How did NaNoWriMo work out of you?

Until last year, I didn’t even know that November was the beginning of National Novel Writing Month, until I saw this piece over at author John Scalzi’s blog.  Known by the hash tag of #NaNoWriMo, wannabe writers are encouraged to write a novel in the time frame of one month. Not necessarily a good or even a sell-able novel, but just a story the length of a novel (NaNoWriMo uses 50,000 words as a marker, which Scalzi says is “slightly short for modern novels …60k is usually the lower bound”).

So this year I decided to buckle down and work on my Great American Novel.  It certainly wouldn’t be good and I doubt it would be salable.  But I could certainly crank out 50K words, right?

Photo credit: Kat/ CC BY-NC-ND

Unfortunately Moose and Squirrel have kept me very busy.  I did make some progress in some intangible ways.  For starters I dug up an old novel that I wrote back in college and scanned it.  Then I converted the PDF to Word.  It still needs a lot of cleanup and I might be better off starting from scratch but at least if there is a segment I wish to use I can capture it without retyping the whole darn thing.

I also did a little research on two elements I will need for the book.  My genre will be likely be sci-fi and as such, my characters need a way to get from one end of the galaxy to another and Uber just won’t do.  I’m researching hyperdrive and the problems I want to create and solve are thus:

• It shouldn’t be too easy to get from one place to another;
• I don’t want the Space Calvary to simply be able to warp into a battle at a moment’s notice but…
• I don’t want to write myself into a corner by having it stated that “even the fastest hyperdrive engine can only get you from earth to planet X in three weeks” either.

On that last point, you can get in trouble with your readers and consistency once you state something like “how long it will take to get to Alpha Centauri from Earth” because as soon as you do that, your reader will point out the fuzzy math when you have your hero get to planet X in less time even though it is further away than Alpha Centauri.

I cannot really share the second thing I looked into because that would reveal the plot twist as it were.  I can share, however, the site I used to ask and answer some questions.  Quora is a site I happened upon — when looking for something else of course — where you can ask experts a question and they will give you an answer on almost any subject you can imagine.  Some questions I’ve seen include:

• How does living in Chicago compare with San Francisco
• The middle ages: was it really as gruesome as it’s commonly portrayed to be?
• Can I freeze my dead body for 2000 years, keep my money legally safe in an account earning compound interest, thaw 2000 years later, re-animate and repair my body, and then live the life of a billionaire?

This site has experts who will chime in and answer these mundane to bizarre questions.  How do they know the answers to something like how where things like in the Middle Ages and other existential questions?  Because they are Time Traveling Wizards of course.

How did you do with NaNoWritMo?  Tell me in the comments.  If you liked this post, perhaps you’ll like this post on Resources for Writers.  Here’s the part where I beg for stuff because we get paid in likes, shares, re-tweets and feedback. Please also do any and all of the following:

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Feeling Overwhelmed by your Todo List? Tackle it 1 hour at a time

Everyone is busier than ever before in the History of the World.  I know because I asked two people on the El platform and they told me so, before nonchalantly walking to the other end of the platform.

My #Protip for dealing with overwhelming projects is to tackle it 1 hour at a time.  Schedule or slice out one hour where you comment to tackling something.  But set the following expectations:

1. The goal isn’t necessarily to complete the task:  Though it’s wonderful if you do, the goal is to devote  60 minutes just to working on it.

2. Allow +/- 15 minutes as needed:  Yes, you can extend that hour by 15 minutes if that will either complete the project, or put you at a better stopping point.  And you can cut that hour short by a few minutes if something else more pressing does comes up.  Note:  Reality TV is not more pressing.

3. Have a rollback, stopping point defined:  Don’t bite off more than you can get done in an hour.  Let’s say you want to clean and organize your garage.  That is probably a half a day job at the minimum.  If you only spend an hour on it, you will likely have a cluttered yard along with a still messy garage and what happens when your hour is up and you have to be somewhere?  For something like this, it would be better to tackle a single box or shelf at a time.  If you finish before the hour, start on another box.

Here are some things I managed to do in 1 hour

• I built this shelf for my closet (the subsequent post actually took longer than an hour to write)
• I wrote a blog post about the hot topic of Starbucks Coffee Cups
• Did some research for my NaNoWriMo project
• I updated my LinkedIn profile and we all know how much  I loves me some LinkedIn
• I also worked on my resume, which goes hand in hand with the LinkedIn profile.

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The Death of the Phone call

I do not like to talk on the phone.  Sure I can call and make an appointment to have my hair cut or see the podiatrist.  And I talk to plenty of people on the phone in my line of work.  But when it comes to having a personal conversation, I break out into hives at the mere thought of having to endure speaking on the phone.

In fact, the only thing I dread more than talking on the phone is going to the dentist.  For the last two weeks I’ve been putting off making a call to a friend to congratulate her on her recent adoption of a baby girl.  By the time I get around to calling, that kid will be off to college.

It could be that I worked in a call center for 7 years at the No-Name Software Company.  Or it could be that I just don’t like people much any more.  Ironically I’m now responsible for raising two germy projectile-barfing poopsacks socially-conscious children with beautiful manners and high self-esteem.

