Whew - is it really December 14th already? It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, as you can see, I'm still here, just not as here as I used to be.
November was a busy month for me, between Thanksgiving and NaNo - I didn't see much in the way of sunlight, so to speak. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday - mine was bittersweet this year. Before we bought our house, my husband and the kids and I spent Thanksgiving at my mom's house. But after we bought the house, my mom very gladly handed off the holiday to me and up until she got sick, we did Thanksgiving together. And although she'd been too sick to do Thanksgiving since 2010, this was the first one without her entirely. Since her death, I'd gone back and forth over whether or not I even wanted to host Thanksgiving - my mother in law and sister in law both offered in my place.
But in the end, I decided that I wanted a houseful of people and I wanted to be able to drink as much wine as I wanted without having to worry about driving home - so I did Thanksgiving. And as the day drew nearer, I have to admit, it left me feeling a little blue - as much as I looked forward to having my husband's family there, I was dreading the empty chair.
When my brother and I cleaned out my mom's house three years ago, I inherited my mother's china and crystal, which had been my grandparents' wedding gifts. I boxed it up and stored in my attic. This year, I decided that I wanted to use it - with some hesitation because it's 80 years old and what if something got broken??? - so I went into the attic and brought everything down, washed it (by hand. Can't put 80 year old china in the dishwasher) and as I dried and stacked everything, I felt better. And when I set the table on Thanksgiving, seeing all that beautiful china and delicate crystal made me feel like my mom and grandparents were with me, which made me smile.
The firsts are the worst - and I'm looking toward Christmas with the same mixed feelings. I don't know if it will get better, but at least it can't really get any worse.
As for NaNo, I banged out over 100k words in about sixteen days - so it was a success. At one point, I was averaging 12k words a day. It was another Sebastiano book and it just sort of wrote itself. Now, I'm in the process of revising it (along with Rafe's story, which should be done and ready for subbing around the beginning of the year.) I decided to do NaNo this year because since my mom died, I hadn't really felt much like writing anything, and I didn't care if I ever wrote another word. I thought NaNo might be just what I needed to reignite that spark and it worked. I have the basic plot for another Sebastiano book, one I plan on writing sometime over the winter. It felt wonderful to not only be writing again, but to actually be excited about the story I was telling, so I won on several different levels where NaNo is concerned.
I haven't decided when (or even if, which I probably shouldn't be admitting) I'll get back to regular blogging. I know it won't be before the new year - I'm concentrating on family and current projects right now - but I will pop in from time to time.
Until then, I'd like to wish everyone who celebrates a very Merry Christmas (or a happy holiday, whichever holiday that might be) and Happy New Year!
Showing posts with label NaNoWriMo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NaNoWriMo. Show all posts
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013
NaNoWriMo
Every year, about this time, I have the same debate with myself. Do I want to participate in National Novel Writing Month - fondly known as NaNoWriMo, or just NaNo for short. Basically, the entire point of NaNo is to write 50k words in thirty days. 50k is the minimum end of a novel for most publishers, and it sounds like complete madness, doesn't it? Trying to write an entire book in thirty days?
But it's not quite as crazy as it sounds. I once wrote 117,000 words in two weeks. True, they weren't very good words, but they were words nonetheless. I eventually pared the book down to less than 100k and sold it to my first publisher way back in 2004. It was rereleased by Musa Publishing in 2011 as Playing with Fire.
So, in reality, 50k in a month isn't so crazy. It breaks down to 1667 words per day. That's not really a lot of words. On a good day, I can spit out 5k words (relatively good words, too, for the most part. I've come a long way in eleven years.) And it's fun, in a way. You get to join in a very nice, pretty supportive community and there's a bit of bonding as you all race to finish and collect the goodies, which consist of a banner to put on your website, a certificate you can print out, and the bragging rights to say, "I wrote an entire book in less than thirty-one days."
I've done NaNo every year since 2008. I've won every year. One time I had the book finished in something like 19 days. One year, I wrote the 50k in addition to doing edits (with very tight deadlines) on several other projects at the same time. That was not one of my wiser decisions. I burned out after that and didn't write any new words for months when it was over. It's not something I'll be doing again any time soon.
Every year, at this time, I debate whether or not to do it. This year's decision was probably the most difficult. Since my mother's death last June, I just haven't felt much like writing at all. I'd just finished a book literally a day or two before she died, so I've been working on revising it (and edits for Stolen Promise) but that's it. I just haven't felt that urge to write anything new. So I figured NaNo would be a NoGo for me this year.
But then earlier this week, an idea began rolling around in my mind. A few characters popped up. A storyline began niggling its way through my brain. And little by little, all the pieces are falling into place. So, I decided earlier this week to give NaNo a shot again. For the first time, I'll go into it knowing pretty much everything about the story. It'll just be a matter of getting the words down on the screen. It's nice to feel that urge to write again. I'm looking forward to it, actually.
But it's not quite as crazy as it sounds. I once wrote 117,000 words in two weeks. True, they weren't very good words, but they were words nonetheless. I eventually pared the book down to less than 100k and sold it to my first publisher way back in 2004. It was rereleased by Musa Publishing in 2011 as Playing with Fire.
So, in reality, 50k in a month isn't so crazy. It breaks down to 1667 words per day. That's not really a lot of words. On a good day, I can spit out 5k words (relatively good words, too, for the most part. I've come a long way in eleven years.) And it's fun, in a way. You get to join in a very nice, pretty supportive community and there's a bit of bonding as you all race to finish and collect the goodies, which consist of a banner to put on your website, a certificate you can print out, and the bragging rights to say, "I wrote an entire book in less than thirty-one days."
I've done NaNo every year since 2008. I've won every year. One time I had the book finished in something like 19 days. One year, I wrote the 50k in addition to doing edits (with very tight deadlines) on several other projects at the same time. That was not one of my wiser decisions. I burned out after that and didn't write any new words for months when it was over. It's not something I'll be doing again any time soon.
Every year, at this time, I debate whether or not to do it. This year's decision was probably the most difficult. Since my mother's death last June, I just haven't felt much like writing at all. I'd just finished a book literally a day or two before she died, so I've been working on revising it (and edits for Stolen Promise) but that's it. I just haven't felt that urge to write anything new. So I figured NaNo would be a NoGo for me this year.
