NaNoWriMo Preparations

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I like to have a good image in my head of the characters I'm developing for my stories and books. This years NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) effort is a young adult Science Fiction / Mystery / Adventure titled 'Strangeway's Mind Ship'. I decided to introduce two Alien races to the story. This is an integral part of the novel because the main character, Horatio Hornblower Strangeway (a human) is a part of the first Space Service Academy class to accept alien and modified human cadets to the Officer Corp. The growing Purity Faction is opposed to this decision.
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So in a round-a-bout way, the novel will deal with issues of prejudice, intolerance and fear, but the main theme is about the choices we make and the consequences of those choices.

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I’ve never designed an alien before but I thought it would be cool to have a race, evolved from a creature similar to Earth foxes. I wanted the Vorpal to be bi-pedal and more humanoid than vulpine but still have a distinct Fox-like appearance.
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I thought the best way to get the image in my head was to draw a picture of Vix Sorrell, one of my main characters, and a Vorpal character to boot. They do say, ‘a picture’s worth a thousand words’. I had a heap of fun painting her. She is not at all like I first imagined her but I think I like her better now.
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These aren’t my only preparations for this years NaNoWriMo. I have been plotting out the major events in the story. This is my Sign Post Method of plotting. In the past, I’ve tried winging it and writing the story to see what happens – NOT really a success for me. I end up getting sidetracked and lost and giving up on the idea. And I’ve also tried doing detailed outlines of every scene but found the story lost it’s freshness as I tried to colour between the lines.
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For this novel, I’m trying something in the middle of those two extremes. I have started to map out the major plot points along the way. These will be my Sign Posts to keep me on track – or at least help me find my way back to the path – but I will still have the creative freedom to tag along behind my characters and write about the things they get up to along the way.

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Great Books Week - Friday

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Friday:

When I want to give someone a special gift, I give them [name of book] because…
So here goes…

OK. This is another one of those difficult questions to answer.

It really depends on the person.

My wife is three quarters of the way to becoming the Mad Cat Lady so if I buy her a book, she gets a CAT book. In fact, the last three books I bought her were; 'Dewey - The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched The World' by Vici Myron, 'What My Cat Has Taught Me About Life' by Niki Anderson, and 'Cats' by Yann Arthus-Bertrand.

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My oldest son is a mad Star Wars Fan, so when I buy books for him, they are the latest titles in the many Star Wars sagas.

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But, I think this question is about, if you had to pick just one book to give as a gift - what would it be.

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So if I have to choose, it has to be Jay Asher's 'Thirteen Reasons Why'

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I blogged about this book earlier in the year. About why I think it is such an important book and why I believe it should be mandatory for all high school students to read.

I would hate to be in Jay Asher's shoes. For a debut novel, it is definitely going to be hard to top.

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The novel deals with teen suicide and taking responsibility for your actions. Clay Jensen, a high school student receives a mysterious package containing seven audio tapes from Hannah Baker. Only Hannah committed suicide two weeks earlier. The tapes contain her recorded message to the thirteen people responsible for the thirteen reasons why she killed herself. Clay is devastated to discover he is one of those reasons.

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The book is a transcript of those tapes and Clay's reactions to them but it is written as a mystery for the reader to work out along side Clay.
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Great Books Week - Thursday

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Thursday:

I hated … when I had to read it in high school, but when I read it on my own later, I loved it because….



Sorry, but this is not a question I can answer. There were plenty of books we were forced to ... read ... while in high school that certainly fit the category. However, I have never even contemplated revisiting any of them to check if I still hate them.



It might be an interesting experiment though. If I had to choose one book, the one I hated the most, it would have to be Wuthering Heights.



Usually, I liked books that had movies based on them. Armed with a little skimming and the video fresh in my mind, I found I could cobble together a more than passable book report - as long as was careful not to mention any of the actors names in the report. Once bitten...



Wuthering Heights was the exception to the method. I loathed the movie even more than the book. I made it fifteen minutes in before I turned it off.