In the old days,  a phone call was special because it cost money to place one, especially long distance.  I’m sure many of my friends would call me when I wasn’t home so that I would call them back on my dime.

Where I work, we do this thing I call brokering a call.  Someone will email or IM you and ask if you have a minute to talk on the phone.  Usually it’s because you have already been going back and forth over these two mediums and the message isn’t getting through.  But once it a while it’s because someone doesn’t want to put something in writing.

I think the real reason I hate phone calls is because the caller is calling when it is best for them, not you.  We all have that friend, you know the one.  They work in sales and spend 80% of their time driving from client to client.  Their car is their office so they call you when they have a long trip or are stuck in traffic.  And when they get to their destination what happens?  They decide this call is over, often rather abruptly.

When the next iPhone comes out, I really hope it comes in a does not make or receive phone call option.  Otherwise I’m just gonna get a smaller iPad and be done with it.

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5 quotes that resonate and have meaning for me

I have tons of quotes scattered throughout the harddrives of my computers.  When I kept a journal (both physical and electronic) I would sometimes put a quote at the top for stylistic affect.  There’s just something about a good quote that inspires and resonates with you.  Here are five quotes in no particular order that inspire me, cause me to well up in tears, or both.

Yes, risk taking is inherently failure-prone.
Otherwise, it would be called sure-thing-taking.
Tim McMahon

I like this one because it’s kinda a d’oh!  in your face.  I rarely take chances, only calculated risks.  This quote is meant to remind me to go for it more often.

Your talent is God’s gift to you.
What you do with it is your gift back to God.
Leo Buscaglia

This was my mantra during the heyday of my running years.  I had enough raw talent to run marathons and set new Personal Bests.  I really tried to do my best but I feel like I didn’t always give back to God appropriately because I didn’t always eat right, or train properly.

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.
Anatole France 

I first heard this quote right after 9/11 and just before I ran my 4th marathon in 2001.  My three previous attempts to break a 4 hour marathon were unsuccessful and as you can imagine everyone was in a bit of a funk. I think this quote along with some cool tunes from Five for Fighting got me that 3:45 PR.

Obstacles don’t have to stop you.
If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up.
Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.
Michael Jordan

This quote inspired me to keep trying to find a way to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  I’ve never qualified but technically I haven’t given up yet either.

This next quote is technically two quotes but they go together because they are from the same Mary Schmich column written just before we invaded Iraq.  [Ms Schmich is a bit of a curmudgeon these days but she was and still is a prolific writer]:

There’s nothing wrong with overachieving, if that means reaching beyond what you’ve done or what other people think you can do. But the farther you reach, the farther you have to fall. You will get bruised….

Life’s rejections make some people bitter and hard. They make other people wiser and more open. You choose.  –Mary Schmich.

The quote resonates with me because at the time a good friend commended me on my determination, persistence and resolve.  From my point of view, I hadn’t tried hard enough.  After all, I failed to get what I wanted.  But that’s the thing about perspective: it really does depend on how you look at it.

“Truthfully, I think it was great that you pursued her to the extent that you did. You may feel silly, because no matter how hard you tried, you didn’t end up with the prize.” my friend said obviously referring to a romantic liaison that didn’t materialize.  “But you didn’t give up and that was something I really respect about your personality.”

At the time it seemed those initial setbacks  made all the setbacks still to come that much more painful.  But in reality, they were developing a Mental Toughness inside of me that has helped me persevere in tough times and choose wisdom and openness more often than bitter and hard.

Thanks Mary.

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Tonight’s post is brought to you as part of ChicagoNow’s monthly Blogapalooza exercise when all ChicagoNow bloggers come together to write about the same topic in one hour.

Tonight’s topic from our fearless leader, Jimmy Greenfield:

“Share your favorite quote (or quotes) — from a philosopher, author, comedian, politician, friend, family member, movie, whoever — and write in detail about why it resonates and has meaning for you.”

Thank you for reading and I hope you will comment below. Here’s the part where I beg for stuff because we get paid in likes, shares, re-tweets and feedback. Please also do any and all of the following:

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Clearing the clutter of memories

Last summer I had the opportunity to bring home a carload of boxes from my mom’s house. There were star wars toys and comic books and other oddities. And there were at least three boxes worth of paraphernalia known as memories. I took a quick first pass through it all last summer and probably tossed a box worth of stuff. Then the kids arrived and they sat in my garage until now.  The boxes, not the kids!  That would be wrong.  Please don’t call DCFS!

This past summer I was able to go through it a little more thoroughly and I whittled down the boxes and combined it with the smaller set of boxes of personal mementos I’ve kept with me throughout the years. That’s right, not only did I keep the mother ship of ancient memories at my mom’s house, but I kept a runabout worth of stuff with me from apartment to apartment (to condo and then house) over the years.

I guess I’m just a sentimental old fool because I saved tons of things. I have notes passed back and forth in class and phone numbers of people I’ll never need to call. I had a ton of stuff from my high school and college years like course catalogs, class notes and assignments, the student newspapers I wrote for and other stuff.  [I went to two different colleges for undergrad so it stands to reason I have twice as much crap.]

