Paul Schiernecker

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  • NaNoWriMo: Day 13.

    Word count: 27,560
    Recommended word count: 21,671
    Proposed word count: 30,000.

    Hi
    Had some major dramas trying to back up my story this morning. I realised that I hadn’t done it in a week and the thought of losing ten thousand words eventually got to me and pushed me into action. It turns out that my antiquated iBook doesn’t appreciate having things jammed in it (not like that you pervert). I was trying to back it up to my external hard drive but it caused the system to run even slower. I got it done though.
    On top of that I also have a review to review before I submit it to Screen Geek and I’m working on something else that is long overdue. I’m lucky I don’t get held accountable when I don’t meet the deadlines I set myself. To be fair I did make the deadline but there’s always more that can be done so I will try and fit that in today.
    I’ve also got to work my actual job.

    It’ll be okay though because Kate is cooking me dinner and I can throw off all my writing shackles and enjoy some time with her this evening.

  • NaNoWriMo: Day 12.

    Word count: 25,204
    Recommended word count: 20,004
    Proposed word count: 27,000

    Morning.
    I am feeling wide awake. I went for a run this morning. It’s the first time I’ve managed that in about a month. I even ate breakfast. Now I’m ready for another day of torturous writing. I’m not enjoying it at the moment which just means that when I come back to redraft it there will be more problems in chapter five/six than in the rest of the body of the novel.
    I’ve carefully persuaded Stacy to read the very first draft to let me know what she makes of it. She reads more books than anyone else I can think of and has an eye for detail. With that safety net I’m just going to power through this thing.
    I don’t like writing being an arduous process. I’m hoping today I will get onto more stable ground. It’s the usual issue of over thinking the whole thing and not being able to see this in context of the rest of the book or the book as a whole. I’m just slamming my head against a wall here though. I’ll just get on with it and keep you updated.

    Peace.

  • Dear Friend

    It’s hard to believe it has been a year. Believe me when I say that not a day goes by where I don’t think of some reason that I would like to be able to contact you. I struggle to think of the amount of times I made an excuse not to hang out or see you and now it almost feels like I wasted a lot of chances and that I could have saved you. I know none of that really matters, and that even if it were the case it is far too late for that now.

    I need to tell you something though. I’ve become so much better and stronger for knowing you, and I carry you in everything I do day on day, and I’m making leaps and bounds, and I’m doing it for the both of us. You empowered a lot of people and I hope you’re looking down and seeing all the things you were able to bring about in your short time on earth. Your time was limited so we could all make the most of what we had and I thank you for that.

    Make sure you keep things lively up there and I’ll keep on trying down here.

    Peace & love.

    Paul.

  • NaNoWriMo: Day 10.

    Word count: 24,330
    Recommended word count: 16,670
    Proposed word count: 26,000

    Last night I went to the Odeon at Panton Street to watch another film that makes up part of the Korean Film Festival. I became aware that I was laughing at the funny bits at different times to everyone else in the room. The reason for this is that I was reading the punch lines and everyone else was hearing them, it was a surreal experience. I’ve got to try and write up my review today, as well as working on my novel, cleaning the house and watching films.

    Oh yeah. I got a promotion at work. On Tuesday I had an interview for a management position and against all of the odds I got it. I’m sort of in shock over it. It’s an amazing opportunity and I’m looking forward to the challenge.

    Right. I need to write.

  • NaNoWriMo: Day 9.

    Word count: 22,129
    Recommended word count: 15,003
    Proposed word count: 24,000

    Good morning. I am dog tired. It’s for a good reason though and I can’t really complain. Last night I was out on a freelance writing assignment. The Korean Film Festival is on in London at present and although I can’t sit here and review the film (because that’s my job) I can tell you that it comes thoroughly recommended. I left my day job at five and then headed across the river and walked to Charing Cross. I then got impressively lost and had to ask a kindly gentleman where the ICA was.

    Rushing inside I gave my name and was informed I was on the guestlist. I don’t think I’ve ever been on a guestlist before but I tried my best not to make it a big thing. I’m a professional. I have shoes and a keen intellect. I will not show myself up. I headed into the darkened cinema screen and after struggling to differentiate people from seats eventually found an aisle seat that wasn’t taken. I sat down.
    It was my first trip to the cinema on my own and I do recommend it even if you do feel a bit self conscious when you catch yourself laughing along with the strangers alongside you that you have given names and personalities to. I also recommend visiting the ICA in general, they have a legacy of excellent exhibits and film programs on as long as you aren’t rushing through.

    As I said I won’t review the film here because I’ve been assigned that as a job but I will say it was a comedy/drama set in the Korean forces in the late 1980’s and that you should keep your eyes on ScreenGeek in the coming weeks for their report on the film festival and reviews of the films shown.

    Now I must return to my day job, but tonight I will head out once more as my super-alter-ego; The Reviewer.

  • NaNoWriMo: Day 8.

    Word count: 20,004
    Recommended word count: 13,336
    Proposed word count: 22,000

    I’ve sort of lost track of what day it is.
    It’s weird but it isn’t the writing which is dragging me in, down, backwards, wherever. It’s trying to do other things. As it goes this week is spectacularly busy compared to my usual rota of thinking.
    Last night I performed with the very talented folks of Laughter Academy in a two hour improvised comedy show. It was a really good night and one that I thoroughly enjoyed once I managed to suppress the urge to just break down and cry onstage. We also raised £68 for The Prince’s Trust who I am currently fundraising for ahead of my trip to the Sahara next year.
    Finishing the show I know it takes about an hour to return to a regular heart rate so told my brother to wait in the car while I caught up with people after the show. An hour later I wandered out into the night and headed home.
    I say it a lot but I feel very fortunate to have met them all, and to be able to share a stage with them.

