Not sure how I managed to pull it off, to be honest, but I validated yesterday at 50,549 words. This means I came back from being more than 12,000 words behind. Again, not sure how. This is by no means the most I've had to catch up - my first year I ended up writing nearly the entire 50,000 words during the last three days of the month.
However, my life was a lot different back then. I didn't have a job, and I had classes but they were all online so I could easily fit writing in wherever and stay up half the night every night doing word wars if I chose. Not that I did obviously, but I actually had the ability to blow everything off for a few days and do nothing but write.
Every year that I participate it's gotten progressively harder to finish. It seems that every year I have more going on, whether that's harder classes or being busier at my job or more real life issues coming up. I'm honestly not sure how much longer I'll be able to do this - this may have been my last year attempting, or at least I might take a break over the next year or two.
Since I did manage to win, I decided to treat myself to a present for making it through the month and winning for year number four. I don't know that I really have the money to be spending on fun things for myself right now, with all of the things I have to buy for Christmas, and major purchases that I'll have to be making in the near future (first up, new computer). But I got a really good deal on it, and it's just so pretty.
See, told you! I can't wait until it gets here. Love love LOVE Calvin and Hobbes.
Will post again soon - I still would like to write about a couple of the trips I've taken out to visit Christian, as well as a few other things. I also need to get another couple of goal updates in for the year, and we'll see what else I have time for!
Seriously contemplating giving up at this point. I hit the minimum today and a bit over, but I'm tired, sick, and stressed. I just can't make myself give a shit about Nano or anything else right now.
So sick of everything going wrong at the same time, and I have no idea what I can even do to fix any of it! Gah.
No word counts tonight - my program crashed earlier (yay for auto-backups every 15 seconds) and I never did get around to reopening it.
I'll probably decide in the next day or two if I'm even going to continue writing at all, much less go for the 50k this month. I'll probably post either way...
I wanted to do the daily updates for Nano again this year, like I did for last year. I've fallen a bit behind though...kind of like I have with the actual novel writing bit. It didn't start off well to begin with. November came up on me all of a sudden, and I had no plot. Hell, I didn't have the beginnings of a plot, any ideas, or even a clue what genre I'd be writing.
So the vast part of day one, when I was supposed to be writing all day and trying to get ahead, was spent in frustration trying to come up with my plot. It wasn't until about 8pm that I had it (big thank you to Corey). I managed to write a bit over the minimum requirement that day, but that was it.
Day two went alright as well. I believe I hit the minimum that day, or at least I was fairly close. You can't fall too far behind only two days in. But after that...I had the trip out to Christian's for four days. Tuesday and Wednesday (days three & four) were so busy between packing and errands that needed done that I maybe wrote a few hundred words in those two days combined. Thursday I worked, and then went straight to Christian's for the entire weekend, and just got back tonight.
I did manage to get a couple thousand words one of the mornings I was up before everyone else, so it wasn't a total waste. But at this point I'm quite far behind, and I need to get in the habit of at least writing my minimum 1,667 words a day during the week, and more if possible. If I do that, I can worry about playing catch up when I have more time on the weekends.
I think that I can still do this. It's only the eighth day. I'm about 8,000 words behind, which isn't too bad. It's not unusual for me to knock out 3,000 words or more in a day when I really spend the time on writing and get on a roll with it. I'm very frustrated that I've let myself get this far behind, but I'm trying to remain optimistic because it's quite possible to catch up fairly quickly. I'll try and post updates on my progress, and any suggestions or words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated!
Needed word word count: 13,336
Current word count: 5,182
Needed to catch up: 8,154
Words left to 50k: 44,818
Happy Thanksgiving!
Also, I just hit 45,000 words. WOOOOOOOOOO!
I really have little to no motivation to write at all right now. However, it would be a tragedy to get this far only to quit at the end. So I'll keep plugging away...I'm past today's required word count and it's only 3pm, so hopefully I can get ahead this evening. I'd love to finish by about tomorrow but we'll see how that goes.
On another note, my grandmother wants me to run errands for her tomorrow. Why? I told her she should do her own errands as I was not going out on Black Friday, but I'm sure she'll manage to guilt me into it somehow. *shakes fist*
Gah, still need to study a bit for my exam tomorrow before I go to sleep, so this is going to be a short entry. I'm not sure if I'll get to write tomorrow though I'm going to try and get about a thousand words in. Of course, I have to stop at Barnes and Noble after class to pick up a new book, so who knows if my novel will even end up opened tomorrow. Oh well, at least I'm ahead! And I have Thursday and Friday off work...
