31 October 2012

NaNoWriMo Eve

Pre-NaNoWriMo checklist:

Some idea of plot?
Check.

Research?
Nope.

Names for most of supporting cast?
Nope.

Food?
Check.

Tea (kindly supplied by friend)?
It was here, but I can't seem to find it...

Writing buddies?
Check.

Work done on choreography that I planned on getting out of the way before NaNoWriMo starts?
...Not really.

Barely-suppressible heart-rate-elevating excitement?
Check.

Writing music (classicchristian247.com)?
Uncertain as of yet. (Thanks a lot, superstorm Sandy.)

Writing music (iTunes)?
Check.

Furnace running?
Check.

Second plot for when I finish the first one early?
Check.

Blankets?
Check.

Fresh batteries for Lila?
Check.

MacBook?
Check.

Annual final-hour-countdown freakout with writing buddy over Facebook?
Check.

(Well, all the important stuff is covered, anyway.)

And now, fellow writers, let us charge forth to the path of glorious exuberant creativity! For the rest of the month may our battle cry shall echo the words of what's-his-face from Mythbusters, "I reject your reality and substitute my own."

Bring on National Novel Writing Month!


EDIT: 9 November 2012
It wasn't even NaNoWriMo yet and already I was making NaNoisms? Are you KIDDING me?

26 October 2012

Music Day

Just discovered this song thanks to my seven-year-old sister (whose nickname could very accurately be 'Walking Dance Party'). I was already kind of familiar with the band but not the song, and dude, if you ever need a feel-good dance song, this is a keeper. (And I could hook you up with the Walking Dance Party's playlist -- just keep in mind that she is only seven years old.)

Part of the reason I love this song so much is that the first time I heard it I choreographed pretty much the entire chorus. In one listen.

Oh, did I mention that said choreography was in tap? (Yay!) Hopefully I'll be able to choreograph the rest of it pretty quickly even with my limited experience.

Anyway, here you are. Kick off that awesome weekend.

Title: Snazzy
Artist: Go Fish
Album: Snazzy
Year: 2007
Label: Go Fish Kids Records
iTunes here; YouTube here.

23 October 2012

The Battle, Day 3

My spider kit is ready.

A board is propped upright beside me, for dropping on the enemy from a height. It also doubles as a place to practice that tap sequence from Monday that I seem to have forgotten (which annoys me, because how am I supposed to practice and improve if I can't remember it in the first place?).

A slab of pure marble that I found on the dryer rests in my lap. The sucker's got to be at least eight pounds, probably more. This is also for dropping on the enemy from a height.

A long piece from a set of wooden blocks sits on my choreography table beside me, for parry-thrusting the enemy as it tries to scale the walls. Provided I can bear to bring my bare hand to within eight and a half inches of that thing. (Ugh. I can't even bear thinking of the crunch it'll make... ugh. *shudders*)

And though it's annoying me to no end, I'm still wearing my shoes.

You, spider, will die. I have to finish a very intricate piece of choreography and do my dad's tax papers before the first of November. The more you ruin my concentration and throw off my project-accomplishing trajectory, the more horrible your end will be.

So, last chance. Get out of my room. Lest it become your coffin.

21 October 2012

War

I am crouching on my chair. My left foot is clothed in my brother's massive work boot, my right is wearing one of my dad's work shoes. Every two seconds I look down at the floor below me, then glance at the wall just a foot and a half beyond my computer.

Because I know it's here. And I know it's still alive. Probably not even frightened.

Little bugger. It knew exactly the one location it could sit on its fat butt and taunt me with its presence yet be unreachable. It's moments like these which make me want to put 'machine gun' on my Christmas wish list. I don't care what one of those would do to the wall, I just want that thing out of here.

Oh, I've heard the stories of cockroaches. Of rats. Of tarantulas the size of dinner plates. You might say I'm being a little irrational here.

But listen, here in Alberta, the spiders get huge. Huge. And freaking terrifying.

Black, with thick legs, a good inch long (when bent!), and tiny spindly bodies which somehow makes them all the more threatening. And huge. You know that famous Alberta beef? If we ever get a shortage of cows we could move on to the spiders that grow here and no-one would be any the wiser.

And it's October. October. The spiders should all be dead. Spring is the dawn of the spiders, what the freak are they doing still hanging out in my room now? Why can't they ever go live in the bathroom or something? At least you don't sleep in the bathroom. I have to somehow manage to get to sleep tonight. And I had planned on knocking out another thirty seconds on this choreography that's almost done...

That's slightly impossible when just putting your feet on the floor -- even shod for battle -- is cause for terror. If my bed weren't a loft bed, I would definitely be sleeping upstairs tonight, I don't care how uncomfortable the couch is. As it is I doubt I'll sleep easy knowing that thing, that horrific grotesque freak of nature is still here, in this room, alive and unafraid.

My feet are falling asleep. Last I saw the enemy, it was under the desk, too far back for me to reach. Probably still hiding under there, just out of sight, just out of reach, laughing at me.

