Blurred Line

My internet's been on and off for the last couple of days, so I thought I'd write up a post while I had the chance. Anyhow, as you might be able to tell from my wordcount (which is actually a little higher now, though I didn't get it all typed up), my NaNoWriMo effort this year hasn't exactly been much of a success. So, I've decided that I'll stop pretending that I'm participating (even unofficially).

Much like the last time I participated, this year has brought success in unexpected ways. Truth be told, aside from a few pieces of flash fiction and the odd paragraph on Mass Romantic, I haven't written a thing yet this year. Not until this month when, without really meaning to, I construct a new writing regimen. See, I've never had any structured writing time built into my day. As a result, I'd write only when I felt struck by inspiration. The problem with that is, if I go too long without writing, I stop thinking about my writing, and then I stop coming up with ideas altogether. That's what happened for most of this year. However, since I've been working a lot lately, I really had to pin down my writing times for NaNo. That, in turn, has given me a writing schedule I can actually stick to. It won't exactly earn me NaNoWriMo-type production, but I have polished off two complete short stories in fourteen days.

Of course, the downside of not having written for so long as that pretty much everything you do really sucks -- I've decided to scrap "Blood Electric" almost entirely because its POV and pacing were just unbearable.

So, here's to seeing some actual production from me before the new year's up and, hey, who knows...maybe some new published stuff not long after that.

A funny thing happened while I was on my way to my car this morning. I live in a downtown area, so I don't usually get to park right beside my apartment building. Usually, I park two blocks away beside a tennis court. So, I'm walking along the sidewalk, roughly three steps from my car, when something hits me hard on the head. Now, it hit me on the top right side of my head, so naturally, I spun to my right. Nothing there...and it's a tennis court, so it's not like people could throw something at me and then hide behind something. Then, I look down and see an old bagel rolling along the ground. This is followed by a squirrel skittering down the tree right next to me.

Thus, I am forced to conclude that I was attacked by a bagel-throwing squirrel this morning. (Note: The picture is not of the actual squirrel that attacked me. Rather, I believe it to be evidence of the widespread existence of a species of super-intelligent bagel-brandishing squirrels. Who will, of course, stop at nothing to achieve their goal of world domination.)

File these articles under "Science Fiction in the Real World". First, how your thoughts can be read with an MRI. That's right, Thought Police are just around the corner. The article explains the science and also takes a shot at looking at the social and ethical implications of such a device. Also, weaponized robots. Well, it was just a matter of time -- I just didn't realized that the time was now.

Much excitement for me lately, even though my wordcount is just awful (even when keeping in mind that my last NaNoWriMo total was 18,000 words). This is because I've finished my first story of the year. It feels terrific. On the other hand, I'm not particularly pleased with it, and I think it'll require a lot of cleanup once November's over.

So, now I'm on to story number two, an expansion of a piece I wrote for a contest, called "Blood Electric." With any luck, I can finish that off in a week, though I'm concerned it might go a little slowly since I haven't mapped everything out yet.

Also, this is my first night free this week (and it'll probably be my only night free this week). I'm working 56 hours this week, and trying to make time for the girlfriend and my friends in there hasn't given me a whole lot of time to write -- I've pretty much been limited to writing on my breaks at work.

Anyhow, wish me luck -- hopefully I'll have "Blood Electric" done this time next week.

Well, only a few days in and I'm already extremely far behind the pace. Which, for me, is alright. I'm not the fastest writer and, on the plus side I've nearly finished one story already. A short one, but still. It's still one more short story than I've been able to write all year, so if I only finish this one story and top out and 1200 words or so, NaNoWriMo's a win for me. Anything that gets me writing, right?

Also, strugglingwriter's been bravely posting excerpts from his work (made all the more impressive by the fact that he's actually keep up the pace required thus far). So, in the spirit I thought I'd post a bit myself. Here's scene one from "Ten Scenes From the Capital, Circa 20__". Enjoy! (Keep in mind, this story will be more familiar to those who have actually been to Ottawa...actually, just for kicks I'll throw in a picture of what it is I'm writing about.)

1.

Still the seafoam green roof, rendering the building an old spinster in a bridesmaid's dress. Surrounded by old colonial relics, immaculately dressed old men with immaculate white moustaches, and the newer ones, all chrome and mirrors, stylish young executives with sleek cars and sleek haircuts. But this bridesmaid, she remains the center of it all.

She's a friendly looking old girl, with that green. Or, at the very least, she's not intimidating. The city orbits around her still, and she wipes the sense of foreboding from those old-world structures, takes the sneering tone away from those flashy high-rises.

