Blog Archive

Sunday, July 31, 2011

My Seventh Win... Word Count =50,358

And there you have it, I have barfed out another 50K word shitty first draft of a novel!! I have 10 chapters and I think I need a few more to finish. This is definitely a different attitude then what I had earlier today. I was so annoyed at my novel and how slow it was moving that I thought I was just going to get to 50K words and then have it sit on a shelf like so many others. After chatting through the plot with my Mom and Sister, their interest and excitement was just the fuel that I needed to power through today. I wrote 7,113 words!!

This past month was a good writing challenge for me. It was really hard for me to write and after analyzing my daily word count data (thanks to my writing buddy M) it was pretty clear that almost all of my writing was done on the weekends. The cool thing is, it doesn't matter when you write it. The key is that you get it done. It always feels good to validate your word count and get the winning badge. It is even better when you can do it surrounded by some of your NanoWrimo Buddies. I am glad that I am liking this novel again. I like it enough to consider continuing to write it. To see it through to the end so that I can write the best words you ever hope to type. The End.

Happiness Is...

It is the simple things that bring me the most happiness. Nothing fancy or extravagant...surprising as that may be. I was reminded of this as I was puttering around the kitchen this morning getting the Keurig ready for my first cup of coffee. I remembered seeing a yellow box in the cupboard and then I looked in the fridge to see if there was any milk and there was. Instant Happy!!! There is nothing better than a bowl of the Cheerios...cold milk...make that no soggy Cheerios...perfection!! Happiness is a bowl of Cheerios...

Now to continue to work on my novel...I have to get to 50K words before midnight tonight. Acutally, I am hoping that it is well before then so that I can celebrate at Panera tonight or this afternoon (if I am feeling optimistic). For me, reaching the 50K mark was much, much harder in July than it is November. It will mean that much more to me finish!! This is the perfect way to start to a week off of work...a week off!! I am beyond giddy!! Especially sitting here at the kitchen table eating a bowl of Cheerios!!

Saturday, July 30, 2011

5K Already Today... Word Count = 43,245

Both Starbucks and Panera have been very good to me today...I have written 5K words so far. My reward? Outlet shopping!! I am so excited!! I have just 8K words left to go before I hit 50K...I know I can do it. I am sure I will write more later today, but right now...I gotta go shop!!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

A 10K word kind of day... Word Count = 37,707

And there it is...I wrote 10,018 words today!!! I'm still not on pace but considering that I started the weekend at 22K words...I'd say I'm officially at the point of less worry. I know that I can get to 50K words before this time next Sunday. It was fun today to focus on my novel for most of the day. To see if I could really do it. And I did!! :)

Orange Wall Magic... Word Count =35,364

My word count is still not where it should be, but I have written 8K words here at Panera today. The orange wall was definitely helping me with the words today. I had to get a picture of my sacred space. I got here around 10:30 am this morning and by 5:30pm I had gone from 27K to 35K. I can so do this...I can get to 50K by this time next week. No problem!! It really helps to have the encouragement of my NanoWrimo Buddies...nothing beats the sound of them cheering you on. Thanks to the amazing spreadsheet which is tracking all of our progress in one place so that we can keep tabs on each other...I am motivated to keep it up. I am looking forward to heading home for a bit of rest and relaxation...while I mull over in my head the fact that if I write just 2K more words today...that would bring my grand total for today to 10K words today. Hmmm...let me swim on that.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Not Caught Up... Word Count = 27,289

I was really thinking that I could get to 30K today, but I think that 27,289 is not horrible. That means that I work 5,163 words today. I am planning to spend most of the day tomorrow writing. The good thing about it being so hot is that I did not spend much time today swimming and lounging...I was inside...writing. I'm happy that I am getting back into my novel, it feels good. I am hopeful that I will get to 50K by the end of the month. I finally put together a playlist for my novel and that really helped me to get going. It took a few moments to get the rhythm back but once I did I was back to chiping away at my novel, 1K words at a time.

