http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:Tahjir&section=today deviantART RSS for by:Tahjir en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:18:01 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://Tahjir.deviantart.com/journal/28663851/ http://Tahjir.deviantart.com/journal/28663851/ Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:41:25 PST

Spent the past while going through my various notebooks, computers, and other storage thingies and combining everything I've written so far this month. In the end, I'm squeaking onto the finish line at around 60k. Unfortunately, just by looking at the story so far I've realized two things:

1. It sucks. Really, really sucks. It's not un-salvageable, but it'll need some serious editing before it's even readable.

2. It's not even finished. At around 50k it's only just leaving the second act. Another twenty or so thousand(at least) should take it all the way to the end. Yay.

So, now that it's done and out of the way for the moment, I now have time to concentrate on... everything else I need to write! I'm probably going to set this one aside for December, and come back to it with a fresh perspective and all that in January.

Anyway, about NaNoWriMo itself. It was certainly interesting. I'm not sure I can go back to my old writing habits, (by that I mean one chapter every couple weeks, written whenever I'm bored or something) which is probably a good thing. Seriously, I think I've written more in November than I ever have. I mean, like, in total. That's... sad, really.

So, yes. Time to start plotting, planning, and researching my other... uh, three books.

]]> ~Tahjir http://Tahjir.deviantart.com/journal/28601744/ http://Tahjir.deviantart.com/journal/28601744/ Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:17:37 PST
In the past 5,000 words I've killed two people on the ISS, dropped six nukes on poor, innocent bystanders, and had this exchange:

"Amateurs, the lot of them. The 'My ID? Of course you can have my- oops I just stabbed you in the eyeball' is the oldest trick in the book."

"Really?" Erik said woodenly, still staring at the knife covered in blood and what he really, really didn't want to think of as eye-juice.

"Yes. It's up there with the old 'Can you help me read this map- oops I just kneed you in the meat and veg'. Oh, thank you."

The one character is so fun to write. He's an old English guy that pretends to be a doctor but is really a crazy secret agent sort of person with all sorts of dirty tricks up his sleeves. Later on he blows up a Neo-Nazi werewolf with a railgun he keeps in his van. Deep, I know.

One thing I've noticed is how much I tend to write comedy scenes in Pratchett-like way. Probably because I've read all thirty-six(or so) of his books like a thousand times each. The language and mannerisms are practically embedded in me at this point. Hopefully I'm not taking too much away, though.

]]> ~Tahjir http://Tahjir.deviantart.com/journal/28442988/ http://Tahjir.deviantart.com/journal/28442988/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:39:30 PST Doing this whole thing has really helped, and, to be completely honest, reaching the 50k goal doesn't seem as important as it did at the start.
(still, I'm slightly jealous at these people I've seen with 300,000 word counts already. I wanna know how they do that!)

So, yeah. I've decided not to post this one online. Mainly because once I'm finished editing it and everything I'm going to try and get it published! I know I'm probably going to fail horribly, but I think it'll be fun anyway.

One thing I have to keep reminding myself, though, is not to worry about how absurd the storyline is. One of my favorite all-time books is "John Dies at the End", which is possibly as absurd as you can get. About a couple of guys who take this weird drug called "Soy Sauce", then fight the legions of hell. With crucifix shaped mints and doggie-bone shaped explosives made from cleaning products. The best thing though? It was a free online story. Despite that, it ended up getting nabbed by this crazy-big American publisher, and it's going to be made into a movie. Mostly luck, I know, but still.

I think in mine I'll have to get Orlando Bloom to do lead. Hmmm, who else?

Essential Edit!: There's a new character in my book! An astronaut on the ISS named... Major Tom!

Also, I MST3K and Rifftrax. Just watched Twilight, and it was totally worth it: [link]

Llllllladies?

Sit down, have some plaid!

Think it was a bear 'cause it... sucked all the blood from the corpse.

Line?...Line?...Line?

Gotta go, late for my angst class.

Also, this is beautiful: [link]

I'm looking forward to New Moon just because of this.

]]> ~Tahjir http://Tahjir.deviantart.com/journal/28361930/ http://Tahjir.deviantart.com/journal/28361930/ Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:11:29 PST all material I had previously, around 20,000 words, to a hard-drive crash.

So, yeah. I've decided to stick with the dorky fantasy stuff, but I'm ditching the lame magic and fairies and other... things.

The new incarnation will take place in a sort-of Napoleonic Era-ish fake England combined with the Black Death of the 14th Century.

Yes, I like history. So sue me.

It's going to be far more depressing, with people dying by the thousands and horrible people doing horrible things with fire 'n stuff.
Which, to be honest, isn't that much of a change.

So, yeah. Probably won't be doing this one online, though. I kinda like the whole "Daily NaNoWriMo Freak-Out" thing, so I'll be keeping that up after November ends. I mean, it's not like I'm doing anything else essential at the moment, I might as well attempt to act like a professional author.

]]> ~Tahjir http://Tahjir.deviantart.com/journal/28305124/ http://Tahjir.deviantart.com/journal/28305124/ Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:07:39 PST Ghoooooost Twiiiinkiiieees

That said, 18,000 words. Which is far, far longer than I've ever gotten with any story EVER!
That's kind of sad, now that I think of it.


(also, yes, there is a case involving a phantom snack cake in my story. It's an essential plot point, too.)

]]> ~Tahjir http://Tahjir.deviantart.com/journal/28117516/ http://Tahjir.deviantart.com/journal/28117516/ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:21:18 PST
Okay, scratch that previous assessment or whatever. First... bit uploaded. Not the first chapter, though. I've decided to, at least for the moment, ditch the chapter system. Now, I know most novels use chapters and stuff, but, well, I've always wanted to try going without after I read this:

"Life does not happen in regular chapters, nor do movies, and Homer did not write in chapters. I'm blessed if I know what function they serve in books for adults." - Terry Pratchett

And he seems to have done fairly well for himself, having been knighted and all.

Also, as a completely unrelated matter, this is totally awesome: [link] [link] [link]

I'm totally going to buy a copy and get it shipped here. I've already gotten a couple of signed and personalized books from him, and it's totally worth the shipping costs and everything. Sooo cool!

It's truly sad what's happened to him. When you think of Alzheimer's, you really don't think of people in their fifties getting it. It's kind of scary. He's been my favorite author as long as I can remember, and it's crushing to see what's happening to him, but a little inspiring, too. As far as I know, this is from his most recent interview about it:

"I am enjoying my life to the full, and hope to continue for quite some time, but I also intend, before the endgame looms, to die sitting in a chair in my own garden with a glass of brand in my hand and Thomas Tallis on the iPod, the latter because Thomas's music could lift even an atheist a little bit closer to Heaven, and perhaps a second brandy if there is time.

"Oh, and since this is England I had better add: 'If wet, in the library.'"

At the time of that interview, he was working to allow a system of assisted suicide to be set up in the UK for terminally ill patients.

]]> ~Tahjir