Journal of The PIT: News & Updates

What Kx twittered...

2008-09-03T23:06:41Z

09:44 Bounce! #
14:26 It's funny what changes & what stays the same. I really do need time & space to think. Seems unlikely though. Meh. #
14:30 Hmm, seem to have gone straight into the 'consumption of disgusting amounts of junk food' coping method. Fun. #
14:37 "Cos everything's easier when you're beside me, Come back and find me, Cos I feel alone" KT Tunstall: Throw Me A Rope #
14:38 I feel sick too - too much vegan fudge. Bleurgh. #
15:46 Considering getting arsey about re-publication of photos of me by other people, but I don't think it's worth the drama. Sigh. #
17:23 Simultaneously terrified & excited about new developments in my social life. #
21:39 It is possible to have a night out in London without spending loads of money. Bounce! Just as well, cos next week Saturday'll be costly...! #

Progress

2005-10-30T21:21:36Z

Okay, one person roped in, two more to convince.

Hmm.

I might have to write more of a narrative story - anything self-reflective will just have me in tears the whole time.

Novel

2005-10-30T17:42:35Z

Yes, it's that time of year again - time to write a novel in a month.

If I can convince J&J to do it, I will feel truly accomplished. Hmm.

My NaNo Profile

Anyways, less about stubborn boys, more about my novel.

I decided to be really self-indulgent because I can write cack about what I'm thinking at great length and length is what's needed. I can't do all this multiple characters and an actual plot. Heh.

Notes
Cimmy: Elephant

Dead?

2005-08-22T07:20:15Z

Yes, the site is currently dead as Satu noticed. Come on people, where are the rest of you?!

I've been having problems with my now ex-host.

However, I have a new host, yay! So, will have something up shortly - before the end of the week - with a spanking brand new design and everything!

Watch this space...!

Site update

2004-12-09T23:02:04Z

Summary
- New poetry (3)
- New project: Lost Dreams: Memoirs of Mimi (NaNoWriMo) (1)
- New design, utterly

Details
The design is amazingly beautiful, in my not-so-humble opinion... But feel free to shatter my illusions (or support them) by commenting, or email or whatever. We're now on to the ninth version - haven't we come a long way...?!

Poetry. Hooray! Extract goodness:

     My mentors all deserted me,
     In turn, I now leave you.
     Why can't I break the cycle?
     Instead I leave you blue.

from Loves Me Not

Project. Well, I abandoned my NaNo pretty soon after I started it (as you can tell by previous entries here...), but I'm going to continue it. I hope. Watch this space...

Please let me know about anything I've overlooked - long download times, broken links, missing images... Praise also accepted... :) Because feedback to me, is like ambrosia to the gods, oxygen to mortals and er... instinct to animals. Or something. Feed me!

NaNo: Lost Dreams site updated

2004-11-01T11:46:26Z

Visit the official Lost Dreams site now!

In other news, there's now a link to all the posts I've ever posted at the forums on my profile. Good thing I didn't respond to that female masturbation thread...!

I'm glad the link's there, I considered suggesting they add one.

Oh, and I'm going to be posting my novel in filtered friends-only entries. If you want to read it, just let me know. No need to friend me, just comment/email/etc. Cimmy, you're already added because I'm planning on forcing you to read it anyway. :P Na, only j/k. Really.

(Mwah-hah-hah).

Edit: Bear in mind that I'm not re-reading what I write until next month, it will therefore be crap and disjointed, but hey, that's NaNo for you. I welcome all comments, but I will ignore all criticism until December, when editing begins.

You've been warned!

Edit: I thought it might help to actually put the URL for the Lost Dreams site in, so I did. Doh!

NaNo: Word count

2004-11-01T10:56:15Z

1705 / 50000
(3.0%)

Nifty little gadget! darshan had one, now I do too.

Those of you doing NaNo, go to the NaNoWriMo site and look at the clock countdown - scary, huh?

Edit: Won't be updating this one, for my word count check my profile at NaNo.

NaNo: My site

2004-10-31T17:14:32Z

I'm working on the design of the Lost Dreams site. The navigation is being bloody difficult. But I'm getting there.

NaNo: Notes to self

2004-10-31T01:52:05Z

- Do not edit.
- Do not read novel before getting to 50000 words.
- Do not read novel before 50000 words. (I'm so blatantly going to totally ignore this).

Oh well. Right. I really am going now.

Why are there not more hours in the day? On the other hand, there are 25 hours in this day and it makes no difference.

Edit: Don't you just love shitty spring forward, fall back?!

"Updating journal...
Error updating journal:
Incorrect time value: Your most recent journal entry is dated 2004-10-31 01:50, but you're trying to post one at 2004-10-31 01:45 without the backdate option turned on. Please check your computer's clock. Or, if you really mean to post in the past, use the backdate option."

This is a sign that I should... go to bed!

NaNo: Comms

2004-10-31T01:27:02Z

nanowrimo has got to be the most helpful LJ comm for NaNo.

The thing I love so much about NaNo is that we're all in it together, there is such a great community feel to it, you really feel like you belong to this great community. This is why I love the Internet in general, because you can choose exactly who you'd like to associate with, and there are so many amazing & brilliant people in the world.