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I feel I did a pretty good job of clearing the clutter on this second pass. This stuff followed me around because it was significant twenty years ago but has little relevance now. For instance, I put all the Campus Chronicles I had in the recycle bin because who the hell cares about my expo about a meningitis outbreak at UIC in 1990. I also got rid of a ton of class notes and assignments that I’ll never read. I was reminded how much I hated the Spanish Dept at UIC. In college one of my “friends” punked me by sending a valentine gift to my from an “secret admirer”. No one ever claimed responsibility for this one but the odds are better that it was a prank than legit.

I want to make one more final pass before I put the boxes away for good, or at least until the next time I need to do it. There are still letters I cannot bring myself to re-read but cannot simple toss out yet.  I’m not ready to go full Buddha and fit everything into a paper lunch sack.

 

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Don’t Overthink the New Starbucks Red Cup Design

If my Facebook feed is any indication, certain groups are up in arms about the new look for Starbuck’s Holiday cups.  A friend linked to a Buzzfeed piece that reads more like an Onion article.  “The Starbucks coffee cup change smells more of political correctness than a consumer-led change,” British conservative MP David Burrowes told right-wing website Breitbart London.

My Christmas mentality: If a store won’t promote Christmas re Starbucks, I’m not spending my hard earned money there https://t.co/dfNTiwSojI

— Chuck Nellis (@ChuckNellis) November 5, 2015

 

I’m sure people are imagining a group of creatives sitting around Mad Men style conspiring to design a cup that omits all the religious undertones of Christmas.  I’m not sure how snowflakes are a religious symbol but it’s probably because I became Catholic through RCIA and thus missed CDC classes.

Occam’s Razor

It’s probably more simple than you think.  My friend Dean posted in the comments that it probably costs less to go with a simple red design.  Actually, it’s two shades of red: “This year’s iconic red Starbucks cup features a two-toned ombré design, with a bright poppy color on top that shades into a darker cranberry below.”

Update (as Little Merry Sunshine points out):  “Frankly, this is brilliant marketing. No one would be talking about Starbucks if they’d kept the snowflakes. Instead, our Facebook feeds are overflowing with this gibberish and I’ve even seen this “news” reported by respected media outlets. Free press is the best commercial possible.”

Regardless of the reason, at the end of the day, all I expect from my Beverage Delivery System is for it to hold the contents without spilling them.  Bonus if it can maintain the core temperature until I’m finished consuming said beverage.

Of course if you really want to know the story behind the cup, you could just ask.  “Taking a cue from customers who have been doodling designs on cups for years … this year’s design is another way Starbucks is inviting customers to create their own stories with a red cup that mimics a blank canvas.

“In the past, we have told stories with our holiday cups designs,” said Jeffrey Fields, Starbucks vice president of Design & Content. “This year we wanted to usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories.”

On the other hand, Starbuck’s is very clever and I believe their is a more sinister motive behind the switch.  The company obviously wants edge out Solo in the Red Flippy Cup market.

Thank you for reading and I hope you will comment below.  If you enjoyed this post, you might like this one about Holiday Cards.  Now here’s the part where I beg for stuff because we get paid in likes, shares, re-tweets and feedback. Please also do any and all of the following:

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Rethinking WeMail: Still not for me but works for some

Photo Credit: Totuweb

I use to be firmly anti-WeMail.  For those who don’t know, We-mail is a shared email account belonging to a two people, usually a couple in a romantic liaison.  (Think  Kanye_and_Kimmie@prodigy.com).   Like a joint checking account the idea is that the email is used, accessed and managed by both members of a relationship.  I figured an account like this might start out as for joint matters like dinner invites and bills, but will eventually become the primary account for both parties out of convenience.

In the Dark Ages of e-mail (circa 1995), I could understand why domestic partners shared addresses:

• Accounts were not free and screen-names were scarce.
• In most cases, only one person in a household could be online via the dial-up modem at any one time, and checking for mail under various screen names cost extra.
• Most places you would provide an email address were only set up for a single address which often doubles as your login ID.
• it was in vogue for about 10 minutes in 2002 to show your undying love by sharing an email address.

And of course You’ve had the address for years and since all your friends have it, why change it now.

Today E-mail accounts are free and easy to register and set up.  Heck you can read them on your phone.  So most of the above reasons no longer hold much currency.  My we-mail friends tell me that the accounts actually are useful, saving on forwarding and concentrating in one place the mail that’s about the business end of being a couple and having a family.  Schools have one address that both parents access although how much harder is it for the school to have both parent’s address on file?  Our daycare certainly does.

That said, I now see the utility of joint e-mail accounts quasi-business purposes — for example, an account related to bill payment — handy ways of reaching both members of a couple in order to, say, invite them to dinner or ask them to please control their barking dog.  And the Apple Ecosystem seems to prefer you to have one Apple ID for app sharing and iCloud synchronizing.

So while I will likely never have a we-mail account, I will no longer make fun of my friends who do.  Baby steps.

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