I just reached 20k and it feels pretty good! I'm *almost* halfway done!

The week is going by slowly... with work, it's difficult to get a lot of writing in, but I did manage 1k today. For me, milestones really help keep me motivated. Yesterday I was just over 1k away from reaching 20k and that kept me wanting to reach it today.

Now I'm only 5k away from being halfway done?? That's easy!

...My plot is totally running away on me, and you know what? I'm letting it. It's more fun writing when you don't have it all planned out, I think... I mean, I know where the book is supposed to end up, but how it gets there is a total mystery! Characters keep popping into my head, and I have no idea who they are or how they'll be important to the story!

Happy NaNo-ing! (anyone losing their sanity yet??)


 

I wish I didn't have to work... I wish I could NaNo all day long!

Wrote about 1k yesterday and only 500 words today. Still ahead, though.


 

My goal for yesterday was 1k, and thanks to my first write-in NaNo meeting, I wrote 1553 for the day!

poisonivy and I went to Dunkin Donuts for a NaNo meeting. Honestly, I didn't expect to write much if anything. Our track record with NaNo meetings isn't so good... In '07, we had two meetings and didn't write a single word at either of them! But this year, we buckled down and wrote! We paused from time to time to ask a question or to share a funny sentence or paragraph. It was a lot of fun!

Day 7 Report:

Word Count: 17,187 (wrote 1553)


I've done 420 words so far today, and I don't expect much more. It's such a beautiful day here!


 

I completed my 3k goal yesterday! Now I can relax a little. I'd love to get at least 1k done today, but I'm not going to stress about it if it doesn't happen.

Embarrassing moment of yesterday:

I set up my coffeemaker every night so I don't have to do it in the mornings (I don't trust myself not to mess it up when I'm half-awake). Instead of putting ground coffee into the brew basket, however, I put in sugar. !


Day 6 Report:

Word Count: 15,634 (wrote 3126)
Started Part 2 (called The City of Delusion)


Starting Part 2 was really fun and a good motivator for me to want to write. I switched from the perspectives of human-like creatures with a very important destiny (and a few scientists and doctors) to the perspectives of prostitutes and common people living in the city surrounding the Centre, which houses the scientists, doctors and leaders. It was a nice shift to something else with a lot of possibilities.

I wrote a 58-word sentence yesterday, too!


 

Near panic this morning when the site wouldn't work!

Embarrassing moment of yesterday:

After my shower, I was getting dressed. I reached into a drawer for a pair of socks, but grabbed underwear instead. I proceeded to try to put them on my foot, taking a few full seconds before I realized they weren't a sock...

Yep, NaNo'll do that to ya.

Anyway, I had another solid writing day yesterday. I finished the first 25% of the novel! Hooray!

Day 5 Report:

Word Count: 12,508 (wrote 3267)
Finished Part 1 of the story
Watched about 5 episodes of The X-Files Season 4
Played tons of games
Participated in one ten-minute Word War, wrote 520 words!
Averaging about 70 words for the one-minute www.oneword.com writings.

Today I'm going to start a totally different area of my book. For the first quarter, I've had my characters stuck inside a building. It's been bare and stark with no colors or decoration. Very clinical with a hospital feel. Today I'll be starting Part 2 which takes place in the chaotic, overwhelming world of the City which surrounds the building my characters have been stuck inside of.

New characters and new settings! Exciting!

(All the characters and settings will tie together later, I promise! This isn't cheating!)

My mind doesn't really want to get going today, which is part of the reason I'm starting the new area in my book. I want to get one more solid day of writing. I got my schedule for next week and the only days I have off are days when I just have meetings at work instead of 8+ hour shifts... But if I get a good writing day in today, I'll still be on track by the end of next week. Wish me luck!

And good luck to all of you NaNo-ers! Isn't this fun?


 

It's way too early to start cracking, isn't it? See, the writing's going well, but my sanity...

Let's just say my husband came home from work to find me sitting on my front porch writing in a notebook. ...and I was wearing ninja swords on my back (Halloween costume props). The funny thing is, there aren't even any ninjas in my novel!

Of course, he already knows I'm nutty, so he just said, "I love you," and smiled. I do wonder what the neighbors thought, though...


Day 4 Report:

Word Count: 9241 (wrote 3230)
I finally have one villain! And he's creepy!
No new characters, but things finally feel like they're moving forward.
3 films watched: A Nightmare on Elm Street, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Part 2: Freddy's Revenge, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

New sites:

http://www.oneword.com - the site gives you one word and a blank text box. You write for 60 seconds. (The word changes everyday and is the same for everyone)

http://www.stumbledupon - enter your interests and it gives you weird & interesting images and sites.

http://www.behindthename.com/random/ - a good way to find names for your characters.


Happy NaNoing!
 

I did awesome yesterday! My word count reached around 5800 before I had to leave for work! I did the last couple hundred when I got home so I could reach 6k.

I did have to threaten my characters yesterday... Last NaNo, everyone wanted to be a villain. This year they all want to be the hero! Humans aren't supposed to be likable in this novel (except for one), but they're all pushing to be a good guy. So I warned them: If you're a good guy, it means a horrible death!

We'll see if it works.

I've been using a technique I've used for my other NaNo novels: 200-word sprints. I've found that it's fairly easy for me to write 200 words. It's usually about 3-4 paragraphs for me. I sit and write a few paragraphs, check the WC, then get up and do something else. Then I'll sit down and write another couple paragraphs. I end up writing 1k before I know it that way!

Another technique is if I notice the time, like it's 1:55. I'll try to write for five minutes without stopping. It can really help shut off my inner editor! (Speaking of which, my writing is atrocious in this novel! But I'm so happy to be getting the idea out! I've been excited about this idea for months!)

I'm really trying to get ahead with my WC because I know next week could be a little tough to write as much. I'll probably be working days and I don't write as much in the evenings.


Day 3 Report:

Word Count: 6011 (wrote 3484)
# of characters: 8
1 film watched: Identity
Countless games of Poppit played
# of threats to my characters: 1


 

Day two of NaNo didn't go so well for me... I had a great day, but I didn't write much. I only managed 705 words, but I hope to catch up. I have work at 3pm, so I'll have to get most of my writing done this morning. I'm more of a morning writer, anyway, so it shouldn't be too difficult.

I knew it was going to happen, so I can't get upset about it, but my plot is running away on me! I'm on Chapter 4, and my MC is still in a coma!

All my characters want to be the main character... Well, it helps me ramble on about each one, anyway.


Word Count at end of Day Two: 2528


 

(I've found that it's easiest to get a blue month of blogging when I'm doing NaNo, because I love distractions!)

Day 1 Report:

Word Count: 1823
Introduced 4 characters (Patient 1138, Dr. Kan Therice, Dr. Blackwell, unnamed teenage girl)
Watched 1 film while writing: Kung Fu Panda



I actually managed nearly 200 words while at work! That's going to be the toughest part, writing on days when I'm working. I don't work in an office, and I don't get breaks, so getting words while I'm there is pretty much out. Next week I think I'm working a lot of days, so I'll have to write when I get home, which will be tough for me, too...

I have a doctor's appointment today and it's Mr. J's last day of vacation, so I'm not expecting to get a lot written, but at least I'll reach 2k.





 

For the first time, I started writing just after midnight on November 1st! I couldn't stay up that late other years...

Word count so far: 260



Good luck to all you NaNo-ers!