Welcome to Winter and the End of NaBloPoMo

Whoa -- it is December, people.

DECEMBER.

Coloured lights are decked out on houses, parking lots of filled with evergreens prepped for baubles (and more lights), and OMG the retail store promotions.....

As I type, a few lazy flurries are spiraling outside the window. See now, this is the awesome part of winter. We can still get that rush of excitement to see snow, and we aren't in the middle of holiday burnout yet.

And what else could be just as awesome....?

.... the end of NaBloPoMo, and the knowledge I have more or less survived it. I admit, I was disappointed when I realized I'd missed one post. Even when I slogged through a tough week in terms of school assignments and 5 AM shifts (and still managed to post even little blurbs about it), I still managed to miss one. Bah.

That aside, I managed to stumble across some content or leads I was thrilled to uncover. I find projects like NaBloPoMo remind writers to scour all possible outlets for topics. The project itself tunes you into stories around you in a new way. It's simple to cruise through the day and not take note of the details, but when you imagine readers waiting to share those observations with you, the whole show gets a new light to it.

Anyhow, rambles -- I figure I ought to do a recap of the past month to take stock.

TOTAL POSTS: 29 posts.

Average Rate of Posts: 0.96....

Tunes for Tuesdays Profiles:

• Miz Moffatt's Karaoke Edition
• Yoko Kanno

And the highlights of November 2010:

• I just about lost myself to another deluge of science fiction obsession. I get bouts of it every now and then, and it tends to coincide with winter closing in. I shared my frothing over the soon-to-be-released action-fantasy flick, Sucker Punch; I speculated on what childhood sci fi shows and films contributed to the current obsession with space; and I even wrote out my recent conversation with the rather erratic film, Daybreakers, that I was rather amused with.
• LITERATURE: Damn. Another theme I came close to losing myself over. The lure is a dangerous one. I speculated on the Existential Hand Down the Pants of Can Lit; I recommended a few recent reads to fellow bloggers; and I analyzed the troubling portrayals of bi-identified characters in Damon Galgut's Man Booker Prize-nominated novel, In a Strange Room.
• I shared some of the frets and faults from 2010, and I even discussed What Makes a Lesbian Heart Weep.
• I lapsed into a fun, filler survey, and then I found an in-depth, 99-question Sunday survey hiding on this very laptop (I have Part One and Part Two of the latter survey up so far with a whole lot more to come!)
• The Moffatt household received some STUNNING NEWS, and I can't share it until this weekend. Paf, I hate the wait....
• ... And then I became a lazy blogger what with assignments crashing in.

So there, another November come and gone. Even when I flaked out toward the end of the month, I still hit on some neat topics. I have more than one post I'm proud over, and that's more than a writer can ask for.

Here's to another NaBloPoMo, and here's to the start of the 2010 holiday season.

We Meet Again, NaBloPoMo

Life Writer, Laurent Mignonneau and Christa Sommerer

Check that calendar, one and all. November returns in a flurry of words for writers across the Blogoverse. So, kick out those jams, and prepare for the whirlwind to follow.

For the lit. lovers, November signals the return of the tremendous, albeit masochistic, online event known as NaNoWriMo (translated to National Novel Writing Month). Budding authors and established writers alike compete with themselves to craft a 50,000-word novel in one month. A passing fancy to write a manuscript transforms itself into a lofty end destination for a diverse group of writers. Successful candidates for NaNoWriMo embody enthusiasm, perseverance, and stamina in exchange for plot/character development; however, their achievements are made sweeter once those last lines are laid out on November 30th.

For the time-strapped bloggers out there, a similar challenge manifested itself in the form of NaBloPoMo (or, National Blog Posting Month, for the long-winded). Writers challenge one another to develop new content for the entire month of November, thereby giving the slackers *Cough*MizMoffatt*Cough, cough* a good, swift kick in the keyboard. The average posting rate is one post/day which, in comparison to NaNoWriMo, is highly achievable.

I took up the challenge last year, and I ended up having a great time with the constant stream of content. I imagine 2010 will be a touch tougher given I am in school, and I am working most mornings at 5 AM. But, sleep deprived posts are even more entertaining than plain ol' rested ones, if you ask me.

