I got a swine flu vaccine today, and they were giving away glow sticks as, er...consolation prizes? Anyway, I thought, as all feeble-minded NaNoers are wont to do - how can I apply this brightly-colored novelty to my writing?
Answer: I have no idea. But I'm gonna!
I think I will turn off the lights, crack one open, and just...write. And I won't stop until it fades. Six hours? Fine. I haven't written in three days.
That'll be my night's writing. I can take a break, I suppose, or even quit entirely - but it'll be there.
Dwindling.
Glowing.
Mocking me.
Could you handle that? I couldn't handle that. So pretty soon I will bust one of these things out and...see what happens.
I'll let you know.
Any glow stick writing ideas for me? Any crazy methods of your own? Feeling swiney? Discuss!
----------
Having been called in here very many times over the past few months to answer for this or that misdemeanor, Oliver was well acquainted with the room's nuances and eccentricities – most of them fungal.
10,197 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 15 27
lucky! I got my swine flu vaccine yesterday and they didn't give me anything! :'(
You should make your characters go to a rave! If nothing else, it'd probably net you about a thousand words. :P
52,433 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 15 31
Let us know how long it takes the glowstick to go out, and whether or not the method worked for you! I'm curious! I might have to try it myself if you end up recommending it.
----------The Hammer & The Nail (NaNo 2009) -- Please PM me if you want to swap!
Do you like discovering & supporting aspiring writers? Do you want "psychiatric" help for 5 cents, a la Lucy from Peanuts? Visit my site! http://bit.ly/6d1g5W
63,236 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 15 32
You should make your characters go to a rave! If nothing else, it'd probably net you about a thousand words. :P
That's a brilliant idea! If not my characters (they're rather, er...early for the rave scene), I can certainly get up and crunk every thousand words.
----------Having been called in here very many times over the past few months to answer for this or that misdemeanor, Oliver was well acquainted with the room's nuances and eccentricities – most of them fungal.
63,236 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 15 37
I certainly shall! We'll see, I suppose. If these turn out to be super-duty glow sticks that last, like, 16 hours, I suppose I'll be in trouble - but my word count'll be doing alright. :D
----------Having been called in here very many times over the past few months to answer for this or that misdemeanor, Oliver was well acquainted with the room's nuances and eccentricities – most of them fungal.
27,172 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 15 55
this may sound stupid but;
----------make 1 of ur characters EAT the stuff in the glow stick and make them glow *dont take that, it's just too stupid*
"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one!'" ~ CS Lewis
50,817 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 16 05
Oh my goodness, I love this idea. I think I even have some glowstick bracelets around here somewhere...
I was planning on an all-nighter anyway, at this point. :D
----------81,324 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 16 34
Now that is creative. I suppose any glow-in-the-dark toy would work... *glances at stars on ceiling*
Keep us updated!
Hour 1: The stick is still glowing. 0 words.
Hour 2: 900 words. Stick still glowing. It mocks me.
Hour 7: WHY WON'T IT STOP!??!?!?!?AARGHBLARGHBLAAAH!
----------2009: When She Fell
Progress and Chapters: http://thewordofgit.com/writing/nanowrimo
63,236 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 17 07
Hahaha!
Well, about an hour in, and I've gotten close to 1,000 words on my typewriter. Took one break to headbang as particularly upbeat song came on. Accidentally hit typewriter with glowstick. Quickly returned to work.
----------Having been called in here very many times over the past few months to answer for this or that misdemeanor, Oliver was well acquainted with the room's nuances and eccentricities – most of them fungal.
50,059 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 17 12
I absolutely LOVE this idea! I can't try it tonight, but maybe a few days from now...
50,067 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 18 23
Glowsticks, depending on the size, quality, room temperature and a few other factors can take upwards of 8 hours to dim to a less appreciable glow. I have actually had glowsticks that I used at a rave, which continued to emit faint light in my room for up to four days.
I wish you the best of luck though.
63,236 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 18 35
I wish you the best of luck though.
I reject the suggestion that this is a bad thing! I really need to step it up. :D
----------Having been called in here very many times over the past few months to answer for this or that misdemeanor, Oliver was well acquainted with the room's nuances and eccentricities – most of them fungal.
