Please Note

During the month of November, the blog is a little different in format because I’m participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). For my usual sorts of posts, look backwards a bit, or wait until December. Welcome to all fellow NaNoWriMo writers!

The new posts continue below.

He also likes Bacos

16 November 2008

Well, the writing party is winding down here at the Seattle coffee shop where I’m sitting, and here’s my latest total—I am currently at 40,180 words. I added 1767 words today, 2627 on Saturday, and 2568 on Friday. Now I’m going to go home and bake cake, because it will make my apartment seem homey. Of course, the cake will be tasty, too, but what I’m really going for today is the warm scent of fresh baked goods in the air. I’m feeling a little run down, and I want to cuddle into my apartment with a cup of tea and a fluffy blanket.

We had quite a few people at our write-in today, and discovered the Maryland is slightly ahead of Seattle in the word count now. We will surpass them again soon. I have no fear, but in the meantime we have decided to invoke a special Seattle saint, Saint Archie McPhee. It is rumored that if you propitiate him with coffee and microbrews he will give you a high word count. Who am I to discount these rumors about the saint who had the miracle of the devil ducks?

See you tomorrow!

Rain isn’t slowing us down

I just checked the NaNoWriMo website. Seattle is still leading the word count. We currently have written more words than any other region. As of this moment, Seattle denizens have currently written 10,370,820 words. How cool is that?

Yay! Seattle!

See you tomorrow!

Not trigger happy

Wow. It’s the end of week two, and I’ve already written 33,218 words on my novel, and that doesn’t count today’s words which are still tucked away in a notebook. I should hit over 35,000 words by the end of the day.

It’s going fairly well, although the draft is very rough—a rode hard and put away wet, three days of five-o-clock shadow sort of thing in not very clean pajamas. It will need some work. Still, I’m enjoying the whole thing immensely. I don’t usually write over seventeen thousand words a week. This is progress, and proof to myself that I am capable of the feat. That is exciting.

I’m also hitting some areas that simply need to be researched, which will happen outside of the boundaries of this month. I’m writing a mystery, and since I’ve never been a cop or a murderer, there are some details I need to learn about through books. I have done some hands-on research—I once shot a paper target in a very delicate part of his anatomy with a gun I was afraid to even touch. It was a very educational experience, and I have no more to fear from paper targets. They’ve stopped stalking me at night, and that’s all I asked for.

So, the headlong rush to completion continues. I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

See you tomorrow!

Play with words today

It’s been several days since I posted on my blog, but that’s not because NaNoWriMo has driven me stark raving mad. I don’t have internet at home, and I simply haven’t been anywhere I can post. I wish I had—their website is often hard to access and so far Seattle is leading the word count. I want to update my word count and keep us in the running.

Here’s the scoop on words—I’m currently at 31,392 words. I haven’t yet typed in today’s count. I’m writing in the notebook again today because that’s what’s easiest with the rest of my schedule.

One thing I’m really enjoying about the experience is the extra traffic that it’s bringing to my blog, and the kind comments people are leaving for me. I really appreciate that, as I often write with very little feedback. It’s great to know that when I send my words out into the void they are reaching someone who enjoys reading them. I enjoy reading the comments, too, and seeing the other blogs they lead to. Let us all keep writing!

See you tomorrow!

Riding my train of thought

The novel continues to barrel along, although sometimes it doesn’t seem to make much sense. I expect that’s to be expected in this headlong rush sort of writing we’re all doing for NaNoWriMo, especially when we haven’t plotted ahead.

I haven’t plotted ahead. That’s okay, though, as the muses keep handing me things. I’m sure I’ll have to do some rewriting and rearranging at the end of the month, but I feel by the end of it I’ll have all the couches, armchairs, and throw rugs I need. I’ll just need to move things around to create a book. Yes, I’m being silly, but I think you can follow my drift. Writing can warp your brain a little, and I’ve just got done attending a meeting at a local coffee shop with others doing the challenge. It was fun to meet them, and to all sit working together. It adds to the energy.

Last night after my square dance I typed everything into the computer, and yesterday I finished with a word count of 21,781 words. That’s a net gain of only 1,654 words, but I was really tired last night. Today I’ve reached 25,008 words-I’ve passed the halfway mark-with a net gain of 3,227 words. I’m sure the group energy helped me to push my limits.

Now I’m off to watch movies with my friend. We do this most Sundays, and I really look forward to it. There’s a pile of laundry screaming out my name in its most dirty and wrinkly voice, but I’m going to ignore it until tomorrow. After all, it’s the weekend, and I’ve done enough for now.

See you tomorrow!

What do you think?

