NaNo Wins Again...

Ahhh NaNo, how I hate thee, let me count the ways.....

:D

Seriously, I don't know why I try. I think I must have some subconscious aversion to this activity. Last month, I wrote almost 40,000 words without really trying that hard. I'd write anywhere from 1000 to 7000 words a day. This month....I maybe managed about 10% of that.

And now that NaNo is just about over, with the last day looming tomorrow, my motivation to write has jumped into overdrive and I can't WAIT to get to my manuscript. I already have my file open and am forcing myself to go get dressed and write this post before I dive in.

I find this odd...Maybe I'm allergic to NaNo :D

Ah well, I guess as long as the words get written that's all that matters. But I don't know that I'll be attempting NaNo again. I seem to do much better when I don't put a label on my productivity :D

How did everyone else do?

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NaNo Wins Again...

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Update:

Nano is kicking my butt...



















That is all:D

How is everyone else doing on Nano or other projects?

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Friday Funnies

Nano Update:



Ugh, I'm behind I know. But not by much - gonna catch up this weekend! If I can stay awake. I've been ridiculously tired lately. Zzzzzzzzzz

How are you all doing? Have an awesome weekend!

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Ready.....Set.....

NANO!!!

Yes, once again I'm going to attempt this. I think this is my fourth year. I've never actually finished. However, I've always had a really good excuse :D The first two years I ended up moving right in the middle of November and last year I was in the middle of final edits and book release prep for Homework Helpers. This year though, I don't have any such excuse. So I'd better not botch it :D

I've got my Nano calendar wallpaper up, my potato word count guy all ready to go




my projects outlined and ready (yes, I said projectS. I'm cheating a little. I'm halfway through 2 WIPs and the plan is to finish them both by Nov 30th :D  )

Are you doing Nano? If so, come be my buddy! I'm michellemclean over on the site :) I'm also posting over on Pots & Pens today with a fun interview with Sandra Ulbrich Almazan and one of my favorite recipes, Chocolate Cake in a Cup - a perfect Nano treat :D


Oh - and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

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Ready.....Set.....

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Friday Funnies

Nanowrimo jokes were found on Danyelle Ferguson's blog - they were written by her husband. To check out her blog and/or see the original post, Click HERE.





"Knock Knock"
"Who's there?"
"Write"
"Write who?"
"Write"
"Uhm, yeah. You already said that. Write who?"
"Write"
"Whatever."
"Exactly, write whatever."





 A salesman walked up to a Nanowrimo participant's house and rang the doorbell. No one answered.





A Nanowrimo participant and her daughter were out trick or treating. A man opened the door and said to the little girl, "What are you supposed to be?"
"A ballerina," she said as she twirled in a circle. He dropped a piece of candy in her bag.
"And what are you supposed to be?" he asked the older woman who was wearing vampire teeth, had quotes pinned to her shirt, and was carrying a dictionary.
"I'm the Word Count," the woman said with a thick, fake accent.
 "Aren't you a little old to be trick or treating?"
"Probably, but I'm going to need all the chocolate I can get."





Question: Three people were sitting at the library with their laptops. The first was typing away furiously the screen filling with words, many of them with red, squiggly lines underneath them. The second glared at a mostly blank screen with bloodshot eyes. The third typed a few words, then got up and browsed the shelves for a long time before returning and typing a few more words. Which one is the true Nano participant? 

Answer: All of them.

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My Internal Editor Needs to Shush

So yesterday I clicked on my blog only to discover that I hadn't posted since Friday. Somehow I had completely forgotten to post on Monday. Not sure how that happened *oops* I hope everyone has been happy, healthy and productive in the meantime :D

Yesterday I also realized that Nano is in 6 days. S.I.X. DAYS. How did that happen? Where did October go?!

I had a pretty lofty goal for October. I was going to finish my current WIP so when Nano hit I could work on a new one. If I could pull it off, it would mean two finished books by the end of the year. I've done pretty well...but my current WIP is nowhere close to being finished.

However, before October 1st, it wasn't even started. I hadn't worked on new material in a very long time so I am proud of the work I've accomplished.

Here's my problem...I can't shut off my internal editor. And it's driving me nuts :)

I know this book has issues. It's complicated. It's partial verse and the genre has morphed from urban fantasy into what I can really only call Sci Fi (maybe light SciFi, but still). It's a genre I haven't written before and it's something that requires research (which I'm more than happy to do) but all of that combines to make that pesky editor in me sit up and scream about every 5 seconds because I know there are sections that need to be rearranged or expanded or researched better or cut or any number of combinations of the above.

