Favorite Movies of 2019

Avengers: Endgame - My favorite of the year for all the action, the humor, the payoffs, the tears, and the feels. A remarkable end to a 21-movie series. Full review.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - The end of a 42-year journey with the Skywalker family. I truly enjoyed the film and appreciated all the emotional payoffs.

Hobbes and Shaw - Arguably the most entertaining movie of the summer and the year. This counts as my first Fast and Furious film. Loved this movie. Full review.

Knives Out - In terms of "I think that movie looks good" to the actual viewing of the film, this is a great film. Thoroughly enjoyed it, and it has sent me on a search for more whodunits (and inspired me to try and write one).

Spider-Man: Far From Home - Much like Chris Evans and Robert Downey, Jr. in their respective superhero roles, Tom Holland was born to play Peter Parker. And a dang good film that keeps reminding viewers the character is just a teenager.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - An exhuberant movie full of fun, joy, and somber moments. My son who rarely likes all the superhero movies like I do really enjoyed this film.

Jumanji: The Next Level - Dawayne Johnson and Kevin Hart have great on-screen chemistry and I think I'd watch anything they're in. The fact that the ending serves up a nice message about aging is just icing on the cake.

Shazam - It only took something like eighty years for there to be big-screen adaptation of the original Captain Marvel, but the time was worth the wait. Everything you'd want from a Shazam movie is here, led by the incredibly charismatic Zachary Levi. Full review.

IT: Chapter Two - Both parts work well as a giant six-hour movie, but this second part brought the younger actors into the show more than I expected. The adult actors were all great, but this was my first time to see Bill Hader in a serious role. Wow. And that ending...

Older Movies I Saw in 2019

A Man Called Uve - My wife read the book, saw the movie, then watched it again as I saw it. Wonderful, wonderful film.

Jersey Girl - This was the year I decided to watch all of Kevin Smith's films in the lead-up to the new movie, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. I watched all the movies cold--that is, without any prep or even without watching the trailer. I had known how Smith and star Ben Affleck dog this film over the years, but it proved to be my favorite Smith film to date. A wonderful story about a single, widowed father coming to terms with what is most important in his life: his daughter. All the feels, all the tears both times I watched it. When does this movie get a critical re-examination for how good it really is? Full review

Year of an Indie Writer: Week 52 AKA Taking Stock

Well, here it is: the final post in my year-long series of what it's like to be an indie writer. If I'm being brutally honest, where I am now is not where I expected to be on New Year's Day 2019.

The Half Year of Calvin Carter

A year ago, I anticipated me releasing all six of my Calvin Carter novels. Well, I got out three, but with the fourth, I hit a snag. In the re-reading of it for typos, I realized the book wasn't all I thought it was. It needed some additional work, work that I've not completed. Why? Various reasons, part of which is I think the book needs a little help and I ended up going in other directions. The downside is that I didn't get all six books out in 2019. The upside is I have three books in the hopper ready to be released.

One Name

Another change I made this year was to consolidate all my books under one author name: Scott Dennis Parker. I had used S.D. Parker for my westerns but came to realize readers are smart people and they can look at a book cover and determine the genre. And who is to say a mystery reader might not also be interested in a western or whatever else I end up publishing in the future.

Writing Pace

I did not write as much as I expected this year. I went through fits and starts with the fiction writing. The blog writing was much more consistent. Perhaps that's the problem? I wonder what the total word count is between blog writing and fiction writing. I'm a little worried that the blog writing might beat the fiction writing total.

What I'm aiming for in 2020--and throughout the next decade--is consistency. It's all well and good to be able to write a story rapidly--I think it makes for a better story--but it doesn't do me any good if the pace is one of fits and starts.  It would be immensely better if I were to write a lower per day word count but write every day. As many authors have said over the years, one cannot help but get better with consistency.

So that's a goal for 2020: consistent writing pace. Be it slow or fast, be consistent.