But then earlier this week, an idea began rolling around in my mind. A few characters popped up. A storyline began niggling its way through my brain. And little by little, all the pieces are falling into place. So, I decided earlier this week to give NaNo a shot again. For the first time, I'll go into it knowing pretty much everything about the story. It'll just be a matter of getting the words down on the screen. It's nice to feel that urge to write again. I'm looking forward to it, actually.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Just Dropping In
Long time, no post. I hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving had a wonderful one!
I think this might be the longest I've gone between blog posts in a few years, maybe even the longest ever. I just haven't really had all that much to blog about over the last three weeks. Partly because I just haven't had much to say, but also partly because I was deeply immersed in this year's NaNoWriMo.
I started it late this year due to the hurricane (or superstorm, or whatever it actually was.) Well, sort of late. I did begin it on November 1, writing longhand in a spiral notebook I'd bought in anticipation of losing power with the hurricane (based on what happened after Tropical Storm Irene, I took no chances when Sandy was bearing down on us.) So while we had no electricity, I managed to fill nearly twenty pages of that notebook. Which then had to be transcribed into the computer, which took a few days. Then I was able to get back into the story. And it just took off.
Some NaNos are a real battle. Tiger Eyes began life as a NaNo project and every one of those 50k words was a struggle. It wasn't until about 3/4s of the way into that book, that writing it became enjoyable. Then there was the year I did NaNo while in the midst of edits on several other books. Because of the past, I almost decided not to do NaNo this year. I didn't sign up until the very end of October because I wasn't sure I wanted to put myself through it again.
But this time around, the story came easily. Despite the late start, I had a bunch of days where I did 5k+ words, so I quickly made up for the lost time. And this project was fun to work on - for the most part. There were still a few days when I just didn't want to be bothered, so I took those days off and said to hell with the daily word count. And I found out that doing so actually worked to my advantage. I took a day here, a day there, and when I came back, I was a writing fool.
And now we're getting into the swing of the holiday season, so I doubt I'll be back to regular blogging any time soon. I'm halfway through the book that my NaNo project is going to be and the writing is going well, so I'm concentrating on that. It's a bit of a change from my previous books - this one takes place in 1885 in the Southwest, so it deals with cowboys and bounty hunters and a road trip through the New Mexico Territory to Chicago and it's been fun to write so far. Fun, but time consuming.
So, if I don't see you before then, have a Merry Christmas (or a Happy Hanukkah) and I'll see you in 2013 (unless the Mayans were onto something and the world ends on December 21st. :D)
I think this might be the longest I've gone between blog posts in a few years, maybe even the longest ever. I just haven't really had all that much to blog about over the last three weeks. Partly because I just haven't had much to say, but also partly because I was deeply immersed in this year's NaNoWriMo.
I started it late this year due to the hurricane (or superstorm, or whatever it actually was.) Well, sort of late. I did begin it on November 1, writing longhand in a spiral notebook I'd bought in anticipation of losing power with the hurricane (based on what happened after Tropical Storm Irene, I took no chances when Sandy was bearing down on us.) So while we had no electricity, I managed to fill nearly twenty pages of that notebook. Which then had to be transcribed into the computer, which took a few days. Then I was able to get back into the story. And it just took off.
Some NaNos are a real battle. Tiger Eyes began life as a NaNo project and every one of those 50k words was a struggle. It wasn't until about 3/4s of the way into that book, that writing it became enjoyable. Then there was the year I did NaNo while in the midst of edits on several other books. Because of the past, I almost decided not to do NaNo this year. I didn't sign up until the very end of October because I wasn't sure I wanted to put myself through it again.
But this time around, the story came easily. Despite the late start, I had a bunch of days where I did 5k+ words, so I quickly made up for the lost time. And this project was fun to work on - for the most part. There were still a few days when I just didn't want to be bothered, so I took those days off and said to hell with the daily word count. And I found out that doing so actually worked to my advantage. I took a day here, a day there, and when I came back, I was a writing fool.
And now we're getting into the swing of the holiday season, so I doubt I'll be back to regular blogging any time soon. I'm halfway through the book that my NaNo project is going to be and the writing is going well, so I'm concentrating on that. It's a bit of a change from my previous books - this one takes place in 1885 in the Southwest, so it deals with cowboys and bounty hunters and a road trip through the New Mexico Territory to Chicago and it's been fun to write so far. Fun, but time consuming.
So, if I don't see you before then, have a Merry Christmas (or a Happy Hanukkah) and I'll see you in 2013 (unless the Mayans were onto something and the world ends on December 21st. :D)
Friday, November 18, 2011
NaNoWriMo
Ah... every November, NaNo fever strikes.
If you don't know, NaNo is short for NaNoWriMo, which is short for National Novel Writing Month. It takes place every November, and it's a contest with the goal of writing 50,000 words in 30 days. It's basically a challenge to write a category-length novel under pressure of a looming deadline. The prize? Bragging rights to anyone who will listen that you wrote a novel in 30 days or less. It's fun, it's crazy, and I look forward to it every year.
I think editors probably dread this time of year, however, because I wouldn't be surprised if they are inundated with NaNo novels (er, kind of redundant, I guess, but you know what I mean) every December, of which only a very small percentage would be even close to publishable. Some people can write fast and churn out good material, but I think it's safe to say that that is the exception rather than the rule.
I've been fortunate. Tiger Eyes began life as a NaNo draft. So did Devil in Disguise. And Stolen Promise. And this year's NaNo? It's a follow up to Stolen Promise and I think it will be quite good when it's polished (I'm working through first revisions now. This one won't be ready for quite a while, though.)
This year, I did it in 13 days, my average was 3500 words/day. I don't know for certain, but I think that's my personal best. I just got into the zone and the story told itself, which was nice. Other years, I've struggled but this year? Smooth sailing. It is just a rough draft, but I think it's a solid draft.
I love doing NaNo. Even when it's a struggle to get those 1667 words (the average needed to finish in the 30 days), when it's all said and done, I'm glad I did it. It's helped me power through writing blocks, it's given me the chance to write something different (Stolen Promise started out as a straight historical romance, then veered off into paranormal elements as well.) It's given me the excuse to just write and not worry about being perfect (at least until December, anyway.)
