... still writing ...
... still working on Orycon programming ...
... still working on website ...
... but at least my website, kzmiller.com, is live and updated. It's just a little thin at the moment. Let me know what you think. Really. I don't mind negative comments at all, especially if they're richly deserved. Besides, it's not like I'd be stuck with teh suk if it does stink. I can make changes all by my lonesome, without any webmasterly help (for the most part) so it doesn't cost me money, or very much time. I plan updating it fairly often, so your comments may be put to use pretty darned soon, especially if they point out something particularly heckle-worthy.
Bear in mind I may ignore your advice. I'm mean that way to everyone, so don't take it personally.
**A big thank you to S. & C. for your help in getting my website back! That change of software really threw me. Now I have control over my website again. Yay!**
My Nano is coming along. I'm averaging about 3600 words a day, with over 18,000 words written as of tonight. But I haven't had much time to put together a short story this week. I'd like to do that tomorrow, and get it sent out in the mail by Monday.
For all that I'm writing along at a decent pace, my DH is rather easily staying ahead of me. This while only being able to type with two fingers. Seriously. I could trot out some excuses, but actually, it's a matter of dedication and speed of thought. A couple of times now I've had to step back from what I'm writing and play in hot water for a while, whether it's dishes or taking a bath or whatever. I've also done some gardening (thank you utility dudes for the free chipped pruning debris!) as that gets me out into fresh air. Fresh air and exercise help keep my writing from getting foggy and inbred. Working upstairs on my laptop helps too but I've already developed a favorite spot (on the loveseat) so I haven't changed perspectives very often through the device of changing sitting position and changing what I'm staring through when I look up from the keyboard.
Speaking of looking up from the keyboard ...
One of the things I learned about my own writing style in the master's class is the disadvantage of reading what I'm typing. The advantage is that I tend to read somewhat aloud what I write as I type, just as I read aloud silently in my head when I read. (This is a slow way of reading, but I get to enjoy the sounds of words on the page that way.) People sitting close to me while I write will sometimes hear me vocalize deep (and quietly) in my throat, talking out the words on the page as well as reading them.
This is good to help me capture the sounds of words, but ...
But the flow of my writing stops and starts depending on things like typos. I also get distracted by the look of the words on the page. I worry, independently of how the word flow feels, about things like paragraphs being too thick or thin.
Visual appearance and typos are important, but allowing those little pixels on the screen dictate my writing to me while I'm in creative mode isn't always the best way to get at the right words. When I mentioned this to Kris, she smiled and let me know that she often doesn't look at the screen at all. Her gaze will wander around the room, and she'll be seeing in her mind's eye. This, I believe, lets her tap more deeply into her imagination.
I gave that a try a few times during the class, and I think I'll give a try here at home from time to time too, especially during very visual moments in the story. I just have to make sure my fingers are on the right keys, otherwise I won't be able to read what I just wrote!
I hope all my fellow Nanoers are doing all right out there! Keep writing!
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