Happy Halloween!

I did no writing today, nor do I expect to be doing any for the rest of the evening. Festivities abound!

I have, however, learned a few things about myself. When the vamp fangs I've had for 14 years finally bite the dust (no pun intended), it makes me very sad. Like it's the end of an era. I am also WAY too old to be wearing a corset for 12 hours straight.

Needless to say, the costume I wore today for work will NOT be the costume I wear when I take kiddo out trick-or-treating tonight. Hubby and I might actually be wearing "matching" costumes for the first time ever. (I will be Christine to his Phantom)

Have a good, safe night everyone, and tomorrow, we hit NaNo head on! Rawr!

Forgive me for I have sinned

I highly doubt this sin will ever make the Big Seven, but still.

I started my Nano project today. I know, I know...I could have just waited until Saturday, but I didn't. Of course, I'm not counting any words written before Saturday toward my Nano total, so I guess I'll have to keep two running totals.

On the upside, I wrote the entire first chapter today, for a personal daily best of 3,735 words. Theoretically, if I could continue the write a full chapter a day, I would get this done in 17 days. Not likely, but it's a pretty dream. Still, I'm going to go through with my Nano intentions of writing as much in a day as possible, and even working weekends when I'm not running amok like a headless chicken. Maybe I can finish a whole novel in a month? That would be amazing if I could. (and would also alleviate one of my deep secret fears that I simply write too slow to compete in a professional market)

The holiday looms large, and the rest of the week is going to be largely devoted to costumes, candy and cake. Not necessarily in that order.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Is it Christmas yet, Mom?

Ok not Christmas so much (I don't even want to talk about how close THAT holiday is) as Nano. I have my Nano project all plotted, all outlined, and now I just want to start it, dangit!

I admit, I've toyed with the idea of starting early. Now, I wouldn't COUNT those words toward my 50K total for November. It'd just get me further along into the book by the time I was done.

Really...I can start now? Please?

I managed to quash the urge today by re-reading some other outlines and things I have in the offing. My outline for Son of Project 2 is just baaaaaaad. I think when the time comes for that one, I'm starting completely over.

I don't know how much posting I'll get done for the rest of the week. There's karate class tomorrow, pre-Halloween festivities on Thursday, Halloween on Friday, and a twin birthday party on Saturday. (When did I develop a social life???)

Still no word from the agent on my revisions for Project 2. I envision those notes coming in right in the middle of Nano, forcing me to put that aside and work on Project 2 again. Ah well, such is the life.

The Plot Sickens

So, in plotting out the NaNo project (complete with jackalope), I realize how much FUN I have doing advance plotting. And since I'm forcing myself NOT to write anything on this project until November 1st (and let me tell you, it's hard!) I am pouring my creative energies into the outline.

There's a keen sense of satisfaction everytime I add something into a later chapter, and I can SO clearly see where hints and foreshadowing need to be layered into earlier chapters to make it all hang together in the end. And while this one is getting an extraordinary amount of extra-planning time, I may have to make this a practice for my future works. It's just...coming together so neatly!

Research of the day: Dutch words, the mythology of the Wendigo, and the Cheyenne creation myth.

The Wendigo thing is going to have to wait for a future book though. Y'know, in this series I haven't even started yet.

Recreational Reading

So, over on Absolute Write, I've been loosely monitoring the sci-fi/fantasy board and the book club they've started. I am bound and determined to read every book they pick, even if (especially if) it's outside my usual comfort zone. This has led me to read Ender's Game (which is apparently a sci-fi classic) and I just finished A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge.

Now, strictly sci-fi is pretty far outside my chosen genre. I'm a fantasy girl, since I read the Hobbit at age 5. (yes, I was a geek even then) And space-based sci-fi stretches me even thinner. It's not that I don't understand the physics concepts (weightless living, bizillions of years passing while you're in transit, etc.) but they are things that my mind doesn't easily adapt to. Yes, I ~know~ that the characters are floating down the hallway, not walking, but every time it's mentioned it kind of yanks me out of the story because I have to actively stop and visualize that oddity.

That said, I thought it was a good book, and the fact that it took me multiple weeks to read it I think is more of a reader malfunction than a writer malfunction. Maybe I'm just not meant to read sci-fi. I do, however, feel much more accomplished for adding it to my "have read" list.

And bless the book club folks. Next month's book is Storm Front which I've practically committed to memory anyway. Much more in my comfort zone.

Just call me Lemming

I blame Jen for this:

You are The Moon

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.

The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

The sad thing is, I don't think anything in this surprises anyone that knows me.

I'm working really hard on plotting out the NaNo project. It shows in my chapter summaries that are turning into writing projects in and of themselves. Just goes to show that my usual outlines don't garner this much pre-planning. Still, I find myself stopping to examine character motivation from time to time (largely my antagonist). I just can't seem to move the story forward unless I know just what he WANTS from my good guy. (Right now, he wants him to die, but that's at the end of things)

Survived kiddo's sixth birthday yesterday. She had a makeover at Club Libby Lu. She was gorgeous but I'm just not ready for her to be a knockout. That can wait another decade or so, right? Maybe four decades or so?

Endings

I pounded out over 2500 words today (before noon, actually) to finish off the first draft of Project 3. Yup, that's right folks, she be done. Or at least as done as a first draft gets.

