NaNo Finish!

As promised my final count was:

NOT IMPORTANT.
But also 72,639 (I'm such an ass).

But really, what I took out of this was just way, WAY more than a count. I'm going to have to trim a lot of fat, but I accomplished far more on this ambitious sprint than I could ever hope to point out.

Followed by goofy graphics:

Weeeee are the champioooons, my fre-hend...

Although I said so on the last post yesterday, if you haven't already, post your own below! I'm proud of you, whether you 'won' or not and you've earned my space to parade that victory.

Make sure you claim those juicy discounts and don't forget to rest or keep going if you're up for it. NaNo provides more scheduled months to edit or draft ahead, so if you like the concept of guidelines and camaraderie, keep it up.

As for me, I'm still drooling over my lovely edits, working on maps and outlines, writing shorts, blogging, all that good stuff. Okay, plus crocheting for Christmas gifts, but that's one of them holiday-related deadlines that builds me up some backbone.

Whether you're resting, editing, celebrating or hibernating, enjoy your victories!

Cincinnati ComicCon 2018, Y'All!

I didn't actually know I would be going this year. I didn't go last year and the year before, I got the worst rash of my life the day after. Fortunately, the year before THAT, I had a blast. Met Sean Astin and the kid that plays the Penguin in Gotham with my nieces, Elise and Melody, their brother Thomas, and mother Angie. We saw the cosplay of a gorilla in a camo combat suit, a delightful amount of fat Batgirls, and Captain Obvious.

I never buy anything and I always wonder when I'll be able to afford to buy hard copies of my books, print out big posters of my art, a few crocheted goodies and a booth to sit there for hours wondering what my first Con will be like on the other side of those collapsible tables. Someday, but my prospects are realistic. I can't deny that there will always be the joy of writing but a gargoyle can dream...

However, one thing is certain-- I always take a ton of pictures! One of the rare times in my life I even remember to take pictures. I didn't have this blog last time I went (I might have mentioned I'm still fairly new at the author gig) so this time, I can encourage people to add me on FB (Krista Gossett) and take a look. My album is mostly vendors but I shared my nephew's album, mostly cosplay, as well.

I'm just going to finish up with some musings.

Always feels good to be surrounded by my tribe though. We may not all appreciate all of the nerd and geek fandoms, but it's one of those events where people are encouraged to discover something new or  support an old favorite. I don't feel like I'm being judged or looked at for being weird-- we're all weird here and the eccentricities are embraced.

Even for someone who enjoys their own company, I can recommend any convention that falls under a real interest you have. I'd love to see a writing convention in Cincinnati. Really, there's only so much you can experience secondhand. Don't get me wrong; I love seeing the world through a computer screen. It's a great luxury but can't beat the sensory experience of actually being somewhere. 

Cincinnati didn't really have many nerd havens for a while. Sugoi-Con and ComicCon are fairly new (or at least much younger than me). Now that my younger nephew is into anime, I'd love to take him to Sugoi-Con sometime, not only a day pass but do it up, if I can-- all three days, hotel room, souvenirs and whatever seminars or screenings or dances he wants to do there. I got to do it when I was 23 and it's one of my fondest memories.

ComicCon though... After really embracing a purpose after design school, I like having this little daydream of a humble booth there. Of being debt-free, financially comfortable; well and good, but I want to do cons without expectation of even making back what I spend. I want the energy from it. I'm not too keen on the idea of fame but I definitely want to get people excited about my work and if it means using my weird face to push it, I'll take it.

Writers know there is a chance it will not take off. A great deal of them will get discouraged and quit when they face the setbacks of a lukewarm debut. I'm okay with my back door entrance to the party. I'm okay with being the indie rebel in a sea of gatekeepers. Those types have sometimes exploded into bigger things too. 

Still, there is nothing like it. I realized I'm a masochist for telling my stories. I'll take disappointment, endure the bitter taste and pop open my notebooks and laptop and keep going. I've always found that if you stick it out past the worst, it only feeds your work. I don't just dry-hump the ones that haven't taken off, I keep the ideas moving forward-- new projects, new material. That's the beauty of fiction-- you don't have to stand on it and push it with the same insistence. It takes one liked book in your library before you start selling the others by curiosity alone sometimes. So even if you do have those sensitive moments, you know that there's more waiting for you when you're ready for it.

I see a lot of returning vendors at the cons, people who enjoy the atmosphere and possibility just as I do. I'd love to form lasting memories and learn new ideas. Again, if you need a boost or a place to feel the energy of your favorite fandoms, absolutely search to see if you can start looking forward to annual conventions dedicated to it. It was $25 to get in on a Friday this year and I only 'shopped' with my camera. Gather up business cards and do some online shopping later, but do go for the energy! You won't regret it!