Visit the original Great Books Blog Tour blog post located on the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE) web site.


http://news.naiwe.com/2009/10/03/great-books-week-blog-tour-october-4-10-2009/
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Great Books Week - Wednesday

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Wednesday:
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I’d write my autobiography, but I don’t need to, because my story has already been told in…

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The only book I could come up with that resembled my story is Peter Maas's, Serpico.
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Not because I worked Vice or Homicide in my cop days and not because I discovered rife corruption in the force or had fellow cops wanting me dead...
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I do however feel a strong affinity with Frank Serpico - morally and ethically. My integrity ended up being my downfall in the Force.
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I joined the police to help people and it was a career I thought I would spend my entire working life. I strongly believe I did help people along the way and there were many positive things to come out of my 21 years as a Police Officer.
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But there were bad things too. Lots of bad things.
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I don't sleep well most nights. There are things inside my head I don't want to see again but when they are on the inside, you can't close your eyes.
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In the end, my bosses - through their petty minded interference and politics - made my life so miserable when I refused to compromise my integrity and tow their version of the line. A line, that did not include helping the people that needed help the most.
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However, on a brighter note, I'm doing much better now. Those little angel figurines with no faces don't freak me anymore - well not completely. And I have nights now when I don't dream...
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Great Books Week - Blog Tour - Tuesday

TUESDAY:

When I was a child, my favorite book was… because….

This is actually a very hard question for me. When I was a child, I found it difficult to read especially aloud in class. This was partially because I did find it hard to pick up reading, partially because I was a shy child and partially because the things they made us read in school were so damned awful.



I would have to say, my favourite book as a child was "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter.



I had a set of Beatrix Potter books and I liked them all. The text was simple and poetic, but the illustrations were a marvel to me. These books sparked my interest in art. I was determined to one day paint as well as Beatrix. Sadly, I haven't got there yet.

I'm still trying though.
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Great Books Week - Blog Tour

.....Great Books Week

In honor of Great Books Week, a holiday that is celebrated annually the first full week in October, NAIWE is hosting a Blog Tour with a specific daily topic Monday through Friday. The Association is a major sponsor of this event, and we fully support its goals.
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If you’d like to participate, write a post on your own blog on the appropriate topic each day, then visit the appropriate post (linked below) on the NAIWE blog to leave your post title and link in the comment section so that others can enjoy what you’ve written. Be sure to share your posts in Facebook, Twitter, and other social media!
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The original post is located on the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE) web site.
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http://news.naiwe.com/2009/10/03/great-books-week-blog-tour-october-4-10-2009/
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Here’s the schedule of topics:

Monday: If I were stranded alone on a deserted island with only seven books to read over the next few years, I would like to have…

Tuesday: When I was a child, my favorite book was… because….

Wednesday: I’d write my autobiography, but I don’t need to, because my story has already been told in… [what classic book?]

Thursday: I hated … when I had to read it in high school, but when I read it on my own later, I loved it because….

Friday: When I want to give someone a special gift, I give them [name of book] because…
So here goes…

MONDAY:

If I were stranded alone on a desert island with only seven books to read they would have to be:

Book 1: SAS Survival Guide

(How to survive in the wild, in any climate, on land or at sea)
For purely practical reasons.

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Book 2: Robinson Crusoe by William Defoe
So I didn’t feel like the only sap to get stranded on a desert island.

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Book 3: Legend by David Gemmell
His first but still his best book. It is all about heroes and holding on despite the odds. It was also one of the first fantasy books I read where the author was realistic and actually killed off some of his main characters.
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Book 4: The Edge of Light by Joan Wolf
I don’t know why but it a book I keep going back to read and I enjoy it as much or more each time. It’s a novel based on the life of Alfred the Great.

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Book 5: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
It was probably the first novel I actually read, in my teen “I loath reading days.” Oh what I missed during those years.

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Book 6: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Because it is the best book I have ever read. It made me laugh and cry and it made me so angry I wanted to punch something. It is the only book to effect me so strongly.

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Book 7: A very thick blank journal.
So I could still write my own stories.

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First Leaves of October

It is the first day of October and the second last day of term. These two leaves were painted for two of the Year 4 girls, both named Mekaela. They were desperate to get their leaves before the end of term.
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"Otherwise we have to wait a whole 'nother two weeks!"
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I didn't want to disappoint so I set up this afternoon to finish off both paintings.
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The first Mekaela wanted a white kitten with a pink bow. Since I had already painted one kitten for Sophie, I decided to do something a little different this time. I painted the kitten sitting up among the toys on the toy shelf.
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The other Mekaela asked for a koala. That seemed quite appropriate, painting a koala and some gum leaves on a gum leaf.
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It also seemed appropriate because my family and I are off on holidays in November to Port Macquarie and we are planning visits to the native animal sanctuary and the koala hospital during the trip.