What Do You Expect, It's NaNoWriMo!

It's NaNoWriMo time!

Well almost. What we are currently experiencing is the month of Plotters Galore, aka the non-pantser writers month of hell.

October is where it really all starts for us. This is where you start thinking about which story you'll want to take up and submit to merciless word torture, which soundtracks fit your story, which word processing program gives you the least trouble and which reference websites make you procrastinate the least. (Or if you do none of the above, at least this is the month when we as writers start hearing conversation about NaNoWriMo start picking up again.)

For the dedicated plotter (the Monkey included) we have the tiring task ahead of literally writing a novel twice. We will plot it the whole way through, then come November will put those scene sketches into actual words. Dialogue, narrative...that kind of stuff. We'll begin obsessively tapping the space bar and making hyphenated words into unhyphenated ones.

But October is our preparation month. Polish your pens, build your food reserves, buy lots of coffee from reduction sales. We are preparing for war.

So here comes the all important question –and if you have more than one potential choice for this in mind, it's a toughy– what story are you going to write?

'What story am I going to write?!' Since the end of the 2009 NaNo this question has haunted me like a bad dream. I have a lot of choices to choose from. So it's like that question all the grown-ups keep asking you while you're at school (which you keep hating as you can't answer it), 'what are you going to be when you grow older?'

There's no point in answering that question when it's asked, because by the time it matters, you'll most likely have changed your mind dozens of times by then. And yet I just can't help but start planning so far ahead. Even though I will change my mind right at the last second anyway. And I know it.

So here goes. I had 3 choices of stories for this year. I had decided right after last NaNoWriMo that this year I would write Arkanos Book Two. But then in July, I thought up an idea for a story about a city of angels and mermaids. Then I had another old story, a dark one I had intended for last year (till I changed my mind), that I had some new ideas for and looked promising. I was leaning toward the angels and mermaids.

Until two nights ago I had a dream. A really good one. About witches and people flying around. And teenage mutant ninja turtles. And I changed my mind. Again.

My story this year will be 'Elda'. I will add a synopsis onto the Novel Info page as soon as my plotting is far enough to actually have a synopsis. ^__^;;; But I can say this much even now that it is based around a powerful and evil sorceress (called Elda) who once ruled the world for a hundred years. Then all of a sudden she just vanished. But now she threatens to return to the world, and it's up to the hero to stop that from happening.

There are no teenage mutant ninja turtles.

Simian City News! BREAKTHROUGH!

We interrupt your regular monkey soap program to bring you an important news bulletin. Covered by your very own and loved...

SIMIAN CITY NEWS!!

Good evening. I'm M. Ad Baboon your news reader for this evening, and this lovely monkey on my right is my assistant Chimpy Chimpers Chimpette Chimp Chala Loala Lalalalala Chimpers-Zene Chimps Chimpara III.

Breakthrough.

Almost incredible reports lately sent to our news headquarters claim that the first version of Electrostatic Fantasy would be complete!

According to an e-mail we received yesterday from a very reliable source, around the end of last week some eye-witnesses claim to have seen the last sentence of the story finally put down.

*Chimpette turns her head.* But you said the source was Bob "The Bottle" Monkey who's always drunk around the corner. Is he really that 'reliable'?

*anchor monkey stares in silence for a moment* Silence my sweet, insignificant assistant.

*clears throat*

Many of you will know that since the famed NaNoWriMo 2009 event, in which the Writer Monkey made her escape from WannabeWriter Zoo, the last chapter of E.F. had yet to be completed. Two years have passed and seen little more than sad attempts at scribbling something of a first version for this ever important portion of the story. What would happen? Who would die? And it what order? And most crucially, what would be the answer to that eternal small talk topic of the authoring world: what is the last sentence of your novel?

But incredibly, through all odds and unlikelihood, the Writer Monkey has actually continued on her writing quest!

Fear not dear viewers, the shock comes as heavily upon the cast as it does on you.

*Chimpette turns her head toward anchor* Why are you being so dramatic? You always tell me news is about being serious and that its not a Shakespearian play.

*anchor* Silence assistant!

Ahem, where was I...?

We are told by the Monkey that we are unable to release the last sentences as they are very much likely to endure changes. Currently this story is under rigorous editing and is expected to either read or almost ready for Beta Reader stage in late October. More on this story as it develops.

Into the Future!

It's almost October, and this means it is time for writiers around the planet to begin gearing up for the most exciting and challenging event of the year. That's right, it's NANOWRIMO TIME! This means it's also upon us to begin thinking about which novels we shall be offering up to the altar of abuse come later autumn. In an interview earlier this weekend, our own Writer Monkey had this to say on the subject:

"Whether you keep your jobs or not is of no interest nor importance to me. There's no chance I'll pour out my creative aspirations at their most vulnerable stage for the sake of your journalist career. You lot eat my bananas, drink my Fanta and are misusing your rights to post on this blog by broadcasting these shows randomly. I am SO making you your own log on. I refuse to have you impersonating me any longer. When I want to reveal my diabolical plans for world domination to my dedicated disciples, I shall do so myself!

And you make way too much noise with the cappuccino machine! How is a Monkey supposed to concentrate in all this hullabaloo?!"

*anchor speaks quietly to assistant* Hold on Chimpette, I thought this was the good interview? What happened to the tape?

*Chimpette whispers* Well I kind of ate the last cookie while I was over there so she...

* anchor, getting annoyed* She what?

*Chimpette* She kind of put the good tape into a blender and drank it along with her banana milkshake.

*anchor sighs*

More on the Monkey's plans to come.

Thank the flying monkeys it's time to say, that's all for tonight from...

