19 posts tagged “nanowrimo”
I guess November is creeping up on us faster than I thought, but now that I realize NaNoWriMo is starting soon and I don't have any idea what I'll be writing about, I figure I should start doing some brainstorming and at least figure out a few characters.
Anyway, the site will be reopening on October 1! All the old user logins will be working and new sign-ups will begin that day as well. So if you are planning on participating, please list your user name here for me so we can cheer each other on. It never hurts to have as much support as possible! 50,000 words, here I come...
Life, work, brain - all of them have been busy for me thus far during the new year and so I thought I would do a check-in on Vox to see what's been happening. I try to skim all the entries from my neighborhood everyday, but lately time has been waning for me to post a lot of comments. Here's a quick update on what I've been up to:
Working out - I've gone to three different fitness classes in the past three days. I did cycling for the first time last night and I thought for sure my legs would be seizing up today and that I wouldn't be able to walk. Turns out though that it is only my tailbone that is screaming at me today - I'm just glad my office chair is comfy.
Editing my NaNoWriMo Novel - I've edited 71/200 pages and I've begun sending out copies of the partial edit to friends who have requested to read it. I still have a lot of manuscript to wade through, but I'm determined to get it finished within the next week (or two).
Work, you know REAL work - Yeah I figured I would get around to doing some of that now that the holidays are over. No seriously though, I'm working on some exciting projects (one of them involving the use of movable type as a component to our company intranet pages - fun!). I've also been doing some overtime because all of a sudden there is a ton of work to do now that everyone is no longer on vacation.
Working on my 43things list - It's all right here if you want to take a look! I would say that anyone who doesn't have a 43things list and wants to do things to improve themselves, you should just sign up and start using it. It's such a lovely tool, especially for compulsive list-makers like me.
Being done with Nanowrimo is like shooting a favorite child. Or at least that's what is quoted near the end of No Plot? No Problem! in the chapter about what to do next now that the month-long writing bonanza is over. I don't have kids, nor do I have a favorite one, but supposedly I'm entering into post-nanowrimo depression territory, even though I really don't have time for that. I must admit that I am kind of sad that I must once again face the real world and go about my usual duties instead of wrapping myself in this novel I spent so many hours writing. I don't want to say I've killed my brainchild though because doing nanowrimo and being done with it was more like having a blast at summer camp and now that it is over I have to say goodbye to all the good memories and lessons learned until next year.
I couldn't have physically survived without copious amounts of chocolate, green tea, vitamin water, pitas with hummus, and pre-packaged meals from Trader Joes. Cooking and eating were a waste of my precious writing time so anything that was fast and could be eaten at the computer worked quite well for me. Not getting enough sleep was never an issue though - I usually go to bed late and wake up (kind of) early anyway. Surprisingly enough, I hardly consumed any coffee during the month. Coffee tends to make me go all ADD, so it was a good idea to stay away from it.
Probably the best part of nanowrimo was watching the word count meter rise. In those early days when I was still around 10,000 words it was hard to imagine getting to 50,000, but the story kept flowing and my characters were alive and kicking. I think another great part of writing a novel is keeping everyone around me in suspense. There are a good handful of people who are dying to read the manuscript that I've kept under tight security for the past month and it makes me feel good to know that they are interested in what I've accomplished.
There's also something inherently satisfying about writing - especially at this break-neck pace. As Stephen King put it in his book On Writing, putting words to paper for your readers is a form a telepathy where the writer can directly place the thoughts in their head to the thoughts of the reader. I can be here and you can be there (there being across the ocean or 5 years in the future) and yet our brains would be thinking of the same thing - of the same image. It's amazing really. I mean think about how we've ALL probably read Harry Potter. We've all experienced a telepathic moment together by reading the same book - it's mind boggling to think about it.
I suppose the other great thing about writing fiction at a fast pace (or any pace really) is that you can create these little miniaturized worlds. I've taken this idea from my most favorite contemporary novel Atonement by Ian McEwan where the protagonist of the story is a writer as well. The idea of using writing to create a minature world is described by making a pair fall in love with a look--a glance. Or simply writing the world "castle" and suddenly allowing your reader to imagine a picturesque fortress on the backdrop of a rolling tundra at that little smoke stack that comes from the blacksmith's forge and that winding lane that leads towards the gates. I thought it was a pretty powerful way of extending the idea that writing is telepathy. If you haven't read Atonement and you are a writer, I'd highly recommend it.
Enough digression though, my point is that I felt this mental telepathy while I was writing my nanowrimo novel and I was able to create this miniature world that will potentially be transmitted into the minds of my readers. I killed people, I made others fall in love and others hate one another, I built cities and empires with my words and if I wanted to, I could tear them down again with just one sentence. I've always believed it and this experience only solidified my belief even more that writing is a powerful tool of communication and having the ability to create worlds with the mind is truly a super power than anyone can harness.
Is it so wrong that I declined two social invitations this evening in
favor of working on my NaNoWriMo novel? I swear I'll make it up to my
friends once I finish this thing, but I did give them all fair warning
that I was going to be locked in my office all month writing this
story. I was just so busy all day during the day time that I didn't
have a single word written as of 8pm. My current word count now is: 46,714/50,000.
My goal is to hit 50,000 sometime tomorrow (Sunday). I have a feeling
it is going to take another 10-20K to finish the story itself, but
crossing the finish line early will be a nice bragging right. It's all
starting to come together and I really couldn't be happier!
I just crossed the 40,000 word mark for NaNoWriMo! Just 10,000 words until I can claim to be an official winner!
