Today is a big non-writing day for me.
It's my dad's 51st birthday. Happy Birthday Dad!
And after work, I'm grabbing the dogs and heading to Tampa to grab my best friend and her beautiful baby boy, and then we're all heading to the airport to pick up my little brother.
This will be his first trip back home (and my first time seeing him) since September 2008, when he deployed for Iraq. I know from our emails and phone calls over the last year that he has experienced things no 22-year old should experience. It will be nice to see him again, and then head out for a mini-vacay this weekend.
It was supposed to be a surprise visit home for my dad's birthday, but someone spilled the beans (not me, I swear! I'm actually really good with secrets) and now everyone knows.
I am not excusing myself from writing, despite the flurry of activities going on around me. I think on of the best things about NaNo is that I'm not using any life event as an excuse. Unexpected events have already come up. Expected events are coming up.
I will continue to write. Every single day. It may only be a few hundred words, but I will get something written every day this month.
See you all tomorrow!
NaNo stats:
11/4/09 - 374 words
previous - 4793 words
TOTAL - 5167
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Guide to Daily Goals
Last I year got a new car. My first in about ten years. And it was a lease, something I've never done before.
I worried about the yearly mileage, afraid that I might drive over the limits and owe money at the end of the lease period.
The dork that I am, I went and created and Excel spreadsheet that worked out what range my mileage should be in every week for the next four years. Then I printed it, cut it and laminated it. For the first six months I watched it closely, panicking if I went over my allotment. I don't look at it often anymore because I'm way below the suggested mileage.
As I started NaNo this week, I have been obsessively checking my word count. (I know that's not the best thing to focus on for writing, but bear with me here). I know that by November 30th I should have 50,000 words. But what about November 13th? How many should I have then? What about the 4th? The 19th?
I needed to know. I couldn't help it.
So I created a new spreadsheet that documents what count I should be at each day. I'm a little behind, but that's not a big deal. I just wanted to know how far behind, and how much I need to make up.
Yes, I laminated this copy. And by laminate I mean I covered it with clear packing tape. Besides being a dork, I'm very classy like that.
Anyone else interested in this chart? If so, feel free to use it or refer to it as needed.
NaNo stats:
11/3/09 - 2467 words
previous - 2326 words
TOTAL - 4793
I worried about the yearly mileage, afraid that I might drive over the limits and owe money at the end of the lease period.
The dork that I am, I went and created and Excel spreadsheet that worked out what range my mileage should be in every week for the next four years. Then I printed it, cut it and laminated it. For the first six months I watched it closely, panicking if I went over my allotment. I don't look at it often anymore because I'm way below the suggested mileage.
As I started NaNo this week, I have been obsessively checking my word count. (I know that's not the best thing to focus on for writing, but bear with me here). I know that by November 30th I should have 50,000 words. But what about November 13th? How many should I have then? What about the 4th? The 19th?
I needed to know. I couldn't help it.
So I created a new spreadsheet that documents what count I should be at each day. I'm a little behind, but that's not a big deal. I just wanted to know how far behind, and how much I need to make up.
Yes, I laminated this copy. And by laminate I mean I covered it with clear packing tape. Besides being a dork, I'm very classy like that.
Anyone else interested in this chart? If so, feel free to use it or refer to it as needed.
NaNo stats:
11/3/09 - 2467 words
previous - 2326 words
TOTAL - 4793
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Zero Doubts
I love my dad.
He doesn't always understand me, but he makes the effort to stay involved in my life and my interests. With my writing, he likes to ask me questions. Sometimes it feels like a million and five questions.
Some questions are easy and expected, like How's the writing coming?
Other questions, his typical questions, aren't as simple. They usually involved me quantifying my writing in ways that aren't possible yet.
What will the final word count be?
Ummm....
You don' know? Just give me a ballpark number.
Well, probably about 100,000 words, but that's too long for a YA book, and --
How many chapters do you plan on having?
I wish I knew. That ties back into not knowing how long it will turn out and how much--
Well how long are the chapters?
It depends.
What percentage of your book will need to be edited?
All of it. Sigh. Thanks for reminding me.
Yesterday he gave the questions a brief break and paid me the ultimate compliment.
He told a family friend that I was writing (be still my heart... don't panic... people will have to find out eventually) and he told her that he didn't know much about my book and hadn't read it.
He went on to say that it didn't matter, because I'd never been anything but successful at anything I've taken on, and he has zero doubts that this book will be 'a published success'.
Yes, all parents have unbreakable faith in their children. It's in their nature. But it still gives me a burst of confidence to hear that someone has "zero doubts" about my writing future.
What's the nicest thing anyone has said about your writing, or your future as a writer?
NaNo stats:
11/2/09 - 1826 words
previous - 500 words
TOTAL - 2326
He doesn't always understand me, but he makes the effort to stay involved in my life and my interests. With my writing, he likes to ask me questions. Sometimes it feels like a million and five questions.
Some questions are easy and expected, like How's the writing coming?
Other questions, his typical questions, aren't as simple. They usually involved me quantifying my writing in ways that aren't possible yet.
What will the final word count be?
Ummm....
You don' know? Just give me a ballpark number.
Well, probably about 100,000 words, but that's too long for a YA book, and --
How many chapters do you plan on having?