The poems in the story also take quite a bit of time as I'm trying to fit the story I need each of these poems to tell into the story as a whole and still stay within the structure and rules of each form.

So...yeah...it's complicated LOL But what I need to do, and what I am trying VERY hard to do, it just to write. Just to get that basic first draft story OUT. And then I can go back and fix what needs fixing.

Anyone have an internal editor muzzle? :D Does your internal editor slow down your first draft writage? And who's doing Nano?! :D I'm getting ready to break out my little potato guy word counter. I love that spud :)

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My Internal Editor Needs to Shush

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Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Blogging :)

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! My house is destroyed...and my kids are home for another two days before heading back to school....at this point it would be easier to move :D Though we did get our Christmas tree up this weekend. Since we were in the middle of moving last Christmas, we didn't get to do the big tree with all the trimmings, so I am enjoying getting everything all Christmased up :)

But, vacationing children and their destructive tendencies or no, tomorrow the routine must begin again...or I'll never get back into gear LOL

OOooo how did everyone do on NaNo!!? 

I'm over on the OA today - stop by and say hi! :)

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Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Blogging :)

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NaNo Fail

Ah, my dear NaNo,

We had a good run, you and I, but alas, it was just not meant to be. I don't regret a single moment of our time together. We made it longer than any other NaNo year I've ever been with, and have over 20,000 beautiful new words to show for it. But sometimes, life and more important deadlines just get in the way. It's no one's fault. We just....drifted apart. We wanted different things. I know you wanted what was best for me and our manuscript, but your unwillingness to be flexible was a problem I just couldn't overcome. And that's not your fault. It's not you, it's me. If I could have stuck to what you wanted, the result would have been amazing. All I can say is, I did my best. I'm sorry it wasn't enough.

We had some amazing times together, and the words we created are well worth the stress and near panic of every looming word count goal. I'll still think of you, from time to time, especially when I'm shredding our precious creations.

And this doesn't have to be goodbye forever. Maybe, once we've taken a break, stepped back and given each other some space and time, maybe we can try again.

We'll always have November.....

Best regards,

Michelle

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NaNo Fail

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On the OA Today

Okay, I've decided I just need a big surplus of words to carry me through the weekend (the stats I posted yesterday were what I ended up with as of Friday night) - yesterday......nada.....today so far.....zippo......argh. Behind again - but I'll make sure I have enough by next Friday to carry me over next weekend LOL

I'm over on the OA today talking about Making Every Second Count :D Come say hi! :D

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NaNo Stats

Okay, are ya'all ready to be proud of me? :D I actually buckled down yesterday and wrote my little fingers off and managed to pull off.....ready?.....4371 words!!! I'm so excited LOL Potato Man is doing the dance of joy. I can't believe I actually caught up. Hallelujah ;-D


How is everyone else doing? For those not doing NaNo, how are your projects coming along? Or just life in general? :) Anyone doing anything fun this weekend?

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NaNo Stats

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Friday Funnies

"Donne's verses are like the peace and mercy of God. Like his peace they pass all understanding, and like his mercy they seem to endure forever." King James 1




"I was working on the proofs of my poems all day. In the morning I put a comma in and in the evening I took it back out again." Oscar Wilde





"I thought I'd begin reading a poem by Shakespeare but then I thought why should I?" He never reads any of mine. Spike Milligan

(NaNo stats....still behind...but catching up :) )

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Thirty-three Word Thursday

We work in the dark — we do what we can — we give what we have. Our doubt is our passion, and our passion is our task. The rest is the madness of art. 
— Henry James 


(NaNo stats: the cushion has left the building :( I've had a strange few days in which almost nothing has gotten accomplished. Once I tackle Mt. Laundry I will tackle Mt. Manuscript. I will conquer both clothes and word count if it kills me - huzzah!)


p.s. I hope the rest of you are doing better. Give me some motivation, spark that competitive streak - give me some word counts :D Who is whipping NaNo's tail!?

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Evolution of the Female MC

I was watching some movies with my daughter over the weekend and they got me thinking about a few posts I'd read around the interwebs - about today's heroines. There seems to be a lot of concern over whether or not there are strong female leads in the books out today, and to be honest, I was surprised that a lot of people didn't seem to think there were.

Sure, there are the Bellas out there who spend more time getting rescued than kicking butt themselves, but it seems like every time I pick up a new book, there is a strong heroine taking the lead.

Case in point: Disney princesses. I know these are movies, but stick with me for a sec...

