Wow. You'd think with scads of time available to me because I'm off work I'd have written more these past three days.
Well, you'd be wrong. Various things conspired to thwart more words, but I continued to move the story forward so that's all that matters.
NaNoWriMo 2019 is in the books but my tale isn't done. I'm hopeful I can write "The End" by this coming Friday, but the novel will be done when it's done.
Hope you had a blast with NaNoWriMo this year. I did. Loved every minute of it, even the hard minutes because writing stories is a blast.
Like I wrote in today's Year of an Indie Writer, celebrate whatever you accomplished this month.
Then do it again. And again.
Keep writing.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
Day 22: 2,311 (43,682 total; 6,318 remaining)
Day 23: 2,393 (46,075 total; 3,925 remaining)
Day 24: 345 (46,420 total; 3,580 remaining)
Day 25: 1,688 (48,108 total; 1,892 remaining)
Day 26: 1,968 (50,076 total; -76 remaining)
Day 27: 1,327 (51,354 total) [Was 1,682]
Day 28: 712 (52,066 total) [Thanksgiving]
Day 29: 849 (52,915 total) [Black Friday]
Day 30: 872 (53,787 total)
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Year of an Indie Writer: Week 48
Well, today is the last day of NaNoWriMo 2019. How did you do? Did you
get to 50,000 words? I got mine earlier this week, but the book isn't
done. So I'm charging ahead and I'll finish the book. I'd like to get it
knocked out in a week, but we'll see.
But back to you. Did those 50,000 words correspond to the end of your novel? Did you fall short? Don’t worry. I’ve done all those things and more. But you might be asking the obvious question: now what?
Well, two crucial things--on opposite ends of the spectrum--must now be done, depending on your answers.
First, when you finish, CELEBRATE! You have just written a 50,000-word novel. Celebrate. Tell people about it. Post about it on Facebook. Tweet your accomplishments. Open a bottle of champagne. Seriously on that last part, do it. Ever since I completed book 2, I have sprung for a bottle of bubbly to celebrate. It is a monumental thing if you have written a novel, especially if it’s your first.
Second, if you did not finish, do not castigate yourself. Do not chastise and beat yourself up. Do not do those things. They do you no good and, in all honesty, they hamper your next writing effort. Believe me. I know this one all too well. It wasn’t until January 2013 when I again looked at the past year of not writing and finally turned myself around. I didn’t chastise myself like I had on previous New Year’s Days. Instead, I analyzed what had kept me from writing. Once those things were identified, I was able to skirt around them, avoid them, and I became a much more productive writer.
Now what?
Well, you’ve got to ask yourself a question. Did you participate in NaNoWriMo 2019 just to say you have written a novel, or did you do it because you want to keep writing stories? If it’s the former, good for you. Print it out, bind it if you want, display it proudly, and mark it off your bucket list. Mission Accomplished.
But if you found you enjoyed the process and keep doing it, you must keep writing. Seriously. Maybe NaNoWriMo 2019 took a lot out of you. That’s okay. Take a break for sure. Revel in your success. But make a plan--today--that you’ll start your next book on a certain day. My suggestion: New Year’s Day. Now that you know you can write a novel, do it again. What better way to start a new year than with a new novel. I’ve done it the past few years. It’s a great way to get past the inevitable doldrums I often get in January. It’s like the hangover for all the holidays we celebrate the last 62 days of a year. Make a plan to start a book, and then write that next book. I’ll leave it up to you whether or not you decide to make January 2020 into a NaNoWriMo, but make a plan.
Ideally, you’ll finish your next book by 31 January 2020. Then, do it again. The best way to make it as a writer is to keep writing regularly. The ‘regularly’ is the key part. Writing is a muscle. It needs to be exercised to keep it in shape. And here’s the cool part: the more you do it, the easier it becomes.
Even if you don’t do a true NaNoWriMo of 1667 words a day, shoot for 1000. In two months, you can have your next book written. Or a novella in 31 days.
Just keep writing. Make it a habit. If you do, you’ll discover the joy of writing, the ease of writing, and it’ll likely make you happy.
What about the book you just completed? Well, do you want to publish it? If so, get it edited. Ideally, you’d not get a friend to edit the book--unless the friend is a professional editor. Get it edited, make the changes, and then re-read the book yourself. Make those changes.
Now, get a cover. Write a book description. Create your metadata. Determine the price point. Determine your marketing strategy. Format your file. (For this, the company Draft2Digital is recommended because they’ll basically do all the formatting you need for any of the digital marketplaces.) Upload the file to the world.
But those are topics for different days.
Right now, revel in your celebration: NaNoWriMo 2019 is almost over. Congratulations. Now, don’t wait another eleven months to write your next book.
But back to you. Did those 50,000 words correspond to the end of your novel? Did you fall short? Don’t worry. I’ve done all those things and more. But you might be asking the obvious question: now what?
Well, two crucial things--on opposite ends of the spectrum--must now be done, depending on your answers.