NaNoWriMo Prep!

Whether you're a pantser or a planner (or both, like myself), NaNoWriMo is worth some planning. Since my laptop charger went kaput, planning is the more palatable part of writing for me right now, but I'm not going to assume everyone is going into this already knowing what they're doing.

First of all, if you're doing it, add me now. AbsentGoddess. I'll be a cheerleader and an ear throughout the event, no exceptions! I love interacting and helping out fellow writers.

As for the topic (yup, still here!), this isn't just a good time to plan the book itself, but a good time to set up your page (sometimes they have a queue for new accounts so at least knock that out ASAP). Pick your user name and password and click through the links to see how badge work. Some you can 'award' yourself, some are milestones that go through when you claim your word count. It's an honesty based system so you can lie... But there's actually gratification in doing the work, so at least try.

(In the name of nabbing the winner's discounts, I do suggest fudging your winner count if you want the discounted programs at the end. I have no doubt you'll reach the word count eventually, so you're at least a runner-up in my book.)

What else? Go to the My Novel section. If you haven't planned this, it might be a good time to play here. Pick a title, a genre, and a 'cover image'. Write a synopsis, plug in an excerpt if you have one. Most people who reach the word count did so because they plugged in these details that made the whole thing feel more tangible and attainable. All of these details can be changed at any time. Change your mind. Continue a partial draft of something else. Write five short stories. NaNoWriMo isn't about quality. The focus is on quantity because the point is developing habits, methods and creative flow cognition. There are after-camps for refinement so let this be your opportunity to challenge yourself not to self-edit.

**Prepping is mostly about seeing what is available on-site, getting familiar with any changes, building your buddy list and checking out guest writers. You'll get personal messages and site-wide messages of encouragement during the event. Make the most of it so you can decide your plan of action and focus.**

I won't lie. I self-edit. But I also attempt to stick it out for the word count goal. It's actually simpler than you think if you do it in the spirit intended. Ideally, you're going to just aim for the best output. 

If you're a 1K word per hour writer at best, this should be where you aim to race for that goal. I believe the average word count per day sets your minimum daily count at 1,666 words (1,667, if you have some superstition about three sixes in a row). Assuming you having a full-time job then an hour and a half of free flow writing is probably a pipe dream during the work week. Set up your deficits for weekends. If you only nail half of the minimum each day, then you're looking at some modest chunks of hours to catch up on weekends. 

Too much? Give yourself an early bump. Again, it's an accountability system that doesn't get suspicious if you claim 50K words on the first day. If 50K words in one month isn't possible, consider starting a couple weeks/month early and maybe claiming the 10K-20K you prepped with.

I've never seen this community look down on anyone for 'cheating' or 'lying'. Some people adhere to the strictness for their own goals but ultimately, this is only about writers writing. It's about encouraging everyone to start that one book they swear they have inside them. Poets, fanfic afficionados, short story writers all participate (so even the Novel-Writing part is not a rule). This is more like a writing camp where the content, the criticism, the confidence-- none of it matters. We're in it for the camaraderie, the challenge and the courage to begin! (Alliteration... Imagine that...)

Pass my name along to your circle of writers! I want to see new and old faces and keep up the tradition of passion for the craft. Also, feel free to subscribe to all of my social outlets and toss me yours. I've met some amazing people through these sorts of events and I'd love to keep that up.

For your convenience, you'll find all my links on the footer of my website HERE.

Happy New Year!

I've always found the idea of resolutions to be fraught with far more disappointment than encouragement. Life doesn't let you plan for death and loss or the sweeping thrill of sudden joy either. It just doesn't, so those timed goals can feel like an impediment. 

You know me-- always with my ambitious lists. One thing I don't do is put a definite time limit on them. I don't say with any promise that any year will be great. Although I often start a new goal on a Monday (which is often my favorite day of the week because of that), I don't beat myself up when Wednesday night makes me realize my weekly goals might have been over-ambitious. 

Things get done. In their own time. Sometimes it's a lot less than you wanted, sometimes it's a lot more than you hoped. I don't wake up demanding a promise of a good day. There are things I have to actively do or avoid or just face in getting through each one. At the end of each day, I like to look back on it and tally my victories and defeats and do better.

