Apologies and 'notes' for new piece.

 Sorry for being so inactive lately, I've been sleepy a lot lately. But now I'm battling to get back into the game!

 Also, there's an art contest and the piece I'm working on for it.

 The contest is the dA "Color-me-club" January line art contest. This month's theme is Sci-fi/dancing.

 It's supposed to be a choice between the two, but I decided to combine the two themes together for fun.

 I decided on a retro-futuristic set of space travellers in an almost 'Wallace and Gromit' style space ship. So helmets, skin tight jumpsuits, if I ever colour this, a lot of orange. I'm hoping they look a-ethnic, so can be coloured as different ethnicities depending on what the colourist wants. I also wanted a nomad from the harsh cold mountains, and during the second pass, I decided to have her look South East Asian/Mongolian. Kind of happened by accident, but I liked it so I'm keeping it. She's going to be wearing furs, skins and knitted clothes for a challenging mix of textures. Also, because if I lived in the tundra, that's what I'd be wearing.

 I also decided to give her a mammoth. Because its science fiction and I can.

 Also, I wish we still had mammoths.

 I've knocked up a series of notes over the last couple of days to plot the composition and details, as I like to know what I'm drawing in a piece like this before I start.

 Here are my initial drawings:

First pass

Second pass

  This is where I decide where I want what where on a two dimensional view.

 After using Colors! 3D (I'll have a review up after I've got more pictures to show), I've been influenced to see a picture as a series of planes, or 2D images in front of each other.

 So this prompted a sketch of each plane and what I wanted in it.

Various planes and their contents

 As well as planning the composition like this, I also concentrated on details. The most important being the dancing couple in the fore ground. So I designed the women's faces and sketched out some thumbs and passes on their poses.

The Ladieeeez

 I think if I copy any of these poses, it'll come across as stiff, so I'm planning to play it loose and more or less wing their positions.

 I also sketched out some of the background details, like a robot radio, the mammoth, the space-woman's fellow crew members, the rocket and an instrument.

Background details

 So far, so good.

 I'm already to get going on this. I'm going to start today on A3 bristol board, so wish me luck and hope the drawing goes well!

I found my camera!

 It was hiding on the chair that's right next to where I paint.

 Clearly, I was just being a fool.

 Now, yet more progress has been achieved on Jon Snow, and I have started using acrylic paint on the picture. I'm very happy with the results so far and will probably use them on pieces like this in the future.

 The technique I've been using is to water them down and using them much like watercolours, but because they dry water proof, I haven't been having the problem of washing away what I've already done when I try to add another layer of colour.

 Here's a photo of shortly after I started adding in the acrylic:

 Now, as you can well see, that four in the background is a complete mess, so I decided to clean it up.

 Using painstakingly applied masking tape and a mix of heavy body black acrylic, water, flow aid and matte medium, I painted in the four.

 The paint bled past the boundaries of the tape, but I actually really like how it came out.

 Here's a picture of the four closer up and next to the template I made for it:

 I've also taken a close up picture of the fur, because I really like how t looks so far and I want to show it off.

 So, the next things on my to-do list are to work more on his suit and hair. After that, I'll put more work into the background, especially the sections not covered by leaves; they're looking a bit dull at the moment and could use more work to look like leaf litter.

 I should have more to show you tomorrow.

One day to go, a day in the life of a depressive

 As you well know, I didn't write a post yesterday. That is because nothing got done. At all.

 After writing the post the day before yesterday, my depression got triggered, and regardless of the fact that the trigger is no longer a concern, I'm still feeling the effects.

 In the hours after the trigger happened, I was so distressed that I couldn't sleep, and only watching videos of cats, rabbits and octopuses combined with 'Icanhascheezeburger' was I able to sleep.

 Yesterday, I suffered fatigue and the muscles in my back kept seizing up as well as feeling like I was going to cry all day. This is not mentioning the feelings of self harm.

 Today was better, but I'm still feeling down, a bit cry-ey and my back muscles are still playing up.

 So not much done in the way of writing and planning.

 Right now, my priorities are down to finishing this chapter and getting twiglets on that 2 for 1 deal at Tescos, because I love twiglets and yeast extract has a bunch of b vitamins in, which I think are meant to help with mood. Also, it has folic acid, which is supposed to help fend off anaemia. It's apparently really good during pregnancy, so that's good, if completely inapplicable in this situation.

 Success on NaNoWriMo seems unlikely at this point, but I'm still going to attempt it. Because even if I fail, I'll have done something.

Third day to go, and lack of progress

 How are my key areas going? Not great.

 A. Still haven't finished the first chapter yet, but on the plus side, Carl has finally shown up. So that's something. It's currently up to 6,326 and I haven't worked on it yet today, so it should be finished tomorrow or the day after.

