lindsay takes a coffee break

NaNo update #5

nobody@vox.com(Lindsay Erika) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:53:04 -0800

I am 1/5th the way through! More than 20%! I passed today's NaNo catch-up goal (10,000 words) with over an hour to spare, and surpassed it (10,578) with half an hour to spare. I'll catch up tomorrow for sure! I'm only stopping now because my MC is going to bed, too, so it seemed like a good spot.

In the story today: Apparently my MC has a revered ancestor named Quinlin Hart and her mother was having a bit of a salamander problem - the magic kind that are made of fire. It lost its tail, but it'll grow back....

...Don't know when my main plot will kick in. Not that I know what that is yet. Maybe tomorrow it will reveal itself. She's gonna catch some unsettling gossip about herself. And there's someone new in town. Now if only I knew what that gossip was...

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NaNo update #4

nobody@vox.com(Lindsay Erika) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:16:18 -0800

Didn't quite hit my double quota before midnight like I needed to catch up for nanowrimo, but I should get there before I go to bed tonight. Currently at 6,120. Need to get to 6,668 before I go to sleep. (Though I really should be at 10,002 if I were caught up.)

In the story today: a gnome named Hollaby, a gnomide (that's a female gnome), an injured rabbit who got some healing and is now being chased by a kunal trow flying about on a bulrush. But the rabbit's in good hands in my main character's saddlebag....

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NaNo update #3

nobody@vox.com(Lindsay Erika) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:11:13 -0800

I wrote over 3300 words for NaNo today, but I'm still 5,000 behind due to my late start! But if I can write double the daily quota for the next three days I should catch up.

In the story so far: a shapeshifting woman, a very dark cavern, and a garden built by gnomes out of rock, moss, and non-native plants....

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NaNo update #2

nobody@vox.com(Lindsay Erika) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:08:59 -0800

making pathetic progress so far on my word count. But I'm gonna stay up all night to catch up a bit. ...If I can keep myself from taking too many breaks.... Which doesn't seem likely.

Word count is at 1586.

p.s. Feel free to hound me when I'm behind. I'm not sure I can rely on those 'invisible guilt monkeys' to keep me on task. They're titchy little buggers.

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NaNo update #1

nobody@vox.com(Lindsay Erika) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:00:46 -0800

I spent the first few days of November at my mom's in Michigan, where there was only dial up internet, no cell phone signal, and adorable nephews to distract me. So I'm getting a late start on my writing. The daily quota (if you write every day) is 1,667 words. I'm about 7,000 behind.

Here I go!

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off to NaNo land

nobody@vox.com(Lindsay Erika) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:53:20 -0800

I haven't been writing nearly enough over the past year or two, as my sparse blog can attest. I mean, I've been thinking about my writing a lot for months now, but mostly in terms of research for my big ole epic young adult fantasy series. But nothing that I've really been writing down.

So a couple months ago I decided that it was time I finally attempt NaNoWriMo. I've known about this crazy thing for years. Even bought the book way back when. But never really gave it a good shot. Too busy, to dried up of ideas, too much of a first draft perfectionist.

But this year is the year. With all the research I'd been doing I hit upon the perfect idea of what to write about. Okay, I still have no plot, just like my epic has no real plot. But while that is a hindrance for the epic, it is not a problem for NaNo (in fact the NaNo book was purchased for just that reason, what with its title of 'No Plot, No Problem'.

I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to come up with the back story for one of my minor, yet key, characters. I know where the story it has to end up, and I know a few things that need to be included. But other than that, not only is the storyline fair game, it is totally unnecessary to my larger ideas. So I don't need to worry about getting locked into something or messing things up. If I just come up with one tiny bit of a useful event or one clever description of something, it will have been worth it.

It may even help me to knock out some of that perfectionism I get when I write. I'm the type of writer that seems to have trouble concentrating during the revision process, so I tend to try to get it perfect the first time 'round. I often won't move on in my first draft until each sentence is perfect. How liberating to say: "It doesn't matter how crappy this is!" In fact, the crappier the better! Since the single goal of NaNo is word count and word count alone, I can write crappy lengthy wordy sentences - on purpose!

So last night, as I was posting a little update to my facebook status, it occurred to me that it might be nice to use NaNo as an excuse to make friends with my lonely vox once again. I'm going to try to put my NaNo updates here every day, though they may only be copied straight off my facebook... But since you probably can't see my facebook, I figured you wouldn't mind.

So, wish me luck!