First, when you finish, CELEBRATE! You have just written a 50,000-word novel. Celebrate. Tell people about it. Post about it on Facebook. Tweet your accomplishments. Open a bottle of champagne. Seriously on that last part, do it. Ever since I completed book 2, I have sprung for a bottle of bubbly to celebrate. It is a monumental thing if you have written a novel, especially if it’s your first.
Second, if you did not finish, do not castigate yourself. Do not chastise and beat yourself up. Do not do those things. They do you no good and, in all honesty, they hamper your next writing effort. Believe me. I know this one all too well. It wasn’t until January 2013 when I again looked at the past year of not writing and finally turned myself around. I didn’t chastise myself like I had on previous New Year’s Days. Instead, I analyzed what had kept me from writing. Once those things were identified, I was able to skirt around them, avoid them, and I became a much more productive writer.
Now what?
Well, you’ve got to ask yourself a question. Did you participate in NaNoWriMo 2019 just to say you have written a novel, or did you do it because you want to keep writing stories? If it’s the former, good for you. Print it out, bind it if you want, display it proudly, and mark it off your bucket list. Mission Accomplished.
But if you found you enjoyed the process and keep doing it, you must keep writing. Seriously. Maybe NaNoWriMo 2019 took a lot out of you. That’s okay. Take a break for sure. Revel in your success. But make a plan--today--that you’ll start your next book on a certain day. My suggestion: New Year’s Day. Now that you know you can write a novel, do it again. What better way to start a new year than with a new novel. I’ve done it the past few years. It’s a great way to get past the inevitable doldrums I often get in January. It’s like the hangover for all the holidays we celebrate the last 62 days of a year. Make a plan to start a book, and then write that next book. I’ll leave it up to you whether or not you decide to make January 2020 into a NaNoWriMo, but make a plan.
Ideally, you’ll finish your next book by 31 January 2020. Then, do it again. The best way to make it as a writer is to keep writing regularly. The ‘regularly’ is the key part. Writing is a muscle. It needs to be exercised to keep it in shape. And here’s the cool part: the more you do it, the easier it becomes.
Even if you don’t do a true NaNoWriMo of 1667 words a day, shoot for 1000. In two months, you can have your next book written. Or a novella in 31 days.
Just keep writing. Make it a habit. If you do, you’ll discover the joy of writing, the ease of writing, and it’ll likely make you happy.
What about the book you just completed? Well, do you want to publish it? If so, get it edited. Ideally, you’d not get a friend to edit the book--unless the friend is a professional editor. Get it edited, make the changes, and then re-read the book yourself. Make those changes.
Now, get a cover. Write a book description. Create your metadata. Determine the price point. Determine your marketing strategy. Format your file. (For this, the company Draft2Digital is recommended because they’ll basically do all the formatting you need for any of the digital marketplaces.) Upload the file to the world.
But those are topics for different days.
Right now, revel in your celebration: NaNoWriMo 2019 is almost over. Congratulations. Now, don’t wait another eleven months to write your next book.
Friday, November 29, 2019
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 29
Holidays and life got in the way yesterday and today. But I got some words done.
Every word counts.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
Day 22: 2,311 (43,682 total; 6,318 remaining)
Day 23: 2,393 (46,075 total; 3,925 remaining)
Day 24: 345 (46,420 total; 3,580 remaining)
Day 25: 1,688 (48,108 total; 1,892 remaining)
Day 26: 1,968 (50,076 total; -76 remaining)
Day 27: 1,327 (51,354 total) [Was 1,682]
Day 28: 712 (52,066 total)
Day 29: 849 (52,915 total)
Every word counts.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
Day 22: 2,311 (43,682 total; 6,318 remaining)
Day 23: 2,393 (46,075 total; 3,925 remaining)
Day 24: 345 (46,420 total; 3,580 remaining)
Day 25: 1,688 (48,108 total; 1,892 remaining)
Day 26: 1,968 (50,076 total; -76 remaining)
Day 27: 1,327 (51,354 total) [Was 1,682]
Day 28: 712 (52,066 total)
Day 29: 849 (52,915 total)
Thursday, November 28, 2019
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 28
Woke early just to get in some writing before the parade, the food, the family, the football, the watching of Home Alone, and the watching of various Friends Thanksgiving episodes.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
Day 22: 2,311 (43,682 total; 6,318 remaining)
Day 23: 2,393 (46,075 total; 3,925 remaining)
Day 24: 345 (46,420 total; 3,580 remaining)
Day 25: 1,688 (48,108 total; 1,892 remaining)
Day 26: 1,968 (50,076 total; -76 remaining)
Day 27: 1,327 (51,354 total) [Was 1,682]
Day 28: 712 (52,066)
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
Day 22: 2,311 (43,682 total; 6,318 remaining)
Day 23: 2,393 (46,075 total; 3,925 remaining)
Day 24: 345 (46,420 total; 3,580 remaining)
Day 25: 1,688 (48,108 total; 1,892 remaining)
Day 26: 1,968 (50,076 total; -76 remaining)
Day 27: 1,327 (51,354 total) [Was 1,682]
Day 28: 712 (52,066)
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 27
Funny thing about today's writing. I did an initial session in which I wrote 1,682 words. Above and a tad beyond the usual NaNoWriMo pace. Yet, at a later session, I made changes, and ended up with fewer words--but a better chapter.
