Well, I haven't posted in a while. NaNoWriMo started out good for me.... I think. I wrote everyday, hitting the minimum word count at the least, but most times exceeding it by at least 300 words easy. I did this for a week and a half, but with everything else I had to do, like work, homework, and just some time to relaxe, writing those words had me up to 2:00Am in the morning everyday. I couldn't handle it. I fell asleep in class, I was losing energy for sport performance. So I said, I'll write everyday, but I won't write that much. So now I write almost everyday around 400 words or so a day. I can do that, and it doesn't kill me at all. I am 37,000 words, but I didn't die getting them.
I have been getting into drawing people and stuff. I have an idea for some of my short stories that I know won't have a chance at publication without some serious work overs. So I thought if I get good a drawing I might try turning them into comic books. Don't know how well it will turn out, but it would probably be fun.
Well, better get going guys. Happy writing.

Well, the story seems to come along nicely. I have trapped my inner editor so he can't bother me while I write, though I still try preventing mistakes as naturally should happen. I am currently at 11229 words. I want to figure out how to put a Work In Progress bar on my page. I'll have to read up on it, unless one of you good people reading my blog have any idea on how to do it.
My main character, Carl, has just stolen a wolf pup from a pack of wolfs for his trainer George and gets back with the pup just in time to start whacking crazy worms that could bite his head of in one chomp.
I am really liking how the story is coming along. Well, I better get my word count in.

Well, it's been a few days into NaNoWriMo. My story is coming along great. I'll finally give you a brief summary about what it is about. A man and his friend are rock climbing. His friend falls off the mountain and into a deep hole. He dies, but the main character goes into this hole and can't find his friend, but finds a weird sheild and spear ornament. He touches it and is teleported into a world created by the ancient antlanteans before Noahs flood destroyed them. The Antlanteans are the only magic people on earth and the last of them are in this world. So his adventures happen in this world.

Here is an exerpt from the story. I thought it to be a little funny and a good introduction to how the world of Greywoods will be:

Carl looked a George. “So this is what you call rabbit hunting huh. I think you have a messed up mind man. We are not hunting, we are the hunted, and usually the hunters aren't suppose to be fricken giant bunny rabbits!” Carl had begun to yell near the end.

George looked at him with a big toothy grin through his white beard. “Welcome to Greywoods Carl.”

Hope you all like it.

Oh ya, oh ya. I'll be going to my first ever writing event. At first my boss said he needed me to milk cows at the time the event was because he and his wife had bought tickets to go to a concert, but he got the date mixed up. He thought I meant friday night I needed off, but really I needed saturday night. So after this was figured out, I now can go. It is the Fabulous Kick-Off Party for NaNoWriMo for the Edmonton Wrimo's- thats writers doing NaNo in Edmonton, Alberta. Can't wait, should be fun.

Yay, October is here.

And everyone knows that mean the signups have started for Nation Novel Writing Month 2006 (NaNoWriMo 2006). I signed up October 2nd and met a group of people from my area of Edmonton Alberta. They have a chatting server up but everytime I log into it, there is nobody there. Either I am doing something wrong, or nobodies on. It doesn't matter really. When it comes down to it I'll probably be doing more writing in November then actual chatting. They also host little group events during November, so I would like to go to at least one of those. It will be my first writer get together. I think it should be pretty cool.

My friend and I are working on some ideas for NaNo 2006 and I think they are really coming along. Still can't release anything yet as it is still to new to announce. I should be able to announce them nearing the end of October.

Well it's getting late, but there is an update.

Hey guys. Its been a while sense I've posted. I have been busy with school and work. But as an update, I have been working on my writing course, and for all of you interested in "The Prairie Fire", well "Realms Of Fantasy" didn't take it. They are pretty professionals, so I might try a magazine more suited for new writers. Also, if you guys have not heard of Critters, you should check it out.

It is an awsome site that deals with critiqueing Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, or a mix of all those. It is a really good site that makes sure everyone who participates actually is critiqueing others before their work gets critiqued. I want to send "The Prairie Fire" there and hopefully get some well contructed advice and opinions of my story. You can find the critters website at http://www.critters.org/.