Cimmy, for example, is really good at keeping me motivated and enthused. Hooray! Anyways, I'm logging off now so I can prepare for NaNo, because I've done so very little.

But first I'm going to make a new background for my desktop.

Getting sleepy again. :(

NaNo: November

2004-10-31T00:24:06Z

Fuck! I have just under 23 hours of freedom before the madness that is NaNoWriMo begins. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Fuck.

In other news, aagh!

The FAQ

When is the cut-off date for sign-ups?
November 25, 2004 (hope springs eternal).

Can you imagine five days to write your novel??

I started writing about a week ago, to get in to the flow of my story, but I'm going to delete it all. (Well, not delete it, but I'm not going to use it).

I'm scared, hold me.

I think I will go and write notes and draw Mimi and try not to panic.

I don't feel sleepy anymore (see prolificdiarist, 30th October entry), which is excellent,a part from the fact that hello?! it's time to sleep! Oh, and my headache went away, which is also good.

Edit: The clocks go back - almost forgot, so, 24 hours to go. Aagh!

NaNo: Cute

2004-10-30T23:05:16Z

May your gossamer wings flutter productively through November... and beyond!

Aw, cheers NaNo!

Ideas & MC

In other news, I bought a new ideas book. It's really pretty: It's red with pink cherries on it. It has blank pages, so I've been doing rubbishy little scribblings of my MC (short for: main character). Who's currently called Mimi. I think I'll keep the name, even though it feels weird to be using it. Originally, she was called Bethany, which is a beautiful little name, but I know two people called Beth and it would be weird to have my MC sharing their name. She's not based on any of their traits.

Inspired by campciabatta, I even dug out my digicam to illustrate my inadequate descriptions:

Names

Speaking of which, I've been researching the name 'Mimi'. (I always choose the name first and then try to find out what it means). Of course, as per usual, the sites disagree, but there's some consensus:

Mimi

Site 1. "Although the name Mimi creates idealism and the urge to help others, we emphasize that it causes a materialistic approach that frustrates higher humanitarian qualities.
This name, when combined with the last name, can frustrate happiness, contentment, and success, as well as cause health weaknesses in the nervous system, and
reproductive organs."
http://www.kabalarians.com/cfm/DisplayNameAnalysis.cfm

WTF? This one continues with its odd weirdness (it's really big on the whole 'name causes character theory').

Site 2. Origin: ? (Egyptian) - Miriam (Heb) - Mariam or Maria (N.T. Gk) - Maria (Lat) - Mary (Eng) - Mimi (Italian pet form of Mary)

"The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including 'sea of bitterness', 'rebelliousness', and 'wished for child'. However it was most likely
originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from my 'beloved' or my 'love'."
http://www.behindthename.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?terms=mary

'Rebelliousness' definitely suits my character best of all these traits. I don't know why I ever bother with these name things...

Mary Sue

I did a Mary Sue test for my MC. She did alright, although they think she has many Mary Sue qualities. I wrote a bit of a critique on the whole thing, in the forums. My Mary Sue test critique

It was really good in that it helped me to think about aspects of Mimi, which I had yet to consider. I neglected to mention this in my critique though, oh well.

Lost Dreams: Official site (last update: 28th October 2004)

NaNo: Crap

2004-10-29T00:52:41Z

No, it will not be a great novel.

It makes me laugh when people have their self-congratulatory circle jerks:

A: That's a great idea; it will be a great novel.
B: Thanks! Yours will be too :)

No.

The ideas are probably amazing - there are many great ideas (none of them mine, of course, oh, who am I kidding?! I'm fab too) - but the ensuing novels will not be, that's the whole point of NaNo.

That's why there's the popular saying over at NaNo: "It's not about getting it right, it's about writing." Or something.

Okay, that's me done.

G'night.

NaNo: Other loonies, er... participants

2004-10-29T00:37:45Z

Yo!

I'm looking for (other) WriMos with fascinating ideas etc. Well, just anyone who's willing to converse on the whole NaNoWriMo deal really.

So, comment with your NaNo username and URL of your site (if you have one). Please only comment if you have some sort of online info about your novel (whether it's a journal, site or whatever).

Looking for hosting for your novel/plot etc. until the end of November (possibly beyond, just ask)? I've got space, but I'll only be able to upload/update your files once/twice a week. I also do site design, if you're interested. If that's ok, contact me. It's free. Woot!

NaNo Forums: Characterisation & Winning

2004-10-29T00:02:31Z

What crazy things do you do to get into the heads of your characters?
Best ones:
- conversations with characters: I do this when in bed, usually they talk amongst themselves, actually
- dressing up as character, affecting mannerisms: Never tried this, will do it tomorrow, sounds like a fucking laugh! Will need to get up earlier though, dammit.
- interviews. I've done this before and it worked well, have definitely got to do more exercises.

