Well, it's the last day of the month. November has been completely crazy, but I loved it! I can't wait for next year. In fact, I'll probably have my own little NaNoWriMo events a few times next year before November. I will definately do the summer one, where I will set a more ambitious goal for myself.
One thing I really learned during NaNo was that it is possible to write almost every day. In fact, a strange thing happened as the month went on. I actually found myself wanting to sit down and write, and when it was time to stop each night, I wanted to keep going. I really got to know my story and my characters, so much that they seemed like real people to me before the middle of the month. By the end, I was so attached to them that I wasn't really sure I wanted to end their story! So it really showed me that I can be a writer, that I have the ability to really force myself to be creative even when I don't feel like it. (which actually wasn't that often, when I think about it!)
So here's the plan. I'm going to edit and flesh out the story in December and then send a query letter to my publisher of choice. Then in January, while I'm waiting for a response, I'm going to polish the story. I really, really, really hope I get a response!
But in December, I also want to start back on the first Deadlines book. That story wants to get out of my head too. It was last year's NaNo (that I never finished.) It's a good idea, but it needs a lot of work. I have to go back and outline it first because it's a murder/mystery and I didn't outline it before I started, so I have absolutely no idea who the killer is! lol
So anyway, there are exciting projects ahead. I have about five ideas I really want to develop, but I really feel the need to finish the ones I've started first, so I'm going to dive into them and see what happens. I can't wait to write some more! In fact, I'm going to go do it now!
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Sunday, November 27, 2005
FINISHED!
That word says it all. As of today, I have finished my novel. Well, except for the fleshing out and the layering, which I will get to work on straight away. But here's the progress meter with today's total.
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I'm going to finish today...
Here we go... I'm going to finish today. I've already written over 3900 words today and I only have a little over 700 to go, so I'm going to go for the finish. I'm sure I can do it.
And the cool thing is, it looks like I will almost finish the novel when I hit 50,000. I'll have to add the Epilogue and then go back in and layer a bit, which will account for the rest of the words I have to write before I can submit.
They want 70,000-75,000 words, so if I take my 50,000 and then go back, adding dialogue and detail where it is lacking those things, I should be able to make it.
Okay, I'm going to go ahead and finish now. I'll post when I'm done.
And the cool thing is, it looks like I will almost finish the novel when I hit 50,000. I'll have to add the Epilogue and then go back in and layer a bit, which will account for the rest of the words I have to write before I can submit.
They want 70,000-75,000 words, so if I take my 50,000 and then go back, adding dialogue and detail where it is lacking those things, I should be able to make it.
Okay, I'm going to go ahead and finish now. I'll post when I'm done.
Friday, November 25, 2005
90% Finished!
Okay, so I've done over 45,000 words, which means I'm over 90% finished! This is so great! I may even finish tomorrow. Unfortunately, I am certain that I won't be writing "The End" when I hit 50,000 words. I still have a lot to do before the story is over. But it will be so great to finish the contest, and with a couple of days to spare! Maybe I'll put in some extra effort tomorrow and really try to finish.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Happy Thanksgiving!
To all my loved ones... and people I don't know...
Happy Thanksgiving!
I had a lovely holiday, I must say. It's always nice to be with family. In fact, Thanksgiving is pretty much the only time I see some of my family members. It's always fun catching up with people, especially since I've had a completely crazy year this past year. Anyway, I really enjoyed the day.
I think I'll enjoy tomorrow just as much, though. I'm going to write, write, write! All day! In fact, I may even finish tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then I will definately finish on Saturday. And then it's back to Chapter One to flesh things out a bit all the way through, then editing in December. With the help of some very critical editors, I should have this baby ready by the end of January. At least, that's what I'm shooting for. I hope it happens.
Anyway, I'll post tomorrow with my progress. It's the home stretch now. Only over 6,000 words to go. I can't believe I'm going to finish this contest for the first time ever! I can't even begin to express how excited I am about that.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I had a lovely holiday, I must say. It's always nice to be with family. In fact, Thanksgiving is pretty much the only time I see some of my family members. It's always fun catching up with people, especially since I've had a completely crazy year this past year. Anyway, I really enjoyed the day.
I think I'll enjoy tomorrow just as much, though. I'm going to write, write, write! All day! In fact, I may even finish tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then I will definately finish on Saturday. And then it's back to Chapter One to flesh things out a bit all the way through, then editing in December. With the help of some very critical editors, I should have this baby ready by the end of January. At least, that's what I'm shooting for. I hope it happens.
Anyway, I'll post tomorrow with my progress. It's the home stretch now. Only over 6,000 words to go. I can't believe I'm going to finish this contest for the first time ever! I can't even begin to express how excited I am about that.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Sick today...