The clock on the Peace Tower no longer moves, its last recorded time at some moment just after three-thirty. Whether in the AM or PM, it's impossible to tell. Parts of the building (the Centre Block, especially) are blackened, having been the target of Molotov cocktails in the final days. It didn't catch, though (as if anything would stick to the place). It's a good thing, too; she didn't deserve it. Then again, it makes sense for people to want her to be a victim, just like them.

I got some writing done today, but my wordcounts won't be updated right away (I actually just wrote "write away" -- Freudian slip?) since I still prefer a pen and pencil to working on the computer. I'll find time to get stuff typed up eventually, though. Right now I'm working on a story called "Ten Scenes From the Capital, Circa 20__". It's a post-apocalyptic story set in my hometown of Ottawa, and there's a few Canadian markets I think it would fit well with...but I'm trying not to bother with any of that stuff until next month.

Also, hope everyone had a happy Hallowe'en. I went as Pete Doherty. How does one dress up as Pete Doherty, you ask? Well, simply wear black pants, a white or grey shirt (untucked), a navy or black blazer, and a tie that's loosened up. Make sure your hair is really sweaty and/or greasy and find a way to make your face pale. Then, to top it all off, rub some flour under your nostril to double as cocaine. Also, if you're super-extravagant, like myself, fashion a six-foot-tall stick figure out of pipe cleaners and introduce it as Kate Moss. Hopefully, photos will be forthcoming.


