Once More Into the Breach...

Here we go again!

Having finally been shamed into ending my procrastination (thanks to a friend of mine from the UK, Tina M.), I spent most of the morning today working on the first scene in my novel. I've decided to let myself start it off slowly and not berate myself for going back to edit bits---I'm still trying to find the voice---so I've only got about 1000 words (less, honestly) written. However, the plan is to try and finish this first scene/chapter, which I've been banging around in my head for months, and then move on to the write-a-lot-no-matter-how-bad stage for as long as I can stand.

Hopefully, this marks the overcoming of one of the biggest obstacles I always face on any task, which is simply getting the gorram thing started. I have a tendency to overthink projects, which leads to avoidance and delay---but once past those delays, whatever I'm doing tends to flow easily. I have to take a short break to schedule my Masters classes for the fall, but then it's back to the keyboard this afternoon.

Now all I have to do is try and, you know, write a novel. In my slightly off-the-beaten-track victoriana/steampunk/1800s mix, 'deathpunk' style, which may turn out to suck if I'm not careful.

Wish me luck.

Blessed be,
~Nathan

My computer is allergic to Christianity

Ok, I don't normally post this many times in one day, but....well, this is just too good.

As breaks between sessions of writing, I've been watching bits and pieces of The Da Vinci Code. The disc is perfectly clean and free of scratches, but the thing has been stuttering on and off the whole time. And don't look at me like that; I had to see what the story is at SOME point after all that fuss about it.

Finally, though, I'm reaching the end---or, at least, the big reveal. And the main character says, at one point, "Jesus Christ!" (with the exclamation---it gets said before that point without the exclamation).

And the DVD crashes.

Upon reload, that same spot glitches out again. Trying other DVD players, I find that none of them work at all. The whole DVD refuses to play, skipping over one track to the next and bringing me back to the menu. Ok, I think, it's the copy protection and maybe one invisible scratch. I load it up again in the first player and skip a minute of track, hopefully bypassing the error. And it works

20 minutes later, the main character turns to the leading lady and says, "Godspeed!"

Down it goes again, right on cue.

I'm tempted to try other movies to confirm this apparent evidence, but I'm not willing to watch The Passion. Maybe I'll break out the Cadfael DVDs.

Blessed be,
~Nathan