It’s going well, and I’m getting very inspired by other participants’ ideas and techniques too – it’s easy to get in to a rut so I’m looking forward to trying out some cool things this month.

All my entries are gathered together on my new Tumblr November War and here on YouTube.

Here’s yesterday’s – a test of the Canon S95′s cool tiltshift effect and of the sturdiness of my Joby Gorillapod – I’m aware of the bumpiness of London roads when I cycle but never more than when I have an expensive camera attached to the handlebars! [watch in HD otherwise it's a bit blocky cos of the speed!]

I was on my way to 123 Studios in Shoreditch to contribute vocals, ukulele, tambourine and marching feet to ex-Slits guitarist/songwriter Viv Albertine‘s new album. It was a pretty wonderful afternoon hanging out with her, Zoe Street Howe and lovely Brett the engineer making noise and drinking tea. The songs I heard are visceral, gutsy patchworks of amazing textures. I can’t wait to hear the finished record! I’m playing a show at the Enterprise with Viv and Catherine AD in January – tickets available soon.

On Tuesday this week I had the privilege of visiting Norwich University College of the Arts to do a presentation on the aesthetic and practicalities of She Makes War, videomaking, portfolio working and my use of social networks to an auditorium full of graphic design students at the She Says Design Symposium. It was a marvellous day out and I was very happy to meet such a bright, switched on bunch of students and tutors.

That was Day 2 of Vlomo10 and there are some photos here, too.

And now I’m off to see the dental hygienist. Owwwwwwwww…..

Here are the lyrics (with links to the things they reference), in case you were wondering what on earth I’m banging on about:

“Give U More”
music by Redroche, lyrics by Laura Kidd + Hal Ritson

One of the signs of the decline in our time
Is that every other line is a dubious rhyme
I need a Scroobius rhyme to inject and infect my mind
Stacking “Back To Black” back to back with “Back In Black”
And the Rat Pack in the rack, mac
I need a gap – rewind, press play and release the jack

I wanna give you more
I wanna give you more
I’m not gonna open my arms to the sunrise
I wanna give you more
I wanna give you more
I’m not gonna take you higher boy

Sharper, stronger, sweeter than before
Brighter, faster, deeper take it all
Sharper, stronger, sweeter than before
I wanna give you, I wanna give you more

Cos I’m a NaNoWriMo dynamo
With my fishnet skates and my Dollymix flow
Just a pillarbox redtop jamming with my beatbox
Rolling on the street with the B-dog
@ w-a-double r-i-o-double r-l tweets
I’m the urban spacegirl baby
Here’s the twist – I do exist

I wanna give you more
I wanna give you more
I’m not gonna open my arms to the sunrise
I wanna give you more
I wanna give you more
I’m not gonna take you higher boy

Sharper, stronger, sweeter than before
Brighter, faster, deeper take it all
Sharper, stronger, sweeter than before
I wanna give you, I wanna give you more

Now it’s time to sing along…all together now…

Never did find out who Bruce Fish was, but that’ll come in the second draft, I’m sure. For now – woooooooooooooo!!!

Thanks to everyone for being so supportive, especially @solobassteve, MasonicBoom and @eph_brinkley. Here’s to next November!

It hasn’t been easy. A few days ago my already bleak-ish story started getting worse, to the point where I felt miserable just thinking about what I was subjecting the characters to. Playing Creator is a lot of responsibility! I really had to step back and assess where the story was going and the tried and tested technique of adding in a love interest completely saved me. Thanks Natasha, I owe it all to you.

Of course, this November had to be just as busy as the rest of my stupidly busy year so far, making it even harder to keep my novel going, but I’m really determined to finish now. After all, I have the weekend to do it…around visiting a lovely new baby, editing videos, seeing a play and oh – eating and sleeping

I’m still uploading the novel chapter by chapter here as I go along, so feel free to take a look. I’ll leave it up for a little while after NaNo is over and then I’ll be considering the possibility of a second draft early next year. Why not!