Go figure.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
Day 22: 2,311 (43,682 total; 6,318 remaining)
Day 23: 2,393 (46,075 total; 3,925 remaining)
Day 24: 345 (46,420 total; 3,580 remaining)
Day 25: 1,688 (48,108 total; 1,892 remaining)
Day 26: 1,968 (50,076 total; -76 remaining)
Day 27: 1,327 (51,354 total) [Was 1,682]
Go figure.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
Day 22: 2,311 (43,682 total; 6,318 remaining)
Day 23: 2,393 (46,075 total; 3,925 remaining)
Day 24: 345 (46,420 total; 3,580 remaining)
Day 25: 1,688 (48,108 total; 1,892 remaining)
Day 26: 1,968 (50,076 total; -76 remaining)
Day 27: 1,327 (51,354 total) [Was 1,682]
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 26 - 50,000 words achieved
Well, I did it. I reached 50,000 words today.
Funny thing: I was 82 shy when I went to write this post. I was going to say things like "I've done this before so I don't need the record" and "The story isn't finished so I can just wait until tomorrow" but I laughed. I was so close to the goal. Why not spend five minutes and move along the story?
Five minutes. That was all it took, and I achieved the NaNoWriMo 2019 goal. Let no one ever say five minutes of writing doesn't mean anything. On some days, it can mean everything.
The story isn't done so I'm going to pick it up tomorrow, but NaNoWriMo2019 is a win!
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
Day 22: 2,311 (43,682 total; 6,318 remaining)
Day 23: 2,393 (46,075 total; 3,925 remaining)
Day 24: 345 (46,420 total; 3,580 remaining)
Day 25: 1,688 (48,108 total; 1,892 remaining)
Day 26: 1,968 (50,076 total; -76 remaining)
Funny thing: I was 82 shy when I went to write this post. I was going to say things like "I've done this before so I don't need the record" and "The story isn't finished so I can just wait until tomorrow" but I laughed. I was so close to the goal. Why not spend five minutes and move along the story?
Five minutes. That was all it took, and I achieved the NaNoWriMo 2019 goal. Let no one ever say five minutes of writing doesn't mean anything. On some days, it can mean everything.
The story isn't done so I'm going to pick it up tomorrow, but NaNoWriMo2019 is a win!
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
Day 22: 2,311 (43,682 total; 6,318 remaining)
Day 23: 2,393 (46,075 total; 3,925 remaining)
Day 24: 345 (46,420 total; 3,580 remaining)
Day 25: 1,688 (48,108 total; 1,892 remaining)
Day 26: 1,968 (50,076 total; -76 remaining)
Monday, November 25, 2019
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 25
The Problem of the McGuffin. If you read my Day 20 post, you'll read that I figured it out. Well, I figured out the container it was in. Today, I actually figured it out.
To date, my writing has gone by the mantra of Why not? Why not write about a woman trapped behind enemy lines when the Nazis invade in 1940? Why not create a railroad detective in the mold of James West, Bret Maverick, and Brisco County, Jr.
Today, I said Why Not let the McGuffin be a part of another book I've written. So I did.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
Day 22: 2,311 (43,682 total; 6,318 remaining)
Day 23: 2,393 (46,075 total; 3,925 remaining)
Day 24: 345 (46,420 total; 3,580 remaining)
Day 25: 1,688 (48,108 total; 1,892 remaining)
To date, my writing has gone by the mantra of Why not? Why not write about a woman trapped behind enemy lines when the Nazis invade in 1940? Why not create a railroad detective in the mold of James West, Bret Maverick, and Brisco County, Jr.
Today, I said Why Not let the McGuffin be a part of another book I've written. So I did.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
Day 22: 2,311 (43,682 total; 6,318 remaining)
Day 23: 2,393 (46,075 total; 3,925 remaining)
Day 24: 345 (46,420 total; 3,580 remaining)
Day 25: 1,688 (48,108 total; 1,892 remaining)
The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley by Main Street Theater
My wife’s aunt is in town from Tucson and she loves the theater. No sooner did the thought of theater enter my wife’s mind than she went online and found the Main Street Theater’s website. We were in luck: Friday, November 22, was a preview performance of The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon. We snagged three of the last tickets available, and they weren’t even together.
Didn’t matter.
The Intimacy of Main Street Theater
Perhaps the greatest selling point of the Main Street Theater (MST) is the size and arrangement of the venue. The stage is actually the center portion of a room about the size of two standard living rooms put together. On all four sides are three rows of seats. I made a point to count them. I came up with 110 total. Clear lines of sight, including the other audience members. The actors perform in the center section, with the entrances situated on the four corners. Live theater is fantastic, but to have the actors literally be steps from you is another thing entirely. You feel like you’re a part of the story. You just don’t have any lines to memorize.
