NaNoWriMo 2005 Soundtrack

Per all the discussions of novel-writing soundtracks lately, this is the soundtrack I’ve come up with for my 2005 NaNo. The story takes place in the fall of 1995, probably going into early 1996, so I wanted songs that a) evoked that era and b) reflected the mood of the characters. There’s some method to the order, but I’ve been playing it on shuffle and I think I like the randomness.

Jann Arden – “Good Mother”
Sarah McLachlan – “Hold On”
Natalie Merchant – “San Andreas Fault”
Garbage – “Only Happy When It Rains”
Wild Strawberries – “On My Own”
Hole – “Doll Parts”
Indigo Girls – “Touch Me Fall”
REM – “Bittersweet Me”
Belly – “Silverfish”
Nirvana – “Come As You Are”
Joan Osborne – “Crazy Baby”
Green Day – “Basket Case”
Jewel – “Foolish Games”
Jann Arden – “Gasoline”
Counting Crows – “A Long December”
Garbage – “#1 Crush”
The Cranberries – “Liar”
Weezer – “The World Has Turned and Left Me Here”
Toad the Wet Sprocket – “Good Intentions”
No Doubt – “Don’t Speak”
Oasis – “Don’t Look Back in Anger”
Alanis Morrissette – “You Learn”
Bruce Cockburn – “Someone I Used to Love”
Tori Amos – “Pretty Good Year”

NaNo Story Decision

Okay. So I think I’ve decided which project it will be.

I’ve pulled out a story that I outlined around the time we started Toasted Cheese, then never really did anything with. It has a vivid setting, lots of characters, and a twisty, messy plot (I know! A plot!)! I don’t have a lot invested in it, so I think it’s something I can have fun with. I had a lot of fun with NaNo last year, and while I contemplated doing the memoir, somehow I don’t see that being a “fun” project. Fiction’s just easier anyhow. No worries about hurting anyone’s feelings or keeping your facts straight. Not so much with non-fiction.

Anyhow. Story doesn’t have a title. Guess that’s the next thing to contemplate.

NaNoWriMo 2005

So I activated my NaNo account. Updated my profile w/ 2004 winner! info.

I changed templates here (new story deserves a fresh look) and changed my NaNo icon to reflect my winner! status. (I can rest on that laurel until November 30.)

(For some reason, every time I say winner! I feel the compulsion to add an exclamation mark.)

I haven’t 100% committed to this year’s project yet. It’ll probably be the memoir. Need to sit down and do some planning.

I will be doing it though. Last year proved that NaNo works for me, and you don’t mess w/ what works.

Calvin and Hobbes

Interview (sort of) w/ Bill Watterson

I used to love the comics. I was a newspaper junkie & I read all the strips (even the ones I hated) every day. (Family Circus was like the brussels sprouts, C&H the dessert. I had to choke down FC first, then I could savor C&H, which I saved for last. I know, I’m weird.) Now…

Is it just me or have the comics sort of lost it over the last decade or so? There aren’t any that I’m addicted to (or even interested in) the way I was with C&H or The Far Side. I used to like FBoFW, but it jumped the shark a long time ago, IMO.

Anyhow. Calvin & Hobbes. My favorite comic strip ever. I could draw both C & H perfectly (I have a weird, useless talent for artistic mimicry — too bad there isn’t a market for that the way there is for Elvis impersonators!). I have, tucked away, the C&H T-shirt I made (with “98lbs of Trouble” on the back). Total copyright infringement, but I didn’t think about that at the time. It was an homage!

Funny

Saw this post at MediaBistro this morning.

*insert laughter here*

I recognized it immediately. We (Toasted Cheese) received this “query” about two months ago. I snarked at the sender’s extreme cluelessness, considered ignoring the e-mail, but in the end, whipped off a quick “our submission guidelines are here” response. We haven’t heard anything further from the guy.

Anyhow, Claire at MB covers all the salient points. Honestly, I don’t think there’s any hope for people who are as out of it as that letter-writer but her advice may help others.

Mine would be:

1. Learn how to write a query letter. There’s plenty of information available online. Google is your friend.

2. Professional correspondence–even in e-mail form–should always have a greeting “Dear Ms. Editor” and a closing “Sincerely, Jane Writer.”

3. Don’t: tell the editor your life story, list every story you’ve ever written, lead with a negative (“I’ve never been published”).

4. Do: show the editor that you’ve done your homework (why is your work right for the editor’s publication?), list a few relevant writing credits if you have them &/or your credentials (e.g. a degree in writing), follow the publication’s submission guidelines.

5. It’s your job to find your target publication’s submission guidelines, READ THEM, and follow them. This takes time, but it is not rocket science.

6. Only submit work that is appropriate for the publication. If the publication says it accepts fiction and poetry, don’t send a book review! If it’s a romantic-themed journal, don’t send a horror story. If it says “stories under 1,000 words only” don’t send one that’s 2,000-words.

Every submission period, we toss ~20% of the subs we receive because they haven’t followed our fairly basic submission guidelines. Submissions are most often disqualified for the following reasons:

*wrong e-mail address / incorrect subject line

*too many pieces submitted at once / two or more genres submitted at once / more than one submission during a submission period

*exceeds 5,000 words (our maximum)

Bullies & Honeymoons

I remember when I found this and finally realized WTF was going on.

Until then, I’d been completely bewildered & frustrated, because when someone starts insisting that 2+2=5, it is, really it is, don’t you agree, I know you think it’s 4, but it’s really 5, if you think about it, you’ll realize you’re mistaken, etc. etc. and you’re completely sane and sure of yourself and the facts, you’re like WTF is going on here? What is this person trying to prove?

I don’t think about that time much anymore, but when I do, it seems surreal. If it hadn’t actually happened to me, I’d think, “No way! That would never happen!” Because it just doesn’t make sense. Business-wise, it’s a terrible strategy. But it’s one of those instances where truth is stranger than fiction.

Today, this reminded me.