I WIN!…final word count: 54,927!

November 30, 2009

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that’s right folks!

i did it!…and with a day to spare….i probably could have made the count higher by trying to write later today, but it is likely i will be exhausted and i just really need to relax so i intend to!…i have earned it!

the experience has been a rewarding one from a number of perspectives and i am very glad now i participated, despite days when i asked myself what the hell i’d gotten myself into….

the state of my novel is in mad flux and is no where near readable, but it turns out that as a prize to all winners of NaNo this year, a company called CreateSpace.com is giving each winner a free print proof copy of their novel, to be redeemed within 6 months of the official end of NaNo…

since my novel is still being written, this gives me a new goal to shoot for, namely that i want a readable copy in time to take advantage of the print proof copy offer…since i have six months, i would like to devote 3 to finishing the rough draft and another three to editing/rewrite with the goal of bringing in something worth printing to CreateSpace just under the wire of the deadline…

so the Great Work continues!…but for a time, i intend to go back to what i believe was my biggest stumbling block over the last month, namely preparation…i had so little time to prepare before NaNo began that my plot was hazy, and i did not know the majority of my characters so that much of the development along the way has been very organic…there is something to be said for that, but without a proper foundation on which to build my story, it was very difficult to be cohesive in my approach, opting instead for pivotal scenes or chapters along the storyline that are meant to act as placemarkers that i can use to roughly follow my narrative as i fill in the blanks…like a roadmap…

so it is now time to backtrack into research and development with an eye toward more concentrated writing work in about a month, and then hopefully, all the elements that i have brought together at that time will allow me to finish it out over the next two with the rough draft complete sometime late Feb-early Mar…then editing over the next 2-3 mons, finishing near the end of May and turning in for printing…

but first!!!

i am taking a damned break people! and coming to see all of you!….

so look out SOI…i’m back!

this blog is likely to see even less action than it did during NaNo, but i will keep it up for now until i complete the board i am creating to take it’s place. It can serve as the repository for anything i want to share with all of you regarding my books development…

without going into a lot of detail, i want to thank my friends, who checked on me, pushed me, rewarded me and inspired me along the way. Trite as it sounds, i honestly never would have been able to summon the self-discipline to do it if it had not been for your help and support so thank you!!…you know who you are!

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9 Days and 9,000 Words To Go!!!

November 21, 2009

I began to have some difficulties early last week and lost several days worth of jump ahead of schedule words going back to the drawing board literally…

after copying, cutting, pasting and drawing together a map and timeline of my story, i finally jumped back in to struggle my way through this week, but have finally, once again pulled ahead of  schedule, 4 days ahead of schedule, to be precise!

as my heading states, i have broken the 40,000 word barrier now and have less than 10,000 words to go to meet the NaNo challenge. I would like to be able to say i will far exceed that, but the end of this month will see me busy with butchering and and dehydrating and hosting a huge Christmas Home Interior party for friends and family which will hopefully purchase some more of the pieces pip wants to finish up the redecoration of her living room.  It is unlikely that i will manage many words on the days devoted to those other pursuits and so i am endeavoring to try to finish up those last 9000 words over the next few days, if possible.

The few days i spent away from writing, doing the storyboard and trip mapping have turned out to be very helpful, despite not counting toward my word totals, and have helped me to be able to better visualize where i am going with my plot and character development, but words themselves still come erratically, one day effortless and full of life, the next plodding and flat, but i understand this is often the way and so i do not let the slow days discourage me.

what has been my greatest source of motivation and inspiration tho, have been my friends, who have checked up in me, patted me on the back when i’ve done well, and not been afraid to scold me when i haven’t, and especially my NaNo pals, who have really held my feet to the fire and who’ve sat through endless sessions of brainstorming and held my hand through the process.

With their help, and the help of my storyboarding, my original story concept has been pared down and streamlined into something i feel is more focused and and realistic for novelization purposes.  For those interested, you can find a revised version of my story synopsis posted on the Great Work page.

Other than that there is probably a lot i could say, as usual, but this pip is pooped after a day of writing (5,617 words today!) and so i leave you with my thanks and gratitude for all the help and support i have received while i took on what has been for me, a true labor of love, equal parts frustration and joy and one i could never have made it through without my friends cheering me on! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday if i do not see you before then and you can be sure i will after NaNo is over!

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so ends week one…wordct: 20,084

November 9, 2009

it’s been a rollercoaster folks!

i started out gangbusters and kicked out a beautiful first chapter….

then lots of words that were mostly lovely but uninspired…

i have discovered that i avoid dialogue and actual action between my characters that means the plot does not move forward….

the upside is that i have finished my master character sheet and thanks to some really wonderful chat buddies, have fully developed a certain Professor and learned that sporks suck and pickle forks are where it’s at!…

a big thank you to:

unruly dreamer aka f.I.T. and my long lost twin, pinkie, who have kept me laughing along the way, answered neverending questions…due to their constant input and especially pinkie’s demands for copy, i made it through the week without breaking into tears or throwing a single thing (like a certain ancient laptop)

a Blackmailer that gave me fresh perspective on plot elements and Power exchange…

and a certain music Man, who pulled my muse out of hiding and reminded me how to stop thinking about it and just be it…

and to dear friends that have cared enough to ask for my word count, send me to my laptop to produce more and rewarded me with their company when i have…it’s been soooooo hard…harder than i thought it would be….to stay away…i miss you!

for those that have expressed a desire to read, i have posted the one, short first chapter under the Critical Thinking tab…as for the rest so far,  it is unlikely the bulk will be a readable narrative until much after NaNo…

to share it requires a great deal of editing work at the very least, with much requiring retooling as well and rather than spend my 30 days doing that, i’m trying to just get as many words down toward the eventual rewrite as i can and so spending little to no time on cleanup now…

bear with me folks…21 more days!