The Setting
The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley is the second sequel Gunderson and Melcon have written to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Even if you’re like me and know nothing about the story going into the theater, the title tells you enough. It’s Christmas and the setting is the Pemberley estate, the ancestral home of Fitzwilliam Darcy who is now married to Elizabeth, the heroine of Austen’s novel. The family is gathering during the days before Christmas and this includes Lydia Wickham, Elizabeth’s sister who wed George Wickham in the novel. George, it seems, is away much of the time, but Lydia, although lonely for her husband [she knows nothing of the true reason George wed her] is nevertheless enjoying the season.
The setting is the lower floor of the Pemberley Estate. If you’ve seen Downton Abbey, it’s the downstairs room where all the servants spend their time making the upstairs, fancy rooms run smoothly. I’m a big fan of entire stories that take place in one setting.
The Seven Characters
The play consists of only seven characters, three servants and four upstairs folk. There is Mrs. Reynolds, the head of the servants, the one who makes Pemberley hum. Brian is a footman with a penchant for tinkering and inventing things and longs to improve his station. He has a little history with Cassie, the new kitchen maid, recently added to the staff. He has eyes for her, but she’s desperate to make her own way in life.
If you write a sequel to Pride and Prejudice, you have to include Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. Both Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth are getting used to being the heads of the household and are still very much in love. Lydia Wickham pines for her husband, but is excited to be visiting Pemberley again. Finally, there is George Wickham, always trying to scheme his way to fortune and always failing, despite the bribe he accepted from Mr. Darcy to get him to marry Lydia.
The Story
The plot of the play has multiple threads. There is Cassie, her new job, and the interactions between her and Brian. You’ve got Lydia, fluttering around the estate relishing the vibe of the season. Mrs. Reynolds just tries to keep the machine that is Pemberley well oiled and running, something that’s thrown asunder when George shows up, bleeding from a recent fight. His appearance and the actions of the various characters to him sparks the main part of the story and drives it to its conclusion.
The Superb Cast
Like I wrote before, I didn’t have a clue about this story going into the theater, and it was such a refreshing way to experience a tale. Think about it: for just about every story you consume, you read a blurb on a dust jacket, see a movie trailer, or watch a commercial. To go into the theater cold and just allow the story unfold in front of you is great.
But with theater, the story is told via the actors and this cast was fantastic. Claire Hart-Palumbo gave Mrs. Reynolds the gravitas necessary to the woman who runs the entire estate. Her humorous moments typically came as a response to the events and were wonderfully understated but still authoritative.
Alyssa Marek as Cassie brought a modernness to her role that might not have existed were this play not written over two hundred years after Austen’s novel. Marek relied on body language and subtle side-eyes to convey the character’s feelings and frustrations as well as some truly funny moments.
Nathan Wilson as Brian was did remarkably well as a footman who wanted more in life. The eagerness in his delivery when he explained his inventions really gave you the sense this character was destined for something greater if only the rigid class system of Regency Britain would allow it. Facially, Wilson gave Brian those extra little nuances that had me smiling throughout most of the performance.
I honestly cannot recall any of the actors who played Mr. Darcy in the various films, but Alan Brincks was fantastic. His deep baritone voice could fill the space when he was making a ruling as head of the household or come out soft when talking with his wife. I loved his costume and how he would often stand as if he were posing for a portrait.
That loud baritone would often boom when Darcy faced off against George Wickham. Blake Weir sported a short beard, more of a glorified five o’clock shadow, which added to Wickham’s ne’er-do-well character. The kind of scoundrel he was. There was a haughtiness to Weir’s vocal styling that made you enjoy rooting against him.
Leslie Lenert as Elizabeth was every bit the heroine Austen imagined. Still in love with Darcy, Lenert portrayed Elizabeth as a strong woman, capable of defending her husband’s actions as well as taking actions on her own to help her sister. When Lenert would look at Brincks, you get the impression they really are a couple.
But if there was a standout to the performance I saw, it was Skyler Sinclair’s portrayal of Lydia. Again, I came in to the story cold—so cold, in fact, that at intermission, I had to be reminded of what Darcy did for Wickham in the novel—so all I knew of Lydia was how Sinclair played her. Sinclair as Lydia is a carefree soul, full of smiles and pithy asides. The way she could deploy humorous facial expressions really fleshed out Lydia as a character. As funny as Lydia is, however, her story arc is the one that changes the most, calling for broader emotional expressions. Sinclair delivers all aspects of the arc splendidly.
The Verdict
I haven’t watched a play in a little over a year, and the performances at the Main Street Theater reminded me how much I enjoy watching stories unfold in front me. I think I wore a goofy grin on my face throughout most of the show as the story twisted this way and that, but especially for the talented actors.
Experiencing a story with no prior knowledge was a blast. Makes me want to subscribe to an entire season and just show up at the theater with no preconceived ideas about the play or the playwrights.
Speaking of playwrights, I researched both Gunderson and Melcon on the way home after the play. There is an excellent 2017 article from The New Yorker that includes the genesis of their first collaboration. Ironically, the title of the article is “You’ve Probably Never Heard of America’s Most Popular Playwright.” I count myself in that category prior to Friday night. Now? If I see a Gunderson play being showcased in a Houston theater, I’m buying a ticket.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley as did my wife and her aunt. We talked about it all the way home. The actors did a superb job at bringing this delightful tale to life, and I almost want to see it again, but I don’t want to deprive others the chance to see this show. The production runs through 22 December, but tickets for most of the performances are selling fast or limited.
