[Gossamer's Scrapbook] The Ethereal Canyon I

[Taylani]

Really Wrenmae, be realistic. Mountain squirrels are totally anti-social. They would never teach you their ways, it had to be those ocean squirrels your thinking of...*yes..I did just make a spongebob reference...>.>*

[Wrenmae]

HA!

*Disturbs everyone around his cubicle*

[Quint Caravel]

I admit it was reading this that made me decide to come here:

"This is not a world where a wild animal is going to be your best buddy or your pet. It's just not going to happen."

I personally feel very, very inspired by this sentiment. And not in a bad way. I'm not going to figure out how to become a Ranger or whatever. I actually feel that I will personally be a better writer with this constraint.

I have spent too much time with characters who had familiars and pets and whatever. Going solo will be outside my comfort zone and will make me a better writer and role-player.

[Gossamer]

. Fourth Week Of The Fourth Period. Otherwise known as death by boredom. Thank the gods for NaNo. If it wasn't NaNo I'd be dying. Literally. Of boredom. Its the fourth week of the fourth period at work and yesterday, I swear, we had ZERO trailers to put in and work. We were sitting in our goats all night, doing absolutely nothing, waiting for something to happen. All the trailers in the yard got straightened up. All the bailers got worked. All the Common Carriers got arranged in alphabetical and type order. It was dull dull dull. If I hadn't been missing so much work lately for mom related stuff, I'd have wandered on home. So I only had one thing to do... yup. Word Bomb. I love these things. I can be lazy for days in a row, then kick it up and crank it out and slap one on the site. I just have one goal at this point, and its in competition with myself. I kinda laugh at all you folks that want to compete with others. What for? And that fun ends on the 8th of this month, so after that we'll re-evaluate whats going on and if NaNo will continue for me. Work will pick up considerably after that as well. First weeks of the first periods traditionally blow in terms of being hellishly busy. There's no way I can sit and crank out words when I'm following that kind of schedule. So here's some fun stuff I posted on facebook last night. Yup hard at work doing a word bomb session for myself. I wonder why there isn't a campaign against NaNoing and driving like there is one against texting and driving. It's coming. Mark my words! .

[Ball]

Jen... I love you. Yer ability to write, drive, and admin this site rocks my socks.

[Celeste Arumen]

Friends don't let friends NaNo and drive!

[Gossamer]

. Congratulations You've all but ruined this site for me. Well, NaNo this year will go down in my mind as the biggest jerkfest of all. Gillar says I can't use that word because it means something completely different, but what else do you call a bunch of assholes with egos being jerks gathering all together to unleash uber their egos all in one place almost in celebration? Yea. It's a festival of jerks. I have never experienced a more disappointing show of people being jerks to one another as I have this November. It started when a player sent me a heckling AIM out of the blue about how they were kicking my ass at NaNo and were going to continue to do so because that was their whole goal this November. Huh? Really? Well, sorry but I had a house guest and was busy doing other things like Samhain and didn't have time to devote to NaNo or at least showing them what I could really do. I think I already proved that to myself last year when Eridanus gave me a run for my money. Then... we have moderators encouraging competitions in their cities and then sending their players pms telling them that they are demonstrating too much competitiveness that seems unhealthy. Really? Duh. What the fuck is wrong with you people? This is going out to players and storytellers alike. You don't do NaNo for other people. You do NaNo to prove stuff to yourself, to better your PC, to have fun, and to keep in the spirit of writing. If you are doing it for ANY OTHER REASON THAN THAT you need your head examined. Sure, that's my opinion, but it also should be the truth of things. You all disgust me. I haven't heard so much trash talk, bickering, guilt, whining, crying, moaning, and general unsportsmanlike behavior in my entire life. Who the hell are you people that you get some sort of kick out of life belittling others and cream-pieing them over something so silly as a word count. Where is the beautiful community we had last year where everyone was cheering everyone on and a whole lot of positive vibes were flying around to get things done? This sickens me. It really does. We have players targeting other players, beating them down verbally and in threads, and especially in AIM. Probably in chat too, but I haven't been there. If you are part of the problem, you'd best stop it right now. If you are one of those mods offering incentives for players to post, don't make those incentives for the best or the top, make them so that everyone can get rewarded if they try. This is getting so ridiculous that I haven't been able to physically stomach even thinking about writing for NaNo for three days because of how horrible the atmosphere on this site is. Sure, I'll finish. Its an easy goal, one I set for myself, but man you folks should take a step back and look at yourselves and see how you've been acting. Do you really like yourselves like this? I've seen one mod already apologize in her Scrap for being an ass - as she should have - but where's the rest of you coming to your senses? And are you really going to change after an apology if we ever get one? Do you really understand how you are coming across and how others are now seeing you? We have everyone tracked in NaNo and some people are doing fantastic and some people are doing very poorly... but don't heckle the people who have things going on in their real lives. Seriously. NaNo is for FUN. We are all supposed to be creative and inspired to write. But this... this is something altogether rotten. If it doesn't change, I promise this will be the last NaNo I will be involved in on the site... I will not support this kind of behavior ever again. .

[Taylani]

*hugs* Jen. Nano is suppose to inspire people to write. Not be a time to tear down people and discourage them to write. Your 100% correct.

[Gossamer]

. One More Little Note I should have said this in the previous scrap. But If I hear one more word about the person leading the fray in NaNo being just a stay at home mom I'm going to scream and probably boot your ass off chat/site/block you on AIM. You know, comments like... "We're getting our butts kicked by a stay at home mom that has nothing more to do than sit around eating bon bons and watching soap operas on TV..." I'll probably tear you a new one. And yes I keep hearing that. That is a horrible stereotype and frankly so untrue. Most of the people I know who are stay at home moms do so at the sacrifice of their careers so that their kids aren't raised in a daycare and actually acquire good values. They are some of the most self-sacrificing people I know. And rarely do they do things for themselves, but are normally givers and givers and givers. .

[Valerius Nitrozian]

I’ve noticed that as well, Gossamer. Rather than displaying such an attitude, people should encourage each other and help each other. At least for me NaNo is not about the word count. It’s about having fun. I started a day late, I’m still 2.000 words behind and may not reach 50.000 words, but I’m enjoying myself immensely. I’ve gotten to know Valerius so much better these past couple of days and finally know which direction his life might be taking. For me NaNo is about discovering new things about my PC. As for you, Gossamer, you shouldn’t let a couple of idiots ruin the site for you. There are so many wonderful things about Mizahar and so many wonderful people playing it.