Writing on jverkamp.com

NaNoWriMo 2019 - The Twilight Between the Stars

Mon, 25 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000

I’m still doing it! Just not posting as much about it.

This time around, I’m writing sci-fi/cosmic horror, roughly based on a half remembered book I last read more then 15 years ago. Good times, no? Once this is all said and done, I’m going to have to go back and take a look to see how far I diverged.

NaNoWriMo 2018 - Special Collections

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

It started with an idea from an annotation on the Darths and Droids webcomic of all things:

A mysterious figure drops an overdue book in the library’s after-hours returns slot. Long overdue. 90 years overdue. It’s a book about the occult, and contains incantations and recipes for drastically extending life. The borrower’s last known address is that old “haunted” house on the hill outside town. Someone need to go investigate to recover the overdue fees…

Take a few hours outlining by hand (which I never used to do, but am starting to see the value of) and a month of crazy nights…

NaNoWriMo 2017--Oof

Thu, 30 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Well. I made it.

NaNoWriMo 2017

Wed, 01 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Magical number 7.

My goal is to write 2,500 words again this year, but with two kids (1 and 3) running around, time is somewhat lacking…

NaNoWriMo 2016: El fin

Wed, 30 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

I feel like I’ve written myself into a corner, but I made it to 50k!

NaNoWriMo 2016

Tue, 01 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Sixth time’s a charm?

So far, I’ve done and won NaNoWri every year since 2011. Can’t stop now.

Let’s see if we can keep over the 1,667 word per day minimum again.

NaNoWriMo 2015 Winner!

Tue, 24 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This time around my goal was 2500 words per day.

NaNoWriMo 2015

Thu, 05 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Last year I had a two week old; this year, I have a one year old. I’m honestly not sure yet which is more distracting!

This year, I’ve been going for 2500 words per day (I know). It’s an intense pace, but I’ve done it so far. And, if all goes well, I’ll be done before Thanksgiving. Of course, I won’t actually stop then…

Writing Excuses 10.8: The Market - Planning

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Writing Excuses 10.8 writing prompt: Sketch out the events before and after your dead-drop scene from last week and three weeks ago.

What is in the packages?

Black powder mixed with something that will create lots of smoke. It’s an attack on the temple. When the packages are put into the flames (unopened, as is tradition), they will burn through and explode. As small as they are, it won’t actually cause much damage, but that’s not the point. Rather the point is to create confusion (especially with the smoke) so another agent can sneak into the temple and steal something.

Writing Excuses 10.7: The Market - Johanas

Mon, 28 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Writing Excuses 10.7 writing prompt: Pick one of the dead-drop characters from the exercise two weeks ago, and turn them into a secondary character. Now take one of the characters with whom they interacted, and write the same scene again, but from this new character’s POV.

My master is not always the brightest of men.

Not in all regards, not in all things.

But he paid for my mother’s transition, when there was no pressing need that he do such a thing. So far as I can tell, he didn’t even know what he was paying for.

And for that, I shall be eternally grateful.

Writing Excuses 10.6: Second Place

Fri, 11 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Writing Excuses 10.6 writing prompt: Think about the last time you lost at a game. What was the process of thought that led to your loss? Now, replicate that moment in the dramatic structure of the story, except the story isn’t about games.

The almost. The not quite. The second place.

All words to describe a feeling. A state of mind. That of not quite making it, when you knew in your heart of hearts that you should.

And what makes it even worse: it should have been me.

I should have been the one to make the run.

Writing Excuses 10.5: The Market - Noble

Mon, 07 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Writing Excuses 10.5 writing prompt: Take three different characters and walk them through a scene. Convey their emotional states, their jobs, and their hobbies without directly stating any of those. The scene in question: walking through a marketplace, and they need to do a dead-drop.

The market is not a place in which I usually find myself.

It is noisy and rife with chaos, the throngs pressing into one another all along the way.