50,074 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 18 38
All I got with my swine flue vaccination was three days of being sick.
Sounds interesting and creative.
----------NaNoWriMo '08: Hard-Drive: WON
NaNoWrimo '09: King Me (WIP)
50,067 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 18 39
I reject the suggestion that this is a bad thing! I really need to step it up. :D
Oh no, I would by no means say this is a bad thing. Sleep deprivation and glowsticks are two of my favorite things. I just figured you deserved a fair warning before you dive in.
In fact, I love the idea, and it disappoints me that I used up all of my glowsticks, and don't have money to buy more.
Perhaps I could try the same with some sort of battery powered device.
But seriously, I wish you the best of luck on this, and would love to hear how it turns out.
63,236 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 18 47
I reject the suggestion that this is a bad thing! I really need to step it up. :D
Oh no, I would by no means say this is a bad thing. Sleep deprivation and glowsticks are two of my favorite things. I just figured you deserved a fair warning before you dive in.
In fact, I love the idea, and it disappoints me that I used up all of my glowsticks, and don't have money to buy more.
Perhaps I could try the same with some sort of battery powered device.
But seriously, I wish you the best of luck on this, and would love to hear how it turns out.
Haha, thanks! Where on earth do you buy glowsticks, anyway?
----------Having been called in here very many times over the past few months to answer for this or that misdemeanor, Oliver was well acquainted with the room's nuances and eccentricities – most of them fungal.
50,067 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 18 55
Haha, thanks! Where on earth do you buy glowsticks, anyway?
I get good ones for dancing at a local party store, but sometimes you can find some lower quality ones at dollar stores or walmart. For really bright, quick burning ones, you can get those at hardware stores, but they tend to last for only a couple hours at an intense brightness.
Oh, and I figured out what I am going to do in replacement of a glowstick.
A single LED, hooked up to two small watch batteries. If it lasts till noon tomorrow, I will give up and start later, but other than that, I go until the batteries die. Its gonna be a long night.
63,236 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 19 01
I get good ones for dancing at a local party store, but sometimes you can find some lower quality ones at dollar stores or walmart. For really bright, quick burning ones, you can get those at hardware stores, but they tend to last for only a couple hours at an intense brightness.
Oh, and I figured out what I am going to do in replacement of a glowstick.
A single LED, hooked up to two small watch batteries. If it lasts till noon tomorrow, I will give up and start later, but other than that, I go until the batteries die. Its gonna be a long night.
Oh, neat - thanks! My supply right now stands at a measly 1 1/2, so if this works out I'll be needing some more.
That is the coolest idea ever. Godspeed, sir.
----------Having been called in here very many times over the past few months to answer for this or that misdemeanor, Oliver was well acquainted with the room's nuances and eccentricities – most of them fungal.
63,236 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 23 42
Update! (My glowstick is all pretty and blue, did I mention?)
I've been writing (with sporadic breaks) since I broke the glowstick. And...well, I don't think I should say that it's the reason I got out about 7k, but it helped. I think it's the act of saying "alright, when this happens I'll start writing and I won't stop." I just needed something to kick my butt into starting up again. And...it worked! Plus, now I have a super cool trophy.
So basically...this glowstick is a symbol. Go forth, NaNoers - find your own glowsticks.
But, er...it's still glowing. I guess that means I can't quit!
----------Having been called in here very many times over the past few months to answer for this or that misdemeanor, Oliver was well acquainted with the room's nuances and eccentricities – most of them fungal.
81,324 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 00 49
A single LED, hooked up to two small watch batteries. If it lasts till noon tomorrow, I will give up and start later, but other than that, I go until the batteries die. Its gonna be a long night.
Egad, Doc, I hope you're prepared for a VERY long night!!! I would think that can run for, well... months?
Go, Prismac, go! Go glowsticks!
----------2009: When She Fell
Progress and Chapters: http://thewordofgit.com/writing/nanowrimo
150,137 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 01 05
Ooooh, shiny! *snatches idea* That's so many kinds of awesome, really. I might just have to go out and buy me some glow sticks. Wish me luck finding those things!
----------2009 - The Shadow of a Colour (working title)
.:The Pickled Mushroom:.