A corollary is this: knowing when the desire to write wanes. Come the last two weeks of December, I'm all about consuming books, movies, Hallmark movies, music, Christmas stories, and almost anything else. I've not been in the mood to write in recent days, and that was the case last year. And the year before. See a trend? So do I.

Plan for off weeks and days and don't give myself crap for it.

Discoverability

The goal for any writer, especially an indie writer like me. How to get folks to know my stories are out in the world. There are the typical ways of ads, blog tours and the like. But I'm looking at more non-traditional means. And I'm thinking about focusing my efforts on my hometown of Houston.

What's that you ask? Well, I can help but think focusing on letting Houston readers know I have stories they might like--many of my tales are set here--is a good focus for 2020. Definitely won't stay focused only on Houston, but it'll be my main focus.

How? Direct mail. Advertisements in local papers. Things like that. Will it work? Who knows, but why not try?

Why not?

That's the thing that has bubbled up in my thinking this last quarter of 2019. Why not try different genres? Why not try romance? Why not try an out-and-out thriller? Why not try submitting stories to print magazines?

No reason whatsoever.

Onward to 2020...

Thanks for reading in 2019. I hope you continue to read as the next decade starts.

A few years ago, I read a phrase that got me up off my seat and do something: "A year from now, you will have wished you started today."

Now, we have a new decade on the horizon. This is the last Saturday of the 2010s. And to extrapolate the above phrase forward, it becomes this: "A decade from now, you will have wished you started this year."

So I am.

Chicago Christmas (2019) - The Best Surprise of 2019

One of my greatest listening pleasures for 34 years is to listen to a new Chicago album, especially without reading the liner notes so I can guess the singer. Cracked the seal on Chicago 37 back on 13 November 2019 and was richly rewarded by a group of consummate musicians using the vocabulary and trappings of Christmas to craft a great collection of songs.

Those were the words I wrote on social media the day I first listened to this new Chicago album. I ended up listening to the new album three times that day. First time was in my car while on my morning commute. Other two times were in earbuds on my phone. Heard new things each time. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience, as I do for all new Chicago music.

The Overall Sound

But let's go ahead and address the elephant in the room: the production (or mix?) needs work. In the press release for this album, the guys mentioned how they'd practice the new tunes on the road and record in hotel rooms or on the bus. Look, I'm all for new music and if that's the way it works in 2019, fine. And I love that technology has advanced enough so this work ethic is possible.
But Chicago 36: Now didn't have this subdued quality and it was recorded in much the same way.

(Interestingly, over the month I've listened to the album, the initial sound issues I don't hear anymore. Maybe it's just repetition. Maybe I'm just used to it because when I purchased the LP yesterday--yes, I really own two versions of this album--I didn't notice the sound issue.)

So, guys in Chicago, keep making new tunes, but make sure it's the best possible sound.

The Songs

Because It's Christmas Time - Robert Lamm lead. Opening similar to White Christmas, complete with piano playing eighth notes and jingle bells. Lamm's voice is muted and buried behind the instruments. Vocal harmonies with Lou Pardini and Neil Donell are nice and tight. Great sax solo by new member Ray Herrmann, but it fades way too soon. Wanted more.

All Over the World - Neil Donell lead. This song counts as the first time I've heard Donell sing other than a few YouTube clips. Again, the vocals feel deeper in the mix, but the music is good. Love the electric piano. Really digging the first two tracks as they use the vocabulary and trappings of Christmas to craft new songs. It's certainly favoring the secular aspects of the season. This is also my first exposure to the bass playing of Brett Simons. He's really good here. Last chord is really nice and mysterious, not your typical Christmas vibe. Love how the bass mirrors the melody during the chorus. And the message is one that can be shared beyond the season.