(p.s. I'm going to go ahead and be a dork with my first couple updates and put them in seperate posts, since they were seperate days. And I'm going to lie about the dates, too since they were really posted to facebook earlier...because I can. I can and I feel like it. ...*thpppttt*)

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song in my head today: halloween!

nobody@vox.com(Lindsay Erika) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:31:17 -0700

In the past I've posted a mini collection of Chirstmas songs and a few Valentine's day songs. So I thought it was time I post a Halloween collection. Got a few classics here, you'll no doubt love to hear yet again - since they never get old, really. Then the nice, melancholic, beautiful, and haunting Samhain Night by Loreena McKennitt.

Samain Night

Loreena McKennitt

And finally, in juxtaposition to my Christmas upload of Louie Armstron reciting The Night Before Christmas to Pachelbel's Canon, for Halloween I've got The Raven, as spooklliy read by John Carradine to some creepy pipe organs. ^__^ Gotta love it!

Happy Halloween/ Samhain/ All Souls Night/ Dia de los Muertos!

The Raven

John Carradine

love-love. Lindsay

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'victory, not vengeance' for the journey

nobody@vox.com(Lindsay Erika) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 05:15:58 -0700

Many of us have music we feel makes up the soundtrack of our lives. Even my father knows precisely what music would play in the film based on his life. I, myself, have had many random songs that represent whole swathes of my mundane experiences, simply because I loved them at those times. But I also have had a few I've purposely elevated into mantras; music that I not only love, but that says something I really need to keep in my head as I go through tougher times or times of change. I've even posted about one before.

But for the better part of the past year, there has been an entire library of these mantra songs accumulating from one single band. As electronica, VNV Nation's sound may not be for everyone (and indeed there are a handful of their songs that are so violently house-music-y and slightly repetitive that I never listen to them a second time), but many of their songs are flabbergastingly inspiring and beautiful. For me, since I like electronic music when it is as intricate as a symphony or has compelling bridges and change-ups (or whatever the proper music terms are for these variations in the music), I find much of the music inspiring in its own right, but the lyrics push it beyond a lot of music today. The band's very name speaks to their view of a grander scale - the VNV standing for Victory, Not Vengeance.

Their songs capture every part of the human journey, from those times we feel lost or insignificant to the times we struggle to better ourselves and our world and reach to whatever lies beyond. And it is these that I am continually trying to remind myself to heed, to live by, to embrace in my own journey. Suffice it to say that I could narrate an entire film - beginning, middle, plot twist, and end - with VNV's music, and it would be a story with which many, many people could identify.

So I felt it was high time I share some of these. A few snatches of lyrics and a few songs that continue to blow me away, to bring tears to my eyes, and to inspire me, not only to feel differently about my life, but to seek the light. I hope they inspire you, too.

"And if rain brings winds of change, let it rain on us forever." ~Solitary

"I don't want you to change, for all the hurt you feel. This world is just illusion, trying to change you." ~Illusion

"Lay down your greastest burden
Relinquish that which has control of you
And let yourself through
Though it seems the past and future look the same
Suffice to say you're still here
Though the past, the unwanted memories, are holding onto you
All the power in the universe conspires to carry you." ~Carry You

"We possess the power
If this should start to fall apart
to mend divides, to change the world
to reach the farthest star
If we should stay silent
if fear should win our hearts,
our light will have long diminished
before it reaches the farthest star." ~The Farthest Star

"Forget your fears. And want no more.
At first light lay proud foundations.
Sense the greatness that before you unfolds.
Seek no more for hollow answers.
Answers that lay within you all along.
Farewell to dawns seen through saddened eyes.
Farewell to pasts to sorrows chained.
Forget your fears and want no more.
You will be strong and want no more.
You'll be adored. You will have everything.
You will be strong and want no more.
Forget your fears. You will have everything.
And want no more." ~Firstlight / Arclight / Lastlight

Endless Skies

VNV Nation

"How many years since you found yourself
Staring at an endless sky?
Unaware of yourself
Who you are and where you're going
Only living
Only breathing
Losing all sense of time
The most fragile of things
Captivates and embraces you
Surrender and be witness
To this rarest of moments
You live within the sense
Of the order of things
What is truth
What is important
What defines you
No need to fear
No need to worry
About years that passed
About time you lost
Live seconds as a lifetime
Time it does not matter
You live within the sense
Of the stillness of time" ~Endless Skies