I guess I'm going to bed early tonight. Wasn't quite the motivation I was looking for though.

19 October 2012

Music Day

Lately I've been loving this song. It's another song I remember from childhood, but in the past two weeks or so it's captivated me, both musically and lyrically. (Seriously, this guy is the lyrical and theological precursor to Lecrae.)

This is also a rare occasion where you'll hear an electric guitar solo in a Michael Card song. And it's a pretty good one too.

Title: Scandalon
Artist: Michael Card
Album: Scandalon
Year: 1985
Label: Sparrow Records
iTunes here; YouTube here.

To some He is a barrier
To others He's the way
For all should know the scandal of believing

Today it seems the Scandalon offends no one at all
The image we present can be stepped over
Could it be that we are like the others long ago
Will we ever learn that all who come must stumble?

18 October 2012

Snippets

My thoughts aren't currently coherent enough for me to make a full post on one topic, so I'm going to throw down some sound bites because I miss posting.

So I've been working on a ballet for twelve. I was trying to do it start-to-finish in the month of September... didn't quite work out that way. At this rate I'll be lucky to finish it by the end of October.
Oh, but it is gorgeous. It's turning out even better than I'd hoped. The best I can say is that it's a bit like a symphony. A symphony of dance.

In case it's not obvious from recent Music Day posts, I've been on a HUGE White Heart kick. I have Servant's The Dance (I love this song), Michael Card's The Promise, and David Meece's Early In The Morning all lined up to be choreographed next and all my creative brain wants to do is White Heart, White Heart, and more White Heart. I may just have to knock out that Say The Word duo that's been simmering in my head just to shut it up. (And Early In The Morning has a deadline on it too...)

Okay, I know I've gushed about Rick Florian's singing before, but seriously, anyone who can sing Silhouette without bursting a lung is a truly amazing human being. I tried to sing it the other day and almost passed out (the fact that I had a cold and don't yet have the lyrics memorised is a mere trifle. That song is darn difficult).

NaNoWriMo is coming! I actually have a solid plot idea too -- a tap dancer, an ex-rocker, music, someone recovering from depression, road trip, concerts, touring... it is going to be SO. MUCH. FUN.
And in case I finish that one early (which I think is likely), I also have a second very good idea that'll easily make 50k (famous last words...).

Tap classes -- on Monday my teacher asked if I play an instrument. I said no. She seemed quite surprised and asked if I sing. I said, "A little."
Apparently, according to her, my musicality is very, very good. Earlier in the class, she had said I was a natural. And then she taught me this step -- I think she called it a pullback -- where you jump and while in the air, you tap your toes on the ground. I (mostly) got the hang of it in two minutes (according to the clock in the studio). She was clearly amazed and told me it takes most people weeks to figure it out.

Also, I loathe YouTube right now. Loathe. Excuse me for being in Canada.

12 October 2012

Music Day

So last night our church hosted a Fraser Campbell concert. So, of course, I went, even though I really only knew one song. (In this province, you take what you can get.)

It was good. I liked the first half especially, where they put out all the rock stuff (no surprise). They played some stuff from their album and rocked up a few old 'church-y' songs. They're pretty good with a crowd, and then they pulled a couple volunteers from the audience to drum up some more excitement for the one song. Actually, it was a contest between the two volunteers who got the most out of their half of the crowd, and the winner would get a prize.

Never underestimate the youth groups in this town, and especially don't underestimate those specific volunteers. Both the lead singer and the drummer said later that they'd never seen a conga line in a church before (to say nothing of the fact that said conga line included willing participants in their sixties).

Personally I enjoyed watching the bassist, introduced only as Dan. He had that Bob Hartman head-bob thing going on and for some reason that fascinates me (mostly how they can move their heads side to side while moving their hand up and down). The drummer was pretty phenomenal too.

Fraser Campbell himself reminded me of Peter Furler -- maybe it was the bald head and the guitar, but his singing voice was similar and the lyrics are definitely in line with Peter Furler's style.

All in all, it was a good concert. I'd definitely go again, even if it wasn't free.

And just listen to the passion in this song...

Title: Arms Of Love
Artist: Fraser Campbell
Album: We Love You
Year: 2009
Independent release.
iTunes here; YouTube here.
Website: frasercampbellmusic.com

Today I listened to the album we picked up after the show... it's rather more low-key (in fact, I think I enjoyed the concert more than the album), but it's still worth a listen. Like I said earlier, he's got a very Peter-Furler-like writing style (I'd put this album on about the same level as Newsboys' Devotion), but there's also a definite Delirious? vibe on it.

And they're Canadian -- what could be better?

04 October 2012

Happiness

So it's nearly 2 am.

I'm still on the computer hanging out on the NaNoWriMo forums despite having to work tomorrow and not getting nearly as much choreography done yesterday as I'd hoped.

And then... and then...

The furnace clicks on!

My day is made.