Updated on June 22, 2016
July ’16 Plans: Camp NaNo, My BuJo, El Bloggo
So I’m here. Alive. Trying desperately to make progress in my life, sometimes failing. Okay, usually failing. But always trying again, like a winner! (Winners do this kind of thing, right? Persist and persevere and try try again?)
Recently I have started keeping a bullet journal. If you go to Instagram and search the tag, you’ll see loads of absolutely beautiful journal designs, elegant spreads, gorgeous daily logs or calendars. Mine…not so much. I’m not an artist. I’m happy to inject some color and some stickers, maybe eventually I’ll use washi tape if I want to tape things into my journal, but generally my design is straightforward. I don’t even like to do daily logs, opting for a weekly view instead because I don’t feel like I have enough to do to make daily entries necessary—and I would feel bad when I skipped a few days, and I don’t want to feel bad about this effort.
I’m doing well with it, and I’m looking forward to jumping into July as well. And one of the big things that I want to use it to help me accomplish is Camp NaNoWriMo, a summer spin-off, so to speak, of the popular National Novel Writing Month held every November. While November’s event gives you the massive goal of writing 50,000 words in 30 days, the April and July options allow you to set your own goal for your project, which also lessens the requirements for your project to be at least sort of close to a “novel”. In April, I kicked my goal’s ass, getting about 18,000 words, mostly on some Star Wars fanfic.
This July, I’m going to be putting a mind to focusing on getting the bare bones laid out for a new story I’ve been playing with. It’s a sci-fi space story that’s going to deal with time travel somehow. Not totally there yet, but that’s what Camp will be for! I’m only aiming for 7,500 words for the month, but I mostly want to do character sketching and figure out a basic plot outline. I’m going to aim to touch the project 4 times a week (hopefully 3 weekdays and 1 weekend day), and I’m also aiming to try and update this here blog at least once a week. I figure between the writing, bullet journaling, and maybe, well, talking about real life and stuff? I can try and get this pup updated. But hey, I’m also not going to beat myself up if I don’t!
So, let’s look forward to July! Maybe I’ll even make an update here again before the month starts. ;)
Posted on September 8, 2015
Lesbian Hockey Werewolf
It’s been a while since I did this blogging thing. There’s been a lot going on, and most of it good! But it’s not the kind of blogging excitement you’re used to here. [canned audience laughter] Thankfully, I’ve been more and more inspired of late, and I’m hoping it’ll lead to me using this thing more. I gave myself a little re-design for a “reboot”, but all the past posts are staying, even if I’m shifting the focus of what I’ll write about.
One thing that has lead to the inspiration I’m feeling is the increase of women I’m following on Twitter in the hockey space. Between talking about the upcoming inaugural season of the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) and the always-ongoing fight to be taken seriously as female fans, bloggers, and reporters of the men’s game, I’ve found a nice network of intelligent women who don’t simply want to be “just one of the guys”. They write smart things, and I want to write smart things, too. I want the women who inspire me to see the results of that inspiration.
Another thing, which added a burst of motivation along with more inspiration, is that I just spent Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, GA, at the umpteenth annual Dragon*Con, a convention I’d never been to before, but looked forward to with excitement this year. It didn’t disappoint at all, and the writing panels I attended sent me home with swirling ideas for a novel. Unlike previous (failed) attempts at novel-writing, I don’t simply have a couple characters but no real direction in which to push them! This time I have a driving concept that easily sets up a story/character arc, and I am so incredibly excited to take this journey. There will be research to do, but this time that doesn’t exhaust me when I just think about it; the research I will need to do dovetails with my excitement in the NWHL and everything going on in women’s hockey.
This project is going to be called Lesbian Hockey Werewolf, and that should give you a pretty good idea of what’s inside. I don’t have many specific details figured out yet, but I’m really excited to get this story figured out and start writing it. I’m going to use an outline and everything! No pantsing!
I’m going to try and use this blog to document this process. I want to make myself accountable to myself, and if I can generate interest in a final result, that’s great, too. If you want to tag along with me, then you’re welcome to, and I hope you enjoy it.
(I may also end up re-watching Psych and blogging that as I go? Exciting times here at Katiegorn!)
Posted on April 15, 2015
Playoff Hockey: Best Playoffs, Best Hockey
The NHL 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs have begun! It is widely known by people who are fans of NHL hockey that the NHL’s playoffs are the best playoffs in sports. Round 1, in particular, is a breathless, insane, ridiculous ride of 3-4 games a night that often go to OT.
It’s glorious. I didn’t need sleep, did any of you?
With my Rangers ending up the best team in the league–I’m not crying, you’re crying! Also I’m crying!–we’ve got a nice little series against the Penguins starting tomorrow night. There are three other series for the Eastern Conference, and because I want to put my thoughts down on them and I have too many thoughts for Twitter, I figured I’d act like I actually use this blog sometimes.
Montreal Canadiens vs Ottawa Senators
I’d like this series to go all 7 games. I’d like the goalies to turn themselves inside out to make all the saves.
If Ottawa wins, I’ll start to get really scared of the Sens. And it’ll make Erik Karlsson happy, and I want my Tumblr friend Erik to be happy.
If Montreal wins, I’ll hope they face Tampa Bay because holy SHIT that will be a great damn series.
Two old buds, no longer dressing like twins.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Detroit Red Wings
I’d like this series to go all 7 games. I want it to be fast and filled with sorcery from Stamkos and Datsyuk. I want Brian Boyle’s pirate beard to fill in nicely.
Honestly, I’m probably okay with either team winning. I’m pulling a little for Tampa because of my ex-Ranger boys and I’m generally a little fond of Tampa anyway. But Detroit is an Original Six team who isn’t the Bruins, and I’m here for keeping O6 teams who aren’t the Bruins around for 2 rounds.
Washington Capitals vs New York Islanders
I’d like this series to go all 7 games. I want the teams to beat the SHIT OUT OF EACH OTHER. I want them broken and bloody and EXHAUSTED. Because, you see, should the Rangers beat the Pens, we take the winner of this series.
Either way, it’d be a nasty, emotional series against us: Islanders with their inferiority complex, Capitals with their lust for playoff revenge. Can’t we just get a bye? ‘Cause then we have to play one whoever’s left from the first two series!