tag:dreamwidth.org,2011-12-30:1339022I Am Large, I Contain MultitudesDo I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself.chanaleh2016-01-08T23:04:58Ztag:dreamwidth.org,2011-12-30:1339022:311260FYI: Hawaii travelogue2013-06-11T03:46:47Z2013-06-11T03:52:52Zaccomplishedpublic0For those who wanted to see my complete Hawaii travelogue from last month, <b>it is now up!</b> It's public, but I posted it backdated for archival purposes, so it won't show up in your friendslist; you have to click through to your choice of entries: <a href="http://chanaleh.livejournal.com/317009.html">LJ</a> | <a href="http://chanaleh.dreamwidth.org/311000.html">DW</a><br /><br />But no, I still haven't sat down and started noodling around with the ukulele. :-)<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=chanaleh&ditemid=311260" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-12-30:1339022:299409Year in review, year in preview2013-01-01T20:26:09Z2016-01-08T23:03:30Zpleasedpublic0<b>10 goals from 2012</b> ( cf. original list: <a href="http://chanaleh.livejournal.com/284291.html">LJ</a> | <a href="http://chanaleh.dreamwidth.org/279276.html">DW</a> )<br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://chanaleh.dreamwidth.org/299409.html#cutid1">A mixed bag, but overall, progress was made.</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br /><b>10+ additional achievements of 2012:</b><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___2" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://chanaleh.dreamwidth.org/299409.html#cutid2">It was actually a good and stabilizing year for me, despite the ongoing crises in the world at large.</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___2" aria-live="assertive"></div><br />11. ... And, oh yeah, <b>turned 40</b> and had an <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/93788108@N00/sets/72157631876940802/">awesome celebration</a> to mark it.<br /><br /><b>10 goals for 2013:</b><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___3" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://chanaleh.dreamwidth.org/299409.html#cutid3">Some that build on last year's, and some new ones.</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___3" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br />Wishing all of us a year of physical health, emotional growth, and spiritual abundance.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=chanaleh&ditemid=299409" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-12-30:1339022:297760NaNoWriMo update2012-11-28T13:18:52Z2012-11-28T13:19:38Zresignedpublic0Yeah, well, so. I pulled together a bunch of old material in the first few days of November, did a bunch of timeline research for the year(s) I intend to set the story, and started framing out an outline of scenes. But I got lazy/complacent/"busy" after that, and haven't done much more since. <span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://chanaleh.dreamwidth.org/297760.html#cutid1">excuses, excuses</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div> In short, I didn't commit very hard to actually making the time for this in the month of November, and it shows.<br /><br />Returning to my <strike>resolutions</strike> goals for 2012 ( <a href="http://chanaleh.livejournal.com/284291.html">LJ</a> | <a href="http://chanaleh.dreamwidth.org/279276.html">DW</a> ), I was actually rather amused to see that I had listed "Complete a draft of a novel" as the 10th goal. (Of the overall list, four have achieved successful completion, two show essentially zero progress, and the other four have progress bars ranging from about 25% to 50%... or might by the end of the year. For now, I will leave the identifications as an exercise to the astute reader.)<br /><br />Supposedly it's possible to "come up from behind" in the last week of November and still finish in time to "win" <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/about">NaNoWriMo</a> (by completing 50k words within the 30 days). I had good intentions (as usual) of putting in a great many hours over Thanksgiving, and that weekend I did finally sit down and do a couple hours -- once. But one session isn't going to get this story written. One session every single week, maybe. (In 30 weeks?)<br /><br />I <i>do</i> feel like I've gotten enough of a foothold that I will push through and finish the draft. But at this point, I'm not setting the expectation that I will really get it done before the end of the year, at least until after the book project is safely at press. <small>(Though, um, I also agreed to be the lead program designer for the Blue Hill Troupe's <i>Mikado</i> this spring. Which is a 120-page perfect-bound monstrosity. But I'm pretty excited to get to do it.)</small><br /><br />So I think it's going on the goals list for 2013.<br /><br />In the meantime, I have acquired some nice articles <i>about</i> the fiction-writing process, which have already been useful to varying degrees:<br /><br /><b>How To Write A Novel: 8 Essential Steps</b><br /><a href="http://www.more.com/member-voices/your-stories/how-write-novel-8-essential-steps">http://www.more.com/member-voices/your-stories/how-write-novel-8-essential-steps</a><br /><br /><b>More "Writing Tips from Masters"</b><br /><a href="http://www.writingclasses.com/InformationPages/index.php/PageID/269">http://www.writingclasses.com/InformationPages/index.php/PageID/269</a><br /><br /><b>Target character and conflict with a handy checklist</b><br /><a href="http://www.writermag.com/en/Articles/2011/12/Target%20character%20and%20conflict%20with%20a%20handy%20checklist.aspx">http://www.writermag.com/en/Articles/2011/12/Target%20character%20and%20conflict%20with%20a%20handy%20checklist.aspx</a><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=chanaleh&ditemid=297760" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-12-30:1339022:296450NaNo...vember2012-11-03T02:45:06Z2012-11-03T03:58:56Zintimidatedpublic0Huh. Interesting. <br /><br />Yesterday morning, about 7 hours into the official span of <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a>, ergo obviously <i>without yet having written a single word</i>, I started noticing a flourishing backchannel of internal resistance. <br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://chanaleh.dreamwidth.org/296450.html#cutid1">The voices are fascinating, aren't they?</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br />So, really, I don't know. I think the next step is going to be pulling out the notes I have made over the years for the aforementioned various concepts and see which already is the farthest along, and see if that helps jump-start my motivation.