Yet today I find myself in unusual circumstances, descending into those very same masses.

Writing Excuses 10.5: The Market - Orphan

Sat, 05 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

The man that gave me the box wasn’t a very good man. He was tall and skinny and he smelled. But he gave me a shiny silver penny and said that if I took this box to the other end of the market and came back, he could would give me another.

Two shiny silver pennies?

All for taking a stupid little box across the street.

The market is busy. Busy means pockets and pockets mean pennies and pennies mean dinner.

Writing Excuses 10.5: The Market - Golem

Fri, 04 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

I didn’t last nearly as long as I’d hoped with the Writing Excuses prompts. Let’s see if I can’t catch up…

There are certain advantages that come with being dead. When walking down the street, people tend to give you a wide berth.

People don’t want to be reminded of their own mortality.

People don’t want to be reminded that death is no longer the end.

My target was on the other end of the marketplace, on the front steps of the temple to Acbris, God of the Sun. Ironic, all things considered.

Writing Excuses 10.4: Interviews

Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Writing Excuses 10.4: Q&A on Ideas writing prompt: Take one of the ideas you’re excited about, and then audition five different characters for the lead role in that story. Make sure they’re all different from each other.

“So what brings you all of the way out here?”

The man on the other side of the table blinked. That was all the more reaction he showed, but it was more than I had seen since he’d entered the building.

Writing Excuses 10.3: Watching the end of the world

Mon, 02 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Writing Excuses 10.3 writing prompt: Take a character, and from that character’s point of view, describe their reaction to something horrific and awful, but do so without describing the thing itself.

The old man watched the world end. He knew that he should have been bothered by this, he knew that he should have cared. But he was two wars and uncountable battles beyond caring. When he had been a younger man, something such as this would have mattered, would have gotten a rise out of him. Heck, that was the reason he had gone to battle in the first place wasn’t it? The first Great Incursion?

Writing Excuses 10.2: Combine and grow

Wed, 21 Jan 2015 00:05:00 +0000

Inspired by the Writing Excuses podcast 10.2: I Have an Idea; What Do I Do Now?

Writing Prompt: Using last week’s five story ideas (or five new ones):

Take two of them and combine them into one story
Take one and change the genre underneath it
Take one and change the ages and genders of everybody you had in mind for it
Take the last one and have a character make the opposite choice

Writing Excuses 10.1: Five story ideas

Wed, 14 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Inspired by the Writing Excuses podcast 10.1: Seriously, Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

Writing Prompt: Write down five different story ideas in 150 words or less. Generate these ideas from these five sources.

From an interview or conversation you’ve had
From research you’ve done (reading science news, military history, etc)
From observation (go for a walk!)
From a piece of media (watch a movie)
From a piece of music (with or without lyrics)

NaNoWriMo 2014 Winner!

Sun, 30 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Just under the wire this year.

NaNoWriMo 2014 Update

Wed, 12 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +0000

They say a picture is worth a thousand words¹:

NaNoWriMo 2014

Tue, 04 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Yup. Even with a new baby around, I’m mad enough to do it.

So far I’ve been keeping up 2000 words per day, but I’m already starting to feel a drag. It just feels like the same sort of story I’ve written before… We’ll see in the next day or two if I try to reboot or just go with it.

I haven’t yet decided if I’m going to publish them online this year. It’s good motivation and I know at least a few of you out there read it. We’ll see. If I do, it won’t be daily, but rather after finishing each chapter. So every 2-4 days?

NaNoWriMo 2013 - Whee!

Tue, 26 Nov 2013 14:00:19 +0000

Five days ahead of time and I’ve just finished my 50,000 words for the month!

Observers on Cydonia

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:00:55 +0000

They came without warning.

After so many years of finding nothing, the scientists had given up hope of ever finding life on Mars. Despite all of the probes, all of the rovers, Mars seemed destined to remain a dead planet.