I'm going to set it aside for the month of November and work on my NaNo project, but when December comes, I intend to be in full-on editing mode. I really hope I can get this whipped into something special.

It took me about 6 months of actual writing to finish this book. Remains to be seen how long the editing will take.

Exhaustion vs. Satisfaction

Today, I pounded out almost 1800 words, and finished chapter 23. My heroes have saved the world folks, just like I knew they would. It was a bit hairy there for a while, I don't mind telling you. My heart was pounding just as hard as theirs by the time I typed that last period.

Seriously, I am just WIPED. Saving the world is hard work! Apparently so is writing about it. But I am done with chapter 23 now. (it clocked in at almost 5K words in and of itself, my longest chapter to date) Now, I only have my denoument chapter to write, and I'll be done with this first draft. Easily obliterating my 70K first draft goal.

I (and my heroes) need a vacation.

Rainy Monday

I hate days when the sun doesn't even come out. It makes it impossible for me to know what time it is. (damn circadian rhythms)

I have added a followers widget over on the left. Go on, I'll wait while you look. You will notice, I have no followers. This is not surprising, since virtually no one knows who I am. Yet. But I want to be able to look back on this post some day (preferably after my followers widget has blown up due to too many people) and say "Ha! Remember when it was empty?" And if anyone who reads this (someone DOES read this, right? 'cause otherwise, I'm just talking to myself) wants, you can be the FIRST one to follow me! C'mon, you know you want to.

Reading other author blogs is starting to make me depressed. I can't even begin to explain how envious I am of people who are able to get 3,000+ words in on a project in a day. Granted, I have the Real Job(tm), and the kiddo, and the hubby (who is like another child), so it's understandable that my writing time is more limited. But still... I'm soooo jealous. I want to be able to just spend my days writing to my heart's content instead of having to juggle it with everything else under the (now-hiding) sun.

Got another 1,300 words in on Project 3 today. Tomorrow's job will be the big climax scene. That should finish out this chapter, then the next chapter is all denoument. It's a bit strange to realize I'm finally typing out this scene that I've had in my head all these months, never knowing quite how I would GET to it. You'd think, after finishing other novel-length works, that I'd be more used to it by now.

Why am I not in bed?

Ah, that's right. Because I was doing some last minute obsessive tweaking on Project 2 revisions before I sent them back to the agent.

Well, they're delivered now. I'ma go sleep.

ZZZZzzzzZZZZzzzzZZZZzzzz

NaNoWriMo

Yup, I did it. I officially signed up to participate in National Novel Writing Month.

For those who are not aware, NaNoWriMo is the month of November, wherein all types of writers attempt to bang out 50,000 words on whatever they choose. You don't even have to finish a novel, you just have to get 50K into it.

I'm choosing a brand new project (complete with sarcastic jackalope named Ernst) for my first attempt at NaNo. 50K translates to 1,667 words a day. IF (big if) you write EVERY SINGLE DAY. Now, since my writing tends to be confined to weekdays, that actually translates to 2,500 words a day (and I don't even want to think about taking Thanksgiving off. *shudder*)

In all honesty, I don't expect to hit the 50K goal. Historically, I don't write that fast. But I'm going to have fun trying and rooting for my other friends who are also similarly afflicted with insanity.

In Project 3 news, I finished chapter 22 today, and I'll start 23 tomorrow. Two more chapters left! If I finish this before the end of October (and I should) the rest of the month will be spent outlining the project I shall refer to as "NaNo Project". Just to be prepared when November 1 rolls around.

Quickness

Raiding in WoW tonight (told you, I am one of THOSE geeks) so short post.

Working very hard on Project 3. I'm almost done with chapter 22 (and worked in a KILLER action sequence, if I do say so myself) and then I only have two chapters left. I think I'll hit 70K easy with this first draft, which will make me just giddy!

The plan at the moment is to finish said first draft, then work on planning out a new project to do solely through NaNoWriMo in November. (barring any agent-driven revisions on Project 2)

Betas are getting back to me with notes on the current revisions, and everyone seems quite pleased with them. I'm really glad, because I have lost all ability to be objective with this one.

Happy Friday!

We have received word from said friend in Iraq. He is well enough to be on the computer (posting from his myspace page) and well enough to already be annoyed at the doctors.

We are very relieved, and grateful for all the prayers.

Real Life Intrudes

We just received word that a friend fighting in Iraq was hit by a roadside bomb today. At this time, we've been told that he's alive, and that he's made it through surgery.

I'll take whatever prayers we can get.

Urgh

Ok, I don't know why, but I have been having bouts with the WORST heartburn for like the last two or three weeks. And it doesn't seem to be connected to anything in particular that I've eaten. It goes away if I drink milk. Go figure.

Today, I got a little less than 1200 words written on Project 3, and what I put down on screen actually gave me goosebumps. This is good! I think I should be able to burn through the rest of chapter 22 in the next couple days (excluding weekends, which seem to be taken up by people in the real world wanting me to go out into that bright thing I hear is called the sun)

I am valiantly battling through Quarterly Project From Hell, but it would be so much easier if the people I ask actually KNEW they were supposed to be doing the things I'm asking them for proof of. Pretty sure that sentence isn't grammatically correct.