NaNoWriMo: Day 30 - The End or is it?

I WON! And I managed it before midnight. I'm both shocked and impressed at myself. Considering that the first and only other time I won I actually crossed the finish line around 5 am after a 5 hour/10.5k sprint...oops did I just say that aloud? Yes, I'll admit it. I only won my first time because I set the timezone back like 6 hours. So this time was an official win (If you don't count that I started 6k into a story, though I did not count the 6k toward NaNo. I promise I didn't.)

As for my story, I didn't finish the second novella, though I think it will be done before another 5k has passed. The story decided it wanted to start the climax today. Means I have an interesting point to start at tomorrow. Yes, I said tomorrow. While snooping around on Angela's blog I found this little contest/idea for writing a certain number words a day. I chose the 500 word option because I don't know if I could keep up 1k during the holidays. So, click on the icon in the sidebar if you want more information. And, while you're at it, go check out Angela's blog.

On another note, I'll be continuing in the Birth of a Novel blog chain at least until I finish my story. Several of the others are continuing it as well so make sure to check their blogs out. (Look below for links).

One more piece of news before I sign off. This is my 100th post! I could hardly believe it when I looked at my post count. Yay! Hopefully it won't take almost 4 years for me to reach 200. :) So, I change around the blog a bit to modify it more toward a polished look. Look for more content from now on.

Words written today: 3,774

Words total: 50,058!

As you know, tomorrow I start the Picture Countdown to Christmas. Look forward to it!

Until next time!

Blog Chain People:

Angela H.
Anna M.
Brooke Busse
Charity Bradford
Elizabeth Davis
Elizabeth Poole
Fida Islaih
Huntress
Jen McConnel
Lena Hoppe
Mia Hayson
Miranda Hardy
Nyxie Moon
Tessa C
Zoe

NaNoWriMo: Day 29/Birth of a Novel #4

Excellent progress today! I set a new record for this month with my 4k written today. Now, I just have to pull off 3.7k tomorrow and then I'll win! *chants* I can do it, I can do it, I can do it. I really empathized with Lindsey Grant's pep talk today when she talked about feeling like "The Little Engine that Could" because I've been feeling like that all of today.

Words written today: 4,033

Total words: 46,284

Words behind: 2,049

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 28

Well....today I backslid again....Around 1k words written which means I'll have a little less than 4k to write on each of the last two days. It sounds like I might have to sacrifice my usual tv shows tomorrow night. It depends on how much I can cram into the afternoon.

Oh, I nearly forgot. I should mention that I had a brainwave on how novella #2 should end, so I do know where this story is going now. And I planned out the sequel. :D "Jump #3 - Atlantis" has now been greenlit.

Words written today: 1,032

Words total: 42,251

Words behind: 4,415

On a sweeter note, I leave you with the video which caused my distraction earlier this evening and started my destructive, downward spiral of video hopping in which I discovered a new musical group that I might have to add to my favorites (look below for one of their videos if you dare) and which led to my writing so few words today.

(Click here for promotional/music video for Shine since I couldn't embed it)

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 27

Another day of meeting and exceeding my 3k quota for the day! Looks like whatever I'm doing differently is working, though I'm still procrastinating. I again wrote 3k in the last 2 1/2 hours before midnight. I'll try to do a little better tomorrow. But at least my average is now down to less than 3k per day.

Words written today: 3,743

Total words: 41,219

Words behind: 3,781

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 26

Yee-haw for starting to get back on track! I intended to write 5k today, but I only managed just over 3k but that's still enough. I'm to the point where I have to write over 3k a day to make it, but I'm making sure to write more than I need so my last day will be easier. Now I just need to keep this up.

Things have started to turn for the worse for my MC. And I just got to kill off the annoying creep from novella #1! Yeah, the first time I kill of a character I almost cried, but this creep was satisfying to kill. What does that say about me the writer? I'm not quite sure.

Also, I have an exciting announcement to make today. I have decided to redo an old post countdown I did the first year I had this blog. And that is.....(drum roll please)....a pictorial countdown to Christmas! I will post one picture a day that has some connection to Christmas, the festivities, or preparations. I'll try to add some poetry or something to go along with the pictures this time around. Look forward to the first post on December 1st! And while you wait, go look at the first pictorial countdown I did back in 2008. Enjoy!

