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Did You Make Something Cool This Week?


Did you make something cool this week?

Did you make some progress on your novel?  Did you make a new craft?  Write a new song?  I want to know!

Tell me what you're working on by replying in the comments below.  


I've been so inspired by the things that you've created!  Let me share a few of them with you.

Remember "The Talyn Sonata?"  Natalie Metzger created an awesome piece of artwork for it (see above).  She even put together this great video, which details how she made it.  

Acclaimed science fiction author Brenda Cooper is taking the "23 in '13" challenge by writing 23 articles that will make their way into a book by the end of the year!  

Hope you have a great week, and keep on working!
John Anealio

57 comments:

  1. I did. This is a photo from the "Mandatory Fun" event for work. I liked it enough to share with more than just my co-workers

    I call it, simply, "The Bowler"

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jvstin/8438741773/

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    1. That's a great shot Paul! The bowling alley should buy it from you! :-)

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  2. I made a slightly-misguided love poem: http://angelastic.com/2013/01/27/jack-of-clubs-dont-slip-on-the-ice/
    a fake moustache, some adornments for my fancy pants, and a song parody about preparing for JoCo Cruise Crazy: http://angelastic.com/2013/02/03/queen-of-clubs-a-few-things-youll-need-for-the-cruise/

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    1. Slightly misguided love poems are better than now love poems at all Angela. :-)

      The song parody is awesome! When is JoCo Cruise anyway?

      Either way, have fun!

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  3. I'm a knitter. I've made three washcloths, and am working on an entrelac tam (hat) for my oldest son, and a lovely chenille afghan for a friend's daughter. I also knit 'leaves' just for fun. I wish I had a photo to share...

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    1. Excellent! Thank you for sharing.

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    2. Hey, thanks for reminding me about this! I thought I hadn't done anything creative this week, but I totally did. I designed a scarf that rolls up to look like salmon sushi. My kids think it's really cute. My husband won't wear it, though :P

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    3. Hi Rebecca. That's great. In your husband's defense, I probably wouldn't wear a salmon sushi scarf either. :-)

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    4. All those knit projects sound so cool!

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  4. I figured out how to end my novel, "Hunters" and started doing the rewrites necessary to put that ending in.

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    1. Excellent! Even though I'm not a writer, I completed NaNoWriMo twice and I found actually "ending" the novel to be the most difficult part of the process. So congratulations on that that Nobilis! Best of luck with the editing.

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  5. I wrote another flash and took my first needle tatting (lace-making) class. Still no completed short story, though.

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    1. That's okay Erin. Just keep making things. I've found that working on something else creative will often help to fuel my main projects. Good luck!

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    2. No, tatting is a separate craft, done either with long blunt needles or shuttles/bobbins.

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  6. I've managed relatively little this month ... still progressing on my writing, but I think now it's too long to ask family or friends to read it, so I've got less possibility of encouragement as I go on. Luckily I got writing hangouts on G+ to push me forward, and the story itself has me hooked. Maybe next time I'm on my laptop, I'll take a time out to update the web app I'm using to keep track of my wordcount; I'm in a challenge to write 274 words every day, and it would be so much easier for the tracker to pull the text off G+ automatically, rather than me having to find a desktop computer to get my total.

    Good to see so many people being so productive!

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    1. What's the word count web app that you are using? I know a lot of people who might find that useful.

      Good luck with your writing and thanks for checking in!

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    2. You could ask them to read a smaller portion of your work, rather than the whole thing all at once, if you feel it's too long. :)

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    3. If you want some readers but don't want to ask friends or family, you should try asking some strangers! :) By that I mean you should try my favorite writing-community site, Wattpad. There are literally thousands of potential readers there for you.

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    4. Just heard about Wattpad recently. It looks like a great resource for folks who need beta readers.

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    5. I hacked something together quickly at the start of the year; I've been slowly working on improving it in between the actual writing. The next feature up is either polling google docs to count words automatically, or a "create account" page. (It supports multiple users to a limited degree, but I have to put them in the database manually and there isn't yet any security against updating the total for someone else's project)

      The front end is kind of ugly: http://writing.mrangel.co.uk ... but I'm hoping to make it more flexible through the year.

      Maybe I should try a site like that; but it seems getting anyone to read a project this size would be a big favour. I'm not good at analysing, so I don't think I could do a crit-exchange thing. Still, it would be nice to have someone look at it, so maybe I should think again.

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    6. Sounds like it is worth trying at least.

      BTW, did you actually create that web app?

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  7. I edited another short story this week (http://www.wattpad.com/11759068-unlikely-muses-v-2-the-lottery) and did a bit more work on my novel reboot. I also made a new bracelet (http://hrtsmom.silkfair.com/store/item/502986-night-roses-beaded-bracelet) and did an experimental collage piece just for fun (http://hrtsmom.tumblr.com/post/41961128424/i-had-an-idea-and-i-made-it-three-times-original). Somehow I did not find time to clean the bathroom as planned...

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    1. Trina, I would suggest investing in one of those "self-cleaning" bathrooms. Best money I ever spent. :-)

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    2. I was always under the impression that the children would take over that function eventually. They don't seem to agree with me.

