NaNoWriMo 2011 Day 30

Well today is the last day of the noveling marathon, known as National Novel Writing Month. Today is when you hammer that keyboard like a person possessed and make sure you get that word count. Well guess what ladies and gents: I WON! I MADE IT TO 50K! Man, and to think that I was about to quit a few days ago. Winning feels so great! I actually threw my hands up in the air and cheered when I saw that winner page. I did it! I actually did it! Going to ride this high for as long as it stays around. And the winner video was so great. It made me smile.

My story stayed on course for the most part. There were introduction of characters that I didn't really think of in the beginning. And there were certain rules to magic that kept inventing themselves the longer I kept writing. And then the ending changed, drastically. Of course, it's not a perfect story just yet. There is a tremendous amount of editing that has to be done to it before it becomes something that I would fall in love with it. But there is something there. I just have to sift around through all the ideas on those pages in order to find it.

I did get out to one actual write in this year. I do believe the virtual write ins were my saving grace, however. It was a way to do word wars and feel connected with my region, even though I wasn't able to get out and see them face to face. They definitely did a lot when it came to helping me get across that finish line. There were more than a few nights when I needed some encouragement in order to get my word count for the day. And that chat was a God send.

So what are my plans for this story now that November is over? Well, I am going to let it sit and marinate for a while. I don't know if it is something that I want to publish, or something I want to peel apart and reconstruct into a different story. I'm not 100% satisfied with it the way it is. I think this is the first time that I have said something like about any work that I have written for NaNoWriMo. But this time around was different feel anyway. The idea for the story came later than usual. And it came from a thought that had been in my mind from a very long time ago. I had written on single scene and had thought of two characters. And to take a vague idea like that one and start fleshing it into a 50,000 word work, there is bound to be some areas that aren't exactly what I want them to be.

So there you have it. Didn't really give the play by play of what the month of November has been like, but hopefully a large enough peek to be entertaining and/or informative. So, I will be taking a break from writing for a bit, just to give my brain some time to recoup from the week of catching up I just did. I am very much thinking about making December an art month. We will see if it happens or not.

I want to thank everyone who left comments. And I want to thank people for reading. I do a lot of blathering about nothing on this blog. Kind of nice to know that I'm not simply talking to myself.

NaNoWriMo 2011 Day 29

So many things have gotten in the way of me writing this novel, you just don't know. I will be writing about a few of them in later blog posts. I was ready to throw in the towel yesterday. I just knew that I would never be able to finish on time. But my Nashville WriMos just weren't going to hear any of that noise. I was told to put my fingers to the keyboard and get to typing. As of right now, I'm 5k away from hitting 50,000 words. That is so doable for me. I am so glad that I didn't give up. If I accomplish this, it will be my second win. And it will be so good, because I was able to do it when people told me that I wouldn't be able to.

Is my story a huge mess? Yep. Will it need more editing than any story I have ever written? Definitely. But I did it. I finished it. I pulled it out. And really, isn't that what NaNo is about? Well this post is going to be short because I have a lot of writing to finish between now and lights out tomorrow.

Congratulations to those who have already won. And to those who are still writing, don't give up. You still have one more day left.

Haven't played WoW in 3 months

So, I sat down and tried to figure out when the last time I actually jumped on WoW was. I don't really miss playing so much as I miss rping and messing around with my guildies online. I miss being part of the story arcs. And recently I found out that they ran one that I had even gone into dungeons and gotten rp clothes for. It all made me quite sad. They are an awesome group of people and I want to be in contact with them more. But my world forbids it. I just don't have enough time. And I don't like the idea of paying for something that I don't have enough time for.

It's so odd. A few months ago, I was all nervous about trying to find a guild that I liked and now I can't even play with them. I was so twisted about trying to find a good story hook for my character and I can't play it out. Don't know whether I am more sad about not being able to finish out what I started or that I wasted so much time and energy being worried over something that was never going to happen anyway.