<br /><br />My other pet approach is normally to post an LJ poll ("Which of the following should I write this month?") -- but somehow even the idea of spelling out my four different premises for public consumption feels risky, and not like it would be much help in the end. :-}<br /><br />... tl;dr <b>Fear is the mind-killer.</b> *sigh*<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=chanaleh&ditemid=296450" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-12-30:1339022:288926Fforde Every Stream2012-06-13T03:20:20Z2012-06-13T12:16:16Zcheerfulpublic0I just finished reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Eyre-Affair-Thursday-Penguin/dp/0142001805"><i>The Eyre Affair</i></a>. It's the first time I've read anything by Jasper Fforde. Why? Because Tiger Boy had a thing against him: a certain internalized rivalry, because he'd had a short story rejected on the grounds that it was "too much like Jasper Fforde" -- specifically the Nursery Crime series, because it was submitted right around the time <i>The Big Over Easy</i> came out, and in all fairness, it actually was (coincidentally) along similar lines, despite the fact that he'd written it well before. So he bore a grudge, and thus I never felt like I ought to read (much less enjoy) anything of Jasper Fforde, because it would be disloyal or something.<br /><br />... Right. That particular bridge being well washed out, I finally took this one out of the library. <br /><br />And what do you know, I quite liked it. It's lacking something in terms of absolute brilliance, but it struck a lightness of tone that is in fact in the vein of something <i>I</i> have recently started pondering writing -- a kind of alternate-universe urban-fantasy cleverness, occasionally precious, but not taking itself so seriously that that poses a problem. And the climactic scene literally gave me both chills and grins by turns, which is always a good sign.<br /><br />But it helps to be really, <i>really</i> well acquainted with Jane Eyre. Probably Shakespeare, too. And a smattering of Lake District poetry for good measure. -- Geez, <i>why</i> did it take me so long to pick this up again?<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=chanaleh&ditemid=288926" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-12-30:1339022:282083Quick Pre-Presidents-Day hello2012-02-17T23:05:16Z2012-02-17T23:08:22Zcheerfulpublic0Oh LJ, I am so behind on you. (Writing, that is. I do manage to stay reasonably current on reading, or at least skimming.)<br /><br />I have so much that I've been thinking of writing about, and I haven't even gotten as far as finishing my Arisia recap from mid-January. When I do finish it, I will post it backdated, because this is just getting ridiculous, but I'll post a pointer for anyone who cares.<br /><br />I did finally manage to post a friendslocked (filtered, sorry) entry yesterday morning, and have more forthcoming, hopefully. <br /><br />I had off work today (in addition to the coming Monday holiday), which I must say was delightful. Got my hair cut, had a marvelous breakfast date with <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://justom.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://justom.livejournal.com/'><b>justom</b></a></span> at <a href="http://www.communityrestaurant.com/?page=food_breakfast">Community Food & Juice</a> (where I'd never yet been), puttered around a little in the Columbia neighborhood. Came home, reorganized the linen closet (!), and puttered around online. Didn't quite get the work done I meant to, but there's always Sunday. And I did accomplish a bunch of self-management meta-work (financial and otherwise).<br /><br />Oh, and baked pareve brownies to take to Shabbat dinner very shortly. :-) <i>Shabbat shalom,</i> y'all.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=chanaleh&ditemid=282083" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-12-30:1339022:279276Year in review, year in preview2012-01-03T02:02:59Z2016-01-08T23:04:58Zoptimisticpublic0<small><b>Pro tip:</b> Crossposting from Dreamwidth requires <a href="http://www.dreamwidth.org/support/faqbrowse?faqid=81">different syntax</a> for LJ user links. But it works, it works!<br /><br />Anyway.</small><br /><br /><b>Ten achievements of 2011:</b> <span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://chanaleh.dreamwidth.org/279276.html#cutid1">2011 was the year I...</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br /><b>Ten goals for 2012:</b><br /><br />1. Finally replace the Treo 680 with an Android phone<br /><i>It's coming to be necessary for my professional cred as a web/social media maven.</i><br /><br />2. Go contra dancing at least once per calendar month<br /><i>This represents a sixfold increase over 2011, when I went a total of twice.</i><br /><br />3. Establish a habit of walking home from work at least once a week<br /><i>When I was <strike>unemployed</strike> on vacation for 2 months, I was walking miles every day and it was great.</i><br /><br />4. Implement new website for Ramaz <br /><i>A professional goal, not a personal one, but then <a href="http://www.toonewmedia.com/home/?page_id=5">the professional is personal</a>, as they say.</i><br /><br />5. Host a Shabbat dinner<br /><i>With lots of singing. In NYC. Who wants to come?</i><br /><br />6. Take (and post) <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/93788108@N00/sets/">more pictures</a><br /><i>Documenting my experience of the city. You see things differently with a camera in your hand.</i><br /><br />7. Get net worth up over $100,000<br /><i>90% of this is locked up in retirement savings, as it should be, but still. It's reachable.</i><br /><br />8. Join the Frontstage side of the Blue Hill Troupe<br /><i>Hoping that next year's shows will be of more interest to me than</i> Utopia. <i>We'll find out this spring!</i><br /><br />9. Establish a partnership with the shared goal of having a family<br /><i>Let's acknowledge that there are lots of possible (and many mutually exclusive) subgoals under this, the exact combination of which will vary highly depending on the chain of circumstances, so I'm not really ready to unpack all of them right now. But I'm naming the intention.</i><br /><br />10. Complete a draft of a novel<br /><i>In some ways this goal feels the farthest away... and reaches the farthest back, since I wanted to Be A Writer from the time I could hold a pencil.</i><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=chanaleh&ditemid=279276" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> comments