I love this cute little graph Jason made... more of the image displayed as I make progress. Jason is a fellow Burrower, and the one who seems to have the most computer smarts. He can be a little shy, but he's sure handy! Anyway, you can see my progress creeping across there, but that doesn't really put into perspective where I SHOULD be at this point, so here is my OWN handy creation (in the ugly Open Office Data somethingsomething--I forget what they call it).
This is the first time I've ever written something BOTH on the laptop AND by hand, and I think it is actually working pretty well. I do better on emotional stuff by hand—last night when I had to apply electroshock... yeah... that was a hand job *cough*. I have a primary PoV from a ghost, and then two other PoVs that I am allowing periodically. I will stick with these three—I don't like books as well that jump all over, but the two minor ones are a LIVING student and a teacher. I feel like they help fill in what Helen doesn't understand.
One of the tricky things I've been working with is wording. Helen, having died in 1962, doesn't have a CLUE about some things... computers, cell phones... and she makes some assumptions about other things... a student is given a shot to sedate her and Helen thinks it will work like ether... that the girl will wake up totally out of it with a pounding headache... doesn't work that way. But the trickiest part is race names. Helen is from a time where the words Indian and Negro were used instead of American Indian and Black (and in between we had Native American and African American)--it is a confusing history... this is a YA book... do I ADDRESS THAT? I've kept Helen authentic to her time period so far, but I do feel obliged to explain at some point so young readers know it is an ERA thing, not an ignorant author.
Maybe because of my day job I am touchy on that front. I read recently a description that said, “Hispanic or Native American, not Caucasian” OHMYFREAKINGGAWD are you kidding me? For one, Hispanic SHOULD be Latino—a man I know, when called Hispanic, says (typically with scolding good humor), “I'm not from Espaňa.” (yes, I know that is the wrong n, but I can't find how to make an enye). But the IMPORTANT point, is Latino is an ethnicity that does NOT rule OUT Caucasian—ethnicity and race are SEPARATE issues, and American Indians ARE Caucasian. Okay. Rant over.
Anyway—my STORY is going really well. So there.
The EATING on the Other Hand...
Man! For some reason I am feeling entitled to eat what I want when I want. Add to that a pesky tummy ache part of the week that seemed exacerbated by hunger... The scale is in the same place, or thereabouts... I am at that 40 pounds down spot that I have only been below by half a pound one time... so HOLDING, but I'm frankly shocked it didn't inch up with my bad behavior this week...
So maybe it is time to dance naked under the moon and hope THAT brings me under control.
The countdown begins! One week until my Tartiversary of blogging! Oh, yeah... and it falls on a SATURDAY so I want to have a PAH-TAY! Wahoo! Being me, I will probably include a sappy sentimental journey and a couple lovely man-butts. You are definitely ALL invited—Mark it on your calendar—June 12... I may even have to see if I can think of some prizes... I'm poor, so they will probably be more in the form of services than stuff, but I think I can come up with something...
So I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!
13 comments:
I'm glad your writing is going so well. I know mine's right on target but I wish I was ahead.
CD
Hey, nice blog post. So far my word count's been getting pretty high, partly because of this funny thing that I found called Write or Die.
http://writeordie.drwicked.com/2009/10/announcing-write-or-die-desktop-edition.html
Clarissa-I hear you. You make a target for a reason, but getting ahead keeps you from having something unexpected dis-rail you! Thanks!
Hey, Ezmirelda-I will have to check out the link--thanks! (Write or Die sounds about right *snort*)
keep on swimming. OK I know, you're not swimming but you know what I mean eh? I haven't done dick diddley today on my revision. nada. zip. we're having good friends over for dinner, it is pleuting out, my irises are blooming, there is funky music on the system and I've been reading the Globe & Mail and pissing the time away. We went into town to get gear to build a composter. It turned out to be outrageously expensive so we picked up free pallets instead. They won't last for ever - but neither will we. I love Saturdays. Why don't you ruin another day with looking at your weight? A day like - oh - I don't know - Wednesday. It's in the fat center of the week anywho?
I'm glad someone is getting something done. I, on the other hand, am procrastinating again. Interesting post, Hart. And inspirational. Must get to work.
Congratulations you're doing so well with BuNoWriMo. The graph is effective.
And are you trying to lose or maintain weight? Because judging from your photo, you're one thin woman already. Any skinnier and Hart will vanish, and we don't want that.
Jan--yes... swimming no matter through what, I think--and friends for dinner is a better excuse than most to have a day thrown to the wind. You were ahead of schedule anyway, yes?
Pat, thank you!
Alex-I am trying to lose--another 30 pounds will put me in the 'healthy, feel good' spot, so I am just over half way, but have been plateaued since April 1--maintaining is FAR better than regaining, but I'd really like to lose the rest! The PHOTO is from the last time I was at my 'right weight'--that would be the GOAL. (like to also lose the 5 years in wrinkles that go with it)
Very eclectic post. Good luck on the word count. Just keep writing and you will reach it.
And congrats on the tartiversary.
Straight From Hel
Glad the writing is going well even if the diet isn't. Always the way, right? (Speaking from someone who went on a nice walk this morning and then had ice cream this afternoon *sigh)
I'm staying on target with BuNoWriMo but am not ahead, which is kind of weird for me. I guess my whole mindset is different with summer and that oh-so-tempting pool in the backyard and... Well, you get the idea.
I wanted to do BuNoWriMo, but I was away for the 1st week of June so knew I probably wouldn't be able to fully participate. Maybe I'll start now anyway because I finally have my next book idea. Regarding the Native American/Indian/African American Ethnicity thing, why not just write it as Helen would say it and then decide later what to do? Don't worry about the PC thing now, just write it true to Helen's character. You can deal with the racial name issues later.
I just came from a week working on a reservation (fantastic experience, BTW) and the Lakota people I met call themselves "Indians." They are more bothered by the incorrect designation of Sioux (and other tribes also have Americanized tribe names which upset them) than by Indian versus Native American.
And on the weight loss--40 lbs is fantastic! I need to lose 20 lbs and keep putting off my starting date.
Thank you, Helen!--yeah... eclectic... Hard to move in a straight line on the weekends... or ever... for me.
Lisa-I ALWAYS do pretty good with the exercise (at least if the temperature is above about 15) but yeah... finding it hard to be good across all my behaviors at the same time! Summer and November really ARE different--I will go along with that, though having no tempting pool, probably not as different for me as you!
Marjorie--DO join us! You can either give yourself a later end date or a lower end word count. Very interesting observation working with the Lakota. My character who is American Indian is Nez Perce,--but that was a geography decision--where the book takes place and the history radiating out of central Idaho.
Glad it's going so well!
I'm so *surprised* that you're switching to part laptop! That's not your usual MO, I know--but happy it's going well for you. Your story sounds really complex and interesting, Hart!
teehee--the last WriMo was my first time. It isn't as natural, but it as as natural as by hand NOT in the bath, and I just can't be in the bathtub 50K words worth--I'd be all shrivelly!
Post a Comment