haHA!

[rosdrise]

I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty proud of myself for keeping up with NaNo for a whole week. I missed a few evenings due to work/play/laziness but made up for it and was back on track last night.

The key is to just not do anything else. Even when I really do not want to write, I sit down and make myself do it. The idea that I'll just have to make the word count up later is a great motivator. I truly wish I'd taken the time to sketch out an outline before I started, because I only have a very vague idea of what my plot actually is. I know I could go ahead and do that now, but then that's writing without any of it counting towards my total words and I can't have that.

My main issue at this point in the main character. Her characterization is all over the place and it's is practically killing me to not go back and edit. I have an idea of what I want her to be in my head: easily annoyed but also quite flighty. And on paper she's just coming off as a snob, not simply disinterested. I want her to be funny, but with an edge and it's totally not working. I'm frustrated and as a result getting more invested in secondary characters... which isn't helpful.

It's not helping that I'm also reading Catching Fire which, while it's not as good as The Hunger Games I still love it. It's making me very anxious about my own writing.

ETA: Forgot to mention my knitting debacle! So, I'm not a knitter. I prefer crocheting (not that I do that much of it), but recently I picked up a pattern for a knit hat. It's a very loose beret and I thought it was adorable. It was marked as "easy" so I thought: SCORE. I'd only attempted knitting once before, but the double needle thing was tricky for me. So, I had to reacquaint myself with casting off and the stitches (thanks youtube!) and was on my way.

The first issue came when my cats got into the yarn. I woke up Saturday morning to the entire ball of yarn unwound and knotted throughout my entire living and dining room area. We're talking around multiple table legs on multiple tables. They couldn't have done this with the cheap yarn I picked up for practice, no, it had to be the fancy stuff. UGH. CATS.

Then I totally failed on stockinette stitch. I read that it was one row of knit and one row of purl. Okay, I thought, simple enough. So I was doing that and... it did not look right. I thought maybe I got my stitches turned around or something, so I kept going, but it didn't look anything like the picture. Then I realized that you're supposed to turn the piece when you do the purl side, only I was working on circular needles, so how the hell was I supposed to do that? Then I searched youtube and realized when you're working in the round you just keep using the knit stitch. You don't have to worry about purl stitching at all. Awesome. I'd just wasted hours and had to rip everything out.

This hat better be AMAZING when I'm done.

ETA THE SECOND: Who out there has an ebook reader? I'm starting to think I'd... really really like one. I've poopoo-ed (NO idea how to spell that) reading on the computer for so long, because I love actually holding a book in my hands. But the idea of carrying around a whole library also really appeals to me. I've browsed around a bit, but I'm wondering if anyone on my flist has a preference. I'm leaning towards the Nook over the Kindle because I'd be able to put library books on the Nook. You have to strip the DRM off of them in order to put them on the Kindle, which sounds like kind of an (illegal) hassle. THOUGHTS, PLEASE.

Comments

[tootiesmith.livejournal.com]

Mom has a Kindle, she (and I) really like it. I'd never heard of the Nook before, nor do I know anything about stripping stuff off a Kindle or Nook. I don't think I'm being very helpful. Either way, I can read on the bus and not fumble about with turning pages.

[cranberrysheep.livejournal.com]

So for the Kindle do you just buy all your books from Amazon?

[tootiesmith.livejournal.com]

Yup. And a lot of the classics are free.

In regards to your not liking how your character is coming out in your writing, I've been working on a story for 6-7 years (can't remember when I started it) and I recently realized one the main characters is angry often. I want her to be witty and people questioning whether or not she's crazy, but not constantly angry with the world around her. I either have a lot of reworking to do or gaps to fill in.

B&N Nook

[bookstalker.livejournal.com]

I stumbled across your LJ when I was seeking out Asian dramas to watch. Thank you for your recommendations. :) Now, my true purpose for leaving a comment this time is that I actually have a Nook and I LOVE it!

The reason I chose the Nook over the Kindle is because I could borrow ebooks from my library. My library has been adding ebooks every month; it seems like there are new ebooks each time I check! I love that I can borrow the books directly from my library site and download them onto my Nook.

Another reason I chose the Nook was because I could purchase books from B&N, The Sony Reader Store, Books-a-Million.net, and so on because the Nook supports the epub format. I like having choices. It is still easier to purchase from B&N, but at least I can shop around for prices. Though, of course, most of the prices appear to have stabilized.

I'm also pleased that I can replace the battery on my Nook if I ever need to. I don't have to send it back to B&N; I can simply purchase a battery from B&N and replace it myself.

Also, the Nook runs a version of the Android OS. I just like Android. :) This is getting long so I apologize. If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a line and I'd be happy to answer them.

Re: B&N Nook

[cranberrysheep.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your thoughts! All the reasons you listed are why I'm leaning towards the Nook. The only downside I've been able to find is that it's a little bit heavier than the Kindle. But with all the pluses, I'm pretty sure I'll go with a Nook. ...Now I just need the funds to pay for it!

Re: B&N Nook

[cranberrysheep.livejournal.com]

Also! You're reading The Hunger Games! I just finished Catching Fire and now have to wait for Mockingjay. I'm loving this series.

Re: B&N Nook

[bookstalker.livejournal.com]

Yes, I really enjoyed The Hunger Games! I listened to the audiobook while I drove to work. I'm waiting for Catching Fire and Mockingjay on audiobook, too.

I recently listened to The Book Thief audiobook and it was excellent. I don't recommend listening to it while driving. I became emotionally involved in the story and I cried during certain scenes. It's really good.

I don't know if you've every checked out the digital downloads at your library site, but mine offers audiobooks that I can download and transfer to my iPod. I believe the audiobooks will work on any MP3 players.

Can you tell that I love ebooks, ereaders, audiobooks, and my library? :D Oh, I've just taken over with the comments and I do apologize!

Re: B&N Nook

[bookstalker.livejournal.com]

The latest Kindle is much lighter than the Nook, but the Nook is comparable to a paperback novella, IMO. I haven't found the device to be too heavy--even with a cover. Of course, the Kindle feels paper thin! :)

If you don't mind a refurbished Nook, Buy.com (http://www.buy.com/prod/nook-by-barnes-noble-wi-fi-certified-pre-owned-ereader/q/loc/111/217612846.html) has a WiFi version for $99. Earlier this week, Ebay.com had a refurbished 3G + WiFi version for $99, but that deal has expired.

If you prefer a new version of the Kindle or the Nook, Best Buy has a coupon for RewardZone members where points are tripled when an ereader is purchased by 11/20. It isn't any money off of the device, but your RewardZone points are tripled so you may get gift certificates back faster.

You may want to wait and see what the Black Friday deals might be for this month. I think that the ereaders may be sold with $50 gift cards or so. At least, that is the rumor.

Also, there is a quick comparison between the Kindle, Kobo, and Nook at The E-Reader Blog (http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/2010/11/10/kindle-3-vs-nook-vs-kobo-wifi-wireless-ereaders-compared/). Man, I just go on and on about ereaders, don't I? I'll stop now!

Re: B&N Nook

[bookstalker.livejournal.com]

Oh, and one last thing--I promise! There will be a huge firmware update later this month for the Nook. It's supposed to add better organization, password protection, and quite a few other things that I don't recall at this time. I think it'll be released around 11/19 (when NookColor is released) or the week after that.