For a recap of November 2009, click on over to "NaBloPoMo: MAD DASH!" or find me on the official NaBloPoMo website.

It'll be a stunning month -- I can feel it. You best prepare yourself for some random antics, and a couple filler surveys for good measure.

.... and away we go!

Strange Winds

July is proving to be a disorienting month (hence the hiatus from this blog). Issues and events tend to converge at once -- all of it is amplified this time by the rapid cycling between cooler climates and oppressive spells of heat.

I tend to get restless when thunderstorms hover on the horizon.

I've been locked into reassessing a number of points around me. The first half of 2010 slipped from me quickly and I've been complacent with it for the most part. But no, I am starting to rebel against that laziness and will take over the responsibilities I ought to.

One of those things just happens to be writing.

I love this blog. I love writing about queer issues and queer interests and celebrating women in general. The fact is, there are other projects I want to pursue as well -- projects based in a professional path and a possible career arc. With the precious free hours I have on weekday evenings, I want to start developing those projects.

Before I have anyone crying into keyboards or cursing my good name as a queer blogger, I want to state now: I am not abandoning the blog. No, no. I just need to reshuffle time which means I will most likely be posting less or crafting shorter blog posts.

Hey, but some Moffatt is better than none, am I right?

I found the inspiration to take back 2010 from the nearest and dearest. Ship Sharp and The Advocate have made impressive progress with their chosen fields and have landed job opportunities that rival all others. In typical fashion, I am a touch nervous as I am still working the same stagnant job I did last summer and see no release.

That is, unless I create that escape for myself.

Hence: dedication to the writing projects I deem "serious work." It's still fun and light and adventurous, but, as I stated earlier, it's more in line with the ol' career path and therefore needs more time for development.

*Sigh* Oh, to be an adult. And an artist at that.

Will definitely keep all updated on any/all progress on that front. I have quite a bit of work ahead of me and need to quit distracting myself with hours of anime. Shucks.

This is Your Brain On Plans

This is a rather accurate depiction of my brain this evening.

I've spent a large portion of my day reading books about publishing and scanning blogs written by the Juggernauts of the written word. I have decided: I need to conquer this writing business. Well, I have to get an eye exam to make sure those pesky retinas are not trying to detach themselves -- but THEN, I will write.

(Truth be told, sitting and writing this now is causing a great deal of pain in my face. See? I will suffer for art, I must be the rugged, tortured, REAL deal.)

So yes -- some weird crush of ideas has taken over. Actually, maybe that is what's causing the eye strain. All those ideas are trying to leak out onto my keyboard but those silly pupils won't open wide enough to let 'em flow through and -- alright, this is making me feel gross. I will stop.

Ideas.

I have at least two new blog ideas. Did I mention I am writing on two right now? Well, one is on hiatus while The Advocate is orchestrating the Olympics in Vancouver. The other blog is here (and queer!)

I have a writing contest to enter for the end of this month. I have the story planned out, I just have to take the time to write and edit it. The word limit is 2,500 words -- pfft. I scoff at that. I have the sense this story will easily surpass that count, so I need to harness the brutal, internal revisionist for this project.

I have various writing goals that Ladies in Writing will hold me accountable for this year.

I have an exhausting amount of planning to wrestle over the next few months. I am prepping for some recklessness to start in September. I know, it sounds a touch oxymoronic. I am anal-retentive, there have to be SOME plans in place otherwise I will be left breathing into a paper bag.

Umm.... so, I am quite all over the place. OH! And I need to network. I find networking to be rather stressful at times. And by "at times," I mean ALL the time. I need to take a page from the revised edition of Ship Sharp's Book -- that lady is takin' no prisoners and I am in the greatest awe possible. In fact, I think she should start a blog just so she can tell the world how fabulous she is. I mean, The Advocate and I do the regular bloggin' rounds, so, I think Ship Sharp's gotta get in on the ground floor of that.

Alright, I need to call it quits for the evening -- my eyes are shrieking and pleading for me to give it a rest or at least put some sunglasses on to cut the glare of... everything.

