Tags
aunts, banner, barn, camp nanowrimo, emails, farm girl, farm life, grandparents, life, next generation, photoshop, stories, uncles, writing
I’m currently in the process of writing my Camp NaNoWriMo novel. It’s been slow, but i’ve managed to stay around the suggested word count to keep myself on track. I’ve got just over 5k right now, and hope this weekend will bring some peace and quiet so I can work a little a head.
Though, as normal when I try to focus on one particular project, others begin to invade my head. One, deals with my current Blog banner picture. Given that when I’ve started writing here just over a year ago, and didn’t really know where my blog would take me, i’ve left it as a generic fantasy themed image i’ve pulled from the web. Now though, I think i’ve got a clearer image of what I want to promote here.
My main goal has always been to post segments of my writing, or even fully short stories or novella’s. I’m half tempted to post this fan fiction i’m working on in chapter blocks once i’m finished. It was to be a place where I could share my writing style to others, either friends or strangers who’ve begun to follow my blog. I had been reading how Authors need to create their own platform, a following, or even a fan base. Where else to go but here? Of course i’m not one to stick my head out too far, trying to keep my focus on writing only. Now, though, i’ve begun to journal bits of my own random musings, my struggles with certain characters or themes. I’ve also begun to explore more blogs, replying and following those of interests to me. The connection here on wordpress is amazing and I am really happy I have joined this growing community.
So, going back to my blog banner. It needs refreshing. It needs to represent more of what my blog is. My writing expands more than one genre, and the name ‘Order of Dynast’ was really just a whim as I struggled to find a name that hadn’t already been taken. I’m stuck with it now, and I do want to try to make it work even though the story behind it has failed.
I’m debating about using any images with books, as there are enough blogs out there with books, though that could be just those I follow deal with book reviews lol. I’ve actually been thinking hard about finding a graphic that includes a quill, maybe some parchment, and most likely a book. I’ve been searching some Public Domain Photostock sites with some pretty awesome results, though I still have to make an account and join a payment plan in order to download them. Then comes the issue of me not having Photoshop anymore. (Long story short, i’ve upgraded my macbook to Mountain Lion and lost the use of my CS package 😦 ) I can use photoshop at work, though we have been pretty busy and swamped lately that I would have to stay after hours once i’ve decided what to do.
Any thoughts from you all? Is a Quill a good symbol for my blog, do any of you have any suggestions of some other theme, image that would work well? Any artists who are interested?
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Besides that, i’ve also been thinking about my own writing. My genre’s of choice, my style and what other stories are working around inside of my head. Anyone who knows me personally knows that i’m really big into the science fiction and fantasy genre of novels. Those have also been my two genres of choice for the past few NaNo’s i’ve been involved with. There’s nothing wrong with that, knowing what I like to write and sticking to it. But there is one story, or group of stories that once in a while gnaws at the back of my mind.
You see, i come from an agricultural background. My father was part of a family of 8 children, all living on a dairy farm in south-western Ontario (Canada). Over the years I grew up visiting the family homestead, going out for hikes with my grandmother, playing in the hay barn, or even helping to feed the baby calves. I may not be a pure bred farm girl, but I know enough. As I grew older, before my grandfather grew sick and passed away a few years ago, stories of what life was like during the early years for my grandparents surfaced. I have a few uncles with a gift of storytelling, and exaggeration when they do tell these stories. Some of them surprising are not as exaggerated as you may think.
Though they have all grown up and are now spread out across Canada, family emails have become the new way to retell and express stories from their childhood. It is through these emails, talking to my own father and nearby aunts and uncles that these stores continue to build up within me. I feel that they need to be told, not just to the next generation, but to the rest of the world.
How, is my only question.
Do I keep the integrity of the story and just begin to document them as is? Or do I incorporate them into some deeper, literature style novel? (Okay… it may come out more of a comedy then an elegant drama piece). These questions are not new, already a few other family members had wondered this same thing. I feel that I could do something with them, but I have never written anything in that genre style before. It is definitely outside my comfort zone, not to mention the pressure of pleasing my entire extend family (and there are a lot of them).
There does seem to be a market for life stories, of how things used to be from where they are now. I don’t want it to be about making money or getting fame, I want these stories to be preserved in one way or another. Any helpful tips, advice would be greatly appreciated.
Now… back to NaNo.