I'm the mother of a five year old girl...Disney princesses make up a huge part of my life (and, okay, they would even if I DIDN'T have a 5 yr old daughter...but I DO so I can blame it on her) :D

We watched Snow White this weekend. Meek, mild, gentle Snow White who wouldn't hurt a fly, fell in love with some guy who trespassed on her property and married him because he stumbled across her in the forest, and kissed her....while she was UNCONSCIOUS....with an entire woodland audience as witness.

And then we watched Princess and the Frog. Where the heroine has worked her tail off to make her dream of owning her own restaurant come true. Not only does she NOT fall in love with the prince at first sight, he irritates the crap out of her. And when the love bug finally strikes and they do the happily ever after thing, her happily ever after does not entail following him to his castle in the clouds. Nope. He follows her into the restaurant business.

And I cannot WAIT for Tangled to come out - Rapunzel looks absolutely hilarious pushing the stuck up prince around :D

Now, I know these are movies, not books, but I see this in literature too. Even Bella had her moment in the sun, flying off to Italy to rescue Edward. Hey, I was impressed. I'd be terrified to fly off to Italy to face off against a whole mess of angry super vamps. Give the girl some brownie points (oooo brownies....brb)

Anyhow, I'm just glad to know that my daughter is growing up in the age of Tiana and Katniss and Zoey from the House of Night series and all the other kick-booty heroines out there...not that I don't love Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, but I'd rather see my girl out there pulling some Princess Fiona moves instead of waiting for some guy to come accost her while she's out cold in the forest.

Just sayin'.

NaNo stats! Weekends are tough for me - I don't usually write on the weekends. That's family time. So carving out the wordage was a little more painful than usual. I'm hoping to get back in the power writing groove today! But, I still pulled a respectable (I think) 1583 - I'm just happy for the word cushion LOL (p.s. I'm not really as frustrated as my potato guy lets on....I'm just having fun playing with all his moods) :D

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Evolution of the Female MC

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On the OA Today

I'm posting over on the OA today about the Occupational Hazards of being a writer :) Come say hi!!

NaNo stats for the day: (it's getting harder! Only 1660...but close enough and still ahead over all so iz all good)

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On the OA Today

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Wordage Update

Okay, if I read the little calendars right, I'm a day ahead of schedule since I should be hitting 10k tonight (the word count you see below is the number I hit last night, so my starting number for today). Sooooo, I think I'll relax just a little today. A LITTLE :D Don't want to give up too much of my lead. Still gonna get some wordage in, another 1667 minimum if at all possible. But, for just a minute, I think I'll give the old fingers a rest :DHow is everyone else doing? Happy Weekend all!!! I'll be at the OA tomorrow, so don't forget to come say hi :)

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Thirty Word Thursday x 2

Sometimes language gets in the way of the story's feelings. The reader finds himself experiencing the language of the story rather than the story. "A man goes into a phone booth, stirring coins in his palm." "Stirring" is such an obviously selected word. You can feel the writer looking for the word as he sat at the typewriter. 


— Leonard Michaels 


Do you find yourself doing this in your own writing? I know we all sit and search for the exact right word, but have you ever had an experience, whether with your own work or someone else's where you've read a line, and instead of it having a powerful impact, you think "okay, I (or that writer) am/is trying too hard"?


And how are all my NaNo peeps doing? For those not doing NaNo, how are your other projects or just life in general going?


I have actually surprised myself - I'm doing much better than I expected LOL

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Thirty Word Thursday x 2

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My Characters' True Nature

So I was talking to a good friend/crit buddy of mine last night. We are both reworking old novels that have been sitting for several years and we are both just jumping out of skins excited at how our revisions are turning out. Apparently, even if you love a book like it was your own child, letting it sit for a year or three gives you a bit of prospective. I have been slashing away like you wouldn't believe....about 30,000 words so far. In fact, other than the characters and the basic story line, most of the story is brand new.

But we started talking about how I miss some of the scenes between my MC and her love interest but that I just couldn't keep them because the scenes no longer fit the dynamics of their relationship (they were very tender, gushy...love them, but their relationship has more of an edge to it now - there's more mistrust and other stuff going on instead of just straight 'OOOO I LOVE YOU SO MUCH' stuff).

And then we talked about how much I love the new scenes between them. And she pointed something out.

I still know about those scenes that are no longer in the book. Those scenes show how my characters really feel about each other - they show the emotions my characters can no longer afford to show. And all of that comes through in the new scenes.

