On and Off the Needles
Well had knitted up a bit of niece's poncho with a leaf edge pattern but since it has some binding off , mom and I decided to knit the leaf edge separate.
Behind the Wheel
The turquoise I had spun up on my drop spindle and put on a carboard tube from either toilet paper or paper towel. (How is that for recycling.) Finally plied half of the turquoise and some of the gray wool together. It is still beautiful, though I wonder how much I have since there is still quite a bit of each to be plied together. Maybe a scarf is too small of a project for it. but I will wait and see. Also still have to spin and ply the light and dark greens for a personal touch for the niece's poncho.
The Write Life
Well Camp NaNoWriMo is almost over. I have 36, 133 words so far in my mystery novel. Had trouble getting going last week. One of my cabin mates suggested a surprise visit from family and bring up something new. I brought up something I needed to work on, a missing key.
It also brought up my main character's past and someone from that past to cause trouble. I suppose the rest of the week might need to be focused on bringing the mystery to a close. I have heard how writers know who the murderer is when they start. quarter of the way in, I had some idea. Though I knew I could hint at other suspects. Now that prime suspect is being overshadowed and another suspect is coming to my sight. Even I maybe surprised by the murderer's identity.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Something I've never done before
The Write Life
I have attempted to write a mystery before, even just a story. But I have never really finished it where it was solved. I have only started them. But this time with a word count of 50 k I and some reading material from the library I maybe actually get to the point where my main character solves a mystery. The book How to Write a Damn Good Mystery by James N. Frey. He talks about two outlines, one of what the reader sees and another of what happens behind the scenes. Would help if the author knows where the murderer is at times. Note to self: Outlines can be very helpful. Other good things in the book is journal entries for characters and getting to know the murderer. (How scary can it be to get a letter from the murderer.) Sort of like a getting to know you section. Helps you understand their motivation and reasoning for the horrible thing they did. I may have to check his How to Write a Damn Good Novel from the library and if I feel like it I'll buy How to Write a d Damn Good Novel II from the Writer's Workshoppe and I can donate it to the library. But later after August is over and then I can also see about some fiction reading. Take a break from writing for awhile. thought I still have to finish first my mystery and then my other Camp NaNoWriMo novel, Forest of Flowers.
Another helpful book is Writing Mysteries A Handbook by the Mystery Writers of America edited by Sue Grafton. I used to have it before we sold it at a garage sale. Along with book on poisons, crime scene investigation (Was CSI on the air in 2002? I don't know) guns, etc. Mom told the lady that bought all of them we expect a good mystery book. That would have been interesting to know her name so we could buy her book when it came out if she did write it. Has lots of good parts, one I found helpful was on scenes of violence. How do you do a murder scene if you want? Do it without showing who the murderer is. Talked about how victims of stabbing or shooting 'rarely see the objective view of what happened to them.'
So I might have to write the murder scenes just to add to my word count.
I have attempted to write a mystery before, even just a story. But I have never really finished it where it was solved. I have only started them. But this time with a word count of 50 k I and some reading material from the library I maybe actually get to the point where my main character solves a mystery. The book How to Write a Damn Good Mystery by James N. Frey. He talks about two outlines, one of what the reader sees and another of what happens behind the scenes. Would help if the author knows where the murderer is at times. Note to self: Outlines can be very helpful. Other good things in the book is journal entries for characters and getting to know the murderer. (How scary can it be to get a letter from the murderer.) Sort of like a getting to know you section. Helps you understand their motivation and reasoning for the horrible thing they did. I may have to check his How to Write a Damn Good Novel from the library and if I feel like it I'll buy How to Write a d Damn Good Novel II from the Writer's Workshoppe and I can donate it to the library. But later after August is over and then I can also see about some fiction reading. Take a break from writing for awhile. thought I still have to finish first my mystery and then my other Camp NaNoWriMo novel, Forest of Flowers.
Another helpful book is Writing Mysteries A Handbook by the Mystery Writers of America edited by Sue Grafton. I used to have it before we sold it at a garage sale. Along with book on poisons, crime scene investigation (Was CSI on the air in 2002? I don't know) guns, etc. Mom told the lady that bought all of them we expect a good mystery book. That would have been interesting to know her name so we could buy her book when it came out if she did write it. Has lots of good parts, one I found helpful was on scenes of violence. How do you do a murder scene if you want? Do it without showing who the murderer is. Talked about how victims of stabbing or shooting 'rarely see the objective view of what happened to them.'
So I might have to write the murder scenes just to add to my word count.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
More NaNoWrimo
The Write Life
Well got 50k for the July's Camp NaNoWriMo and now we are into August. Last month it was a fantasy/science fiction, Forest of Flowers. This month I am trying my hand at writing a mystery, A Fine Thread (name subject to change.) With knitting and spinning in it, so just to boost word count I might add a recipe and knitting pattern like all those other knitting mysteries do.
One of the great things about August is we have the community of a cabin, sharing with other writers. You can choose more than one cabin setting; no cabin, writers the same age, same genre (What I chose), surprise me and select your own cabin mates. So I can hear how good or bad my other cabin mates are doing. Get encouragement, ask opinions.
On and Off the Needles
Finished one sachet just yesterday and gave it to a neighbor's daughter who is going back to Chicago. She said thank you just this morning.
Got yarn for another poncho for one of my nieces, shades of green with some brown. Got her approval on the color, her favorite color is green right now.
And since one of the local yarn stores are having a retirement sale (the owner and shop are retiring) got some gray lace yarn, and some nice books and magazines at good prices. The lace yarn I plan to make into a shawl to go with a black dress I have.
But I still have to finish the shawls for my mom and other niece.
In the Dyepot
Well the wool I had dyed in my last post was so faded I over dyed it emptying one bottle of red and some of the grape. So we will see how it does.
The rest of the white wool I think I might spin up quickly before I dye it. Might make it a little easier and not as messy. I can only hope.
Well got 50k for the July's Camp NaNoWriMo and now we are into August. Last month it was a fantasy/science fiction, Forest of Flowers. This month I am trying my hand at writing a mystery, A Fine Thread (name subject to change.) With knitting and spinning in it, so just to boost word count I might add a recipe and knitting pattern like all those other knitting mysteries do.
One of the great things about August is we have the community of a cabin, sharing with other writers. You can choose more than one cabin setting; no cabin, writers the same age, same genre (What I chose), surprise me and select your own cabin mates. So I can hear how good or bad my other cabin mates are doing. Get encouragement, ask opinions.
On and Off the Needles
Finished one sachet just yesterday and gave it to a neighbor's daughter who is going back to Chicago. She said thank you just this morning.
Got yarn for another poncho for one of my nieces, shades of green with some brown. Got her approval on the color, her favorite color is green right now.
And since one of the local yarn stores are having a retirement sale (the owner and shop are retiring) got some gray lace yarn, and some nice books and magazines at good prices. The lace yarn I plan to make into a shawl to go with a black dress I have.
But I still have to finish the shawls for my mom and other niece.
In the Dyepot
Well the wool I had dyed in my last post was so faded I over dyed it emptying one bottle of red and some of the grape. So we will see how it does.
The rest of the white wool I think I might spin up quickly before I dye it. Might make it a little easier and not as messy. I can only hope.
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