Today started off well, nosedived sharply during my commute, and then ended up pretty well. I accomplished a thing at work that involved updating a letter formed by running an SQL query through a Crystal Report into an MS Word mail merge. Note that what I know about SQL fits on this period . and I had never used Crystal Reports before today and the MS Word mail merge was orders of MAGNITUDE more complicated than any mail merge I have previously wrangled. Granted, it took me all damn day to make two basically simple changes (and although my changes were done correctly, I failed at testing and had to beg for help from the person who assigned me the task and it turned out I was just being...a failboat) BUT. I have accomplished a thing! I am very proud.

I also got up this morning and made my lunch to take with me, and then came home and did all the dishes in my sink before making my dinner, and have just now finished making the egg salad that will be my lunch for most of the rest of the week. And I wrote about 750 words on the NaNo Novel in the space of about 20 minutes, so that I am at least caught up in getyourwordsout again, even if I'll be behind again tomorrow.

I didn't get all of this done in time to play any Dragon Age, but that's all right. I'll have Wednesday or Thursday to do that. (I'm...in such a weird place with DA right now. I want to play it, because I love Bioware games and I love what I played of it already...but the initial crashing problems are making me leery, and also I've three-quarters convinced myself that the game will never be as good as everyone else says it is and I don't want to be disappointed. My brain, it is a strange strange thing.

Alright. Sleepy cat has Exalted tomorrow, and will therefore be up late, so it's off to set out tomorrow's outfit and read a bit before bed.

Tags: dragon age, gywo, sometimes i am competent!
Feeling: accomplished

( Whining about writing and wordcount )

In other news I am enjoying the hell out of my MacBook. Software I have already picked up includes Delicious Library and Scrivener (I'm going to play with it for a while and decide whether it or LSB will ultimately have my loyalty for writing; if nothing else I'll probably use Scrivener to run games out of.) ANYWAY. Those of you with Macs: what other suggestions for software do you have? Is there anything you just can't live without? (Primary use: Web surfing and writing when I'm not at my desktop, which I prefer to use for most writing because the keyboard setup is easier on my hands.) Share in the comments!

Tags: gywo, mac, would you like cheese with that
Feeling: irritated

42,752 and counting! Well, likely that's all I'm doing for the day, but.

The obligatory sheep jokes have invaded the novel. I'm pleased, actually, since the characters are at ease enough to joke about with each other. The endgame plot train has been set in motion, and I think this will probably tie up at just around 75,000 when all is said and done. In the meantime, I'm having massive amounts of fun with the characters.

Because of various travel schedulings and such, I have realized that I really should be done with the 50K by Saturday the 28th. This means that, thanks to the 3 days I missed at the beginning of the month with flu, I am functionally trying to do the 50K of NaNo in only 25 days. Someone explain to me why I think these shenanigans are a good idea every year?! I think I can do it - I'm ahead by 2744 words today, which means I'm actually only about 600 words shy of being two full days ahead, so if I can write 1900 words tomorrow, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I will totally get there with some room to spare. Which is really exciting.

In the meantime, fic bunnies are staging a siege on my brain. I'm holding them off for the next four days, but I'm looking forward to noodling around on shorter pieces when this thing is done. After all, I still have Yuletide and getyourwordsout to do in December! (Speaking of GYWO, I have throughout the course of this month managed to catch up so I am less than 2K words behind on the year--1300, to be exact. Considering that at one point I was behind by something like 16K, this is AWESOME SAUCE.) I am at a total of 174,818 words out of a projected 176,119 by today, and that makes me awesome! I can totally rock 200K by the end of the year.

Alright. Now to rest my wrists, and get some quality Last Remnant time in!

Tags: gywo, nanowrimo 2009, now where did that come from?, writing process
Feeling: accomplished

So apparently, as much as I hate starting to work on Every Light, once I get started the words just happen.

Witness yesterday, when I whined and griped and moaned and stared at the blank page (as I've been doing for this particular chapter for a few weeks now), forced myself to write two crappy paragraphs, then blinked and found 1500 words on the page.

For those wishing to play along, that means the rough draft is currently at 120,879 words. (And I almost always add words during editing, not subtract.) Projected end wordcount of rough draft: 200,000. \o/

Half of Chapter 13, a smidge of Chapter 14, and then chapters 25-35 to go (and 35 barely counts, it is hopefully going to be under 1000 words. I hope I hope I hope. Cooperate, you twits.)