And now that I'm done for this year, it's time to go and sit and veg a little. Oh, and work on those revisions. :D
If you don't know, NaNo is short for NaNoWriMo, which is short for National Novel Writing Month. It takes place every November, and it's a contest with the goal of writing 50,000 words in 30 days. It's basically a challenge to write a category-length novel under pressure of a looming deadline. The prize? Bragging rights to anyone who will listen that you wrote a novel in 30 days or less. It's fun, it's crazy, and I look forward to it every year.
I think editors probably dread this time of year, however, because I wouldn't be surprised if they are inundated with NaNo novels (er, kind of redundant, I guess, but you know what I mean) every December, of which only a very small percentage would be even close to publishable. Some people can write fast and churn out good material, but I think it's safe to say that that is the exception rather than the rule.
I've been fortunate. Tiger Eyes began life as a NaNo draft. So did Devil in Disguise. And Stolen Promise. And this year's NaNo? It's a follow up to Stolen Promise and I think it will be quite good when it's polished (I'm working through first revisions now. This one won't be ready for quite a while, though.)
This year, I did it in 13 days, my average was 3500 words/day. I don't know for certain, but I think that's my personal best. I just got into the zone and the story told itself, which was nice. Other years, I've struggled but this year? Smooth sailing. It is just a rough draft, but I think it's a solid draft.
I love doing NaNo. Even when it's a struggle to get those 1667 words (the average needed to finish in the 30 days), when it's all said and done, I'm glad I did it. It's helped me power through writing blocks, it's given me the chance to write something different (Stolen Promise started out as a straight historical romance, then veered off into paranormal elements as well.) It's given me the excuse to just write and not worry about being perfect (at least until December, anyway.)
And now that I'm done for this year, it's time to go and sit and veg a little. Oh, and work on those revisions. :D
Monday, October 31, 2011
Happy Halloween!
BOO!
Did I scare you? ;-)
NaNo starts tomorrow (yay!) so my posts may be sporadic, since I'll be writing furiously for the next 30 days or so. My NaNo project is the second book in my Mordainia series and I'm hoping to finally get it finished. In the meantime...
Happy Halloween, everyone and don't overdo it on the candy!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Kindle vs. Nook - Which One to Choose?
I have a confession to make -
I don't own an e-reader.
There. I said it. I don't own an e-reader. Whew, I feel better now.
Okay, so that said, I'm thinking about taking the plunge and getting one. Maybe after Christmas. Trouble is, I'm a little torn between the Kindle and the Nook. My brother swears by his Kindle. I've heard others swear by the Nook. So, which to choose? Decisions, decisions.
In other news, I finished my NaNoWriMo project over the weekend, and the edits to Tiger Eyes are pretty much done (one more read through before they go off to my editor), so now... vacation! What a lovely word and I am soooo looking forward to the time off.
Oh, and have I mentioned Playing with Fire comes out this Friday? Yay! :D
And then there's Thanksgiving. Last year, I inherited the cooking duties. This year, with my mom being sick, we're having a full house. It will be noisy, there will be much food and wine, and it will be nice having the family together. I'm glad I don't have to do any traveling, as I'd much rather be home cooking than going anywhere. We'll be up early, the Macy's Parade will be on, the house will smell wonderful, and we'll all be together. That's all that matters.
What about you? What're your Turkey Day plans?
I don't own an e-reader.
There. I said it. I don't own an e-reader. Whew, I feel better now.
Okay, so that said, I'm thinking about taking the plunge and getting one. Maybe after Christmas. Trouble is, I'm a little torn between the Kindle and the Nook. My brother swears by his Kindle. I've heard others swear by the Nook. So, which to choose? Decisions, decisions.
In other news, I finished my NaNoWriMo project over the weekend, and the edits to Tiger Eyes are pretty much done (one more read through before they go off to my editor), so now... vacation! What a lovely word and I am soooo looking forward to the time off.
Oh, and have I mentioned Playing with Fire comes out this Friday? Yay! :D
And then there's Thanksgiving. Last year, I inherited the cooking duties. This year, with my mom being sick, we're having a full house. It will be noisy, there will be much food and wine, and it will be nice having the family together. I'm glad I don't have to do any traveling, as I'd much rather be home cooking than going anywhere. We'll be up early, the Macy's Parade will be on, the house will smell wonderful, and we'll all be together. That's all that matters.
What about you? What're your Turkey Day plans?
Friday, November 19, 2010
Popping In...
Because yes, I am still alive. I think.
Final edits on Playing with Fire are done and turned in. It'll be out next Friday so look for it. Buy it early and buy it often! :)
Ahem...
I'm most of the way through final line edits for Tiger Eyes, so yay! I'm thisclose to being completely caught up on everything. Five books in less than six months is madness and I'll be glad when December rolls around. I'm taking the month off.
I'm also thisclose to finishing my NaNo project. It was supposed to be a western historical, but I scrapped that idea partway into the first week and decided to finish writing Aidrian's story. It's coming along nicely and I should finish it up sometime in the next two or three days. Yay!
Hopefully then I'll get around to regular (or at least semi-regular) blogging.
Hopefully.
Final edits on Playing with Fire are done and turned in. It'll be out next Friday so look for it. Buy it early and buy it often! :)
Ahem...
I'm most of the way through final line edits for Tiger Eyes, so yay! I'm thisclose to being completely caught up on everything. Five books in less than six months is madness and I'll be glad when December rolls around. I'm taking the month off.
I'm also thisclose to finishing my NaNo project. It was supposed to be a western historical, but I scrapped that idea partway into the first week and decided to finish writing Aidrian's story. It's coming along nicely and I should finish it up sometime in the next two or three days. Yay!
Hopefully then I'll get around to regular (or at least semi-regular) blogging.
Hopefully.
Monday, November 08, 2010
Taking a Break
From my NaNoWriMo project. I have to be honest, I hate the story. I hate the characters. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I don't want to write. I have to force myself to sit down and hit my word count each day.
I think it's partly because I didn't have time to do much more than a few paragraphs of a synopsis. Now, I'm not really a plotter. Never have been, though I've been leaning more and more toward it. But, I usually have a bit more of a skeleton, and I know the time period I'm writing about. But this year, I was editing two books during September and October, which meant I had no time to do even the most preliminary of research. As a result, my NaNo story, which is supposed to be an historical set in the Old West, reads like it could take place in any time, which is Not Good when writing an historical. Not Good at all. Yeesh.