 B. More plot has been written up! Also, the third main character has shown up, and is getting a few scenes with Mel by himself.

 C. Completed!

 E. Have tidied kitchen table as much as I can. Everything on it is important stuff my parents need to deal with.

 Progress on my room is yet to be made.

 F. Still need to get around to this.

 G. Made the decision for Mel and Zach to investigate second incident during the day, so no Carl unfortunately.


 I ran out of twiglets today, and am upset, as I love twiglets and need something to munch on.

 On the other hand, though, in good news, I'm getting a haircut tomorrow, so I'll make sure to show you my snazzy new do when I get it.

 Back to plotting and writing for me!

The fourth day to go and a change of plan

So, how am I doing on my seven key areas? Well...

 A. I'm still working on the end of this first chapter, but it's getting very close to being done. It's currently up to 5,742, so it looks like my prediction will be accurate.

 B. Currently up to seven index cards with plot lined out on them. This doesn't include the post-it notes annotating important factors that need to be taken into consideration. It also doesn't include the work already done on chapter two, which adds up to five index cards.

 C. I have gotten the new index cards and super special awesome NaNoWriMo specific pen! Unfortunately, the index cards are not the same size as the ones I already had, so I copied my notes out onto the new ones. I know that sounds unnecessary, but it would have ruined everything if my cards didn't match. I'm just that way about things like this, I need them a certain way.

 I've also abandoned the wall of plot and opted for the book of plot. Which has the advantage of portability. I'm sticking the cards in with masking tape, so they can still be moved around.

It's genius. Genius I tell you!

 D. Still need to codify character traits. Will be dedicating part of tomorrow afternoon to it.

 E. Slowly working on tidying kitchen table and will dedicate part of tomorrow to tidying my room.

 F. Have not yet looked into how to write effective action/fight scenes. Will make sure to do so some time in the next few days.

 G. I have started to make some decisions, such as Josh's attitude towards business people and how Mel and Carl obtain an important phone number.

 I've also decided my snack for NaNoWriMo. Thank the over commercialisation of Christmas, because mini twiglets are on offer! I love me some twiglets.

 I also love Neuro Bliss, so it's likely to turn out to be one of my beverages of NaNoWriMo.

This particular drum won't be for NaNoWriMo, because it won't last until the first.

 There's more snackage to be planned, and my NaNo playlists need to be created, but I think I'm making good headway on that.

 Huzzah!

The end of the fifth day to go and my NaNo to do list

 So, here I am, taking a break from one of the most important parts of my preparation for NaNoWriMo to tell you all about my preparation for NaNoWriMo.

 Now, since I already know what I'm writing, I've spared myself that first important step. I've also already signed up to NaNoWriMo.org so I can post on the forums for help and moral support.

 So, the things that are really key for me are:

 A. Finishing this redraft of chapter one

 B. Noting down what scenes I need for my story on individual index cards

 C. Going to Tescos to get more index cards and a super special awesome NaNoWriMo specific pen

 D. Writing up the traits of my characters and making it easy to add more traits as and when they make themselves clear

 E. Setting up my writing spaces which are:

My Bedroom

The Dining Room Table

The Craft Room

 This includes creating the wall of plot, so I'm also going to need blu-tack from Tescos and possibly some string.

 F. Looking into how to write effective action/fight scenes

 G. Make decisions in relation to various plot points and character traits

 Right now, I'm working on A, which is currently up to 5,251 words and is outstripping the original draft (5,176) and is still in progress. Thankfully, though, I am already on the final scene of that chapter, so I should be able to get it finished by then, I'm estimating that it will end up at 6,000 to 6,500 words long. Especially when it's taken into account that the final scene of the chapter is 966 words long in the first draft.

 So far today I've only written 142 words, but that's because I was distracted reading a friend's NaNoWriMo from last year. I'll be typing my little heart out after this is posted, so don't you worry.

 Over the next few days, I'll be updating my progress in each of these key areas, so make sure to check back and see how I'm doing!

 I'll also make sure to post an extract in this time to sweeten the pill for you ;-)

November is coming.

 Ah, November. The month of sad days to mourn the war dead, complaining about how commercialised Christmas is getting and how it seems to start earlier every year and, the month of my birth.

 It's all these things, and more.

 One of the things that happens in November is the National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo.

 It's pretty much what it sounds like, and it has one simple goal:

 Write 50,000 words in 30 days.

 The goal may be simple, but the road is long and hard. So I thought that I'd share some of my preparations for NaNoWriMo with you over the next seven days.

 Our countdown to NaNo starts here, with the 26th of October, so join me as I get ready for the tough ride ahead.