you. For me it's Honor Harrington, Elphaba in Wicked, Tara in Buffy, Fred in Angel, Book in Firefly, Shepard and Tali in Mass Effect, Adam in Being Erica, Brienne in Game of Thrones, and Maggie in Read or Die.

So how do I end this off?

I watched this series in four days hoping for brainless entertainment and walking away with a lot more. It's worth noting not because it's an amazing series that everyone will love and adore. I think it's worth documenting simply because it struck at the heart of this blogger and I think everyone recognizes how rarely we are truly moved by what we see/hear/read and pushed towards asking any type of question regardless of what it is.

Such moments are always worth the time to note.

Book Babble: Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson

I have to admit, I feel really out of practice. Not only in reading but summarizing what I've read, bringing it over in a way that makes some sense...

Thing is with the Mistborn Trilogy, I haven't quite decided what to make of it and I finished reading it over two weeks ago.

Oh well, roll those sleeves up and let's get going.

After being discovered as a mistborn, Vin, a street kid, is recruited into a thieving crew consisting of very ambitious, very capable individuals keen on stealing the Lord Ruler's cache of the most valuable metal in the world, Atium. Able to use all the powers of allomancy, Vin is trained by the crew's leader Kelsier and challenged to break out of her previous conceptions of the world and of life, and of her own identity.

That's how the trilogy starts. You follow the story of Vin and how she grows and is shaped by the events that take place around her - events in which she plays an integral part. By the end of the third book, it's hard to go back to the beginning and try to look at her as the grimy street rat. It's hard to believe how much she shifts throughout.

A colleague of mine at work couldn't stop talking about how amazing this story is and eventually just loaned me the lot. I don't want to spend too much time explaining the trilogy as much as give my opinion on it as a whole. But some of the things I did actually like merit a little.  

What I liked:

World Building
Sanderson is definitely a Class-A world builder. There's absolutely no doubt about that. He doesn't data dump. Instead he simply lets the reader experience a world completely different to our own through the eyes of his characters. And it works perfectly. Reading through the trilogy, to say that the world is intricately put together would almost be an insult. It is truly masterfully done.

And the world works with the story. It's almost a supporting character, enhancing the plight of the characters, staying in the background for the most part with the exception of a few crucial moments. Really masterfully done. Massive nod to Sanderson in this regard. He knows how, no doubt.

Complexity and simplicity of abilities
Sanderson introduces a whole range of different abilities that are all in some way connected to metal. Allomancy, for example, is series of abilities which are activated by swallowing and then 'burning' metals in the body. Each metal enables a different kind of ability. Pewter, for example, enables a person to be stronger, have greater stamina and absorb damage to the body that might have resulted in death otherwise.

Sounds complicated right? 'Wait, this is just one ability in this set? Whaat?'

But Sanderson makes it simple, giving names to these abilities. A person burning pewter, is a thug. We all have a very specific image of a thug... and it works.

The mechanics of the abilities are fascinating, but not overwhelming. They're introduced smoothly into the series and what also helps a great deal is that he endows single abilities to some characters who in some way then embody the essence of what it is. Both his ability to do this as well as the ability to construct the abilities themselves needs to be nodded at. I thought it was rather brilliant and I can understand the incredible enthusiasm that he has gained from his fan following.

Seeded, watered and not noticed until the very end
Certain critical elements in the story are seeded throughout and mentioned, but never really focused on. That is, until the whole plot turns on a dime and everything rests on those seemingly insignificant things you've been taking for granted all along. It is the piece of chalk you picked up this morning not knowing that you're going to be caught in a concrete labyrinth later today; the unassuming old lady who ends up with all the diamonds hidden underneath her pillow; or the old ache in your foot that renders you unable to run at a crucial moment.

And it's utterly, utterly brilliant. As someone who loves experiencing not only the story, but the crafting that goes into it, I could only marvel. Simple, subtle and powerful. Very few people manage to get that right.

What I disliked:

No character writer be he
At all. Regardless of gender or age, the characters are just not quite there. I very rarely felt myself caring about what was happening to them or understanding why other characters cared. Sanderson managed to make what was supposed to be a romantic relationship so dry that it felt more like two housemates who worked opposite shifts.

I love character development, it's my playground and I wanted to be able to dive into these people who were each unique and well formed but none of which seemed to have the emotional capacity of a tea spoon. I just wasn't sold on most of them. There were three emotional aspects I could pick up on that I considered strong enough for me to accept and those were loyalty, regret and the need to prove oneself due to low self-worth. All of which are valid feelings, but to have those be the only ones to really be sold by in an entire trilogy? Eh.

