New Projects

I love starting a new project. I've just submitted the last assignments for the semester and have the first draft for a presentation at a job interview prepared so I've begun plotting a new book.

I love the journey, finding out what the characters I have in my head a doing and thinking and feeling is a buzz. This new book is SF again because that's what I love but it's shaping up to be different again from the last three books. The first two were set on the same worlds and had the same characters so they were similar and familiar. The third one has the same race as the first two but a different world and different problems. This one is totally different. So far it's shaping up to be more Science Fiction than the others but that'll probably change as I go through and realise my knowledge of science isn't enough to maintain it all.

I'm constantly amazed that I can pull these things out of my head. Yesterday my mind was blank. Not an idea to be found. This morning I had a beginning scene in my head and that was it. I had absolutely no idea what anyone was going to do. Now I have a planet, pirates, government authorities, missing 'objects of military desirability' (haven't quite worked out what they are yet, but I will), a secret mission and a computer with separation anxiety. My mind is buzzing with ideas.

And all this is for NaNoWriMo. It's a challenge to write 50000 words in thirty days and it starts on Sunday. I know lots of people who've registered so we'll be able to chat and support each other along the way. Now the assignments are done, I'm starting to get really excited.

Eye-hand coordination

I don't have any. Lauren's the same. We drove to Fernvale today (about an hour west) and spent an hour at the tennis courts there. Most of the time there we were running after the ball. About half the shots that should have been easy, we either missed completely or hit with just the edge of our racquets and the ball shot off on a tangent. I think there were only three or four times we actually managed a reasonable volley - 5-6 hits in a row. Of course we didn't bother with any rules. There's not much point when hitting the ball is a challenge in itself, so we had lots of double-bounces and a few returns from under the net, and services from the middle of the court (just to make sure the ball went over the net a few times).

After the 'tennis' we went to the pub and shared a fish-and-chip lunch. And the whole time we talked. We haven't actually seen each other for a couple of weeks, even though we've phoned and emailed. Our words tumbled over themselves, eager to get out. Most of the things we talked about couldn't be considered 'important' but we simply had to share it all.

When we came back home we lounged around and drank tea, dozed and chatted some more. We had the best day.

When Lauren walked into my house this morning, I felt the release. My world was once again in balance; everything that could be right, was. That's the effect she has had on me from the first moment I saw her.

Lauren feels the same, but she's not sure if the feeling is due to me or the fact that I hadn't lost the tennis racquets afterall!