The rare crossing of nerd and... well, actually, nerd of another variety.

This evening, as I read through my copy of "The Oxford Essential Writers Reference" (I was re-reading the wonderful list of common cliches in there, and also the chapter on manuscript submission), I was struck with a memory.

Granted, not one from very long before I found myself there, in the comfey chair in the library, reading one of the best ways to spend $6.99... rather, one from a few hours earlier.

Today, I met this for the first time in person. I was impressed, sincerely. The eInk technology is really cool and, though at first I was a little disheartened by the price, the realization of what the technology actually offers is pretty impressive. I must admit I thought back to the "reading devices" seen in a number of science fiction movies and TV shows. This technology is very similar to that.

Now, if only we could get that whole "hover car" thing down, and get working on that whole "light speed travel" nonsense, as well.

Honestly, though, I was thinking to myself, "What would Strunk and White say about this?"

For those that are unfamiliar, William Strunk Jr. (Ohioan, stodgy linguist) and later, E.B. White (Charlotte's Web), one of Strunk's students, rendered unto us one of the most stunting and bland works of English instruction, "Elements of Style".

What would they say, these gentlemen so enamored with their own grasp of English mechanics, to the possibility that anyone with the ability to crud out a PDF could, in fact, be widely read.

"Hmm... balderdash!", I imagine.

MM, sore throat.

Amidst Nano-noveling, school composition writing and various other things, I am sick. It is really hard to focus on writing while you're not feeling well, especially when it's varied types of writing.

Still, I've been doing my best to space it and shift gears as that is probably the best way to keep my momentum.

Now, I'm pretty typical when it comes to being sick... I crave soup. I went to the store and bought "cup noodles" and "Ritz" crackers. I don't know why I crave these things, but I'm sure it stems from some collection of experiences of days long ago.

Today I noticed a marvelous fact about instant noodle cups. They are "instant lunch". Mind you, they are not "instant soup" or "instant snack" or instant anything but lunch.

So, it seems that one cannot go wrong with treating a 50c cup-based soup as a meal, for it is, in fact, both instant and lunch.

This news should shake society to it's very foundation.

My sodium runneth over.

wri-mo

Today begins Nanowrimo, the National Novel Writing Month (also known as November to calendar traditionalists).

The goal is to write 50,000 words in a month. I've written 0, but it's day 1. I'll probably spend this evening putting too many words down for a story I've been looking forward to focusing on.

What is the point of doing this all in one month when there are so many other things one should probably be focusing on in a month like November? Well, personally, I write much better when I have something else I'm supposed to be doing. Really, though, I think it's because people love to talk about writing but without some sort of organized structure, frequently they will not actually put the words down on paper. They'll have an idea but it will only ever be an idea. If this is what it takes to convert that idea into something worth the time, then bring it on!

I think it also helps people learn how to self-manage a timetable for your writings so they don't drag out over years. It helps in turning off the internal editor when writing (that thing that makes you delete and re-write sentences instead of plunging forward to finish crafting the story). All in all, Nanowrimo is a great thing because it has helped countless people achieve even an small ammout of success at writing, even if that success was just learning that you don't like doing it.

Good luck to anyone doing it.