NaNo news 14

i think the necessary time to separate myself from the manuscript has elapsed.
just the other day i have started to re-read chapter two again and voilá - i got no further than the second paragraph and found at least five 'already's.
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i think i'm in a good state of mind to see the mistakes now :)
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have a happy new year filled with bunches of new manuscripts for ya all!

NaNo news 13

before i started revision, i wrote a few lines about the purpose of each chapter. like in chapter 2 for example, the aim is to 'get the reader know about the family the main character arrives into' i wanted to describe the events and circumstances that 'precede the birth of the main character', because she is a fetus to be born at the very beginning.

the reader finds out how 'the parents had met', how the 'family of the mother rejected the father' being part of the family in the future, etc.

at the end of chapter two, there is a strong indication that 'the main character comes to life'.

these are the very words i sketched for myself before starting revision.

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i have revised chapter 2, and sent it via email to that someone i mentioned earlier.
i corrected all typos, subject and verb mismatches and the like. believe me, there were only one or two of these throughout the 4100+ words.
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i don't know if i'm doing it right.
i seem to be getting lost somehow :(((

NaNo news 12

i have finished it and let it rest for a week.
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i have changed the title in the hungarian version. to me, in my own language, 'copper moon', or as it was in hungarian 'velvet moon' and 'bronze moon' sounded cheesy.

and in general, almost any [adjective]+[noun] sounds cheesy as a title.

unless it's a strange/strikingly new/original combination it does sound either cheesy or boring. I mean, even i would not buy a book with the title 'velvet moon' (in hungarian).

so now the title is changed into h_oldk_avicsok, which roughly translates to 'pebbles of the moon'.

i wanted to include the moon in the title but faced that since the twilight series (which is a huge attraction in hungary, too), reading the noun 'moon' on a title almost instantly makes the reader associate that book with the series.

which is a sad thing, for beacuse of this newest and successful branch of pop literature, some words might just go missing from the vocabulary of normal people.

it's not that i haven't watched all the 3 parts.

yup, i did an in almost one go.

shame on me?

hm...

but i don't want people associate the series with me and my novel.

if you ask me though, i am all team jacob.

but that little secret should remain between you and me :)))

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now i have a friend who helps me with the first revision.

we go chapter by chapter.
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NaNo news 11

this surely is one of the last posts about NaNo 2010.
i am kind of desperate and sad.
i still have 5500+ words to write and almost two days.
mathematically speaking, it is quite difficult, though not at all impossible.
but.
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i don't know how to finish it!
heeelp!
:))
i am unsure about the ending.
:s

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anyway, i'm back to writing.

NaNo news 10

i have finished (sort of) chapters 1.2.3.4a.4b.5a.5b. and 8.

now i am writing chapter 6.

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i introduced some new characters, but at the moment all they do is serve the purpose of telling the story of the main character. they don't really have a life of their own.

any comments on that?

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also i have had some problems with time in the story. when and what happened, for how long something lasted, when did mc moved from town a to town b , when did mc changed her jobs, and so on.
i figured out i have to write short and outlined biography.
i bet writers out there start with such a biography, it must be so obvious...
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i have 19thousand words to add and only 6 days to accomplish this goal.
i am being realistic.
i don't think i wll do it on time.
according to nano statistics, i should write 3000+ words a day to finish on time.
my average words per day is 1300+.
mathematics.
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:(

NaNo news 9

on saturday (20 november) i've finished chapter 5b.

i let some new characters appear in the story - they just wanted to be there. it's magic.

:)))

while finishing chapter 5b, i was literally crying - for it ends with a moving scene between MC and her mother.

i don't know if this scene is cheesy or not, but it is still a draft that can be revised and rewritten later on.

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today (21 november) i have finished chapter8, which is some sort of a counterpart for chapter1 (which is also a poem).

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yesterday i did exceptionally well, wrote about 2500 words, but today i haven't had the chance to write. i only had time to write this short poem, so today's word count is about 500+ words.

NaNo news 8

i've finished chapter 5a.
but now i'm happy i'm light yellow (as opposed to orange)
i wrote less yesterday then i had done the day before yesterday and wrote less today than i did yesterday.
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well, these past two days have been hard for me.
not only had i finish writing and turn my computer off around noon, only to return dead-tired by 11pm, but i am kind of stuck.
i don't think the story works, i have to few characters and events going on.
maybe i should have opted for a (somewhat long-ish) short story instead.
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bye for now.

NaNo news 7

this time i am a bit over halfway into chapter 5a, where the events are happening in the present time, along a definite time-line and i don't have to arrange and rearrange my thoughs about continuity. it also one of the most exciting pieces in the book, well, that is what i say.

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no-one else has ever read it, but i will test it on my husband first.

too bad, he's not into fiction at all.

he prefers historic writing, memoirs, scientific and other non-fiction books.