Confound you, immunity.

365 Days with Ladies in Writing

It is official -- as of this evening, Ladies in Writing reached our one-year anniversary. Over countless mugs of steeped tea and quite a few scones on my part, our collective has explored the written word beyond the borders of our original class and into coffee shops across the GTA.

We were enrolled in the same Intro. to Creative Writing workshop held each Wednesday during the October 2008 to December 2008 stretch. We huddled around tables in a little church in the suburbs and shared stories scribbled in notebooks, on scrap paper, and even on a few napkins. The idea of a writing group was a snap decision made after our final class and we have continued to meet each month to share our work and hone our craft.

Now, I admit, we're a relaxed group. We're more supportive than we are critical. I'm aware that I'm probably known as "the young one who writes the disturbing fiction," but that's fine by me. I know there'll always be a chair waiting for me each month.

We're quite the motley team of writers. Two women have retired; three women are around my parents' age and are quite successful in their careers; and then there's me, the random twenty-three-year-old queer gal who idolizes writers like Sylvia Plath and Chuck Palahniuk (and yes, it is quite evident in my writing). I'm often there to act as the voice of the 21st-Century Youth and whatnot, but I've come to learn quite a bit about the perspectives of the older generations, too.

Regardless of the age differences between us, we're linked by our love of the written word and our desire to have others hear us out and give us the motivational push we need to carry on. The Ladies even decided it's time for me to get out there and submit my stories to contests and literary journals across Canada. I gotta tell you, it's a massive boost to the ol' self-confidence to hear such glowing words from a group of women you respect entirely. They're even willing to chip in on a Writer's Calendar so I can get out there and force these stories of mine into the public sphere.

Too sweet.

In 2010, we're setting precise writing goals for ourselves and creating accountability among the members. Should be an interesting experiment. I can only hope I will continue to earn my place among them each month (so long as I tone down the creep factor of my fiction. Heh.)

NaBloPoMo: MAD DASH!

Come on, ladies -- it's the final push in the 2009 National Blog Posting Month. Just one more post and I have done it. I have persevered despite the late evenings. I have scoured all media outlets for potential topics. I have even cultivated the ramblings in my paper journal to furnish this blog with enough content for a solid month.

And here it is.

I am in the last stretch of the journey.

As with any conclusion, it's best to take stock of one's accomplishments:

TOTAL POSTS (including this conclusion): 33 posts

Average Rate of Posts: 1 per day

Tunes for Tuesdays Profiles:

• Brenda Holloway
• Amanda Palmer
• KT Tunstall w/ Billy Bragg
• PJ Harvey

So here it is, the highlights of November 2009:

• Declared an e-crush on a fellow blogette
• Divulged my Brain Crack to the Blogoverse and started planning to make it real
• Discussed the allure of transgendered individuals and indulged my drag alter-ego
• Experienced the heart-breaking downfall of The Doctor
• FINALLY watched The Fountain
• Got wasted.... twice
• Outlined the goals I hope to accomplish for 2010
• Achieved my 100th Post on Cute, Queer Canadian
• Attended my first Bachelorette Party/male strip club and lived to tell the tale
• Discovered that writing is where my heart is at

I know I never posted about that last topic, but it's true nonetheless. I think this month made me realise just how important writing is to me. It's so easy to lose track of the things you love during the mundane actions of the day-to-day, but this challenge has rekindled the excitement I have for the written word.

It's been a wild November and I am certain December will introduce even wilder times. The threat of a snow squall is hovering over the GTA and there's talk of 15-20 cm of snow later this week. Winter's here, kids.

What better way to fight off the frost than to blog your adventures for the world at large?

Do stay tuned.

Flash Fiction, Queer Style

Nothing is more refreshing and satisfying than an overcast Sunday dedicated to reading. There's something about those looming grey skies that induces the need to brew some tea and settle down with a new novel or a collection of poetry.

I would argue there is no bliss sweeter than disappearing into another world and intertwining yourself with an exciting narrative. But hey, I know I'm a little bit biased what with that degree in English hanging on my wall...