Bring My Baby Back - Donell lead. The opening is very Christmas-y, but the bass grove as the verse starts changes the mood entirely. In a good way. Horns during chorus reminds me of earlier Christmas records, especially with the high trumpet by Lee Loughnane. More sax on the outro by Herrmann. Really digging the album so far. I made most of my notes without seeing the liner notes so it's only later when I learn Nick Lane arranged the brass parts of this song. He certainly knows the Chicago sound.

Merry Christmas, I Love You (R&B) - Lou Pardini lead. The direct sequel to Chicago XXXIII's "Merry Christmas Happy Holidays." All the feels and goofy grins on first hearing this tune on the morning commute. Cowbell back in the mix, and Keith Howland's guitar work is excellent. Pardini is a wonderful addition to the band. This is a tight band of consummate musicians performing these songs. So good. The horn work in the chorus is well done and worthy of the R&B moniker. Could easily see this song make its way on the various radio stations that play Christmas music 24/7.

What the World Needs Now - Lamm lead. Okay, so my favorite thing about listening to a new Chicago album is to let it play and not read the liner notes. Really easy when the first listen was on a morning commute. When this song started and the 70s vibe kicked in, I was so there. But by the first chord change, I actually uttered a "friggin A" in the car as I grinned ear to ear. Guessed Lamm would be the one and I was right. The vibe is pure early 70s: think Marvin Gaye "What's Going On" or Miles Davis's "Maiysha." I'm not too familiar with the Carpenters but I know this tune. Lamm's voice again is way in the back, but his clear tone shines through. James Pankow's horn arrangements are tasteful and complimentary. You can actually hear all three horns. Am I the only one who would love Chicago to do a full album of Burt Bacharach songs? Chord progressions are magical. This song will find its way onto personal playlists and not just in the Christmas season.

All is Right - Lamm and Donell and Pardini. The opening with flutes is nice, almost like Chicago is doing a Bacharach song again. Lamm opens with the verses but the lead shifts to Donell for the chorus. Goose bump moment there. So, so good. Third verse is Donell. Howland's guitar is gritty behind this easy going groove, punctuated by Ramon Yslas's nice percussion work. Pardini takes the last bridge which makes this tune one of the awesome triple-vocal songs in the entire catalog. The vibe this tune reminds me of is a 1978 Christmas TV special when the band is a guest. Again, the mysterious, minor-chord ending is surprising.

Sleigh Ride [2019 version] - Donell lead. Nice groove and horn parts, but the backing vocalists doing the "ring-a-ling" thing? Icing on top of this sweet song. They absolutely make this song. Donell's vocals are so clear. Horn breaks are short and punchy. Ending sound effects are cheesy, but I'm a cheesy guy so I'm fine with it. The chimes as the song fades out is a nice touch.

I'd Do It All Again (Christmas Moon) - Pardini lead. Bossa nova complete with shuffle drumming and piano embellishments? This song had me in the first measure. Simply a gorgeous song. Pardini's voice is perfect for this kind of song, and the horns just layer themselves with him, perfectly in the pocket with tasteful accents, especially as they re-enter after the piano solo. Goose bump song. A new jazz standard for others to hear and sing? You betcha. Not sure who plays the piano solo, but man is it good. Lots of Christmas music reminds me of childhood. This is one of those tunes where the vibe is that of adults in love. This is the song you'd have playing over scenes of a movie in which the couple frolic in the snow, fall down while ice skating, and snuggle up together in an open horse-drawn wagon in Central Park. Loughnane's muted trumpet is the icing on this song. In addition--and this doesn't happen too often in Christmas songs--this is the song you can easily see being played for senior citizens, as they look back on their lives. Only two songs this year made me emotional on first listen (and sometimes subsequent listens), and this is one of them. The other: Hello Sunshine by Bruce Springsteen.

I'm Your Santa Claus - Pardini lead. Bass notes high on the fret board opening this funky song. Donell shines through in the group chorus. Man does he blend well. Pardini's piano is sprinkled throughout this song, as is Howland's rhythm guitar...until he takes a nice, crunchy solo. Even though this tune started soft, it ends as a pretty loud rock song, especially when Howland solos again, the distortion turned up. One of my favorite parts of the entire album is the group chorus on "This gift in silver and gold." Fantastic and goose bump inducing every time.