Head to the Main Street Theater’s website today and add this tale to your Christmas season.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 24
To take the words of Jeff Goldblum and expand on them, Sometimes life finds a way...to fill up one's day. Didn't get a lot of writing done today, but I'm ahead of the pace. So, no worries.
One week to go. I'll easily hit the 50,000-word mark. Only question will be will the story be done by then. The answer is no, but I'll keep on going.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
Day 22: 2,311 (43,682 total; 6,318 remaining)
Day 23: 2,393 (46,075 total; 3,925 remaining)
Day 24: 345 (46,420 total; 3,580 remaining)
One week to go. I'll easily hit the 50,000-word mark. Only question will be will the story be done by then. The answer is no, but I'll keep on going.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
Day 22: 2,311 (43,682 total; 6,318 remaining)
Day 23: 2,393 (46,075 total; 3,925 remaining)
Day 24: 345 (46,420 total; 3,580 remaining)
Saturday, November 23, 2019
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 23
Had some extra time today as I woke at 7 am and started writing. Couldn't wait to get back to the story, and ended my time at a moment the hero isn't going to like. Multiple forces are closing in on him. How will he respond?
And, depending on how much I write tomorrow, I might get to 50,000 then. If not, it'll certainly be Monday. Exciting times.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
Day 22: 2,311 (43,682 total; 6,318 remaining)
Day 23: 2,393 (46,075 total; 3,925 remaining)
And, depending on how much I write tomorrow, I might get to 50,000 then. If not, it'll certainly be Monday. Exciting times.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
Day 22: 2,311 (43,682 total; 6,318 remaining)
Day 23: 2,393 (46,075 total; 3,925 remaining)
Year of an Indie Writer: Week 47
The third full week of November also counts as the third full week of NaNoWriMo 2019. Still having fun yet? I know I am.
This week's writing sessions were mainly action scenes. The hero of my tale got himself in a heap of trouble--as heroes are supposed to do--and he's not out of the woods yet.
The one thing I'm consciously doing with this book is the process of cycling. Here's how that works. I write in the morning. When I open the Chromebook, I re-read the stuff I wrote on the previous day's afternoon session, revising, editing, tweaking as I go. On those lunchtime sessions, I review the morning's writing. By the time I get to the blank part of the screen, I'm ready to forge ahead. It's a pretty decent way of writing...and nothing new. Really. But I'm actively doing that this time. Unlike earlier books when I sort of winged it.
The process had paid dividends. It's made for a tighter writing process, one that, by the time I finish this manuscript, will need less editing that normal. That's a huge bonus.
And I should hit the 50,000-word mark before Thanksgiving, but I'm not sure the book will be done by 30 November. I think this book will be more than 50,000 words, which brings up an important question: What is more important: finish the book or finish the 50,000 words in November?
Here’s why. If you can conceivably complete the book by the end of November, then go ahead and get there. If you don’t think you can make that deadline...but do think you can complete the book a few days after 30 November, then make the adjustment. Because, when you get right down to it, the reason you started NaNoWriMo in the first place was to complete a book. The 50,000-word mark was only a trick, a hack, to get many writers started. Your book may only be 45,000. If so, then congrats! You’ve written a book. Your book may actually not be done until you get to 95,000 or more. Your book is your book. Do your adjustments as you see fit.
But this last week of NaNoWriMo 2019 is the final push. You can do it. I did it. I'm doing it now. Millions of others did, too. Come back next week and we can discuss what to do when you successfully reach your own end goal.
This week's writing sessions were mainly action scenes. The hero of my tale got himself in a heap of trouble--as heroes are supposed to do--and he's not out of the woods yet.
The one thing I'm consciously doing with this book is the process of cycling. Here's how that works. I write in the morning. When I open the Chromebook, I re-read the stuff I wrote on the previous day's afternoon session, revising, editing, tweaking as I go. On those lunchtime sessions, I review the morning's writing. By the time I get to the blank part of the screen, I'm ready to forge ahead. It's a pretty decent way of writing...and nothing new. Really. But I'm actively doing that this time. Unlike earlier books when I sort of winged it.
The process had paid dividends. It's made for a tighter writing process, one that, by the time I finish this manuscript, will need less editing that normal. That's a huge bonus.
And I should hit the 50,000-word mark before Thanksgiving, but I'm not sure the book will be done by 30 November. I think this book will be more than 50,000 words, which brings up an important question: What is more important: finish the book or finish the 50,000 words in November?
Here’s why. If you can conceivably complete the book by the end of November, then go ahead and get there. If you don’t think you can make that deadline...but do think you can complete the book a few days after 30 November, then make the adjustment. Because, when you get right down to it, the reason you started NaNoWriMo in the first place was to complete a book. The 50,000-word mark was only a trick, a hack, to get many writers started. Your book may only be 45,000. If so, then congrats! You’ve written a book. Your book may actually not be done until you get to 95,000 or more. Your book is your book. Do your adjustments as you see fit.