I went to work today even though I've been sick since Sunday. I hope nobody there ends up getting this virus or whatever that I have, because it's really unpleasant. If it doesn't ease up a little by tomorrow morning, I may just have to call in. I really hate calling in, though. I always feel like I'm letting everyone down when I'm not there. I even felt like that when I was on vacation this summer. I know, I'm strange.
Anyway, due to the illness, I didn't write enough words to count. I wrote a hundred or so, but I'm just going to tack them onto tomorrow's totals. I really hope I'm not sick over Thanksgiving, because we're having the family dinner at my house this year. It will be completely miserable if I'm sick for that.
I wrote an email yesterday to Vaclav Havel, the guy who said my quote of the week. He's a distant relative, but I don't think he knows about my family. I'll probably never hear from him, but if I do, I'll be so excited. He's the only person in my family (besides me) who writes. I have admired him for as long as I can remember, and I really hope I hear from a secretary or something at least. I read online that he is starting to write a new play. He said the coolest thing about it, that it was already written in his head and the only thing he really had to do was write it down. Oddly, that's how I feel about my story. It's all done, completely written in my head, it's really just about typing it up now. Unfortunately, the way I feel today, the time I spent writing this post was enough time out of my bed. I think I'd better climb back into bed now.
Anyway, due to the illness, I didn't write enough words to count. I wrote a hundred or so, but I'm just going to tack them onto tomorrow's totals. I really hope I'm not sick over Thanksgiving, because we're having the family dinner at my house this year. It will be completely miserable if I'm sick for that.
I wrote an email yesterday to Vaclav Havel, the guy who said my quote of the week. He's a distant relative, but I don't think he knows about my family. I'll probably never hear from him, but if I do, I'll be so excited. He's the only person in my family (besides me) who writes. I have admired him for as long as I can remember, and I really hope I hear from a secretary or something at least. I read online that he is starting to write a new play. He said the coolest thing about it, that it was already written in his head and the only thing he really had to do was write it down. Oddly, that's how I feel about my story. It's all done, completely written in my head, it's really just about typing it up now. Unfortunately, the way I feel today, the time I spent writing this post was enough time out of my bed. I think I'd better climb back into bed now.
Monday, November 21, 2005
Whoo-frikin-hoo!
So I actually managed to make it to 40,000 words tonight. It's amazing when you're in the zone. I only have 10,000 words left to write now, and a four day weekend coming up. The story is still going well. I'm in the "falling action" stage now and it's literally downhill. Hopefully it will be as fun to read as it has been to write.
In other news, FOUR DAY WEEKEND! Oh, did I mention that already? Can you tell I'm excited about this? Well, just in case I'm being too subtle, I'll just say it straight out... I'm really excited about the four day weekend. I need the rest. Last week was crazy and I fear I'm starting to get a little bit sick, so it'll be good to have a few days to recover.
Anyway, it's time for bed so I'm going to close this post. I hope everyone out in NaNoWriMo land is making great progress. Only one week to go!
In other news, FOUR DAY WEEKEND! Oh, did I mention that already? Can you tell I'm excited about this? Well, just in case I'm being too subtle, I'll just say it straight out... I'm really excited about the four day weekend. I need the rest. Last week was crazy and I fear I'm starting to get a little bit sick, so it'll be good to have a few days to recover.
Anyway, it's time for bed so I'm going to close this post. I hope everyone out in NaNoWriMo land is making great progress. Only one week to go!
What a weekend
Well, not much to report on word count. I'm up to 35,000 words, which means I'm 70% finished. Tonight I will try to up that further. I wonder if I can make it to 40,000 this evening. There's nothing good on TV, so maybe I can do it! The only problem is, I'm not really feeling well today, so that might be an issue when I try to sit down and write. I'm going to try not to let it be an issue, though, because I want to get ahead again.
This weekend was really good. My best friend took me to dinner and then to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. She even bought me some jelly beans at our local Target to sneak into the theater. I got brave and picked the flavors I hadn't tried before, such as buttered toast and cream soda, in the spirit of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. They were all good, which was nice. And by the way, I LOVED Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire! It was awesome. The kids are really growing up, which was most evident in the scenes where Ron was wearing a short sleeved shirt (you could actually see muscles on his arms) and Harry's hairy legs in the second task. And of course, little Hermione in the dress for the Yule Ball. She really looked great. They did a fantastic job casting her all those years ago and I can't wait to see what's going to happen in the upcoming movies between her and Ron. I absolutely loved Neville and Ginny dancing together at the Yule Ball. You can see a hint of what she's going to look like in a few years, when she finally steals Harry's heart, and it's going to be great! I really can't imagine how the casting people managed to pick the perfect kids for the roles, even as those kids are growing up and changing, just the way the characters would grow and change. It's amazing, really.
