Writing Routines

It's said that a lot of writers have routines, behaviors they repeat every time they sit down to practice their craft. Stephen King shuts himself in his writing room from 9-5, viewing it as his job. Some writers have special emblems or totems or "lucky" clothing. Some only hand-write while others only type. If you think about it, we can be just as superstitious a group as actors. (Some of the actor superstitions I've encountered include an actor who repeated the same pre-show routine from the first tech run to the final curtain to the point he arrived at the same time each evening, left at the same time, and did the same things in the same order. I knew a pair of actresses who would only let one technician tape their mics in place because that was the tech who did it during the first dress rehearsal.) Enough about actors. On to some of my writing habits/routines.

Hot Beverages This habit, I believe, is a throwback of learned behaviors from NaNoWriMo. When I sit down to write and it's not school related, I have to have some hot caffeinated beverage within reach. Even if I completely ignore it til it's ice cold, it has to be there from the start. I end up drinking it cold 90% of the time. Lol.

Energy Drinks If I don't have coffee, I'll reach for my energy drink of choice - Monster. There's not much like the feel of wanting to get up and not letting myself do it. When the only way I can burn excess energy is through my fingers moving across the keyboard, man do I get a lot written!

Change Scenery There are times, I just need a change of scenery - for myself, not my characters. One of my best writing days was in a coffee shop during NaNoWriMo. I wrote over 6k words that day. It's amazing what a simple change of scene can do for your mind.

Handwriting When I'm handwriting, it has to be lined paper and it has to be black ink. That is all.

Talk it Out Proof that most writers are a little nuts. I'll sit and discuss dialogue with myself, talking it all out and visualizing the entire scene.

Dare to Write Badly or The What If Universe When I talk things out, I often come up with a lot of things that, while entertaining to write, I know will never fit the story or the characters. So what do I do? I write it anyway and get rid of it later. Sometimes, it's one small moment in the impossible scenario I've dreamed up that will spark the next legit scene in the story.

Write or Die An amazing online program, a lot of my friends think I'm sadistic because I use Write or Die on kamikaze mode - this means that if I sit with the program open for too long without typing, the program will start to automatically delete words. Talk about incentive.

BICFOK The best advice I've ever received - tied, of course, to NaNoWriMo. BICFOK isn't the newest swear word; it's an initialism. Butt In Chair, Fingers On Keyboard. Sometimes, that's the only way to get things done - sheer force of willpower.

"One hasn't become a writer until one has distilled writing into a habit, and that habit has been forced into an obsession. Writing has to be an obsession. It has to be something as organic, physiological, and psychological as speaking or sleeping or eating." -Niyi Osundare

Salmon Patties - a fantastic recipe

I thought I'd put together a nice quick blog post today, so I'm going to share one of my favorite recipes. It's kind of my signature meal at home and I love making it. What is it, you ask? Salmon patties. They're super super easy to make and they taste delicious. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients: 4 cans alaskan salmon (any brand)
2 eggs
1 sleeve of crackers
salt & pepper to taste

Makes 2 dozen patties, depending on size

First step: open and drain the salmon (if you own cats, put the juice in a bowl or over their food - they'll love you!) then prepare to debone

Deboning takes a lot of time, but I always make a point to do this. To be fair, if you don't debone, it won't be a huge deal. The bones get soft and kind of powdery if they cook in, so it's not like anybody's gonna choke. Still, I suggest getting your hands in there and picking out all the bones. I also remove all the bits of skin. and, yes, I said use your hands. It's the only way to be sure you've got everything out.

Second step: make sure all bones/skin have been removed from all salmon

Third step: crack eggs into bowl

Fourth step: crumble crackers in sleeve, then add the crackers to the bowl

Fifth step: Mix it in! Again, I suggest using your hands. It won't kill you, I promise. ;)

Sixth step (optional) add salt and pepper to taste

Let the mix sit in the fridge at least half an hour

While the mix is sitting, pour no more than 1/2 inch of oil in a pan and put it on the stove to heat. Once it's popping, start forming patties with the salmon and fry them up. No breading or anything is needed. This recipe is so easy and a sure hit if you're a fan of salmon. Try it out!

