NaNoWriMo 2009: How It All Went Down

Well, I did it. Things were pretty touch-and-go for most of the month, and at one point I seriously considered giving up on NaNoWriMo, but in the end, I pushed through and hit that 50,000-word goal.

To give you an idea of how close I came to losing, here’s a rounded (up?) number for my word count three days before the end of the month: 16k.

When I looked at that number with only three days left to go, I hung my head in shame. I was going to lose. For the first time ever, I began to accept defeat in one of the things I look forward to most each year, like the holidays or my birthday. It was all over for me, and it was still just November 27. There would be no champagne. No winner’s certificate. No 50k words.

Then, feeling glum, I opened my email and read Chris Baty’s “Homestretch pep talk." This was by way of punishment, really. I figured his words of encouragement would make me feel poorly about my lack of progress, but instead I felt, well, encouraged.

I changed my mind.

What the Great Chris Baty did to encourage me was simple. He broke down NaNo participants into three different categories:

“Group One: The Superheroes.” These were the WriMos who had worked diligently all November and had already won or were going to win with no problem. According to Baty, these made up only 3% of WriMos.

“Group Two: The Come-Back Kids.” These were the participants who were still pushing through the 20s or 30s and would make a final push for the finish to win at the last minute. They had had some fallbacks, but the end was in sight, and November 30^th would be a day of success.

“Group Three: The Go On Without Me's.” This was my group.

I’ve never been in that group before. It’s not the worst thing in the world, I realized. In fact, after reading the pep talk email, I remembered what an incredible undertaking NaNoWriMo really is, and how impressive it is to give it a shot at all.

And then I read this note from Chris Baty to the Go On Without Me’s:

"This is going to sound really weird, but you're in the best shape of all three groups. You're off the map, but that's the point of this escapade. NaNoWriMo is to there to put you in such an impossible situation that you can stop worrying about perfection and achievement and just savor the thrill that comes with making and doing. Think of the remaining days in NaNoWriMo as an anything-goes creative retreat. You sacrificed your novel to the world around you this month, and the world around you appreciated it. But you now get some time for you. You may not write 50,000 words, but you still have plenty of time to create something smaller and equally wonderful. Return to the page—there's still a beautiful adventure waiting for you.”

That’s exactly what I did. Suddenly I felt as though anything were possible. I’d already given up, so what did I have to lose? I pulled out my calculator and did some minor division (yes, calculators are necessary; I’m a writer, not a mathematician). In order to reach 50,000 words in three days, I needed to write over 10k per day. Impossible? Of course. But if I was going to lose, I was at least going to aim high.

And so, instead of losing, I won.

Yes, I wrote over thirty-thousand words in three days. During that time, I also worked and did research for the class I’m taking. My mind is officially mush, but I exceeded my personal goals, and I’m exhausted but elated. This NaNo win has turned out to be the sweetest of them all because I tried to do something impossible, and it turned out to be possible.

At 11 p.m. on November 30, I validated my word count, and there it was:

Victory is a lovely thing. Sometimes it even comes with graphics of fireworks. :)

Several of my WriMo buddies won this year, too, and I applaud them! In fact, I applaud anyone who even attempted NaNo; it’s an amazing experience that has turned November into the favorite (or least favorite) month for writers all over the world. Participating in a challenge to create 50k new words within 30 days shows exactly how dedicated we all are, and we should be proud. Or locked up.

Either way, congrats to every WriMo out there.

Did you participate? How did it turn out for you? And have you dontated to NaNoWriMo yet?

Say hi to my mom!

In other news, my mother, author Kathleen O'Brien, has a great blog post today over at Tote Bags 'n' Blogs. If you have a chance, tell her hello!

Na... NO?

If you're wondering what I'm up to these days and why I'm only finding time to update my Twitter, it's because I'm knee-deep in both real life and NaNoWriMo. (doesn't real life know that I am busy right now???)

So I'm just popping in here today to say a quick hello! I'm way behind on my NaNo word count, but I've broken through a block and am pushing forward with the great carelessness and reckless abandon that are the staples of November literary efforts the world over.

Oh, there will be words. Many, many words.

See you in December! In the meantime, to my American friends, have a happy Thanksgiving! :)

The Big Bang

Last night I was driving home from my parents’ house, and, just a few feet in front of my car, three enormous explosions erupted, one after the other, with loud BOOMs and electric sparks spraying all over the street like fire. I slammed on my brakes and sat there for nearly a whole minute to catch my breath and figure out what was going on.

Everything behind me was completely dark. It was as if I were sitting at the end of some abyss or ominous cave, the trunk of my car about to teeter backward into the nothingness…

After a few seconds I realized that a transformer must have blown, and I called my parents, who confirmed that their power was out. Luckily, it was back on within a few hours.

Most of my experiences with the power going out are spent indoors, and the electricity just stops, leaving behind a strange calmness in the house that we rarely know – we’re so accustomed to the white noise and the humming of appliances turned on.

This was a totally different experience. I got to see the power fly across the road, away from the lines. It was frightening and thrilling at once. As I heard my parents’ voices over the phone, clearly bored and annoyed at the inconvenience of being without lights, I found that I felt a little excited at my good fortune.

Not that I was simply happy to be going home to air conditioning; I was glad that I’d seen it happen. Had I stayed another ten minutes at my parents, or left ten minutes earlier, I would not have seen the random explosion in the dark night, spitting bright yellow streamers over the street. I was the only one on the road at that moment. It was like a show for me.

