Note from Gary

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Heya folks! Happy Halloween/Happy New Year to those of you celebrating Samhain! ;)

I just wanted to poke my head in, say hello, and find out what you are working on at the moment. So, what is it?

There are more “Work Shops” on the way, and it should be clear that the final Idol season will not be starting in October! : )

But it will be coming!

I just thought that we could all use a break in between seasons. At the very least, I clearly needed one! The hope is that the final season will be the best season, and I’m using the time to tweak a few things. What I have so far is pretty exciting, at least from this end, I hope that once it meets you, that will be translate into something amazing for you as well!

The Idol Store is open for all of your pre-Christmas shopping needs. Just click the link on the sidebar! (and keep letting me know as your projects are published, so that I can add them!)

We are also still accepting donations to help pay for the internet that will make Season 9 possible! Again, there are donation buttons on the sidebar and on the front page!

Since we are discussing what writing folks are up to these days - If you feel like making with the clickies, you can go to http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/1655540/gary_dreslinski.html and click on some of the links there to the Survivor episode recaps/cast analysis pieces that I have been doing!

Thank you for your patience and continued support!

Comments

[n3m3sis42.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty happy for the break, personally. :D

I've been writing my butt off since Idol ended. Maaaaaybe about halfway through making a book based on the Cliffton stories I started writing during Idol. The stories are, um, different now from how they were during Idol. But apparently I'm still writing them. A lot of them. Hahaha.

Miss y'all! Hoping I will get this book ready for beta and edits by the end of November. That's my fake!NaNo project. Wish me luck.

[n3m3sis42.livejournal.com]

Oh, and:

[theun4givables.livejournal.com]

Currently working on too many things but starting tomorrow I'm working on Gray Morning and nothing else. Nothing. Else. I am going to finish that stupid thing. I am going to finish it good and I'm going to get at least 70k words out of it if my life depends on it.

Of course, my actual NaNoWriMo goal is 90k and not 70k but we'll see if that book will actually be that long. ;) I have the most direction with all of my books so I want to finally finish it and save the editing process for later. :D

[n3m3sis42.livejournal.com]

We can edit together! It'll be awesome. :D

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

Hi all! Projects? What projects? Can you say slump? But I can look at this in a positive light and say that I'm giving my brain a rest before the next Idol season! Does that work? Grin.

I hope all are well. Life here is good. We survived the superstorm without a scratch. I got 2 days off from work which was a plus!

See everyone soon!

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

LOL -- that makes two of us!

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

What am I working on?

Since becoming unemployed a few weeks ago, I have focused a lot on writing. I have a few super seekrit projects in the works that I can't discuss too much and likely they are going to be under a pen name anyway, soooo....

I have a few other items in my head that will be more public. I will be playing NaNo and would like to turn that into something publishable. I am entering a few contests here and there, plan to do more. I am expanding a few Idol ideas into novels or contest entries as well.

Most of my new writing at the moment falls into the super seekrit category though. It's something I will be paid for and since I need income, it's been the focus as of lately.

Right now, I'm not thinking of myself as unemployed, just as someone switching careers and focusing on trying to make writing be more than a hobby. Maybe find ways to make it pay some bills!

[alien-writings.livejournal.com]

Good luck with all your super seekrit stuffs!

[alien-writings.livejournal.com]

Hi, writing journal of alien_infinity here. Like theun4givables, I've been working on too many things. My brain keeps generating universes!

I'm doing NaNo, and it should be both awesome and ridiculous. My idea started as a smutty short story that grew into a longer (still smutty!) short story I plan to submit to an anthology after edits. Then it grew into my (still smutty!) NaNo idea, insisting to me that it be my NaNo novel over older, more-established ideas. It was weird; the idea just took over my brain and grew way beyond its origins. Let's hope the compulsion I felt to write it means I can win NaNo with it. :)

[n3m3sis42.livejournal.com]

Your NaNo is going to be amazing! :D

[whipchick.livejournal.com]

I'm doing NaNo and welcome anyone who wants to be a buddy! I'm "whipchick" over there, too.

[theun4givables.livejournal.com]

I'll go ahead and add you over there. :) I'm ArmAndLeg over there.

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

I'm really glad Idol is on break (hopefully) through November.

I've done a pretty good job of continuing writing after Idol, except for the past couple of weeks, but I consider that a necessary pre-nano break.

I'll be working on a murder mystery called "Ruby's Girl." (Elsie Brown Morgan is surprised to inherit a house and several acres of land from her late mother's lesbian partner, especially since she hasn't seen or heard from her mother in thirty years. She's even more surprised a few weeks after moving in to find a dead stranger in her new home.)

I have a couple other book ideas in my head, though, and I won't be surprised if one of them breaks through and demands to be written before the end of the month.

All this, and I almost have to finish early, because the new Harry Dresden book is released November 27, and I must. read. it. now!

[i-am-an-angel.livejournal.com]

I feel like I should be more active here. I just joined at the end of last season, and hope to participate in the next one.

