Tag Archives: NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo, Interrupted

24 Nov

Life is what happens when one is making other plans, or so the saying goes.

Due to unforeseen circumstances (proving yet again I am not psychic), I had to quickly find a job. Fortunately, Amazon.com has a fulfillment center nearby which needs bodies for seasonal positions. Win-win.

Anyway, I am now working overnights. Between the physical demands of a warehouse job and normal family stuff, I have no energy left for writing. I refuse to feel guilty for this. Life happens.

I’ve written 32,000 words of the Baroness’ life, and I will come back to her. She has taken on a life and nobility that compels me. Once I have more than three free brain cells at a time.

 

 

To be continued….after Christmas….

Zzzzzzzzz.

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NaNo Update the Third

17 Nov

Here we are, halfway through the month, and I am not behind!

My rather formal alien heroine has delivered at least one quality insult and witnessed a shocking public execution. From her starting point of fearful self-control, she has matured, gaining a measure of wisdom and self-confidence.

I like her; she is both strange and familiar, and I enjoy finding out what she will do next.

One of characters I thought was a main villain may turn into a reluctant ally. The main villain came out of nowhere several chapters ago. He is wickedly arrogant, extremely irritating, and perhaps psychotic. His worst trait, at least to my heroine, is that he has no honor.

27,558 words down; 22,442 to go.

Onward! Up the word count!

 

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NaNoWriMo Update #2

10 Nov

Sunday has rolled around again, so it’s time for another update from the Ft. O Panera write-in.

I’ve written just over 18,000 words of my alien memoire so far this month. Yay!  Caffeine is a lovely thing.

Today, I’ve lost two word wars, and we’re about to start a third. They helped, though, carrying me through an action scene where I knew the heroine had to save the life of the villainess. I didn’t know how, though, and was totally shocked to discover it happened by my heroine killing someone else.

New conflict! Excellent!

Good luck, fellow NaNos!

Up the word count!

 

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NaNoWriMo Update

3 Nov

Today is Sunday, November 3.

Here I sit at my local Panera  for the first Write-In of the month. One of the other Nano writers from Chattanooga actually beat me here: London Boyd. We’ve both exceeded our word goals so far; she’s about double, and I’m only ahead by a few hundred. Still.

I’m excited about where my story is going and about how the world and characters are unfolding. Some of the details (such as how my heroine prefers fresh, raw lizards to spicy dried ones) have surprised me.

One obvious lack in my planning is my failure to map my world. As a result, I end up guessing about where things are and having to name locations on the fly. Next time, I’ll know better.

Onward! Up the word count!

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The Looming NaNoWriMo

29 Oct

Today is October 29.

In just three days, another round of NaNoWriMo begins.

Aaaaaaagh!

Last year, I attempted NaNo for the first time and was, surprisingly, successful. Of course, my daughter and I had a wager (a box of Godiva) riding on the outcome, so that may have had something to do with it. WILL WRITE FOR CHOCOLATE. I should have that printed on a t-shirt or something.

I am better prepared this time around. Last time I didn’t know preplanning was allowed. Now I have my outline set up in a Scrivener file and have already done some basic background work on the alien who will be my protagonist. I won’t be trying to research World War II Yugoslavia AND write 1,667 words a day. I am also more able to turn off my internal editor on rough drafts.

Unfortunately, this year I have more people commitments that I can’t just drop. It worries me a little. I hope I am now a faster rough-draft writer so that I can make my daily word counts, but I wonder. Do I really have 50,000 words to say from the alien Baroness’s point of view? Can I make her decision truly agonizing? And believable?

And why in this universe do I seem to be drawn to psychological/philosophical conflicts of this nature?

In any case, my goal is to post here each Sunday evening with an update of my progress and one other time during the week with a bit of backstory for Ahbee’s Universe.

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