Here We Come A Caroling - Donell lead. The timbales remind me of Chicago's version of "My Favorite Things" from Chicago XXXIII. Horn break is more complex than a typical Chicago horn riff. Can really hear Herrmann's alto sax. The sound of the horns is more "alive" than many a Chicago album. By that I mean you can all but hear the room as they record their parts, much like the horn sound of CTA is. Howland's crunchy guitar solo is a nice injection of rock and roll.

Merry Christmas, I Love You (Ballad version) - The piano intro make this song come across like a ballad from the American Songbook, circa 1958. You know what marks a good song? The ability for it to be re-imagined and still ring true. In every Christmas season, the early part of my listening is always exciting because I get to hear this wonderful music after an eleven-month absence. I play all the happy, fun songs there. But in the final week, as Christmas Day grows near, I get a little somber and reflective. This version fits squarely in this latter pocket. Herrmann's sax solo is excellent. Gave me a Stan Getz vibe. The bells mirroring Donell's vocals at the close? Perfect. As the official end of the album, it is so good.

The Verdict

After fifty-two years as a band, thirty-seven albums, and my personal thirty-four years as a fan, I experienced something unexpected when I listened to Chicago Christmas 2019: it surprised me. For better or worse, when I listened to XXXIII for the first time, I could actually guess the horn breaks and musical choices. Ditto for Chicago XXX. Some of that is in play here, but not as much.

Maybe it's my age (I'm fifty-one), maybe it's the more melancholy vibe to some of the songs, but Chicago Christmas 2019 hit me squarely in my heart. The holidays always are emotional, running the gamut from nostalgia of childhood to the more mature emotions of being a parent. Somehow, this collection of songs captures that spirit in an unexpected way.

For the past twenty-one years, I have counted Chicago 25 as one of my favorite all-time Chicago albums. The reissued version--2003's What's It Gonna Be Santa--is always the first thing I break out every single Christmas season. Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three was a wonderful addition.

Now comes Chicago: Christmas 2019 out of nowhere, filled with original songs and excellent music, by one of my two favorite bands of all time, that made the 2019 Christmas season so much better. Ever since June, I told everybody my favorite album of 2019 was already released. That would be Bruce Springsteen's excellent album, Western Stars. Well, while "Hello Sunshine" is still my favorite song, Chicago: Christmas 2019 is my favorite album of the year.

Year of an Indie Writer: Week 51

I think we all know what event sucked the air out of everything this week: The premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

My family and I caught the 6pm showing on Thursday night. The theater wasn't packed, but there was a sizable audience. My one-sentence blurb is this:

"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a rousing, joyful, exuberant, and emotional film that not only successfully brings to a close the story of one family, over nine movies, and 42 years, but does so in a manner that is both nostalgic and fresh."

I'll have more thoughts after I spend more time thinking about it and seeing it again.

The event also prompted me to write an open thank you letter to George Lucas, because without him, none of this exists.

An Open Thank You to George Lucas

I'll have a more detailed movie review at a later time, but I need to say this first:

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a rousing, joyful, exuberant, and emotional film that not only successfully brings to a close the story of one family, over nine movies, and 42 years, but does so in a manner that is both nostalgic and fresh.

The payoffs are great, some hearken back four decades while others reach back only minutes. Could I find quibbles? Sure, but as a lifelong Star Wars fan, one whose mind was blown open in 1977 by George Lucas's film, this movie did everything I wanted it to and left me sitting in my seat, watching the credits scroll, awash in the music of John Williams, tears in my eyes, knowing my journey with this story is over.

And I am so grateful for it.

Star Wars helped shape me as a youth, a movie watcher, a music listener, a storyteller, and as a creative, imaginative person. I am so glad to have grown up with and experienced it all from the very beginning. It has truly been the adventure of a lifetime.