Anyway, enough of that. Saturday I took Noah to see Harry Potter and he loved it. He wasn't scared of Voldemort like I thought he would be. He just said Voldy was ugly and strange. I really loved Voldemort. He was just as I imagined him when I was reading the book. After the movie, we went shopping and I bought The Sims 2 for myself (for my birthday) and I'm having a great time playing it. Unfortunately, playing The Sims is cutting into my writing time, but I have to practice discipline. I keep telling myself over and over, "I will be finished with my novel by Nov. 30... I will be finished with my novel by Nov. 30..."
So that's pretty much it for the weekend. I should go now because my lunch break is almost over and I want to check my email before I have to get back to work. I'll post again later.
This weekend was really good. My best friend took me to dinner and then to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. She even bought me some jelly beans at our local Target to sneak into the theater. I got brave and picked the flavors I hadn't tried before, such as buttered toast and cream soda, in the spirit of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. They were all good, which was nice. And by the way, I LOVED Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire! It was awesome. The kids are really growing up, which was most evident in the scenes where Ron was wearing a short sleeved shirt (you could actually see muscles on his arms) and Harry's hairy legs in the second task. And of course, little Hermione in the dress for the Yule Ball. She really looked great. They did a fantastic job casting her all those years ago and I can't wait to see what's going to happen in the upcoming movies between her and Ron. I absolutely loved Neville and Ginny dancing together at the Yule Ball. You can see a hint of what she's going to look like in a few years, when she finally steals Harry's heart, and it's going to be great! I really can't imagine how the casting people managed to pick the perfect kids for the roles, even as those kids are growing up and changing, just the way the characters would grow and change. It's amazing, really.
Anyway, enough of that. Saturday I took Noah to see Harry Potter and he loved it. He wasn't scared of Voldemort like I thought he would be. He just said Voldy was ugly and strange. I really loved Voldemort. He was just as I imagined him when I was reading the book. After the movie, we went shopping and I bought The Sims 2 for myself (for my birthday) and I'm having a great time playing it. Unfortunately, playing The Sims is cutting into my writing time, but I have to practice discipline. I keep telling myself over and over, "I will be finished with my novel by Nov. 30... I will be finished with my novel by Nov. 30..."
So that's pretty much it for the weekend. I should go now because my lunch break is almost over and I want to check my email before I have to get back to work. I'll post again later.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Happy Birthday to me!
There are 28 candles on this cake and I'm 29 today, but I didn't want to spend forever looking for a pic of a cake with 29 candles. If this bothers anyone... too bad! :)
So it's my birthday, which is good, I suppose. At this point in the day, I'm still not sure if I have any plans, but I suppose I'll find out later. I never know what I'm doing until I'm actually doing it anyway. Such is my life, I'm afraid. ;) So right now, I'm at work... on my birthday... but it's not bad because we're giving away turkeys today to our agencies, who will use them to feed hungry individuals and families in our community. I can think of worse ways to spend a birthday, so it's cool. I'm looking forward to tonight, though. Because regardless of what happens, even if I have to go by myself, I will go see Harry Potter tonight. I'm so excited to see this movie. The fourth book is my favorite in terms of what happens (the third book was my favorite in terms of characters, etc, but the fourth has the best action!) Anyway, so I'm excited to see how they did the movie. It should be fabulous! Anyway, it's getting a little busy here, so I'd better go.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
I couldn't stand it...
I just couldn't bear to miss two nights in a row, so I sat down and did a few. 577 to be exact. It's not a lot, but it is further toward the goal, so that's okay. Plus, it got me to 33,000. (it's actually more like 30,006 words, but I rounded down to make it nice and even. Not that it matters, of course, but I'm just strange. lol
So anyway, I actually managed to write a little today. It feels good to write. I missed it yesterday. I miss the story when I don't work on it. I miss the characters. I sometimes wish these characters could jump off the screen/page and live actual lives. I like them so much, I'd definately hang out with them, lol. I can't decide if that makes me really insane or just eccentric, as all writers should be.
So anyway, I actually managed to write a little today. It feels good to write. I missed it yesterday. I miss the story when I don't work on it. I miss the characters. I sometimes wish these characters could jump off the screen/page and live actual lives. I like them so much, I'd definately hang out with them, lol. I can't decide if that makes me really insane or just eccentric, as all writers should be.
Another no-word night
So it looks like I'm headed toward a 10,000 word weekend again. This is the second night in a row I haven't written. The awful thing is, I really want to write, and the story is right there in my head, I just don't have the time right now. Hopefully I won't be working too late tomorrow night and can come home and write some. Hopefully. I really wanted to get to 35,000 by Friday, but I don't think it's going to happen. But if I do a good 10,000 word weekend, I'll be at 42,000 by Monday, which would keep me ahead. I've never written a story this long before, so it's amazing to me that I've done this much.
Meanwhile, in "real life," I've been having the craziest week ever. Tomorrow is going to be insane, and so is Friday. This is why I wrote so much in advance, so I wouldn't have to stress over word counts this week. So even though I feel kind of guilty for not writing every day, I'm still ahead, so I shouldn't. But I do. How silly is that??!!