I wanted to like Vin. I really wanted to like her. She is a female protagonist in a fantasy series, for heaven's sake. That in itself should have me hauling out pom-poms and start doing cheers. But I really struggled with Vin.

Now let's state up front, I'm known for the fact that I very rarely like the main character in whatever I read or watch. It's just one of those things.  But what bothered me most about Vin was that she wasn't what she could've been. I'd dare say she wasn't what she should've been. If it weren't for the lack of depth in the male characters, I would've said that Sanderson just struck that wall called femininty, but I can't. And then there's the dreaded Mary-Sue aspect. Horseshoes? Really?

Setups
I praised Sanderson for the awesome way he assembled some of the most masterful twists I've ever read and I don't want to detract from that here. It has to be said though that some things one could see coming from a mile away - especially character roles. It's the pretty girl next door that the dude ignores until some other bloke doesn't and then he has to pine and fight for her. It's done SO much that the moment a girl next door gets mentioned, everyone already knows where that story thread will be going. It's like that.

I have to say that the trilogy wasn't overrun with this problem, but I did have those moments here and there.

Give away, give away, give away
Imagine Luke Skywalker meets Darth Vader for the first time. He's horrified and runs off screaming like a girl (c'mon, look at the hair!). In the next scene ol' Darthie is having coffee with the Emperor (anyone having a Spaceballs moment?) and the Emperor goes "So how's your son doing?". "Oh, fine. He has a bit of a hair issue, but I'll mention it to him when I cut his hand off."

The connection between Luke and Vader was a pivotal moment in the trilogy. And it would've meant nothing if Lucas decided to give away the game in the very next scene.

Back to the book. There were moments where I was screaming at the book. Screaming because the game got given away in the very next segment, chapter or pov. There were some parts that were really interesting. It made me curious. I wanted to know more. Only I didn't want to know everything there was to know about it on the very next page. Bad author! Bad, bad! No cookies for you!

Conclusion:

I don't think I would've read this series if my colleague didn't loan me the books and then frequently asked me where I was in the story, and what I thought and what I predict will happen in the future. What he consumed eagerly, I had to slog through.

And yet, if I hadn't read the trilogy, I would have missed on some really awesome word building and mind-blowing storytelling. As someone who writes, I learnt both from the things I liked and disliked. As a reader, despite the effort it took for me, I felt rewarded at certain key parts.

As I've said at the beginning, I don't know what I really think of this story. The very end of the trilogy manages to both tie everything together brilliantly as well as leave me completely confounded. I could marvel at all the little things that led up to the very end. I could really see the planning and exquisite execution. But I also had to step back, look at everything and go... "Uh... what?"

So I have to sit on the fence on this one. I can't say I loved it, I can't say I hated it. I love the world and the mechanics. I love it. Enough so as to want to read the fourth book in this universe, The Alloy of Law. It's set 300 years later and I'm eager to see what's what.

Just... no horseshoes, if you please.

Huh??

It's nine days after Nanowrimo and I am still somewhat in a state of shock and disbelief.

What do you mean I can play games now? What do you mean I can stop ignoring those books that have been calling me since October when I was knee deep in planning? What do you mean I can straighten my hunched back (scream at the pain it will induce) and breathe fresh air again?

Is this someone's idea of April Fools? You're too early, bub. Or too late... Whichever blows your hair back.

Okay, I have to say my state of zoned-out zombie girl primarily has to do with the fact that work had me bit by a Walker in January and left me in a fit of spasms and unrelenting pain and fever until now. Sorta. Still working *sigh*

But nano definitely did its part, oh yes it did.

Another thing that adds to the whole dazed expression is that I am still writing. It is risky and surprising in the directions that it is going but it still is going and going and it is terribly lopsided so will need some more work after the first draft.

That definitely also adds to the blank expression punctuated by the occasional bout of drooling.

So what I am hoping to tackle this December in terms of posts.

1 Coursera - probably will be uninteresting to most but toughies for you.

2 The Mistborn trilogy. It took more than half a year but I got through them and can now comment.

3 My santa picture I share EVERY Christmas

4 have noooo clue...




Grrr, arrggg, drool

50k the NaNoWriMo way!

I did it. I made it. I have arrived. 50 000 words later and I have hit that euphoria and relief that is always there, regardless of how many times you 'win' - this would be my fourth in the seven times I've done nano.