Sure, that’s an odd way of looking at it, but hey. I like a good adventure, even if it’s only in my mind.

NaNoWriMo

Because September is nearly over, I find myself looking forward to the usual things: cooler weather, Halloween, candy, and writing fiction until my eyes cross.

That’s what Fall means to me.

A little while back, my husband (then fiancé) and I went to San Francisco on vacation to visit friends. These friends are very special to me because I “met” them online during NaNoWriMo, and we’ve grown very close since then.

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is an annual challenge in November for writers to create at least 50,000 words in thirty days. If you succeed, you win. If not, at least you have some words!

But it’s not only about writing at an insane pace, locked alone in a room. NaNoWriMo is (well, it can be) a very social activity. In fact, two of my buddies met online during NaNo, and later they started a relationship and moved in with each other! Another friend drove into town to play the violin at my wedding.

Writing together can really bond people. We joke about our ridiculous plots, we war over word counts, and most of all, we encourage each other to keep going. When I write at other times of the year, I feel myself missing the flurry of excitement that comes each November and the friends who will commiserate with me over characters gone astray.

So, now that NaNo’s in sight, I’m starting to count down the days. Let’s get ready to write! ☺

Abandon ship!

I live in Florida (near a lake), so cockroaches are just a part of life. We clean up and put out the usual bug deterrents, but there's no way to eliminate every single one.

Yep, I'm about to tell a bug story.

This morning, while I was getting ready for the day, I saw something brown scuttle across my bathroom wall. From the corner of my eye, it actually looked like a scorpion. I'm not an expert on scorpions, but I'm also fairly certain that I don't want them in my house. So I jumped back, alarmed, and found with relief that it was just a roach.

Let me clarify: I don't like roaches, either. Scorpions are just a bit scarier.

Only this roach looked... wrong. Deformed or sick, maybe. Something was hanging off of its back end.

Imagine for a moment the kind of horror that rushed through my mind as I tried to figure out what terrible, radioactive chemicals were leaking into my house and actually causing the insects to develop frightening growths. I stood there in fear and disgust, my jaw hanging open and my skin crawling. 

It got away from me before I could react. That thing is still loose in the house, even as I type.

Later, of course, I realized what I had seen. This was no nuclear bug. It was a roach with an ootheca -- an egg sack.

Aw, the miracle of life.  *shudders*

The way I see it, roaches (and a number of other insects and arachnids) are real-life monsters. Think about it: their feely legs (far too many of them), their preference for dark, dirty places, the fact that many of them literally feed on your blood, the way their eyes are nearly always hidden from clear view, their ability to climb walls and fly and land in your hair at just the worst-possible moment...

Obviously, I have to give up my territory to the invader. There is no way I can win this battle. Every time I come into contact with it, I will stand trapped somewhere between terror and nausea, and the monster will defeat me. So I'm sending up the white flag.

I was never cut out to battle monsters.

Punctuatory

The other day, my brother informed me that I was using a colon in a way that might come across as rude. “I find that colons are powerful beyond our understanding,” he told me in an instant message. “We are but mere mortals to their punctuatory (not a word) greatness.”

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a made up word. I collect them in my mental dictionary and use them regularly as if they were normal parts of the English language.

Now I have punctuatory.

Mike (my brother) offered the following definition:

Punctuatory, adj:

1)   of or relating to punctuation

2)   a type of weather-predicting groundhog in a parallel universe

“This student’s semicolon usage constitutes a punctuatory disaster!”

“Punctuatory Phil emerged from his hole today and saw his shadow. We can expect thirty more years of global warming.”

And there you have it. I bring you the important news.

Beach Bouquet

Just a quick note about this past weekend.

I went to the beach, and it was lovely. Since we live in Florida, we have the option of going to either the Atlantic or the Gulf, and we normally choose the Gulf. It’s very relaxing there, and that’s exactly what we needed.

My skin is about as pale as a sheet of notebook paper, so I’m not usually the type to romp around in the sun, but I still love to lie back in the warmth and listen to the waves.

Yesterday my dad and I sat in chairs on the sand while my mom and my husband swam in the water. After a while, Rob walked up to me, dripping wet, and handed me a very nice arrangement of odd sea-things. He told me it was a gift that he and my mom had made for me out in the water. It was a bouquet.

 

I loved it.

Welcome back.

Hello, world. It’s been a while.

I promised myself I’d take a pseudo-break from blogging, etc., and that went well. But now it’s time to come back. I was getting a little tired of being quiet.

While I was on blogging break, several things happened. Let me catch you up on a few events:

I bought an iPhone. 

I got married.

I visited New York.
 

And I started settling into married life. Still working on that one.  J  It’s a ton of fun so far, but I can’t get used to the words “husband” or “wife.” Those are for grownups only, I thought!

If you follow Funnel Productions (Creepy Luny Inn, Transition Village, Man of the People), you’ll know there’s another fun experience afoot, and of course that means I can’t comment about it here. Just know I’m quite busy with a very fun project that just started, and I’m having a ball with it, as usual. More about that in the future.

Oh – other news: I fell in love with the Southern Vampire Series (Sookie Stackhouse/ TrueBlood), though I haven’t yet seen the HBO episodes. In July, author Charlaine Harris came to Gainesville, and my mom and I got the chance to see her speak. She’s just as funny and likeable in person as she in on the page. That was such a thrill.