But this last week of NaNoWriMo 2019 is the final push. You can do it. I did it. I'm doing it now. Millions of others did, too. Come back next week and we can discuss what to do when you successfully reach your own end goal.
Friday, November 22, 2019
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 22
Action scenes. Gotta love them. They're fun to read, fun to write, and really add to the daily word count.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 words (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
Day 22: 2,311 words (43,682 total; 6,318 remaining)
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 words (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
Day 22: 2,311 words (43,682 total; 6,318 remaining)
Thursday, November 21, 2019
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 21
The hero meets a villain in a close-quarters conflict. Who wins?
Who do you think?
But this small victory spells big trouble for the hero for here on out.
Note: less than 10,000 words to 50,000!
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 words (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
Who do you think?
But this small victory spells big trouble for the hero for here on out.
Note: less than 10,000 words to 50,000!
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Day 21: 2,128 words (41,371 total; 8,629 remaining)
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 20
All throughout this book, there's been a McGuffin talked about, but I've only used pronouns.
This was the last day in which I could use pronouns. Now I've got to figure it out.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
This was the last day in which I could use pronouns. Now I've got to figure it out.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,415 total; 12,585 remaining)
Day 20: 1,828 (39,243 total; 10,757 remaining)
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 19
Things are heating up in the story. Had a couple of great days writing, and the tension is increasing for some of the co-stars, and the Hero is about to face a dire situation.
Aren't they all?
Maybe not, but aren't they all supposed to be?
Note also the past three days have been above 2,000 words. I mention that note to brag but to point out that even when you have a sub-par day, you can make things up.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Aren't they all?
Maybe not, but aren't they all supposed to be?
Note also the past three days have been above 2,000 words. I mention that note to brag but to point out that even when you have a sub-par day, you can make things up.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 19: 2,210 (37,417 total; 12,585 remaining)
Monday, November 18, 2019
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 18
Things began to go sideways for the hero today. Blackmail. Making him do something he doesn't want to do. Bad for him. Great for the reader.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Day 18: 2,434 (35,205 total; 14,795 remaining)
Sunday, November 17, 2019
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 17
After falling under the 1,667-word pace yesterday, I not only bested today's pace, but made up for it today. Since we're dealing with numbers, 3,334 is what you get with a normal two-day pace at 1,667. My last two days add up to 3,632, a difference of 298 more words than pace. Got to love that.
Which also speaks to the idea that you don't have to worry if you don't make par on any given day. You can make it up. Just keep writing.
I ended up finishing the character moment chapter for the Hero this morning, slightly revising where I had ended up yesterday. I was an intimate conversation with him and a lady. Emotions got involved, and just when there was a genuine moment, things got in the way. I threw a wrench into the moment and sent him scurrying to play catch up.
It'll make tomorrow's writing that much more fun as he tries to figure out a way to get himself out of the tightening vice in which he finds himself.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Which also speaks to the idea that you don't have to worry if you don't make par on any given day. You can make it up. Just keep writing.
I ended up finishing the character moment chapter for the Hero this morning, slightly revising where I had ended up yesterday. I was an intimate conversation with him and a lady. Emotions got involved, and just when there was a genuine moment, things got in the way. I threw a wrench into the moment and sent him scurrying to play catch up.
It'll make tomorrow's writing that much more fun as he tries to figure out a way to get himself out of the tightening vice in which he finds himself.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Day 17: 2,164 (32,771 total; 17,229 remaining)
Saturday, November 16, 2019
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 16
Odd thing: I end up having more pure writing time on any given weekday than I did today.
Woke up at 7:00 a.m. after I allowed myself to sleep in and got to writing. Words didn't flow as easily as yesterday or earlier this week. Still, the hero had a character moment, a moment I'm not done with yet so I know just where to start tomorrow.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Woke up at 7:00 a.m. after I allowed myself to sleep in and got to writing. Words didn't flow as easily as yesterday or earlier this week. Still, the hero had a character moment, a moment I'm not done with yet so I know just where to start tomorrow.
Day 1: 2,063 (2,063 total; 47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Day 16: 1,468 (30,607 total; 19,393 remaining) *Second sub 1,667 day
Year of an Indie Writer: Week 46
Well, this is the end of the second full week of November and of NaNoWriMo 2019. I don't know about everyone else doing NaNo, but I'm having a blast. I managed to stay ahead of the basic pace, getting to 25,000 words on 13 November, two days ahead of schedule.
This includes a day in which I ended up writing 1,700 words or so but only 1,200 of them counted for the full novel. Such is the unexpected pleasure of writing into the dark.
Speaking of that, one of the metaphors I've heard about writing into the dark is exploring a cave. When you get to a fork in the tunnel, you choose one and go down it. You might hit a wall, in which case you retrace your steps and then take the other tunnel.
That happened to me on Thursday. Morning session was a tad slow and it ended with a decision at the end of chapter 13. All throughout the morning at the day job, I realized the path I had gone down was blocked. Fixed it at lunch.
Non-writer folks never understand that we writers are actually thinking about the story when we're not actually writing.
The bad guy finally walked on stage in yesterday's session. I don't know much about him, but I made sure to introduce him doing bad guy things. We'll see how he ends up.