Needed word count: 40,008
Current word count: 42,271
Words left to 50k: 7,729
So I didn't bother blogging all weekend again. Not surprising really, I write at such odd times that regular posts are difficult. At any rate, I passed the 40k, though I didn't get much more than that. Still, I'm nearly done, and I'm more than a day ahead.
I have a big exam on Tuesday so I don't know how much I'm going to be able to write, but I'm going to try and get in as much as I possibly can. It would be nice to get the last 10k finished sometime during this week, and then I don't have to worry about it over the weekend. Considering I have Thursday and Friday off due to the holiday, it's entirely possible.
I can't believe Nano is so close to being over. Here's hoping that I actually continue with this novel once I've hit the 50k and am not obligated to write daily!
Needed word count: 38,341
Current word count: 40,515
Words left to 50k: 9,485
I'd just decided I was taking the night off, but then Angela messaged me and wanted to do an hour-long writing session. I haven't warred in a while and tend to not be so sluggish when I do, so I figured I might as well. I wasn't going to push myself much though as I was having conversations and tea shopping.
Yet I somehow managed to hit nearly 1400 words. Some of them may even be coherent. I'm now over 35k, and I think I'm going to make my goal for the end of the weekend 43k. Ideally I'd hit 45k but I don't think that's realistic at all with everything I have planned.
And now it's time for bed. Only one more day left of work before it's the weekend, and then a short week next week!
Needed word count: 33,340
Current word count: 35,654
Words left to 50k: 14,346
Was too tired to worry about blogging last night. I did type some. I think it was around 900 words. Still not too shabby. Tonight went well for the word count.
I'm starting to get sick of Nano though. Don't get me wrong, I still love my plot. I love my characters, and I'm having a lot of fun. And I really want to continue with this and eventually finish the book. But I'm tired of having to type nearly 2000 words a day. This in addition to 10 hours spent at work or driving, school, and all of the other things I have to do.
Of course, I'm starting to get into the home stretch with the 50k, so that probably explains a bit of it. But mostly it's work. I'm on the computer all day, entering orders, making spreadsheets, emailing vendors back and forth. Then I come home and have to type another 2000 words. No wonder I haven't been wanting to start until 10pm. :p
My goal is to have 40k by the end of the weekend, and preferably 45k. My weekend is looking like it's going to be insanely busy, but we'll see.
Needed word count: 31,673
Current word count: 34,258
Words left to 50k: 15,742
Again, not writing much. It's nearly time for bed and I'm exhausted and cranky. I only even wrote tonight because I didn't want to be obligated to write tomorrow if I don't feel like it. I have work, then class, and it's supposed to be really bad weather. So I somehow doubt I'll be coming home wanting to pop on the computer and work.
Tonight went alright though, I think I got over 2k again. Under 20k to finish for the year. Hopefully I'm not so burnt out when I'm done that I drop the story instead of finishing it...
Needed word count: 28,339
Current word count: 31,124
Words left to 50k: 18,876
Don't have a ton of time for this entry, because I have a few things I want to get done before I need to go to bed. I didn't hit the 30k but I've passed 29, so I decided that was good. I think I typed about 2.5k today.
I'm hoping to have time for another entry tomorrow, besides the daily Nano one. Have some random things floating around in my head that I want to get on here. We'll see though...damn my busy schedule!
Needed word count: 26,672
Current word count: 29,045
Words left to 50k: 20,955
Today I was entirely too busy. I got a little writing done in the morning, but I was out the door by 11, so it wasn't much. I went to Barnes & Noble and picked up a present for someone, then went to Danielle's black belt ceremony in the afternoon.
I didn't get home until after 7pm, and Danielle came over around 9 to watch Casino Royale so we could go see Quantum of Solace tomorrow. I've written bits here and there throughout the day, and I'm continuing to do the same now as I try and figure out everyone's Christmas gifts.
I'll post an actual word count tomorrow evening, as I'm not done yet for tonight and I know I won't remember to update this post before bed. I'm aiming for at least 30k, which shouldn't be an issue even with my busy day tomorrow.
Now if I would just remember to do my laundry....and I might even post something not Nano related soon too.
YAY I'M OVER HALFWAY!