My super talented photographer friend Dina Karklina helped me plant out a little indoor herb garden last week and, to my non-green-fingered surprise look what I found this morning!

That might be spinach one day, barring accidents.

I’m not usually a fan of November but this month has been great so far. It’s been a time for projects and learning new skills, nurturing, nesting and resting.

How’s your November been?

No Fireworks – She Makes War by warriorgrrl

Of course, when I went to email the link to the track to the blog I saw I’d completely misremembered the words they asked everyone to slip in to the song. Instead of ‘firecracker’ I used ‘firework’ (possibly because I have never said the word ‘firecracker’ in my life) – what a wally.

My song might not meet the criteria for Monitor Mix but I think it will probably end up in the pile of songs to record in December for the album, so hurrah for challenges and thank you Carrie Brownstein for kicking off my last demoing session of 2009. I have a few half finished songs I might actually get around to finishing this week now.

Lagging behind at 12,741 words. Hmph.

Pregnant friend safely out of hospital and boyfriend safely off on tour though, so I should be able to focus more over the weekend and hopefully catch up. Tonight’s writing was nothing special but it’s good to get in to it again.

I have soooo much to do over the next few days…

The target word count for today is 15000, which I probably won’t reach, but I’m enjoying settling in to the world of the novel again and seeing it on a web page makes it all the more real and fun. Please remember this is unedited writing from someone who doesn’t consider themselves a ‘proper’ novelist (yet!) – so do read it in that spirit.

By the way, it’s bloody freezing in my flat at the moment.

With 8597 words tapped out so far this week I am on target despite missing out a day so I could try to banish my bout of flu once and for all with a lot of lovely sleep. My novel currently has seven pivotal characters: Carrie, Dan, Sol, Robin, Daphne, Pamela and Tony. My favourite to write about at the moment is Robin, a sweet and sensitive little seven year old lad who loves reading. It’s sad though because he doesn’t have very nice parents and there’s a lot of darkness in his life. I’m finding Daphne a bit of a drag to write: she’s a slightly psychotic young woman who stalks men and tells people she’s their girlfriend, I think she might get violent later. Sol is her current fixation, an extremely handsome, gentle and athletic man who I think of as my NaNoCandy…I can’t see him but a girl can daydream…

This week I also started a course of dressmaking classes at costumier Prangsta. Their shop in New Cross is amazing: think burlesque circus princess and you’re halfway there. I’m hoping to learn how to make a few garments resembling their gorgeous creations and have been inspired already by my classmates who are making incredible things including frock coats, flowing gowns and an all-in-one mouse outfit with a woollen hood! I’m going to have to think up something really great…watch this space for fabulous new stagewear!

Though I took part in NaNoWriMo last year I didn’t complete the 50,000 target due to various overambitious slip ups – I can miss a day or two, or three, I’ll catch up!…um, yeah – and was determined to give it another go in 2009. I was hoping to be less busy so I’d have more time to concentrate on writing something decent, but that hasn’t happened and as I’m of the Chris Baty (NaNo founder) mindset that busy people are better able to write 50,000 words in 30 days than people with time on their hands (because we’re already good at juggling so many things and we have less time to procrastinate. Which is why I’m writing a blog post…yep) I’m doing it anyway. I’m excited!

I got a cheeky headstart last night just after midnight when I managed 1231 words which, to my surprise, were not complete and utter drivel. I did accidentally create seven characters though, which could work for or against me. For: there are seven people to write about which means I shouldn’t get stuck for action. Against: weaving seven stories in to a cohesive whole probably isn’t very easy.

Anyway, the novel is called “Who Is Bruce Fish”, the idea for which comes from seeing someone holding up a sign for BRUCE FISH when I landed at Heathrow recently from somewhere or other. I thought it was an excellent name and have stolen it, da-daaah!

Now I’m going out to watch Ruby Wax do a ‘sermon’ on the ego, pop in to the British Museum to check out the Day of the Dead celebrations and hopefully go and experience Mutate Britain. Then more novelling.

If you’re NaNo-ing too make sure you add me so we can share the pain of the next thirty days!