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Mothers!…

November 2, 2009

and their need to always come first, no matter what!…

mine cost me the precious writing time i had slotted last night to try to hit 5000 words by midnight for a cumulative first day total…

all to hear about how my nephew didn’t! go trick or treating….

huge eye roll

that’s ok, tho, the time was not totally wasted…after the laptop hell of yesterday, i decided to try to put the intrusive call to good use and get a jump start on my Christmas wish list; started Mom thinking on this lil number as my gift for this year so that i never have to use one of these dinosaurs of computing technology again!

http://www.neo-direct.com/Dana/

in other developments, chapter 2 is screaming at me to be let out onto the page, so when i finally get a chance today to sit down and pay heed to my muse, the writing of it should come easily…

especially given that it appears i finally have a workable computing system to manage it now after the entire day yesterday spent trying to get things resolved…

i’m shooting to hit or exceed that 5000 word goal by midnight so cross your fingers for me!

must!…have!!…more!!…coffee!!!

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The first 24 hours…

November 1, 2009

have been a series of extreme highs and moderate lows…

there was the restless pacing while waiting to start…

the obligatory attempt to take the wind out of my sails by someone who’d prefer i get back to hours in the kitchen rather than hours spent writing…(and who has now decided maybe it would be better to leave the wind in said sails so i sail very very far away from that someone…chuckling)…

the timely arrival of a certain herbal calmative…

the lightening fast (or so it seemed) 1st chapter completion (slightly under 2 hours)…

and the realization that the ancient laptop i had pressed into service was just not going to be doable…

which has precipitated setting up the alternate ancient laptop…

which has taken all friggin’ day!

and while some file transfer stuff finishes up i am here to tell y’all about it…

things went very well with the writing…no major hitches, came pretty naturally…

and the day is not over yet, so i still have time to add to my daily total…so far: 2,838 words in under 2 hours…

if i manage to get everything set up on the other old laptop and i am not exhausted after that, i plan on at least another 2 hour stretch with chapter 2 hollering at me to get to it…would be great if i topped out at 5000 for my first day!…

will post totals after midnight!…wish me luck!

the adventure continues…

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T-minus 8hrs., 31mins. and counting!

October 31, 2009

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that’s my mantra for the next month, folks!, hold me to it!…i have been in a mad flurry to prepare and i think i am just about ready….so far i’ve…

  • deep cleaned my house to make keep up easy
  • bought a month’s worth of frozen dinners
  • stocked up on coffee and creamer
  • cleaned out the shed so i can hide in it when they just won’t leave me be
  • set up my ancient laptop to write on so i am not screwing around online
  • told everyone i know to kick my ass if they catch me screwing around online
  • made up this blog to keep folks informed
  • printed out a sign for my front door that reads “It’s NaNoWriMo…Don’t Ask!…Just Go Away!” to hang on my front door
  • worked out a writing schedule
  • written to all my lovelysexyfun friends to say i’ll miss ya bunches
  • closed down ims, shut up the treehouse
  • got an outline and basic plot structure hammered out
  • most of the principle characters sketched out
  • and have warned my family of potential homocidal rages should i be bothered while writing…

my transformation into a

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is nearly complete!

still have pumpkins to carve and a kiddo to morph into a kitten, candy to hand out….

and then, at 12:01am. the Great Work begins in earnest!

i want to say a special thank you to a couple of friends…

–to poetic soul, for pushing and nudging me to write already!…and for stalking me about these last few weeks, and thus keeping my head in the prep game…

–to misanthrope, for telling me about NaNoWriMo and getting me started…

–to Motorcyclist, for really taking the time to discuss story elements and give constructive criticism

–to Amazing Layne, for choosing me as her NaNo buddy…and for allowing me to pick her brain and nag her with questions, and most especially for the daily check ins to see how it goes

–to C.Brentner and everyone else on the Erotica forum and the NaNoRotica group for all the community building and support!

–to C….for loving me, no matter what

–to MDS,  Who gave me the writing assignment that has become this story and kept me writing in the erotic vein during an otherwise very long, dry spell…my ice water in the desert…

–and for all of those who have, over the years, given me the inspiration that informs and personalizes this project…without you, i couldn’t write it!

you’ll find a word quota calendar and my daily and cumulative word totals on the ‘Stats’ page (which i plan to update daily) and a rough, rough outline of my story plans on the “The Great Work” page (which i will flesh out more thoroughly soon; just threw up the sketching i did for a friend for now for the sake of saving time)…

please make use of them to ask pointed questions about where i am in the process, should you encounter me anywhere, as a means of determining whether i need a good booting…i am counting on my friends to help me stay focused!

i will be primarily keeping in touch via here and mail, so hit me in one place or the other for contact…(the email address associated with this blog is not to be used for contact; just a dummy account i don’t use for correspondance, so use whatever you’ve been using prior)

i’ll miss you guys!…but hope you’ll come yell at/encourage me along the way so i don’t get too lonesome…

and i’ll be back in December with a vengeance!

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