Meanwhile, in "real life," I've been having the craziest week ever. Tomorrow is going to be insane, and so is Friday. This is why I wrote so much in advance, so I wouldn't have to stress over word counts this week. So even though I feel kind of guilty for not writing every day, I'm still ahead, so I shouldn't. But I do. How silly is that??!!
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
No words today
Well, I knew it would happen and I am so glad I prepared for it. I wrote nothing today. NOTHING! I got home from my meeting at a sort of decent hour, but it was just such a long day that I didn't have any creative mojo left. That's one thing about having a job where you have to be creative. Sometimes the job sucks out all your creativity. I'm hoping tomorrow will be better.
On a more positive note, a very important person in my org said I've been doing a good job since I started in January. That was great to hear. This being my first professional public relations job and all, I like hearing that I'm doing a good job. :)
Well, The Daily Show is on so I'm going to stop now... hopefully I'll have a better report on word count tomorrow.
On a more positive note, a very important person in my org said I've been doing a good job since I started in January. That was great to hear. This being my first professional public relations job and all, I like hearing that I'm doing a good job. :)
Well, The Daily Show is on so I'm going to stop now... hopefully I'll have a better report on word count tomorrow.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Only 1000 words today :(
Well, I got started and had to stop. Then I started again and had to stop again. Having things to do is so annoying. I had to do laundry or I wouldn't have anything to wear to work tomorrow! So after about 6 starts and stops, I decided to give up for the evening. I'm going to try to write a little on my lunch break tomorrow so I won't fall behind, but at least I have a good cushion, thanks to the crazy writing I did over the weekend! I have a little over 32,000 words as of today and if I can make it to 35,000 by Friday, I'll be happy. And still ahead!
Busy, busy week
Okay, so tonight is my only night at home this week. Yep, the only one! Tomorrow night I have a meeting with my special event committee. It's our first one, so it should be interesting. Wednesday night I have choir practice, Thursday night I have to go to a county commission meeting, and Friday night is my birthday, so I assume I'll be doing something fun.
So anyway, I'm going to get as much done as I can tonight so I won't feel badly about not writing when I drag myself home just in time to watch The Daily Show and go to bed the rest of the week. I'm sure I'll post an update when I'm finished tonight.
So anyway, I'm going to get as much done as I can tonight so I won't feel badly about not writing when I drag myself home just in time to watch The Daily Show and go to bed the rest of the week. I'm sure I'll post an update when I'm finished tonight.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Made the goal, yay!
Well, I managed to write my 5,000 words today and then some, getting me past 30,000 words total! So now, if I can't write a couple of days next week I'll be okay. The story is going so well, I'm almost afraid. I've never written anything this easily before. It freaks me out because it makes me think it's not any good. I hope I'm wrong. I'm not reading back over anything I've written in November until I'm completely finished, just to keep me from trying to edit. Of course, December is going to be fun, because that's when I'll be editing. I guess then I'll find out if my November writing is bad or good. :) But for now, I'm not going to worry about that. I'm going to kick back and relax the rest of the evening because I'm finished for the night! Unless inspiration strikes again...
Here goes nothing!
Well, it's 11:30 on Sunday morning and I'm staying home from church because I have a sore throat. If it is something contagious, I don't want to expose everyone to it, so it's safer to stay at home.
There is good news, though, about staying at home today... I can really work on that 5,000 word day I wanted to do! Well, a little less than 5,000, actually. I just want to make it to 30,000 by the end of the day today. The most I've written in one day was a little over 4,000, but if I really sit down and concentrate on the story, I know I can do it.
So this morning I am issuing a challenge to myself. I will make it to 30,000 today. 30,000 will push me ahead 5 days, which will be good for all the meetings and other "life stuff" that will get in the way next week. Of course, I will write on the days I can next week, but at least I will have some leeway. So I'm going to start writing now... wish me luck!
There is good news, though, about staying at home today... I can really work on that 5,000 word day I wanted to do! Well, a little less than 5,000, actually. I just want to make it to 30,000 by the end of the day today. The most I've written in one day was a little over 4,000, but if I really sit down and concentrate on the story, I know I can do it.
So this morning I am issuing a challenge to myself. I will make it to 30,000 today. 30,000 will push me ahead 5 days, which will be good for all the meetings and other "life stuff" that will get in the way next week. Of course, I will write on the days I can next week, but at least I will have some leeway. So I'm going to start writing now... wish me luck!
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Halfway! *Does dance of joy*
So I hit a really important milestone today. I have made it halfway to my NaNo goal! And the funny thing is, the story is still flowing really well. I had a few difficult moments last week, but on the whole, things are going really well. If there is one thing I've learned from this experience so far, it's that you just have to write. Every day. Even if you don't feel like it. So I'm going to start doing that from now on. Maybe if I write every day, I will actually be able to write all the stories that are in my head before I die! :) So many stories, so little time...
