Wednesday, October 21, 2009

It's been fun; now leave, it's time to write.

First order of business is that I changed up my blog layout a little bit. While it it simpler, it is now much too boring for my liking. I have no design skills whatsoever, so if anyone is bored and would like to make me a sort of fun banner for the top that matches the current color scheme.. that would be awesome. Email me at ohheykristina@gmail.com if you're interested. :)

Right. Also, after the ordeal with the video that I mentioned in my last update, and people suddenly gossiping about my love life on twitter again, I kind of retreated into hibernation for a few days. I know I can't help it if people want to talk about things that were made public to them, but I was not ready for more of this. Not after Alex. Not after my summer.

So anyway, that's why I hadn't been blogging for a few days.

But now I'm back, and I'm in a good mood (because I don't have to work again until Saturday xD) and I am excited about a lot of things.

Sunday and Tuesday I worked these intense 7 and 9 hour shifts at work, and I have to admit I didn't handle it very well. After having three months off this summer, experiencing working at RTÉ, and getting to spend my time completing my projects at the pace I choose, it was kind of difficult going back to being the bottom of the ladder, being told what to do and wasting entire days answering phones for someone else's business.
I am aware that this is real life and I have a normal job to make money and blah blah, so I should suck it up and deal with it, but when you have a taste of the alternative… it's just hard to readjust.

Monday was more fun. My friend Forest came over and I showed him Doctor Who. The plan was to watch Firefly actually (we've been working on it for the last week), but Hulu only has episodes 1-5 right now, and Netflix doesn't have them streaming at all, so we changed gears and I showed him Blink. I enjoyed helping in the spread of Doctor Who to America.


Usually around late October, my friend Liz and I start to devote many of our evenings to skype chatting, 1. because she lives two hours away in Bellingham, and 2. because we have this strange metaphysical ability to inspire each other to write by literally discussing our novels for about 2.6 seconds. So as NaNoWriMo looms closer, we decided last night to open up the good old baby name websites and started throwing around options for our main characters. Usually these conversations end with both of us hyperactively scribbling notes on paper and then apologizing profusely for prematurely ending the conversation as we sign off to go work on our respective stories. One time this happened when Liz was actually at my house and, in a frenzy, I literally shoved her out my door so I could run back upstairs and she could drive the two hours home to lock herself in her room to write.

I really enjoy that I have a friend like this.

So anyway. The events of last night have put me in a novelling (textedit just auto-corrected that to "novelizing". Is that really a word?) mindset, and I spent the first hour of my Japanese American History class this morning mapping out a rough time-line of the advancing relationship between my two main characters. I'm not saying this is what I should have been doing during Japanese American History. I'm just telling it like it is.

Especially since I spent the next twenty minutes or so talking to Hayley on skype, which led to a discussion about why we love blogging, which led to me changing my layout on blogspot and daydreaming about custom banners.

At least I get work done! Just not… you know, school work.

After my first class, I met Forest for lunch, who happened to be working on my campus today (he works for Coke). He's doing NaNoWriMo as well (at my suggestion), so we got into a discussion about story ideas at this fun restaurant called Jimmy John's, and he helped me figure out a way to completely restructure my book so I don't run into the same pacing problems I ran into last year. I clearly have a one track mind today. We have only ten days!


Now. Plans for this evening include: filming a video for ApartmentRed, recording my vocal tracks for a secret project I'm doing with Luke, writing an easy and fun paper for my Disney class, and opening a word document to start the ten page paper due next week, looking at it for a few minutes, minimizing it, and giving up to go watch Glee.

21 comments:

Cody Hotel said...

Secret projects with Luke? Now you're just asking for it...

Kidding, of course. Though unfortunately, others probably will not be when they think the same thing. But who needs them, dirty gossiping swine.... (Kidding all you masses of gossiping swine, you're alright![p.s. not really, please stop])

Anyway. You're always safe here, we won't gossip. We'll formulate opinions and consider hypothetical scenarios based upon them, and maybe discuss the aforementioned topics, but Gossip? Never. Completely different.

But in all seriousness, I would like to say that despite taking 7 classes for Pharmacy right now, and being in the middle of writing midterms, you have definitely inspired me to consider NaNoWriMo. I was too late two years ago, too busy last year, but after hearing you discuss at length how enjoyable and enriching an experience it is, I'm going to try to not let the opportunity slip away this year. Perhaps in the next edition of the blog you can give a few basic pointers to us inspired newbies?

allyson said...

Oh there's nothing like October Nano excitement! I just have to remember this excitement in the middle of November when my characters are just not helpin me develop my story. =]]

I also love the fact that I have friends who I can say, "Hey, you should write 50,000 words in one month with me." and they actually do.

Also, about the whole exposed personal life thing, I think you're doing the right thing by addressing it in your blog rather than keeping it quiet. There may still be lots of anticipated discussion (aka gossip =]), but much less than if you would have just kept everything to yourself.

Always a delight to hear from you! Keep us updated!

<3

Sparks-of-Magic said...

Hey Kristina! :)

I just wanted to tell you that there are a few Firefly episodes up on thewb.com. That's where I went to finish watching it after Hulu decided to screw me over when I only had 4 episodes left. So you can tell your friend Forest that too :)

Good luck on NaNoWriMo!!