To all the thousands of people who have made these movies, and to the countless creatives who were inspired by Star Wars, y'all have enriched our lives beyond measure.

But the deepest thanks goes to one man, from whose mind this magnificent story sprang.

Thank you, George Lucas.

Thank you for dreaming, for coming up with this universe, driving to get it created, and sharing it with the world. It has provided the connective tissue for millions of people to imagine, to come together, to create, and to share ourselves.

Your Force will be with us. Always.

Year of an Indie Writer: Week 50

The NaNoWriMo novel continues apace. My goal is to complete it this year and start 2020 fresh with new tales to tell.

Not sure about your Christmas/holiday time, but I enjoy reading specific Christmas stories in this time and listening almost exclusively to my Christmas CDs. Ever since 13 November--when I broke the seal on the newest album from Chicago, a Christmas one--that album has been spun numerous times. It's a wonderful collection of songs from a veteran music group using the vocabulary and trappings of Christmas to craft what is likely my favorite album of the year.

Spinning my own tunes has album kept me out of Whamageddon (so far.) Whamageddon, if you don't know, is a fun game where you are in the game as long as you don't hear "Last Christmas," the  really good Wham song.

Anyway, back to reading, I have a box of books that I break out every year. Most are Christmas-themed anthologies and I read a few stories each year. Granted, when one of those books is The Big Book of Christmas Stories, it'll take more than a few years to get through it.

Well, this year, there is something better.

Kristine Kathryn Rusch and WMG Publishing has done something wonderful this year. They have created what is essentially an Advent calendar with short stories. You know what Advent calendars are: Starting on 1 December, they are calendars where you get a prize each day leading up to Christmas Day.  Sometimes it's chocolate. Sometimes it is Legos.

Well, via a Patreon subscription, they are releasing a short story per day from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day. And it's been so fun! She curates all the stories, giving introductions via email where you get the link to the stories. If it's a particular day--like 6 December, St. Nicholas's Day--she selects a story about that day. Ditto for Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

I'm having a blast getting a new story each day. You can still sign up. Give yourself the gift of stories.

Year of an Indie Writer: Week 49

You know what you get when you write a book outside of November and NaNoWriMo? Nothing special. Just writing a book.

So, as of last Sunday, it is now December, but the novel I started on 1 November as part of National Novel Writing Month was not complete. I kept writing, as an author does. Because, you know, the novel's not finished.

I had expected to be finished by yesterday--my birthday!--but I'm still not done. Good thing, though. The story's taking on a life of its own, jetting into a direction I didn't anticipate.

But already, my mind's sifting through the possibilities. All during this writing process, I'm literally writing into the dark, experiencing the story as future readers will. But my mind keeps looking ahead, and in yesterday's session, it took a turn I never expected.

Which is what making writing stories this way so fun for the author.

Knives Out

As part of my birthday celebration, I saw the new Rian Johnson movie Knives Out yesterday. Our own Claire Boothe reviewed it last Sunday at DoSomeDamage. I intentionally stayed away from it (I've now read it) and everything before I saw the movie. Didn't want even a hint of a spoiler.

Boy, is that one delightful film. I knew going in there would be many a clue and we viewers would be able to sift through the evidence on our own to see if we could guess the ultimate solution. Well, I had a theory...that proved false. But I caught a few things, even tapping my wife's arm (more than once) and say this or that.

I really enjoyed it. The film was a nice 21st Century twist on the traditional murder mystery whodunit. Ain't gonna say more about it other than the cast was fantastic. Daniel Craig, however, was really, really good. Bravo to Rian Johnson who wrote and directed this film. He's now put his unique spin on time travel stories (Looper), Star Wars (The Last Jedi), and whodunits (Knives Out). I enjoy his take on stories, and he's now one of those writer/directors that I'll always watch, no matter the genre.

NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 30

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)

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.

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)

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)