Um. There's this.

You can check out my stats, here. Also, don't think I wrote like 10,000 words the last day. I already had some notes and alternate chapters in the document and I was too lazy to take them out, so it looks like I wrote more words than I did.

I'm not that talented.

I'll tell you all about my experience later. Right now, as reward and a day to spend selfishly on myself, I'm making a skirt for ME. Also, I'm going to read a couple of books, take a week off of writing and then dive right back in.

How did your NaNoing go?

The Middle.

I've past the middle part. And, as Anne Shirley would say, I am in the depths of despair! The middle does that to you every time. It's like I've buried my adorable, capable, and funny characters into a pit so deep, I'm not sure that--even with a little C-4--they'll be able to dig themselves out.

I'm going to be honest with you, I have considered chucking the whole thing. But then I remember that with each word I write I'm learning something about this book, its characters and its plot. And I might not learn it until I write it all. So I'm going to soldier on.

I spent the morning taking notes on what's working and what doesn't work and drew a timeline map, which I think will help a lot. Just a note, I did have an outline jumping into this but am realizing that I am a true pantster and like any pantster, pre-determined plots and outlines don't work for me cause I stray. Or, rather, my characters tend to stray. (Bad characters!)

Also, time travel is a bitch.

How are you all doing? I hope better than me.

This post was brought to you by salty tears and diet coke.

NaNo Update.

So, it has been almost a week since November began. After a slow start (I was vacationing with my kids) I've caught up to where I need to be. I'm at 13,000 words, which is a little bit ahead.

 As I suspected, pantster that I am, my plot has changed....but only for the best.

I am in good spirits today. Happy the election is over, happy to be home and working, happy it is the last beautiful day of the season, happy that my kids are in school, happy that I'm making homemade pizza tonight. So many happies!

I hope you can all read BEFORE EARTH someday, cause I'm having a fun time writing it!

How are you all doing on NaNo?

Bonus: My family and our Halloween Costumes.

Also, we had a lot of people ask us what muggles were. Really?

BEFORE EARTH

It is almost November. And, yes, I'm doing NaNo again. I did it last year and, while it was a challenge, I learned so much and couldn't help but to do it again. The reason I'm doing it is exactly the same reason I did it last year. I love the community of it. I feel inspired by it. I mean, we're human and we need story to survive, so why not go crazy with story for one month. I love it!

I'd love for you to join me if you're doing it this year. Here's a link to me.

You can follow my progress there. Last year I wrote THE ART OF MAKING STARS, which is a contemporary YA romance. This year I'm going with a YA science fiction. I'm really excited about this new book. It's called BEFORE EARTH. Here's the pitch (which will, I'm afraid, probably change a lot because I'm a pantster):

Seventeen-year-old Meg Williams is totally pissed off when her dad invites a vagrant named Damon to live above their garage. It doesn’t help that he ends up in her physics class at school the next day. Although, she has to admit, his army green Chuck Taylors are pretty hot. But when Damon tells her he’s from Mars, she knows he’s more than weird, he’s psycho.

 Then NASA discovers something on Mars, something that freaks the world out: An exact replica of The Statue of Liberty, lying on its side, half covered in rusty Martian dust. While scientists, militaries and world leaders scramble to find answers, Meg goes to the only person who actually knows the truth: Damon.

 Damon explains he is an ancient Martian from a prehistoric green Mars, which is slowly turning to the silent red-desert-planet we know. In desperation, the advanced inhabitants of Mars have opened up portals through time and space and are slowly emigrating to different time periods on Earth.

 To convince Meg, Damon takes her through a portal to the dying Mars and, while there, she sees something strange. Something that could change the history of Earth, erasing her existence and everything she knows.

 It’s up to her and Damon to figure out how to save the Martians while attempting to maintain the now fragile history and population on Earth.

Doesn't it sound exciting! Unlike THE ART OF MAKING STARS, this book actually has a plot! We'll see if I can pull it off!

 Here's an image that is TOTALLY part of this book:

Isn't it dreamy! I LOVE it.

Here's a tentative cover:

So. Are you doing NaNo? If so, why are you? I'd love to hear! Also, let's be NaNo buddies!

 

Phew.

Go ahead, click on it.

Despite Thanksgiving, life, the flu (acting like the black plague), my kids, the interwebz
And with the help of my crit partners, NANOWRIMO pep talks, diet coke and chocolate
I won!
I did.
Really.