Words written today: 3,249

Total words: 37,476

Words behind: 5,857

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 25

My goal for today? Write 3k! Actual writing count? A few hundred. How pathetic is that? It's getting to critical point on how behind I am. I think the graph is hovering around 3k per day to finish on time? Help?

Words written today: 491

Total words: 34,227

Words behind: 7,439

On a lighter note (literally) I leave you with this amazing video I found. I nearly died from bliss. The pianist/composer is top notch and he's arranged an amazing piece.

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 23, Day 24 and Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Or turkey day, or any other nickname you have for it. Mine was full of food and tinged with sadness (see my last post about Anne McCaffrey). And it was lacking writing. Yes, I'll admit it, I still haven't stopped slacking for writing and it's getting me further and further behind. I need to do something about that, like actually write.

Words written the past two days: 328

Total words: 33,736

Words behind: 6,264

Until next time...

In Memory of Anne McCaffrey

It was with great sadness that I checked my email this morning to find the news that Anne McCaffrey had passed away from a stroke on Monday. Her books were the beginning of many things for me, not the least of which was the beginning of my experiments in the sci-fi genre. "The Harper Hall of Pern" was my first introduction to her writings. Since I am a musician, the trilogy struck deep chords within me, especially "Dragonsong" and "Dragonsinger". To this day, it is still my favorite. From there I found the rest of her Pern series, coming to love "Dragonsdawn" for its explanation of how Pern began and "Dolphins of Pern" for its open door to the limitless possibilities of Pern's future.

Once I ran out of Pern books to read, I began hunting down her other books. I still haven't read the Acorna series or any of the ones she co-authored, but I found a few special loves in her military sci-fi short stories. (Her futuristic Cinderella at a military ball particularly caught my fancy.) Anne McCaffrey's range in sci-fi from bordering on fantasy to military/technical was amazing to me. She showed me how sci-fi didn't have to be boring science facts, but rather a fantastical story based in speculative fact.

Usually, one finds detailed world building prominent in fantasy but not elsewhere. However, Anne McCaffrey was an amazing world builder. She wasn't content to build one sci-fi world and write all her stories in it. She built a new one for each series, though with similar points so that one could almost connect all her stories into facets of the same universe.

All of us - readers, acquaintances, family - will miss her. The words of her character Menolly sum it up best:

The tears I feel today

I'll wait to shed tomorrow.

Though I'll not sleep this night

Nor find surcease from sorrow.

My eyes must keep their sigh:

I dare not be tear-blinded.

I must be free to talk

Not choked with grief, clear-minded.

My mouth cannot betray

The anguish that I know.

Yes, I'll keep my tears till later:

But my grief will never go.

--Menolly's "Song for Petiron" (Dragonsinger)

Every time I make a beeline for the M section in the library or bookstore, I'll remember her in the brief moment when I see the name "Todd" preceding "McCaffrey" instead of "Anne". Each time I read one of her books, she'll live again for a moment. She'll always be there, never forgotten.

Harper, tell me of the road

That leads beyond this Hold,

That wends its way beyond the hill...

Does it go further on until

It ends in sunset's gold?

--(Dragonsinger)

Until next time.

NaNoWriMo: Day 22/Birth of a Novel #3

Thanksgiving preparations really suck out all the time I use for writing. There's extra chores to do, extra cooking, extra everything which equals less time to write. And that all leads to my presenting another awful word count for today. Oh well, at least I wrote something. I did accomplish one significant thing, and that was naming that new character I mentioned two days ago. His name is Bladevik. It'll suffice for right now, until either I find a better name or he grows into the name.

On a more interesting note, I thought I'd present the synopses for the NaNo novellas I'm writing. It's past time that I should do so.

Jump 1:

Sarah Flynn is your average, young American just out of college. Setting off to teach English in a Japanese school is her idea of an adventure, but it turns into much more when a time portal whisks her away to Japan's past. Over 100 years in the past, she struggles to adapt to a foreign culture and just when she starts to fit in, soldiers sweep into the village. Now she finds herself labelled as a primitive and imprisoned by the walls surrounding the town. She isn't allowed to leave and her chances of returning to the portal grow slimmer each day. Sarah must fight her way out of the physical and social constraints that bind her to the past in order to return to the future.