What has everyone else been up to?

Secrets revealed

I write this as I sit in our “studio,” recording the last video for Myth of the Seeker. I’m squished up against a wall with my laptop on my legs and four of my best friends around me. This is a fun night.

Myth of the Seeker is the name of the secret project I was unable to announce before, and it’s a major experience that has taken up a great deal of my time for the last two months.

Why would I lose eight weeks of sleep over this independent project? Well, for one, it was a lengthy promotion for my book. But it was so many other things, as well: a chance to exercise my creativity every day, another great step for Funnel Productions, and an incredible experience with some talented and dedicated fans.

There is nothing more invigorating than positive reactions from your audience. They’re an incredible motivator, and Funnel owes our listeners a huge amount of thanks. Yes, we read the message boards, and it was comments like these that not only kept us going, but made each day extra-special:

“Just finished listening, incredibly enjoyable, better than what I listen to on REAL radio.”

“Wow, that was great. … Is it just me, or is Creepy awesome? Sooo my kind of lady...”

“Well written and well performed. This was a wonderful way to start the day.”

“this story is getting way better than I ever expected. “

“This has been a lot of fun. I'm really glad this was my first ARG. It has been quite whimsical, which has made all the difference.”

“Really the writing was superb and the pleasure was ours.”

Snorkle256, FSURobbie, Ifihadahifi, Sheep, Tiffany48, Amandel, and everyone else who played along, the pleasure was at this end. Thank you!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Alternate Reality Games (ARGs), I recommend you check them out. You might find another genre of storytelling that thrills you!

If you’d still like to listen to the radio show, don’t worry! All eight episodes are available to stream online. While you’re there, be sure to check out the fan page, where some incredible fan work has been posted. (and then take a look at From Light to Dark to have more fun in the worlds of the myth!)

And, of course, please let me know your thoughts.

Marching to the Cliffs of Moher

Welcome to March! I like this month. In Florida, it's a bit windy and chilly, but still comfortable enough to have a nice time outside in the sun. Perfect weather.

To me, March means St. Patrick's Day, and the second anniversary of my trip to Ireland. Two years ago, my family and I spent a little over a week traveling the most beautiful country in the world, and I will never forget a moment of it.

It was bitterly cold, but one of the best times of my life. I can't wait to go back one day!

Here in Florida, the weather is much nicer, though the land isn't as green.

However, just because the weather's perfect doesn't mean my schedule is! I'm up to my ears in things to do, but I just had to pop on here to say hello. :) Hope everyone's reading something great and being happy.

What does March mean to you?

Oscar Homework

I’m not ready for the Oscars tonight. Well – I’m ready in the sense that I know what party I’m going to attend, what time I’m getting there, and how much fun I’ll have. But other than that, I’m completely unprepared.

For one thing, I’ve seen none of the five Best Picture nominations, and I’ve seen nearly none of the rest of the films. Most years I’ve seen at least a handful, or I’ve done a mad-dash run through the theatres the week before, taking in as many as I can before Oscar Sunday.

This year my calendar has been too packed for that, though, so instead I’ll just sit in front of the TV cheering on none of them. That’ll make my voting card at this year’s party a bit silly.

The voting card goes like this: we pass out lists of films nominated, and everyone gets to check off likely winners. After the show is over, we add up who was correct about the most awards, and there is much rejoicing. It’s a family tradition.

I take that process a bit further. Normally I mark “should win” and “will win” on the list of films, creating a kind of irritating catalogue of details that documents my feelings about each nomination. As if anyone cares. ☺

But this year I won’t be able to annoy anyone with my dissertation on the worth and value of each film unless I invent ridiculous things like, “Slumdog Millionaire WILL win because of the ancient prophecy promising all mortals that Who Wants to be a Millionaire would one day rule over the lives of Earthlings, but Frost/Nixon SHOULD win because that title is cool.”

I’ve also, as my friends and family will confirm, utterly overbooked myself in the past few months, and so my attention will be divided. I’ll be working on a project (the secret one that I can announce to you in a little over a week) during at least part of the Oscars unless I hurry up right now and get that done.

It’s kind of a bummer to go into the Oscars like this. Hrm. I wonder what the schedule is like at the movie theatres this afternoon…

Anybody else super behind on your Oscar homework? Or is it just me?

Fiction eBook Review - From Light to Dark by Irene L. Pynn

"Irene has an excellent writing style that will draw you right into this one from the start."
Fiction eBook Review - From Light to Dark by Irene L. Pynn

Check out this cool review of my book, From Light to Dark!

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Chocolate and Shakespeare

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

I know not everybody likes this holiday. To tell the truth, I’ve never cared much for it myself – except I do like the candy. ☺

This morning, though, my fiancé gave me a card that was addressed “To My Wife.” He’d written “to-be” underneath the word “Wife.” Suddenly I realized I was going to have to get used to that word: wife. It was exciting and sweet and weird all at once.

Then he gave me chocolate, and I started thinking about that instead. ☺ It was a nice way to begin the morning.

Today is also special because it’s the start of the Amway Shakespeare Opportunity’s Twitter of the Shrew – a Twitter-based adaptation of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. There are 19 different Twitter accounts to follow (#tots), and each player’s lines are condensed (though still true to the first folio lines) to fit Twitter’s 140-character limits.