I'm not done yet. My story isn't done and I'm now hitting on some of the big points in the story that took all willpower I had NOT to start writing right then and there. So no. I'm not going to stop just yet. I won't be hitting my 100k. Life has just been awful in throwing obstacles at me. I'm just glad to have 'finished'.

My story did some weird and wonderful things so far. As is known, I have been planning my fanfic from June/July. I've spent hours making notes and working through scenarios and deciding where I want characters to go and what I want them to do and how I want them to develop. One would think that, given the preparation that has gone into the story, things would have followed as it was set out step by grudging step. You'd be wrong though. While the sections to the story stayed the same, characters got added, characters died, relationships got forged and torn apart... it's been crazy.

A friend told me recently that you find the soul of characters in the moments they go beyond your planning. Some of my characters have a LOT of soul and they were all too happy to share it.

I've had to write scenes that I never thought I would. Ones that made me laugh, cry, feel sick to my stomach,  and shiver with anxiety. And in it all, I've learnt. And that's what is the most amazing thing about writing. You learn. You see things differently. You gain insights. You grow.

I want to finish this story. And I want to post it at some point. I'd have to rework quite a bit of it. Add scenes, remove scenes, tone down scenes (especially the creeeeeeeeepiest, most awkward one I've ever written) and finally really sit and figure out whether I am going to be posting it or not). But that's for later. For now, there are six days of nanowrimo left. The pressure to finish the race is off. Now it's to see where this story takes me.

Nanowrimo update

Gaaaaaahhhhh I missed a week somewhere. I've been an evil blogger.

Short and sweet summary for you

• I'm not going to reach my target because life is evil
• I'm incredibly busy because life is evil
• I hardly feel like I have a brain left because life is evil
• Life is evil

But I will be hitting 50k at least. That's a given.

*sigh*

I wish I could think of something more to say... *goes to bed instead*

Babble - Nanowrimo - the first week

The first week was rather frustrating, but then I knew it would be. Work has gone from crazy to the point of "Please someone come fetch us and make sure the strait-jackets have purple buckles!" Which means, I had a couple of really awesome writing days and then some really crappy ones.

Also, I missed my one coursera deadline which means I won't actually have my course be 'complete'... ever. That's a little disappointing too. The task just completely slipped my mind and yeah... I still have one essay I need to do and a couple of quizzes - which basically consists of single questions that you end up guessing, but anyhoo.

This week is not necessarily going to be any easier. Work is work and everyone wants me to do something they gave me which means I'm bringing stuff home to do as well. There simply isn't enough time in a workday. And it's not a matter of "oh, stuff that, just finish when you can." Some of the  funding we're getting is dependent on this and that funding needs to still be paid out this year. If we don't get the funding next year, the boat sinks. It's really as simple as that. So yeah... stress.

I want to crawl my way back. I really do. If I can somehow manage to make my target, I'll be absolutely ecstatic.

We'll see.

For now I'm giving myself two hours of writing and then I need to get back to work. Joy.

Babble: Nanowrimo Kick-off party and the first couple of days of writing

I was exhausted when I got to our kick-off venue. I had spent most of the night still putting some goodie stuff together. It still didn't seem like all that much.. The waiter told me that despite my emailing the owner and arranging the table booking over a week in advance, they had no booking for me. Fortunately, they had virtually zero clientele at that moment and tables quickly got moved to accommodate ten people. I didn't know how many would come. We knew of four confirmed, two who may be gatecrashing. I figured ten would be enough. My co-ML brought his lot of goodies and that made the packets rather awesome, I thought.

We ended up being seven wrimos in total, one +1 there for moral support. Not bad at all.

Our region has always been the one with very few actual participants. What we lack in numbers, however, we more than make up in enthusiasm. We are known for our enthusiasm. That tells you something.

So the kick-off went rather well. 

As for the actual writing. My months of planning is really paying off. I'm having a lot of fun writing. Every time the planning falters, spontaneity steps in.When my mind fails to think of something, my handy-dandy file has the answers. I'm about 954 words short of 10 000. I might actually make 100k this year. I really want to. I was pretty darn close last year, but my story was virtually non-existent and I couldn't think of any other crap to write down. Not that I would have made the goal even if I had continued, but still. 

This time I can totally make it, I think what I'm writing isn't all that bad and if I like it then what else matters, right? Right.

So... so far so good.

An update before - Nanowrimo

Yes, another month has gone by. I'm an evil blogger.