Jump 2:

Sarah Flynn has made it home, or so she thinks. When a man from her time in the past turns up, she begins to realize that something is very wrong. What will she do when she finds out that home is only an illusion?

So, the first synopsis is a true one (since I've completely written it and know what happens) and the second one just covers how much I know/have written. (And no, Bladevik isn't the man from the past. That's a different guy who sort of turned creeper/stalker of his own accord.)

Words written today: 109

Total words: 33,448

Words behind: 3,218

Until next time.

NaNoWriMo: Day 21

I never realized before just how busy a person can be. I had too many other things to do today that I didn't even get a single word written. I'll have to put my hopes on catching up tomorrow.

Words written today: 0

Total words: 33,339

Words behind: 1,661

Until next time.

NaNoWriMo: Day 20

Finally, I've caught up! And today I introduced my main secondary character who might be villain or victim. He hasn't told me what he is yet so I'll find out later. Maybe I can think up a name for him along the way cause he doesn't have a name yet.

It's quite exhilarating to looks at my stats chart on the NaNo site and see that I have 16,661 words left. It feels like those words will be easy to write in 10 days. I feel like I can do this!

Words written today: 2,260

Total words: 33,339

Words ahead: 6

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 19

Today, I discovered that I'm back up to my old and faster writing speed! Yay! Just when I needed a boost. This'll help me keep up my flagging spirits as I sprint along the last two weeks of NaNo. It's all downhill from here now that I've passed 30k. Oh and my movie I get to watch because of passing 30k? Captain America! If I can find it...

Words written today: 2,029

Total words: 31,079

Words behind: 587

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 18

And I didn't end up catching up today, though I did start Novella #2 today. But I made sure to write more than the daily goal of 1,667. That way I'll catch up bit by bit while I keep the pace. Now off to six short hours of sleep before I have to get up for choir practice/dress rehearsal tomorrow morning.

Words written today: 1,747

Total words: 29,050

Words behind: 950

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 16 and 17

So, it's been slow writing these past few days. I'm still behind on the daily word count. And, due to computer malfunctions and the upcoming choir concert plus rehearsals, it'll probably be a while before I can catch up. If I can't catch up on Friday then I probably won't be able to until Monday.

However, I have good news to report! I just finished the first novella! I think that's the only reason I was able to write nearly 2k today. It feels good to be done. But now I need to dig up the sequel and start work on that.

Day 16:

Words written today: 307

Total words: 25,355

Fights with computer: 10+

Day 17:

Words written today: 1,948

Total words: 27,303

Words behind: 1,030

Choir shirts sewn: 1

Choir rehearsals attended: 1

Fights with computer: 2

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 15/Birth of a Novel #2

The long and short of it is that I didn't get anything written today. Technically I'm not behind due to my awesome sprints of the past few days, but I don't like riding this close to the line between on schedule and behind. I wish I had something more wonderful to report (like the finishing of novella #1) but that will have to wait.

It feels a bit weird to be posting about finishing up a story right now when all the NaNo pep talks are about how the first two weeks are the honeymoon and the last two are the hardest. So while others are trying not to fall out of love with their stories, I'll be beginning anew with a fresh and (as it seems right now) more interesting story.

I know once I finish my current novella I'm not going to look at it for a very long time. The poor thing's going to be covered with marks when I finally get back around to editing it. But at least I'll have finished the first draft of it which is an accomplishment. Firequeen, my first NaNo novel, is the only one that has made it all the way to 2nd draft and I didn't even win with that one. I aim to change that this year!

Words written today: 0
Total words: 25,048
Words ahead: 48

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 14

The end of week 2. It's hard to believe that 14 days have passed during this crazy month of writing. And the good news? I crossed the halfway point today! Now, if my characters would quit taking detours, I might actually finish the first novella tomorrow....

Words written today: 2,544
Total words: 25,048
Words ahead: 1,715

I'm still trying to catch up to a 2k per day average. I'll get there eventually.

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 12 and 13

Why didn't I post yesterday? Because I was procrastinating so badly that I didn't go to bed till 4 am this morning. Which means I just plain forgot to post. Oh well. It was bad news anyway. I wrote very little on day 12. Now, today, day 13, was very lucky for being such an unlucky number. You don't believe me? Just take a look at these numbers!