For those Shakespeare fans who know Shrew very well, please note that TotS is not including the “play without a play” section that stars Sly & Co. This is the main cast story.

It’s a fascinating adventure, and one that I’m very honored to be a part of. Brian Feldman is the genius behind it all. Last night as we were proofreading his scene one together, complete with emoticons and links to obscure references – even amusing jokes hidden within – I sent a quick IM to tell him, “seriously, Brian, this is genius.”

Those who follow the separate accounts will find distinct personalities in each character – and may even get a better feel for all the fun that Shakespeare’s plays can bring.

There will be one scene tweeted per day over a span of twelve days, so please be sure to check it out and let us know your thoughts.

Well, there you have it. Whether today is Valentine’s Day or Singles’ Awareness Day or OMG I’m Going to Be a Wife Day, there are two special things that are certain to make it a day of epic win:

Chocolate and Shakespeare.

Tweeting Shakespeare, "Txt me, Kate."

February 12, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact/Interview Requests:
Brian Feldman, AmwayShakes@brianfeldman.com, DM or @AmwayShakes


Who: Amway Shakespeare Opportunity (2009 Inaugural Season) Taking Shakespeare To The Next Level.

What: Twitter of the Shrew - adapted for Twitter by @BrianFeldman from the classic comedy attributed to William Shakespeare, with additional material by @irenelpynn, is a Twitter adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew (1590-1594). Spanning 19 Twitter accounts and presented over 12 days (one scene daily), Twitter of the Shrew attempts to live up to Shakespeare’s “Brevity is the soul of wit” proverb, by condensing the play’s iambic pentameter dialogue down to updates of 140 characters or less. “It’s a great idea!,” says Austin Tichenor of The Reduced Shakespeare Company. For those who don’t yet exist in the Twitterverse, Twitter is that crazy-popular, social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates (otherwise known as tweets). Twitter of the Shrew is not sanctioned, endorsed or sponsored by Twitter, Inc.

When: 14 - 25 February 2009 (GMT-5): One Scene Daily

Where: http://twitter.com/AmwayShakes and 19 additional Twitter of the Shrew character accounts:
ShrewKate / Katherine Minola / http://twitter.com/ShrewKate
PetruccioV / Petruccio / http://twitter.com/PetruccioV
Grumio / Grumio / http://twitter.com/Grumio
VeronaCurtis / Curtis / http://twitter.com/VeronaCurtis
Hdasher / Haberdasher / http://twitter.com/Hdasher
Tailor4Petruc / Petruccio's Tailor / http://twitter.com/Tailor4Petruc
BiancaMinola / Bianca Minola / http://twitter.com/BiancaMinola
BaptistaMinola / Baptista Minola / http://twitter.com/BaptistaMinola
Lucenti0 / Lucentio / http://twitter.com/Lucenti0
Cambi0 / Cambio / http://twitter.com/Cambi0
Trani0 / Tranio / http://twitter.com/Trani0
Biondell0 / Biondello / http://twitter.com/Biondell0
MrVincentio / Vincentio / http://twitter.com/MrVincentio
ThePendant / The Pendant / http://twitter.com/ThePendant
Hortensio / Hortensio / http://twitter.com/Hortensio
LitioH / Litio / http://twitter.com/LitioH
PaduaWidow / The Widow of Padua / http://twitter.com/PaduaWidow
OldGremio / Gremio / http://twitter.com/OldGremio
UPadua / University of Padua / http://twitter.com/UPadua

To experience Twitter of the Shrew in real time, be sure to follow each of the character accounts, and set device updates ‘On’ to receive all #tots updates via SMS (only advised for those with unlimited messaging). All dialogue will RT @AmwayShakes.

Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=54668665562

Amway Shakespeare Opportunity (Brian Feldman, Artistic Director) will never do traditional Shakespeare. Upcoming productions include The Shakespeariment (24 Apr 2009) and, you just knew this was coming, The Twitter of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (May 2009). http://twitter.com/AmwayShakes

Novels, Radios, and Secret Projects

Things have been really busy here, and it’s great.

In addition to my new novel, I’m also working on a project that’s running on another website right now (details about that after it’s over). That project takes quite a lot of time and energy, and last weekend I spent several hours running from one place to another, writing, editing, recording, delivering files, and occasionally banging my head against the wall.

It’s always great to experience the finished product, though, when it finally comes together. That makes it all worth it.

Speaking of finished products, From Light to Dark is doing great at Wild Child Publishing. It has been out less than one month, and in that time I have seen it climb the genre Bestsellers lists (for Fantasy and Young Adult) on their site. It’s a great honor to be rising closer to the top of their fantasy/young adult readership in such a short amount of time!

In other news, I’ll be a guest next month on The Funky Writer’s BlogTalkRadio show! Update to come as the time and date are finalized.

That’s all for now! Back to work over here.

Reduction Production

Today is a wonderful day. Today, the Reduced Shakespeare Company came out with their first video podcast.

I am not connected with the RSC in any way (I wish), except for the fact that my brother and I once saw them in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) when we visited London. They are hilariously funny and smart, and they are totally down with Billy Shakespeare. Nothing could possibly be cooler in my book.

If you ever wanted to know where all the humor in history has gone, look no further than the Reduced Shakespeare Company. It’s all there.

