estepheia | Entries tagged with nanowrimo

Phew, what a busy month. My nano word count is at 33.850 - which is pretty good, considering the fact that work ate up a lot of time and often left me exhausted. Plus there were several other events that conspired to keep me from writing. Still, I'm pleased. I have the bare bones of a children's book. Yay!
I hope you guys fared better.
I hope to finish my Broken English this December.
However, first I have to get my house shipshape, because my houshold has been sadly neglected. Memo to myself: next November a) take a week off, and b) hire a cleaning lady.

Unfortunately, I won't have time to write advent drabbles. :(
I like working, I honestly do, plus I always do a mental snoopy dance when my wages arrive, but seriously? It doesn't help with the creativity. I sometimes miss the days when the kids were small and I was at home a lot....

Current Mood: exhausted

Word count: 6,700 words.
I'm dead tired. I'm writing scenes that I like, but I don't feel I'm moving the plot forward. It would help if I knew what my bad guys are up to, but unfortunately the dark half is still a bit vague. That's what happens if you barge in without a proper concept. ^^ On the other hand, I am writing. Yay!

Good luck to all other Nanos out there!

The weekend was good. I wrote 3000 words; re-watched The 13th Warrior and The Vikings (research); watched the latest Veronica Mars and House (fun); had a visit from a friend who's also a writer and who always gives me pep talks. Hubby and the kids were away on a weekend chess tournament. Both girls came home with a cup for best girl in their age group. Whoohoo. I love it when they come home happy and triumphant.
This morning I wrote 600 words in a white heat, but then RL cropped up again. Le sigh. In the afternoon I went to see HP4. I guess it's unspoilery if I say that I enjoyed it a lot. (Maybe I'll write a more detailed post tomorrow.) While checking up on some of the actors on IMDB I discovered that the new Doktor Who is in HP4. What a surprise - to me anyway. Which led me to search the net for info on doctor #10. The bad news is: Captain Jack won't be in S2 apparently, the good news is he will be in S3. I also downloaded a very short special that must have aired a few days ago. If you are fans of the Doktor and haven't seen it, go grab it. I hope Captain Jack's spin-off show takes off soonish. :-)
Anyway, I managed to write another 300 words tonight, so my nano light is still going strong. In fact, the characters' backstories are becoming clearer and clearer. Meaning I'm not too unhappy with what I'm churning out. Yay! Current word count: 22.960.

Current Mood: bouncy

21,187 / 50,000
(42.4%)

I wrote almost 2000 words yesterday. This morning I finally decided on an important backstory detail and went back to fix things - which didn't help my word count, but which makes me feel better about the beginning. I have now introduced more personal stakes into the opening scene. I give away some background on the POV hero, but not too much.

Yesterday it finally happened: I ran out of nanowrimo steam.
I wasn't happy with the way I taught my course yesterday; somehow things turned out a lot less stringent than planned (Actually, I think I overplanned). I had forgotten to take my cough meds and I hadn't slept enough and it was migraine weather. All in all I had a low energy day. After lunch I slept for a few hours which made me feel marginally better, then I tried to write, without success. In the end hubby told me to get out and do something else - so I went boardgaming. I played so-so. At least my temper improved. After midnight I gave writing another try but I couldn't concentrate and ended up rereading and changing things and now it feels like my nanowrimo novel is coming apart. It sucks. The characters are not clearly defined, I take too long to get to the action stuff. I feel I should strew in a few explosions and deaths - not a good feeling if you're writing in a semi-medieval setting. The thing is, I have been way too nice to my characters. They need more obstacles. But I tend to write scenes as connected, so if I go back and make the consequences of one action more dire, everything that comes after collapses and needs rewriting too. Baaah.
In the end I only managed a measly 500 words. I broke my at-least-1000-words-a-day rule. And if I break a rule once things always go downhill. *flails* 18.280 words is not enough. *bangs head on desk.

