Chaswick.net

Rough going on Friday night, but I still managed to get over where I’m supposed to be, which is 10k even.  I had some time to go back through my novel (down, inner editor, down boy!)  to chart the major players, settings, technology, and other stuff I am showcasing so far.  I also was able to put a little more thinking into where this novel is going, how I am going to add something new to the Space Adventure genre, what that newness is actually going to be, and how to keep it fresh and interesting for the next 40k.  Good luck, NaNoWriMos!

Looking forward to the weekend where I’ll have a chance to pad the word count, organize some thoughts, and figure out where all this brilliant writing will come to a point.  Stay tuned!

Late night.  Tired.  Yes it was less than 1667.  Tomorrow.  Bed.

Shout out to all the NaNoWriMo’s who have reached 6,000 words!  In honor, rather than a brief excerpt, I will look back over where I have been:

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Still on the second chapter, spent most of today working on a chase scene.  Starting to feel slightly constrained by the characters / setting / plot / etc.  But that’s a good thing, right?  I think that people really shine when they are given artificial barriers that they have to overcome.  I think you’ll agree I don’t have to look far to come up with examples that back that up.  Today also had alot of run-on sentences and even more typos (I need a better keyboard for this!).  But I’m pumped I was able to do at least the 1,667 / day that we need.  Until further notice my story is at least going to take some broad organizational concepts from the ‘Adventure Master Plot’ as described by Tobias in his book, ‘20 Master Plots‘.  So far it has a bit of flavor from Star Wars, The Mummy, and the Fifth Element.  Today’s excerpt (I spell checked it, be thankful for that):

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I recently discovered a cool use of the ‘Tag Cloud’.  Somebody already suggested this would be a useful way of making sure your fiction doesn’t bog down in the same words.  Check out mine here.

To this point I have written about a chapter and a half, and I amazed at the craziness that has bubbled out of my brain.  I’ll share with you a bit from my first chapter here.  Forgive the typos and etcetera.  Writing 50,000 words in one month means turn off the inner editor, and don’t look back.  December is for revision.  Check back every day as I’ll try and update the blog daily with excerpts:

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Hi all, I have released an early version of a Java desktop application I am calling “aMuse” developed for NaNoWriMo.  Screenshot:

Download the zipped  All-in-one Executable

Zipped Runnable JAR (MAC) (ALPHA)

This application is designed to break through writers block by noticing inactivity (30 seconds) and popping up a thought balloon with different words (primarily action verbs, but some variety as well) to stimulate the writer’s creative process.  By default random fonts are turn on, which uses a handful of packaged fonts to stimulate creativity.  The balloon is draggable, you can force it to always be on (not just when you are inactive), and you can turn off the random fonts using the right-click on the system icon tray.  If there is a demand, I would like to look at showing images, and possibly even playing music (possibly through a streaming web service).

I haven’t done a lot of testing, this was developed on a Vista machine w/ java 1.6.10.  Comments on system requirements and bugs are solicited.

If you’d like to donate something for my time and towards future development, I’d appreciate it.

I watch NBC’s The Office.  It’s the only show on TV that has captured my interest since I stopped watching Frasier, Friends, and Seinfeld.  The writers and actors often strike soft emotional spots that I really resonate to, and the style of humor has grown on me throughout the five seasons.  I was struck with an epiphany after the latest episode, and it is (I am happy to say) the second time the series has given one to me.

I realized that the importance of entertainment, in all its forms, is in giving us as viewer participants the emotional experience.  It isn’t in the situations, or the players, or the dramatic obstacle that the true meaning of entertainment hits home.  Sure, a piece of fiction can be written to advocate an idea (such as Atlas Shrugged, et al.) and be a valuable addition to life’s experience.  But, the emotion attached to watching Jim and Pam reaffirm their love, or Micheal’s true worth as a boss, or Andy’s pent up feelings of loss and hopelessness finally being released, are true gifts, because I can share and experience the feelings so deeply.   I may choose to take away lessons like, “The small guy will triumph over the big guy” or “Stay in [art] school”, or the hundreds of themes that permeate creative works, and that is a conscious choice I make.  But whether something is entertaining to me is based on the emotional outlet, not the logical choice.  That brings me to the answer of the question, “What’s it all worth, Joe?”

Its worth remembering that you can feel all of those emotions every moment of your life, and that is what makes life worth living.  Its not about the entertainment at all.  Not the book, the movie, the TV series, not the cast or crew, or the time of day or the outcome of the big game.  And regardless of your emotional, physical, mental, or financial state, I can always encourage you to look to the Steelers and Cardinals, John and Jenna, Steve Carell, the Phantom, or any of your favorite entertainers or entertainment.  And that entertainment will cause you to reaffirm that you get up every day and embrace, experience, and deal with those same feelings and emotions, good, bad, and strange.  And that is valuable and wonderful because emotions tie us all together in ways philisophy, government, symbols, and knowledge cannot.