This weekend, I have thrown myself into the tight, breathless, electric world of Flash Fiction and all its subgenres. I've known about this form since about 2005, but I realize now that my knowledge was superficial at best.

Oh, Flash Fiction? Yeah, those are the stories written in 100 words, right?

I had assumed that. Oh, so naive. Turns out the 100 word maximum is just the beginning.

There's short-short, sudden, postcard, minute, furious, fast, quick, skinny, smoke-long, and micro fiction. There's 55 Fiction, 100 Word Drabbles, 69ers (the word limit, not the... position), and more. Some argue the absolute maximum is 75 words while others are lenient and view 1,000 words as the limit.

It's enough to make a writer's head spin.

I was assigned this research assignment by the writing group I belong to. Ladies in Writing is experimenting with its format a touch and we're trying to lure our peripheral members back with this informal lessons. I am the first to take on the task of teaching, hence all the notes on this genre. I have to say, though, as a writer, this form offers an amazing opportunity to render meandering prose to its most basic and vital elements. I love how quickly a story can materialize and I'm sure readers appreciate the abrupt nature of the narrative. Both sides are left satisfied -- the writer feels accomplished and polished, the reader finds an intense and condensed story to delve into during the spare hours of their day.

Mutual, creative fulfillment -- none too shabby.

For this Sunday, I will leave you all with a flash fiction I wrote back in 2005 for an alternative magazine published at our campus. Similar to the poem Efflorescence, this was published for their annual Queer Issue (coinciding with October's Queer Identities Week). Hope you enjoy and I hope you have an excellent Sunday evening, ladies.

***

The Dandelion

*Published in 2005.

We were only seven-years-old.

We sat in a field of prickly grass dotted with the brightest dandelions I had ever seen. My new skirt was already stained green at the hem. My friend thought it looked better that way. She picked a dandelion by her ankle and held it beneath my chin.

"If your chin turns yellow, it means you eat a lot of butter."

My skin stayed pink. I did the same for her and her face lit up. The flower left a yellow smudge that stained her for a whole week, much to her mother's chagrin.

That was the day I fell in love with her.

GAME PLAN: 2010

CHECK IT: I am about to plan/research/strategize the heck out of 2010.

The gloves are on, the crowd's electric, and I am seconds away from the bell sounding for the first round.

IT IS ON, 2010.

I know my tendency to make lists borders on the obsessive, but I feel a distinct difference with this one -- I can feel that fire of motivation. It's buzzing through me and singeing my nerves. I am going to make plans and I am going to make them happen.

I am all ego this evening.

So, the initial list:

Writing

• Launch into the first poetry collection; Flesh out those ideas, lady.
• Tuck into the first novel idea.
• SUBMIT pieces to literary journals, magazines, blogs.
• Explore those writing markets (start with Canada and branch out to the U.S. and U.K.)
• Get out there and volunteer for literary events across the city.
• Check out those writing contests, if low entry fees will permit.
• Nightwood submission? Might be cool, might want to get in on that and tag team the theatre scene with Ship Sharp.

Travel

• Research the ever-loving life out of the places you're keen on visiting (U.K., France, Germany, Russia, etc.)
• Figure out rough budgets and such... yeah, I suppose funding might be important.

School

• Research that Masters in Creative Writing (Canadian, American, and English schools)
• Try and contact old profs to make sure they remember you, crazy girl.
• Financial aids like scholarships would be good, too.
• Look into Ryerson's copy editing program (since you've now got another year and a half stretched out in front of you)
• Maybe look into language courses for kicks...? French or Japanese would be neat.

I feel all fired up and dominant and like I am going to take no prisoners, even if they ask me politely not to. I wonder if this is the post-gym endorphins kicking in right about now.

Watch out, 2010 -- Miz Moffatt is claiming you as her own.

Miz Moffatt Takes On Life Reassessments

Does an angel contemplate my fate? Mara86

I wonder what is about Thursdays that invite such contemplation. I've been sifting through prompts for most of the evening to find lighter topics for this post, but I can't seem to push past the trouble on my mind.