So I heard about the Pandera class that was going to be added. I suppose I am of two minds about that. I think the class is a cool addition. I wouldn't mind playing a fluffy bear. But do I want to pay another $50 for that expansion pack? Not really. Not for bears. But knowing me, I will blindly buy any Blizzard product just because they own my soul and I have no other choice but to buy these things.

I want to get back into WoW some time soon. I just have no idea when that time is going to be. Life is just crowding out everything that I want to do. Free time is usually saved for other things that have higher rank at this point. My guild is cool about it. They totally understand that RL is priority. Doesn't mean that I don't miss the crap out of them.

Anyway, I suppose I should go back to working on my novel and studying and all those other things that get my time. I miss you, WoW, I really do.

NaNoWriMo Day 12

So yesterday was the first day that I didn't hit word count on my NaNovel. I was tired and just couldn't get those final words on the paper. Plus I think I'm a bit hung up. I suppose I could write through it or I could sit and plot through it before actually writing it down. I have gotten to the part of the story that needs more planning, but I don't actually have the time for it. I feel like now I'm just writing pieces and wondering if it will fit or if I am going to chuck it out later. I guess I don't like the thought of entire ideas being axed out of my story. If I write it, I want it to stay. However, at this stage, I'm not sure that everything I am writing down will be part of this story or another that will come after this one.

I like my story and I like my characters, so those are always good signs. I just wish that I was a little tighter on how the story is supposed to progress. I am writing and it feels like I'm living big gaping holes to be filled in at some other time. Now I normally do that when writing, especially something lengthy. But this time around, I feel like I have a lot of holes that I have to go back and fill. And I do mean a lot. Not exactly a huge fan of having to do that.

People and places still don't have names yet. The book still doesn't have a title. But what it does have is over 17,700 words. So obviously there is a good story amidst all of that. Just going to keep hammering away at it and see what comes of it. Worst thing that could happen is that it gets sat on the shelf after I am done with it. Best thing, I could polish it into something amazing!

Probably will try and catch up to the 20,000 mark today. I'm in a bit of a creative mood.

NaNoWriMo Day 8

So it is Week 2. Right at that point where all the excitement of starting a novel slowly wanes a bit and now you have to dig in and make yourself write your 1667 words a day. I was definitely starting to feel the amount of motivation I had for this story starting to leak out a bit. Sitting and writing was becoming more of a fight than it had when I first started. So what did I do to fix it? I went to a write in.

I am very lucky to have a very active NaNo Region. We have several write ins a week and for those who can't get to the physical write in, there is a chat room where we can sit and talk while we write. We even do word wars. I forgot just how much I can get written during a word war.

So right after I got out from clinic, I took myself and my computer to the meeting spot and sat down. I saw some old faces, I saw some new faces. It just pretty great to be with people who were doing the same as me, clacking away on their computers, hammering out those stories.The chat room is pretty helpful, especially when it is later at night and I need that little spurt of energy to keep me going until I get all my words in for the day.

So how is the story going so far? Well I did hit a patch where things were starting to get boring. And if I'm bored, then I know that no one is going to want to read it. The story was just starting to become a walk through the every day school life of my MC. And really, what is the fun in that? So I was advised to start some conflict, that would bring the interest back into the story. I took that advice and ran with it. My MC has so far gotten into to verbal fights and a physical fight. I am in the process of writing another verbal. His being timid is definitely not working in his favor at this point.

One of the problems that I'm having right now is that I vaguely know what I want to happen when it comes to story progression, but I don't have it solidly pinned down just yet. And I want to write a story where clues to what is going to happen at the climax have been laced all through out the story. However, if I'm not clear on how things are going to be in the end, I can't lay down those clues. It sort of frustrates me.

Also, I don't have concrete rules on how magic works in this world. I can tell that there is a basis of it somewhere in the recesses of my brain, but it is not fully there yet. Again, something else that frustrates me. I can tell that this is going to need so much editing once this month is over. But, can't think about that now. Now, I just write and write and write some more.

50K or bust!