Living with Winter

For Florida, it’s pretty cold. There aren’t tons of winter clothes available in this state, so, for the week or so in the early part of each year when temperatures actually drop down to the 30s, most Floridians wander around with bewildered, slightly irritated expressions on our faces, frozen to the bone by the wind that cuts right through our thin shirts.

Tonight’s one of those nights. I walked out to my car and felt as though bits of ice were forming on my arms. My dog Sprocket (who recently had a haircut, poor thing) hides in the electric blanket and refuses to go anywhere else unless it’s absolutely necessary. The cats, Coretta and Othello, are equally as snuggly.

There is one benefit to the uncomfortable cold – though the weather here never has enough manners to at least bring us a single snowflake – and that is that we can see our own breath. For a few days each year, Floridians return to the thrill of being seven years old and comparing icy breath with their friends. Since it happens so rarely, it’s a fun event for us each time.

Or maybe just for me. ☺

In any case, tonight I’m wrapping up with blankets inside and pets and writing.

What is living with winter like in other parts of the world?

Blog Talk Radio

I was interviewed as a guest on Kim Smith’s radio show on BlogTalkRadio tonight. She’s a great host, and it was a pleasure to talk about From Light to Dark with her. Let me know what you think of the show!

Decisions and Revisions

Today is a day of decisions and revisions.

I’ve been going through my short stories and a novel (requested by an agent) most of today, tightening here and adding there. Whenever I get a free moment, I’m looking at my past work and coming up with what I hope are improvements.

At times this editing process feels as dull as putting gas into my car – just another tedious stop on a long trip that keeps me from my ultimate destination.

But occasionally, revising feels really good. It’s as though I have made a terrible mess of things; there’s mud on the floor and there are clothes crumpled in the corner. Then, like Cinderella, I come whisking in with a smile and soon everything’s sparkling clean, ready for the ball.

Today’s been a little of both. Sometimes smelly petrol, sometimes shiny dance floor.

My new work in progress (Abandoned) is getting some attention, as well, though I need to catch up with my word count. Once in a while you’re having so much fun writing a scene that you linger far too long, and the next thing you know, you’ve lost track of where you were going in the first place. Time to break out the plot map and force some discipline upon myself!

The current scene I’m working on in Abandoned deals primarily with eggs. Not breakfast eggs. Not robin’s eggs. These are giant, cracking, prehistoric eggs that contain a very special secret. Shhh. Don’t tell.

Tomorrow I’ll be a guest on Kim Smith’s radio show on BlogTalkRadio at 830 p.m., EST. Be sure to tune in!

Now. Back to revisions… or eggs.

10 Things You Didn't Know About Your Favorite Author: Mario Kluser

Mario Kluser is an author from the Netherlands.

1. What is the most interesting experience you've had as a writer?

When I got a very long e-mail from a reader of Loser - Director's Cut, telling me that the only time she could lay it down was when she had to cry. The other great experience whilst writing 'Loser' was when I came to my girlfriend's place and found her sitting on the sofa, crying after reading some excerpts. Immediately I thanked her for the compliment, then I asked her why she was crying. She said that she never read such a intense description of loneliness. I know this may sound silly, but this was very motivating for me to go ahead.

2. Do you own any pets? If you do, tell us about them!

I have a 13 year old cat (Upke) that has cancer. She seems to be happy, so I don't consider to bring her to the vet for the final pinprick. Her sister (Dupke) died in my arms 4 years ago. Gosh, I thought I could never be happy again. It's so intense when you look into those kind
eyes for the very last time. I have a rabbit with long ears that reminds me in one way or the other of a Rastaman. That's why I call him Bob, referring to Bob Marley. Never told this anybody.

3. Describe your most recent main character. Compare his or her appearance to celebrities or other fictional characters we know.

My most recent character is Andrew (Andy) Williams, the MC of 'Loser'. As this book is written in semi-autobiographical style, I wrote in the first person and hadn't any celebrity in mind. It was like giving myself the leading role in a movie.
Another MC in my first book is Jack Acers. It was the first time that I wrote, and it was easier to do so when I imagined the whole story on the big screen, and in my mind I gave every character the looks of a celebrity. In the case of Jack Acers it was Nicolas Cage. Thus, if there
is any Hollywood producer out there who wants to make a movie based on this book, please cast Nicolas Cage for the the leading role.

4. What is your favorite book to read, and why?

There are so many. My first thought goes to Harry Potter 1 - 7, even though I'm absolutely no fan of fantasy. Other books that are coming into my mind are Tokyo by Mo Hayder, Immoral by Brian Freeman and Wicker by Kevin Guilfoile.

5. How do you decide on the names for your characters?

Honestly, I don't know. It's just like they fall from above into my lap. But the reason that I named the MC of my first book (Het Orderboek) Jack was that I had Nicolas Cage in mind and thought on his role as Jack Campbell in the movie The Family Man.

6. Do you listen to music while you write?

Most of the time, though it's necessary that the music has a supporting character to the scenes and chapters I'm writing. Some scenes in 'Loser' were musically supported by "Lose Yourself" and "When I'm Gone" by Eminem. I mentioned it in the acknowledgment because this was very important to me.

7. What is the strangest way you've come up with an idea for a story?

For my first book it came over night. I was busy daytrading on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, and in the past I worked as a programmer. One day I found out that under certain circumstances, there was the possibility to manipulate the orderbook if you have the right people in the right place.
Because I was considering writing a book for a while, I nurtured this idea and one morning I woke up and had the complete plot from the beginning to the end in mind. The only thing I had to do was write it down.

