This morning I was lazying around in my nightie, reading and doing bare minimum to entertain Louis.
This afternoon I was lazing around in my nightie, because I put it back on to do yoga - it is very comfy and loose-fitting. After yoga, I picked up my book again.
Started the day with full intent of doing as little as possible. I suck at doing as little as possible. Had one task that actually needed doing: make baby food.
By some miracle, possibly due to running out of reading material, I actually did make baby food. I put on Love Actually, a very un-annoying Christmas movie which I have seen far too many times, but not for ages, and chopped up all the apples and pears, and cooked them. They're still sitting in their pot, un-wizzed, on the stove, but that's a quick job. And there's no room in the freezer so no hurry to spoon it all into a muffin tray as I've nowhere to put it!
How I love good procrastination excuses.
Unfortunately (altho do feel better) baby-food-making set me off on active-path and did the dishwasher - loaded AND unloaded. Also checked emails and facebook. Had lunch with Mum and played with Louis, fed him, and whatnot. Didn't entirely neglect him in order to watch movie/read book.
Found another book and almost spent entirety of Louis' afternoon nap reading, but book mentioned healthy lifestyle and made me think of doing some exercise, as I've been resolving to do for weeks now. So got out old yoga dvd my sister lent me (forever? I think/hope so) and did 2 of the 10 minute sessions - one for 'buns and thighs' (just love how americans won't say bum or butt or ass on anything official*) and another for 'relaxation and flexibility' which was far nicer - all breathing and stretching and twisting till my back clicks.
Possibly should check out pregnancy yoga to see how different it is. Suspect that I'm more likely to harm myself/baby by NOT getting enough exercising than by overdoing it, as probably never overdid exercise in my whole life. Why would that change now?
Can't believe it's half way through December already. Only did one other blog post all month. Am finding it hard to get back into habits and routines after going off them for all of November and focusing energy on novelling. Have done no novel-related work at all for 10 days... have replaced it with christmas preparations and tired-lazy-relaxing. Keep meaning to do journal in the morning as it tends to set me off for the day, focusing my energy/attention on what is urgent/important, which actually helps me to rest/relax properly when it's time to do so. Otherwise I relax and feel bad for it, since I haven't done all the things I should/would have liked to.
Feel like rest is probably very wise use of SOME time each day, just not ALL my time... Coming onslaught of preparations for moving to Paris, as well as pregnancy-induced-lethargy, make resting a definite priority, while I can.
*and 'buns' makes me think of hilariously named bakery in upper hut "fresh buns bakery and cafe'. Classic!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Decemberitis
The month of silence has ended. The baby is trying to get the candy canes...
Yep. That sums it up.
Almost. I haven't posted for a month because I've been saving my words for nanowrimo. This is a month-long madness where a bunch of people around the world write a novel of 50 000 words, in 30 days. And I did it! This was my third successful attempt - and the easiest by far! Not working full time, on top of beginning with a plan, made squeezing in a few hours and/or a few thousand words every day much easier.
This year I did a romance novel, bit formulaic, but fun. And possibly publishable, cause there's definitely a market. My other novel, meanwhile, is out in the void somewhere, hopefully being read and enjoyed by an editor. Hopefully.
But no matter what happens, I am determined to keep writing. Spot the new mantra :) Spot the top new-years-resolution candidate. And maybe that would be a good time to pick up writing again, after december. The month scares me a little this year.
We're planning a quiet Christmas, and when I look at the calendar/diary it's not too scary, but in my head it's becoming this big scary black cloud of things I've forgotten, that are really important, and then I panic, and do nothing but watch movies and ice christmas biscuits for a whole week... Mmm, christmas biscuits.
There are a few things that are probably adding to the stress-load...
- I'm pregnant again = I'm tired all the time and easily overwhelmed
- I might be moving to Paris for 18 months... but don't know yet. Waiting on decisions and information out of our hands.
- If we don't go, I'll be disappointed.
- If we do go, the to-do list is going to be HUGE! Sorting, lending, selling and storing all our stuff, learning French (which we've started already), getting everything organised... holy cow.