NaNoWriMo 2011 Day 5

So, I have made it to the weekend. Hooray for small victories. So far, I have been keeping up with word counts, even going a smidge over for some cushion. That and  the scene I am writing hasn't quite ended by the time I reach the number allotted for the day.

Already hitting a few snares in the story. First, I thought that the MC's mother was going to have more of a role in the story. However, I ended up killing her within the first few pages. So, not as much of a role as I had originally planned. And then a new character popped up, out of the blue. I don't know where she came from. The recesses of my subconscious, I suppose. Anyway, she has suddenly become integral in the beginning and I have this nagging feeling that we are going to see her again. Why and how still remains a mystery.

There are a few things going on with the story that are bugging me. First off, my inner editor is banging her tin cup on the bars of the cell that I have locked her away in for the month. There are times where it feels like it is taking every ounce of restraint I have to not go back and start editing from the beginning. Knowing I could have written that better, chosen better wording, arranged the scene better. I have to force myself to keep plodding ahead. And there are times when I want to go back and cut entire paragraphs and start over. But editing is for December.

I feel like my story is meandering around before it actually finds itself and what it is supposed to be doing. It was the same way with my 2009 NaNovel. I think I was 30 pages in before the adventure idea I had planned out actually started. It wasn't a boring story (at least I don't think it was) but it just took a while to start off on the adventure part. So does that mean I shouldn't worry, the good stuff is coming, or am I writing things that aren't needed. Again, editing.

Not sure how I feel about my MC either. I feel like I have taken every flaw and insecurity that I have and wrapped them in a nice little bow and named them Hawke. I feel like this guy would jump at the site of his own shadow. He is just awkward and timid and overly polite for no reason. I don't like it. He feels...wrong. This is not the way I wanted him to be. Yeah, I wanted him to be slightly apprehensive, but instead of just sprinkling it in, I might have knocked to the whole pepper shaker into the mix. Again, not sure how to reign that in and fix it. Maybe the more I get out on paper it will somehow right itself.

I haven't been able to make any of my regions write ins. I am hoping that things will go better the second week when it comes to that. Keeping my fingers crossed. I get so much more done when I go to a write in. And it just more fun to write. Anyway, back to the grind. Balancing writing this novel and getting a presentation together for class. Hooray, my life rocks.

NaNoWriMo 2011 Day 1

And we're off! Okay, have to admit, I had no idea how this whole story was going to start off. Definitely not the feeling you want to have when you are about to start a 50k word work. But the moment I opened up Word and wrote the first line, the story just took off and I decided to follow it. I have no idea what the title of this story is going to be called yet. I'm hoping that will come to me when I have gotten some more of this story written.

I am actually amazed at what started tumbling out on the paper. I really had no idea all of that was in my head. Seems like I have subconsciously put together a lot of story and it didn't come out until I started typing. Things like were people lived, the look of the place they lived in, the dynamics between characters, etc. I love this part of writing, when you are discovering your characters and their world. Sometimes what I write comes as surprise me, even though I have sat down and plotted out so much. And I can't wait to have more of those moments.

So what is my story about? I guess I should at least give you that if you are reading this blog. It's fantasy, because that seems to be my love when it comes to writing. Basically it's going to be a story about a boy who is found to be somewhat of a magic prodigy. He has to leave his comfort zone and slowly excel as a mage/wizard/sorcerer/whatever I'm going to call it when I get there. I want to play around with the idea of how being the best and being leader means that you are alone. And how does one deal with being set apart, especially if it was not a voluntary choice. I want to look how Hawke (main character) interacts with others when he is beyond them, thinking 5 steps ahead of everyone else. And I want to look at how others react to him.

I also want to play around with the rules and perceptions of magic. I am hoping that this will be fun little experiment and see where it goes. I do have more plans for Hawke as he gets older. Plans that will probably not be able to fit into one book. (Because I can never plan one book. I always to have to shoot for the sagas)

So that is it for tonight. I am super sleepy. I am hoping to at least do one blog a week and keep them interesting. Until then, let's keep those noveling machines going!