"Before me plays the endless film
Relentless splinters I recall

Arena

VNV Nation

Each living thing breathes life
Only sentiment remains
To liquid born, from patterns formed
The sand descends with blind intent
Where the river takes me will in time be revealed
I cannot turn my feelings down
Beyond my means to turn my thoughts around
Expressed in every word I will ever speak
Brighter than all the stars combined
More than the waters, earth and sky
All that I wish and all that I dream
Above the waves with my hands raised
Dare the wind, lay claim to me
Knowing somehow none could take me
Watching the sun come up in vain
The only reason I can find why I remained
The need to leave the point I came to again and again
It didn't matter how hard I tried
It took so long to claim that I knew how
Or what it meant to let go of this
To ever say goodbye
Call it destiny, call it fate
Chose my direction, running forward
Each life to learn anew, whatever may come
I cannot turn my feelings down
Beyond my means to turn my thoughts around
Expressed in every word I will ever speak
Brighter than all the stars combined
More than the waters, earth and sky
All that I wish and all that I dream
No creed on earth can replace or provide
In my darkest hour, the comfort I'd feel
Leading me to see I can be more than I expect of me
My beginning and my end
The first and last air that I breathe
More than the sum of everything that I will ever be." ~Arena

Perpetual

VNV Nation

"Find it in you, raise your eyes
Look beyond the place you stand
Towards the furthest reaches
And to the smallest of things
The sound you are hearing
Is the symphony of what we are
Revelation will not come
With heart and mind closed and divided
No need of sun to light the way
Across the ages, we have reigned as we endured
Through the storm fronts we will ever surely pass
To stand as never ending light
Throw away the mantle
Awake from your uncertain hesitation
No way to describe or equate the feeling
No end to what is at your command
A million thoughts run through you
Concentric circles, ever greater
But you have always known
That this is not all there is
To your questions there'll be answers
Let there be, let there always be
Never ending light" ~Perpetual

Where There Is Light

VNV Nation

"The carousel begins to slow, I take my chances
So far removed, I fail to see
The recklessness I've shown in all my words and deeds
The good in other souls I never fail to see
Can you see the light

As far as the eyes can see
From this point above the world
Where mortals dare their destiny
As it radiates, may I witness open-eyed
Let me remain where there is light
In want of courage
It is a shield for me
In want of hope
It reassures and carries me
As it radiates, may I witness open-eyed
Let me remain where there is light
Letting go was never easy
Risking all for what I wanted, never needed
Deliberated whether I should serve the cause of greater things

As we moved worlds apart
Can you see the light...
The greatest words would still fail me now
These emotions I cannot describe
I want to be where I don't need to hide myself
And remain there until the end of time
The gods play games with mortal hearts
As the carousel goes 'round
As I looked on,
I saw the crowds who gathered walk away
Can you see the light..." ~Where There Is Light

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self-taught digitalness

nobody@vox.com(Lindsay Erika) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:37:51 -0700

Photoshop can be addictive. I was supposed to be working on my two years worth of photos, but I've been inspired to play. I joined DeviantART not too long ago, and not only does it seem to be a great learning tool for me, but it's a great artistic kick in the pants. It's so full of quality art, in many different styles, not to mention handy tutorials. So I started trying to be more creative with my stuff - you know, so I can maybe feel like a real artist instead of just some girl with a camera who happens to walk by something cool. This is why I've been getting better with photo editing in photoshop, but also why I decided to try my hand at learning things like vector and flash! And of course, being the perfectionist I occasionally am, I think I've done fairly well in my first go-rounds, so I wanted to share. Particularly the vector drawing I finished last night.

Okay, so my flash isn't so great. But I did it a mere 2 1/2 hours after opening the program for virtually the first time and going through the basic lessons in the welcome screen! And this was the first thing I'd ever drawn with just a pen tool and simple brushes.

**I don't seem to be able to embed it here (or anyway, it's only showing the preview image and the apparent links aren't linking, so I guess you'll have to go here to see it.)

And now for the guy I'm growing really proud of. While I've been playing a lot with the pen tool (and think I'm really getting the hang of it) this is my first completed digital drawing. Sadly, it's not my concept, though. I must confess this is inspired by a picture I've had hanging over my kitchen sink in every apartment I've lived in since high school.

miracle fish grow

I'm sure I've missed some details, so I may do more to it later, but I'm still pretty darn happy with it. And yes, this was done in just photoshop, not Illustrator or some fancy-schmancy drawing program like that. Cause I don't have that.

Now what I really need to do is get my butt moving on my new website design, which I've been planning to do for months!

love-love. Lindsay

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a Daggordale sneak peek!

nobody@vox.com(Lindsay Erika) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 03:20:28 -0700

As I mentioned before, I'm in this little film called The Wizards of Daggordale. While the wizards themselves still have a lot of footage to shoot, we in the supporting cast had our turn last month, and they've put together a little behind the scenes peek. Check it out!

Behind the Scenes Sneak Peek at the new Wizards of Daggordale movie

And remember to check out www.Daggordale.com for more good stuff about wizards Berandar and Eloilder, their music, and the film.

i am the Harpy Queen

p.s. Here's the quickie photo I got of my purple makeup while still in the makeup room. They may have some better ones, so I'll post them if I get them.

love-love. Lindsay

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