"Sir, we are surrounded!" - "Excellent. Now we can attack in any direction!"
27,596 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 02 27
lol you can also use it to celebrate your word count with afterwards! Rave style! LMAO I think it's bizare they were giving away glowsticks as a well done for getting the jab!
----------5,208 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 02 54
Hey
Just wanted to let you know the fun you can have if you cut the glowstick open once you have cracked it - use them like paint. In the army cadets we used to paint targets on each other with these and then play a sort of hide and seek game where we were broken into two teams and had to try to capture equipment such as radios off each other without being spotted. The really strong glowsticks you may be able to find at an army disposal store.
Dot
50,067 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 07 17
Update of how my night has gone so far:
I did well till about three when my body gave out on me. I fell asleep sitting up with my laptop open, on my lap, with my word processor running.
Though, I wasn't too off, because the LED appears to have burned out somewhere between four and five, well, more likely the batteries burned out, because while LEDs can last upwards of 30 years as long as the voltage is right, when hooked directly up to a battery, it pulls energy much quicker than it would with the proper resistors in place, so it only lasted a few hours.
63,236 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 07 43
You guys are all awesome and have the best ideas and I love you.
Doc, that's really a clever idea, and I'm glad it worked! :D I've got to tell you though, you turned out to be quite right about this blasted glowstick. It's still not out. I think it caught wind of my plans and doesn't quite understand the bit where I get a whole month.
I think I shall save the other ridiculously longevitous one for the end of the month, and fill the time in between with littler green ones.
----------Having been called in here very many times over the past few months to answer for this or that misdemeanor, Oliver was well acquainted with the room's nuances and eccentricities – most of them fungal.
0 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 07 58
Okay, this is an AMAZING idea. And there's a Poundland in two with a shelf of glowy things...
Hmmm.
----------What in the name of Pegasus' frilly white boxer shorts has that got to do with the price of cheese?
63,236 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 08 26
Definitely bizarre, especially as it's a rather straight-laced pharmaceuticals company where I got it. It seems they take everything seriously, though - going on 16 hours now and it's still quite bright.
It'll stop before December, right...?
@Kenouni - do it. It's stupid how much fun it is. :D
----------Having been called in here very many times over the past few months to answer for this or that misdemeanor, Oliver was well acquainted with the room's nuances and eccentricities – most of them fungal.
10,102 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 13 09
*see's Spencer's bag laying on the couch in the family room, filled with at least 24 glowsticks my brother bought for some "school thing"*
thinks to myself... "he won't mind if i borrow a few" :D
Awesome idea!!! I will totally try this once it gets dark.
though i had an urge to do a bonfire tonight, OOOOH! Same concept different carrying out? Use a fire instead of a glo-stick, that way you can keep warm, and might get to eat some marshmellows while you're typing away.
-----------Amelia
"It's not writing I love, it's having written that I love. Writing itself is really hard work, you really have to sit down and grind at it, but once it's done it's wonderful. You look back and say 'Geez, I actually wrote all that'." -John Saul
50,817 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 15 28
So, I cracked a teeny tiny three-year-old glowstick I had for this challenge. We're talking less than an inch long and maybe a centimeter wide.
Nearly 24 hours later, and it's still not out!
Sadly I ended up falling asleep after two hours and then falling prey to yard work this afternoon, but wow.
On the upside, I just found my stash of nice, big, fresh glowstick bracelets. >D
----------16,437 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 15 35
I got my swine flu vaccine and my doctor's so awesome he gave me a lolli and barbie butterfly tat, which is now on my inner hip and making me feel badass :) OH! Maybe I can give my alien a tattoo...THANK YOU DR CHANG!
50,369 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 17 27
This thread is so awesome XD Now I've got to dig through the kitchen cupboard and find out if that jar of glowstick bracelets is still in there somewhere...
----------"A novel can best be defined as a long piece of prose with something wrong with it."
- Neil Gaiman, Introduction to American Gods.
50,458 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 18 00
I have a 22" long glow stick right here and I'm gonna start as soon as I finish my dessert :D
Started at seven post meridian. Glowstick is purpleyblue colored.
----------NaNoWriMo '09: 21st Century Breakdown 50,458 WON!
NaNoWriMo '10: ???