Eight Things OR How to Procrastinate, a NaNoWriMo update

ight Things!


I filled out this questionnaire nearly a decade ago: 9 lots of 8 things about me.


It's fun to see what's changed and what hasn't!


9 lots of 8 things about me:

8 projects I'm working on
1. sorting all the finished novels into order of priority for editing
2. finding an agent for The Charm of Time
3. editing a short story for a contest
4. knitting projects: a blanket, a pair of leg warmers, a tuque and other projects not yet begun
5. thinking of compiling short stories for an anthology (and thinking of short stories featuring Kedi)
6. school!
7. NaNoWriMo!
8. long-term plans for the blog


8 TV shows I watch (I don't watch many new shows, only old shows I like; this is based on last year)
1. Last of the Summer Wine
2. Father Ted
3. Fawlty Towers
4. Glitch
5. Breaking Bad
6. Seinfeld
7. various comedians filmed live
8. Doctor Who


8 favourite places to eat and drink
1. at home
2. Turkey - yup, anywhere in the country [this hasn't changed]
3. at the pub
4. at a cafe
5. at an artisanal ice cream shop (there's a great one in Holmfirth!)
6. at a village auberge in Switzerland
7. also in Switzerland, at a local cave à vin
8. on a train, as this means travelling!


8 things I look forward to
1. in 2010 I mentioned publishing a book -- I've done this, with Summer Fire. But I still haven't published a paperback...
2. in 2010, I also cryptically wrote "more family" -- this was a reference to children. Now we have two
3. first-time experiences with the kids (skating, skiing, watching Into the Woods...)
4. seeing my friends' books published
5. taking more time to read fiction once I graduate
6. driving from Calais (after taking the ferry from Dover, natch) to Istanbul [this hasn't changed]
7. travelling to places I haven't been yet (Sweden, Germany...) [nor this]
8. making time to Edit All the Novels once I graduate


8 things I love about winter [this section is nearly completely different, now that we live in Switzerland instead of icy freezing Canada]
1. how short the season is, followed by a real spring!
2. pretty snowfalls
3. skating and skiing within reach, without having to drive through slush to get there
4. visits from Jack Frost, and fog
5. views of Lac Leman and the Alps
6. skating!
7. ice on the lake
8. fondue


8 things on my wish list
1. to travel. Okay, let's be specific and start with Italy and more of Scotland [this hasn't changed]
2. to read all the books I own, set up a proper library, and get more books [nor this]
3. I like Pam's "Get rid of all the clutter in my house and Keep It Out" [I'm achieving this!]
4. to walk from Scarborough to the Lake District. Or any other walking path in the UK. I'm not picky [this also remains. The entire coastline of Wales is now a public footpath!]
5. to drive across Europe, Canada and the States. Not necessarily as part of the same trip [and this]
6. time to develop a green thumb
7. to learn to sew properly
8. an intern to organize all my papers, CDs, library, notes to self, saved clippings/brochures/etc., files, recipes... [this has been on the wish list for years]


8 things I am passionate about [I'm not changing this one at all]
1. truth
2. accuracy. Especially when it comes to grammar, the written word, dialects, historical facts, etc.
3. writing
4. knitting (and other handicrafts)
5. music (by which I mean subcreation. You know, real bands, not manufactured formulaic nonsense)
6. travelling. The freedom of being able to get up and go whenever I feel like it
7. reading
8. trying to get at the essence of food. No additives, chemicals, preservatives, genetic modification, hormones, etc. I tried buying cream the other day. To my mind, cream should have one ingredient: cream. Not guar gum, carrageenan, salt, sugar or anything else


8 things I have learned from the past [this one also stays the same]
1. you know that little voice inside you that knows when something is off? Listen to it
2. don't second guess yourself on a test or exam
3. a good mood goes a long way toward harmonious relations with people, especially those you have to work with. Don't whine or moan or snap at others
4. don't talk too much. Listening's better
5. there's a lot to be said for the euphoria of a gorgeous day in the woods
6. get a pet. Or two. Or three
7. learn how to write. Don't use peak when you mean pique. Don't say your when you mean you're. It's hard to think clearly if you don't have the vocabulary to think with
8. live in a small town before the age of 10, a big city between 10 and 20, and travel often after that


8 things I want/need
1. more time to read fiction
2. all my LibraryThing accounts synced and updated
3. Scrivener for Android
4. a real espresso maker
5. a Turkish food delivery system (now there's a pipe dream!)
6. a pint. And a dram [this hasn't changed]
7. a daily fruit basket with all the fruit pre-sliced (another dream) [nor this]
8. more time to catch up on blogging. There are blogger friends I haven't visited in months!

Tag yourself if you'd like to play!

This post isn't exactly a sign of me procrastinating on NaNoWriMo, but it's not not a procrastination ploy either!


My daily average word counts are still quite low (about 1,200 instead of 1,667), and we're nearly halfway through! I'll need to up my game -- especially by making sure I write first thing in the morning when I wake, rather than talking about writing with fellow participants.

Are you behind on a project?

How do you get catch up?