NaNoWriMo Day 16: Into the belly of the beast...

Hey guys! Tis Jessi again... a touch more beleaguered from the NaNo experience. See the video below to find out more about where I'm at in my journey...

NaNoWriMo Day 5

Hey guys! A quick update and a look into my life and NaNoWriMo!!


Sorry I've been absent but hopefully this will be the start of more regular postings again. <3


Love and Letters,
Jessi

Clustering : A Brain Dump in Color

So tonight at Inkwell, we decided to go over some organizational techniques for writers, given NaNoWriMo is just around the corner... already! *deep breath*So in an effort to show the effects of clustering (yes kids, in color), I demonstrated on my NaNo storyline, thus giving you a peek into my NaNo and my clustering methods. 

In addition to this ...mess... There is a point to clustering. It's not simply to draw on white boards with pretty marker, though that does help keep you focused, but to engage your brain in active imagination cohesion. Your brain works in odd ways and not many of us can work in pretty bullet pointed lists. They are shiny, but not for everyone, just like clustering. The biggest advantage of clustering is, it forces you to see the connections inherent with your characters, theme, setting, and misc.  Suddenly all those little details you didn't want to think about need a home, and the bigger notes? They get a list on the side, or, even better, a whole separate more overarching cluster!

So give it a shot. Take a look at my mess and see what you can do with your own stories. =]

<3 

Jessi

Whole beginning cluster. Neatly color coded and a list of notes on the side

 

I'm starting to think here that Annie (the 11 yr old) may be much more
interesting than her adoptive father....

Eric wants a Dragon. * points above*

Dislikes private investors. Stupid minion demand... 

An Inkwell Webinar: Villainy!

Hey guys!

This week has been a little hectic for me, work wise, so the posts are a bit out of the normal order. In addition to the work schedule, I had a bit of a personal issue to deal with, however, that has been conquered for the moment.

Now that that's out of the way, two weeks ago at Inkwell Imaginings; we ran a series on villains. Below is the webinar and some photos of our white boarding including some info on a character that some of you have read about, named Erik. Sound familiar? Good!

White boarding adventure! (Yes, yes I know, my handwriting is not 100% legible in some spots. Apologies!)

From the Desk of A Mad Scientist

Greetings and Salutations,

While I am aware of the formalities expected towards this prestigious council, I will be keeping this in plain common for those within the council walls that may in fact be more brawn than anything else. Your demands on the scientific community have been oppressive at best, of late.

This is being brought to your attention, not because of the new chairperson overseeing the development of weaponry and the like, due to the fact that, suddenly, three of my minions have turned up dead. Now, I would like to blame the forces of good, and chalk it up to an unfortunate casualty of the business but the evidence otherwise is a bit too overwhelming to point fingers elsewhere. Ms. Raven’s instruments of death have been well categorized by myself and my colleagues, noting the specifics of the poisons she uses in an effort to make them look natural within most the human species. These same poisons were found within one of my minion’s circulatory system. I’ve done some preliminary investigating on my own, suspicions being followed before revenge was approved by the council. In a in-person follow-up, I’ll present all of the findings.

For now, however, I’d like to place my name in for the replacement of the talented Crimson Raven, our current chairperson. Below is a copy of my resume, including all the of the contraptions and gadgets that I’ve supplied over my 15 year stint with the council, including some freelance work. The highlights however, include my current project, a dragon automaton, with fire ‘breath’ that can shoot , on a full fuel tank, up to 100 feet of flame, and can perform tasks up to the cognitive level of that of a young child, through some dynamic programming and a little ingenuity. This stunning piece of work is one of a kind and currently going through our patent office. The client, who generously provided the materials and funds; chooses to remain nameless has provided thorough documentation on his/her alignment.

Oh, this all seems suspicious, you say? Too many things starting to point the bony finger my way? Adorable, that your childish minds cannot comprehend someone who takes the initiative to submit a report, perform an autopsy, and recommend oneself for the soon to be vacant position. Though you would be right to investigate, those that are veterans to the Council will vouch for my abilities in that given arena. I don’t kill. My creations do. Poisons are for people who want to watch the slow decline of a victim. I prefer a hands off approach. Something more… inventive. Less old-lady-killer-esque.

I look forward to your quick reply. I’ll have my lasers aimed towards the sky. Do be so kind to try to sneak up this time. The minions need the target practice.

Gracious Send Off,

Erik A. Mathhers

Mad Scientist Extraordinaire
Tinkerer, Inventor, et al.