So anyway, I'm going to try to write a little more tonight after I play a game on MSN games and answer a few emails. And tomorrow, I'm going to shoot for a 5,000 word day! Wish me luck!
So anyway, I'm going to try to write a little more tonight after I play a game on MSN games and answer a few emails. And tomorrow, I'm going to shoot for a 5,000 word day! Wish me luck!
Friday, November 11, 2005
22,000 and counting
So I hit 22,000 today and I think I'm going to keep going for awhile. First, though, I think I'll play a game or something, just to give my brain a little break. Meanwhile, everyone make fun of what a loser I am for being at home on a Friday night, writing instead of out doing something fun with my friends. Unfortunately, all my friends are busy or unavailable right now, so I sit at home. I did it last weekend too. :( If the same thing happens next weekend, which happens to be the weekend of my birthday, I will be very upset.
I swear, sometimes life really stinks.
But that's not what I want to talk about right now. I want to talk about 22,000 words and more in my head, and I want to talk about the awesomeness that is my new computer! The keyboard is so soft that it feels like you're typing on springy, square-shaped clouds. I'm DYING to try it out on some kind of cool, 3-D graphic heavy game, but I can't do that right now because if I get involved in a game like that, I'll never finish my book. I'm going to go for 25,000 by the end of the day tomorrow, and 30,000 before Monday is over. Next week is going to be very hard for me, so I want to get way ahead so I can take a couple of nights off. I'm working late three nights next week (meetings and other "important" stuff) so I don't really want to get home at 10 p.m. and then try to write 1,667 words. Imagine how awful those words would be!
Anyway, I'd better get to my game and then work on some more words! I think I'll play Zuma. It's a great time waster!
I swear, sometimes life really stinks.
But that's not what I want to talk about right now. I want to talk about 22,000 words and more in my head, and I want to talk about the awesomeness that is my new computer! The keyboard is so soft that it feels like you're typing on springy, square-shaped clouds. I'm DYING to try it out on some kind of cool, 3-D graphic heavy game, but I can't do that right now because if I get involved in a game like that, I'll never finish my book. I'm going to go for 25,000 by the end of the day tomorrow, and 30,000 before Monday is over. Next week is going to be very hard for me, so I want to get way ahead so I can take a couple of nights off. I'm working late three nights next week (meetings and other "important" stuff) so I don't really want to get home at 10 p.m. and then try to write 1,667 words. Imagine how awful those words would be!
Anyway, I'd better get to my game and then work on some more words! I think I'll play Zuma. It's a great time waster!
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Breaking News!
I just had to drop by here and announce something cool. My membership to the Public Relations Council of Alabama has just been approved! I'm an official member! So in four years, when I am qualified, I will go for accreditation. Of course, by then I will hopefully have my Master's degree. Hopefully. Anyway, just had to share that.
In other news, I'm buying my new computer today. It's my b'day present to myself, and I can't wait to get it home! It's been five years since I've had a new computer to play with. Yay! A new toy!
In other news, I'm buying my new computer today. It's my b'day present to myself, and I can't wait to get it home! It's been five years since I've had a new computer to play with. Yay! A new toy!
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
20,000!
Yet another very special milestone for my NaNoWriMo experience, I reached 20,000 words today! I also let my mother read what I've written this November, which was kind of a huge step because I haven't read back over any of it yet and it could be complete garbage, lol! Anyway, it's very late and I'm very tired, but I had to post this milestone.
Favorite part of the day
I haven't posted a picture in awhile, so I thought I would post this one. I love sunsets and this one was particularly good. I love the bird sitting on the birdhouse. What a view, right? I want beach front property like this little bird has! But seriously, I think this picture reflects something that is missing in most people's lives, and is often missing in mine: quiet moments. We don't have enough quiet moments these days, and I think that's one reason we get so angry, so frustrated, and so impatient. If we would learn to stop and watch a sunset (or smell the roses, to use a cliche) we may just be calmer, nicer people with more focused and harmonious lives.Progress meters
Okay, this is just a quick rant. Every progress meter I've tried for my NaNo progress on my blog has crashed. The first one (the one I really liked) crashed yesterday and the person hosting it is not going to put it back up. I put the second one up last night and it crashed this morning. Is it me? I guess I'll know if this new one, the third one I've tried, crashes before the end of the month.
On a slightly related note, I'm loving my blog makeover! I'm playing with settings and adding links and other fun stuff like that. When November is over, I plan to give The Casual Critic a little makeover too. I've neglected that one a little recently, but not because I don't want to write. I haven't been to any movies lately! That's very strange for me. I usually go every week. Hopefully I can get back to that, because it was fun!