I wish I knew. That ties back into not knowing how long it will turn out and how much--
Well how long are the chapters?
It depends.
What percentage of your book will need to be edited?
All of it. Sigh. Thanks for reminding me.
Yesterday he gave the questions a brief break and paid me the ultimate compliment.
He told a family friend that I was writing (be still my heart... don't panic... people will have to find out eventually) and he told her that he didn't know much about my book and hadn't read it.
He went on to say that it didn't matter, because I'd never been anything but successful at anything I've taken on, and he has zero doubts that this book will be 'a published success'.
Yes, all parents have unbreakable faith in their children. It's in their nature. But it still gives me a burst of confidence to hear that someone has "zero doubts" about my writing future.
What's the nicest thing anyone has said about your writing, or your future as a writer?
NaNo stats:
11/2/09 - 1826 words
previous - 500 words
TOTAL - 2326
Monday, November 2, 2009
Na Na Na NANO
Sorry for the redundancy. I know that you will be seeing a hundred posts about NaNo today.
It's officially started.
It kicked off yesterday, and I tried to force myself to sit still for hours on end. No TV, no phone, no music. Just me and my evil laptop. It was too quiet. I got too antsy. So I read a book, checked my email about 300 times, bid on an auction... you get the drift. I procrastinated, all the way up until I had to go to church at 5pm. After mass, I did make some actual progress.
I got 500 words completed, which means I'm already behind. That's okay though, because in that short span of words, I was able to learn some things.
Writing with NaNo in mind, I was able to force my inner editor to simmer down for an hour or so. What I wrote was a bit sloppy, even a little incomplete, but I had fun again. By not expecting perfection from myself, I was able to just go with the flow. It was nice to see the potential in the words I produced, even if I'm not completely satisfied with them yet.
Will I complete 50,000 new words? I honestly don't know. I hope so, but I'm nervous. It is an incredibly busy month with one vacation, three family birthdays, a work trip and Thanksgiving. But I have managed to bound and gag the inner editor, so I believe that success is still a distinct possibility.
I'll keep you updated on my progress. Keep me updated on yours as well!
It's officially started.
It kicked off yesterday, and I tried to force myself to sit still for hours on end. No TV, no phone, no music. Just me and my evil laptop. It was too quiet. I got too antsy. So I read a book, checked my email about 300 times, bid on an auction... you get the drift. I procrastinated, all the way up until I had to go to church at 5pm. After mass, I did make some actual progress.
I got 500 words completed, which means I'm already behind. That's okay though, because in that short span of words, I was able to learn some things.
Writing with NaNo in mind, I was able to force my inner editor to simmer down for an hour or so. What I wrote was a bit sloppy, even a little incomplete, but I had fun again. By not expecting perfection from myself, I was able to just go with the flow. It was nice to see the potential in the words I produced, even if I'm not completely satisfied with them yet.
Will I complete 50,000 new words? I honestly don't know. I hope so, but I'm nervous. It is an incredibly busy month with one vacation, three family birthdays, a work trip and Thanksgiving. But I have managed to bound and gag the inner editor, so I believe that success is still a distinct possibility.
I'll keep you updated on my progress. Keep me updated on yours as well!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Fiction worthy of Heaven
When I was a little girl I loved to read, and I devoured books. Big books, little books, kids book, adult books. Whatever I could find.
Books opened my imagination. I equated them with Heaven because Heaven was supposed to be a glorious place, and could be whatever I wanted it to be.
And I wanted Heaven to Anne of Green Gables (or rather, the entire series). I wanted to be Anne when I died. I wanted to live her life, and experience everything that she went through. I remember praying at night that if I died, God would allow me to live out the book, and Anne's life.
And not just Anne. I wanted to be all the characters. I wanted to experience each of their lives and thoughts. Run down the streets of Avonlea. Have secret adventures. Meet kindred spirits. Oh, and get to see the real Gilbert Blythe.
I was, quite simply, enthralled.
Since that young age, I've always been fascinated by character depth and make believe worlds.
As an adult, I want to do that with my writing. I want to create and develop a world that is enchanting enough to capture the attention and imaginations of teens (and hopefully some adults), and make them wish they could stay in that world for eternity.
I want to create a world worthy of being a reader's vision of Heaven.
Books opened my imagination. I equated them with Heaven because Heaven was supposed to be a glorious place, and could be whatever I wanted it to be.
And I wanted Heaven to Anne of Green Gables (or rather, the entire series). I wanted to be Anne when I died. I wanted to live her life, and experience everything that she went through. I remember praying at night that if I died, God would allow me to live out the book, and Anne's life.
And not just Anne. I wanted to be all the characters. I wanted to experience each of their lives and thoughts. Run down the streets of Avonlea. Have secret adventures. Meet kindred spirits. Oh, and get to see the real Gilbert Blythe.
I was, quite simply, enthralled.
Since that young age, I've always been fascinated by character depth and make believe worlds.
As an adult, I want to do that with my writing. I want to create and develop a world that is enchanting enough to capture the attention and imaginations of teens (and hopefully some adults), and make them wish they could stay in that world for eternity.
I want to create a world worthy of being a reader's vision of Heaven.
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