But I have been busy. Work is kicking my butt and I've been working on my nanowrimo novel's planning (I'm BIG on planning. I blame... er... I don't know who to blame about that). Oh! AND I've been working on my coursera class - which is probably what I will babble about somewhere in November inbetween my NaNoWriMo babblings. And yes, I fully intend to babble about that in November. It's a big part of my life so I can just as well talk about it... a lot. Mwahahaha.

As co-ML, ie municipal liason, ie regional cheerleaders, this time is also rather hectic. One doesn't necessarily want to go big on nano-kits (those are the things MLs sometimes give to their wrimos during the kick-off party) - there is this thing called money after all - but I do like having those kits be valuable. Our party is next week and I have yet to fully pull together everything we had in mind for them. Not knowing how many to expect is also an annoyance. Could be anything from five to ten to fifteen to... well ours is not a region of many social participants, but one can't be negative when it comes to Nanowrimo. Nope, can't have that at all. Every year brings the opportunity of having an even better year than before. And so every year, you go in with that extra boost of excitement.

Or at least that's what happens to me. :)

This year, I'm all about enjoying the ride. Not that I wasn't like that last year, but I landed in an epic challenge with someone who could whoop my butt in a blink and I ended up writing the most insane wordcount ever. This year, I have a really good story that I've planned out and want to make something of - heck I might even post it somewhere... hidden... where no one knows where it is... or could ever link it to me... *impish grin*

So yes, there's an update for you. The next you'll hear from me will either be right after the kick-off party - which is on the 27th - or on the 4th. I'm going to try and do small weekly updates on Sundays. No promises though.

If you haven't signed up to nanowrimo, I'd really encourage you to do so. It is a lot of fun just to do something a little different. It IS a commitment, but sometimes those random ones end up being some of the most memorable.

I hope to hear that you've done just that!

Babble: NaNoWriMo

Where have you been?!

A valid question given the time that has passed since my last update and I will try and supply some valid excuses: Coursera, Theme Hospital, work, subsequent exhaustion, laziness and Nanowrimo.

It is this last excuse I want to talk about today. That would be Nanowrimo.

It is hard to deny that every person on this earth is, in his or her own way, a word smith and a storyteller. We all find ourselves in need to tell other people things – be it interesting facts, an event that has taken place, a prediction of the future, an opinion. And in that need to share with others we shape some form of discourse to suit that need. We choose a right approach, use a line of thought that may bring us systematically to our point, or prepare the punch line; or maybe we go out to get the most shock value. We are all crafty – whether we think it or not.

And it is this spirit which Nanowrimo allows to come out without restrictions or judgement. It is the platform to craft a world, a thought, an idea, a story just because you can, just because you want to, just because it is time to get off your butt and do something creative again.

So what is Nanowrimo? National Novel Writing Month is a writing initiative that aims to encourage unhindered, unedited, and ungracious creative writing.  The goal is simple: Start a story on the first day of November and write fifty-thousand words by the end of it. Fifty-wha? Are you crazy? That is insane! Actually… yes and no. It is possible to write that many words in a month. It amounts to 1667 words a day, which is what? Two pages? That is all you need in a day. That is not impossible to do, now is it? And it is not like you have to do it all in one sitting. A couple of minutes here and there throughout the day actually lightens the ‘load’ and allows you to really just sit and write without even having to worry about how many words you are writing.  People also have their own preferences to when it is the best time for them to write. I write the most in the mornings when I am too tired to think (oddly enough). But I like writing mornings and evenings. A fellow participant I know actually writes his novel by hand. He keeps a notebook with him wherever he goes and will write whenever he finds the time for it – like when he is standing in a queue.

As for the accusation that it is insane, why yes, it IS insane and that is the beauty of it. The splendour. The majesty. It is something to do that is against the norm either in the privacy of your own home or along with a bunch of other over-eager and possibly highly-caffeinated people who have also chosen to make November a crazy, crazy month.

And by a bunch of people, I do not mean fifty or a hundred or a thousand. No, not even ten thousand, not even a hundred-thousand. Let me put it this way: last year there were over 250000 participants from all over the world. That is a big bunch…

That is a whole lot of crazy! Yes, yes it is.

Why? Why would anyone be crazy enough to do it? Well, why not? Why not allow yourself the opportunity to write something that is not for work or school? Why not allow yourself to be creative and silly? Why not allow yourself to do something challenging and different? Nanowrimo gives you that opportunity.

