Archive for November, 2009

Number of…

Cafe’ Mochas drank: 42
Times the theme song from the movie “Rudy” played: 64
Hours spent procrastinating: Too many to count
Times I was going to start over: 3
Times I actually did: 0
Words written: 50,419
Novel Completed: 1

NaNoWriMo Experience: PRICELESS

WhoooooooooooooHoooooooooooooooooo!

2,872 words to go…

This cartoon from InkyGirl.com says it all:

Too funny.

I’m really happy right now. As of 11:59 pm today, I have COMPLETELY CAUGHT UP in my word count, and in fact am over for the day by 200+ words!

It took several days of constant writing (well, not constant writing, but I was constantly in my chair attempting to write) but it worked. Whenever the going got rough, I just kept plugging away until finally, the story was flowing, the ideas were flying, and the words were piling up. I’m still in that groove and I’m loving it! This whole process reminds me of my marathon and the training that went into it. Right now I’m on the equivalent of a runner’s high – writer’s high. I hope it lasts. All I can think of at this moment is that this feeling is what makes NaNoWriMo so worthwhile.

My story is coming along strong now. My characters are not exactly taking over and writing it all themselves yet, as I’ve heard often happens, but they’re certainly influencing the outcome and making their voices heard. And I’m seeing the loose ends come together and now I believe my 49,999 and 50,000th words will actually be, “The End” and Not “To Be Continued…” as I once had thought. Awesome.

Commentary on closing in on word count, writer’s block and writing through it, and increase in creativity with daily writing.

I am very proud of myself right now. Between yesterday morning and this afternoon, I have written a total of 6,198 words and I’m not even done for the night. I am now just 3,764 words short of where I should be at this time in the National Novel Writing Month in order to complete 50,000 words by the 30th. At this rate, I should be caught up by tomorrow night at the latest. In terms of word count alone, I’ve actually passed Chris Baty, the inventor of NaNoWriMo. It’s not a contest, but by comparing my word count to Chris’s, knowing he always ‘wins’ NaNoWriMo, it’s a psychological boost to my ego, as it reaffirms the idea that I will ‘win’ NaNoWriMo too. Whoohoo!

I’m taking a couple of minutes to break away from my novel right now just to complain. I had a great morning of superb inspiration and the fingers were flying and the word count was rising. Then I reached the end of that chapter and

I left that last sentence hanging because, well, that’s what happened.

Right now the word count is coming at a snail’s pace – a snail on valium. I just can’t seem to recapture that rhythm. Arggggh! And what I have written out of sure force of will – so, so, so bad. Never will it make it into the final version.

So, I end this rant with an appropriate quote that describes my feelings at the moment:

“The first draft of anything is shit.” ~ Ernest Hemingway

Now, off to try again…

Commentary on Week Two progress – being behind in word count and efforts to catch up – and multiple methods for backing up your novel (why doing these saved my a** when my computer crashed last Saturday).

Today marks the beginning of Week 3 of National Novel Writing Month. I haven’t posted a video blog entry for a few days again, not because I’ve stopped writing, but because I’m busy writing away – and I had a computer crash (damn the Mac blue screen and ’spinning beach ball of death’!) – but that’s a whole other story.

Last week I managed to fall behind on my word count, but I have spent the past few days writing feverishly to catch up. It seems to be working and I should get to 50,000 words just in time to finish NaNo. It won’t be easy, in fact I’m kicking myself for not keeping up the 1667 minimum words per day so that I wouldn’t be in this position, but it’s still doable and I will do it.

Each week since this year’s NaNo started, Chris Baty and friends at NaNoWriMo HQ have been sending out ‘pep talks’ in written and video form, and this week is no exception. So far I’ve enjoyed them very much and look forward to finding them in my email in-box. Each one seems to speak to just the exact situations I’m finding myself in at the time. They also have just the right amount of encouragement right when I need it most and they’re incredibly crazy and fun to read and watch. Obviously, they’ve done this before.

Week 3 Pep Talk (I just love Chris Baty’s sense of humor!)