Kick Start... Word Count = 25,135

Work consumed me for the past week...from last Saturday through last evening...so my word count was stuck at 22K. No noveling for seven whole days...but I was spurred back into the 50K words in the month of July game because of two things. The first was a fun dinner with some camp friends which was just the heart filling energy kick I needed on Thursday Night. The second was this song. I am in love with it...and it is just what my novel needed.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Panera Magic... Word Count = 20,007

I'm on pace for 50,000 words by the end of the month!! Huzzah!! I had a good 3K words today at Panera with some of my fellow NanoWrimos. A good Tuesday afternoon/early evening of writing for me. Now...I'm going to pack it up and head home. Need to gear up for the rest of the work week...is it gear up or rest up? July is by far the busiest month for me and I know that I can tackle it while writing a shitty first draft of a novel too. Nothing can break my stride...

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Exhausted... Word Count = 17,000

My goal for the weekend was to hit 20K, but I did not write a word on Friday or Saturday. When I woke up this morning, I knew that hitting 20K would be tough but I am happy that I got to 17K. This means that I am now exactly where I should be to be on pace for hitting 50K by the end of the month. It also means that I wrote 6,634 words today. I'm happy with that too. Now...I must sleep...zzzzzzzzz

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Work Before Play... Word Count = 10,070

Today was perfect. Vera Bradley had their 2011 Fall Launch today. I bought lots of things in Plum Petals...my new favorite pattern and spent some good time with my Vera Girls. I had a fantastic day at work where I felt (as I usually do on a daily basis) so lucky to work with such a great team. I had a good writing session at Panera tonight with some NanoWrimo friends...I got 3K words in...which was fantastic.

As excited as I was to play with all my new Vera stuff, I told myself that I needed to get to 10K words before I could play with any of it. I left Panera with 9,060 words. I came home, brought in my shopping bags from the car and set them to the side. I needed to write before I could play!! I was tired. I was close to stopping. But then...as music always does...a good song came across the ol' iPod Touch...and that 1K words came rolling out. Some really fun stuff actually. Good stuff. I'm back in the CampNanoWrimo Game!!

Here is the song that got me going...in case you are curious.

Monday, July 4, 2011

The Noveldom has Begun... Word Count = 6,028

The journey has begun...Panera was very good to me today...I would not allow myself to leave until I reached 5,000 words. It took me a minute to get in the zone late this morning, but by noon I was getting the hang of it. I think it still seems strange to be doing this while wearing flip flops. I have never had a tan and NanoWrimo'ed before. I did of course order some tomato soup, because it is tradition. I think it really helped. A few word wars always do the trick too...I don't know that I couldn't have kept at it today without my fellow CampNanoWrimos.

I was able to get another 1,000 words out in the last 40 minutes with the sounds of distant fireworks in the background. I am pretty proud of the fact that I have did not have fireworks mentioned anywhere in those 1,000 words. I'm starting Chapter Two and thinking about all the things that Sunni Gilliam will be up too. I feel like things are starting to take shape. I still haven't figured out what car she is going to have, but I do know the pivotal moment in her youth where she figured out what she wanted to do when she grew up. Details, details, details...

And here I go.... Word Count = 0

I'm sitting in comfy, cozy Panera surrounded by several other CampNanoWrimos and I am ready to begin. Finally!! I am starting my next novel write now!!! Ha Ha...get it? I better write now...it is day four of July and I have no words. But...I know...by the end of the month...I will have 50,000. And off I go!!!

What better way to celebrate the fourth of July by writing...in honor of my favorite (and first) bill of right.

Friday, July 1, 2011

On your Mark... Word Count = 0

I'm sitting in Panera by the magical orange wall that brings forth words and words of noveldom, but I haven't written a thing. It is strange to be embarking upon a noveling journey when it is light outside at 8pm. I don't have a winter coat resting on a chair with my laptop bag. I'm in summer attire. I'm drinking cold beverages instead of hot. There is no bowl of tomato soup to stir the muse, just a frozen lemonade. It is summer!!! And I am CampNanoWrimo bound...almost...I think.

I have an idea. I have a title. My main character now has a name. But I haven't started yet. I'm not sure what the problem is. I have been playing the name game for the past hour. Scribbling doodles in my official novel notebook...names and names and scratched out names and more names still. I think I have settled on a few to get to me started. Are you curious? Well, this book is going to be about Sunni Gilliam. She is taking shape in my mind. I'm thinking about what she does for a living. Who her friends are. What she likes to do after work and on the weekends. What kind of car she drives. I already know what she wants and the obstacles in her way. Maybe I am thinking too much and should just do what I do in November...open a new document...look at the beautiful blank page...and then fill it without any worries.