A Persistent Serpent

It was a gorgeous day in Izzieland in spite of wasting 6 hours of it at work. So why we went and ruined it by slinking in Cyberia and being bombarded by a thousand spinning beach balls and didn't get the message but just kept on trying to squiggle can only be attributed to masochism or sheer stupidity
Just been slinking out and about in the moonlight. Did not see it rise as the north east horizon of the Serpent Lair is shaded by a very large pesky gum tree belonging to the neighbours - the one that dropped a branch in a storm many moons ago and squished the fence instead of the sleeping serpent

But being a glutton for punishment, back for more online misery and mayhem. Was supposed to be visiting the jungles of Amazon to buy some pretty Christmsas presents for the Izzie but just too zonked and brain dead to go near the place so will instead catch up on some of the serpent squiggles neglected due to nano November

It was sort of a last minute thing deciding to venture on this journey of madness in spite of one day earlier in the year - just out of the blue deciding to do it.
Well wishful thinking never buttered no parsnips so would need to sign up and do the deed.
Oh the potential of promises and dreams was just so pervasive and terribly tangible

But it is easier to build two chimneys than to keep one stoked with fuel so the true test would be what would happen after the initial excitement and enthusiasm faded with the dawning reality of the crazy mission we had just undertaken

For Izzie it was not about the writing but an opportunity to do battle with the demons of procrastination and to proclaim one victory making the next one that much easier

To add spice to the adventure since it was possible that we might come back next time for more punishment, decided to also make it an experiment in plotless lack of planning compared to next year's dreaming and scheming
It was astonishing how a squiggling serpent went down south on a long weekend all clueless and plotless and came back on Monday 2nd with a squillion ideas and the first few paragraphs

But soon learned that settings and background story are not sufficient to clock up any serious word count. Something needs to happen to move the story onwards. Dreams and schemes converted into words soon run out of steam
So the first signs of doubt and despair did not take long to arrive. Wednesday 4th November to be exact and not helped by hot and humid horrid troppo weather
But never mind - will get cheered up by the folks at the first official local write in meeting at a local cafe at 9am on Thursday 5th
Unfortunately, Izzie was feeling particular psychotic and neurotic. Not just the weather but the realization of just how crazy this caper really was.
The inner Vernon Dursley whispered - just who the hell do you think you are that you can pull this one off. Forget it you useless loser
And the voice of reason - why are you getting all spooked and having nightmares over some silly Cyberian competition.
Yessss - there seemed to be some hidden agenda - not about the words but making commitments and keeping them to the bitter end in spite of a whole bunch of inner critters feeling very threatened indeed
Turned up just after 9 at the nutty nano table. Twelve folks turned up - half of them seemed to be students. The Fearless Leader had stickers and stuff . This was so so strange that things in Cyberia - the world of air and ideas can take form and flesh just 20 minutes up the road in a book cafe
Had to leave at 10.30 due to a previous commitment to meet an old friend
Things got seriously spooky. Knowing absolutely nothing about the serpent grand adventure but still drooling over the very pretty Animalia book that Izzie had given her at our last meeting, she had brought a very special present for the serpent
It was a gorgeous green Bortoletti feather quill and bottle of ink that would have done Rita Skeeter proud. Not only was it seriously gorgeous and the serpent has a soft spot for pretty papers, pens, quills and inks but we knew that it would have cost about one third of her pension - it would have taken a long time for her to buy it on layby. That truly was a gesture of appreciation that we would remember for a long long time

So that night, still troppo and totally exhausted, was dying to curl up in the serpent sack - figures that we owe it to our friend to at least write 1,700 words first.
That turned out to be the turning point. The following day - dealt the deck of Devil's picture cards and a single card changed the destiny of the whole story. That evening churned out 4,000 words - not only was it easy but it was fun and nearly got Izzie catching up to the target of the day with only 1,000 or so to spare.
Sometimes ideas would just appear out of nowhere when least expected. At least 4 bus time tables have plot points squiggled all over them

Turned up once again at 9am the following Thursday to meet the nutty nanos knowing that this time could stay as long as we liked. But Izzie was the only one there. Somehow that made the serpent more determined. Same thing happened the following two Thursdays
Did not know the nano names of any of these folks except the group leader. She ended up with a grand total of 1,500 words. Will never know how the others did but somehow suspect that only one made it to the bitter end other than the Izzie

So was it worth it? Who knows. But it never really was about the words but the journey. Done it once so now we know it is perfectly possible with a bit of will power and a lot of slow and steady plodding
The big decluttering binge and any other projects should be much less formidable now.
This watery and airy creature has finally found how to light a tiny spark of fire and to keep the flame going beyond the initial phases of innocent enthusiasm
So it's time to plot and scheme for next November never forgetting that the map is not the territory

