Monthly Archives: November 2010

I just got my novel verified over at NaNoWriMo, and I’m a winner again this year with 115,865 words written this month. My novel, which has gained the tentative title Remnants thanks to a friend, is not quite finished yet. And of course, once that final word is written, I will have to  begin the editing process with my own first read-through. I feel good about what I’ve written this year. The story has been brewing in my head for a long time now, and I’m glad to finally have it down in words.

I’d like to thank everyone for their support this month while I secreted myself away from the internet to write. I got the majority of the last 20k words or so done during the last holiday weekend, among doing an absolute ton of housework and repairs.  To those of you who donated to the Write-a-Thon fundraiser, thanks a bunch! It really helped to motivate me – I couldn’t not succeed if people were putting their dollars toward supporting me! To those who haven’t, there’s still one more day left to donate by visiting my fundraising page.

The 100k double-wordcount challenge didn’t prove to be as difficult as I expected. Since I had gotten into the habit over the last year of writing at least 1000 words a day, it wasn’t that big a deal to increase my usual writing goal to 3000, though I did have to give up blog reading, video game playing, blog writing, and a handful of other things to fit it all in.  I’ll be dropping back down to my relatively easy 1000 word daily goal again now.  One does need some leisure time, after all!

I also wanted to thank my friend the Librarian over at Labyrinthine Library for the awesome cover he made for my book.  He’s a great graphic designer who shares my love of musty, smelly old books. Having the cover on my Nano Calendar was an awesome motivator. He  got ambitious and decided that my story needs to be the beginning of a series!

Well, we’ll see how it looks after editing. There is definitely more to tell in this world I’ve created, but before I start thinking about sequels, I need to finish the first one.

Related articles

• Thank you doesn’t even begin to cover it… (nanowrimo.org)
• 2010 NaNoWriMo WIN!! (clairegillian.wordpress.com)
• NaNoWriMo, writing to the finish (polleydan.wordpress.com)

Comic by Debbie Ohi at Will Write for Chocolate

As most folks know by now, I’m taking a month-long break from the internet-at-large to participate in National Novel Writing Month.

This will be the fifth year that I’ve participated, and I have won with relative ease for three of the previous four years that I participated. This year, since 50,000 words had proved not to be a challenge (provided the Idea holds out),

I am attempting Double NaNo.

100,000 words in one month.

Yes, I am aware that this is slightly insane. Did you know that there are people out there attempting 150k words and more? It almost makes me feel like an underachiever.

Now, for me, NaNoWriMo isn’t so much about writing a good novel that I’ll be looking to publish – let’s face it, a novel that is basically speed-written is going to be very rough, at best, when completed. It’s more about establishing and re-enforcing good writing discipline.

So far, it’s going pretty well.  To make 100k words by the end of the month I have to write 3334 words a day. I’ve rounded that up to 3500 so I have a bit of a cushion, and so far I’ve made it well ahead of that 3500 word goal every day except yesterday, when I just did barely make it to the goal and not much farther above it.  Even so, I’m well ahead of where I need to be.

My strategy, so far, has been to allow myself fifteen minutes, three times a day to check into the internet: Morning, Lunchtime, and Afternoon.  Otherwise, I am not allowed to browse the internet, twitter, read news or fanfiction, play video games, etc.  If, and only if, I have made my word goal by the evening, I am then allowed to do whatever I please.

The first test for me is usually the first weekend. If I get behind the first weekend, then I’ll find myself playing catch-up forever more. I’m hoping that I’ve put enough of a buffer in there that I can easily stay on target.

For those looking to add me as a buddy on the NaNo website, I’m on there as intellectualblather.  I am looking for sponsors for the Office of Letters and Light donation drive, as well.  Please visit my fundraising page and consider leaving a donation, no matter how small. The Office of Letters and Light are the sponsors of NaNoWriMo and hundreds of youth writing programs all over the country.  It’s a good cause that I wish that I could give more to myself. As it is, I can go to others with hands open and ask them to support an excellent charity. Hey, if nothing else, it’s tax deductible!

Related articles

• First Day of NaNoWriMo (blogging2learn.wordpress.com)
• Calling All Writers to NaNoWriMo (psychologytoday.com)
• Simplifying NaNoWriMo (and Other Writing) (simpleproductivityblog.com)