17,770 / 50,000
(35.5%)

I am still writing my 1000 words per day. Looks like that's a rate at which I can actually write - even though I'm not happy with the quality of my output. Currently I'm drawing things out instead of pushing ahead and getting on with the main plot. Still, I'm writing, the house looks tidy, and tomorrow's course is probably over-prepped. I even managed to watch Supernatural with hubby tonight. Poor Mr. E is beginning to feel neglected. Oh well, nanowrimo is half over. I will never make the 50.000 in time, that much is certain, but I do hope to get a lot done this weekend, when hubby takes the kids to a chess tournament. Whoohoo. A whole weekend all by myself! I am practically exstatic at the prospect.

Current Mood: knackered

Okay, I admit it, I didn't write as much today as I could have. Like yesterday when I descended into a sudden house cleaning frenzy, I continued tidying up and making the house pretty. I want to create more space to set up our Christmas decorations. And then I went to IKEA with my friend S. and bought wicker boxes, a candlestick, candles, a white blanket, and a few more odds and ends. I had been given 55 EUR in IKEA vouches for my birthday back in August and today was finally the day to spend them. Very therapeutic! Afterwards, Mr. E and S. and I watched Veronica Mars 2x06 - an epi that had all three of us whoop with delight more than once.
Of course my word count has suffered over the past few days.
Yesterday I wrote about 1000 words, today I'm at about 500 words, but I'm gearing up to write some more tonight.

And here's a pic of my rogueish hero Rhain that I couldn't resist making. ~~Tomorrow I'll make one of Duncan (yeah, I changed the name. Again.)~~ And here's one of Duncan:

Leaves softly falling? My ass! Why the hell can't people rake their leaves by hand, why do they have to use motorized leaves blowing machines for four fucking hours??? I am trying to write here, you jerk! Someone hand me a bazooka!
The good news: I got over 1000 words done today.
The Vikings are currently taking bets, when poor Rhain is gonna hurl. Rhain is not a born sailor, nope.
Rhain is also much more fun than my stolid main POV hero character. But then tricksters and cool!heroes need to be observed from the outside. Unless we're talking hard boiled cynical detectives.
Right, time to bring in the bad weather. *snickers evilly*

Current Music: Ken Theriot - Agincourt

Thursday's Word count for nano: 11.681
Yesterday's word count for nano: 12.259
Current word count: ~~12.680~~ ~~12.899~~ 13.484

Meaning I've run smack into a road block. I can't even do my "doable" 1000 words a day.
*sob*
Why? I started to rewrite, instead of ploughing ahead. I have the crushing doubt phase where every sentence I write sucks. And where I feel like I'm drawing out every scene ad nauseam, where the writing feels dead and leaden. I feel I ought to tell not show, to use transitions instead of detail, but then a tiny voice inside my head goes: 'but what about characterisation?'.
The situation? Hero B is soaking wet. He's also aboard a Viking ship - for the first time in his life. And he suddenly realizes that 50 men will be watching when he changes into dry clothes. And that there are no toilets aboard ship either. Part of me feels like I should push forward fast and relentlessly towards the big storm that will happen next, the other half feels there should be enough time for the characters to get used to life aboard a ship. *sigh*
Oh, and I'm still not happy about the name of my 'good' hero. Stolid, Scottish, physically strong, mustn't start with an 'R'... Any suggestions?
Okay, now that I've therapeutically unburdened the problem, maybe I can carry on writing.

Current Mood: frustrated

Happy birthday,

shatten!!! Hope you're at least taking today off and having a blast.

Current word count: 8766. Which means that I've written 1400 words today. Not bad. And the day isn't even over yet. Too bad I have to go to a school board meeting now as a parents' representative. I was on a roll. Later I'll probably be way too pooped. Already my eyes have an unwelcome tendency to cross. ;-)

8,838 / 50,000
(17.7%)

Current Mood: accomplished

7,335 / 50,000
(14.7%)

Obviously I can't lead a normal life AND write nanowrimo. 1700 a day is more than I can do on a regular basis. But something like 1000 words a day, that seems doable...
Tomorrow morning I have to prepare my next class. After that I'll have to put my two unwilling heroes on a ship and into a big nasty storm. Whoohoo.