I'm in the throes of another "life reassessment" deal -- you know the one I'm talking about. It's that cold rush of restlessness pocked with indecisiveness and a dull sense of irritation at the circumstances. I seem to circle back to this place without ever intending to. I was tipped off this morning after I discovered a woman at work is pushing to extend my contract for the third undecided stretch of time.

Did I mention I've been counting down the days -- nay, the hours left in this current contract extension?

I know, it takes a lot of nerve to complain about a job during a crippling global recession. Trust me, I've heard comments to that effect each time I open up to discuss this topic. Still, I am not satisfied.

I am an administrative assistant for a pool product manufacturer. Yeah. Not great. It was supposed to be a summer gig, ending before the Labour Day long weekend. Had there been school to return to, I would have been free.

The first extension came about because of their workload after acquiring another large pool manufacturer.

The second extension came after a rash decision made by our management to fire a customer service rep. after a minor misunderstanding.

Now, this third extension is being orchestrated by a woman who wants a personal assistant to take on the brunt of the administrative aspects of credits, payments, blah blah, boring office jargon.

I can't do it. I mean, I did make a pretty piece of change while working there for the past six months. But, serious -- I can't do it anymore. I know I've mentioned my issues when it comes to commitment, but I didn't even want this job to start with. It's a stop-gap job, not a career. *Dusts hand of the discussion*

So, the natural question: Then where DO you want to work, Miz Moffatt?

Well, I quite like this gig as a blogette. Heck, you know me -- I love to write about/for other ladies. If I could scheme a way to make this a full-time, paying practice then SIGN ME UP.

I admit, I've been thinking about writing quite heavily in the past month. I've had a rather love/hate relationship with the written word -- an array of teachers and friends have urged me on to take up writing in some aspect, full-time. And yes, I rebelled for long enough. I wonder if it's the instinct of middle children to do the exact opposite of what everyone is advising them to follow. (Guilty as charged). I fought against it and operated with this overwhelming disbelief when folks would compliment me on stories, poems, entries, essays -- you name it. I'm starting to see the error of my ways...

***

Ideal Image: I can picture myself sitting in a smart, clean cafe on a quiet street corner in France, or maybe a cozy pub somewhere in London. I'm there during their off hours, so the staff is bored, though friendlier than usual. I'm sitting there with a laptop, maybe a cup of tea or a light beer, tapping out some verse or some short story fragments in preparation for a creative writing class. I'm off in my own thoughts, but still a part of the action of real life.

***

I've been debating the whole Masters in Creative Writing again. I'm wary of it. I mean, if you're a writer, you shouldn't need to pay an institution to do so. But then, those Masters degrees can connect you with peers and with established writers. And heck, I'd welcome the chance to revisit those bizarre student hours again. I could even look into European schools and shake off the Canadian soil from my shoes for a while...

Ah, romantic notions. I feel as though some unknown spark has ignited a new desire in me, one based on travel and writing.

Let's see if we can't fan it a little, shall we?

NaBloPoMo and Queer Canada Blogs

Welcome to the 2009 National Blog Posting Month (or "NaBloPoMo" for the acronym-oriented, text-speak lot). As of this morning, the challenge was set for bloggers across the Internet -- 30 posts over 30 days. Granted, writing more than 30 posts over the next month is encouraged, also. I mean, you can't penalize someone for flexing their writing skills. But the absolute minimum is set and the general timeframe to complete them is decided.

No excuses.

I found out about this project through feral geographer, one of the commanders over at Queer Canada Blogs. Yes, that site is quite possibly THE central hub for Canadian bloggers who happen to be queer. It's a diverse collective of writers stretching from the west coast all the way down east and well up into the northernmost reaches of the country -- heck, we've even got some Canadians abroad who are writing their experiences for the group. I can guarantee you will find at least one other blogger to connect with on this blogroll and you'll discover a wide range of new perspectives that are sure to keep you reading.

I've just signed up over at the NaBloPoMo headquarters and joined the exciting extension of the Queer Canada Blogs group -- we're off to a nice start in terms of numbers and we welcome all to check it out.

So, here it is -- the first post of the month. It should be interesting to see what stories develop over the course of the next thirty days. Here's hoping my Muse is at her finest in the coming month -- November, here we come!