Reading the comments now, I'm feeling a bit intimidated. It's been years since I wrote, and completed something. I used to love writing and had visions of writing novels. Yeah, I lack a bit of discipline, and talent, but I'm going to try. I am looking forward to read all the amazing entries.

[theun4givables.livejournal.com]

Welcome! We like new people around here. :) They always bring something shiny to the discussions. <3

Don't feel intimidated! We're all a bunch of normal people living normal lives and trying to get some writing done while we can. :) I can relate to not having finished something -- I'm a chronic rewriter and will rewrite things over and over again. I really need to stop doing that. xD

And don't say you lack talent. ;) I'm looking forward to seeing the work you bring to the table when season 9 starts. :)

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

I'm enjoying not working on anything at the moment, although I have done some editing / beta bits here and there.

If any of you overenthusiastic NaNo folks want some editing assistance afterwards, let me know and I'll do what I can to help out as long as I get an editorial credit somewhere and maybe some cookies, *wink*.

Also, I got a fancy new userhead! *preens*

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

I will keep you in mind.

In fact, I may have to ask for your services soon on other stuff too. Editing credit would be given. Cookies could possibly happen too....

[imafarmgirl.livejournal.com]

I'm not writing much for fun. I've been working on a research proposal off and on for school.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Is there any interest in a semi-official Idol NaNo series of threads?

[theun4givables.livejournal.com]

I know I would be interested in this. ;)

[ashgaelsonaria.livejournal.com]

Well, I am working on a collection of loosely connected Zombie stories that I will publish threw amazon.com under the title of Something Zombie This Way Comes. Yes the title is a tribute to Ray Bradbury and while it would likely make more sense to call it the Zombie Chronicles I have never cared much for that particular Bradbury book so I am using my personal favorite Bradbury book for the twisted title.
That and getting disability. I had lung function tests exsactly two weeks ago (lung volume looked to be about 4.67l) which I found depressing and saw a psychiatric docter last Friday. Now I get to wait more.
oh and the beginning of the story I'm working on is posted in my lj just below a poem post that is most recent.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Chasing beeeees across Australia!

[unmowngrass.livejournal.com]

I am apparently crazy, and have signed up for NaNo. Five minutes to midnight my time; is it more important to get a good night's sleep to begin, or to actually have some words down as soon as possible?

In other news, I am writing a cookbook, by which I mean I have written one recipe down in note form, and created a labelled folder within Evernote, and will keep adding to it -- and inventing in the kitchen, probably with some fairly epic disasters along the way, but isn't that how we learn? -- and in maybe three years when I have a decent collection, and have made the same ones several times to tweak it, I might head in the direction of "actual book."

[drjeff.livejournal.com]

I'm working on working! I have a new job, and I love it, and the transition has been pretty much what I've been up to.

Soon, oh so soon, I will get back to writing my therapy guide book and getting it DONE and OUT THERE.

And then, who knows? Maybe I'll just drink margaritas and cheer everyone else on.

[lilycobalt.livejournal.com]

Add me to the list of Idolers doing NaNo. I didn't expect to do it, but about a week ago, I realized that I couldn't stop thinking of it. It's the perfect way for me to defeat the internal editor. The internal editor suppresses large chunks of my writing at the best of times, but October was so emotionally taxing for me that it significantly inhibited my desire to write. NaNo will hold me accountable for writing and keep the internal editor at bay.

I'm lilycobalt on the site as well. Poke me if you want to do word wards, dares, progress check-ins, et cetera! My project is called The Leeching, in which I expand upon the Miranda stories from last season. How did she fall under the evil spirit's spell? How long did it last? What happens after she recovers her soul from the spirit?

I also hope that the final season of Idol will be the best season. Even though I've had a long break, I don't know if I'm ready for it yet. But when it comes, I'll meet the challenge to the best of my ability and have a great time while doing so.

I haven't watched Survivor this season, but what is with celebrities pretending they're not famous? Somebody always knows!

[worldofcharlie.livejournal.com]

*waves* we've been working so I don't spend much time on Love Journal (or DW) nowadays

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

I'm enjoying still having a break, and I didn't even play last season ;)

My current projects. Well, I still have the novel to edit. Occasionally I have the opportunity to do some networking and/or promotion for it, which I hope will be good when it actually comes time to release it. Last night that meant going to TGI Friday's as my main character. Photos! (http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.423370501062439.119360.224456724287152&type=1&l=ab7597a140)

Though I'm taking a break from my editing at the moment so I can try and get to my backlog of travel blog posts, which I post to my public blog (http://dominica.malcolm.id.au). I got the post about my trip to South Korea out of the way this week, if anyone's interested in having a read. I include photos in said blog posts these days, so hopefully that makes them more interesting. :)

[ellakite.livejournal.com]

I'm working on having a nervous breakdown.

I have a roof over my head, but it's not mine.

I love and respect my family, and am grateful that they've taken me in during my time of need... but DAMMIT I WANT TO GO HOME!

[bonnie-rocks.livejournal.com]

Oh, right, it's November.

Frankenstorm Sandy threw any Nanowrimo plans out the window (though I don't think I was seriously considering it this year regardless).

~*::Meow::*~