- I've overspent my budget for the year... and it's impossible not to spend money on the occasional end-of-year-do-lunch, among other things, this time of year. So I'm trying to be frugal, without being a sad-sack, to be reasonable and yet disciplined.
Yep. That sums it up.
Almost. I haven't posted for a month because I've been saving my words for nanowrimo. This is a month-long madness where a bunch of people around the world write a novel of 50 000 words, in 30 days. And I did it! This was my third successful attempt - and the easiest by far! Not working full time, on top of beginning with a plan, made squeezing in a few hours and/or a few thousand words every day much easier.
This year I did a romance novel, bit formulaic, but fun. And possibly publishable, cause there's definitely a market. My other novel, meanwhile, is out in the void somewhere, hopefully being read and enjoyed by an editor. Hopefully.
But no matter what happens, I am determined to keep writing. Spot the new mantra :) Spot the top new-years-resolution candidate. And maybe that would be a good time to pick up writing again, after december. The month scares me a little this year.
We're planning a quiet Christmas, and when I look at the calendar/diary it's not too scary, but in my head it's becoming this big scary black cloud of things I've forgotten, that are really important, and then I panic, and do nothing but watch movies and ice christmas biscuits for a whole week... Mmm, christmas biscuits.
There are a few things that are probably adding to the stress-load...
- I'm pregnant again = I'm tired all the time and easily overwhelmed
- I might be moving to Paris for 18 months... but don't know yet. Waiting on decisions and information out of our hands.
- If we don't go, I'll be disappointed.
- If we do go, the to-do list is going to be HUGE! Sorting, lending, selling and storing all our stuff, learning French (which we've started already), getting everything organised... holy cow.
- I've overspent my budget for the year... and it's impossible not to spend money on the occasional end-of-year-do-lunch, among other things, this time of year. So I'm trying to be frugal, without being a sad-sack, to be reasonable and yet disciplined.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Cover and Pseudonym...
Ah, writing procrastination... and shameless use of google image search photos without permission. But it's just a rough idea.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Spooky? Not at all
Yes, it is halloween. And I have nothing else to say about that, except perhaps I should add 'candy' to my grocery shopping list.
Quite a to-do list today. Tomorrow begins Nanowrimo and I will disappear into novelling madness. My romance novel is all planned out and ready to be written.
Writing a blog post (possibly the last for some time) was on the to do list, along with...
- phone Nana (check)
- phone rest home to organise kids' visit (half-check... I phoned & someone will call me back)
- phone and organise to pick up unpainted blackboard... save the painting of it for another day - a good nanowrimo break activity, in aid of avoiding RSIs.
- email booking to hotel in wellington
- book flights to wellington
- remind Luuk to book car for weekend in wellington
- fold laundry
- touch up paintings for Delta
- add a layer to mum and dad's christmas present painting
- walk to do groceries, unless the weather packs in
- finish up other stories (only 2 or 3 chapters to go) before focussing my fiction-crafting energy on bigger fish
- email celia awesome recipe, affectionately nicknamed 'breast milk pork' because it makes your milk AWESOME and your baby sleep for longer at night. Did I mention it was awesome? It's actual name: Dong Po Pork. And it's awesome.
- make a stack of baby food - apples/pears mix for Louis' breakfasts, and some of mum's awesome chicken and vege soup, which he likes, and which has vegetables in it, and no jam! These are all things in its favour. Louis is being a right pain with food at the moment, decorating the room in general and making a lot of fuss, being contrary as ever - loving cheese one minute and screaming about it, flinging it across the room, the next. Frustrating.
Sigh. Better get on with it all then.
Quite a to-do list today. Tomorrow begins Nanowrimo and I will disappear into novelling madness. My romance novel is all planned out and ready to be written.
Writing a blog post (possibly the last for some time) was on the to do list, along with...
- phone Nana (check)
- phone rest home to organise kids' visit (half-check... I phoned & someone will call me back)
- phone and organise to pick up unpainted blackboard... save the painting of it for another day - a good nanowrimo break activity, in aid of avoiding RSIs.
