31 Days til NaNoWriMo 2014: SteamPUNKed

Just announced: NaNoWriMo's 2014 Theme: Steampunk!!! Okay, I am nerding out because my novel (ya know, the one three years in the making now) is steampunk themed! So, this must be a sign that I will finish it this year and everything will be great? Right? Right.

It's about to be the month of October, the month of spirits and fall. That means only 31 days left to prepare for the forthcoming NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, for the plebeians). As I have been working on my novel all year, I just need to further crack my knuckles and prepare to devote ALL my time to it, not just moments here and there.

Life has been going well so far. Instead of moving in November like I did last year, my girlfriend and I jumped the gun and will be moving in October! Aha! Still in Los Angeles, just to a completely different part of the City of Angels. Excited for the change.

 

Also, I fixed my broken phone, fixed my broken car, finished up other issues. I don't want any distractions when it comes to NaNoWriMo. The cruel apple red face of Netflix stares me down and I can't look away, but I must, I MUST. Be gone, Netflix! I banish you from my sights. After binging three seasons of Scandal, I just can't. But, what is that...more shows, more movies. WHY!?

 Excuse that mental break above, I will find a way to disable my Netflix during NaNo, or else doom will fall. In my spare time, I've also been writing for this great site called Whedonopolis.com. If you can't guess from the title they are lovers of all things Joss Whedon. Ya know the guy. He did Buffy, The Avengers... I could go on, but I shan't.

Anyways, I've been writing reviews for them including, Bates Motel, Salem, Under the Dome, Gotham, and Once Upon A Time. So if any of those shows interest you, take a look: www.whedonopolis.com. Also check out my book reviews on Goodreads! I'm doing the "52 book in 52 weeks challenge." 34 books down, so I'm a little behind schedule. Don't worry though, reader. Reading is fun!

Welp, that's about it. Let the countdown begin. 31 days. I already feel it. This is the year I finish my book. #Steampunk 4 EVAR!

-ben josé

JaNoWriMo!

I am writing to you on December 31st, 2013. It is the last day of the year. For me, 2013 was a year of immense change. The norm of my world continually kept changing. I transitioned into a new person - an adult! (Look at my facial hair, ma!)

Aside from undertaking NaNoWriMo in November while in the middle of an overwhelming move, 2013 was a year of accomplishment. I fulfilled my lifelong wish of riding in a hot air balloon (and hot air balloons are a huge part of my novel if you didn't already know).

I attended my first Comic Con, where my girlfriend and I waited in a line for over 18 hours(!) to see a Breaking Bad panel (damn you, ambitious Doctor Whovians!) We figured we had nothing else to do, so why not wait for the best of the best, bitch? I traveled a bunch, met Damon Lindelof (and told him we have to go back, Kate!), went to a grilled cheese festival (big deal), attended a hippie/electronica fest, saw the best thing ever in the form of Clue: Live Shadowcast, and had some great times with friends and family.

If I learned one thing from 2013, it was to never stop trying and always keep moving forward. In the wise words of Robin Williams from the undisputed classic, Hook: "To live... to live would be an awfully big adventure." *If you want to throw down with me about why Hook is the best movie ever, give it a go!

I love you, Thudbutt!

So, with that in mind, I officially introduce you to JaNoWriMo. No, that is not a typo. No, your computer screen is not displaying the wrong sequence of letters. JaNoWriMo, yes. It is a word I made up. January Novel Writing Month! Isn't that clever? No? Alright, I must carry on then... as does Lady Edith after every sad moment in her life.

The admirable Lady Hedith! She's no Edith!

After finishing NaNoWriMo at the end of November, I still wanted to work on my novel. December was full of travel and moving, so I wasn't able to work on my novel as much as I wanted. I was craving the kind of demanding, time-pressing schedule that NaNoWriMo requires of you. I knew I needed something to keep me to my word when it came to finishing my novel and thus JaNoWriMo was birthed into this beautiful world.

To sum up: January 2014 - I will be continuing my journey as a novelist by dedicating the month to writing each day. My goal word count: 75,000 words. It is possible. Let's finish this bitch.

I will now bid you, adieu. Have a great end of 2013 and best of luck in the New Year. Stay tuned...

- ben josé

Catching Wriiiiter!

Day 25
Word Count: 47,627 (which means only 2,373 words left)
Mood: Tired, but excited! I'm Tirecited!

Only 2,373 words left! A-yo, a-yo! This is the word count I reached on Friday afternoon. And that is where I am now, on Monday afternoon. I didn't write any words over the weekend and once again my reasons are: a) still in the process of moving and it rocks. November should be called Movember and not for the no-shaving thing, but for my unending process of moving all month, b) Catching Fiyyyyah!, and c) turkey on ma mind.

Johanna. Best part of C.Fiyaaah!

This weekend I spent two nights out at cool bars near my new house. Tis very difficult to have fun in a bar while sober, but I surprisingly managed to sober-dance my way to a great time. When in doubt, just start sober-dancing, it'll fix everything. I've mastered some great moves, such as the "Arm-Crutch" dance and the "White-Man Jumping" dance. Maybe I'll post a video of my moves soon.

I can't believe it is already November 25th! I feel like I barely got to explain more of my book! But, maybe I'll continue this blog after November and include some excerpts from my book or go into more detail about the world and characters. If you don't know what Steampunk is, get on it because the world of my book is all about that Steam & those punks!

Oh, here's a short synopsis of my book that is on my NaNoWriMo page:

In the once grand city of Annonay, a divide has grown between the rich and the poor. The rich prosper and party with reckless abandon up on the hills. The poor struggle to survive the harsh rule of the military police in the dilapidated streets below.

When the sinister Dr. Yann Bel Geddes brings in a naive young scientist to complete the final steps of his powerful new gravitational technology, the city will be forever changed. The sky will be ripped apart and all will float and all will fall. Only those in specialized thermal air balloons will be able to survive the horror that follows...

Adventure, Romance, Mystery, Horror, Tragedy, Hot Air Balloons.

Yeaaaah?? Thoughts?? Side note: I really like hot air balloons.

Oh, look! Ballooooons!

Five days to go!

- ben josé