But mainly, I think I'm tired. By the end of January, I'll have four books out (The Pursuit - July, Playing with Fire - November, Tiger Eyes - December, and After the Storm, January) with a fifth one coming as soon as I get a release date. Playing with Fire and Devil in Disguise (release date TBA) were the books I was working on in the run-up to NaNo (I also did first round edits on Tiger Eyes in there somewhere.) I finished The King's Bride. I started two other books in addition to everything else. It's been a busy few months, and that's without adding in everything that's been going on with my mom as well. Which all adds up to one tired writer.
So I'm looking forward to December. I'll take the month off from most of my writing (I'll have final edits on Tiger Eyes and that should be it for deadlines.) I'll work here and there on The King's Bride because I plan to start subbing that in the new year. I'll work a little here and there on my current WIPs, and I'll blog, but that's about it until sometime next year. I need a rest. I don't want my writing to suffer and I'm thinking that it's starting to do just that. And when the time comes that I have to force myself to work on a story? Yep, that's a hint.
So, I'm looking forward to my little vacation. I think I've earned it.
I think it's partly because I didn't have time to do much more than a few paragraphs of a synopsis. Now, I'm not really a plotter. Never have been, though I've been leaning more and more toward it. But, I usually have a bit more of a skeleton, and I know the time period I'm writing about. But this year, I was editing two books during September and October, which meant I had no time to do even the most preliminary of research. As a result, my NaNo story, which is supposed to be an historical set in the Old West, reads like it could take place in any time, which is Not Good when writing an historical. Not Good at all. Yeesh.
But mainly, I think I'm tired. By the end of January, I'll have four books out (The Pursuit - July, Playing with Fire - November, Tiger Eyes - December, and After the Storm, January) with a fifth one coming as soon as I get a release date. Playing with Fire and Devil in Disguise (release date TBA) were the books I was working on in the run-up to NaNo (I also did first round edits on Tiger Eyes in there somewhere.) I finished The King's Bride. I started two other books in addition to everything else. It's been a busy few months, and that's without adding in everything that's been going on with my mom as well. Which all adds up to one tired writer.
So I'm looking forward to December. I'll take the month off from most of my writing (I'll have final edits on Tiger Eyes and that should be it for deadlines.) I'll work here and there on The King's Bride because I plan to start subbing that in the new year. I'll work a little here and there on my current WIPs, and I'll blog, but that's about it until sometime next year. I need a rest. I don't want my writing to suffer and I'm thinking that it's starting to do just that. And when the time comes that I have to force myself to work on a story? Yep, that's a hint.
So, I'm looking forward to my little vacation. I think I've earned it.
Monday, November 01, 2010
Let The Madness Begin
The NaNoWriMo madness, that is. Today kicks off 2010 National Novel Writing Month. Fifty-thousand words in thirty days. Ahh... fun.
This is my third year participating, and hopefully I'll finish in time this year. It might be dicey, since I'm sure I'll have edits on at least one book, quite possibly two, to finish. But I'm going to try. I love the story I'm working on, and got three thousand words written today, so finishing is a definite possibility.
The story I'm writing for NaNo is an historical set in the Old West, which is an era I've never written in (though I have mentioned I wanted to write a western) and it's got a bounty hunter hero, a runaway bride heroine, a hitman, and one pissed-off father, so it should be fun to write. My last few books have dealt with heavier, darker themes, so I'm really enjoying writing something that's a bit more on the lighter side.
It'll be madness, but it'll be fun madness. And really, if you have to have insanity, you might as well enjoy it, right?
Right?
This is my third year participating, and hopefully I'll finish in time this year. It might be dicey, since I'm sure I'll have edits on at least one book, quite possibly two, to finish. But I'm going to try. I love the story I'm working on, and got three thousand words written today, so finishing is a definite possibility.
The story I'm writing for NaNo is an historical set in the Old West, which is an era I've never written in (though I have mentioned I wanted to write a western) and it's got a bounty hunter hero, a runaway bride heroine, a hitman, and one pissed-off father, so it should be fun to write. My last few books have dealt with heavier, darker themes, so I'm really enjoying writing something that's a bit more on the lighter side.
It'll be madness, but it'll be fun madness. And really, if you have to have insanity, you might as well enjoy it, right?
Right?
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
NaNoWriMo and Other Stuffs
It's hard to believe we're pretty much halfway through October already. I love October. It's my favoritest month. The days are warm (for the most part), the nights are chilly (perfect!), and the colors - OMG.
One of the best things about living where I do is the autumn. The leaves become the most beautiful shades of red, orange, and gold. We have one tree in our backyard (a black tupelo, if Wikipedia can be trusted) that becomes the most gorgeous colors when the leaves turn. It's just starting to turn now, and I'll try to get pictures of it. I love it. It's my favoritest tree ('Mom,' the Girl says, 'don't you mean favorite, since favoritest isn't really a word?' Gotta love her.)
And during this month, I begin thinking about NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month for those who have never heard of the challenge of writing 50k words in 30 days or less.) This year, I'd planned on finishing Midnight Angel. But when I finished my edits for Tiger Eyes and turned them in, I got hit with the urge to write. In the last two days, I've added almost 3k words and the way I'm going, I'll finish the rough draft before November 1st.
So, I think I'll work on the western I've wanted to write. We'll see. I've got eighteen days to mull it over. Or, I can do as I've done in years past - finish one book and start another. That's how I ended up with Tiger Eyes and Devil in Disguise. One was begun, the other ended, during NaNo 2008. That's the beauty of NaNo. And, even better, I've sold every one of my NaNo projects, and they usually inspire more books as well. Writing's funny that way, work breeds inspiration. :D
Now, Playing with Fire is set to be released on November 26th, so I'll be knee-deep in edits for that as well. And there is still at least two more rounds of edits on Tiger Eyes - so I'm going to be busier than a one-armed paper hanger for the next few weeks. And, I should have cover art for Tiger Eyes and final cover art for Playing with Fire very soon.
I'm in for a couple of very busy weeks, but it should be fun. Surely I'm not the only loon signed up for NaNo - anyone else out there doing it?