    Right. Must write. Must stay awake. Must burn.

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    Pre-show tradition: hide in the toilets.

  • NaNoWriMo: Day 7.

    Word count: 18,040
    Recommended word count: 11,669
    Proposed word count: 20,000

    Good morning.
    Didn’t do any writing yesterday. Feel sort of anxious about that despite still being ahead of target. I think I would feel better if I had managed to get a seat on the train this morning and power through but that didn’t happen and now I’m two-strapping for no purpose at all.
    Yesterday I was asked in my interview how long 50,000 words is and I compared it to works by Huxley and Orwell. I don’t think that’s what they were expecting.

    Last night I went to see the Civil Wars with Kate. Oh wait, something before that. Last night I saw the On The Road scroll. For anyone who doesn’t understand the importance of that, in April 1951 Jack Kerouac wrote a novel. He did so in twenty-one days on telegraph paper, taped together and fed into his typewriter. This one hundred and twenty foot document was eventually released (in 1957) and Kerouac shot to fame as the father of a generation that he had grown apart from.
    The scroll itself has changed hands/ownership many times since then and was on hire by the estate of Jan Kerouac, Jack’s only heir. A couple of years ago I saw a documentary on Kerouac and as far as I was concerned the scroll was in the ownership of some millionaire (American) football coach. I assumed I would never see it. To gaze upon it last night was to see the road, spread under glass to be examined, dog-eared and torn and fantastic. I don’t know if it would be the same for everyone but it is worth visiting.

    After our trip to the British Library we went to The Diner in Camden. I had the Reuben, a pastrami sandwich on rye with sauer kraut and horseradish. Kate had a chilli burger. It felt fitting following the scroll.

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    Then onto the Roundhouse for the show. We were too late to see Fossil Collective who opened but The Lumineers were excellent. A five piece new-folk (God/Dylan, please forgive that) group whose track Hey Ho you may be familiar with if you own a television because it is currently on hand in a Nikon advert.

    The Civil Wars took to the stage as humbly as they did prior to the fuss, hype and Grammys and without a word went into the opening track of their set. You could have heard a pin drop. Everyone was absolutely still. This remained the case for most of their set. Despite having to watch sections of songs through iPhone screens it was incredible. The vocal range and control that both parties hold is something I don’t believe I’ve heard live elsewhere. The venue was perfect and the crowd were well behaved and we all stopped to take a minute and appreciate the skill on display and how those songs had touched each of us.

  • NaNoWriMo: Day 6.

    Word count: 18,040
    Recommended word count: 10,002
    Proposed word count: 18,040

    I’m having a day off from writing today which means I woke up at five and wrote a thousand. I have an interview this morning and I’m going to a gig tonight and in between I have work so it doesn’t really leave me any time. I’m about five days ahead as it is, and I need to give Violet a bit of space. You know how women get.
    I’m going to read The Great Gatsby today, possibly the whole thing, that’s what I’m aiming for. This is downtime to me. Is that bad?
    Anyway old sport, must get on.

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  • NaNoWriMo: Day 5.

    Word count: 12,512
    Recommended word count: 8,335
    Proposed word count: 15,000

    Due to unforeseen circumstances (getting distracted watching films) I only managed to write 2,500 words yesterday. Still a pretty good day by my count. Today I’d like to match it. I’m on my way to the station now, to head to work. Some poor unrecognisable bastard will sit next to me on the train and have to deal with my incessant tapping but maybe they’ll become a loyal reader. I should really have business cards for those people. Let them know they don’t have to peak over my shoulder, let them know that there is a whole chest of my writing available if only they would take up the courtesy to ask.

    I realised last night that in four days I have written a quarter of my proposed novel. That’s pretty good going when I remember that it took me the best part of a year to complete my first one. I hope you’re all enjoying the process NaNoWriMoers and I look forward to reading all of your work further down the line

    Much love.

  • NaNoWriMo: Day 4.

    Word count: 10,159
    Recommended word count: 6,668
    Proposed word count: 15,000

    It’s Sunday. I’m in bed. My girlfriend just looked very grumpily at me for daring to sit up and type at nine in the morning. Everything is right in the world.

    Yesterday I managed to get a disgusting amount of work done and today I’m planning on matching it. Going against everything I believed possible as a man I managed to multitask yesterday, watching a documentary I am due to review for a film website as well as working on Visions. While my brain is still ticking over and I’m in the early days of November I would like to try and push myself as hard as possible because I know there’ll be days ahead when I can’t write a paragraph.
    I finished five thousand words yesterday and updated my count on the NaNoWriMo site and its predicted end date for my novel is now November 14th. I then wrote up my piece on the documentary and then got showered and dressed. By this point it was four in the afternoon.

    I then watched Megamind to unwind (hey, that rhymed… And that did too) and then went to a fireworks party at Ali’s. It was so much fun and everyone was on excellent form. It’s nice to get together with Improv people outside of our Thursday slot. I know I’ve said this before but it still holds true. We have our show on Wednesday and that’s obviously going to be on our collective consciousness but we all just enjoyed ourselves.

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Paul Schiernecker

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