Current Mood: blank

Tina and her team partner made second place in a small local chess tournament. They won book vouchers and chess computer games. Even Toyah who made last place (she was by far the youngest) won a book and a voucher. Katharina was interviewed by the moderator and by a journalist from the local radio station. I practically combusted with pride when she analysed the games she'd played and the mistakes her opponent had made and even joked with the interviewer. She was truly awesome.

I bought a few nice items for the kids, like a black top, cheap jewellry, and a few cheap books. I also bought a not so cheap children's book on Vikings (for my nanowrimo novel), and a handful of really cheap DVDs. I've never seen Donnie Brasco but I heard it's good. And I know Bound is fantastic.

Came home, played a game with the kids, put them to bed, and tried to write. Managed about 500 words, that's all, which brings me up to just over6.000. Bah. I haven't had enough sleep lately, and I can't write when I'm tired like this. I knew it would be hard to do nanowrimo this month. Too many commitments that get in the way. I did a little every day, and I had a few brief moments of white heat writing. That's good. I'm not giving up yet. I'll just do the best I can.

Tomorrow I'll go hunting for a nice Legolas pic on the net. Katharina has developed a huge crush on him, it's quite adorable. I think she wants to marry Orlando Bloom. She said she doesn't mind the age difference. Bwaahaaa. Viktoria likes Aragorn better. But doesn't talk of marriage, thank god. *g*

Current Mood: exhausted

Oooh!

trepkos sent me a handful of music CDs. Whoohooo. Thank you so much dear! I only had time to listen to the first as I was out for the second half of the day, but I really enjoyed the compilation!!! *hug*

5,500 / 50,000
(11.0%)

Would you believe that I actually miscalculated the words I have to write every day? I thought I have to write 1400 per day, but it's actually 1700. Which means I'm woefully behind. But I made progress. I read sections out to hubby and he laughed out loud. My two heroes so don't like each other. Heeheee. They are students in a medieval fantasy setting, and their teacher is planning on sending them on a long trip together. They find the prospect horrifying.
The real problem I'm currently facing is a structural one. I open with a long conversation about a murder that took place twenty years before the story is set. I feel like I should dig deeply into the special effects budget and dazzle the reader with action, but if I look at my favorite mystery novel I realize that the first real life-threatening action scene appears in chapter 3, so maybe I don't have to light the fireworks fuse just yet...
Right, if I don't get any sleep now, I'll come to regret it. Nite nite.

Current Mood: tired

Thank you, guys, for answering my poll. Okay, sly!hero's name is now definitely Rhain MacAelfin. Of course I don't want two heroes whose names start with 'R', so much favored Rodric is now a definite no-no. Joran, Cedric, and Logan are runners-up. Can't make up my mind. Am using 'Logan' as a placeholder for now. Let's see how it looks tomorrow.

2,153 / 50,000
(4.3%)

I have a few gaps in my text and sections where I know I'll have to rewrite, but so far I am turning a blind eye. Speed is what counts.
I hope I'll have time to write tomorrow. I have to prepare Thursday's class...
Oh, and since I don't like the official nanowrimo icon thingie, does anyone have a nice motivational icon for me? Like Jensen Ackles in a Highlander kit? Or two tiny Highlanders traipsing through a mountainous Skandinavian landscape? No? Never mind. :-)

Current Mood: accomplished

I decided, on the spur of the moment, to sign up for NaNoWriMo. I'll see how far I get, but anything that gets me to write fast is a good thing as long as it lasts. I will write in German, that should improve my speed tremendously.
It's a heroic fantasy set in a pseudo-medieval semi-Scottish/Anglo-Saxon culture, with a strong mystery element and an even stronger buddy storyline. The plot has been in my head for ages, it's just a matter of getting it out on paper. I still have to name my characters, though. Maybe you can help me?

ETA: Ack, I forgot to add the name Derek to the list of names for hero #1. So, you can vote for that too. Just check "Other".

[Poll #602620]

If you think one of the names is really dreadful and totally unsuitable, please tell me in the comments.