I definitely don't plan for breaks. It's the one thing I absolutely suck at. It's not that I don't know how to relax, it's just that there is actually so much that I fully want to do. Sometimes I go weeks before I realize I'm probably an insufferable cunt because I haven't touched a video game in forever. I don't necessarily regret it but it then becomes an immediate priority. Yes, on my list of priorities, dreams and family often come first, but nothing is locked in place. At any time, video games might take the top spot because I need to inspire my work or just need to enjoy the fruits of someone else's labors.

You probably beat yourself up when you think about how selfish that sounds in your own life. Socially, we've been geared to pump out a top five list that sounds agreeable. It's one thing to do that for the pageantry of conversation, but one of the reasons Americans are so laden with mental illness--  we feel so guilty when our actions don't fall into this impossible ideal that we neglect what had been groomed into us as a luxury rather than an actual need.

Don't know about you, but becoming a ball of stress never did me any good and it certainly didn't make me useful to those around me.

So go into the New Year with that in mind. If you must make resolutions, make them flexible. If you want to lose weight, great. Don't put a number on it. Make sound and workable lifestyle choices that take into account that you are human. Overwork and injury make you less than productive if not useless. If you want to finish that book, go for it. If you barely make it to the end of 2018 with a legible draft, you still did far more than the person who didn't start at all. Take into account the hurdles you faced and figure out what you need to do to press on.

Try not to make your goals a slow walk to the guillotine. You might face some crippling adversity or you might catch a lucky break. Humble yourself to all of it. If you base your next goals off of your very best week, you're probably going to slam into a wall. Rock bottom sucks but I like to think of an old lesson I learned as a child. You don't build your house on sand, you build it on a rock. Rock is your foundation. You don't stop there or try to dig through it, you build up. Think of what will keep your next house stronger.

I know life is tough. You won't hear me reflect on all that's gone wrong in my life because those were footnotes. I will deal with chronic pain and mental glitches my whole life and I've learn to stop fighting against them, but to work them to whatever advantage I can suck out of them. I have become an intuitive and deep person through those bumpy spots. I've become the sort of person that people know they can talk to because I have no desire to abuse the vulnerabilities of others. I protect others as preciously as I've protected myself but I don't hold anyone back either. I know it sounds like I'm tooting my own horn but you should know that once you can tear through the fog, there's a bright side somewhere. Yeah, sometimes there's a lot of fog and some pretty terrifying and impossible pain. There are parts where I was sure I should give up. The longer I endured, the sweeter the air on the other side. Even when it left me boneless and weak, I was glad just for the ragged breaths I could pull into my lungs.

Maybe I'm just shit at telling time but I don't weigh my success by the rotations of the earth. It can be staggering to reach beyond yourself, stretching beyond your home, your town, your country, the earth and out into the universe. You wouldn't take on all of that at once, so don't treat time like a thing of convenience either. You are an amazing creature of so many possibilities, just reach each day, even if it's just the length of your own arm and grab for something. Treat each day like a new start, the beginning of your potential. 

I had a humble start. Touching base with my handful of dear friends through messages, doing the work/play labors of love... That's the short version. I made some Perler bead crafts, finished the last of the simple color basing for my third book, read some of my friend Liz's story and wrote a few hundred words for UnSung. Woke up at 1:30 PM, braved the cold to walk to the store and run into my favorite Kroger employee and friend Landon. Got home, made hazelnut coffee then made some Omaha Steaks with my family, courtesy of the holiday gift from my aunt. It was a humble day, but the absolute perfect start if I could ask for one. If this day could really set the tone for what I want from the 'year', that would be everything I could ask for.

What I want to leave you with is this: reword your day. If your day sucked, rewrite it in a positive light. Sometimes your car breaks down, you get the worst news of your life and there really is no silver lining. This is where artists often work some magic. There are lessons there, ones that seem impossible to paint with any light, but trust me, it's possible. It's also been my number one survival tool. Sometimes it take a week, a few months, a year before I am able to see value, but that's the art of life. Losing my mom was soul-crushing, displacing, but there was something there, waiting to push me ahead. I wish I could name it but laboring to do so wove its magic. It's not because my mom wanted it or because I was moving on in her honor. Those things felt so trite where possibility was concerned. Perhaps it was more like the pieces of her and the pieces of me reordered to make a new picture possible. Somehow all the pieces, no matter how fucked up, they still manage to fit. I could have let them be wasted or collect dust, but I didn't.

That's what matters. If you're going to collect anything in life, put it to use. If it's not useful to you, find it a home. Sometimes the answers are deceptively simple, only the journey to arrive there coloring them with true meaning. Do quotes ever mean the exact same thing to any of us? Yet something resonates there, doesn't it?