NaNoWriMo or OctoWriMo

I've been considering the fact that NaNoWriMo will be pretty much impossible for me this year. I'm starting a new job in November that is full time, and then the last two weeks we are going back to Colorado for a visit. I don't think I will have much time to write around those two things. So I decided to write in October instead.

On October 2nd I started a novel that has been rolling around in my head for a while. I didn't want to touch it and just let it flutter in the back of my mind until it was solid and I knew it wouldn't run away. It's a singularity novel. What would the world be like in the future if something technological or biological radically changed our lifestyles? Think of iRobot or Minority Report the movies. I still have to read Isaac Asimov's robot stories, but I've seen the movie.

In my future world it is a biological change. There are other science fictiony things like self-cleaning streets and machines like instant coffee for groceries, but the world revolves around the change in people because of this new medical technology.

This is the first idea I've had that originated around the world and not around a character. All of my writing before has been character based. This novel isn't an exception, it's just that the idea formed differently for me. Which I think means the story will be different than anything I've done before. The story itself is still character based, but the world is more developed than said characters at this point.

You can watch my progress this month on the bar to the right. I'm at 5% right now, lol. I don't know if I'll finish in a month. But I will certainly be pushing myself to do so.

Confusion as a Writer

Be prepared, this is kind of a vent session on my writing. I've been struggling since November with my inner editor. I participated in NaNoWriMo and wrote 50,000 words in a month. (Yay!) It is my first finished manuscript. Typically I get about 10,000 words in, reread it, and scrap it. This time I wrote all the way through refusing to reread what I wrote until I finished. I'm in the first edit of the manuscript and still working out the kinks. But I've gone back to writing the beginnings of novels and stopping short just a few chapters in. (That or short stories, a whole different animal considering I can finish them and have tons stored on my computer.)

Problem #1 - I can't finish a manuscript.

Now we come to my second problem. I am dying to write a fantasy or science fiction young adult novel. Every time I attempt it, it comes out childish. I could consider the possibility of writing a middle-grade book instead and then this wouldn't be a problem, but for some reason I can't. So now I've spent the last few weeks trying to come up with the right idea. I'm sure I'm a bit out of it in my preoccupation with book ideas because my husband keeps waving his hand in front of my face.

Problem #2 - Waiting for the right idea has taken weeks.

Today I had a break through. I was rereading Eclipse to get ready for the movie, and a line Bella said caused an idea to just pop in my head. I've never had that experience; it was exhilarating. All afternoon I've let this idea sit in the back of my mind. I'm not really touching it yet, just considering it. I don't want to scare it away. And I don't want to ruin it by writing 10,000 words and getting stuck. For now I'm leaving it alone. Anybody have any advice for me? I'll let you know how it goes.

To Keep Writing...

All right, I'm starting another month of serious writing tomorrow. It's kind of an unhashed idea, and I'm going to let it lead me where it will. I really enjoyed participating in NaNoWriMo, and I think that process is the only way I can actually get a book through the first draft.

Usually through my writing process I stop and consider, and reread, and delete a lot of it. And I never get past 5,000 words. But with setting a goal of writing 50,000 words right out with no backspacing and no rereading, I am capable of producing that amount of work.

I'm still working on editing the first novel. But I want to keep writing, and an idea has been brewing in my brain. I'm a little worried that it's kind of childish. That seems to be one of my creative drawbacks. I'm always thinking what I write sounds like a children's book.

I have a lot of respect for writers who can portray a love story without making it sound stupid. My favorite of those authors right now is Kristin Cashore with Graceling and Fire. She can make a love story happen without making it feel foolish.

So wish me luck on my next (short) month of 50,000 words. I'll let you know how it goes.

The Book

I'm through the first edit of the book I wrote in November. It's all situated and in the right order. I just have to fill a few holes and finish the ending. It's really coming together nicely. Now I just have to worry about finding an agent. Anybody have any tips?

I thought I'd give you a little snippet from the very beginning. Let me know if you like it!


