What Inspires Me Is Disturbing

It's true.

I find all kinds of things inspiring. Some, like the way the sunlight glows through the strip of forest in my backyard, are beautiful. But mostly, it's the black sticky underside of humanity that really gets my creative juices flowing.

Take this news story, for example. A pregnant bride murdered in her apartment, a cryptic note promising more deaths in the future left with her body.

Please understand that I'm horrified by what happened to this poor woman. She had other children and a fiance who are grieving now. My heart goes out to those poor people.

But this real-life story is the kind of thing that really gets my mind going; the true stories of really horrible people being horrible.

In real life, the police are almost always smarter than the criminal. Remember the story about the criminal who robs a liquor store and then demands the clerk grab him a bottle, too, only to be stupid enough to produce his ID when the clerk cards him? I truly believe most criminals fit into that "too stupid to breathe with their mouths closed" category. (I need to check Snopes.com for that story, it crops up too often to be real, even if it's realistic.)

And even if the police aren't smarter than the criminal, they've got more people working on catching the bad guy. One murderer trying to get away with it can't usually compete with a team of people all focused on holding him accountable for his crime. Because this is the real world, that's a very comforting thought.

But in fiction, all bets are off. Since I focus solely on fiction, my bad guy can get away with a lot more than he would in the real world. A really bad, evil, and brilliant nemesis is much more fun than a really good, moral protagonist. I mean, who went and saw Superman in the theaters and walked away thinking Superman stole the show? Everyone talked about Lex Luthor, because he was just more interesting.

I love a good paranormal/fantasy story. When the bad guys, (or the good guys, too, in some cases), have fangs or superhuman strength, it's fun because the reader knows the level of "bad" just increased exponentially. The damage that can be done to the hero/heroine just went up, so the interest level went up, too.

News stories remind me that not all villains have fangs or superhuman strength. Bad guys can be average-looking and unassuming. Bad guys can go to work for 40 hours a week at a regular job, only to do unspeakable things in their basement on the weekends.

And to me, it's more interesting if the one who's dismembering the neighbors could be the guy who gives out the jaunty, two-fingered salute and a grin as you drive by.

National Novel Writing Month

I participated in NaNoWriMo two years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

For those who don't know, (I'm sure there are still some,) National Novel Writing Month, (November,) or NaNoWriMo, is an international event whose aim is to get writers writing, even if they're writing badly. It's a free-for-all, and very motivating.

The goal: Write 50k words in one month, which could technically be a novel.

I developed a nervous twitch in my eyebrow and hives on my arms and legs, but other than that, the time was well spent.

I didn't really get close to the 50k word goal, but the process the event takes you through showed me how to be a disciplined writer. Before NaNoWriMo I had never before set aside time in my day for my writing. I didn't have goals or a plan, I just sat down and wrote whenever the spirit moved me. NaNoWriMo taught me that setting goals is important. And the little line graph that charts your progress is unbelievably motivating.

I also learned to always have a tube of cortizone cream in my medicine cabinet. Seriously.

But last year I skipped NaNoWriMo. I'd kinda sorta quit writing. I never said I had quit out loud. Out loud, I used the time-honored excuses of, "I don't have time lately," or "I'm not feeling 'inspired'". The fact of the matter is I didn't do NaNo last year because I was scared of having my excuses stripped away, and if there are no more excuses, I have to try to be successful. NaNo forces me to try to be successful.

And if I try, there's a possibility I could fail. Not the word count goals, that's secondary for me. If I try to write a sellable novel, something people would enjoy reading, and I fail... Well, I don't even know. I have an idea that failing would be very, very painful because I want it so bad. I've never before pushed myself to finish a project like NaNo will. I've always allowed myself to get sidetracked from finishing so that true failing, (being told I've got no talent), isn't possible.

I can't query if I don't have a finished project. If I can't query, I can't be rejected. So technically, I haven't failed. Yet. Wistful 'might-have-beens' are harmless compared to outright failure.

I'm a little over 48k into my novel and November is still weeks away. If...I mean when, I write 50k more, I'll be well over 100k words, which will be lots of buffer to cut what needs cutting when I revise.

So, here goes. I'm making a declaration in an attempt to achieve success, rather than to avoid failure.

I'm going to use National Novel Writing Month to finish my WIP.

I feel itchy already...

Hook 'Em!!!

I'm a die-hard Longhorn fan.

I have burnt orange blood coursing through my veins.

Both my kids have UT jerseys, which they are wearing today.

Go Texas! Beat OU!

The Cadillac of Office Chairs

So my parents drove about a thousand miles to come visit my family in Indiana. There's all the stress that goes along with that, the "is my house clean enough?" and "will my kids behave?' issues that keep you up at night before they arrive. I really should have known better.

The time was fun. I could have had black mold growing in my kitchen sink and they wouldn't have cared so long as they got to play with the kids. And I talked a lot about writing with my dad, who also writes. Which is the reason they bought me the most awesome computer I've ever had. My dad wants me to have every advantage I can in this venture. 

Honestly, just thinking about it chokes me up. I think back to all the times I was a brat and they loved me anyway, or reflect on some of my more spectacular failures when they've been there to help me make it better. Parents are so giving to their kids, no matter that their kids are grown. Well, mine are. I hope I can do the same for my kids when they're grown. 

As I sat down to write at my awesome computer after they left, I noticed a huge problem. I had this beautiful example of technological craftsmanship sitting on my desk, and I was going to sit on a folding chair to use it. Normally, I'm very much a "make it work" kind of person. Except I wasn't at the right height to type comfortably, no matter how I adjusted. 

I decided to spoil myself.

I went to Staples and got the Cadillac of office chairs. It's got a high back. It's got the little lever that adjusts the height of the seat. It has nice armrests.

And it's extra cushy on my bum. 

I love my new setup, and I've vowed to make my productivity match my equipment. 

Jack Squat

Yeah, I got zilch done this week.

Well, I was awesome, (for me, that is,) on Friday. I wrote 1500 words in an hour.

I've been entertaining my parents who graciously drove over a thousand miles to see me, for which I'm very grateful.

They also brought me a very nice new computer, so I'll probably post a lot of crap just because I like to use it so much. :)