Updates from 2011

Well, here I sit at the kitchen table with a glass of wine in my hand. I'm typing this blog entry up on my iPhone 3GS and liking the convenience. This November, I secured another NaNoWriMo win with a final word count of 58,912 words. I'm going to try to get more writing done this year, as well as more writing in general, and more vlogging. I got a set of workout DVDs for Christmas. Between those, my running, and my swimming, I can't imagine how many calories I'll be burning. I need to watch what I'm eating so that I don't lose weight in my attempts to get in shape. These are a few of my goals for 2012. I'm also facing my last semester of college and that, frankly, scares the hell out of me. I've got to get through the semester intact. Wish me luck.

A Taste of Insanity

It's October 31st, which means tomorrow is the beginning of NaNoWriMo! I've written about NaNoWriMo here before, a challenge in November where participants attempt to each write a 50k word novel manuscript in 30 days. Well, this year, in true NaNo spirit, I've decided to take leave of my senses.

My personal goal will be 2 50k manuscripts in 30 days. Two different ideas and a total goal word count of 100k. I'm sure this is going to be an interesting month. Best of luck to any other participants out there.

Good advice

"I'll forget the pain it took to finish, but I'll always remember if I quit." - Brian Foux

I came across this saying last night and loved it because the words ring so true to so many aspects of life. Sometimes, we have to take risks and push on to find success. I do remember every time I've quit or given up on a challenge, phoned it in and finished with work that was the result of only a partial or paltry effort. I also remember every challenge I've succeeded at and how fantastic it felt, how all the pain and intense effort fled from mind and memory as soon as I crossed the metaphorical finish line.

I thought this quote appropriate for me as I train for a 5k later this month and prepare for another year of NaNoWriMo. I also felt it worked well for this, my 100th blog entry. Though I love writing more than anything, blogging isn't always easy for me, never mind the challenge of finding something to write about and the time in which to do it. Thankfully, every word I write, every step I run, puts me closer to success.

Succeed at something today - every day - and congratulate yourself when you do.

A couple of poems

I wrote these in creative writing class and liked them a lot. Enjoy!

Writer's Block

Blank page

Empty, white and clean.

It taunts me.

Potential -

there's so much there,

but nothing comes.

Make a mark,

a line,

a doodle -

anything to mar that white.

Still, nothing comes.

What if nothing ever comes?

Can this empty page

take away what I am,

how I define myself?

Why is my most important tool

so menacing?

Emma

You dance wildly,

not caring who sees.

You run with an energy I envy.

Then, you are by my side,

a picture of innocence.

You giggle madly

and tug my arm,

begging so plainly,

grinning wide.

Already, you know I will give in.

I could never refuse you.

Hard to say no to a five year old.

Theater poetry

As one of the requirements for my creative writing class, I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and attempting to write poetry. I thought I would share one of my first attempts, which was written completely on the fly right after I found out I was stage managing our first main stage production. Enjoy!


The Stage Manager
Show up early.
Staying late.
Keep track of actors, designers.
Remember your crews and cues.
All on your shoulders.
You can bear it.
Dimmer checks.
House music.
Prop check,
prop check,
prop check.
Calls to make.
Notes to write.
Things to post.
Til now my voice was not my own.
Now, this show is mine.
I am ready.
Go.

Planning for the Future

For months now, I've been playing with the idea of creating a vlog. I just checked the web cam I've got and the resolution isn't quite as clear as I'd like it to be, so the idea will have to wait until I can get the equipment, meaning it will have to wait until I get a little more cash flow. Money's tight right now after the textbook buying and food for the apartment and such. Current plans are to purchase what I need in the spring when I get my other refund check OR use my iphone when I get my upgrade next month, depending on its capabilities. Time will tell, I suppose.

To my knowledge, neither my laptop nor my netbook has a built in webcam. Even if the netbook does, it wasn't made to store something like a vlog, so I feel that option is out. I plan for the vlog to be an extension of this blog and will be posting on youtube with a channel under the same name - InkandGrit. I'm hoping this goal of setting up a vlog will prompt me to post things more regularly, increase traffic to my blog as well as the vlog, and help me personally with things like confidence, organizing my thoughts, and working on my facial expressions and body language.

Here's hoping this vlog goal will come to pass in the not too distant future.

Edit: I checked out some of the features on my current cell phone and found out that the video camera on it (my phone has a video camera!) isn't bad for quality. Maybe I can make this happen sooner after all. I just need some practice with video editing software.