The fluorescent light reflected in her big, brown eyes. She gripped the edge of the bed and gritted her teeth against the pain. Her indifferent mother watched from the chair in the corner. Her father held her hand with his head turned away.
“You’ll be just fine, Sweetheart. Just fine,” he said.
“No one can survive this,” she whispered.
“I did. You’re here, aren’t you? This is the consequence for what you did. It felt good at the time, didn’t it?”
“Margaret, hush. You’re making her worse,” her father berated her mother. The sheets soaked up her sweat and turned a funky yellow color. She didn’t think she could handle the next onset of intense pain. As her back relaxed, she settled into the pillows and rubbed her hair away from her eyes.
“Is there some water?”
Her father handed her the glass with the straw. Dragging on the liquid with a severe sucking noise, she swallowed quickly before the next contraction hit her. While she struggled against the clenching muscles, her mother stood and left the room. In just a few minutes the doctor came in and flipped up the sheet. He probed between her legs and snapped off his gloves.
“You’re ready. We’re going to move you into the delivery room.”
“No, no. I’m not ready. This can’t be happening. I’m not ready. Mama, please. It hurts so much. Please don’t leave me. I don’t want to be alone.”
Her mother patted her arm and walked alongside the bed. Her hard-as-steel eyes stared straight ahead. Before her mother could stop walking, she grabbed her sweater and held on for dear life.
“Please come with me. I’m sorry,” she sobbed, “I’m so sorry. Please don’t abandon me. Please help me.”
Her mother looked down into those wide, insane eyes and softened just a little bit. “I’ll be right here, Elizabeth. Don’t worry. You’ll get through this. You’ll survive, and then you’ll give that baby to someone else. Someone who can handle this.” She swept some stray hairs out of her daughter’s face. “Why did this have to happen to us?” she asked the air.

I finished!

I got to 50,000 words tonight on my very first novel. I think ever since I was about eight years old I've wanted to write a book, and this is the first time I've been so close. Now I get to spend the next few weeks looking back through it and deleting, adding, and editing. Don't know where I'll go from there. I will definitely give it some time off so I can have a fresh mind next time I look at it, but we'll just have to wait and see what my next steps are. I want to scream from some place very high (quote of Luigi from the Cars movie).

Lay it out there...

Here comes one of my very rare 'lay it all out there' blog posts. I don't like airing out the dirty laundry, and I suppose this isn't really any big secret or anything, but I usually also don't blog or talk about my feelings a lot.

But I have to say...

I'm exhausted.

- I have Deutschkurs (German course) every day from 8-12. Which is getting increasingly more overwhelming. I'm trying to switch schools for one that is a little bit closer. That's taking a lot of time that I don't have.

- I've been trying to finish this NaNoWriMo novel, and it's getting really hard. If I don't finish it, by the 30th, I will be so mad at myself. It may get to the point where I won't want to touch this book again because I'll blame the book. And I'll be in a slight depression for the next three months. I have to write just over 15,000 words by Monday, ugh.

- Albert is sick, so now I have to worry about him and worry about catching his cold. I really need to go to the store, especially so I can get some soup for dinner tonight.

- The laundry is really lacking. I have piles of clean clothes and piles of dirty clothes all over our bedroom. Those of you who have seen my apartment before know I usually do that anyways, but since we've been in Germany I have kept up on putting the clothes away, until now. It's frustrating to look at it.

- I'm really trying to keep up on making new things for the shop and researching the Deutsche Post system. I finally figured out how many stamps it takes to send to the U.S., but I still don't know how to buy those stamps and put the letters in a postbox instead of taking my letters to the post. And I have a new calendar that I will be listing today.

- The Porsche is registered, but its oil is really bad so we have to change it this weekend. Plus it needs gas now, and that's dang expensive here.

There's more to the list, but it makes me tired to think about it all. So I'll leave you with this little glimpse into my days right now.

On a happy note, I found the brand new Harry Potter DVD for only 9 Euros (that's like 13 Dollars)!!! Yay for movies.

NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month and I'm participating in the fun. Basically, it's a challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. After the first week, I'm at 11,767 words. I think it's the most I've ever written. And, amazingly, I like every word so far.

If you want to stay updated on my status just click on the picture to the right ---->

If you are a NaNoWriMo participant, friend me! I'd love to check out other novels and watch as you reach your goals.

Wish me luck. I have the whole month open to devote to this, and I'm using it well. Hopefully by this time next year I can tell you when my book will be on the shelves.