It made me realize that THIS is probably the reason people do character sketches and fake interviews and bios or character bibles. I've never done one...never wanted to. I get to know my characters through writing them. BUT I have a tendency to let inconsistencies in their makeup slip through. I'm getting much better at catching that (and this is something that I've learned over the last year so it wasn't present when I wrote the first 100 drafts of this novel) :D (p.s. thanks Elana and Christine) :D I'm hoping that I'm just getting better at staying true to my characters...not that it will take several years to really get to know them every time. Because that could be a problem LOL

However, now, when I'm going through reworking these scenes, I am staying true to my characters and who they really are. I'm not forcing them to react the way I want them to react. When I first wrote the book, I wanted a story where they guy got the girl and they stayed together totally in love, totally trusting, through the whole book. But that's not only boring, it just doesn't fit the way real people are....and certainly doesn't fit who my characters are.

Rewriting these scenes and letting my characters' true natures shine out is just unbelievably exciting. *happy sigh* It's moments like this that really drive home to me why I do what I do :)

How about you? Have you ever tried to force a character to do something he/she/it just wouldn't do? Do you have trouble staying consistent? And do you do character sketches, etc before writing? I'm still not sure I have the desire to do one, but I can definitely see it's merits.

And how are my fellow NaNoers doing? I got my goal in last night so I am now up to.....

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My Characters' True Nature

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Agent Contest and Blogfest and NaNo, Oh My!

Today's the day! Break out those one-line pitches and head to Operation Awesome for the MYSTERY AGENT CONTEST!!!! This is not just for YA/MG - our awesome mystery agent is on the look out for adult fiction also, so hurry on over!!!

And don't forget to showcase those logline/hook line/pitch lines for Steena Holmes's epic blogfest! Head to her blog for details - the blogfest starts TODAY!

Now if that's not a little fun to brighten your Monday, I don't know what is :D

And lest we forget....IT'S NANO TIME BABY! Dunn dunn dunnnnn (hehe) How are those words coming? My potato man is all warmed up and ready for me to drop some pages in his box - here is is for your viewing pleasure :) Good luck to all you NaNo-ites out there!



So, how is your Monday morning going?

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Third Time's the Charm...I Hope

REMINDERS: Tomorrow's the day!!! Join us tomorrow night at 9 pm EST on the Operation Awesome Blog for a live chat on queries with the fabulous Elana Johnson!
And next week, Monday November 1st, join in a Logline Blogfest hosted by Steena Holmes - check out her post HERE for details :) See my post from yesterday HERE for help with writing loglines/hook lines.


All right, NaNoWriMo is literally just around the corner. Who's playing this year? *raises hand*

Once again, I'm going to attempt it. Now the last two years I ended up moving in November (yes, both years...I move a lot) :D In 2008, I was just moving into a new house (literally, we moved in Nov 1), and in 2009, I was packing because we were moving out of our house in Dec.

And guess what, there is a very small, slight possibility we might just be moving again....in November....AGAIN. Argh. We haven't decided if we want to keep renting the lovely house we are in now, or buy a place near by. If we do buy, we'll be moving next month. Oy.

However, I do have a laptop this year, so there is really no excuse for not being able to participate, moving or not. Right? Riiiiiight ;-)

I haven't been able to use my little potato man word counter much since I've been editing instead of writing new material, but I think I'll break him out for NaNo :D Here he is in case you haven't seen him before:



I have him sleeping right now, as we haven't started yet, but you can make him do different things :D Very fun widget. Head to Writertopia if you want to snag him :)

And here's a link to some gorgeous NaNo wallpaper calendars. I've used the big manor house one the last two years. I think I might go Old World this year...though there is just something about that manor house pic that I LOVE. Plus it fits my story...I might need to print some of these out and just have a bunch of calendars all over the walls :D

Ooo and here's the link to the thread on the NaNo site where everyone posts calendars. I've just spent 30 minutes there, downloaded 6 of them, and still don't know which one I want to use :D *sigh*

Does anyone else have any links to fun NaNo stuff? Calendars, wallpapers, word count widgets, etc? Does anyone have a calendar that has the funny sayings on every day? :D

Come friend me if you are playing along this year! I'm michellemclean over there :D

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NANO's Over? But I'm Not Done Yet!!

Yeah, oops :D Well, I did get 2200 something words - so, not a total waste. Here's something I've learned from the last two years.....If you want to do NaNo, do NOT move in November :D

Last year, we moved into our new house on the night of Oct 31st. So unpacking took up all of my time until about the middle of November. Normally, I'd have the whole house unpacked the first day, but this time my children were older and somehow, things didn't go quite as smoothly with them under foot :)

This year, we get the news my husband is being transferred and a flurry of house hunting, school calling, early intervention education program phone calls, note writing, and faxing, shopping, organizing, trashing, and packing begins again.

Bottom line - if you are going to try and write around 2000 words a day for 30 days, I'd highly recommend not trying to move your family 2000 miles away while doing it :D

How did everyone else do?

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