8. What is your favorite city in the world, and why?

This is such a mean question! It always was London. London is such a amazing city. I love London. When I visited Ilaria Papini and her family last year in New York, I found out that NY fits my needs as well. I met so many friendly people and had such a big time and felt at home there. This is the reason that New York and London are sharing the first place ever since. But I have to admit that if I had to choose where to live, it would be New York.

9. Describe what your plotting process is like.

In the first case (Het Orderboek) I described earlier it grew over night around the possibility of manipulating the orderbook of the stock exchange.
For 'Loser' the proces was different. I knew how it had to begin and how it had to end. So I wrote the beginning and the end first. As there are two different timelines (one in the past and one in the present) that are switching in every chapter, I wrote a couple of 'even' chapters and then a couple of 'uneven.'
For my third book that's still not yet finished, I just started writing and don't have a clue where it is going to in the end.

10. When you aren't writing, what do you like to do for fun?

I think that the fun part at that moment is writing itself. So I'll write for fun whilst writing.

Singer Linger Longer

I'm out of town today for my aunt's birthday in Tampa, and we're taking a quick break to enjoy some literary nerdiness and drink hot chocolate.

The hot chocolate comes from Starbucks. The nerdiness comes from Peter Farb. We're taking a look at a selection from his book, Word Play: What Happens When People Talk, and have found that there is actually a rule in the English language regarding whether the G is pronounced as a hard consonant when it appears in a word that ends with ER.

For instance, Singer.

This is not a word with a hard G.

If I have this correctly, then according to Farb, the reason there is no hard G is that Singer is derived from a verb.

However, neither Linger nor Longer has a verb at its root, and therefore, we pronounce the G as a hard letter.

And there you have it. Birthday fun from my family.

Recycling and Monster trucks

There is a huge bag of bottles on my porch right now that’s waiting to be recycled. It’s enormous. I haven’t had the time to drop them off anywhere, and there unfortunately isn’t any recycling pickup at my home.

It makes for a great conversation piece.

Guests used to come by and see a tiny cloth bag hanging from the knob of the kitchen drawer, and they’d realize right away it was a collection of recycling. They’d drop their bottles and cans in there, too. No problem.

Then I hit a busy spell and wasn’t able to take the bottles anywhere, so my collection grew. Family and friends would walk by the kitchen, and I’d see them do a double-take at the overflowing group of recyclable materials before they’d ask, “Um… what’s that?”

Before too long, the bag got so large it was blocking several cabinets.

Finally, when I couldn’t open or close my dishwasher, the bag had to be moved out to the porch. Now it’s like a monster growing larger and larger. Maybe soon it will devour my home, and I’ll become part of the pre-recycled mess myself – a predictable end to the person who foolishly bred the beast. I wonder what they’ll turn me into. Paper? New shoes? A tire?

The other day, someone asked me why I don’t just take the bag to the trash. It’s massive. It’s in the way. It’s an eye-sore. It’s “just garbage,” anyway.

Okay. I’ll admit. I’ve been slacking way too much. The thing needs to go, like immediately. But I won’t just dump it in the dumpster, especially not now.

Now that I’ve managed to accumulate an impressive amount of recycling, tossing it in the garbage would feel pointless. Why did I live with those bottles and cans in my kitchen for so long if I wasn’t going to do the right thing with them?

So I’ll finally take them away this weekend, when I steal a moment to myself. It’s either that or be swallowed by the bag-o-bottles beast and processed into a monster truck tire.

That’s my excitement for the day. What’s yours?

Late birthdays, Abandoned

This morning, as I was surfing the Internet for things about speculative fiction, I found this site. It’s an interesting read. KV Taylor blogs her thoughts about various spec fic writings she has found, and what she thinks about them.

Then, as I clicked back and back through her archives, jotting down notes about one writer or another I’d like to check out, I found… myself!

Here is what the blogger had to say last year about my short story “God Corp.,” which appeared in The Opinion Guy’s issue 13:

“Next up, sci-fi. I was going through the current issue of OG’s Speculative Fiction, and in spite of the fact that it’s a poetry issue, was struck by Irene Pynn’s God Corp. [link goes to .pdf] Look for it on pg 7. This made me particularly happy because it has a lot of classic sci-fi themes happening, but they don’t feel like a rehash. She’s making you care. Plus, it has time travel, god, and Shakespeare. I mean, what more do you want?”

That was some nice praise I had totally missed when the story was first made public. It was great to see today! Like a late birthday present.

After that, I continued avoiding my necessary plot work by narcissistically Googling myself. Only I wasn’t Googling. I was Pipling myself. I suppose that’s what we’ll call it. Twitter was all abuzz today about this site, and for good reason; it’s a fun tool.

The thing that really made me laugh was that, as soon as I Pipled myself, I clicked through a few pages and found (you guessed it), our blogger friend whom I mentioned a few paragraphs above. That was enough of a coincidence to make me send her a thank-you email for brightening my day… twice.

The fact that all my web surfing kept bringing me back to information about my own writing meant – I decided – that I really ought to be plotting instead. So I made some final decisions about the book I’ll be doing in February, grabbed some late breakfast, and then talked to myself (yes, out loud) about my protagonist while I drove across town.

And now I feel very happy to announce that, on February 1, I will begin writing a book I tentatively call Abandoned.

That is all.