One of the best things about living where I do is the autumn. The leaves become the most beautiful shades of red, orange, and gold. We have one tree in our backyard (a black tupelo, if Wikipedia can be trusted) that becomes the most gorgeous colors when the leaves turn. It's just starting to turn now, and I'll try to get pictures of it. I love it. It's my favoritest tree ('Mom,' the Girl says, 'don't you mean favorite, since favoritest isn't really a word?' Gotta love her.)
And during this month, I begin thinking about NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month for those who have never heard of the challenge of writing 50k words in 30 days or less.) This year, I'd planned on finishing Midnight Angel. But when I finished my edits for Tiger Eyes and turned them in, I got hit with the urge to write. In the last two days, I've added almost 3k words and the way I'm going, I'll finish the rough draft before November 1st.
So, I think I'll work on the western I've wanted to write. We'll see. I've got eighteen days to mull it over. Or, I can do as I've done in years past - finish one book and start another. That's how I ended up with Tiger Eyes and Devil in Disguise. One was begun, the other ended, during NaNo 2008. That's the beauty of NaNo. And, even better, I've sold every one of my NaNo projects, and they usually inspire more books as well. Writing's funny that way, work breeds inspiration. :D
Now, Playing with Fire is set to be released on November 26th, so I'll be knee-deep in edits for that as well. And there is still at least two more rounds of edits on Tiger Eyes - so I'm going to be busier than a one-armed paper hanger for the next few weeks. And, I should have cover art for Tiger Eyes and final cover art for Playing with Fire very soon.
I'm in for a couple of very busy weeks, but it should be fun. Surely I'm not the only loon signed up for NaNo - anyone else out there doing it?
Thursday, November 12, 2009
NaNoWriMo - DONE!
And I am finished!
50629 / 50000 words. 101% done!
And then some. Yes, if you scroll back to last November, you'll see I finished on the same date last year as well. That was done purposely this year. My goal was to write 50k in the same amount of time, or less, than last year's project. Next year, I'll try the same thing.
I finished at about 10:30 this morning, but the story itself is only about 3/4ths of the way finished. I'll probably write a little more before trunking it - I may even finish it - but I've got a few other projects that need my attention first. I also have a few new story ideas, so I'll jot them down somewhere. Then maybe I'll tackle One Wicked Kiss.
So, there goes another NaNoWriMo for me. It's tiring, but it's a good tired, and one that gets the creative juices flowing again, which means new ideas and new stories to write and that's always good, as far as I'm concerned.
Now, this is the unofficial word count. I won't have the final one (which will likely be higher) until after Nov, 25th, when I can officially upload to the NaNo site - but it's done. Any more words are just gravy now.
And now, I need a nap.
50629 / 50000 words. 101% done!
And then some. Yes, if you scroll back to last November, you'll see I finished on the same date last year as well. That was done purposely this year. My goal was to write 50k in the same amount of time, or less, than last year's project. Next year, I'll try the same thing.
I finished at about 10:30 this morning, but the story itself is only about 3/4ths of the way finished. I'll probably write a little more before trunking it - I may even finish it - but I've got a few other projects that need my attention first. I also have a few new story ideas, so I'll jot them down somewhere. Then maybe I'll tackle One Wicked Kiss.
So, there goes another NaNoWriMo for me. It's tiring, but it's a good tired, and one that gets the creative juices flowing again, which means new ideas and new stories to write and that's always good, as far as I'm concerned.
Now, this is the unofficial word count. I won't have the final one (which will likely be higher) until after Nov, 25th, when I can officially upload to the NaNo site - but it's done. Any more words are just gravy now.
And now, I need a nap.
Monday, November 09, 2009
NaNo - Still Cruisin'
Oh yes... the NaNoWriMo project is coming along. It's keeping me busy, but if I keep on my current pace, I'll hit 50k words by this Friday. Whew.
Of course, it's a very rough draft. Very. Rough. But that's okay. I have a gazillion other projects that I will work on while this one sits in cyber drawer for a while. And I miss those other projects... they are calling to me. :D
And yes, regular blogging will resume once the NaNo madness is over.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
One Week In
And I am over halfway done with my NaNoWriMo project. Woot!
I think, next year, I'll try to do a little preliminary outlining and research. Right now, when I get to something I need to look up, I take a few minutes to look up the basics, then put in what I think might be right. We'll find out, once I un-trunk this book and seriously begin revising it. As of right now, I don't know exactly when that will be, as I've got three or four other projects needing my attention much more right now.
Anyway, just a quick update. I'm closing in on 30k words, which means I've written nearly 5k today alone. Yikes! No wonder I'm tired...
Monday, November 02, 2009
And They're Off!
It's Day Two of NaNoWriMo and I am cruising along with 5k words written yesterday. Woo hoo!
So today, I'm off to the gym, I'll sit down and work on the blanket I'm almost finished with, and then tonight - back to the keyboard for (hopefully) another 5k words. That's my goal right now. Last year, I was finished around the 15th of November, and that's what I'm aiming for right now. I just have to shut down my internal editor and the urge to research everything as I come to it. It's been tough, not looking something up when I need it, but I'm managing.
Oh yeah, and the New York Yankees are thisclose to winning their 27th World Series tonight. Go Yanks!!!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Happy Halloween!!
The edits are done and turned in, the kids' costumes are done and ready to go, the candy's set up, I'm ready to plunk down tonight for a marathon of Ghost Hunters (and maybe some Haunted History on the History Channel), and, come midnight, I will begin my NaNoWriMo project.
Does it get any better?
Happy Halloween!!!
Monday, October 26, 2009
NaNoWriMo 2009
It's that time of year, when National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo) rolls around. The goal? Write 50k words in 30 days. The prize? Being able to say, "I wrote 50k words in 30 days." Oh, and a cool little picture-thingie to post on your blog. :D
Anyway, last year, I was having such an awful time trying to get any new project past page 30, so I signed up. And WHAM! Tiger Eyes was born. Devil in Disguise followed, as did Angel of Darkness, and Dance with the Devil. Writing under that kind of a deadline opened up the floodgates, so to speak, and so, I've signed up once more. This time? I'm planning on writing Aidrian's story. He was only a baby in Eden's Pass, but now he's all grown up and... well... let's just say it's time he settles down with the right woman - the trouble is, not only is she his sister's best friend, but she is also the daughter of his father's best friend, as well. It could be interesting.) I'm looking forward to it.
