Category Archives: Novel Writing

Unknown's avatar

What Now?

by

This book thing kept me motivated to blog. Now, I’m going to put it in a lock-box for the rest of the month, to start the editing process come the new year, with new perspective. Maybe that makes you happy, since that wasn’t all that exciting. Maybe that makes you want to cry. I doubt it, but thanks.

So what will it be now? The good news is I think I’m getting better and better at remembering things to write. The bad news is I’m leaving and won’t be back until after New Years, by that time everyone will forget all about me. Sigh.

On the plane home last night, I read an article that got me thinking. Of all people, it was about Nicole Kidman. She said,” Your life can have mystery. I don’t really want to understand it all; that’s fine by me. I can go to my deathbed and not have a complete understanding of myself.”

I like that thought. Completely different than any thought that would EVER cross my mind, but then again, I never married Tom Cruise.

tom cruise freakout
www.defamer.com

Unknown's avatar

I (Almost) Wrote A Book

by

I can FEEL it.

It’s so close, it’s scary.

That’s all I can think of to say. Tomorrow, I will be telling you words I have been waiting years to say.

I WROTE A BOOK.

(That was the practice run, of course) 😉

Yes, a whole book. A novel. 50,000 words, 11 chapters, three points of view.

This is incredible.

satisfaction guaranteed
www.cityboytees.com

Whoa.

And on the other hand, it’s almost all over! Wow happy and sad. Cue the bittersweet music. I think I finally realized that I, am, and was meant to be, a writer.

Unknown's avatar

Success, I Like…

by

In the words of Borat, “This book is good not.”

borat thumbs up
www.themol.typepad.com

I’m a little lost. Where was I? Did I already write about this? Where is that one part? What happens next? Are we in a comedy or tragedy? Who wants a happy ending? Where’s my coffee? Does this computer have a spell check or what? How do you forget how to type in ten days? Will they really know if I just copy the whole thing into the word counter twice? Is 3,000 words too many about a hang nail?

Just kidding on that last one. Although…

That’s just the beginning. Connecticut gets me going, each time I’m home, I want to move up and stay. I miss my family so much. All five of us played pool ’till the wee morning hours. I’ve learned where I get the skill to completely miss any ball on the table, thanks mom. I’ve learned that my brothers are as refined in the art of smack-talk as I am, way to go C and C. I want to be a good daughter and just relax but I get all excited and talk and talk – I’m a dork.

But I feel normal. I can be myself as annoying as that is and know that even if mom and dad are going to bed in the next room telling each other that they don’t know where I get it from and I’m an idiot that at least they still love me. Even if my book sucks.

Unknown's avatar

ABC Owes Me A Day

by

It’s worse than sabotage! ABC has an internet website where you can watch TV. I’ve seen episodes of, well, everything. There’s only like two commercials an episode, and it’s like crack and I can’t stop.

TV on the internet. I love it. All caught up.

abc
www.images.usatoday.com

Since that took up most of my morning, okay, and afternoon, I’ll be attempting the unthinkable – 10,000 words in 5 hours. I know it won’t happen, but we’ll all see how close I get.

I’m leaving for Vegas tomorrow, and we all know that’s the beginning of the end when it comes to this book, finishing – or at least getting ahead- early is crucial.

I’ll keep you posted. I think my average has been about 1,000 words an hour, and so I guess if I make it half way to my goal I’ll have to be pleased.

We’ll see!!!

Unknown's avatar

The New Issue

by

I’m almost done. Not with the word count, but with the story. I busted out about 6000 words in the past day and a half, and realized that that barely puts me half way to the word count goal, and I’ve pretty much told my story. How is this possible? I know that sometimes I’m blunt, but I think I’ve been doing a heck of a job describing the weather, the neighborhood, the drama…I guess the plot is flat. I thought it was going well as it came to me and got better as I wrote, secrets and deceptions just entered as if on their own. I must need more.

So, I’m going to have to either go back in there and spice things up a bit, or well, I don’t know what. Un-do contracted words? Call everyone by their full names? Give them hobbies that require a lot of description? Have them all write letters to their congressmen?

Now accepting ideas for the 20,000 words I’m going to come up short…

By the way, we leave Thursday for Las Vegas, so I need those ideas yesterday. Thanks.

school house rocks
www.dvdmedia.ign.com

Unknown's avatar

Why I Write

by

We (finally) went and saw Stranger than Fiction. (I mentioned it forever ago). What a cool movie. It reminded me why I’m doing all this. Why I quit my job, why I am trying to get 50,000 words on paper in 30 like 15 days. I think like a book.

Believe me I know that I am perpetually inarticulate and surface in person. I can’t lie. But you wouldn’t exactly want to be at a bar with me and have me spouting descriptions of the soft flowing breeze that I notice drawing itself to you from the ceiling fan covered in lint that makes you wiggle your nose in a gesture you think no one notices that makes you a delight in my eyes and the ones of those around you.

