Category Archives: Writing

November Writing (Nanowrimo)

This is November, and among those who aspire or perspire to be writers, that means one thing: Nanowrimo. Nanowrimo is “NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth.” It is an exercise in writing insanity dating back to the late 1990s in which participants attempt to write a 50,000 word novel during November’s 30 days. Obviously this novel would be a very rough draft, only the ignorant or seriously delusional would think the completed project would be anything other than garbage.

 

I tried it in 2006 and failed miserably. I think I started something, made it to 1,500 words, didn’t like that switched to something else, made it to 1,700 words, and finally decided that there was no chance I’d succeed.

 

I had planned on doing it this year, even signed up at the site: My Nanowrimo profile. But in the end I decided to bow out before beginning…

 

…and then I was driving home today from an impromptu Holy Hour at my parish. I was mulling over my backlog of blog posts and decided that a variant of Nanwrimo can assist me in clearing it out. And so I will attempt to utilize the spirit of Nanowrimo and if not write 50,000 words across my 3 blogs, at least get to somewhere in the 5 figure range.

 

It may not be completely impossible. This is November, the “Month of the Dead,” and one of my blogs, The Four Last Things is typically due for some major work during it.

 

Add that I can use this blog for daily musing and filler, and my first blog Sober Catholic is where the bulk of the backlog is, and I can get to somewhere in the 5 figure range!

 

I can also work on the novel I had planned on using for Nanowrimo, albeit in a more traditional method (100’s of words, maybe daily.)

OK, so that’s it. I’m gonna try it. On to the Nanowrimo site and update my profile and join the rebel group. (Nanowrimo rebels are, from what I can see, a bunch of Nanowrimo’s who break the simple rules of the organization (which are basically that you have to write and original novel, and that you cannot begin the prose work on it until midnight of November 1st. You can do research, write backstories, character sketches and outline, but no actual novel writing until the stroke of November begins.)

 

So now I will run off to the Nanowrimo site and update my profile and join the rebels!! (I will be an honest rebel, though. I will only claim “Participant” status should I actually blog 50,000 words, or come reasonably close to blogging daily and get that 5-figure word count. I’ll also admit that I didn’t actually write any novel.)

Are you a creative Catholic? ""Building a Civilization of Love: A Call to Creative Catholics," is my new book exhorting Catholics to apply their faith to change the culture for the better!

Know someone who is an alcoholic or addict? "The Sober Catholic Way" helps Catholics by describing the many ways in which their faith can assist in maintaining sobriety, and is a basic handbook on how anyone can live a sober life. . (Thank you!!)

Writing After Darkness Falls

I have noticed that I seem to be more focused on writing after the sun sets. Perhaps it is because I’ve worked second shift in a day job since early 2008, but perhaps not.

Maybe there is just something about when darkness falls that enables me to actually zone in on writing more so than in the daylight. When the sun is shining (or even when it is a rainy, melancholic day like today was) I seem to prefer either reading or going outside to do things.

I suppose I should just roll with it and accept that that is what is.

NOTE: All of the posts in August 2012 on Paul Sofranko Dot Net will be reposts from an earlier attempt at a general writing blog. New material will start appearing in September. These first few days are just “moving in” and “setting up”.

Are you a creative Catholic? ""Building a Civilization of Love: A Call to Creative Catholics," is my new book exhorting Catholics to apply their faith to change the culture for the better!

Know someone who is an alcoholic or addict? "The Sober Catholic Way" helps Catholics by describing the many ways in which their faith can assist in maintaining sobriety, and is a basic handbook on how anyone can live a sober life. . (Thank you!!)

On Suffering, Writing and being a Catholic Writer

One time when I was driving around I heard something on the radio about how “nothing bad ever happens to writers” because what other people call “bad” is just “material” for writers.

On other words, if something bad happens to you, use it in some writing project. Take advantage of the bad and transform it into something good.

This reminded me of how we as Catholics are supposed to view suffering: to accept them all as an opportunity to share in the sufferings of Christ on Calvary and become more closer to Him. To paraphrase Jesus in Matthew 16:24; “If you wish to be my disciple take up your Cross and follow me.”

Well, then it seems as if the best way for a Catholic to cope with the meanness of life is to be a writer (or some other artistic person). The bad things that happen to you are to be seen as necessary for your Salvation (See the “If you wish…” quote above) and as material for creative projects. There also lies the possibility of adding the command of “preach the Gospel to all Nations.” Use your suffering to unite with Christ and for material for projects and to show how this is the Gospel in action.

This doesn’t mean preaching literally the Gospel, but to paraphrase something originally attributed to St. Francis of Assisi: “Preach the Gospel, if necessary, use fiction.”

NOTE: All of the posts in August 2012 on Paul Sofranko Dot Net will be reposts from an earlier attempt at a general writing blog. New material will start appearing in September. These first few days are just “moving in” and “setting up”.

Are you a creative Catholic? ""Building a Civilization of Love: A Call to Creative Catholics," is my new book exhorting Catholics to apply their faith to change the culture for the better!

Know someone who is an alcoholic or addict? "The Sober Catholic Way" helps Catholics by describing the many ways in which their faith can assist in maintaining sobriety, and is a basic handbook on how anyone can live a sober life. . (Thank you!!)

Welcome to this Journey

Welcome to “Paul Sofranko Dot Net”, my “Home on the Web”. It isn’t my first one in the blogosphere outside of my regular sobriety and spirituality blogs, but this will be it, for whatever it’s worth! I have tried this twice before, but abandoned them after a short while. Such are things.

I am a Catholic writer, meaning that I write in a Catholic-frame-of-mind. My stuff may not be overtly Catholic, but there hopefully should be a Catholic feel and sensibility to it.

My name is Paul Sofranko (hence the blog’s name, catchy, eh?), and I am also a sober alcoholic. I have other blogs devoted to sobriety: Sober Catholic and The Four Last Things. This place is to be a site where I can write and post things that are not applicable to those blogs.

“This journey,” as per the title of this initial post, is just my “primary” online venture, a recording and repository of creative efforts, meditations, musings and meanderings. Snippets of writing and poetry may appear here. I have an avocation to write (fiction and freelance) and this may be a sounding board. “Primary,” inasmuch as my fiction, poetry, freelance and overall ramblings will be general in nature, not subject to the focus that my older blogs have.

Anyway, that’s it for now. Until later. 🙂

NOTE: All of the posts in August 2012 on Paul Sofranko Dot Net will be reposts from an earlier attempt at a general writing blog. New material will start appearing in September. These first few days are just “moving in” and “setting up”.

Are you a creative Catholic? ""Building a Civilization of Love: A Call to Creative Catholics," is my new book exhorting Catholics to apply their faith to change the culture for the better!

Know someone who is an alcoholic or addict? "The Sober Catholic Way" helps Catholics by describing the many ways in which their faith can assist in maintaining sobriety, and is a basic handbook on how anyone can live a sober life. . (Thank you!!)