Day 12:
Words written: 1,000
Total words: 19,402

Day 13:
Words written today: 3,102 (go me!)
Total words: 22,504
Words ahead: 838

My excuse for the 1k written on Saturday? I vacuumed the entire house, cleaned the bathroom and cooked myself a time consuming supper. So I did accomplish something.

Also, I accomplished something even better Friday night after I posted on here. I had a brainwave about how I would develop a character and end the novella! So, the end is in sight! I didn't finish it like I thought I would this weekend, but I can feel it coming. And the result of developing that character? My MC now has a stalker/overly forward employer whose creepiness is going to end up with....well...I think I'll keep the end a secret. Once I've written the end, I'll tell you how it turned out since there's still one more question to solve at the very end concerning the stalker/creepy employer.

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 11

*cue happy dance* I'm back into the writing saddle! And I'm not behind anymore. Well, not according to the daily goal on my profile's stat graph. Now, if I was counting according to my usual of 2k per day then I'm still behind by about 3,600 words. But I'll catch that up later. Today was a good day!

Words written today: 3,251
Total words: 18,402
Words ahead: 69

Now, that's a far cry from my goal of hitting 20k today, but at least I caught up. I'll hit 20k tomorrow (and hopefully 21k as well). I just won't get to watch a movie as a reward since I used that up tonight. "The Court Jester" with Danny Kaye is hilarious and kept me in stitches the entire time. Tis a good watch and I would recommend it highly.

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 10

Another day gone and no more writing accomplished. So I'm officially behind, but not by much. Now, I'm going to try to "catch up" to the daily goal before I go to bed so technically when I go to sleep I won't be behind but that hasn't happened yet. Add to that I want to count what I write towards Friday's goal and I have less motivation to count it towards Thursday.
If you haven't dropped by the Word Wars, Prompts and Sprints area on the NaNoWriMo forums you might not have seen that someone came up with the idea to write 11,111 words on 11/11/11 (111,111 being considered overmuch). I shall try though I know I probably won't pass 5 or 6k max since I've been writing so slow on this novella. Hence why I want to count as much towards it as I can. My goal for tomorrow? Hit 20k! (If you can't tell, I'm in a much better mood than I was earlier today).

So, words written today: 0
But, powerpoints completed: 1
And, 2 1/2 hour choir rehearsals completed: 1 (I was squeaking by the end though)

Now, onto writing!

Until next time!

PS: Make sure to visit the other people in the blog chain!

Angela H.
Anna Mittower
Brooke Busse
Charity Bradford
Elizabeth Davis
Elizabeth Poole
Fida Islaih
Huntress
Lena Hoppe
Mia Hayson
Miranda Hardy
Nyxie Moon
Tessa C
Zoe

NaNoWriMo: Day 8 and 9 Recap in Birth of a Novel #1

I come before you with great trembling to post the results of the past two days. In a word - abysmal. The only good part? I was two days ahead in words count so I could afford to slack off for the past two days. So what did I accomplish?

Day 8:
Words written: 149
Research done: 1 book on noren vs. kicho vs. towels
Helpful writing sites discovered: 1 (thanks to Charity for that distraction)
Other distractions: A lot....

Day 9:
Words written on novel: 0
Words written when jotting down a weird dream from that morning: 600
Free writing books downloaded and begun reading: 7 (you can get the FREE books here on the writer's digest site until the 12th)
Costume distractions: 1 (which turned into plans for next year's comic con)
Powerpoints begun: 1
Doctor Who episodes watched: 1 ("Blink" related to above costume)

Total words unwritten over the two days: 3,849
Number of daydreams interspersed between above activities: countless....

In other words, I've kept myself busy over the past two days with every thing except writing. Of course, some of it wasn't just fun stuff. The powerpoint (which I have to finish up today) is for my mom's presentation she's giving on Saturday. It's just inconveniently timed.

The dream went into my story ideas folder (and it was really, really weird). I think it may have be inspired by the new dystopian, sci-fi anime "Guilty Crown" I was watching before NaNo started and in whose world I've been daydreaming ever since.

Also, thoughts have been festering over the past few days about how bad I'm writing this draft and how I've no clue when or how the end will come. My sentences are too choppy and simple and I've been beating myself over how many 'had's I'm using to tell instead of show....Not good thoughts to be having.

And the solutions are? 1) Force myself to write today and 2) Finish the novella over the weekend (because it's just that close to being done).