That about sums it up for tonight. I did two more of the hour-long sprints with Angela and Jamie, and got quite a bit done. I'm still getting along well with the scenes too, no more writer's block issues. Hopefully it stays that way.
On a non-noveling note, work is insane but going well. Cori actually yelled at me yesterday and told me to mess something up, because it was creeping her out that I hadn't made any mistakes yet. My test in class went wonderfully, I got a 97. Now I just have to do well on the last two. Hmm, what else. I haven't really been up to anything but work and writing.
Danielle gets her black belt tomorrow, so I'm going to see that. Then Sunday is Quantum of Solace. Here's hoping I actually have time for laundry and writing this weekend!
Needed word count: 23,338
Current word count: 26,036
Words left to 50k: 23,964
Again, I didn't really write before 10pm tonight. At about 9:50, Angela messaged me, and I was happy because I haven't warred in a few days and thought maybe it would help. She said, "Hey do you have an hour to write?" to which I replied of course I did, as that's what I was planning to do for the next hour anyway. She suggested we write for 10 minutes, break for 5. Then repeat that twice more, and then have a 15 minute war to end the hour. She said she'd done that the past couple of days and always hit over 1000 words. I agreed, happy to have any form of motivation to write.
In the first three wars (the 10 minute ones) I wrote over 1200 words. Total for the hour? 1826. More than the daily count. Instant mood lift. Not to mention, I started writing a scene and it was just flying. I glanced over it at the end of the war too, and it actually seems *gasp* good! I don't want to stop writing either, but I'm about to collapse from exhaustion so I suppose I should do the sleep thing.
Does this mean I've gotten over my writer's block? For now at least. ^_^
Needed word count: 21,671
Current word count: 23,210
Words left to 50k: 26,790
The second week of Nano nearly always sucks. The initial fun wears off, and you start to realize how awful your writing is. The third week is a bit better because you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and the fourth week is nearly as fun as the first because you're rushing to the finish. But the second week...I hate it so.
Did okay tonight, though I couldn't force myself to start writing until almost 10pm. Still banged out about 1800 words. That's all I really have to say about that. I need to find some word wars soon, or something. I think tomorrow I may try and get some extra writing in, if I can motivate myself. If I write the first 15 minutes of every hour that I'm home after work, until it's time for bed, I can probably get about 2500-3000 words.
We'll see how it goes tomorrow, but for now I'm beat. This week has been rough. I honestly thought it was Thursday but no. Only two more days and then I can have a break.
Needed word count: 20,004
Current word count: 21,314
Words left to 50k: 28,686
Tuesdays are such a busy day for me, you'd think I wouldn't have any time to write. That said, I did really well tonight, so well in fact that I just realized it was after 11 and I really need to sleep. Otherwise I might be able to go for another hour.
Doing a bit better on the plot though a lot of it is still just summarizing what I want to happen and leaving the specifics out. I'll get to this later, but in the meantime at least I'm progressing.
I had the thought tonight that I might cut out a lot of Kieran's past so that I have more space for the rest of the story...which pretty much means that about three days of work would be useless and subsequently deleted. I won't make any decisions on it until after I'm entirely done with the first draft though.
I wrote more than the daily amount tonight, which is great. I'm more than 1k ahead again. Hopefully I keep this up the rest of the week.
Needed word count: 18,337
Current word count: 19,525
Words left to 50k: 30,475
Didn't update for a couple of days, but I wasn't doing well on the word count and was spending time trying to write instead of blogging.
I'm still a bit stuck with my novel. I'm simultaneously writing two different things, and I'm not sure exactly where to go with either of them. I've been plugging away though, and while it's not been easy I've been forcing myself to write something to get through it. As long as I get the basics down I can flesh it out and fix it up later on. A lot of it is research that needs to be done, though I'm also having trouble with some of the plot specifics.
I'm glad I was ahead, as I've managed to not fall behind yet. I had a pretty productive night tonight as well, so I'm even back to being a bit ahead again. I'm going to try and write around 2k a day for the rest of the week. That's the daily word count plus 300-400 words. It's not much extra, but that 300 words a day will add up quickly and give me a nice buffer for the next time I get stuck. Or ideally it will help me finish the 50k early.
For now I'm a little over 600 words ahead, and I'm happy I've brought myself back to that.
Needed word count: 16,667
Current word count: 17,289
Words left to 50k: 32,711
...was technically yesterday. I'm not posting a word count yet, because I did some writing last night after I got home and I don't know where I was at the end of the day. I'll just update tonight.