I also need to get some samples from some fantasy magazines. My instructor from the Institute of Children's Literatuer (ICL) really wants me to get sample magazines. So I need to send of for some of those too.

I can't wait until NaNoWriMo. It is National Novel Writing Month in November, and this will be my first year. Hopefully I can do it. I plan on doing it. I will release more info on the story I am thinking of doing later.

I can tell you I was initially planning on doing a story about a girl in a boarding school during WW2 when they are forced to escape from it after being taken over by Nazi Soldiers. Don't
get me wrong, I like Historic Fiction- maybe not as much as fantasy but I like it. I do not however like searching through tonnes of textbooks, websites, and other articles of information to find nothing that I find relative to the specific topic of my story.

Thats what happened when I searched for information about boarding schools in Europe during WW2. Maybe I didn't look hard enough, maybe there are crap loads worth of info out there, but I really would rather make a fantasy world where the rules are my own, and the world is my own, where I can let my soul pour out into my own fantasy characters.

Maybe it sounds greedy, but I do not consider myself a very greedy person (Mabey I am but nobody has told me I am), I have to get my greed in somewhere.

So ya, if it is a hint, my story is another fantasy. I thought it might help my creative spark so when I am done I'll work full force on "The Thorn Prince". I still feel when I write that something is being forced, so I will try another story.

I was talking to some other writers at Forward Motion Writing Group and lots of them said that you won't complete your first novel until a few novel starts. They said with each new novel you start, you will get farther into it then you did with the last. So though I have like thirty some pages outline notes and countless diagrams, maps, and such on "The Thorn Prince" maybe it is that first novel that will let me get farther on the next. Hopefully I will finish it one day, because I really like the story idea, but right now I think it is best to write on. Oh if anybody is interested Forward Motion Writing Group can be found at http://fmwriters.com/community/. It is a great place and I recommend it all to everyone. Also the owner of FM also is an editor of a great ezine called "Vision: A Resource For Writers". You can find that magazine at http://www.lazette.net/Vision/ It is a great magazine with lots of writing and marketing tips. I recommend it to anyone.

Oh, and I am glad to announce that Holly Lisle has another great writers book in her store called "Vision: The Writing Workshop". Holly Lisle has many great books in her store, and I recommend them all. She is also working on the "Create a Culture Clinic" Which I can't wait to come out. I was so excited when the "Create A Language Clinic" came out. I jumped right into it and had great fun.

Holly's store can be found at http://shop.hollylisle.com/ and her website can be found at
http://www.hollylisle.com/. I recommend these to sights with great intent and hope you all visit them. Holly really has helped me in my own writing with her great writing tips and her writing journal which inspires me everytime I read it.

I found a really cool keyboard that I think will dramatically decrease the chance of repetative stress relate injuries (RSRI) in the wrist. It also has been known to eliminate the effects of RSRI's in the wrists of people who allready have experienced them. The keyboard is called the Safetype keyboard. It looks a little weird with the keys actually facing vertical- up and down- rather then flat. You can read about it at this website http://www.safetype.com/, and also for Americans, you can buy it there. If you are Canadian, you can order it at http://www.ergocanada.com, and if you are European, you can order it at http://www.ergotype.nl/. The prices ranges differently depending on which country you are from. For Americans it costs $295.00 brandnew and $179.00 refurbished. For Europeans it costs € 299,-. And for Canadians, which is me, it will cost $360.00. All in all said, I will have to safe up a bit before I give it a try, and it is moneyback within 30 days if you do not like it, so I think I'll give it a try. I am sure I'll like it to. I allready see a difference in just holding my hands in the position they would be on the safetype.

Well I need to get to bed. Right now in Edmonton it is 1:25 am, and I have to work early tommorrow on the dairy farm, so I really need some sleep. We'll probably be working in the shop, or out flattening corn for the cattle, or something like that.

So I bid you goodnight, and remember, if you never stop trying, you will succeed in your writing.

Cuyler Callahan

I am getting published. My short story called "Halrak's Mission" is being published in issue 24 of "Swords Edge" magazine. Yay, my first published story. I don't get payed but it gets my name out there. I am so excited.