Anyway, I hope this progress meter works for the rest of the month!
On a slightly related note, I'm loving my blog makeover! I'm playing with settings and adding links and other fun stuff like that. When November is over, I plan to give The Casual Critic a little makeover too. I've neglected that one a little recently, but not because I don't want to write. I haven't been to any movies lately! That's very strange for me. I usually go every week. Hopefully I can get back to that, because it was fun!
Anyway, I hope this progress meter works for the rest of the month!
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
18000 words finished!
Well, I managed 2,000 words tonight, even amidst all the insanity that invaded my world today. Something very exciting is going to happen at work in the next few weeks. I can't talk about it right now, but when I can, I most certainly will. And I heard from my first intern tonight. She has a job and is taking the world by storm. We're going to have lunch one day this week or next. It should be fun. And she has agreed to be on my special event committee, so that's another great person to help! I'm a little nervous about the special event for 2006 because it will be totally in my hands, but I know how it's supposed to go and I have a very detailed event plan, so I'm pretty confident about it.
Work is much better this week than it was last week. There was just so much going on last week that I had a momentary stress attack. And to top off the work stress, my sister had some drama this weekend, so my family was pretty busy with that. But it's all better now!
The novel is going well. The hero and heroine are having their first date right now. They are in an Italian restaurant. I'm pretty sure a walk on the beach under the stars is next in line! So what if I am interjecting my favorite type of date into my story. That's okay, right? Right?? :)
Writing this romance novel makes me wonder if I will ever experience what my characters are experiencing. Is true love real? I look at my parents and I see that they have something very special, something that is forever. But then I look at all the people I know who have been married and divorced and I wonder if true love only happend back then, when my parents were young, and only happens now in stories written by people like me, who want to believe in it so much that they invent characters who do fall in love and whose love does last forever. I'm not giving up on it just yet, though. I feel certain there is someone out there for me. I just need a little help finding him, I guess! :)
Work is much better this week than it was last week. There was just so much going on last week that I had a momentary stress attack. And to top off the work stress, my sister had some drama this weekend, so my family was pretty busy with that. But it's all better now!
The novel is going well. The hero and heroine are having their first date right now. They are in an Italian restaurant. I'm pretty sure a walk on the beach under the stars is next in line! So what if I am interjecting my favorite type of date into my story. That's okay, right? Right?? :)
Writing this romance novel makes me wonder if I will ever experience what my characters are experiencing. Is true love real? I look at my parents and I see that they have something very special, something that is forever. But then I look at all the people I know who have been married and divorced and I wonder if true love only happend back then, when my parents were young, and only happens now in stories written by people like me, who want to believe in it so much that they invent characters who do fall in love and whose love does last forever. I'm not giving up on it just yet, though. I feel certain there is someone out there for me. I just need a little help finding him, I guess! :)
Not that big a deal
Okay, so 29 isn't really that big a deal. I know it's true, but last night, after having a lovely conversation with my friend Chris on the phone, I was thinking about life, love and other mysteries. And after the clock struk midnight and I realized I was only ten days away from being a year older than my mother was when she had me... well... it was a little sobering for a moment. But I'm okay now. Mostly because I know that I am a totally different person than my mother and there are other things in my life that I can be proud of. Besides, anytime I start feeling sad that I don't have a child, I can spend time with my sister's three kids. I immediately feel better about my status when I do that! They are wild! Sweet and wonderful, but wild! lol
But anyway, I received some encouraging and sweet messages (comments here and emails) after I posted my last entry and I appreciate all of them.
But the song lyrics still resonate, and I will continue to say the words in my head. It's not what you accomplish in your life, it's your friendships that are ultimately important. And in that department, I think I'm doing okay. :)
I love all of you! Thanks for being my friends. You are all so important to me.
*this cheesy post is over, we now return you to your regularly scheduled blog entries*
But anyway, I received some encouraging and sweet messages (comments here and emails) after I posted my last entry and I appreciate all of them.
But the song lyrics still resonate, and I will continue to say the words in my head. It's not what you accomplish in your life, it's your friendships that are ultimately important. And in that department, I think I'm doing okay. :)
I love all of you! Thanks for being my friends. You are all so important to me.
*this cheesy post is over, we now return you to your regularly scheduled blog entries*
A Sweet Reward
For reaching 15,000, I rewarded myself with a Krispy Kreme doughnut, my first in something like 6 months. It was awesome, too! lol I totally blew my diet, but I had to reward myself, right? Right???
On another, slightly more depressing note, in 10 days I will be 29. TWENTY NINE!!!! I can't believe it. And the stupid thing is, I'm not even waiting until I turn 30 to have the 30 year old depression. I'm having it right now. I have this list of things I want to do by the time I turn 30. Let's just say if I want to do all of them, it will be a very busy year!
Here's the list:
Finish a novel (almost done!)