A Persistent Serpent

It was a gorgeous day in Izzieland in spite of wasting 6 hours of it at work. So why we went and ruined it by slinking in Cyberia and being bombarded by a thousand spinning beach balls and didn't get the message but just kept on trying to squiggle can only be attributed to masochism or sheer stupidity
Just been slinking out and about in the moonlight. Did not see it rise as the north east horizon of the Serpent Lair is shaded by a very large pesky gum tree belonging to the neighbours - the one that dropped a branch in a storm many moons ago and squished the fence instead of the sleeping serpent

But being a glutton for punishment, back for more online misery and mayhem. Was supposed to be visiting the jungles of Amazon to buy some pretty Christmsas presents for the Izzie but just too zonked and brain dead to go near the place so will instead catch up on some of the serpent squiggles neglected due to nano November

It was sort of a last minute thing deciding to venture on this journey of madness in spite of one day earlier in the year - just out of the blue deciding to do it.
Well wishful thinking never buttered no parsnips so would need to sign up and do the deed.
Oh the potential of promises and dreams was just so pervasive and terribly tangible

But it is easier to build two chimneys than to keep one stoked with fuel so the true test would be what would happen after the initial excitement and enthusiasm faded with the dawning reality of the crazy mission we had just undertaken

For Izzie it was not about the writing but an opportunity to do battle with the demons of procrastination and to proclaim one victory making the next one that much easier

To add spice to the adventure since it was possible that we might come back next time for more punishment, decided to also make it an experiment in plotless lack of planning compared to next year's dreaming and scheming
It was astonishing how a squiggling serpent went down south on a long weekend all clueless and plotless and came back on Monday 2nd with a squillion ideas and the first few paragraphs

But soon learned that settings and background story are not sufficient to clock up any serious word count. Something needs to happen to move the story onwards. Dreams and schemes converted into words soon run out of steam
So the first signs of doubt and despair did not take long to arrive. Wednesday 4th November to be exact and not helped by hot and humid horrid troppo weather
But never mind - will get cheered up by the folks at the first official local write in meeting at a local cafe at 9am on Thursday 5th
Unfortunately, Izzie was feeling particular psychotic and neurotic. Not just the weather but the realization of just how crazy this caper really was.
The inner Vernon Dursley whispered - just who the hell do you think you are that you can pull this one off. Forget it you useless loser
And the voice of reason - why are you getting all spooked and having nightmares over some silly Cyberian competition.
Yessss - there seemed to be some hidden agenda - not about the words but making commitments and keeping them to the bitter end in spite of a whole bunch of inner critters feeling very threatened indeed
Turned up just after 9 at the nutty nano table. Twelve folks turned up - half of them seemed to be students. The Fearless Leader had stickers and stuff . This was so so strange that things in Cyberia - the world of air and ideas can take form and flesh just 20 minutes up the road in a book cafe
Had to leave at 10.30 due to a previous commitment to meet an old friend
Things got seriously spooky. Knowing absolutely nothing about the serpent grand adventure but still drooling over the very pretty Animalia book that Izzie had given her at our last meeting, she had brought a very special present for the serpent
It was a gorgeous green Bortoletti feather quill and bottle of ink that would have done Rita Skeeter proud. Not only was it seriously gorgeous and the serpent has a soft spot for pretty papers, pens, quills and inks but we knew that it would have cost about one third of her pension - it would have taken a long time for her to buy it on layby. That truly was a gesture of appreciation that we would remember for a long long time

So that night, still troppo and totally exhausted, was dying to curl up in the serpent sack - figures that we owe it to our friend to at least write 1,700 words first.
That turned out to be the turning point. The following day - dealt the deck of Devil's picture cards and a single card changed the destiny of the whole story. That evening churned out 4,000 words - not only was it easy but it was fun and nearly got Izzie catching up to the target of the day with only 1,000 or so to spare.
Sometimes ideas would just appear out of nowhere when least expected. At least 4 bus time tables have plot points squiggled all over them

Turned up once again at 9am the following Thursday to meet the nutty nanos knowing that this time could stay as long as we liked. But Izzie was the only one there. Somehow that made the serpent more determined. Same thing happened the following two Thursdays
Did not know the nano names of any of these folks except the group leader. She ended up with a grand total of 1,500 words. Will never know how the others did but somehow suspect that only one made it to the bitter end other than the Izzie

So was it worth it? Who knows. But it never really was about the words but the journey. Done it once so now we know it is perfectly possible with a bit of will power and a lot of slow and steady plodding
The big decluttering binge and any other projects should be much less formidable now.
This watery and airy creature has finally found how to light a tiny spark of fire and to keep the flame going beyond the initial phases of innocent enthusiasm
So it's time to plot and scheme for next November never forgetting that the map is not the territory