- email booking to hotel in wellington
- book flights to wellington
- remind Luuk to book car for weekend in wellington
- fold laundry
- touch up paintings for Delta
- add a layer to mum and dad's christmas present painting
- walk to do groceries, unless the weather packs in
- finish up other stories (only 2 or 3 chapters to go) before focussing my fiction-crafting energy on bigger fish
- email celia awesome recipe, affectionately nicknamed 'breast milk pork' because it makes your milk AWESOME and your baby sleep for longer at night. Did I mention it was awesome? It's actual name: Dong Po Pork. And it's awesome.
- make a stack of baby food - apples/pears mix for Louis' breakfasts, and some of mum's awesome chicken and vege soup, which he likes, and which has vegetables in it, and no jam! These are all things in its favour. Louis is being a right pain with food at the moment, decorating the room in general and making a lot of fuss, being contrary as ever - loving cheese one minute and screaming about it, flinging it across the room, the next. Frustrating.
Sigh. Better get on with it all then.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Long weekend, short week
I haven't mentioned it in a while, but in interest of representing life more accurately, Louis still loves to jolly-jump!
Had a lovely long weekend. Luuk home means I can nap while Louis is awake! Also, he constructed greater child-proof capabilities for the computer/stereo cabinet/desk thing. Meanwhile, I constructed a novel outline...
Louis completely lost interest in the increased-security computer desk, of course.
I made fish pie. Yum.
And today I did as little as really possible. So tired at the moment. Went back to bed when Louis went down for his morning nap, then took my time getting going after that. Went into office then did groceries.
Louis has been in an adventurous mood, which means exhausting but good for photos...
and video...
Guess I'm re-stacking the nappy liners this evening during 'Castle'.
Had a lovely long weekend. Luuk home means I can nap while Louis is awake! Also, he constructed greater child-proof capabilities for the computer/stereo cabinet/desk thing. Meanwhile, I constructed a novel outline...
Louis completely lost interest in the increased-security computer desk, of course.
I made fish pie. Yum.
And today I did as little as really possible. So tired at the moment. Went back to bed when Louis went down for his morning nap, then took my time getting going after that. Went into office then did groceries.
Louis has been in an adventurous mood, which means exhausting but good for photos...
and video...
He can be determined... but didn't quite pull down every magnet before terrorizing the plants on the windowsill became the more appealing option.
Guess I'm re-stacking the nappy liners this evening during 'Castle'.
Monday, October 24, 2011
faff day
I always feel like a weekend day should be well spent (read: that you shouldn't spend it watching an entire tv series and eating toasties). But an extra day? A public holiday? A Third weekend day... bring on the tv and toasties!
It's like a free-to-faff day. I already spent my weekend well. This is like monopoly money. Can't use it anywhere else.
Weekend was pretty good. Had lovely breakfast out on Saturday (we were out of bread... what else could we do?) at Browsers - a cafe with a fish tank, which kept Louis entertained while we ate our meal at a normal, leisurely adult-not-parent pace. Joy!
Then we bought bread. And mandarins. And grapes. And a present for a 21st birthday that night. And I bought a lovely new top for my cousin's upcoming wedding. And a new black glassons cardi - so handy. Wear it all the time. Need several in case they ever stop making them.
Was worship leading at church on sunday. Went pretty well okay... who knows. Fine, I think. Read a prayer written by Jane Austen. Fantastic. Then had a lazy afternoon, watched tv, napped, made fish pie, watched the rugby. And that was when the weekend got really stressful. Holy Cow. Thank God that's over. When Richie McCaw was asked how he felt at the end, I thought he must feel just like I did after Louis was born - pure, unadulterated relief. Thank god that's over. And done. And, we won. But mainly, whew!
Today, we've watched tv and parented poorly. Louis has been horrible and tired. It's 11.14 and he's down for his second nap! It's the classic 2-days-after-late-night-it-hits. He's up and down like a bouncy ball. Cute and exhausting and thank god he'll sleep.
I'm eating a delicious pineapple and cheese toastie. We're watching a hilarious sit com called 'Community'. Hi-larious!
"You just wrinkled my brain." - Troy. Current fav. line. Will try to incorporate in a conversation soon. Classic.
It's like a free-to-faff day. I already spent my weekend well. This is like monopoly money. Can't use it anywhere else.