Obstacles in the way of said solutions? 1) Finishing that powerpoint, 2) Practicing for the 3) choir rehearsal tonight which is going until it is done meaning it'll take 3-4 hours. I won't get home until 11 pm-12 am which means no time for writing after rehearsal/supper...

I've got a lot of work to do today and not enough time to do it.

Oh, and this is my first official post for the Birth of a Novel blog ring (the reason why I spruced up the blog). What a lovely rant to start off with. I had planned to be upbeat, optimistic, post my synopsis and generally not try to scare new readers off. But oh well. Since I'm running short on time I'll post the others in the blog ring in the post later today of what I manage to accomplish (which I won't get to till after midnight).

Until next time....or should I say later today?

NaNoWriMo: Day 7

And the plot thickens! Or least my MC now has to find a job which she may have. I have no clue if the job will be permanent. I'll find that out tomorrow!
Today I made it to 15k which means I wrote 3k or close to it. The write in was fun even though it was long and only one person showed up. But hey, I sat myself down and made myself write. That's got to count for something.
I've made it one week in and kept a fast, steady pace. There's hope for me now. :)

Words written today: 2,985
Total words: 15,002
Words ahead: 3,336

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 6

I cut it close again today. I made it to my 2k word goal barely 9 minutes before midnight. But the point is that I made it. And I left the plot hanging on purpose so I'd have a fun part to write tomorrow. She's stolen a map and two guards block her way across the bridge. Can she get back across the river before the sun dawns and she's found? Heehee. As I said, a fun point to start back up on tomorrow.
I'm leading a write-in for my area tomorrow and since I'll be there overlong (around 6-7 hours) I'm aiming for 3k at least if not 4 or 5k. Good luck to me! :)

Words written today: 1,878
Total words: 12,017
Words ahead: 2,017

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 5

10k! I just passed 10k! *dances happily around the room* True I only hit it 6 minutes before midnight, but I made it! And that means that I can have my reward: eating a candy apple while watching Alice in Wonderland! The plot is still crawling along, but I just dropped some important information into a story a character told. I would be surprised if this story even reaches 25k, but that's why I have the sequel already lined up. And no, I'm not going to tell you what the sequel is about! Not yet, at least.

Words written today: 2,082
Total words: 10,139
Words ahead: 1,806

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 4 and a New Blog Design!

If you haven't noticed, I changed around my blog today. This sprucing up is so the blog doesn't look so boring. The reason for this will be posted next Tuesday. Look forward to it!
Day 4.....was the hardest yet! Let me explain. Yesterday, I reached the end of the first plot arc in the story so I wrote fast fueled by the excitement of the climax. Today, I started arc or part 2. I didn't even know that this part would exist but it forced itself into existence. And let me tell you, it was a rough forcing. After much fishtailing, I think I've figured out which direction it's wanting to go however it was a hard slog to get even 2k today. But I forced myself to keep the pace and I'm glad I did. The writing should pick up from here on. Well, in this part at least.

Word written today: 2,025
Total words: 8,057
Words ahead: 1,391

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 3

It is now the third day of my successful NaNoWriMo attempt! I am keeping the pace of 2,000 words a day so we'll see where that takes me. On another note, I read up about the new Alice in Wonderland that came out last year and I think it looks very interesting. I like how they've styled it as a sequel. And so, watching that movie will be my reward for hitting 10,000 words on time (preferably on day 5 though).

Words written today: 1,995
Total words: 6,032
Words ahead: 1,032

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 2

I am very, very pleased with myself today. I caught up and more! Also, the action is just about to accelerate into all out war.....Quite the convenient stopping place, wouldn't you say?

Word written today: 2,820!
Total words: 4,037
Words ahead: 704

Though I shall try to write 2,000 words a day as an average. I want to finish this first story and get to the sequel soon because it'll be fun and easier to write.

Until next time!

NaNoWriMo: Day 1

As many of you may know, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) takes place in November. And this will be my fifth time attempting it. Hopefully that will include my 2nd win as well but only time will tell. But for why I'm posting. I wish to keep myself accountable to the daily word requirements because I am notoriously bad at keeping them. So here goes nothing.

Word written today: 1,217
Total words: 1,217
Total words behind: 450

Now to catch up tomorrow.

Until next time....