This Sunday I attended the Jo'burg Nanowrimo Halloween Hat Kick-off Party. I met some amazing people there and had lots of (insane writers) fun. I even managed to get transport on Saturdays - Michelle (aka WinterWhite) is going to take me to the write-ins! (What is a write-in? Well... Imagine a bunch of people sitting in Star Bucks (or the 'Mugg & Bean' here in SA - which is much better than Star Bucks anyway) with their laptops, trying to reach the word count they should have reached earlier during the week.) So I'll be going there every Saturday!
Besides meeting some other Nano participants from Jo'burg and the surrounding area we also got our 'nano toolkits' to keep us going when the writing gets a bit more challenging...
In a cup!
I think it's amazing what the organisers did for us!
The whole cup was made up out of (not counting the calender and bookmark) "Horribly bad puns" (quoting one of the people who made the things).
* A piece or rope to help you when you're at the end of yours.
* Inflatable origami bunnies* (*plotbunnies - With a plot!)
* A marble
* A straw (to suck the life back into you after nano)
* A stirring-stick(?) - to stir up ideas
* Hair elastics (to keep you from pulling out your hair) etc. etc.
Needless to say, I love my toolkit a lot.
After all the fun on Sunday it was time to start writing on Monday! Temerity was off to a good start with over 3500 words during the first day of the month. Today I managed to get to 6k+ (I'm aiming for at least 2500 a day - this will mean I'll reach the 50k early, but that's fine.).
Because it wouldn't be fun to keep all the good stuff to myself I'll share some of my favourite sentences/excerpts every update.
"I can't tell you, I'm afraid. But a mutual acquaintance might be able to tell you more." The vague instruction fuelled Tesza's desire to do something to support one of Jirande's old leaders – well one of their offspring, at the very least – even more.
"As you wish, my ruler." The words were followed by a lousy mock curtsey and Leone smiled.
"Don't ever do that again, or I'll feed you to those Idaite dogs." The woman's intonation had nothing to do with the words she had spoken and Tesza finally burst out laughing.
My favourite sentence of day 1 (part of chapter 2):
A fire was blazing in the hearth, turning the place into a refuge from the cold - if you didn't mind your refuge smelling of stale beer and unwashed workmen, that is. - (Inns are smelly places.)
Day 2 (also chapter 2)
Careful as he was with information, this attentiveness did not seem to extend to carrying unconscious girls to places unbeknownst to them.
Needless to say I'm having way too much fun throwing my characters into impossible situations and letting them struggle their way out only to end up in the mess that is the next major plot point.
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On to other things though, because while I would like to say that Nanowrimo IS my life at the moment, it isn't ... not completely.
No Japari this week. On Monday we were supposed to go to Home Affairs to collect my stamp in my passport that is supposed to be a visa. In the end we didn't because Mondays are the busiest days and it was already ten before we could even leave (we had to help my uncle moving the office).
Then today I actually went to Home Affairs... Usually they make a list with the names of the people trying to get into the office to collect or apply for some permit. Today however the list was nowhere to be seen. (After my aunt had dropped me off at the place and would only be back at 12/half past 12!) Eventually one of the other people waiting suggested I go inside to see if I could get my name on the list. (They keep the gate closed and only let 10 people in at a time... The security guard was nowhere to be seen and the gate was open, so upstairs I went.)
Upstairs there were more people waiting outside of the actual office. After about twenty minutes a female security guard came to us and... spoke in Zulu (or one of the other African languages) to everyone - ignoring me. After she closed the door again I asked the other people what she had said - apparently she would be with us 'soon'. Another 10 minutes later she told us to go outside again. I did. (Although no-one else made a move.) Back outside I decided to go back in because I needed to get on the list - if only I knew I wasn't waiting for nothing!
After more waiting and asking the security guard finally told us that there was a 'crisis' and they wouldn't be taking down any more names for the list today. We were to come back tomorrow. Such a waste of time, petrol and energy... But as my aunt says "This IS a third world country, after all." So I phoned Japari to let them know that I'm struggling with Home Affairs-issues and won't be coming in this week.
Luckily one of the other people there lent me their phone so I could ask my aunt to fetch me early...
Waiting at Home Affairs:
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