The Spice of Life

I did something today that I haven't done in a long while--I went to the movies by myself. I went and saw THE DARJEELING LIMITED, the new Wes Anderson flick. I love Anderson's movies, they're very literary. If you haven't seen any of his movies, go rent RUSHMORE. Start there, his movies are great.

Anyway, it was good...but I felt weird going to the movies alone. I hate being "that guy" (read: creepy weirdo sitting alone). Leah offered to go along with me, but I didn't want to drag her to something I know going in she wouldn't like. This has come up a few times this past week.

Me and Leah like a lot of the same stuff (video games, manga/anime/comic books) but lately I've been noticing all the differences in our tastes. She gets mad at me because whenever we're out, and we hear a song playing (somewhere) I ask her "Who's this?" She never knows. I'm obsessed with music, I own at LEAST 500 CD's. Leah has like 20.

Then there is the movies. I like a lot of old, classic movies. Leah does too, but sometimes I get the feeling she likes the "idea" of old movies...more than actual old movies (example: she's never seen CASABLANCA or THE GODFATHER). Then today, things got weird. In the morning, I thought we were both going to the movie. I went into the office to write, and when I finished Leah was watching PRACTICAL MAGIC (chick flick about witches). I went and had a sandwich, and when I was finished I saw that she was watching it AGAIN! That's right, she finished it and started it back up again.

I admit that's strange, but that's why I love her. I'm not sure if I'd like it if we were into ALL the same stuff. I know she thinks I'm freaked out by her re-watching that movie...but I'm not (not that freaked out anyway). I do wish I had someone that I could talk to about books...but honestly, I'd probably be really annoyed with her if she was an English major like me. I look around at the people in my classes, and they're all so phony. These pseudo intellectual-types make me want to puke.

So anyway Leah, it's okay we don't like all the same stuff. I realize that I shouldn't complain (after all you do like comic books).

NaNoWriMo Day 3 Wrap-Up

Well I'm over the twenty page mark! I got up today (not as early as I'd hoped) and got my writing out of the way. I met my goal (and then some) bringing my word count up to 5,501 (500 words over where I should be, if I was only writing the minimum words each day). So far so could. I finished writing my prologue (which will probably need to be edited down a little, next month) and am ready to start the first chapter. So far it's been pretty smooth sailing. I know where I'm about to go, and where I'm headed. Right now the water looks good, though I'm sure in a couple of days the seas will start getting choppy.

Until tomorrow!

UPDATE: Well today was a very productive day. I got a little bored (Leah's test took a really long time) so I set down for another hour and wrote. I managed to bring my total word count up to 5,915.

To celebrate, I allowed myself to play Guitar Hero III. I was only going to play for a little bit, but when Leah came home she took a nap. So I played for like three or four hours. Yeah...my right elbow is killing me (yes, that's right...I hurt myself today playing a video game...yes, it's time to start working out more).

The Limemonkey's Self-Portrait (plus more weirdness)

Once again, drawn in class...and edited at home. This is another "in the margins" doodle I did in Shakespeare (which is still really boring):



Then this, a weird scene:

NaNoWriMo Day 2 Wrap-Up

Well I've officially given up on the NaNoWriMo website. I got on earlier today, but got frustrated with trying to edit my word count (basically, everything was taking WAAAAAY to long...again the site is swamped). I got up and messed around with the Nintendo DS (hand-held) game that I bought Leah for her birthday. When she left for work I wrote for about an hour, took a hot bath and pondered--then wrote for another hour.

Word Count: 3,349 (ahead of the 3,334 I was supposed to have). I'm only at 14 pages, but thankfully I'm not even close to running dry. I could do more, much more, but I'm pacing myself. I called home and talked my to Mom about this project, the more I talked about it...the more I realized that the "assignment" the word count gives me is what's going to help me see this thing through. I'm the sort of person who, unfortunately, needs some structure. If this novel-a-month thing works out, I may just do it again in a month NOT November. At first I saw this a a fault (needed structure), but I think it's pretty much human nature to put stuff off (if there is no due date!).

Leah has a big all-encompassing subject test tomorrow (she's trying to get into Grad school). So I'm getting up at 6:30AM tomorrow to make sure she gets out the door okay. I think once my brain warms up, I'm going to get my 1,667 done early.

These novel writing posts will get more interesting once I get a little further along (and encounter a road block). Overall, though, things are going good (I mean well).

NaNoWriMo Day 1 Wrap-Up

Well I did it...and then some. My overall word count for today was a decent 1,741 words. I'm about 3% of the way towards the goal of 50,000 words. Today was a day of firsts. I took my laptop to school, with the idea of using the time I have after class to write. My new laptop didn't come with a carrying case...so I just used my backpack. Ugh. Not the best idea.

The backpack I use is fine for books...not so much for my laptop. My bag was HEAVY! I kept worrying that my straps were going to break (I had this terrible vision of my laptop breaking on the concrete in the crosswalk...with car running over it...over and over...).

I went to the library, and got myself online (took a few seconds, our school has a brand new wireless system so I had to play with it a bit). Once I had that settled, I checked my email and then got ready to write. Then this group of co-eds came in...and set up adjacent next to me. They loudly tried to learn some rather complex (sounding) mathematics. So I got out my earphones and listened to some music (to help drown them out).

I'm not like most people, who can write with music. Lyrics distract me too much while I'm trying to write...so I listened to the only instrumental stuff I had on my laptop--Dick Dale's Greatest Hits (a few songs have words, but most of it is just guitar licks). I took a break for lunch after I worked an hour and a half straight. Then I came home, made dinner and watched ER with Leah. Then I sat down and wrote for another half hour--I could have kept going but I didn't want to over do it my first day. Tomorrow is my day off (from school) so I should be able to get a lot more writing done.

I'm excited and hopelessly optimistic.

New CLOVERFIELD Trailer Coming Soon!

It's been a LONG time since I heard anything about J.J. Abrams "giant-monster" flick (which up till now has had no official title). Apparently, on November 16 an all new trailer will debut in front of BEOWULF.

As an English major (and a fan of that epic poem), I really wasn't keen on seeing a big-budget BEOWULF movie...but this development has changed things.

For a description of the trailer (someone over at CHUD.com apparently saw the new trailer, somehow) head here.

Biggest news this trailer will give us all: the title of the freaking movie!!! According to the guy who saw this trailer early, the title is CLOVERFIELD after all!!! How ironic would it be if that was it's actual name? All this time we had it, but we thought it was just a placeholder...

Speaking of which, I saved my novel on my laptop under the title of "Blue Harvest." If you get this reference...you are indeed A MEGA dork.

1,287

Well it's begun!

I took my laptop and notebook of notes with me to school today. I sat through class and then headed to the library to get started on my novel. It's very exciting, but also very intimidating. I really wasn't in the mood to start today, and I think had I not written about it/talked to people about it, I probably wouldn't have even bothered trying. BUT, luckily for me I did hype this up a bit, so I pretty much had no choice but to go through with this thing...

Anyway, the NaNoWriMo website is acting screwy (which, they said it would the first week or so, due to so much volume) so I'm going to have to keep you guys posted on my progress here on my blog.

Thus far, I've got 1,287 of my 1,667 daily word count written. That's 77% of my daily count done!!! And about 2% of the total 50,000 word count...I'm on my way.

I'm taking a break for lunch, before I finish up my 1,667 words.