Hopefully our hero can beat the bad guy without too much trouble. Pshaw! Who am I kidding? The Hero will get a lot of things thrown at him. The fun now will be to see how he handles himself.
Not a lot of non-writing stuff this week. It's all single-minded focus. But after fifteen days of writing a new book, I am remembering just how much fun it is to write a book.
Who else is doing NaNoWriMo? How is it coming for y'all?
This includes a day in which I ended up writing 1,700 words or so but only 1,200 of them counted for the full novel. Such is the unexpected pleasure of writing into the dark.
Speaking of that, one of the metaphors I've heard about writing into the dark is exploring a cave. When you get to a fork in the tunnel, you choose one and go down it. You might hit a wall, in which case you retrace your steps and then take the other tunnel.
That happened to me on Thursday. Morning session was a tad slow and it ended with a decision at the end of chapter 13. All throughout the morning at the day job, I realized the path I had gone down was blocked. Fixed it at lunch.
Non-writer folks never understand that we writers are actually thinking about the story when we're not actually writing.
The bad guy finally walked on stage in yesterday's session. I don't know much about him, but I made sure to introduce him doing bad guy things. We'll see how he ends up.
Hopefully our hero can beat the bad guy without too much trouble. Pshaw! Who am I kidding? The Hero will get a lot of things thrown at him. The fun now will be to see how he handles himself.
Not a lot of non-writing stuff this week. It's all single-minded focus. But after fifteen days of writing a new book, I am remembering just how much fun it is to write a book.
Who else is doing NaNoWriMo? How is it coming for y'all?
Friday, November 15, 2019
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 15
Halfway through the month's writing, around halfway through the entire novel (I think) and the bad guy entered the stage. We've seen his stooges so far, but now he shows up. Don't know much about him, but he's really pissed.
This book is a mystery/thriller although up to now, it's been all about the mystery. I've been layering in questions asked by the various characters, all while keeping the reader in the dark as well. That includes this reader, since I'm writing into the dark.
Hopefully our hero can beat the bad guy without too much trouble. Pshaw! Who am I kidding? The Hero will get a lot of things thrown at him. I've set it up so that multiple forces will close in on him. The fun now will be to see how he handles himself.
Day 1: 2,063 (47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
This book is a mystery/thriller although up to now, it's been all about the mystery. I've been layering in questions asked by the various characters, all while keeping the reader in the dark as well. That includes this reader, since I'm writing into the dark.
Hopefully our hero can beat the bad guy without too much trouble. Pshaw! Who am I kidding? The Hero will get a lot of things thrown at him. I've set it up so that multiple forces will close in on him. The fun now will be to see how he handles himself.
Day 1: 2,063 (47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Day 15: 2,226 (29,139 total; 20,861 remaining) Bad guy shows up for the first time
Thursday, November 14, 2019
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 14
One of the metaphors I've heard about writing into the dark is exploring a cave. When you get to a fork in the tunnel, you choose one and go down it. You might hit a wall, in which case you retrace your steps and then take the other tunnel.
That happened to me today. Morning session was a tad slow and it ended with a decision at the end of chapter 13. All throughout the morning, I realized the path I had gone down was blocked. Fixed it at lunch. So I ended up writing 1,702 words to end up only 1,201 words of actual story progress.
But it's progress.
Day 1: 2,063 (47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
That happened to me today. Morning session was a tad slow and it ended with a decision at the end of chapter 13. All throughout the morning, I realized the path I had gone down was blocked. Fixed it at lunch. So I ended up writing 1,702 words to end up only 1,201 words of actual story progress.
But it's progress.
Day 1: 2,063 (47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Day 14: 1,703 (26,913 total; 23,087 remaining)
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 13
This was one of those days in which I hit the end of a chapter (13) with my main hero then shifted POV to a secondary hero in order to move time forward.
Only thing was, by the time I reached the end of chapter 14, I realized I'd have to return to the end of chapter 13 and revise how it ended. Or write an unexpected new POV scene with the hero and call it chapter 15.
Ah, the fun of writing into the dark.
I reached the halfway point, word count-wise, today, but not quite the mid point of the story. I think.
Day 1: 2,063 (47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Only thing was, by the time I reached the end of chapter 14, I realized I'd have to return to the end of chapter 13 and revise how it ended. Or write an unexpected new POV scene with the hero and call it chapter 15.
Ah, the fun of writing into the dark.
I reached the halfway point, word count-wise, today, but not quite the mid point of the story. I think.
Day 1: 2,063 (47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Day 13: 1,982 (25,211 total; 24,789 remaining)
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 12
This is just one of those days in which the writing flowed well, but it's clearly a transition chapter.
Although I love writing in Scrivener, I am using Google Docs for NaNoWriMo 2019. I can bring my Chromebook with me to my office and write anywhere. The known little quirk in Google Docs is the 10,000-word mark. If a file gets a little more than 10K, it starts to go wonky. So I break my stories up into 10K chunks.
I started Part III today. By the end of the month, I'll have at least five of these parts to make up the entire novel. Tomorrow I'll reach the exact halfway mark (word wise), officially two days ahead of schedule.
