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Welcome to version 18 of my blog.

Everybody Wants You (Dead) is one of my favorite songs from The Agonist's newest album Prisoners.

Also Alissa White-Gluz is my hero.

Enjoy!

Day 10

Today is day 10 of Camp NaNoWriMo.

I've gotten through the first 11 chapters. I've also cut down some of the future chapters, so now there's only 30 in total, so I only have 19 more to get through!

I go back to work on Monday and I'm trying to figure out how I can edit during my breaks. If I take my laptop, I'd have to leave the computer room every time I want to edit and that really isn't possible. (Confidentiality of the work is a huge issue, so we're not allowed to have electronics in the room near our work.)

Ideally I'd like to print out a chapter or two to take to work with me, but our printer ink is so hard to find and so expensive I don't want to waste my parents ink and I leave for work around 7am and the library isn't open at the time.

So it doesn't look like I'll be able to work on my stuff during work :( There's one reason to get an ipad or tablet or something.

Can you edit/write papers on a kindle fire or on a nook? probably not.

Not that it matters. I won't get my first paycheck until at least the 26th (then I have to mail it in to my bank so I won't have my money until like the 30th or first of may) and my first project ends on the 29th.

I can't wait to have money again. There's so much I need. I need bookshelves/some sort of shelving, frames, possibly a new dresser, a new desk. Plus concert tickets and of course I need to go visit my dear friend in Green Camp.

Alright, time to get back to editing.

Camp NaNoWriMo

April is Camp NaNoWriMo!

It's a bit different from NaNoWriMo in November, but still pretty similar.

I'm using this month to edit my book. My goal is 10,000 words since I'm only editing. If I average about 4,000 words a day I can hit my mark before the April 26th deadline for my alma mater's winter bulletin. By the time the bulletin comes out my book will have been self-published. I'd just at least liked to have finish editing it by then.

I'm going a bit slow, but yesterday I was sick and then I spent most of the day reading Beautiful Creatures, which is a really good book! I haven't sat down and read an entire book in a day in a long time.

So, now on to writing!

Instagram and twitter

I have an instagram now: http://instagram.com/signycullen and a twitter: http://twitter.com/signycullen

I don't tweet much (mostly because I tend to forget I have it) and I'm still getting used to instagram.

Ah, social media

A new episode of Spartacus is on tonight and the last episode of Neverwhere was today.

Chapter 2 is done

I may have mentioned I tend to watch Spartacus (the tv series on Starz) while writing the first few chapters. The first chapter takes place in the Roman Republic and the second chapter takes place in Jerusalem during the crucifixion of Jesus. In these chapters, I use the same type of speech that they use on Spartacus.

For example- Ilithyia: First you tie my hands and then you seize my fucking tongue?
Lucretia: I would not have it flapping about absent direction.

And this is an example from chapter 2- Eva flicked her hand dismissively and pursed her lips at Lehi. “Close mouth or find tongue absent. I seek not your approval. I know of what I do and I know of my path. I do not need,” Eva looked Lehi up and down in disapproval and smirked, “your words upon my ear. Cease speaking and return to beloved wife. There is much to do.”

Mine is a bit lacking as compared to the show, but I think I make my point in the differences of speech.

So my rewrite of chapter 2 is done and so now I can return to editing the rest of the book. I've got many chapters to go. 

Onwards

I'm rewriting chapter 2 now. It deals with the crucifixation of Jesus.

I'm pretty sure when my parents read this book, they'll be upset to some degree. The book deals heavily with the topics of letting God down (not doing Godly things with your life, if you will) and the wrath of God. I invision quite a many Christians will be unhappy with my book.

The point is actually not to make a religious statement, but rather this: do not let others decide your path in life. Make choices for yourself, not because someone told you to do it this way or that something will happen in the future, so you should lead yourself to that.

Anyways, I hope my book will make that clear.

I'd like to get it done and published by April 26th so that I could put a thing about it in my alma mater's summer bulletin. they release a bulletin twice a year and in it they update on alumni's successes (as well as marriages, deaths, and births), if you submit about it. I'd like to be able to tell my fellow alumni about my book in hopes someone will buy it!

So we'll see.

I've got a pretty crap migraine, so I haven't done much work. Plus my friends that are helping me edit are also busy with their own lives (and books) so it takes a while for me to get their opinions.

So yeah, we'll see.

Finished Rewrite

After watching all of Spartacus: War of the Damned (the episodes that have aired so far), most of Spartacus: Blood and Sands, and most of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, I finally finished rewriting the first chapter of Farther Side of Away.

It took a while because I kept getting distracted. The show influenced me to put in more swear words, lol. You know I find it weird, I have such a difficulty in writing swear words, romantic scenes, and sex scenes, but I'm cool with watching Spartacus. I just find myself, as I'm writing, rolling my eyes and going "THIS SOUNDS DUMB. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

But it's there. I've sent it to my friends who have been helping me edit and hopefully they like what I've changed. Originally, the big reveal scene for Adam & Eve was in chapter one, but one of my online friends who is helping me edit suggested leaving the reveal for a later chapter (which is actually a good idea). So I rewrote the first chapter. Hopefully it's much better now!

So yeah, that's what I've been up to. That and making dinner for the family.

Last night I made a Dutch dish called Slavink, which is minced meat wrapped in bacon. Usually it's done with half beef & half pork, but my family is not a big pork fan, so I just used beef. It turned out really good. I still need to work on getting the bacon cooked more, but it was delicious.

So I'm 3 for 4 (one night we just had soup so I don't think it counts). Tomorrow we're having a full chicken, which will be fun to make.

Edit: oh and this is my 100th post! Funny how the blog has changed over the years.