Day 0 - Less Than 24hrs til NaNoWriMo

Day: 0
Word Count: 0

It is finally here, folks! NaNoWriMo 2014 (or, National Novel Writing Month, in case you've come down with a case of finely tuned amnesia!).

 

Turn up the music! Bring on the tea! It's time to write a novel again. Errrr, or in my case, it's time to FINALLY finish my novel that I began a mere two...three....years ago. Don't ye worry your fine self, I promise you, this is the year it shall be finished! You hear that, Buoyancy, you're gonna be as finished as Amanda Bynes' illustrious career! We miss you, Ashley!

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day, so I hope that I get to typing. It is the final day in the Hollywood house that I've lived in with my five other roommates (and a dog and a cat) for the past year. AU REVOIR, SELMA HOUSE. It's been a crazy year of ups and downs, but regardless, things were learned and lived.

Pause. I am listening to David Bowie's "I'd Rather Be High (Veneitian Mix)" and it is just maaaaagical. Mr. Bowie, my personal baby-snatching hero, is definitely going to be one of the artists I will be listening to as I take back up on my novel. Music for me sets the mood for writing. I'm a fan of ambient sounds, rain/thunder, movie soundtracks (Add "Gone Girl" soundtrack to all your playlists, please), and video game music. It is surprisingly a beautiful genre full of many various melodic, soothing tunes.

You may or may not know that my novel is set from eight different point-of-views in the third person. Obviously, George R.R. Martin (you know that guy) is partly my inspiration. He wrote some books... Well, music helps me get into each of my different characters perspectives because obviously a poor, young thief doesn't listen to the same music as a rich, older housewife! DUH.

Oh, and my novel is Steampunk-Fantasy, which just so happens to be the theme of NaNoWriMo this year. If that isn't a sign that I need to finish it this year, then I don't know what is.

There are going to be a lot of distractions and excuses, but I shall remain strong. GET AWAY FROM ME, NETFLIX!

Cheers to a happy, fun NaNoWriMo! And remember, "There Is Nothing Wrong With Hating Rock Critics" or in this case, "Book" critics. JUST WRITE AND CREATE! Thanks, Of Montreal!

- ben josé

currently listening to: this smashing hit, gruntilda's lair, from banjo & kazooie. DON'T JUDGE ME.

What I Listen To When I Write

I'm a little odd when it comes to my writing process. Basically, it not very consistent and changes everyday dependent on my mood and how "inspired" I am feeling by my novel. Sometimes I need total quiet and sometimes a funky, fresh beat is just what gets me going. I usually open up my Pandora while writing. Frequent channels of mine include: AIR, Au Revoir Simone, Moby, Arcade Fire, Broken Bells, etc. So, all of the electro-pop/rock you can get! I guess my novel is coming from a place of synthesizers and theremins (P.S. Theremins are about the coolest instruments ever!). Does that make you more or less excited to read my stuff?

AIR - Amour, Imagination, Rêve

Au Revoir Simone - a powerful feminine troika of electro pop!

My second choice of music to listen to is the soundtracks of my favorite TV shows, movies, and video games. I am constantly on the channels for "Harry Potter," "Lord of the Rings," "Zelda", and more. Two of my favorite TV shows, "Lost" and "Battlestar Galactica", have the most amazing soundtracks I have ever had the pleasure of listening too. Michael Giacchino (of "Lost") and Bear McCreary (of "Battlestar Galactica") are musical geniuses! Listen to all of their stuff, please! Honorable mention for: John Williams (no explanation needed) and Ramin Djawadi ("Game of Thrones").

Fav. song: "Passacaglia"

Fav. Song: "Life and Death"

Fav. Song: "Song of Storms"

However, Pandora feels the need to play ads in the middle of my writing jams and that can severely affect me and my continuation of writing. So, be wary of using Pandora. My alternatives include iTunes, YouTube, ya know... Check out Pogo on YouTube. You won't regret it!

One band I haven't mentioned yet but that continually inspires me is the band, Portishead. The song, "The Rip," by Portishead, was actually the song that inspired me to write my novel. As soon as I heard the haunting lyrics and saw the accompanying music video, my imagination took over and the initial images and characters of my novel came falling into my head. It was quite beautiful. Of course, the world of my novel is now so much more expanded and large, but that song stays with me every step of the way.

So, as November approaches (4 more days, y'all!), I am putting the final touches on my notes and outlines, preparing my body for 30 days of sobriety, and queuing up all my great playlists. The NaNoWriMo journey is about to begin...

- ben josé