Have a novel published (good luck, right?!)
Sing the national anthem at a sporting event
Record a song
Ride in a hot air balloon
Be in a movie (although technically I've been an extra, but I don't think you can even see me!)
I'm pretty sure I have more things on the list, but I can't think of them now. The memory is the first thing to go, lol! So you see that I have a very busy year in store. I'm such a slacker, I should have been working on these all along. But it snuck up on me! 29. I can't even believe it.
I'll end this post with the words of a song that speaks to me. It's from the Broadway show and upcoming movie, Rent. I have to keep saying these words to myself to remind me that the things listed above don't really matter in the grand scheme of things.
525,600 minutes,
525,000 moments so dear.
525,600 minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?
How about love? How about love? How about love?
Measure in love. Seasons of love.
525,600 minutes! 525,000 journeys to plan.
525,600 minutes - how can you measure the life of a woman or man?
In truths that she learned, or in times that he cried.
In bridges he burned, or the way that she died.
It’s time now to sing out, though the story never ends
Let's celebrate remember a year in the life of friends.
Remember the love! Remember the love! Remember the love!
Measure in love. Seasons of love! Seasons of love.
And I'll leave you with that.
On another, slightly more depressing note, in 10 days I will be 29. TWENTY NINE!!!! I can't believe it. And the stupid thing is, I'm not even waiting until I turn 30 to have the 30 year old depression. I'm having it right now. I have this list of things I want to do by the time I turn 30. Let's just say if I want to do all of them, it will be a very busy year!
Here's the list:
Finish a novel (almost done!)
Have a novel published (good luck, right?!)
Sing the national anthem at a sporting event
Record a song
Ride in a hot air balloon
Be in a movie (although technically I've been an extra, but I don't think you can even see me!)
I'm pretty sure I have more things on the list, but I can't think of them now. The memory is the first thing to go, lol! So you see that I have a very busy year in store. I'm such a slacker, I should have been working on these all along. But it snuck up on me! 29. I can't even believe it.
I'll end this post with the words of a song that speaks to me. It's from the Broadway show and upcoming movie, Rent. I have to keep saying these words to myself to remind me that the things listed above don't really matter in the grand scheme of things.
525,600 minutes,
525,000 moments so dear.
525,600 minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?
How about love? How about love? How about love?
Measure in love. Seasons of love.
525,600 minutes! 525,000 journeys to plan.
525,600 minutes - how can you measure the life of a woman or man?
In truths that she learned, or in times that he cried.
In bridges he burned, or the way that she died.
It’s time now to sing out, though the story never ends
Let's celebrate remember a year in the life of friends.
Remember the love! Remember the love! Remember the love!
Measure in love. Seasons of love! Seasons of love.
And I'll leave you with that.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Week 2 of NaNoWriMo
Okay, so by today, I was supposed to have 10,000 words and I'm stopping at 15,000. I think that gives me enough cushion for the days ahead. In a couple of weeks I'm not going to be able to write every day, so I'm trying to plan ahead.
Today, I planned to do at least 3000 words and only managed 1000. I really hope this is not an indication of how it's going to be the second week. My biggest problem today is that my head hurts. I mean it really hurts! Probably because of the 4000+ words I did yesterday. I don't ever want to do that again!
So is this what it's like to be a professional writer? Until today, it has come pretty easily, and I think the only reason it didn't come easily today is because I'm not feeling well.
I keep going on the NaNo boards and seeing people who hate their stories. I feel extremely lucky (blessed, really) that I actually love my story and my characters. I do hope it's good enough for publication when I'm finished.
Oh, progress report on the characters... they know they care about each other, but can't be together just yet. They have to wait until he's not her teacher anymore before they can have a real relationship. So there's lots of angst and longing going on right now. Which I can relate to, lol.
I'm looking forward to seeing what will happen next. Tomorrow, though. Definately not tonight. Tonight I need to watch Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy, and go to bed.
Today, I planned to do at least 3000 words and only managed 1000. I really hope this is not an indication of how it's going to be the second week. My biggest problem today is that my head hurts. I mean it really hurts! Probably because of the 4000+ words I did yesterday. I don't ever want to do that again!
So is this what it's like to be a professional writer? Until today, it has come pretty easily, and I think the only reason it didn't come easily today is because I'm not feeling well.
I keep going on the NaNo boards and seeing people who hate their stories. I feel extremely lucky (blessed, really) that I actually love my story and my characters. I do hope it's good enough for publication when I'm finished.
Oh, progress report on the characters... they know they care about each other, but can't be together just yet. They have to wait until he's not her teacher anymore before they can have a real relationship. So there's lots of angst and longing going on right now. Which I can relate to, lol.
I'm looking forward to seeing what will happen next. Tomorrow, though. Definately not tonight. Tonight I need to watch Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy, and go to bed.
Shiny new template!
