Day -1... or Day ZERO... you decide.

Wow, two posts in two day.

What could the matter be?

See, this is the new me. The new "blog" guy. Yup, that's me...

So, with less than 3 hours left to the beginning of the NaNoWriMo competition, I'm ready to start. Ready. Oh, boy, I'm ready...

Why does this seem to be a big deal? Okay, I'm worried, scared even. But why? Why should I feel apprehensive about writing an idea down. Writing a novel seems like something that everyone can do. You can't all do art, or animation, or make a comic book, or a movie or TV show, but you can do this, write a novel.

But why is it so impressive? Why is it so base and common? Why is it wonderful?

I don't know that I know the answer to that question. But I have a few thoughts on the matter.

A book... a story is something that you have a relationship with. In the dark, under the covers you don't just read a good book, you inhale it's essence. You take a book, a great book and you hold it secret in your heart. How that story affected you, how it made a fundamental change in your attitude to the world, that is the value of a story. What a story does to you.

I read books, "1984", "R is for Rocket", "S is for Space" and "The Martian Chronicles" in my late Middle School, early High School years. I would carry the books with me, and often people in school would ask, "Oh, your reading BLANK? Do you have Mrs./Mr. BLANK for English?"

"No," I would say in response.

"Oh," they would respond, a blank look of confusion crossing their faces, "Then why are you reading BLANK?"

And, inevitably I would respond, "Because, they are good books."

They are good books, something I would never find out if I were assigned to read them for a class. I really love those books. That is because I decided to read them, and I did... actually, I devoured them.

As I am about to start the "Brussels Sprouts" of writing, I am guardedly optimistic about what will eventually come of it. Happy, but guarded.

So, I am going into this eyes open. Ready to go.

Wish me luck!

P.S. The procedure will be that I will give word counts and later excerpts from my writing with an intent to hit everyday. Its my intent, you'll notice. At least every other day...  well, every three... four at least...

Day -2 : NaNoWriMo

Hello.

When I sent a twitter out about my decision to use the NaNoWriMo to write a book, based on a film I was doing, @Oddernod, my friend Ryan Summers, tweeted back to me that it was a good idea.

So, this is all his fault. ;-) (oh no, trying to find a scapegoat!)

Several books on screenwriting that I have read, including this one state that you could make a novel out of your screenplay and sell it for big bucks. Now, I don't think I could sell this novel for big bucks, heck I don't know if it will sell at all, but I think that the NaNoWriMo is a good idea for a writer. It pushes your buttons, makes you stretch as a writer. And, turns out, gets you some discounts on some software, and that is't bad.

I think I'm doing the writing equivalent of eating Brussels Sprouts. And I love Brussels Sprouts.

A bit about me, I've been working about the Visual Effects Industry for about 10 years, but nothing has really come of it. But, originally I came to California to be in THE INDUSTRY (and by the Industry, I really mean "The Business.") I thought, foolishly as it turned out, that VFX would be an easier way to break in that what I really wanted to do, which was writing.

But writing wasn't the end. I pictured myself as becoming a writer for pictures, then becoming a director, then producer, then owner of my own studio. Making the best movies for the most people. Good, entertaining movies... yeah...

Didn't quite work out that way.

Here I am, doing a novel which will eventually be a movie... or an animated movie. Or maybe a comic book. But it will be something else, other than a novel. Which it isn't. YET!

Today, I went over the story I had knocked out in a beat outline. You know; they go here, they do this, it makes them feel that, and it references a point you forgot to write in an earlier scene, better make note of it. That sort of an outline.

I've taken the original plot, made some (pretty) heavy modifications to plot points and such. And I think I've managed to work it out. I'll go over the plot and a few of the character outlines tomorrow, in anticipation of starting writing on Tuesday.

I'm a little apprehensive, actually. I don't know that I can do this, from an actual point of view. From a writing it stand point, technically, I am sure I can do it. But can I do it and make sure its a good story.

Well, let's see if I can.

P.S. If I do fail, its all Ryan's fault. Tell him so, @Oddernod on twitter.