Profile Editor. Writer. 9-5er. Lord of the Dance. Blurredline.com Apodis Publishing Fusion Fragment cterrill(at)blurredline.com Buy Goodbye, Darwin Amazon.com Amazon.ca Chapters.ca Barnes&Noble.com Read it free in PDF Format Buy Blurred Line Amazon.com Amazon.ca Chapters.ca Barnes&Noble.com Read it free in PDF Format The Short Stuff "Learning Magic From Mint" - published May 2007 in Atomjack "Between Eternities" - published October 2005 at Speculative.ca "Smoke and Mirrors" - published June 2005 in Byzarium Submissions Log Total Subs: 25 Acceptances: 3 Rejections: 17 Withdrawals: 3 Subs Out: 2 Quality Blogs Scalzi's Whatever Dave's Blogography Bookslut The Struggling Writer SF Signal the0phrastus Paperback Writer Scribe's Writing Desk Nathan Bransford Lyons Literary LLC The World in the Satin Bag Book In The Oven The Word Perhaps We Learned Something... Words, etc. Archives March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 Et Cetera Cavan @ Last.fm Cavan @ LibraryThing Feeds Atom Feed RSS Feed	Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - NaNo Update #3 My internet's been on and off for the last couple of days, so I thought I'd write up a post while I had the chance. Anyhow, as you might be able to tell from my wordcount (which is actually a little higher now, though I didn't get it all typed up), my NaNoWriMo effort this year hasn't exactly been much of a success. So, I've decided that I'll stop pretending that I'm participating (even unofficially). Much like the last time I participated, this year has brought success in unexpected ways. Truth be told, aside from a few pieces of flash fiction and the odd paragraph on Mass Romantic, I haven't written a thing yet this year. Not until this month when, without really meaning to, I construct a new writing regimen. See, I've never had any structured writing time built into my day. As a result, I'd write only when I felt struck by inspiration. The problem with that is, if I go too long without writing, I stop thinking about my writing, and then I stop coming up with ideas altogether. That's what happened for most of this year. However, since I've been working a lot lately, I really had to pin down my writing times for NaNo. That, in turn, has given me a writing schedule I can actually stick to. It won't exactly earn me NaNoWriMo-type production, but I have polished off two complete short stories in fourteen days. Of course, the downside of not having written for so long as that pretty much everything you do really sucks -- I've decided to scrap "Blood Electric" almost entirely because its POV and pacing were just unbearable. So, here's to seeing some actual production from me before the new year's up and, hey, who knows...maybe some new published stuff not long after that. Cavan blogged at 10:18 PM \| 0 comments Friday, November 09, 2007 - Interesting Ways to Start One's Day A funny thing happened while I was on my way to my car this morning. I live in a downtown area, so I don't usually get to park right beside my apartment building. Usually, I park two blocks away beside a tennis court. So, I'm walking along the sidewalk, roughly three steps from my car, when something hits me hard on the head. Now, it hit me on the top right side of my head, so naturally, I spun to my right. Nothing there...and it's a tennis court, so it's not like people could throw something at me and then hide behind something. Then, I look down and see an old bagel rolling along the ground. This is followed by a squirrel skittering down the tree right next to me. Thus, I am forced to conclude that I was attacked by a bagel-throwing squirrel this morning. (Note: The picture is not of the actual squirrel that attacked me. Rather, I believe it to be evidence of the widespread existence of a species of super-intelligent bagel-brandishing squirrels. Who will, of course, stop at nothing to achieve their goal of world domination.) Cavan blogged at 10:41 PM \| 1 comments Thursday, November 08, 2007 - Stuff From Popular Mechanics File these articles under "Science Fiction in the Real World". First, how your thoughts can be read with an MRI. That's right, Thought Police are just around the corner. The article explains the science and also takes a shot at looking at the social and ethical implications of such a device. Also, weaponized robots. Well, it was just a matter of time -- I just didn't realized that the time was now. Cavan blogged at 10:52 PM \| 0 comments Wednesday, November 07, 2007 - NNWM Update #2 Much excitement for me lately, even though my wordcount is just awful (even when keeping in mind that my last NaNoWriMo total was 18,000 words). This is because I've finished my first story of the year. It feels terrific. On the other hand, I'm not particularly pleased with it, and I think it'll require a lot of cleanup once November's over. So, now I'm on to story number two, an expansion of a piece I wrote for a contest, called "Blood Electric." With any luck, I can finish that off in a week, though I'm concerned it might go a little slowly since I haven't mapped everything out yet. Also, this is my first night free this week (and it'll probably be my only night free this week). I'm working 56 hours this week, and trying to make time for the girlfriend and my friends in there hasn't given me a whole lot of time to write -- I've pretty much been limited to writing on my breaks at work. Anyhow, wish me luck -- hopefully I'll have "Blood Electric" done this time next week. Cavan blogged at 4:35 PM \| 1 comments Sunday, November 04, 2007 - NaNoWriMo Update Well, only a few days in and I'm already extremely far behind the pace. Which, for me, is alright. I'm not the fastest writer and, on the plus side I've nearly finished one story already. A short one, but still. It's still one more short story than I've been able to write all year, so if I only finish this one story and top out and 1200 words or so, NaNoWriMo's a win for me. Anything that gets me writing, right? Also, strugglingwriter's been bravely posting excerpts from his work (made all the more impressive by the fact that he's actually keep up the pace required thus far). So, in the spirit I thought I'd post a bit myself. Here's scene one from "Ten Scenes From the Capital, Circa 20__". Enjoy! (Keep in mind, this story will be more familiar to those who have actually been to Ottawa...actually, just for kicks I'll throw in a picture of what it is I'm writing about.) 1. Still the seafoam green roof, rendering the building an old spinster in a bridesmaid's dress. Surrounded by old colonial relics, immaculately dressed old men with immaculate white moustaches, and the newer ones, all chrome and mirrors, stylish young executives with sleek cars and sleek haircuts. But this bridesmaid, she remains the center of it all. She's a friendly looking old girl, with that green. Or, at the very least, she's not intimidating. The city orbits around her still, and she wipes the sense of foreboding from those old-world structures, takes the sneering tone away from those flashy high-rises. The clock on the Peace Tower no longer moves, its last recorded time at some moment just after three-thirty. Whether in the AM or PM, it's impossible to tell. Parts of the building (the Centre Block, especially) are blackened, having been the target of Molotov cocktails in the final days. It didn't catch, though (as if anything would stick to the place). It's a good thing, too; she didn't deserve it. Then again, it makes sense for people to want her to be a victim, just like them. Cavan blogged at 1:32 PM \| 2 comments Thursday, November 01, 2007 - NaNoWriMo Begins! I got some writing done today, but my wordcounts won't be updated right away (I actually just wrote "write away" -- Freudian slip?) since I still prefer a pen and pencil to working on the computer. I'll find time to get stuff typed up eventually, though. Right now I'm working on a story called "Ten Scenes From the Capital, Circa 20__". It's a post-apocalyptic story set in my hometown of Ottawa, and there's a few Canadian markets I think it would fit well with...but I'm trying not to bother with any of that stuff until next month. Also, hope everyone had a happy Hallowe'en. I went as Pete Doherty. How does one dress up as Pete Doherty, you ask? Well, simply wear black pants, a white or grey shirt (untucked), a navy or black blazer, and a tie that's loosened up. Make sure your hair is really sweaty and/or greasy and find a way to make your face pale. Then, to top it all off, rub some flour under your nostril to double as cocaine. Also, if you're super-extravagant, like myself, fashion a six-foot-tall stick figure out of pipe cleaners and introduce it as Kate Moss. Hopefully, photos will be forthcoming. Cavan blogged at 10:33 PM \| 0 comments	Progress Zilch! 0/0 Listening A.J. Croce - "Maybe I'm Amazed" My Music Reading Bright Lights, Big City - Jay McInerney My Library Watching Black Book: B Sweet and Lowdown: C Breakfast on Pluto: B Wishlist Bridge of Sighs - Richard Russo Rachael Yamagata - Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart