Writing Journal

I would say my experience with Camp NaNo is successful so far.  I say successful in that I'm deeply connecting with my plot and characters.  I'm not even that far behind in my page count goals when I think about it.  We're about 35% through the month, and I'm at about 30% of my page count goal.  Don't have any setting studies yet, though.

I've made two discoveries this round, the first being how useful the NaNo forums are.  It's good for my story, and I really like being able to help other people with their writing and story problems, too.

The second discovery is something that I'm glad is happening during the planning stages rather than the writing stages.  I am shocked at how much my story has evolved.  I originally thought it would be about 2 young professionals growing together (probably romantically) with the aid (and comic relief) of a sassy Korean war vet.

Now my story is looking to be more about that sassy widower and his widowed friend developing a relationshp (platonic at this point).  I'm currently undecided about how involved they themselves will be in the development of a relationship between her grandson and a young woman the vet has a connection to.  (The relationship will happen; I'm just not sure how cognizant of it I want the older pair to be.)

Trivia: the character of the war vet is based on a man I know in real life.  I met him about 6 months ago when I started working in the temple, and it hasn't been until recently that he could remember my last name.  About a week ago, he took to lightheardedly calling me by the last name of "Cedarmore" to help him remember.  It was such a hit amongst our peers (yes, a widowered Korean war vet and I have peers; how amazingly bizarre is my life?!) that one of them commented it was such a nice last name, she might accidentally think it actually was my name.  That's when I decided to use it as "his" character's last name.

Writing Journal

Yes, I still do these.

July is another Camp NaNo.  Between November and April, I learned that I am more successful as a planner than a pantser. 

I really like what NaNoWriMo did for me and for my life.  I think it's something that I'll like every year.  It helps me revert from a social butterfly back into my social cocoon.  To clarify, it helps people around me adapt to my absence for a few months.  Writing a novel is a more concrete reason to not attend a social gathering than something as abstract as a mental disorder. (I don't know why, but that sounds icky to me.  Society, can we plese do something about the stigma of all mental disorders?  Thanks.)  Both are quite legit, but one requires far less exploitation.

Anyway...just as I intend to partake in NaNoWriMo for years to come, I hereby state my intentions to use July's Camp NaNo as a planning month.

By the end of this July, I hope to have:

• 15 pages of plot outline (with the distinct possibility of chapter divisions)
• 10 pages of character analysis
• 5 pages of setting studiees

*main characters

Reading Journal

Mirror, Mirror Off the Wall: How I Learned to Love My Body by Not Looking at It for a Year by Kjerstin Gruys


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The concept of the challenge was intriguing: go for an entire year without looking at one's own image. Gruys was bold enough to allow the challenge to encompass her wedding day (a loophole was created for a once-over of the wedding photos).

Her background, especially working with groups that help women overcome destructive body issues (i.e. eating disorders), sets the tone for the book. I was impressed by her explaining technical terms as she used them. However, I feel it could have done well without most of the cussing.

The final chapters are full of insight as to the lessons Gruys learned throughout the process and those are well worth reading.




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Shortly after beginning this book, I was looking for something to use as a bookmark and the first thing I saw was a postcard from some dentist (it may or may not have been mine).  After actually looking at it, I realized how appropriate it was.

It's time to define your beautiful smile.

Reading Journal

The River at the Center of the World: A Journey Up the Yangtze and Back in Chinese Time by Simon Winchester


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


In the beginning, he says that he intends to go back into the history of China as he travels up the Yangtze. He didn't, which was a disappointment as I was rather looking forward to learning some Chinese history in such a unique way. Instead, I was flooded with information from whatever period of history was most eventful for the locale. Which probably wouldn't have been so bad if that's what I had been expecting.

Overall, the book and the stories were interesting, but I could see the editors and proofreaders started getting tired around page 300. I certainly can't blame them. The middle was rather dry.

If you're into travel writing, you might like it; if you're into Chinese history, you probably will; if you're not into either of those things, you'll get bored just after the page of no return.




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Reading Journal

I need to hurry up!  I want to have Mirror, Mirror finished before I do the Day Without Mirrors challenge next week so I can incorporate my review into my reflections on the challenge.  (Pun partially intended.)  But I am literally 75% done with my China book.  I'm on page 300 of 400.

Guess that means no Candy Crush for a while, huh?  (Yeah, I'm addicted.)
When I get behind like this, I like to set rotations because I feel like I work faster when I multitask.

So I'll probably read Mirror, Mirror on all my lunch breaks (it fits in my purse better).  At home, I'll use the following rotation*:
China to a stopping point (chapter or page break)
Mirror, Mirror to stopping point
China to stopping point
Rinse (do something else, like housework, work on a church lesson, text/play on the phone) and repeat.

Heck, I should be doing this rotation, anyway, right?
*Reading may be done during commercials of shows I happen to watch, such as Jeopardy, the news, WoF, Community, Liberty's Kids, and Castle if I'm still going on Monday.