NaNoWriMo, here we go!

This Saturday is the first of November, and as mentioned in my last post, that means the beginning of another NaNoWriMo.  I have decided that this year I will occasionally post updates on my blog during November about how my story coming along, and a bit about the process, and of course about NaNoWriMo and the culture that has grown up around this yearly, month long event.  :)

With just a few days to go, I have finally decided what idea I am going to tackle for this year's project.  A couple years ago I jotted down some notes, and did a loose outline for some back story, about a tale I wanted to write titled 'The Dragon's Daughter', and then promptly forgot about it as I was trying to work on the sequel to 'The Lost Gate'.  After coming across these notes and outline the other day on my computer, I decided that it is high time I tried to punch out a rough draft for this tale, and NaNoWriMo is the perfect opportunity.

And so I am spending some time making notes about my characters, who they are, what their motivations are, and just generally getting to know them, in preparation for the start of the writing frenzy we call NaNoWriMo which beings at midnight on November 1st.  Wish me luck!


In case you haven't read any of my stories, you can obtain a free e-copy of my short story 'Brighid' at the following site:  Brighid by RD Williams

November is right around the corner, and that means...NaNoWriMo

Each year from November 1st through 30th thousands of people set pen to paper, or fingers to keys, and attempt to write 50,000 words in 30 days.  That's right, I said 50,000 words in 30 days.  We like to call November NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month.

Why do we do this?  Is it the challenge?  Is it just a good way to keep our writing muscles exercised?  Is to be able to say "I did it!"?  I think there are a lot of reason why, for myself it's the challenge, and it's also a great way to spread the practice of reading and writing and to further literacy.  In fact, NaNoWriMo is organized by a non-profit organization dedicated to literacy for everyone by sponsoring events like NaNoWriMo and other various writing based events.  'National Novel Writing Month', which use to be known as the 'Office of Letters and Light', also conducts a fundraising drive as part of NaNoWriMo during November to support creative writing programs for more than half a million children and adults in approximately 200 countries, including 2,000 classrooms, 650 libraries and more.

For more information about NaNoWriMo go to http://www.nanowrimo.org

And if you write for fun, or have ever considered writing story or a novel, go ahead and sign up for NaNoWriMo this year and join myself and thousands of others as we dash out ideas, scribble down words, and fight our way through tangled plots, oh and have lots of fun doing it!  :)  If you do NaNoWriMo already, or are thinking of doing it this year, let me know.

Awesome on tap, or is that tape? :D

At last I can say that there was a reason for keeping my old cassette player.  It has been announced that the Guardians of the Galaxy 'Awesome Mix Vol. 1' will be released on cassette tape on November 17th.  Now, there may be a few of you out there saying "What's a cassette tape?".  For you kids out there, yes there was portable music before CD players, in the form of a cassette with tape in it on which you could record music, for more info ask you parents.

For the rest of us, or at least those like myself that might still have a cassette player, you can, if you wish, obtain a cassette tape of the 'Awesome Mix Vol. 1', but apparently it's only available through retailers partnered with Record Store Day.  http://www.recordstoreday.com/

I know, it's a little thing, but I just love seeing a little retro action.  :)

Science Fiction to Science...

If you are a Trekkie like myself, or even if you are a casual fan of, or have even just seen a couple of episodes of any of the Star Trek series, you will easily recognize terms like Transporter, Warp Drive, Phaser, and many more of the various futuristic pieces of technology that the crew of the Star Ship Enterprise(and DS9 and Voyager) depended upon on a daily basis.  I myself love to see a new type of technology that comes which bares a striking resemblance in function to something that started long before as a sci-fi only bit of tech.  Cell phones vrs. Star Trek Communicators for instance, and over the last few years I've seen several other things that have become real life technology.  Remember the PADDs that Captain Picard was always using for reports and reading information and who knows what else?  Enter the IPad / Tablet.  Further to this list MIT has announced a programmable needle-less medication injector (Hypospray anyone?), Handheld Ultrasound scanners are now commonly used in ER's, and I've heard rumors that a version of a Holideck is starting to take shape.

I always find these sorts of stories amazing, and they always make me wonder "what's next?", hence the reason I was so excited when I saw the below noted story on the website of Krypton Radio (www.kryptonradio.com) earlier today.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

http://kryptonradio.com/2014/10/16/open-source-tricorder-nears-completion/

Review and thoughts on 'The Hallowed Hunt' by Lois McMaster Bujold

It has actually been several years since I read 'The Hallowed Hunt' by Lois McMaster Bujold, but it is a tale that has stayed with. So when I thought to state an opinion on this book, I decided it would be best to give it a fresh perusal.  At times we find when we go back to a book, that it is not always as we remember, it losses something, or it seems stale due to comparisons with other books.  With 'The Hallowed Hunt' though I found this not to be the case.  Lois McMaster Bujold brings the characters to life and allows you to empathize with them, even when you are not sure you like one or two of them.

The story itself is set amid a quiet political struggle, as the old King lays dying, and his younger son, who was rather crazed, has been slain.  It is Ingrey kin Wolfclif, a Lord who has no land or title due to an act of sorcery in which his Father involved him in as a child, who is sent to investigate the death.  Yet it seems the young Prince was involved in the same type of illicit sorcery, and the person who killed him is a young woman who claims self defense.  Now she has a secret like to that of Ingrey's, for this sorcery has bound the spirit of a Leopard inside of her, as Ingrey has bound to himself the spirit of a Wolf.  Yet what other secret is there about Ingrey, that even he does not realize himself?  And what is the secret carried by the Earl Wencel Horseriver who joins them on the road to the capital city, and how does it tie him together with Ingrey, long dead spirit warriors, and the Hallowed Kingship?

I highly recommend this novel for any fantasy fan who loves to delve into complex and unique magic, religious, and political systems.  If anyone out there has, or does in the near future, read this novel, please feel free to share your thoughts on it via the comments below.