NaNo news 6

so, well, i have finished chapter 4a - for there has to be a 4b as well.
i have not invented as much into chapter 4a as i thought i had to.
the story just unfolded without adding too many new characters.
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i keep reminding me that this is a draft and i may add or remove anything later on.
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saturdays and sundays are not the best days to write.
the kids are at home and on saturday i had a choir session between 10am to 1pm.
but these can also be considered as lame excuses.
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i wanted to write chapter 4b today, and sketched some small scenes while i was still writing chapter 4a.
i'm working along those ideas.
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yesterday i was browsing the nano site and found out that some people manage to write as much as 7,000 words a day.
i just don't understand.
it makes me want to stop.
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bad thoughts.
:(

NaNo news 6

as you can see on my NaNo word count widget (see the sidebar), i happened to have managed at least one day to write slightly over the recommended average (indicated by green).

i wrote well into chapter 3, the chapter i didn't feel like writing two days ago - see the post below.

but somehow i managed to see what is going on at that part of the story.

standing at about 4,000 words alone, i declare chapter 3 ready.

well, for the time being, that is.

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so, whenever i have time during the day, i'm off to chapter 4, which is supposed to be about the school years of my Margaret.

this is when she finds out and realises that she is a bit different from the others, this is where some other characters emerge and act beside her immediate family.

(in chapters 2 and 3 it was only her mother, father, mothernal grandparents, her aunt and a nurse at the hospital).

now in chapter 4, i have to create her teachers, schoolmates, first love? - oops, i had no idea about that ;)

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so far, so good.

i'm enjoying the process.

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NaNo news 5

yesterday i wrote chapter 1 (which is a poem about 150+ words) and wrote about 800 words into chapter 3. well, chapter 3 did not go as well as i thought it would/should have gone.

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chapter 2 is a compilation of fragments of memories, mixed with the events of the present - and it fit chapter 2 well, but i got tired of it by the time i reached chapter 3.
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in my plans, chapter 3 was way longer than chapter 2 - but now i face the situation where the events i foreplanned for chapter 3 are no longer of special interest for me.
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i'll give it another go today and will move on to a more exciting chapter 5.
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i don't know whether it is a wise decision or not.
all i know is i have to write.
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for statistics, see the widget on the sidebar.

NaNo news 4

the first week has gone and instead of 12,500 words i am at 3,900+
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as of today, i am more than happy to announce that my main character, to whom i will refer to as Margaret has come to live: her mother has just given birth to her in the second chapter.
according to my plans, the first chapter is one single poem.
the second one, which i have completed today is in its draft version and is about 3,900+ words.
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also i would like to draw your attention to photography blog, where some of the photos has inspired me in one way or another to write the story.
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and my next goal is to start writing chapter three, which, according to my plan is about the early childhood of Margaret.
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NaNo news 3

it seems a bit tough a challenge for me to write as much as i have to.
i may come up with all various excuses, such as the dental operation, the swollen head (yesterday it was so bad i sometimes had difficulties using my eyes properly) and i got tired very easily), also the kids are at home...
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still, the story wants to come out and i trust the drive i have to finish it.
i will keep you updated.
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NaNo news 2

well, the word count totalled 600 yesterday.
today it was a tough call at the dentist. i had four of my front teeth removed (due to the accident), my upper jawline drilled and one implant placed into the hole, and one tooth treated.
although drugged with painkillers, i wrote about 200 words today.
(which makes the total about 800. - instead of 5000)
i feel tired and dizzy and my face is swollen.
there should be better days to come.
cheers,

NaNo news 1

i have started writing it.
today we had a trip, so i brought along paper and pen notebook and wrote it by hands.
now i'm typing it into my computer. i have no laptop.
the nano site is not working properly. i can not upload today's writing.
according to my calculations, i have to write 2500 words each working day. i keep weekends for family.
i was supposed to write 2500 words today.
actually the word count for today is about 400. not really fine, is it?
the thing is i made myself working.
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i am going to the dentist's tomorrow. i don't know if i can write a line or not after the 'events'.

NaNoWriMo 2010

it all started with a photo in February, 2007.
i toyed with the idea for a while, and even had a conversation with the main character in the summer of 2007.
for a while, there were other projects of writing and not-writing.
i started and finished Halo.
Vesper revised it, helping me genereously with grammar and plot issues.
i will revise Halo again.
it is on its way.
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at the beginning of October 2010, while in Holland, i got a strange inspiration towards Copper Moon.
this is the news i wanted to share with you, but my accident interfered. it still does, but i digress.
i saw new characters and plot-lines emerging.
i was and still am, thrilled by the new possibilities.
i am still unconvinced that this will make a novel, but again, i digress.
i wish to finish it and i signed up at NaNoWriMo.
i will write it in hungarian.
the aim is to write 50,000+ words.
i will just see.
:)
good luck to us all.

a long way to go :)

i have started to adjust Halo according to Vesper's notes.

basically, i accept all grammar suggestions; and try to find an alternative wording for every strange or unclear spots.

halo is 13 pages, 32,000+ characters - i go slowly.

