The last couple weeks have been a zoo. I’ve been trying to prep for AmberCon Northwest the last couple weeks.

Additionally, I’m taking a new route with NaNoWriMo this year and doing an outline. In year’s past I’ve belligerently refused to make an outline, instead drawing off of the mad androgynous man in the back of my head that claims to be a muse. I would point proudly at the likes of Raymond Chandler, Roger Zelazny and Phillip Pullman, three excellent authors who did not bother to use an outline. And there’s a power that comes from sitting at the keyboard and having a story pour out that even I don’t know the ending to, in which the story has a life almost independent of me.

But this year I actually have a story arc I want to handle, and that means looking at things in advance. Otherwise I see myself getting painted into a corner around point B and not knowing how to get to point C.

I don’t know that this will be a long-term commitment to the outline. But I know that when I went through a period of GMing heavily structured games for a while, it really helped me get a sense of narrative flow so that it helped me GM by the seat of my pants. So I think having this new approach this year will probably help a lot.

In other writing news, I finished off two short stories that might appear in small print-on-demand anthology chapbook thingies. I’ll post more about those when I know more about those.

I also have cool news to share on Sunday.

10 Day Forecaste

Today: Finish my outline. SRSLY.
Tomorrow: Having brunch with a bunch of writers in the morning. Doing some house-keeping so we don’t have to worry about it Sunday. Spending some time with friends before heading to Overlake Denny’s to do the HallowNaNoWeen kickoff. At midnight, words start hitting paper.
Sunday: Writing. All day.
Monday: I have the day off. Writing. All day.
Tuesday: Writing at lunch. Maybe writing after work.
Wednesday: Writing at lunch. Maybe writing after work.
Thursday: Driving down to Portland for ACNW. Since I’m mostly just a passenger, I’ll be in the backseat churning out wordcount.
Friday-Sunday: At AmberCon Northwest. If I don’t overdo things, I might be able to get up a little early each day and write a bit. But I don’t feel optimistic. I’m viewing this as “three days of no writing.”