So I'm trying out this new template. I hope everyone likes it. I'm fond of it for the moment. I'll eventually try to make my own, but that will require learning HTML or something, so I'm not sure I'm ready for that! I know very little HTML, definately not enough to create a site, even a blog. I have lots of cool ideas for it, but there's no way I can do anything about it, especially during November.
However, the good news is that my NaNoWriMo report card spreadsheet says at the rate I'm writing, I'll be finished on November 18, which also happens to be my birthday! So I'm shooting for that goal. I'll write another 4,000 or so words tomorrow afternoon between church and church. At least, that's my goal. Well, it's extremely late and I really need to get to bed.
However, the good news is that my NaNoWriMo report card spreadsheet says at the rate I'm writing, I'll be finished on November 18, which also happens to be my birthday! So I'm shooting for that goal. I'll write another 4,000 or so words tomorrow afternoon between church and church. At least, that's my goal. Well, it's extremely late and I really need to get to bed.
14,000 and counting
I didn't quite make my goal for the day, I managed 14,000 instead of 15,000, but that's okay. I wrote over 4,000 words just today. I think that's pretty good. The story is still going well.
Okay, now I have a problem. I've decided I hate my Blogger template and I really need a new one. I've been doing research on the templates available online and I don't really like any of them. And I don't really like the Blogger templates on Blogger, mostly because there are only a few of them and tons of blogs, so chances are, there are thousands of blogs that look just like mine. Since I am all about being different, that doesn't sit well with me.
So if anyone out there knows how I can edit my template, or knows where I can get a new, creative one, please let me know! Until then, I should get back to my book!
Okay, now I have a problem. I've decided I hate my Blogger template and I really need a new one. I've been doing research on the templates available online and I don't really like any of them. And I don't really like the Blogger templates on Blogger, mostly because there are only a few of them and tons of blogs, so chances are, there are thousands of blogs that look just like mine. Since I am all about being different, that doesn't sit well with me.
So if anyone out there knows how I can edit my template, or knows where I can get a new, creative one, please let me know! Until then, I should get back to my book!
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Okay, I lied...
I didn't make it to 10,000 words yesterday. In fact, I didn't write a single word. I actually went to bed at 8:30! On a Friday night! What's that about? I think it's about me writing until midnight three nights in a row this week and having an exceptionally stressful week at work. So now I get to spend today catching up. But that's okay, because I'm still ahead and the story is still coming to me in my head, so it shouldn't be too hard to write. It is obvious now that the hero and heroine now know they are mutually attracted to each other. I think from here on, it's just coasting. At least, I hope that's how it will work! There's an obstacle, the resolution of it, and then another obstacle and its resolution before they can be together, but I know exactly what I want to do with those, so it should be okay.
It's 1 p.m. on Saturday and I am going to start writing. I won't finish until I have 15,000 words. Or that's the plan, at least!
Wish me luck!
It's 1 p.m. on Saturday and I am going to start writing. I won't finish until I have 15,000 words. Or that's the plan, at least!
Wish me luck!
Friday, November 04, 2005
Progress Report
My fingers hurt and my eyes are tired, but it's worth it! Today I will hit the 10,000 word mark on my novel. And the funny thing is, it's going really well. The characters are not annoying me yet, it hasn't spiraled downward into the abyss of bad dialogue and cheesy situations (that was my greatest fear) and I haven't wanted to throw the entire manuscript into the bay yet (although I'm sure that day will come!)
I read a small snippet of the novel to my mother last night and she cried. Frankly, I was shocked... and a little afraid.
So anyway, once I break 10,000 I will only have 40,000 words to go. If the entire novel comes as easily as the last 10,000 words, I'll be finished in no time! Then comes the extremely painful and tedious process of editing. I'll save that for December, which I have hereby dubbed, National Novel Editing Month. It won't be nearly as fun as November, but I want to be finished with the book, and I mean completely finished and ready to submit to publishers, by the first of next year. I will send it on January 1. That's my goal.
I hope all you other NaNoWriMos out there are doing well on your novels. I intend to really work hard this weekend since it's the first weekend of the month. I hope all of you get a lot done this weekend too!
I read a small snippet of the novel to my mother last night and she cried. Frankly, I was shocked... and a little afraid.
So anyway, once I break 10,000 I will only have 40,000 words to go. If the entire novel comes as easily as the last 10,000 words, I'll be finished in no time! Then comes the extremely painful and tedious process of editing. I'll save that for December, which I have hereby dubbed, National Novel Editing Month. It won't be nearly as fun as November, but I want to be finished with the book, and I mean completely finished and ready to submit to publishers, by the first of next year. I will send it on January 1. That's my goal.
I hope all you other NaNoWriMos out there are doing well on your novels. I intend to really work hard this weekend since it's the first weekend of the month. I hope all of you get a lot done this weekend too!
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