Day 1: 2,063 (47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Although I love writing in Scrivener, I am using Google Docs for NaNoWriMo 2019. I can bring my Chromebook with me to my office and write anywhere. The known little quirk in Google Docs is the 10,000-word mark. If a file gets a little more than 10K, it starts to go wonky. So I break my stories up into 10K chunks.
I started Part III today. By the end of the month, I'll have at least five of these parts to make up the entire novel. Tomorrow I'll reach the exact halfway mark (word wise), officially two days ahead of schedule.
Day 1: 2,063 (47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Day 12: 2,052 (23,229 total; 26,771 remaining)
Monday, November 11, 2019
NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 11
Today brought my first 2,000-word day in a week. Really happy to hit that mark again, especially on a time-limited weekday. The morning session was only 844 words. The groove of the session really kicked in...just as my alarm sounded and I had to get ready for work.
Which meant the lunch session hit the ground running. Irritatingly, I hit the end of the session without getting to the end of the scene. Oh well, I know where I'll be starting tomorrow morning.
One of the things that keeps me going is my spreadsheet. I thought I'd share it today.
Date - Obvious
Today - Words written on that particular day
Pace - The 1,667 words you need to hit in order to reach 50,000 words by 30 November
Diff - Today number minus Pace. I color code it so I can get my green streak.
Pace Total - The number you get if you only write 1,667 words each day.
Actual Total - The number of words I actually wrote to date.
Total Diff - Difference between Pace Total and Actual Total
Remaining - How I'm doing relative to 50,000 words
Every addition/subtraction field has the formulas built in. The green and red are conditional formatted based on the number.
This spreadsheet helped me on 7 Nov when I didn't reach the 1,667 for the day, but I knew I was ahead of the pace overall.
Do you use a spreadsheet?
Day 1: 2,063 (47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
Which meant the lunch session hit the ground running. Irritatingly, I hit the end of the session without getting to the end of the scene. Oh well, I know where I'll be starting tomorrow morning.
One of the things that keeps me going is my spreadsheet. I thought I'd share it today.
|
Date
|
Today
|
Pace
|
Diff
|
Pace Total
|
Actual Total
|
Total
Diff
|
Remaining
|
|
1-Nov
|
2,063
|
1,667
|
396
|
1,667
|
2,063
|
396
|
47,937
|
|
2-Nov
|
2,724
|
1,667
|
1,057
|
3,334
|
4,787
|
1,453
|
45,213
|
|
3-Nov
|
2,189
|
1,667
|
522
|
5,001
|
6,976
|
1,975
|
43,024
|
|
4-Nov
|
2,033
|
1,667
|
366
|
6,668
|
9,009
|
2,341
|
40,991
|
|
5-Nov
|
1,769
|
1,667
|
102
|
8,335
|
10,778
|
2,443
|
39,222
|
|
6-Nov
|
1,899
|
1,667
|
232
|
10,002
|
12,677
|
2,675
|
37,323
|
|
7-Nov
|
1,207
|
1,667
|
-460
|
11,669
|
13,884
|
2,215
|
36,116
|
|
8-Nov
|
1,788
|
1,667
|
121
|
13,336
|
15,672
|
2,336
|
34,328
|
|
9-Nov
|
1,724
|
1,667
|
57
|
15,003
|
17,396
|
2,393
|
32,604
|
|
10-Nov
|
1,735
|
1,667
|
68
|
16,670
|
19,131
|
2,461
|
30,869
|
|
11-Nov
|
2,046
|
1,667
|
379
|
18,337
|
21,177
|
2,840
|
28,823
|
Date - Obvious
Today - Words written on that particular day
Pace - The 1,667 words you need to hit in order to reach 50,000 words by 30 November
Diff - Today number minus Pace. I color code it so I can get my green streak.
Pace Total - The number you get if you only write 1,667 words each day.
Actual Total - The number of words I actually wrote to date.
Total Diff - Difference between Pace Total and Actual Total
Remaining - How I'm doing relative to 50,000 words
Every addition/subtraction field has the formulas built in. The green and red are conditional formatted based on the number.
This spreadsheet helped me on 7 Nov when I didn't reach the 1,667 for the day, but I knew I was ahead of the pace overall.
Do you use a spreadsheet?
Day 1: 2,063 (47,937 remaining)
Day 2: 2,724 (4,787 total; 45,213 remaining)
Day 3: 2,189 (6,976 total; 43,024 remaining)
Day 4: 2,033 (9,009 total; 40,991 remaining)
Day 5: 1,769 (10,778 total; 39,222 remaining) *Rewrite of chapter 4
Day 6: 1,899 (12,677 total; 37,323 remaining)
Day 7: 1,207 (13,884 total; 36,116 remaining) *First sub 1,667 day
Day 8: 1,788 (15,672 total ; 34,328 remaining) *Breakthrough on where story is going
Day 9: 1,724 (17,396 total; 32,604 remaining)
Day 10: 1,735 (19,131 total; 30,869 remaining)
Day 11: 2,046 (21,177 total; 28,823 remaining)
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