I’m just saying.

So I’m an idiot in person. I don’t say or do the right things.

In a novel, I can put on whatever music I want, and make people do anything. And it can mean something. I can have things I can’t in real life. I can be thought provoking, make characters that let you know I’m more insightful than you know.
The story to the movie wasn’t what spoke to me, it was the descriptions. That’s how I think. It’s in my veins, and now it’s my job to take that, make it travel to the tips of my fingers and to the laptop I complain about and beat occasionally.

That is why I want to be a writer.

happy
www.humour.com

Unknown's avatar

Blame It On Football*

by

Once again, the day was spent not writing. We went to a “Hollyweird” Anniversary Party last night at a production studio, but I was still up at 8 am. Whoo me, right? Well, we decided to go get groceries and breakfast tacos (Rudy’s Rules!!!) and clean the house and watch three hours of football.

UT is on at 7 tonight and a few people might come over, so there’s even more time for me to procrastinate. I got all the way past 18,000 words last night (the condition to be able to go out) but I’m still so far behind.

I might be happy when this month is over.

*This was posted yesterday, but didn’t show up right…so I’m still unofficially posting every day like the rest of them. Really. I’m blaming it on UT.

ut sucks
www.tobynopoly.com

Unknown's avatar

Not Trying Hard Enough

by

I need a job*. Everyone that has a job, children, commitments, stress, they all have more book done than me. I don’t know what the deal is. I’m officially behind. Way behind considering that I will have limited time down the road. I have seven days before I am out of TX for the rest of the month. I don’t know what to do. My first attempt in getting some words going was to start nearer the end.

I DON’T FEEL LIKE WRITING.

I’d rather…everything. Soaps, blogs, showers, cleaning. I did not think I would procrastinate. Not on this. Surprise, surprise. My cold is gone, no excuses.

The biggest thing that I think is bothering me is that the setting for my book is in cooler weather, and we are having record heat. That’s not helping. Everything that is fun around me is not helping. November might not be the optimal book writing month after all. Grr. I’m going to go try to write now…

cold
www.georgia2maine.typepad.com

*Nope, not really.

Unknown's avatar

What Do YOU Do?

by

My main character (MC in the cool world of writer’s lingo) doesn’t currently have a job. Or a love interest. Or a pet. She bought a car…that’s all I got.

boring
www.bushwhacked.net

I’m creeping right up on 15,000 words and I’m spent. I’ve got a couple of things I really like about this book right now. I have honestly realized that some of the plot lines are a little muddy, but that’s for fixing next month. I just need to figure out the amazing plot twist that is going to sell 600,000 copies. Right…
So, in fair “writer-wanna-be” fashion, I’m going out to lunch. Maybe a margarita would help…

Maybe it’ll come to me.

On a more personal note, I have officially reached pain status. As in, my neck is not functioning properly. All it has to do is hold my head up, and it can’t even handle that right now. My wrists, as a result of me (I guess) not holding my hands properly on the computer, are sore and I think they are colored funny.

My sweater, Nita, is shedding all over the place and could stand a washing, if any one wants to stop by and start some laundry for me. According to the NaNo bible, No Plot, No Problem, I’m right where I’m supposed to be, tired, grouchy and lazy.

Fun times.

Unknown's avatar

Schedule Conflicts

by

It seems ironic, that I have NOTHING to do and yet can not accomplish anything. We are at the 8th day of November, the 8th day of NaNoWriMo. I have 2 C’s a 1 W on my calendar. Read: I am not keeping up with working out. I just went and ran out of sheer embarrassment that I was going to have to admit that to you.

Writing has been fun, but it definitely still feels like a pressured obligation. I have dawdled most mornings, made coffee, sipped said coffee, swept/done dishes…and otherwise wasted as much time as I could. I would then open my novel, reread it (there’s some implied rule for some reason that you’re not supposed to be doing this, but that has something to do with editing, whereas when I reread I pat myself on the back and add whatever description I can to make each passage more lengthy…) and then maybe I’ll finally type a few new words at the end after lunch. I have not ventured out of the house NEARLY enough, due to the laptop making little odd noises when it gets hot, and as of THIS morning, VIA BLOG, Snippy has given me a sinus cold. Okay, maybe it wasn’t her, but we both have it. You figure it out.

Here are the stats, I thought you might find this interesting:

How many novels have been written through NaNoWriMo?
1999: 21 participants and six winners
2000: 140 participants and 29 winners
2001: 5,000 particpants and more than 700 winners
2002: 13,500 participants and around 2,100 winners
2003: 25,500 participants and about 3,500 winners
2004: 42,000 participants and just shy of 6,000 winners
2005: 59,000 participants and 9,769 winners.

procrastinate
www.bankersonline.com