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  8. I recorded my portion of the audio for this webcast http://www.icmi.com/Resources/Webinars/2013/Qtr1/Achieve-Big-Success-in-your-Small-Contact-Center - On Valentines Day come listen to me stumble through my notes as my laptop goes berserk. I will be available at the end for live Q&A.

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  9. That sounds great Gary! Make sure you tweet me the link when it goes live.

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    1. Reading the other posts on this blog I sometimes wonder if a left-brained techie like me belongs here.

      Then I remind myself that creativity takes many forms, and folks who work in the trenches of Engineering, Science, Mathematics and, dare I say it, Technical Support, rarely get credit for their creativity.

      Someone needs to represent "My People". If not me, who? :)

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    2. Of course you belong here Gary!

      You're absolutely right, creativity does take many forms. Plus, I think it is the balance of the left and right brains that help us to finish our creative projects and put them out into the world.

      Keep on keeping on Gary.

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    3. I agree! My husband is a scientist, and constantly has to be creative in designing experiments. He has to "stare out the window" dreaming up possibilities of science, just as much as I do music.

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  10. I recorded my portion of the audio for this webcast http://www.icmi.com/Resources/Webinars/2013/Qtr1/Achieve-Big-Success-in-your-Small-Contact-Center - On Valentines Day come listen to me stumble through my notes as my laptop goes berserk. I will be available at the end for live Q&A.

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  11. After spending too many months working on a screenplay, instead of my novel, I'm writing a fantasy short story as a palette cleanser before I dive back into the long fiction.

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  12. That sounds great Terry! Good luck with it and keep me posted on your progress.

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  13. Finishing main edits on my upcoming Josh of the Damned Triple Feature #2 book (published in April ... I think). Also started writing a flash fiction set in that universe, and I'm working on two other stories as well, including a brand new one. So I've been busy!

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    1. That's awesome! Keep me updated on your progress.

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  14. Editing on the next short is going pretty well; I've culled over 600 words in one pass. The next steps are to print it for a hard copy edit, which always gets me much better ideas for filling in the gaps, and to submit the finished story to a different publication.

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  15. Making orchestral parts to my music that will be played by the Victoria Symphony. Tedious work, but exciting times!

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    1. So cool David. Will this performance be recorded? I'd love to hear it.

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  16. A bunch of us wrote songs about Internet memes for SpinTunes. Here's mine about Philosoraptor: https://sites.google.com/site/briangraymusic/songs/descartes-and-i

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    1. Hey Brian, The tune sounds great! Really. Love the lyrics and the chorus melody. Your harmony singing sounds great and your finger picking sounds really accomplished.

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  17. I got some work done on the two stories I started in January. The challenge update is at the end of this blog post:

    http://eyewryte.blogspot.com/2013/02/how-are-things-in-your-corner-of.html

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  18. This was a great idea John. Yes I did episode 2 of the Kids Music Marketing Internet Radio Show (21 to go), here is the link http://musicmarketingmind.com/

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    1. Great Billy! I think the podcast is a great idea. Good luck with it.

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  19. I started a new book. I decided to blog it, chapter by chapter, so I could get some input from readers before I self publish it. Currently working on Chapter 3, should be up by the end of the week!

    thedaughterofasclepius.blogspot.com

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    1. Great idea Cody! Good luck with it and keep me updated on your progress.

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  20. I'm running behind this month but all my efforts can be found here under the tag '23in13'

    http://www.dovesandbullets.me.uk/

    I'm thoroughly enjoying myself doing this though :-)

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  21. Trying to keep to my 1000-words a day, so I can get the rough draft of the new novel done. (I'm at just under 70,000 words, and it has been going well.)

    Also jazzed by the fact my last novel, The Fridgularity, has been a "bestseller" on Amazon's satire list for the past week.

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    1. Fantastic Mark! That's great news. Keep it going.

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  22. I think you already noticed it, but earlier this week I posted the 4th 23in13 entry - the cathartic one. It was oddly hard to do that one since it's mostly negative and I'm actually not. It will be two weeks or so before the next one as I'm lost in finishing the final version of a book that's due. I will listen to your new piece a little later today when I'm in the actual changing words on a screen part if the process. Love that this is still going - hope we make it all year.
    http://www.brenda-cooper.com/2013/02/07/backing-into-eden-chapter-3-the-hopeless-voice

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    1. Good luck with the book that's due. I'm happy that this is still going too.

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  23. I decided to start doing an at-least-weekly post on my Tumblr, keeping track of my challenge/resolution progress. First installment is here: http://hrtsmom.tumblr.com/post/42757520509/at-the-beginning-of-this-year-i-made-a-pair-of

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  24. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT6QbwniVi8&feature=share&list=UUtE9VzGdu86TPkJsV_FRYUA

    Link to my zombie love song i wrote last week. I like it so much, I'm doing a recording project for it. I haven't done that in awhile. Thanks again for encouraging the creativity this year.

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    1. This is a fantastic song Rebecca! I love it. Your voice is beautiful and your piano playing is great. Can't wait to hear an official recording of it.

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