Spirit had been silent for years and it seemed that Opportunity would so follow on in its sister’s wake. Curiosity soldiered onward, drilling and lasering its way across the dusty ground.

Each week it seemed, there was some new discovery; compounds from meteorites that revealed how the early solar system had come to be, ancient rocks that could only have been shaped by flowing water, deep in the red planet’s shadowed path.

But never the Holy Grail, the one thing everyone wished for, even if they could no long admit to it in public.

Never signs of life.

Never the slightest hint that Earth may not have been unique in the universe.

All good things...

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 14:00:41 +0000

…must eventually come to an end.

Well, at least I hope that this qualifies as a good thing. It’s the end either way. 😄

Yatta!

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 04:55:01 +0000

50,000 words in 30 days. Sounds crazy (and it totally is), but I did it! Whee!

And so it ends

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:30:28 +0000

And just like that, it was done. That’s the last chapter of A Sea of Stars. I’m not perfectly happy with it–I know that I’m not so great at endings. But I think it works out well enough. And looking back on A Sea of Stars, I can see how much more solid my writing has gotten in the months since I finished it. If I were to go back to it now, it might be an entirely different story. We’ll see how much of that comes through when I edit it.

NaNoWriMo 2012

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 05:05:10 +0000

It’s November and you know what that means… National Novel Writing Month! Okay, so maybe you didn’t know that, but now you do. 😄

Starfall

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 14:00:45 +0000

Lying on my back, looking up into the night sky, I could feel the most curious sensation of being pulled up into the night sky, being pulled away from they very Earth on which I lay. I reached out with arms and bare feet, grabbing onto the soil with fingers and toes, determined to remain firmly grounded, firmly of this Earth. The attraction grew, I could feel my body lifting away, pulling against my four firm points of contact, fighting against myself for what little hold I still had.

Popocatepetl Rising

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 14:00:13 +0000

With both the Cloak and the Mask, the curator jumped into the final spot of the Pentagram. Immediately everyone could feel a thrum of force as the circle began to close. Dancing blue flames spread from the bodies lying at the other four points around the circle and over the cross lines.

A fierce wind suddenly blew across the top of the building, bringing with it a rumble of thunder. Luckily, it seemed to be further away. Another lightning strike to the roof was not something anyone wanted.

Raising her masked face to the sky, the curator began chanting in a strange tongue. Based on the artifacts she was wearing, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say it sounded distinctly Central American.

Drawing to a high point in her chant, she yelled “Popocatepetl! Popocatepetl ko’oten! Popocatepetl!” With a brilliant flash of light–albeit less brilliant than the earlier lightning strike–the circle snapped shut.

Lost in translation

Sun, 30 Sep 2012 14:00:35 +0000

A man and a woman stood side by side, overlooking a sight that had, until a few months ago, never before been seen to human eyes. They were in orbit around a planet, blue green like the Earth but with just enough difference to know they were nowhere near home.

The land was different. Rather than half a dozen large land masses spread more or less evenly, this world had only a single huge continent, spanning perhaps half of an entire hemisphere.

A bit of a mixup

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 01:30:52 +0000

Apparently I got myself off on the last two chapters of A Sea of Stars. Everything should be fixed now, but if you’ve been following along, you may want to check that you’ve read the correct chapters. The two most recent chapters should be:

Chapter 9: Lies
Chapter 8: Counterpoint

Now I know to be a little more careful in double checking everything I post. 😄

Herman

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 14:00:39 +0000

Herman was alone.

But then again, Herman was always alone.

He had no family, no friends. No one to call and ask how his day was. No one to come over and borrow a cup of sugar or chat about the latest ball game.

Then again there was no more sugar.

There were no more ball games.

Still, it would have been nice to have someone to talk to.

So I've been writing...

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 13:55:57 +0000

Over a year ago now, I decided that I want to write. Not the little things that I’ve been publishing here, but full novels. Twelve months and more than a million words later, I think that it’s about time to start posting them here. First up, I have A Sea of Stars, my try at science fiction. I’ve edited it somewhat, but it’ll probably still be rough at times. Feel free to leave comments about either content or grammar.