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here's one example of the unclear spots.

the original text, now edited between three stars goes like this:

***He kept the uphill march (...) towards his goal. He panted with the late morning heat. His physical score was somehow lower now – he needed food. ***

i bolded the expression Vesper questioned.

in italics, here's what she added:

Maybe ‘condition’ is a better word here, or maybe something like ‘He felt weeker now…’

the thing is, Hail (the main character) is playing a computer game at the moment. i fancy this is a game where the state of the player's physical, mental and spiritual characteristics are displayed in a scale-like fashion. if a player scores low on the physical, it means that he is weak. the reason behind weakness can be either hunger, a previous attack, age (too young or too old), or lack of certain muscle development. if one scores high on the physical it means he is strong.

i wonder if should go like...

/-/He panted with the late morning heat. His score on the physical scale was somehow low – he needed food./-/

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what do you think?

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at the same time i am quite happy to say that on my trip last week i have returned to my beloved copper moon.

more on that subject later on.

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some note on Vesper's reply

i received the manuscript red all over and i liked it :))))
it means Vesper have thoroughly combed it, and found, i suspect, all the grammar mistakes.
i don't mind my grammar corrected - i use less english these times and my knowledge is failing. i have to get back in shape.
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as for vocabulary, i'm so glad she checked it, too. at times i must have picked a words from a Hungarian- English dictionary without actually checking the words current meaning in one of the online English-English dictionaries. it is a great advice to check the words before using them the only trouble is you (=someone who's native language is not English) are never sure about which words to check... sometimes you have a rare word, you think you know the meaning, but you are wrong.
i think i've got to be more careful with rare or old words.
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reading some occassional 'very nice image' among her inserted comments pleased me quite much :)))
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and in some places my writing was not clear enough.
i will have to go through the text, which i will do gladly.
here's one example. the original text is interrupted twice by Vesper's remarks.

The stand [V1] was still soaked in the darkness of the night and the trees kept hissing [V2]

[V1] I’m not sure what you want to say here.

[V2] Interesting choice of words…

for V1, the stand refers to the place where Hail (the main character) spent his night. this stand is mentioned in a couple of sentences before. Hail has already left it. perhaps this reference is late and should be inserted a bit earlier. 'being soaked in the darkness...' is supposed to mean that it is still dark. i know 'soak' refers to a thing/object/material/textile being saturated by some liquid, but i thought it would make a nice and fresh expression.

for V2, for 'hissing trees', i went for something to express how the small branches and leaves kept rustling, crackling among one another. i wanted to add a sense of danger.
perhaps i was wrong with that idea.... perhaps this just doesn't work in English.
:)
i will have to revise and possibly re-place this sentence.
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finally, i would like to express my thanks again for her.
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a short answer to Vesper

who has taken her time and read my short story.
she asked quote Last night, they were showing an ad on tv about an xbox game named "Halo". Does it have anything to do with your Halo? end quote.
my short answer is a definite no.
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for a long answer, read further...
it all started with Jason. he had this contest where the photograph we had to use was named Halo. it showed a forest with a clearing and a ray of sunlight.
i simply kept the name of the photograph as a title.
basically i used the original meaning of the word - my hero is looking for something to illuminate his life. he is looking for a clear stance. a victory. a light within the darkness of the tangled branches.
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so, I finished my contest entry (limited to 250 words) with the title Halo and just when i was thinking about expanding it to a larger piece have i come accross the actual game named Halo.
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the original idea had nothing to do with the game, but once i figured out Halo is a name of a game i kind of started to enjoy the coincidence. it may or may not draw readers who have played (or are still playing) with the game for example.
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halo - the first reader

Vesper, the first one to read Halo besides me, has finished reading. she keeps me informed about her opinion about the piece via email. it feels so great and exciting.

i'm patiently waiting for her comments on the story and her grammar suggestions.

this flower goes out to honor her time and efforts.

*covers head*

my dearest readers,

please accept my apologies for not replying you sooner.

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i have two blogs in english and one in hungarian and this particular one is the one i frequent the least these days.

as you probably know this particular blog is dedicated to writing 'copper moon' and 'halo' - so when i'm not writing and have nothing to say about writing these pieces; well, than i say nothing.

i have not posted a single line since march; which means these projects has been out-of-work since march.

i am sorry for that -

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but now, behold!

kindest vesper has made an offer to review 'halo' - which offer i simply was unable to turn down, i think you all understand ;)

so... this is just great news i think.

vesper will be of good help for me to polish the short story.

