shake-the-shell

I, finding myself free of time and just enough courage and motivatoin, have signed up for NaNoWriMo this year. Those unknowing few who also bear the aspiration of being a novelist, or of a general literary disposition, can find out more information at their website here.
Quite simply, the goal is this: To write a first draft novel of 50,000 words in the month of November alone. Month of November means just that - you begin as soon as it's the 1st, and have to finish by the 30th. You can't have written at your idea (should you have one) prior to this, though ideas & plans for your tale are welcome (of which I have one).

So. Five delicious days to go. And then the games begin! I'm rather excited. It has been what feels like forever since I've had the intention of writing at one sole idea for any longer than say, an few hours. I left most of my writing drive behind for Art College & all it's stresses. Thankfully, this year of decisions has brought this great love of writing back to my anxious arms, and I have more than enough free time to pursue it at will, due to not having mounds of coursework. Write I shall; a whole 50,000 words. I'm getting giddy just thinking about it.

Averages work out at 12,500 words a week, roughly. That's 1666ish a day. I know this may sound an insane goal to some, I may sound less sane for being excited for this, but I truely am relishing the very idea. To be fair, the outlook for me isn't a scary one - in my gracious teen years, when I would spend at least 2 hours writing at my computer a day, I could easily knock out 3000 words in one sitting. After all, it's only a first draft. You are only expected to write, sponataneous and everything that comes to mind. If you do this, without hesitation, you'd be surprised at how much you can write in a short amount of time. Being a nippy hand with the keyboard helps also.
My only concern is some....personal issues, that may interfere with my little head, which is prone to creative blocks when there is emotional stress abound. However, the goal remains, as does my determination, at least to channel said concerns into something productive as opposed to a ball of withheld emotion. It seems to work when I write poetry & prose in my notebooks, so a transferal of tactics should sit alright. At least I hope.

I have also managed to get my blasted Diana's up onto deviantART, finally. That bloody scanner...less said, the better. Seeing as I'm boycotting Tinypic right now, any interested in seeing some shots of barley can have a gander at them on my account here and here. More incoming, as I have some others that need a clean up in the dust department.
However. I cannot express just how much of the feel is lost from these images when scanned in. I developed a few in the darkroom and was blown away. I was instantly seduced by the dreamy, soft, out of focus edges, the contrast, the delicious black & whiteness of it all. I was on the brink of hailing to the 120 Diana format only, screw those 35mm Canons of mine! I did regain my sanity - I do love my Canons. But I'm officially now a fully fledged lover of the Diana. I knew instinctively I would be; it was the edge I sought to bring into my photographic repetoire. It's a shame the in-the-flesh-developed copies can't be shared easier, as I am insistent that scanning them in just doesn't do the images justice.

Now all that is left to do is to convert my fellow photographers...at £35 for Diana F+ w/o flash, why the hell not give it a whirl? Mr Moore, I'm looking at you...

I am peeved. The font I was using must have been scrapped, as it had suddenly changed upon visiting here, and won't work for me anymore. And neither would the other 6 I tried & like. GRRR. So "Berling Antiqua" it is for now. Though I can't get it the size I want in the right places (sounds dirty).

It also occured to me recently that I really need to take moar photies. Mainly because I applied 2 weeks ago for a Photography course in my local Uni, aaaand well eventually portfolio, they will wish to see one. And I do have many photos indeed, however I've been slacking in my personal project type thing, of 40 Steps. So I went up a few days ago & took some more pictures with my Olympus Pen EE-3. I'm in the process of scanning the little buggers in now. I've got 4 ok shots from the first strip of 12, and 5 more strips waiting to scan. It'll take a few days, but some of them are quite nice.

I focused a little more on the cottage this time, seeing as it's an integral part of that whole 40 Steps experience, and all that jazz. So there's a lot of brick and wall to be seen. A little share of one of my fave shots so far...



It looks a bit hazy to me, upon reflection, as do a few others. Not as crisp. Could be the Fomapan 100 film I used, but it's ridiculously crisp, I know from experience. I'm not sure if it's something I've done in CS2 or if it is indeed on the actual negative, but the only way to find out is in the darkroom. It's been a while since I've been in there, but I'm planning on doing so soon. There's no comparison to a darkroom print. There's just a certain aura to them, one I love.

I'm just hoping that 40 Steps makes sense as a "theme". Apparently, in interviews, the Photography peoples like to see sets, based around ideas for a series, instead of random great shots. Makes sense, I suppose, but how do I explain 40 Steps away? "Oh it's this wee place I walk around occasionally, it's purdy." It's hardly an intelligent, coherant idea. Bleh. Maybe I worry too much. Hell, I know I do.

Rambling ramble is over.