Hey maybe I'll finish this stupid thing someday.

Tags: every light casts a shadow, gywo, poking kain with sharp sticks
Feeling: accomplished

I really miss the feeling of wanting to write. I have ideas, and I'm excited about them, but i just feel like I'm sick of writing. I'm not sure if this is a function of getyourwordsout or just me being cantankerous, but I'm hoping it fades. I need to be on my game for November.

Part of the reason I joined GWYO was because I wanted something to encourage me to actually write, instead of to say "oh hey that's a good idea" and then never do anything about it. I figured that NaNoWriMo works very effectively for me as a motivator, and a year-long less-stressful (ha!) NaNo would be just the thing to see that I get more done.

I don't think it's quite working out that way. We're nearing the end of June and I am quite behind. Aaaargh.

Oh, also, just my two cents on the fandom warning debate: Your ~artistic integrity~ does not trump someone else's mental health. Warning takes five seconds. Shut up and do it and stop behaving like an asshat. Spoiler-code it if you MUST to protect THE SURPRISE that is so much more important to you than other people's well-being. In short, DON'T BE A JERK.

I thought I had more to say but apparently I am just a grumpy curmudgeon this morning.

Tags: fandom wank, gywo, writing process
Feeling: annoyed

I was just bitching to seventhe this afternoon about how much I am sucking at getyourwordsout and how I'm like 15,000+ words behind and am made of fail, and I figured I wouldn't get anything done tonight either because video games have a habit of eating my brain.

True fact: apparently, if I decide to write something that is epically self-indulgent and only ever going to be seen by me, I can generate 2355 words in a shade over an hour.

.....Perhaps I should exploit this in future. o_o;

Tags: ashley's ass is the reinforcements, basically i am awesome, because writing is totally like sex, gywo, stupid hang-ups, writing process, your sideplot is my metaplot

I managed about 660 words of Every Light, and about 225 of a Persona 3 ficbit. I'm not sure I like either of them, really; both feel forced, stilted, and clichéd, but hey, they're words. I can always fix them later.

I'm debating whether I really want to finish all 300 missions in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2; on the one hand, my internal completionist is shrieking in dismay at the idea that I might not complete everything, but on the other, alsdkfjalsdkfj do not want to waste time catching Chocobos for the stupid Rancher requests. I think I might just clear the game and beat everything that looks interesting, and then move on.

Sleep time now. More writing tomorrow, I hope.

Tags: every light casts a shadow, final fantasy tactics advance 2, gywo, persona 3, writing: fanfic
Feeling: accomplished
Hearing: Disturbed - Indestructible

Yesterday's Happiness Meme
--Hit February target for getyourwordsout
--MIKE IS BACK
--Snuggles!!!!!111!!!
--Delicious, delicious Italian food
--Green tea ice cream
--Did I mention snuggles?
--Also kisses
--Also falling asleep snuggled
--♥

Today's Happiness Meme
--Saw the first two eps of Torchwood.
--Snuggles!
--Being actually awake to enjoy Mike's company instead of walking-dead tired as we both were yesterday
--Rock Band! The Harmonious Thorns live!


So, yeah, Torchwood. I like it so far. So many adorable dorks! Also, mrowr, Ianto. Mrowr, Harkness. (he's a jackass, but he's a funny and cute jackass.)

I kept staring at him and then said to Mike, "Okay, really, who does he remind me of?" and he said "Tom Cruise" and I was like "Yes! that! thank you."

(and if fanficrants has taught me anything at all ever it is to never go near the fandom. Ever. Ditto for Avatar. And I am totally writing for it one of these days. But I refuse to join the fandom. Just. No.)

(watch, I'll be insomniac and bored in 3 weeks and end up doing it anyway.)

Mike got here and started doing dishes >.<; I meant to get them all clean before he got back, but I slept too late yesterday and didn't :( :( :( I feel so lame.

Wish I had bought more green tea ice cream. Do want. I suppose I'll settle for Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake.

Also, o hai, there is crazy ridiculous snow falling outside :( do not want.

I clearly do not have coherency today. So I'm going to go comment to the GYWO monthly post, and then absorb myself in FF9.

Tags: gywo, torchwood
Feeling: chipper