First roleplaying session

Daily Goal: 500 words.
I wrote 0 words.
Sundays/Stories Finished: 8/0.

The first roleplaying session was today. Since it was our first session much of the evening went with finishing touches on characters and introduction, but we did manage to get into a fight or two and start on some plot. The group is friendly and the evening was nice. I look forward to the next session already.

Still in the roleplaying mood, I feel like reading some fantasy the rest of the evening. Writing will have to wait. Tomorrow looks busy, but who knows if I can't manage to write a few words before then.

Reading a new novel

Daily Goal: 500 words.
I wrote 0 words.
Sundays/Stories Finished: 8/0.

I have had no time for the story today. Nor does the rest of the week look like it has much free time for writing. I feel exhausted already just thinking about how much I have to do.

I have halted reading A Confederacy of Dunces and started reading The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss. The first was insanely funny, but I barely glanced at it when I had some spare time. The pace was just slowing down. It is a great novel and I plan on finishing it. I just guess I am not really that psyched for humor at the moment.

The Name of the Wind has quite the opposite effect. I long for the next chapter already, even though I have read four chapter tonight. The writing is exquisite in places and a little lacking in others. Chapter One was a polished gem. It sucked you in and gave you a warm welcome. Chapter two I was almost looking for my red pen ready to underline places I'd edit, but just when I thought that would be the standard for the rest of the novel, chapter three turns out surprisingly well written.

So I think I'll stick with it. It is a new fantasy novel, from 2007. The sequel is already out and the last novel of the planned trilogy will be out shortly.

Gaming convention

Daily Goal: 500 words.
I wrote 0 words.
Sundays/Stories Fiinished: 5/0.

I had an urge to write today, but I let it pass. Instead I used the time to plan my weekend at Viking-con, a Danish gaming convention. Not writing when the urge is there is perhaps not something new, but doing it when I have the time to write is something I seldom do.

Most often I feel, after a long day, that the urge to read is much stronger than the urge to write. Hopefully, that is something that will change from month to month and there will come productive periods in the future.

I look forward to the gaming convention. It will be a very busy weekend. I will, of course, still have the baby to think about from 7 in the morning to 7 in the evening, but instead of reading for a few hours after that (and then complaining here about not writing) I'll be playing boardgames and getting much to little sleep.

What a great novel Stoner is

Daily Goal: 500 words.
I wrote 0 words.
Sundays/Stories Finished: 5/0.

Another week has gone by, flown by it seems, and I have not made much progress on the writing front. I still spend most of my free time reading. _Stoner_ is really good. I tried in vain to recomend it, describing the beautiful prose, but after a few tries I just gave up. If you feel like a melancholy campus novel, then give it a try. You'll be sold before the first chapter is over.

My parents are in Denmark for a month. They, of course, want to see their granddaughter, which means that quite a few days the next month will be very busy. Today I've excused myself from writing, by blaming John Williams's beautiful prose, the author of _Stoner_, but I really wouldn't have written anything even if I had nothing to read. I am just so exhausted when the baby finally falls asleep that there is not much energy left.

Besides, she has awoken three times in as many hours, forcing me to rush in to replace the pacifier or whisper a comforting, Shhh. Each episode pulls me from _Stoner_, but the reading is easily resumed once I manage to calm the baby and sneak out. I do no think that writing would survive the interuptions so effortlessly.

Lovecraft and Stoner

Daily Goal: 500 words.
I wrote 0 words.
Sundays/Stories Finished 4/0.

I typed part of my story today in preperation for some editing and perhaps posting an extract here on the blog. I didn't write anything new, though.

I read a H. P. Lovecraft story today, as well as, the first chapter of _Stoner_, by John Williams. The first chapter of the novel was great, really great, so I am sold there. The Lovecraft story wasn't that good, it was one of his earlier ones, but the way I found of reading through his works is great. There is a podcast, hppodcast.com I think is their home, where each episode focuses on one of Lovecraft's stories. The shows is recorded in chronoligical order, so every other week or so I take another story and episode. If you are anything like me then it sounds great (doesn't it?), but I found soon that one story every other week is the right pace to go. Reading a short story followed by half an hour podcast feels like a chore if you do several, back to back.

As for writing: I. Should have written something today, but I felt more like reading. Even though it is late and I am tired, I can't help but want to sneak a peek at the second chapter of _Stoner_ before I go to bed.

A month and no story finished

Daily Goal: 500 words.
Yesterday I wrote 0 words.
Sundays/Stories Finished: 4/0.

Another Sunday came and went, and I still haven't finished a story. If I had set myself the modest goal of completing one short story each month, I would have failed at that too, at this point.

I am still working on the same story, if one could call it work. My thoughts are still on it, when I think about writing. Either that or they are on this blog. I guess that is a good thing. I know from experience, however, that actually trying to write a paragraph or a scene is so much more fruitful than just walking around doing day to day stuff and pondering about a story.

When I do have a little bit of time for myself I still turn to reading. I keep saying to myself, Let me just get this one novel done with and I'll start writing. But there is always another novel waiting.

My parents are coming in a week, which usually means that the next month will be a busy one. Viking-con is also approaching, as is my birthday. I hope to attend the former, hope to dodge the latter. Alas, things will probably turn out the other way around.