I hope that "secret project" with Luke is going well ;) (hahahaha, just kidding :P )

Fran said...

It confused me when I came to see if you had updated and saw this new layout, but I'm liking it, If I can do anything cool enough I will send you a banner :)

I'm glad you are in a good mood! I just wanted to leave a note this time 'cause I always read your blog, and it always, somehow, makes my day a little bit more awesome, so thank you for just being you :)

seurat2 said...

I was going to say something here about people gossiping about your love life, but really what is there to say except that it is clearly out of bounds? The comments about how far you'd likely get with your ten page paper made me laugh. I still want to see yours and Eia's Halloween costumes. And what new music have you been enjoying lately?

Hayley Hoover said...

I'm texting with you right now. Lollo.

Emily said...

I always enjoy hearing you talk about NaNoWriMo. =]

Actually, the only reason I know about NaNoWriMo was because I saw a video of yours two years ago discussing NaNoWriMo. Back when you still had the catchy, "This is, this is ... Kristina's vlog!!" song. Haha.

Is it sad that your old YouTube songs make me nostalgic?

Anywho, I'm glad that you are getting ready for NaNo! It's such a grand/horrid/magnificent time of year!

Ravenclaw2313 said...

Finally decided on a story idea for NaNo and I'm pumped. Course I tend to be able to talk about my story at length but the actual writing is much harder. Still Wrock and Potter have given me a large group of fellow writers to support me. Glad that your story is coming along. Perhaps you'll post a summary?

The new layout is nice. Can't wait to hear what you and Luke have been working on. ALL CAPS is fantastic. Your voices are complimentary and your voices really works well with the production style.

Sajethegirl said...

I totally signed up for NaNoWriMo because of you. I am so excited. I used to write in high school, lame stories of heartache and heartbreak, but I wrote nonetheless. I'm looking forward to it, but maybe that's because I really have no concept of how many words 50,000 words actually is.

Sarah said...

Yay for easy papers :D I missed Glee, my friends (I don't really know people who don't watch Glee. I mean, I do. But even my teachers watch it. From my fifty-something-year-old fox-news-bashin' history teacher to my dorky twenty-five-year-old-conservative biology teacher.) gloated that it was the best one yet.
2 years ago I psyched myself up by watching your NaNoWriMo videos (November had already passed.) :) And then last year I wrote one! It (the plot and basis of the novel itself) was totally pointless but it was so fun. And that's what matters!
This weekend I'm planning on brainstorming. Having someone to plan novels with must be tons of fun :) Unfortunately, I think the friends I dragged into NaNoWriMo last year will be reluctant to join in this year...oh, well. I think it's from lack of their own plots. Though I think they'll be glad to help me out if I ask, not to sound completely grouchy! :D It's just such a cool thing, for a friend to be like, "Hey want to write 50k of words with me?" and the other being like, "Totally. Let's talk plots."
I love when people update about NaNoWriMo :) It's awesome.

What's happening with DFTBA and last year's NaNoWriMo that you wrote? I remember something vaguely about publishing, but I don't quite remember how that turned out! Either way, I don't think it matters. I'd enjoy even just hearing about what you're working on :)

As someone else said in the comments, a list of NaNo tips would be really cool :D Especially from someone who has done it so many times ;D. Or any sort of list having to do with NaNo, really. But just hearing you talk about it in general is always fun!

Crystal said...

Fun fact! The guy who created Jimmy John's graduated from my high school. Actually, I'm surprised there's one all the way out in Seattle, seeing as I'm from the Chicago suburbs. xD

Sarah said...

I am very excited for NaNo this year, too. Last year I kind of burnt out after 20,000 words, but I didn't really know where my story was headed....anyway.

Good luck!

HanPlans said...

Howdy!

I know the feeling I need my job to pay the bills but don't like being here!

I am also doing NaNoWriMo - I haven't started a plan because I didn't think I was allowed to until November 1st but now I might go do that around orders and emails. :)

Unknown said...

Kristina, you're a star. Thanks for putting the correct accent over the "E" in RTÉ :)

Steve said...

I'm completely unprepared for NaNoWriMo, a few days ago i abandoned the only sort-of idea i had because it was crap.

Anonymous said...

This blog post has lead me to a eureka moment!
The word "readjust" looks like "read-just"
...

Marie said...

I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year because of you! I'd heard about it a while ago, but didn't really understand it. My interest was sparked earlier this year, and I really wanted to do it. So here I am, driving everyone crazy with Twitter updates about what pre-NaNo work I'm doing =)

Anyway, the new blog look threw me off at first, but I think it's refreshing, and will be even better when some kind soul who has skills (A.K.A. not me) makes an awesome banner for you.

Oh, and I can't wait to find out about that "secret project"

disasterpastor45 said...

ingbo - not an igloo

usernamessuckfully said...

I like the new name and the new picture its like a new you, btw if it makes you feel better I dont realy bother reading up on your love life so I have no clue about the rumours, as people say 'I have better things to do' I dont mean that in a bad why either. Sounds like your handling things well good for you.

disasterpastor45 said...

nondian - so off the reservation

beangirl1389 said...

I read about you doing Nano in your Japanese History class, and I smiled. I was doing the same thing in my statistics class and then I came home,read your blog, and it made me feel a little less guilty and a little more awesome.