SIMIAN CITY NEWS!

*Chimpette* But you said you were going to let me sing at the end of the show!

*anchor walks out muttering* I can't take this. I can't work with that monkey.

Ehem...Back To Business

I suppose it's about time I confront updating my by now yellowing, cracking and aged blog again. ^_^;;

The monkey cave has sent no word or flicker of life for the past quarter of a year. You are wondering by now if some unspeakable mass murder has happened and a horrible fate have befallen the Writer Monkey Crew inside. Rest assured that no matter how likely this seemed until now...it's not true. We're all just sleeping. And very lazy. And out of coffee...Oh NO!!

Truth to be told the monkey cave has now migrated from "sunny old" Finland to sunny old England! How we moved that pile of rocks...I'd love to tell you, but then I'd be breaking my confidentiality agreement with Gorilla Management, and we wouldn't want things to get ugly, would we?

I do have an objection though. All these Crew monkeys have somehow dragged me into participating in the estates work. Know what that means? It means I'M carrying crates and shoving boxes that I'm paying THEM to carry and shove. This is a fine waste of bananas! I should be writing!

Okay, perhaps I'm overreacting. Perhaps I'm using this situation of a busy schedule as a more elaborate excuse to explain why I haven't written much of anything. It frightens me.

I'm serious.

When I first started into the world of 'serious' writing I heard that writers are often stricken by laziness with regard to their writing progress, coupled by an irresistible urge to find a reason for why this is. I was told these were called "excuses." I was sure this wouldn't happen to me. I would write steadily for sure and not be pushed to inventing Excuses for why I was inactive. But now, strangely I find myself listing things. That's NEVER a good sign, when you start listing things!

1) I was busy

2) I was tired

3) No one does anything productive on the train ride home anyways

4) I didn't have my laptop

5) My laptop is too heavy

6) The laptop slowing down anyway

7) I can't concentrate on the train

8) I'll do more during NaNoWriMo

9) The story is almost done, there's no need to exert myself

10) I'll do some tomorrow/later

But that "tomorrow" never comes. It scares me how easily I've slid into this pit of anti-monkey goo and barely noticed it. But now I will be resolute. I will make actual progress which I can write about. I swear!

Time to finish Electrostatic Fantasy and get on with Arkanos.

I just realised...we're not allowed to continue existing manuscripts during NaNoWriMo! O_o;; That's not good. I can't use it to finish Arkanos Book One!

Silence In The Monkey Cave

Whoa! Okay, that was some break I took there between posts. Ouch!

Well, part of the reason I have not been around is because we have indeed moved cave recently. Yes, as you will be aware, the rocks on the walls around you look strangely unfamiliar. They are of a "lesser" grey than those rich, grey rocky rocks you have begun to know through your many visits to the Writer Monkey's deep dwelling. Yes indeed. The writer monkey has moved from the cold forests of northern Scandinavia to England.

Now I can say with a good excuse that I haven't had time to blog. It's been a hectic few weeks that have combined to feel more like a hectic six months. Naturally my writing has suffered, however...

The Monkey is proud to announce that JulNoWriMo 2011 is very much up and running! And the Monkey has entered!!

Okay, so the forums are down for the moment, but there definitely has been some progress up the ladder which is the impossible word count climb from zero to 50,000 words. Victim on death row this year? Akanos Book One of course!

I will be finishing off that bad boy this July. :D It means writing on the train to work, as there's no other slot in the day to get it done, but what's more exiting than typing on the go? ;D

More updates to come...!

Simian City News! Edits Mania

Hello and a good evening to all our human and monkey viewers alike. Now it's time for another broadcast of your favourite...

SIMIAN CITY NEWS! ;D

Today we bring you more random meshed gibberish revolving around a crazed monkey writer stuck in a cave, stories and lots of questionable beverages. Now let's get this over with, our camera guy has to be back at the zoo by 6:30. *anchor monkey adjusts his tie and coughs*

Edits Mania!

Eyewitnesses have sighted the Monkey With Fanta at her laptop often over the past week. Sources tell us that although this may easily be inferred as just another bout of procrastination, it has actually been confirmed as editing fever. The victim of the act has been identified as the first book of Arkanos. Our reporter Craz. E. Gibbon interviewed the chief of police of the Monkey Metropolitan force and has confirmed that the intended target of this attack was initially Electrostatic Fantasy. So far the MM force have discovered that as much as six chapters have been subject to the onslaught of this obsessive editing but there have been no reports of casualties. We are informed that the experts are still investigating and we will be sure to keep you up-to-date with all the latest details.

Not So Edits Mania...

In the weather forecast for the up coming days there are predictions of further edits in the region of the wrong story along with some potential attempts at writing. Residents of the Tick Tock Wonderwood area are warned to prepare for a possibly extensive drought season, while those of you living close by to Arkanos - Memorycatcher should expect heavy flooding. In the likely event of a natural disaster in Writ-Ing Land authorities are already standing by and preparing emergency rations of lattes and herbal tea for distribution.

And in seafaring related forecasts, those of you heading out to Electrostatic Fantasy oceans should prepare for heavy storms combined with fake sunshine.

And we'll bring you more of the latest weather later in the week.

And in other news...

Wait, my notes end here. Is this all the news we have? *leans back in chair and shouts to off-stage guy* Don't tell me this is all we've got for the broadcast. We've been off-air for over a week!

*off-stage guy* Our journalists are monkeys, what do you expect?

*anchor faces viewers again* Okay, well this is sufficiently awkward. Please tune in again for more exciting and random news from your favourite news program...

SIMIAN CITY NEWS!

*lights go out*

Don't tell me Chimpy forgot to pay the electricity bill again...