Tuesday, October 30, 2007

NaNoWriMo

In the spirit of Getting On With It, I've decided to sign up to NaNoWriMo, which should be a kick up the backside if nothing else. I'm good with a deadline, but the key is not to edit or polish (something I'm rather good at, to the extent that I've re-written Chapter One so many times it's turned into a different novel) - but just to get the thing out there. 50,000 words is the target. Gulp.
Actually, I'm sure the gutters need de-leafing. The fridge needs a good soaping as well...

What I did today, instead of writing...

...apart from this, of course.

1. Jogged on spot for half an hour in front of TV, for intellectual stimulation and exercise.
2. Baked fairy cakes, for creativity.
3. Ate half of them, for energy. Baked some more for atonement.
4. Hoovered, for hygiene (paying particular attention to cobwebs, and dead flies on windowsill).
5. Walked Molly-dog, for more exercise and thinking time.
6. Put bright lip-stick outside my lip-line, for fun. Photographed myself from a distance, to see what I'd look like with implants (not good - think lovechild of Pete Burns and Hilda Ogden).
7. Took Teen Son to hospital with suspected broken ankle (okay that couldn't be avoided. It was just sprained, luckily).
8. Ate dinner, for sustenance.
9. Read newspaper and three magazines, for inspiration.
10. Watched television, for relaxation.
11. Went to bed, for sleep. (Well, I'm going in a minute).

What is with all this procrastinating? I know I'm not the only one. Bizarrely, I'm worse when I've hit on a good bit for my novel. It's as if I want to savour it, mull it over; marvel at my perspicacity and dry wit and generally delay getting it on-screen - because once that's done it means (cue dramatic music)...the love affair is over. (sob) It's time to move on.

What's your excuse?

Who needs libraries?

I work in a library, if you haven't read my profile ( and why would you - time is precious...sob).

We're undergoing a lot of changes at the moment. Shrinking funds dictate that money is spread over a broader area in order to keep up with our ever-changing social landscape. In other words, we're being dragged, kicking and screaming into the 21st century, via a brand, spanking new, all singing, all dancing computer system. About time, maybe. But why fix what ain't broke, argue the Public.

Why indeed?

Well, like other institutions, libraries are not immune to a spot of re-shaping and if the end result entices more (younger) readers through our hallowed doors, that's a Good Thing. There are a lot of alternative resources out there, not controlled by libraries and if we don't get actively get involved in shaping the coming changes, we'd be cutting our collective noses off to spite our faces.

Of course, we don't want to alienate existing customers. Libraries have long been an integral part of the community and what they'll continue to offer is a public gathering space, local information, and the diversity not necessarily offered by the current "one-size-fits-all" approach of supermarkets, bookstore chains and music/video shops. Hopefully the public will continue to support us.

Arguably, people don't need libraries any more - but it would be hard to imagine a world without them (or is it just me??)