映画のプロジェクト

Fri, 21 May 2010 21:15:27 +0000

私たちの映画プロジェクトはたくさん楽しいです。このプロジェクトの前に私は映画を作りません。映画を見たいですから、おもしろいと思います。私たちのグループのうち、パーナスさんは一番映画の経験があります。大学の映画クラブの会長です。したがって、私たちはプロの映画ききとへんしゅうききにアクセスしていました。いいですね。

外国語を学ぶ

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 00:30:42 +0000

過去二年間、外国語を学びました。外国語が大好きですから、外国語を三つ勉強しました。高校の時は、ドイツ語勉強しました。そして大学でスペイン語と日本語を学びました。将来では、外国語を勉強したいと思います。そして、外国語は非常に興味深いです。言語の歴史と構造は一番興味深いです。

二匹猫

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 03:45:55 +0000

私の人生の間に多くの幸せなこと多くの悲しいことがありました。多くのことが私の猫を含みました。子供の時は「スポーチ」という猫がいました。ダルメシアンのように見えたからスポーチの名です。スポーチは一番いい猫です。私とベッドで眠ってもらりましたから。常にフワフワでした。一日子供の時は死まれました。悲しい日ですよ。

私の知ない場所

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:00:53 +0000

私は面白い知ない場所があります。場所は私の家の近くの森です。私のせんこうはコンピュータサイエンスですが、野生の場所が大好きです。二つを組み合わせることはできませんから、悲しいです。そして、私の家は二時間の距離ですから、あまり行きません。

高校生の時とマーチングバンド

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:30:45 +0000

高校生の時、私の今の活動と高校の活動ことなりました。たとえば、毎日マーチングバンドがありました。マーチングバンドでは、トランペットやチューバやふきました。そして、ピアノをひきました。一年生と二年生の時トランペットをふきまして三年生の時チューバをふきましたて四年生の時ピアノをひきました。

ロボットと人工知能

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:30:45 +0000

しょうらいの日本のテクノロジー文化

日本のテクノロジーは常に面白いです。コンピュータは関係していますから。そして、私のせんこうはコンピュータサイエンスです。テクノロジーでは、ロボットと人工知能「AI」が大好きです！日本のロボットが一番いいです。人工知能が一番じゃんくても、いいですよ。

オーディオのブログ

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 06:15:00 +0000

私のかんしゃさい休み

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:00:45 +0000

私のかんしゃさい休みは非常に面白かったです。私の家族に行きました。良いですよ。

なぜ日本語を勉強していますか

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:53:00 +0000

なぜ日本語を勉強していますか。一番目の理由は外国語が大好きだからです。二番目の理由は、日本語で興味があるからです。三番目の理由は、日本語の学生はおもしろい学生ですよ。

旅行が一番好きですよ！

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:53:00 +0000

三旅行の興味がありました。アラスカとカリフォルニアとヨーロッパです。

アラスカ初めてだ。私の家族は夏の私の1年生の前にアラスカに行きました。私家族はRVがあります。1週間行きたり、1週間訪問をしたり、1週間かえりました。大興味ですよ！カナダでは、RVがやぶりました！3日間、我々はまってしました！

本を読むと英語を見る

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:47:00 +0000

本を読むたり英語を見たりは大好きです。　でも、本の方が好きです。私の好きなジャンルはSFものやホラーものやアクションものや、ファンタジーもの好きです。　まこと、とても本は好きですよ。

自己紹介

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:12:00 +0000

こんにちわ。　私はジョンポールバーカンプです。

私はロースハルマンこうか大学のだいがく学生です。　四年生です。　せんきょうはコンピュータサイエンスと数学です。　そして、日本語とスペイン語はべんきょうをします。ドイツ語はべんきょうをします。　私は言語が好きでドイツ語！