I have a dilemma though. How the hell long should chapters be? I can't gauge how many pages something will be by looking at a computer screen. I'm kind of making new chapters where I feel like it, and they're all over the place with length. And I never know whether I should make a new chapter or just hit enter a few times and make a different scene within the same chapter.
I suppose it's silly to even think about it at this point, but the less I have to be redoing stuff down the road, the better. I also know no one who reads this is likely to have a clue, but I was starting to write for the day and it was bugging me.
And now I'm off to write. Word count wise I'm still ahead of where I need to be for the next day or so, but I'm trying to get ahead. Still aiming for 25k but not sure that will happen. I have a purse party later, Madagascar 2, a haircut, and the Steeler game tomorrow. But we'll see how it goes! 20k at the very least should be feasible.
I hit around 2k for the day before 9pm. I really did intend to get a little bit extra done, but then got distracted. Oh well. It was nice to finish up early and take a couple of hours to myself. It gave me time to read some Janet Evanovich before Jade passes me in that series!
This whole Kieran talking about his past chapter is turning out to be a lot more in depth than I originally planned. He's not even a vampire yet and this chapter is 3200 words so far. He actually only just had his first contact with a vampire, though he won't know it for a while. *Sigh* I'm really not sure how to handle it now. I might have him go up to when he becomes a vampire, then something happens and he doesn't get to finish the story until later? Or maybe when I go and edit the novel I'll take the entire sequence out. At the moment though the backstory seems important. We'll see how it turns out in the end.
I am also discovering that I need to do quite a bit of research. This novel is based in our world, after all. It doesn't have to be completely accurate but I want the general details to fit the time period I'm in. I doubt I'll get into it this month though. For now I've just been vague with details and added little notes to look up clothing styles and architecture and such. Shit...that means when I go add all of that in, this chapter will be even longer.
Does anyone know what a normal sized book would be, number of words wise? I know 50k is way too short but I want to say a normal book is 70-80k. It just seems I have over 14k words and haven't gotten to a LOT of my story yet!
Enough babble for tonight. Tomorrow is Friday, thank goodness. I can't take any more of this week. Hopefully I'll get a large chunk done this weekend. Still aiming for 25k by Sunday night, though I won't push it too much.
Needed word count: 10,001
Current word count: 14,010
Words left to 50k: 35,990
I had a hell of a long day again today. Work is insane, and I was exhausted when I got home. Then of course I had to fiddle with setting up my new printer, which arrived already today! By the time I got to it, writing wasn't going so well, but then I went through about a 1200 word push in the last hour or so while chatting to Christian.
I'd really like to hit 25k by the end of Sunday night, but we'll see how that goes. I might get stuck on the story. Actually I already kind of got stuck, I wasn't in the mood to write the big fight scene that's about to start. Instead I skipped ahead to where Kieran tells the others about his past. I also discovered he had six brothers and two sisters. Damn him. At least I only have to name two of them. (Thanks Chris! <3)
As always, name suggestions are welcome. Poor Vampire2 is starting to get sad that he has no name. And before I go on and on about my characters as though they were real people and scare you all, I'm heading to bed! See you all tomorrow.
Needed word count: 8,335
Current word count: 12,011
Words left to 50k: 37,989
Wow, it's only day 4? I have a long way to go.
Today I didn't plan to write at all, as I was running around constantly from the time I got up, shortly after 5am. I bought a printer, went and voted, worked all day, then crammed for my test. Then I had the test, came home and had to eat, shower, etc. I think I did okay on the test, I know I did better than the first one.
Got home fairly early and Angela messaged me for wars so I decided to try it. I'm pretty out of it so it was really rough going. Still managed to get over 1k, somehow.
That's it for tonight, I need to go to bed. Any name suggestions are still welcome. Not just for Vampire2, I'll still have a number of minor characters who will need named within the next week. No worries about the writing software though. I've started using yWriter and I'm loving it.
Needed word count: 6,668
Current word count: 10,103
Words left to 50k: 39,997
On an unrelated note, CONGRATULATIONS to Danielle, who found out today she passed her test and is now a black belt!!! ^_^
Not sure how I managed to pull it off, to be honest, but I validated yesterday at 50,549 words. This means I came back from being more than 12,000 words behind. Again, not sure how. This is by no means the most I've had to catch up - my first year I ended up writing nearly the entire 50,000 words during the last three days of the month.