Whirlwind

It’s been a whirlwind day, so I’ll keep this short.

I’ll be interviewed as a guest on Kim Smith’s radio show on BlogTalkRadio Wednesday, February 4. More details to come!

It’s nearly February, which means I need to finish up with my plotting for the novel I plan to work on that month. The problem is, though, that I have a couple of ideas, and it’s a bit difficult to choose between them. Maybe tomorrow I’ll magically become more decisive. But let’s not hold our breath.

I went with my family today to meet with a possible caterer for my wedding. We haven’t made our final choice yet, but the lunch was great!

That seems like everything. Back to the whirlwind I go.

(by the way, for anyone who was confused by yesterday’s post, please check out the link at the bottom!)

Rabbit Hole Day, 2012

Posted December 22, 2012:

Looking back on life after the events of 2012 is a bit like looking down into moving water; everything is blurred and confusing. It’s not clear what was real and what wasn’t.

The day it all happened, my dog came home with no more hair on his body. Once a bouncy puff-ball, he was suddenly a long, thin, ferret-looking creature, and the cat was terrified.

At first sight of him, her tail grew extremely large, and she stood on her tip-toes hissing and spitting. The dog was visibly alarmed to realize that he was not actually himself anymore, so he spent the rest of the day on the couch, his little face hidden beneath his paws, and his bald body shivering under the ceiling fan.

Then the worlds ruptured.

As I was trying to comfort my dog, I looked across the room at my TV and saw a strange image – it wasn’t like a television show; the set wasn’t even turned on. No, this was more like staring through a window that had cracked open. Only the window was shaped very strangely. There were several triangular shapes all put together in a circle, almost forming what looked like a pinwheel.

Through this odd window I could just see into another world. I stood, adjusting my glasses and peering into the television. There was something there. I saw people wandering to and fro through a market square, only they didn’t appear to see me. As I sometimes do with reality shows, I automatically assumed a passive interest in their lives. Where were they going? What were they doing?

BONG, BONG, BONG, BONG, BONG, BONG, BONG, BONG, BONG, BONG, BONG, BONG

It was twelve o’clock, according to their town tower. With a shock, I saw every member of the town stop and turn to face the tall clock at the center of their village. They didn’t move. For several minutes I watched them watching the tower.

And then, at 12:12, one person – the one who seemed near enough to touch – turned and focused his eyes straight on me. I jumped back and caught my breath.

He pointed into my house. The rest of the villagers turned to face me, as well. They pointed.

I cleared my throat and tried to calm the pounding in my chest. “Wh-what do you want?”

My dog stood up from the couch. He barked three times and then leapt through the television, into the alternate world.

“Sprocket! Come back here,” I called, but it was too late. He had entered their dimension, and the window had disappeared.

Later the next day, I awoke to the sound of my cat crying. She was pacing back and forth at the front door, meowing so desperately and pitifully that I was certain she’d broken a bone. I picked her up. She was fine.

But she continued to cry, and she began to reach out at the door as though she were trying to open it herself.

I opened the door.

Instantly her cries ceased as my dog bounded inside, with just a little more hair on his body this time, and he licked the cat right on her face. She purred.

What a strange day.

10 Things You Didn't Know About Your Favorite Author: Kathleen O'Brien

Kathleen O'Brien is the author of over 32 books.

10 Things You Didn't Know About Your Favorite Author -- KATHLEEN O'BRIEN

1. What is the most interesting experience you've had as a writer?

When I was researching deviant sexual practices for my romantic suspense QUIET AS THE GRAVE, I encountered some spine-chilling pictures of interesting…devices. And machines. Wow. For a former convent-school girl like me, this was a shocker. Now I just hope no one ever confiscates my computer and checks on my searches. Straight to the loony bin for me!

2. Do you own any pets? If you do, tell us about them!

I used to be a cat person, no exceptions. But then I met Lily, our new Bichon, and I flipped. Not only is she smart and cute and (something no cat has ever considered) obedient. She also is free from the two things that I'd always hated about dogs: stink and slobber.

3. Describe your most recent main character. Compare his or her appearance to celebrities or other fictional characters we know.

I just finished a Superromance that will be part of Harlequin's 60^th anniversary celebration. It's called FOR THE LOVE OF FAMILY, and the hero, Matt Malone, is part Irish, part Italian. He's black-haired and olive skinned, and gorgeous, of course. When I wrote him, I saw a cross between a young Al Pacino and a sober Colin Farrell…only taller!

4. What is your favorite book to read, and why?

I never get tired of reading Georgette Heyer's THESE OLD SHADES or Mary Stewart's NINE COACHES WAITING. Never. I also love Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles, but they are so hard they wear out my brain, so I need to be in the mood. The smart mood.

5. How do you decide on the names for your characters?

Main characters' names have to "feel" right. Isn't it weird how you have certain associations with certain names? The scary thing is, maybe other people have different associations. The hero in my next book, TEXAS WEDDING, is named Trent Maxwell. I hope no one associates that name with serial killers or knuckle-draggers...because Trent Maxwell is one of my favorite heroes ever! I first met Trent in TEXAS BABY, and I couldn't wait to write this sequel so that he could have his own romance!

6. Do you listen to music while you write?

I used to think I couldn't listen to anything, because it created static for my inner voice. Then I discovered Pandora.com, and found out that if the music is just my style (super corny), I can do just fine!