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i hope all's well with you...

please check my replies for your kind comments in the previous post.

revision

is only a couple of days (a minimum of 10) ahead...
i'm doing a translation job that's taking my brains, but once i'm done i think i'm ready to wade through those couple of pages.
any suggestions about doing revision?
shall i start at page one going all the way to the end?
or shall i jump between sections?
which shall go first?
grammar or overall message?
what other approaches proved useful and not useful for you and why?
any ideas are welcomed.
thank you!

retreat

I joined a writers' group last March. I was enthusiastic about the group.

I was looking for a peer group to have my work judged, encouraged, revised and corrected. perhaps I set my expectations too high.

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last September, I took up singing in a women's choir. Since sessions overlap, I preferred singing.

I am still on the mailing list and can reach anyone I wish; I know about the events (e.g. public readings) going on, I receive the monthly assignments via email.

but I don't actually get to those monthly meetings. I miss the lectures, the practical instructions, the on-the-spot exercises, and most of all, feedback.

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To be honest, I've never found the amount of feedback sufficient enough in these meetings either.

Especially in the case of those home-works. I think designating homeworks is a great idea. None is expected to came out with the next piece worthy of a new Nobel-prize in literature. None believes these home assignments are the best pieces of one's either . They are exercises, and should be considered as such. They all need a revision.

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For example, the latest task was to write a dialogues for stage performance. The limit was one page. We had to focus on the movements, bodily actions of the speakers. The main task was to write an accurate, minute decription of the participiants. There were three themes, and we had to write one dialogue per each theme.

I wrote two dialogues, and compressed as many sorts of body movements as possible. I visualized my characters on stage. Sometimes I added a verbal (spoken) line or two just for the sake of adding more actions to the scene.

I submitted my work to the group.
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I expected a feedback on my job along the lines of... 'scene1 is not realistic, because the female character moves too much. such movements are not justified by the theme. Scene2 is better. there is a definite action-reaction going on between the movements of the two characters' or... you know... something like this. something very short would have sufficed for the purpose quite fine.
but you know what?
I received no feedback at all.
I know people are busy... everyone is.
erm, everyone, including me.
a home work is a job for both parts.
I do expect a teacher to revise and comment on the job I've done.
that's what teachers are for.
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the result?

I somehow no longer find time to do the homeworks.

I am very sorry to have gone through this experience.

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on the mailing list however, I came up with the idea of setting up a blog where we can debate over the piece of writing. in the case of a invited-commenters-only version, privacy and publishing rights issues are not a problem.

the reply from the administrator of the mailing list was that there was a blog for this purpose, but it was not used.... well... it was not advertised among the members of the group.... it was not a really alive blog either :S

no other reply to my idea turned up on the list either.... :S

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so I keep on reading your blogs (listed on the right bar beside the body of the post), keep picking up information, experiences, hints and experiments about and with writing.

I write whenever I have to, and stick to it. that's all.

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how do you get sufficient feedback? what is your opinion about an appropriate feedback, anyway? :)

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cheers,

your bitter but faithful reader.

first draft

I've finished the first draft of Halo. this is official :)))

actually, I have finished it a day ago, but the last few words are a poem written by one of the characters, and I had to do some research and generally, I disliked the way the poem was first written.

now I'm kind of satisfied with it and now I'll relax my brain. my plan is to revise it within a couple of weeks.

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1. I understand that seeing a novel published is great a cause to celebrate one's authorship, but does finishing a draft have a same effect on you? do you celebrate it at all? I think this is highly personal... it depends on the writer as a person, and yes, this is what I'm interested in: people.

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in the meantime I'll be sure to check out Jason's new contest. there are always a great number of suprising, inspiring and outstanding short pieces. I'm looking forward to read my friends entries, but I am open to read and enjoy all sorts of ideas, style and theme.

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at the moment I have one idea in mind, that might make a nice poem as an entry, but I'll just see.

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2. are you planning to enter?

another full moon

this wonderful and inspirational photo was made by our next-garden neighbour.

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I'm working on Halo again. I hope to finish it quite soon. This evening, when the kids were finally in bed (it's still school holiday, so it's quite difficult to make them go to sleep...) so I was pouring myself some tea in the kitchen and my husband was brushing his teeth before going to bed, and he was about to talk to me, which he did, but with not much of a success, for I saw my MC sitting outside a lonely railway station - and you all know the feeling :)))

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you are invited to share some of these interesting spurs. tell us about a situation, funny/absurd/strange/normal as it may be, when inspiration hit you in the middle of something ELSE. like you were doing some shopping, but had to grab a pen and scribble a few words down on the shopping list for example. -