But, considering I'll be writing under such a tight deadline, chances are pretty good that blogging will continue to be of the "when I find a free moment" variety. I'll try to post at least every other day, but I can't make any promises. It'll depend on how easily the words come. Last year, I had 50k by around the 15th of November, so I could relax the rest of the month. I'm hoping I have the same good fortune this year, but one never knows...
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
NaNoWriMo Q & A
Okay, I'll admit, I shamelessly stole this from my fellow blogger (and AW bud) Scarlett, but it's with her permission and all that, so I guess it isn't really stealing per se. Besides, I got nothin' else. Still finishing up Tiger Eyes, and really, how many times can I blog about revising the same stinkin' book?
On that note:
1. When and how did you find out about NaNoWriMo? How did you go?
I found out about it when I first joined the Absolute Write Water Cooler. I liked the idea of challenging myself to writing 50,000 words in 30 days or less, so I figured why not give it a shot?
2. How many times have you done NaNoWriMo?
This is my second year.
3. How many times have you won? If you haven't won, what was your best result?
I won last year, with days to spare. I think I hit 50,000 on Day 14. It's a little fuzzy, but I know I had plenty of time, and by Day 30, I had something like 80,000 words done. Just about the entire book (my word count goal is generally 85,000/manuscript.)
4. How did you go last year?
I had the faintest hints of an idea last October. I had just finished up a book that I hoped would be the beginning of a series. It made perfect sense to just write the next book in the series. I knew which hero's story I wanted to tell, and I knew the heroine's name and I knew it would be an historical romance. Aside from that, it was all up in the air.
By the end of November, I had 9/10ths of the book finished. I spent last spring and part of the summer revising and rewriting, and now it's almost ready to go out the door to my editor.
5. Where do you write and with what you do you write?
That depends. I did last NaNo in my office, but the older I get, the worse my chair is for my back. After an hour or so, my back and shoulders begin to hurt. But I have a laptop, so I'll just bring it upstairs to work in my bedroom. Or maybe out on the deck, so I can watch the kids play. I love the flexibility. I've been thinking about getting a netbook, but it just isn't in my budget right now, Maybe Santa will bring one for Christmas?
6. How do you find time to write?
I make it. My husband and kids know this is important to me, they know my writing is important. They also know they are not to bother me when I'm working unless someone is bleeding or the house is on fire. And even then, that's only if their dad isn't around. People who claim they just don't have the time are lazy and don't want to admit it. They can't be bothered. And that's fine. But everyone's got other responsibilities. It's a matter of prioritizing. If you really want to write, you'll find the time or make the time - but not everyone has that drive or that need - and claiming I've got no time is justification for not being willing to make the sacrifice.
7. Are your partners, friends and families allies or enemies?
Allies, definitely. I'm surrounded by very supportive people - and I know I'm lucky in that respect.
8. What are your strengths and what do you use to help you get to the end?
When I get the story rolling, it almost tells itself. Once I get past roughly page 30, it's pretty smooth going. I also like to play the "What If?" game. You know, you think about your characters and say, "What if XYZ happened?" I've found stories take off in a direction I might not have chosen for them. It can be interesting.
9. What are your weaknesses, obstacles and challenges that hinder you from finishing?
It's too easy to waste time checking e-mail, or doing "research" on the 'Net (you know, it starts as serious research, but then you get on Facebook, or read a bunch of blogs or whatever.) Once that happens, I'm ion trouble. It's not easy to redirect back to the writing, but I manage.
10. Do you plot/outline/plan or do you write by the seat of your pants? How much do you plot or how unprepared are you?
I plot in the sense that I know who my hero and heroine are, and how they'll meet. I do a bit of preliminary research to get a feel for my time period, and that's about it. I've tried outlining. I would love to be an outliner. Unfortunately, each time I've tried, it's totally killed my creative inspiration and the story dies by the end of the third chapter. I envy those who can outline and still write. I'm not one of them, though.
11. Do you participate in the real-life community, go to write-ins and meet-ups in your area?
No. The closest I come is the NaNoWriMo sub-forum on Absolute Write. I far prefer my company to the company of people I don't know in real life.
12. What are your writing aids? Special snacks, music, totems, rewards or punishments?
I don't have any. I write because I need to write and I love to write. My reward is if I end up with a finished project that actually stands a chance at becoming a real, live book. I can't listen to music when I write because I end up flipping radio stations, or jumping around the iTunes because "Oh, I want to listen to THAT song!" takes over and the next thing I know, three hours are gone and I've written one sentence.
13. What are the titles of your past and present NaNo projects?
Last year's project was Tiger Eyes and it's currently undergoing the (hopefully) final revision before it goes off to my editor. Keep your fingers crossed.
14. Is hitting a certain word count really that important? Doesn't writing at speed result in writing crap?
No. Why would it? When the story goes, it goes. I've done first drafts of 100k+ in less than 30 days. As long as I don't edit as I go (which can be a problem sometimes. I have to remind myself that a first draft doesn't have to be perfect.) If it's crap, it would be crap all along, no matter how long it took me to write. I don't do this just to do it, I do it in the hopes of sparking creativity and coming out of it with a saleable work at the end. Last year, I found that NaNo lit the creative fire - I've written 3 1/2 books since last NaNo - and three of them are thisclose to being ready to go out into the world. So for me, speed writing results in a flow of ideas that just doesn't stop and that's always a good thing, as far as I'm concerned!
So, there you have it - feel free to steal this if you want. If you do, leave me a comment with a link to your answers, though. Or else! =)
On that note:
1. When and how did you find out about NaNoWriMo? How did you go?
I found out about it when I first joined the Absolute Write Water Cooler. I liked the idea of challenging myself to writing 50,000 words in 30 days or less, so I figured why not give it a shot?
2. How many times have you done NaNoWriMo?
This is my second year.
3. How many times have you won? If you haven't won, what was your best result?
I won last year, with days to spare. I think I hit 50,000 on Day 14. It's a little fuzzy, but I know I had plenty of time, and by Day 30, I had something like 80,000 words done. Just about the entire book (my word count goal is generally 85,000/manuscript.)
4. How did you go last year?
I had the faintest hints of an idea last October. I had just finished up a book that I hoped would be the beginning of a series. It made perfect sense to just write the next book in the series. I knew which hero's story I wanted to tell, and I knew the heroine's name and I knew it would be an historical romance. Aside from that, it was all up in the air.