1000 reasons why we will win!
Best:
- irascible: 36 - I will win to make all the nonbelievers shut up.
- rii_adresca: 39. I'll win just to prove I can finish what I start.
- BrandyTook: 70. I will win because I have so little sanity to lose to begin with.
- BrandyTook: 71. I will win because I have stocked up on caffeine and caffeine related products.
- BrandyTook: 74. I will win because all the ideas in my head have to go somewhere and it might as well be on paper.
- achybreakywrists: 75. 'Cause it's ONLY 1,666 words per day...
- Splark: 76. I will win because I have a $190 bet on this thing.
- Wenderric: 96. I will win because my characters are special to me and deserve to have a chance to live.
- sushimustwrite: 108. I will win because I have already told everyone I know about this, and I can't just, well, not win.
- GreenGlazedEyes: 128. I will win because I have really kick ass music.
- janyse: 135. I will win because I want to prove that I can finish the story.
- janyse: 140. I will win because I actually have conflict and resolution and further conflict planned so I won't run out of plot.
- janyse: 141. I will win because I will keep writing, even a half a sentence, when I finish a chapter so I can't not know where to start the next day.
- janyse: 142. I will win because I don't have to worry about making the words perfect, just making the words.
- janyse: 143. I will win because I like to write.
- Caporal: 161: I will win because my schedule insists that I can't
- Caporal: 162: I will win because failing last year just sucked.
- Caporal: 163: I will win because I've been about to start writing this for almost a year and it's damn well getting done.
- Caporal: 165: I will win because I can!
- Chainlink: 207. I will win because my plot is made out of extra-stretchy elastic.
- Borberg: 215: I will win because all my life I've wanted to be a writer
- Borberg: 216: I will win because it's just 50,000 words
- Borberg: 217: I will win because I must.
- BERaven: 224 I will win because the NANO community will keep me strong.
- robertsloan2: 225: I will win because writing's not just what I do, it's who I am.
- robertsloan2: 232: I will win because I could be a career cripple with nothing better to do or a maniacal dedicated novelist who's got nothing better to do than write novels!
- robertsloan2: 234: I will win because I look forward to November as my annual vacation from reality.
- DeNisey: 251. I will win because I, too, have told a million people about it. So if I don't win, then I'm a loser.
- DeNisey: 252. I will win because, what else am I going to do during November?

NaNoWriMo

2004-10-27T11:44:13Z

Just a quick note to say I'm writing a 50 000 word novel in a month (November) for a competition. Hooray! Go to the following sites for more details and wish me luck!

Lost Dreams (official site for my novel)
NaNoWriMo

Progress report

2004-09-22T11:49:40Z

New site design for The PIT's Blog! Hooray! Let me know what you think.

Site update

2004-09-13T19:25:56Z

Summary
- New poetry (7)
- New poetry in Summer project (1)
- Updated Link In details

Details
Go see!

Progress report

2004-08-26T20:44:17Z

New design for The PIT's blog coming soon. Watch this space!

Site update

2004-08-26T20:40:19Z

Summary
- New Web design! Version 10.0: summer
- Eight new poems
- Updated site maps (including poetry & prose)
- Re-organised home page
- New Link In images (to match new site design)
- Updated Site info (including Updates, Credits, FAQ)
- Edited poetry & prose

Details
The most important updates are the brand new design (bright, summery and pink) and the new poetry. Enjoy!

Notes
Free site design, by me, still available from Art thou; with free hosting, subject to confirmation.

Site update

2004-08-08T15:45:37Z

Summary
- New literary project: Summer
- Projects info re-organised

Details
The new literary project - Summer - is inspired by Summer and dadave. Go, read it!

That's about it.

Site update

2004-08-01T19:01:42Z

Summary
- Two new poems in Poetry
- Two new poems in the Waterloo Underground project
- Corrections to prose
- Updates to Design and Updates info (in Site)

Proposed design for The PIT's blog

2004-07-18T21:26:33Z

Sneak preview!

Too narcissistic?

Site update

2004-07-18T21:25:29Z

Summary
- New illustrated poem and easier browsing.
- The Plagiarist - new arthope literary project
- Credits' info updated

Details
New illustrated poem - Bad Girl, includes two icons. I've also created an alphabetical listing of this year's poetry for easier browsing. Looking for a poem of mine? It's much easier now. But if you still can't find it, let me know and I'll tell you where it is.

New arthope literary project - The Plagiarist. I've also re-organised projects' info and their links to increase ease of reading. Much better layout now etc.

Credits' info updated to include acknowledgement of, and thanks to, those who've given feedback recently and ever.

Progress report

2004-07-08T20:44:40Z

I've been writing poetry and updating at least weekly for a good while, which is all great. However, I haven't written anything for my myriad of writing projects in ages. This is kind of how it goes: I have bouts of real enthusiasm and then they fade away.

I've been reading a lot of poetry and literature recently, which is admirable, I s'pose. ...and I've been forming evaluative judgements about them, as is evident from Art Thou Communitas (inspirewithart) and Glitterarty, which is all brilliant. But I feel unproductive somehow.

Have to try really hard to be positive.

Good, creative/cultured things I've done recently:
- Updated The PIT
- Read 'Planet of the Blind' by Stephen Kuusisto and reviewed it at Glitterarty
- Visited the Tate and reviewed it at Art Thou Communitas