7. What is the strangest way you've come up with an idea for a story?

No one believes this. I have a critique group. We've been together for years, with dozens of books among us, and sometimes we get punch-drunk trying to think of something new. I have this gorgeous filigreed sterling silver nut spoon I inherited, and one night we decided to balance it on the tip of our nose while reciting possible character occupations. Whatever we were saying when the spoon dropped…we had to use that idea. I think that's why the heroine in HAPPILY NEVER AFTER, another romantic suspense, created stained glass.

8. What is your favorite city in the world, and why?

Dingle, Ireland. I'm Irish, and the air in Western Ireland just sings to me. The little beach at Slea Head, with its caves and winds and its crystal water trickling down stony cliffs, is pure magic. I received a hug on that beach that will always be the memory I use to ward off demons.

9. Describe what your plotting process is like.

I hate plotting. I always feel that I'll never, ever have another idea. Sometimes I start with no more than a tingle of curiosity. I come to the critique table and say, "I've always thought it was weird that The Dead Bride is so universally understood to be creepy. Why is that, and how can I use it?" Sometimes I have a character in mind, or a certain kind of story, but more often I just start whining, "Help me, guys!"

10. When you aren't writing, what do you like to do for fun?

Of course, like all writers, I'm a reader. I also love games--board games, card games, word games, jigsaw puzzles, Sudoku, charades. Anything! I love movies and great TV shows. I love walking and traveling and museums and the theater and my iPod. I crave moving water: the beach, the lake, the ocean, the backyard fountain. Even rain. I can spend hours watching it.

Pets and Books

Well, the vacation at the beach is nearly over, and I’m actually a bit glad. It’s been lots of fun, but I woke up this morning half-expecting my dog to jump up on my belly and lick my face, asking to be let outside.

Then I felt homesick.

My pets amount to one dog, two cats, and two goldfish.

Our dog is a maltipoo (Maltese and toy poodle mix) named Sprocket, after a character in Fraggle Rock. He’s just under two years old, and his best friend is –

Coretta, our kitten. She’s a little calico we rescued from the streets, and the most loving animal I’ve ever met. When Sprocket goes outside, she cries as if her heart is breaking, and when he returns, she leaps on top of him – paws outstretched – to play. They’re absolutely perfect together.

Watching over them is our other cat, Othello. He looks like a miniature panther, and he can usually be found lounging on the couch or the tile floor, observing playtime between the others, once in a while even jumping into the fray himself. He’s my little soul mate from the animal kingdom, so we spend a lot of time together. Sometimes he sits on my keyboard to let me know it’s time to snuggle!

Frida and Pituka are our goldfish. Coretta loves to watch them from the floor. She looks up with calm interest and tilts her head from side to side, as if trying to understand why they’re in the water all the time.

So today, though I’m having a wonderful time getting away from it all, I’m starting to miss home a little. I’ll be happy to see my pets when I’m back!

I’m also getting ready for February, when I plan to do my own, personal NaNoWriMo. My goal will be to finish a first draft of my next novel before March. So that means I need to start plotting now!

If you have any thoughts about From Light to Dark that you’d like to share, I’m always happy to hear them.

Also, be sure to take a look at my silly meme answers to Heidi Ruby Miller’s “Pick Six” interview. You’ll get to learn all about my obsession with cartoons.

It's cold outside!

Today I’m battling a spotty hotel Internet connection and watching classic movies on mute. It’s a brief, chilly vacation, but there’s something about being away from everything for a day or two that helps recharge the mental batteries.

Because I’m evidently out of my mind, I’ll be enjoying the Florida beaches – in windy January weather. Wish me luck!

The response I’m getting to From Light to Dark is fantastic. I’m so pleased to hear from people who enjoyed it.

If you haven’t yet been over to Heidi Ruby Miller’s page to see my “Heidi’s Pick Six” interview, give it a look! Let me know what you think.

In other news, today is my fiancé’s birthday. Happy birthday, Rob! ☺

Now, to find a sweater in my luggage so I don’t freeze on the beach…

From Light to Dark

Finally I can update again!

Welcome to the new-fangled, redesigned, risen-from-the-ashes-of-webwork-oblivion, irenelpynn.com. It’s good to have a change once in a while, I say. How do you like the new look?

There’s more to announce, so I’ll get right to that and try to keep my post short and sweet this time:

First off, the wait is over for my fantasy novel, From Light to Dark. It has been released and is available right now from Wild Child Publishing!

The people of Light World and Dark World live in fear of one another, blindly hating what they don’t understand, until Eref leaves Light World and meets the beautiful Caer—in Dark World. Suddenly, the worlds are thrown into chaos as Eref and Caer struggle to do what is right.

Marked for death, the two teens must work together against an evil institution that has kept Light World and Dark World apart for hundreds of years.

I hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to send me your thoughts.

It’s very exciting to be able to announce that fellow Seton Hill University grad Heidi Ruby Miller has interviewed me for her “Heidi’s Pick Six” author series! Come learn a bit more about me here:
http://heidirubymiller.blogspot.com/2009/01/heidis-pick-six-irene-l-pynn.html

Also, I was recently honored to be the Featured Author at Golden Visions Magazine, and my short story, “Mind Reader,” was published in their print edition toward the end of 2008.

Here’s hoping that 2009 welcomes you in with open (if chilly) arms, and that you realize something wonderful about yourself this year. Happy reading, and Happy Inauguration Day!