By the end of November, I had 9/10ths of the book finished. I spent last spring and part of the summer revising and rewriting, and now it's almost ready to go out the door to my editor.
5. Where do you write and with what you do you write?
That depends. I did last NaNo in my office, but the older I get, the worse my chair is for my back. After an hour or so, my back and shoulders begin to hurt. But I have a laptop, so I'll just bring it upstairs to work in my bedroom. Or maybe out on the deck, so I can watch the kids play. I love the flexibility. I've been thinking about getting a netbook, but it just isn't in my budget right now, Maybe Santa will bring one for Christmas?
6. How do you find time to write?
I make it. My husband and kids know this is important to me, they know my writing is important. They also know they are not to bother me when I'm working unless someone is bleeding or the house is on fire. And even then, that's only if their dad isn't around. People who claim they just don't have the time are lazy and don't want to admit it. They can't be bothered. And that's fine. But everyone's got other responsibilities. It's a matter of prioritizing. If you really want to write, you'll find the time or make the time - but not everyone has that drive or that need - and claiming I've got no time is justification for not being willing to make the sacrifice.
7. Are your partners, friends and families allies or enemies?
Allies, definitely. I'm surrounded by very supportive people - and I know I'm lucky in that respect.
8. What are your strengths and what do you use to help you get to the end?
When I get the story rolling, it almost tells itself. Once I get past roughly page 30, it's pretty smooth going. I also like to play the "What If?" game. You know, you think about your characters and say, "What if XYZ happened?" I've found stories take off in a direction I might not have chosen for them. It can be interesting.
9. What are your weaknesses, obstacles and challenges that hinder you from finishing?
It's too easy to waste time checking e-mail, or doing "research" on the 'Net (you know, it starts as serious research, but then you get on Facebook, or read a bunch of blogs or whatever.) Once that happens, I'm ion trouble. It's not easy to redirect back to the writing, but I manage.
10. Do you plot/outline/plan or do you write by the seat of your pants? How much do you plot or how unprepared are you?
I plot in the sense that I know who my hero and heroine are, and how they'll meet. I do a bit of preliminary research to get a feel for my time period, and that's about it. I've tried outlining. I would love to be an outliner. Unfortunately, each time I've tried, it's totally killed my creative inspiration and the story dies by the end of the third chapter. I envy those who can outline and still write. I'm not one of them, though.
11. Do you participate in the real-life community, go to write-ins and meet-ups in your area?
No. The closest I come is the NaNoWriMo sub-forum on Absolute Write. I far prefer my company to the company of people I don't know in real life.
12. What are your writing aids? Special snacks, music, totems, rewards or punishments?
I don't have any. I write because I need to write and I love to write. My reward is if I end up with a finished project that actually stands a chance at becoming a real, live book. I can't listen to music when I write because I end up flipping radio stations, or jumping around the iTunes because "Oh, I want to listen to THAT song!" takes over and the next thing I know, three hours are gone and I've written one sentence.
13. What are the titles of your past and present NaNo projects?
Last year's project was Tiger Eyes and it's currently undergoing the (hopefully) final revision before it goes off to my editor. Keep your fingers crossed.
14. Is hitting a certain word count really that important? Doesn't writing at speed result in writing crap?
No. Why would it? When the story goes, it goes. I've done first drafts of 100k+ in less than 30 days. As long as I don't edit as I go (which can be a problem sometimes. I have to remind myself that a first draft doesn't have to be perfect.) If it's crap, it would be crap all along, no matter how long it took me to write. I don't do this just to do it, I do it in the hopes of sparking creativity and coming out of it with a saleable work at the end. Last year, I found that NaNo lit the creative fire - I've written 3 1/2 books since last NaNo - and three of them are thisclose to being ready to go out into the world. So for me, speed writing results in a flow of ideas that just doesn't stop and that's always a good thing, as far as I'm concerned!
So, there you have it - feel free to steal this if you want. If you do, leave me a comment with a link to your answers, though. Or else! =)
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Never Say Never
Well, it's official. I won NaNoWriMo - yay! Not bad for my first year entering, eh? Not only did I hit 50k words in less than 30 days, but it did wonders for my writing process overall. Since the end of September, I've written nearly 150k words. Of those 150k, one was Devil in Disguise - which I've finished since wrapping up my NaNo book. Another was said NaNo book. And the third?
That brings us to the title of this post. I know I said I wasn't starting anything new, that I was only going to polish what was already piled up on my desk, right?
Yeah. I lied.
See, the thing is about writing is that the more you write, the more you have to write about. It sounds funny, but it's sooooo true. Last summer, I had some bad writer's block. I would get 30, maybe 35, pages into a new story and it would peter out. Pfft. Just like that. It was only because I'd already written After the Storm that I had anything to send out. Anything new seemed to die a quick, yet oddly painful, death.
But something weird happened. I took out Devil in Disguise - then about 30 pages long, and with a completely different plot - and I basically threw it out. Just figuratively tore it up and tossed it away to start all over again. What did I have to lose? The story stunk and it was static. All I lost was a bit of time.
One of the things I'd read over at Absolute Write was offered up as a "rule" by author James MacDonald. Write for two hours. Every day. No exception. Revising doesn't count. Rewriting doesn't count. Research doesn't count. New words only. And just write. Shut up the inner editor and write, even if it eventually ends up being cut out.
Now, that doesn't mean write crap just for the sake of getting two hours' worth of writing done. That's just pointless and a huge waste of time, when you think about it. Like those NaNo-ers who write gibberish just to break 50k. Why would you do that? Why bother at all, in that case.
So, the goal is to sit and write to forward the story. Basically, by doing this, you unlock the creative process and what starts out as maybe forced soon becomes flowing story.
And in my case, boy did those stories flow.
Devil in Disguise went from a 30 page clunker into a full-length manuscript. A first draft, sure, but it's something on paper. Something more than the first three chapters.
Tiger's Eyes, my NaNo manuscript, also began life as a 30-page-and-out crapfest. But now, it's got a strong beginning, part of the middle, and I've already written the ending. I just need to go back to that sort-of middle and figure out how to get the characters from there to that ending. It's almost 51k words - well over half way to complete novel.
And then there's the newest...
Yeah - I said I wasn't writing anything new. But once I got into the swing of writing for two hours every day... well... I had little say in the matter.
