Movie Awards, Fantastic Friday Writers, and Stardate NaNo Updates.

First a quick reminder that the Movie Awards voting is tomorrow, November 20! I’ve been nominated for Best Sci-Fi Blog and the Gold Movie Blog awards. Go to The Movie 411 to cast your vote. There’s several categories and some of my blogging buddies are also nominated. (So feel free to vote for them instead!)

Today is another edition of Fantastic Friday Writers! I invite your to check out my Fantastic Friday Writers partners - Elizabeth Mueller, Anastasia V. Pergakis, J. D. Brown, and Deirdra Eden Coppel - for their take on this subject.

What inspires my science fiction/fantasy mind to write?

Because it’s a world beyond our own! I write for the same reason I watch movies and read books – to escape. I want to go somewhere beyond the confines of our current life on earth, though. I want to see other worlds; experience life through new races; witness different situations and technology. Yes, many of the struggles are similar to our own, but I identify with them more because they occur in a setting other than here. My curiosity drives me to envision and create a unique world, one unseen by others. I want to boldly go where no man has gone before! (You just knew that was coming, didn’t you?) I am inspired by what I see in other books and in movies of my genre. It’s exciting and new. I want to continue that journey of discovery!

If you are a science fiction or fantasy writer, why? What inspires you?

And now for the Stardate NaNo updates!

Stardate #nanowrimo 12.6 Trouble in transport. Ferengi Ambass. arrived inside out. And he exploded. Cleanup in Transporter Rm1! 19165 words

Stardate #nanowrimo 14.9 I faced the Kobayashi Maru and won, baby! 24,123 words!

Stardate #nanowrimo 15.9 Lt. Barclay has gone missing and no one cares. 25,107 words!

Stardate #nanowrimo 16.9 Hot green aliens are dancing all over the bridge - and I can't stand up. Word count 26,637

Stardate #nanowrimo 17.9 Data told me my skin is as smooth as an android's butt. I'm afraid to be alone with him now... 28,446 words

Stardate #nanowrimo 18.9 Connected the dots on Jadzia Dax's body. Funny, I expected more than a space pony... 30272 words

Look for a Harry Potter review this weekend. And don’t forget to vote at The Movie 411 on Saturday!

Talli's Blogsplash and Stardate NaNo

With Skyline's poor reviews (creatures are cool, characters and storyline suck) I might just catch Unstoppable tonight. So look for some kind of movie review this weekend.

Talli Roland’s Blogsplash!

“On December 1, the e-book version of The Hating Game will launch ahead of its UK hard-copy launch next year! On release day -- December 1 -- I'm looking for bloggers (and Tweeters and Facebookers) to help with a Blogsplash to spread the word!”

Talli’s an awesome young lady (and a cutie) so sign up for her Blogsplash if you haven’t already.

Still moving forward with NaNo at about the same speed. I should still hit 50,00 words even with my slow typing, but my main goal is a workable manuscript. Since I’m pausing and pondering as I write, my pace is about 1000 words per two and a half hours. Okay, some of that’s because of my two-finger slow typing. However, I’m happy to say Byron is now really frustrated thanks to the other main character. (Who happens to be an eager and stubborn young woman. Aren't they all?)

And for those of you who’ve missed my Twitter updates, here’s a recap of this past week’s progress:

Stardate #nanowrimo 5.5 Spent morning slacking on Holodeck with Fallout. Kicked some butt. Commencing to write once more.

Stardate #nanowrimo 5.6 Commotion in Ten Forward demands my attention. Word count holding at 6832 until my return.

Stardate #nanowrimo 5.9 Ah, the allure of Ten Forward... Where was I? Data, word count please! Stop petting Spot. 8025? That works for me!

Stardate #nanowrimo 6.8 Damn Betazoid weddings. Too much nakedness! (Hart would approve though.) A total of 9537 words as a result.

Stardate #nanowrimo 7.9 20,000 words this weekend! Wait a sec - I've been on the Holodeck the whole time? Only at 11284? Curse you holodeck!

Stardate #nanowrimo 8.6 12283 words so far. Data's Spot created a stir earlier, but the feline was captured. Ship is also now Tribble-free!

Stardate #nanowrimo 8.9 13357 - ahead of target! Borg tried to assimilate the NaNo site, but I got through with my total before it happened.

Stardate #nanowrimo 9.6 Feeling famished... must find nourishment... can't go on...

Stardate #nanowrimo 9.9 Gorn challenged me to a death match. Talked him down to best of three in Foozball. 14881 words

Stardate #nanowrimo 10.8 Gorn's upset - I beat him at Foozball. What a baby. There's no crying in space! Word count 15678 so far...

Stardate #nanowrimo 11.5 17452 words. Unfortuantely we've docked at DeepSpace 7 and the allure of a free day is too strong to ignore...

And I stopped last night at 18,001 words...