I just noticed that my past few posts have been QotDs, but I am doing Nanowrimo, so I don't have time to write about much else.
Anyway, just a few quick notes:
- I started an account at 43things.com, thanks to NYCinephile. I'd been meaning to do it for a while, but I just needed that extra push. Feel free to check it out and cheer me on. :)
- My Nanowrimo word count is 37,126/50,000. I feel like I'm slowing down now and I need to give my inner editor a kick in the butt so she'll leave me alone. I have no doubt I'll reach 50,000 words, but I'd like my story to be complete by the end of the month, regardless of word count.
- Also, I've decided to apply to grad school. I think I'm just mentality ready for it now (as opposed to when I first graduated and never wanted to step in a classroom ever again). I'm going to be doing the English master's program, but I haven't decided what concentration I will be going for - I can choose from literature, composition or creative writing. They all sound intriguing but I need to choose just one. I am meeting with some of my former professors in the upcoming weeks to get some advice on the program and ask them if they will give me a good reference on my application.
And the total word count at the end of the day is: 30,634/50,000! I'm really seeing my characters starting to act out and take on some actions of their own. It is a bizarre and wonderful thing to see unfold.
On a related note, I picked up a copy of Stephen King's memoir entitled On Writing. I haven't read the entire thing yet, but I started on the second half of the book that talks about how to become a good writer (as opposed to a competent one). The way King is able to really grab you and sit you down for a no-nonsense discussion about writing is addicting. One point he made that struck me was when he talked about how most people will tell you that when you write you should "stick to what you know" and King expands on that by saying that yes, you will do better in writing what you know, but to also remember that the imagination and the heart know many things as well. I recommend this book to anyone who is sincere and serious about writing - I've only read about 1/3 of it and I've laughed out loud, been deeply touched and I've also got some ideas in my head on how to improve on my own style and habits when I write as well. It has been many years since I read a novel by Stephen King and this memoir alone is probably enough to get me to take another look at his bestselling novels (and perhaps help me get over my somewhat literary snobbishness - thanks to being an English lit major and all...).
Oh the joys of writing fiction. What better way to spend my free time than with making up a bunch of lies?
This scene occurs the day after Aurora has an encounter with the princess who believes Aurora is a paigeboy in the castle and the princess has fallen in love with Aurora (aka Orsin). To make it believable to the princess, Aurora gave the princess a good makeout session and left her to her pining over the alias Orsin, the man that doesn't actually exist.
A smirk of amusement crossed Dex's face as Aurora recounted the story of her evening with Princess Bria to him. The sun had just come up and they were sitting in Aurora's kitchen together drinking hot tea. Dex's excuse for being in the area was that he was on patrol, but that was just what he'd tell any of the other guards if they saw him there.
"What? You don't have anything to say about it?" Aurora questioned, "She'll be on our side in no time trying to get rid of her own father if I steer her the right way."
Dex was still smirking to himself and so Aurora jabbed him in the arm.
"Dex? Are you listening to me?" Aurora was irritated that he was lost in his thoughts.
"Oh, sorry dear, I was just picturing the two of you and well, I gotta say, nice work - I didn't know you had it in you." Dex clicked his cheeks and winked at her.
"I don't really like the girl you idiot - you obviously don't understand what kind of power a man holds over a woman when she thinks he's in love with her." Aurora tossed her head to the side and lit up a cigarette, "Why can't you be serious with me about this? We obviously can't let the king marry Bria off to my uncle Hadrian! Just think of it - if Hadrian found out I was here - if he found out what we were doing and he was married to Bria, he'd send his army here to fight us. We can't risk that right now. Not until we have complete control over this kingdom."
"Mmm. Always thinking ahead aren't you dear?" Dex said as he took a drink of his tea and then pulled out a flask and dumped a generous amount of whiskey into it before taking another sip, "Ahh, that's better.
"Now listen love, you're going to have to hold things down with the clan for me for the next few days - maybe weeks - I've got this fleet of soldiers that are trying to breach our northern shores and I've got to lead the army out."
"Why do you do that?" Aurora said, referring of course to him always calling her 'dear'.
"Do what, love? Go on all these adventures without you? Well trust me it's nothing you would want to be a part of..." Dex as he took another sip of his tea and knowingly dodged her question.
"No, I meant like call me names like darling, dear, love..." Aurora said and then took a long drag off her cigarette.
Dex scratched his head and messed up his already messy blond hair as he hesistated answering her question, "What else can I say, who wouldn't want to call a beautiful empress a pet name?"
It wasn't exactly the answer Aurora was hoping for, but she didn't push him further with words. She was looking at his blue eyes that were partially covered by his hair hanging in his face. He had the face of a young man, but his skin was browned from being outside so much and the gash above his eye was still healing from the last battle he had seen. Aurora changed the subject, "Do you ever worry that you may not come back from battle?"
"Never," Dex said with confidence.
"What do you want me to do while you are gone then?" Aurora poured another cup of tea and then sat down next to him at the table instead of across from him.
"Don't take the king's amulet while I'm gone. I want to be the one to see him off once we take it. Just continue your little love affair with the princess and enjoy yourself."
"I can't continue that charade forever - she's going to find out I'm not a man," Aurora protested.
"You mean you aren't?" Dex said as he raised an eyebrow. But Aurora reacted immediately and flicked him in the forehead for giving her cheek.
Today I crossed the 20,000 word mark. Go me! Maybe I should slow down...or try for a higher word count.