Stupid mistakes leading to ideas

Today has been...interesting. Not necessarily in the good way either. I was, frankly, stupid and skipped breakfast this a.m. Combined with my (very) early dinner yesterday - it was more like an incredibly late lunch, I believe - I screwed up and had gone about 18 hours without eating. As I said, stupid of me. Of course, I paid the price with interest when I blacked out in science class this morning. Not fun. However, I came around and was perfectly aware of my surroundings and exactly what had happened. In fact, my first thoughts when I came to was "dammit" and several other expletives that were more to the point.

Despite that more-than-irritating setback, my only  complaint now is a sore finger, which I believe the EMTs bruised when they stuck it to check my blood sugar. My head doesn't even hurt anymore - apparently, I hit it on the chair to my immediate left. Then there's my injured pride, but it's resilient as well. This just means I'm going to not skip breakfast again and will take my backpack (packed with emergency snacks) to every class.

After this morning's lovely little episode - going back to class on Monday is going to be so much fun - I bought myself a medic alert bracelet, which is something I've been telling myself I needed for several years now. Thankfully, as I informed the EMTs, these episodes don't hit me very often at all and when they do, I can always pinpoint the cause. The last time my hypoglycemia got the best of me, excluding today, I was in junior high or high school. Normally, I do manage it fairly well. Now, finally, everyone around me will be aware should anything like this happen again.

The purchase of my new hematite beaded medic alert bracelet seemed to set off a bout of good old fashioned retail therapy. A friend came over to spend the evening with me and we went out to dinner - we had each only got one plate from the buffet when a high school marching band came in. Both ex-band students ourselves, we had clearly not thought ahead. Rather than wait out the crowd, we opted to do some window shopping that, for me, quickly turned into real shopping.

Today, I purchased my first ever pair of running shoes (pics to come later) for a mere $65 after tax. I also bought two books on running. My friend was a little surprised at "how serious I must be taking this running thing." I just smiled and shrugged. Until he spoke up, I hadn't really thought about my running as any kind of serious beyond a thing I liked doing that kept me in shape. Kind of silly from someone who, at the time of this statement, was holding a pair of bought-and-paid-for $65 running shoes and two books on the same subject.

Tomorrow - after a good breakfast - I'm going to lace up my running shoes and go for my first run in weeks. (Working out didn't seem like the brightest idea today, you know.) Tonight, I'm staring at a web page for a local 5k run that's only six weeks away and trying hard to talk myself out of it. Frankly, I'm running out of excuses.

I wonder what kind of day I would've had if I hadn't had to buy that medic alert bracelet...

A real page turner

My series of blog posts on literary villains has been put on hold since real life doesn't seem to want to slow down for me and it's difficult to write about specific villains when you don't have the literature in front of you. My books are all packed up right now, ready for me to get moved into my on campus apartment tomorrow. Today, I thought I would write about a different book that doesn't fall in with my preferred genre of fantasy. Of course, after the first few chapters, I hardly noticed. The night I finished book one of G.M. Dyrek's The Seer and the Scribe series, I stayed up late to do it. I couldn't stop turning the pages and had to know what happened next. Nothing turned out the way I expected, but I was smiling by the end.

Spear of Destiny is the first book in a series that "begins where recorded history is silent" introducing characters such as Hildegard of Bingen and Volmar, a monk and scribe at the monastery at Disibodenberg. The story is set in 12th century Germany, which is a period I know I've never studied. Despite that, I had no trouble at all keeping track of what was happening in the book. Everything starts fairly suddenly, with news of Hildegard's talents as a seer that allowed her to see a murder that had taken place generations ago at the monastery. Volmar listens to her story and helps her find proof that it was true, but before they can find a way to bring the old murderer to justice, Volmar is told of a holy relic with a powerful curse. When another body turns up at the monastery, it is up to Volmar's scientific mind to find out what really happened.

The book isn't very slow to start; it seems to be just the right amount between the opening scenes and the first subplot. Foot notes are provided at the bottom to explain details of monastic life that modern readers may not understand otherwise. I don't normally read historical fiction or murder mysteries, but I already want to get a copy of the next book in the series, Methuselah's Secret. Another cool detail: the author's son and niece are the models for Volmar and Hildegard, respectively. They appear on the cover and in the pencil illustrations inside. The illustrations added another cool angle when they appeared; the black and white style seemed very complementary of the setting and time period of the story. Thank you so much to my mom over at Crazed Mind for letting me review the book. I loved it!

No money was made off of this review. It's just my opinion. :)