Weekend was pretty good. Had lovely breakfast out on Saturday (we were out of bread... what else could we do?) at Browsers - a cafe with a fish tank, which kept Louis entertained while we ate our meal at a normal, leisurely adult-not-parent pace. Joy!
Then we bought bread. And mandarins. And grapes. And a present for a 21st birthday that night. And I bought a lovely new top for my cousin's upcoming wedding. And a new black glassons cardi - so handy. Wear it all the time. Need several in case they ever stop making them.
Was worship leading at church on sunday. Went pretty well okay... who knows. Fine, I think. Read a prayer written by Jane Austen. Fantastic. Then had a lazy afternoon, watched tv, napped, made fish pie, watched the rugby. And that was when the weekend got really stressful. Holy Cow. Thank God that's over. When Richie McCaw was asked how he felt at the end, I thought he must feel just like I did after Louis was born - pure, unadulterated relief. Thank god that's over. And done. And, we won. But mainly, whew!
Today, we've watched tv and parented poorly. Louis has been horrible and tired. It's 11.14 and he's down for his second nap! It's the classic 2-days-after-late-night-it-hits. He's up and down like a bouncy ball. Cute and exhausting and thank god he'll sleep.
I'm eating a delicious pineapple and cheese toastie. We're watching a hilarious sit com called 'Community'. Hi-larious!
"You just wrinkled my brain." - Troy. Current fav. line. Will try to incorporate in a conversation soon. Classic.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Creating Characters
The first thing you have to do when writing the first draft of a novel is creating your characters. I put together this questionnaire that I do for all my main characters. Feel free to use it, edit it, whatever! It's a lot of work to do but pays off when you're writing. The characters drive the plot, or else you're in trouble. So, in light of the nanowrimo coundown, start hashing out those characters!
Characterisation Work-up
| Full Name, nickname and preferred name | |
| DOB/Age/sign | |
| Sex/Gender/Sexuality | |
| Temperament/ personality type | |
| Strengths/Abilities/ skills | |
| Negative Traits | |
| Quirks/eccentricities | |
| Insecurities/Fears | |
| Upset/embarrassed/ irritated by | |
| Opinionated about | |
| Made happy by | |
| Amused by | |
| Fight style | |
| What others think of them | |
| Philosophy is... | |
| Bedroom is... | |
| Carries with them... | |
| Theme | |
| Challenges to face | |
| Career/ dreams goals/desires | |
| Motivations/values/ vows/promises | |
| Ethnicity/Nationality | |
| Current abode | |
| Physicality | |
| Height/Weight | |
| Hair | |
| Eyes | |
| Distinguishing Ft.s | |
| Clothing style/ make-up/ careful?/ cost/ fashionable/ comfort/ accessories | |
| Movements/walk/ hands/greetings/ posture/nervous habit | |
| Dis/Likes about appearance | |
| Health | |
| Smell/scent | |
| Voice/pitch/pauses/ fav. words/ greetings/ grammar/accent | |
| Habits and Behaviour | |
| Daily/weekly routine | |
| Bad habits | |
| Eating habits | |
| Exercise habits | |
| Relational habits | |
| Neuroses | |
| Desired behaviour | |
| Preferences and Favourites | |
| Music | |
| Movies/TV | |
| Sports/games | |
| Colours | |
| Political groups | |
| Religious groups | |
| Holiday activities | |
| Time of year/season/ weather -best &worst | |
| Decor/environment | |
| Animals | |
| Books | |
| Foods/drinks | |
| Pet Peeves | |
| Hobbies/interests/ obsessions | |
| Keeps/throws away | |
| Relationships | |
| Closest friend/s | |
| Closest family members | |
| Lover/s | |
| People they dislike | |
| Friendships they'd like to invest in | |
| Relationships they'd like to limit/end | |
| Views of kids/marriage, etc. | |
| History | |
| Fondest memory | |
| Family | |
| Secrets | |
| Relationships/sexual history | |
| Socio-economic bg. | |
| Education | |
| Employment | |
| Past abodes | |
| Worst memory/ regrets | |
| Greatest sin | |
| Rebel against | |
| Aspire to be like... | |
| Major events in life | |
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