So the new work is tentatively titled Dance with the Devil and it's so far the darkest book I've written. I'm dealing with deeper and darker subjects than normal, and it's probably the most difficult story to write so far. But, I've been working out plot details and creating detailed character analysis sheets and the story is now coming to life. I have to get it down on paper, even if it means breaking my promise not to start anything new this year.
I guess this means my to do list has grown by a bit. But that's okay. It's a scary feeling when you can't get beyond page 30. I don't honestly know how many books I have in me, but it's nice to know there's at three more there for now.
Maybe then I can take a vacation. And leave the muse home for a few days. =)
That brings us to the title of this post. I know I said I wasn't starting anything new, that I was only going to polish what was already piled up on my desk, right?
Yeah. I lied.
See, the thing is about writing is that the more you write, the more you have to write about. It sounds funny, but it's sooooo true. Last summer, I had some bad writer's block. I would get 30, maybe 35, pages into a new story and it would peter out. Pfft. Just like that. It was only because I'd already written After the Storm that I had anything to send out. Anything new seemed to die a quick, yet oddly painful, death.
But something weird happened. I took out Devil in Disguise - then about 30 pages long, and with a completely different plot - and I basically threw it out. Just figuratively tore it up and tossed it away to start all over again. What did I have to lose? The story stunk and it was static. All I lost was a bit of time.
One of the things I'd read over at Absolute Write was offered up as a "rule" by author James MacDonald. Write for two hours. Every day. No exception. Revising doesn't count. Rewriting doesn't count. Research doesn't count. New words only. And just write. Shut up the inner editor and write, even if it eventually ends up being cut out.
Now, that doesn't mean write crap just for the sake of getting two hours' worth of writing done. That's just pointless and a huge waste of time, when you think about it. Like those NaNo-ers who write gibberish just to break 50k. Why would you do that? Why bother at all, in that case.
So, the goal is to sit and write to forward the story. Basically, by doing this, you unlock the creative process and what starts out as maybe forced soon becomes flowing story.
And in my case, boy did those stories flow.
Devil in Disguise went from a 30 page clunker into a full-length manuscript. A first draft, sure, but it's something on paper. Something more than the first three chapters.
Tiger's Eyes, my NaNo manuscript, also began life as a 30-page-and-out crapfest. But now, it's got a strong beginning, part of the middle, and I've already written the ending. I just need to go back to that sort-of middle and figure out how to get the characters from there to that ending. It's almost 51k words - well over half way to complete novel.
And then there's the newest...
Yeah - I said I wasn't writing anything new. But once I got into the swing of writing for two hours every day... well... I had little say in the matter.
So the new work is tentatively titled Dance with the Devil and it's so far the darkest book I've written. I'm dealing with deeper and darker subjects than normal, and it's probably the most difficult story to write so far. But, I've been working out plot details and creating detailed character analysis sheets and the story is now coming to life. I have to get it down on paper, even if it means breaking my promise not to start anything new this year.
I guess this means my to do list has grown by a bit. But that's okay. It's a scary feeling when you can't get beyond page 30. I don't honestly know how many books I have in me, but it's nice to know there's at three more there for now.
Maybe then I can take a vacation. And leave the muse home for a few days. =)
Saturday, November 15, 2008
I Must Be Mad!
Okay, so I finished up my NaNo book on what? Monday? Tuesday? Yikes, I can't remember. But it was earlier this week and I don't feel like scrolling through the pathetically few posts here to find out exactly when. Either way, it was a lot of writing - in an insanely short amount of time.
Now, I think it will be a viable book, eventually. But I'm not going to even look at it until probably January at the earliest. I've got two other projects in front of it. One is Devil in Disguise, which is thisclose to being done. The other is a category-length contemporary that I wrote last spring, and has undergone several revisions. I'll finalize that before the end of the year (hopefully) and have it out the door by January as well.
So, that's enough to keep me busy, right (read: keep me out of trouble)
You'd think so.
But I've found out something very important about myself this week.
I'm crazy.
Looney.
Mad as a freakin' hatter.
Another story idea has popped into my head and it's poking me somewhere right behind my eyes.
Last March, when You Belong to Me came out, I'd originally planned several novels around the Radcliffe family (Tony Radcliffe being the hero in Belong) - around Tony and Brenna's children (only one actually existed at the end of the first book.) The problem was, I had characters but no story.
Well, I think I might have one. Maybe more than one.
NO!!!!!!!
Ack, I didn't want to begin a new project now, so I'm trying to just kind of stuff my muse into the corner. Jeez, she goes on an extended coffee break during the last 10k words of my NaNo novel and now she's sucking up to me - I can't win.
So, I think I'll be at least jotting down the basic plot. I really don't want to begin anything new yet. I've got enough going on as it is. Stupid muse.
No, wait. I take that back.
Make nice to the muse. The muse is your friend.
Yeah. That's it.
The muse is my friend.
**sigh**
I'm doomed.
Now, I think it will be a viable book, eventually. But I'm not going to even look at it until probably January at the earliest. I've got two other projects in front of it. One is Devil in Disguise, which is thisclose to being done. The other is a category-length contemporary that I wrote last spring, and has undergone several revisions. I'll finalize that before the end of the year (hopefully) and have it out the door by January as well.
So, that's enough to keep me busy, right (read: keep me out of trouble)
You'd think so.
But I've found out something very important about myself this week.
I'm crazy.
Looney.
Mad as a freakin' hatter.
Another story idea has popped into my head and it's poking me somewhere right behind my eyes.
Last March, when You Belong to Me came out, I'd originally planned several novels around the Radcliffe family (Tony Radcliffe being the hero in Belong) - around Tony and Brenna's children (only one actually existed at the end of the first book.) The problem was, I had characters but no story.
Well, I think I might have one. Maybe more than one.
NO!!!!!!!
Ack, I didn't want to begin a new project now, so I'm trying to just kind of stuff my muse into the corner. Jeez, she goes on an extended coffee break during the last 10k words of my NaNo novel and now she's sucking up to me - I can't win.
So, I think I'll be at least jotting down the basic plot. I really don't want to begin anything new yet. I've got enough going on as it is. Stupid muse.
No, wait. I take that back.
Make nice to the muse. The muse is your friend.
Yeah. That's it.
The muse is my friend.
**sigh**
I'm doomed.
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