But I do not have a story. Most Nanowrimo participants start off not knowing what they are going to write about. Some only figure it out about three days into the month. So what do they do in the meantime? Well, just write whatever nonsense comes into mind, really. Nanowrimo is not about an awesome story – although some participants do use the month to rewrite some of their work or use the pressure of having a deadline as a way to construct a very rough first draft of a project they might want to continue working on later. Nanowrimo is simply about writing. You can do anything you want in your story. Want to have your characters sit in a pub and talk the whole time? Go for it. Want three pirates to walk in? Type that up. Want ninjas follow them? Do not let us stop you. Want someone to have an Alien/Spaceballs moment where an alien bursts out of their chests and dance on the counter top? Make it happen.

But that is ridiculous! Exactly. Nanowrimo is about what you want to write about. There are no rules because, as much as it plays the role of a competition and even calls those who made the 50k mark ‘winners’, it is simply giving you the opportunity and permission to write. How much sense your story makes is up to you. My last story was not worth being printed and used as toilet paper, but it was still fun and I felt I achieved something by the end of the month.

 I do not want to have anyone read what I wrote. Which is a valid concern, but not really relevant here. The purpose of Nanowrimo is not to critique your writing in any way. It is to get you to write. It is not to make anyone look at what you are writing – no one is going to. You do not submit your story somewhere and then wait for them to determine whether it meets some kind of criteria that classify it as a novel. The only time you are ever asked to upload words somewhere is when it is the end of November and your words go through a word count programme to confirm the fact that you have reached your target. Feel unsure about that? Feel like someone might steal your masterpiece? Well, go to a website like http://www.ipsum-generator.com/ which generates gibberish words, select how many words you want generated and paste the gibberish words into the Nanowrimo counter. But you can cheat that way! Yes, you can, but what would you gain if you do? Zip.

So what do you get out of it?

•          The satisfaction of meeting a supposedly impossible challenge head on and overcoming it – or getting close enough to beating it that you know you can.
•          The opportunity to be creative – not many of us allow ourselves to be even when we have a couple of minutes in our day to spare.
•          The permission to be silly; to take that harsh critic always lurking in your mind and stuffing them in a box somewhere. It has no place in Nanowrimo.
•          A chance to interact with people from different walks of life and perhaps make a couple of friends in the process. (Nanowrimo has also resulted in a couple of marriages mwahaha).

Does that not sound like something to consider at least?

Nanowrimo is my favourite time of the year. Move over Christmas and do not even glance at birthdays, there is a certain excitement I feel about Nanowrimo that I cannot fully put into words. Maybe it is simply because it allows me a moment to be geeky without feeling like I am being so all by myself. Maybe it is being passionate and challenged along with other people. Or maybe it is just simply because it allows me to write and not feel like 1) I have to justify it or 2) that it has to be brilliant. Instead I can simply write and dare call it a novel.

I also love the interaction among the participants – be they those in the local community or in the forums. There is an energy among everyone. Maybe it is simply because everyone is being sort of silly in taking on such a supposedly pointless challenge. Maybe it is just that people are eager to be creative or curious to see what they can do.

And, just to let you know. This post is going to be about 1667 words in length. That is my aim: 1667 words. Now why would I do such a silly thing? Well, it certainly is one way to show you that it is not all that difficult.  If you look through this post, you will note some of the ‘cheats’ used during Nanowrimo to help give you a bigger word count. Well no. Cheat is such a nasty word. Something to be frowned upon. We shall not call it cheating. Instead we will call it a shortcut. Yes. Shortcut it is.

The first shortcut being that there are no contractions in this post. Don’t counts for one word while do not counts for two. Nifty, eh? Also note how many random ideas I threw in here – ninjas, pirates, aliens. Random works. Random gives you more words. Repetitions also do the same thing. Adding more descriptive words also helps.  I also love adding thoughts in short sentences. This makes for more words. Yes. We like more words, do we not?

So how to find out more about Nanowrimo? Why, go to the website of course!  www.nanowrimo.org The website offers a wealth of information about the initiative – as it should! It also has a Frequently Asked Questions page (as opposed to a FAQ hahaha) that will hopefully be able to answer the questions I did not manage to cover in here. And then of course you are more than welcome to ask questions here so that you can be further saturated by all the Nanowrimo goodness.

Think about it. Ponder on it. Chew on it. Consider it a bit more. Then go to the website, register and let me know. I am always thrilled by the prospect of having another fellow crazy person writing along with me.

And that is about 1667. :)