And I learned A LOT!
And I had fun.
And I know, now, I can do really hard things.
And I love my writing buddies. No, really love them.

I already miss getting daily word count messages from them.

And now I have to finish the novel that I began. So, if you'll excuse me....

What I've Learned From NaNo So Far.

Writing the beginning if fun. Writing the middle is hard.

I have amazing Crit partners who offer advice, listen to whining and send care packages.

Also, they write beautiful words like these.

Some days are easier than others.

Some days are impossible.

The people in the rest of my life have no concept of what I’m doing, nor do they want to hear about it (excepting, of course, my husband and kids).

I draft well with music. (I think it mostly drowns out the noise of the kids)

I wore a hole in the butt of my favorite jeans. Yep. And I’m not ashamed.

After this month is over I’m going to:

Buy new jeans. Go to dinner to celebrate. Go to a movie. Not write on the weekends. And try to keep the momentum going!

How are you doing? What have you learned?

Things I Have to Do Before I Can Start Writing.

Otherwise entitled: Procrastination.

Exercise. I know. I can’t help it. I get up really, really (I know, two adverbs) early (ok, three) in the morning to do this.

Make bed. I didn’t do this the first day and it didn’t get made for two days. I know, not necessary, but just a little something Martha Stewart taught me.

Clean up breakfast dishes. Something about the hum of the dishwasher creates a nice background noise for noveling.

Procure four-year-old playmate for Jane. The moms in the neighborhood are loving me because I’m begging them to bring their kids over. If they don’t, Jane ends up watching TV all day. Not good.

Stock desk with glass of ice water or, if I’m cold, hot herbal tea (I like the peach with sugar and milk).

Also, does anyone know how many calories the little bite-size Halloween candy bars are? Just wondering, cause I may have eaten twenty yesterday. I consider chocolate collateral damage during November.

So. What do you do to prepare for your writing day?

First Day Stats

First sentence: Apparently making a star isn’t that big of a deal.

Last Sentence: A bulldog sticker peeked from the corner of the scrambler’s back window.

Word Count: 2001

Emotional Stability? This took longer than I anticipated. I'm hoping it's because it was the first day and as we all know, the first page/chapter is the hardest. I had to keep reminding myself this is just a draft. I can fix it later. I WILL fix it later.

How did you do?

NaNoWriMo

So. Here’s the thing. When I was in college I had this boyfriend. He was a philosopher type and was a little obsessed with Nineteenth Century Transcendentalism. Of course Walden was his bible. Let me tell you, it wasn’t easy being in a relationship with a philosopher, he was always pondering and then wanting me to ponder and be all brilliant with him and, well, I’m not. Brilliant I mean.

So one time he looked at me and told me he’d figured me out. Like I was this very deep and profound puzzle, which—as I’ve said before—I’m not. I’m shallow. Simple and shallow. Really. Anyway, when I asked him what he meant he said, “You’re chapter eight.” And then he stopped, like I was supposed to know what that meant. So I picked up Walden and read chapter eight, which is called “The Village.”

So here’s the deal. Thoreau went to the woods to ‘live deliberately,’ you know, suck out the marrow of life and live isolated and independent on his little plot with his little house and his paper weight (another chapter that would bore you) and his rows of green beans. Well the truth was, he didn’t. He went to the village, which was Concord, everyday. That’s right everyday!

So I guess old Thoreau was a social guy after all. And I suppose my boyfriend was right. I’m a village kind of girl. I like people. I like community. I thrive on conversation and support and friendship.

Which is why being a writer is hard sometimes. It’s a solitary life.

And that, my friends, is why I’m doing NaNo. I’m drawn to it by my sense of community. I know, for a month, I will be participating in an absurd undertaking. But at least I’m being absurd with thousands of other crazy villagers. Our writing village.

And everyday, as I finish my word count, I’ll step out of my little cottage on Walden pond, take a deep breath of woodsy air, suck out the marrow of life, snap a green bean into my mouth and saunter to Concord. My little writing village. And we’ll gossip about writer’s block and plot and characters and story arc and failure.

And then we’ll ‘sail from some bright village parlor’ and make for our ‘snug harbor in the woods’ ready for the next day with a ‘merry crew of thoughts.’

And when we’re done we’ll get t-shirts and book bags and a button for our blog. And we’ll say, ‘We did it. We survived.’ Because, you see, it’s better to survive or fail with each other than alone.

So. Are you doing NaNo?