I don’t yet have a new word count for you, but that’s because it’s all on paper and I won’t be able to type it in until late tonight, after I attend my club’s monthly square dance and potluck.

While I’m here, though, I wanted to say something in defense of Spider Solitaire, Free Cell, and other types of addictive little games. Some writing books recommend you delete them from your systems. If you can’t handle yourself around them, you might need to do that, and indeed I admit that once I start playing them I generally play for quite a while.

On the other hand, I need these games. As a writer, I’m a very verbal person. Sometimes I’m too verbal, and it’s hard for me to get out of my head. Someone I once dated told me I think too much. Sometimes it’s true. Addictive little computer games help me to clear the slate, to stop thinking in words and relax. I’m keeping mine on the system.

I’ll be back with a word count tomorrow. I’m looking forward to going to an actual write-in for NaNoWriMo at a local coffee shop. It’ll be fun to meet some of the other locals doing this crazy thing!

See you tomorrow!

Just the facts

I’ve been home all day getting things done, so I just have a moment of time online before I go dancing. So, drumroll please, the total NaNoWriMo word count so far is 20,127 words. I added 3,479 today and 2,962 yesterday on two days that were full of other things, too.

See you tomorrow!

My results may vary

I wrote yesterday’s installment of the NaNo novel in a notebook (can you tell I love alliteration?) and I just typed it in. Word count as of yesterday is at 13,686 which means that I am currently averaging about 2737 words a day. If I manage to keep this pace, I should be done in about thirteen days. We’ll see. By all accounts, the second week is going to be harder, but as I’m at day six right now, I haven’t yet hit that wall. Besides, I am having my own experience, and I may not have a wall in my way. I’ll let you know when I get there.

The book continues to mutate, but I’m letting it. I’m trusting that wherever it goes, I’ll find something good. This is not about perfection. Thank heavens for that!

Now I need to write today’s installment but I may not post again until tomorrow. I think today’s word count may go into a notebook as well, as I don’t want to be tied to a power outlet just now. It’s nice to have choices.

See you tomorrow!

Dancing in the streets

Hello, and welcome to the daily NaNoWriMo update and also to some news from Seattle. I’ve been working on the novel today, but so far it has all been on paper, so I might not have it typed in until tomorrow. Hence, no updated word count as yet, but I am scribbling away on it.

It’s been a little hard, as I’m fairly sleep deprived. I stayed up late two nights in a row. The night before last I was cat sitting, and my friend’s plane was delayed. I waited at his apartment to give him his keys back. He arrived safely, but very late at night.

Last night, I went to some election parties, and as my friend and I were arriving back at my neighborhood of Capitol Hill, the street was blocked. We parked and got out. Spontaneous parties had broken out in the streets all over Seattle. People were dancing, singing, and giving high fives to everyone who passed.

The parties went on for hours, and people went into the local supermarkets and bought snacks to hand out to the crowd. Daring young souls were climbing the traffic poles to put Obama stickers high out of usual reach. There were fireworks, and broken glass, and one lovely lady was standing on her boyfriend’s shoulders and throwing daisies into the crowd. Other people were picking up some of the trash just to be nice. It was stunning.

I had many memorable conversations that night, but one surpasses the rest. I had gone into the corner convenience store to buy a cup of hot tea, as the temperature was dropping but I didn’t want to leave the historic party just yet. A black man was talking to the assembled line. He said that he’d never gotten much of an education, but that his mama had told him he had to read, and given him Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Huckleberry Finn, and books like that. He said that he’d been taught that all white people automatically hated him on the basis of the color of his skin, and now right out there on the street was a crowd of ecstatic people, many white, who were celebrating the election of a black man. He said he just didn’t know what to think.

Whoever you voted for, whatever your politics are, last night was a first. I believe that the things the man said in the convenience store, and the things the Barack Obama said on national television, are signs of some healing taking place in this country on certain issues. It was an evening worth every bit of sleep deprivation that followed.

See you tomorrow!

Factoid for you

Welcome to a word count update. It’s still Tuesday, and now my word count is at 10,240 words. I’m putting the computer away for now, and may write more on paper later, but this is probably the last that will get counted for the day. I’ve got other responsibilities this afternoon, and I’m off to election parties tonight.

Here’s another writing observation for you before I go. Sometimes people laugh at writers because they have a predilection for all sorts of fussy writing implements. It always made sense to me–when you’re choosing the tools of your trade, you want good ones. It also makes a difference. Yesterday I wrote almost 3,000 words in a notebook with a cheap black pen, and I could feel it dragging at the paper. By the end of my stint, my hand was sore from the resistance of pen on notebook. Now you know.

See you tomorrow!