Et Tu, Nano?

Well, it's November 30th and I went through my word count for the month and came up with a whopping 13,000 words. And that's including what I've hand written

At first blush, I'm disappointed. I knew I wasn't going to make my 50,000 word goal, but I thought I would at least break 20,000. Nope. Didn't even break 15,000.

I stopped and read through what I had written. It's pretty good stuff, if I do say so myself. I've learned through this that I can write without an outline and I can get a lot done in a short amount of time. Not only that, but what I write, when I go from the gut, can be quite good.

I also realized that this month was heavy with things that took my focus away from writing. I didn't handle that as I had hoped I could handle it, but I think I've learned that sometimes life is going to get in the way. And it's okay. The key is to pick up the pieces quickly after and to keep moving foward.

I've also learned that it's easy to get out of a habit, but that once I'm in a daily writing habit, I don't spend as much time trying to find the story again when I finally do sit down to write. I know, it's a "Duh" moment, but sometimes it takes me a little while to get the hang of things. And even though I've learned this lesson, that doesn't mean I'm going to live it. I'm rather, um, bad that way, lol.

I guess, all in all NANO was a good experience. I didn't reach my goal. But I learned things I don't think I would have learned if I had been successful with my goal. Isn't that what life is about? How you live the journey, not necessarily where you end up? No? Well, it sounds good anyway.

And So It Goes...

I had all these plans of writing this weekend. I carved out time. I made sure the house was clean (well, relatively clean). I even had a few crock pot meals going so I didn't have to spend much time cooking dinner.

Then I remembered I had an all day engagement on Saturday. I was presenting a training at church for the children's ministry volunteers. Okay, so I needed to spend some time prepping for that and would be training all day. There were two videos in the training. I could write during those and over lunch. No problem.

Except I hadn't copied enough handouts for the morning session so had to use my "writing" time to make and organize copies. I still had lunch, right? Um, not really. Just as I had pulled out my AlphaSmart, my phone rang. So-and-So couldn't make it to the afternoon session, would I hold another session? Yes, I would be holding future sessions, but not until after Christmas. Let me take your name and put you on my list of people to connect with in the new year.

My tummy started growling so I left, picked up some hideous fast food and came back. I still had 30 minutes. I could get a couple of pages written in 30 minutes. Except someone stopped in and wanted to know how the training was going and was I going to hold future sessions. Being the nice and accommodating person that I am, I chatted for a bit, let my hideous fast food become vile by getting cold and took something for the headache that was brewing behind my eyes.

The next time I checked the clock, it was time to get the space ready for my afternoon session. There went my writing time. By the time I went home, I was exhausted. Don't get me wrong, I love training! And coaching. And having intellectual dialogues in general. But I have this goal to finish a rough draft of my current book by the end of November and something always seems to get in the way of that goal. Good things, but they get in the way nonetheless.

I just did my word count and I'm at 6500 words. Okay, that's more than I was at this time last week, but I'm still in the first third of the story.

I know, I know. Quit whining, Naomi! If this goal means so much to me, I need to find a way to make it happen. I know that life is not going to stand still while I work on my Great American Novel, so maybe I need to adjust my goal. Maybe my goal is not to have the book finished but to spend 30 minutes a day working on moving this draft forward. Can I do 30 minutes a day? Most days, yes. I write this and I feel some of the tension releasing inside me. Goals sometimes have to change. Or timelines adjust. And that's okay. It doesn't mean I have to give up on the goal or dream. Which is what I usually do.

So that's my learning moment for the day. Nano, you have not beaten me!

NaNo - Week 2

NaNo writers all over the world have started week two of the challenge. According to the website, if you are on track, one should have 14,000 to 17,500 words written by now. The theory is ramping up when the energy is high to make up for potential loss of momentum as the month progresses.

Here is my current word count - 5500.

Yup, you read it. I'm way below the halfway point if I had been following the advice of the NaNo gods.

Am I worried. No, not really. My word count is not my primary concern this month. My goal was/is to write every day. And to not go back and edit. The ultimate goal is to have a skeleton draft finished that I can then finesse into a solid and compelling novel.

Still, seeing those numbers gives me a little angst. I am a wee bit competetive, after all. I guess I need to let that go and concentrate on moving forward at my pace. It isn't a race. And it isn't about comparing my success with someone else's. It's about me doing the best I can do in this moment.

Sometimes I scare myself with my insightfulness. *grin*

I have added a couple of new links to my blog. My friend Rayna Vause has a website dedicated to her writing. She is not published, but I have hopes that she will be. She's very active in her RWA chapter and she has a wonderful writing voice. Check her out!

Publishing industry insider and research Dee Power, co-author of the book "The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories From Authors and the Editors, Agents and Booksellers Behind Them" has a very insightful blog on the publishing industry.Check her out as well. I haven't read her book but have added it to my list at the library.

Other than that, I have decided to embark on a low carb diet, exercise more and clean my house in that way that is often reserved for the dreaded spring cleaning. Never mind that it's November and I hate exercise and have become a lazy couch potato. And have so many other commitments that it makes my head spin. Apparently, I either don't know how to say no or I'm using these things to avoid something. Gee, I wonder what I could be avoiding? Oh, perhaps this book I'm writing? And the family angst that's hanging like a cloud over us? Nah, couldn't be that.

Okay, kids. It's back to work for me. And not the writing kind. I still have that pesky day job. Well, at least it pays the bills. *grin*

Stay well and be blessed!

NaNoWriMo - AKA My Voluntary Hell

I decided that for the current wip I was going to use NaNoWriMo as a means of jump starting the story. You know, get out of my head and get it on paper. Um, okay. Sure.

It's been a week. I have written a total of 20 pages or roughly 5000 words. The goal of NaNo is to write 50,000 words in the month of November. Which is basically a nice rough draft. One could jump up and down and say - you're a quarter of the way there, Naomi. Good for you!

And I would jump up and down, except my life has taken this lovely turn. My step-father in law is dying. My cheque book is a mess. Work is becoming busier not falling into the normal November/December lull. Things at church are gaining momentum. And then there's the husband. All this stuff is taking time. Necessary time, but time away from writing. My fear is that I'm going to get to the end of November and only have these 5000 words to show for it.

I know that's my insecurity talking and if I only dedicated 30 minutes a day I could still whip out a couple of pages. Yes, I'm learning through this that I do have it in me to be a fast writer. I'm sure most of it is dreck, but I can go back an fix it when it's on paper, I hope.

Why am I doing this again? Oh right. I have this crazy dream of one day being a published author and then making a career out of writing. And how does one become a published author? One writes a solid, compelling book and somehow manages to get that book into the hands of an agent or an editor or both. But first, you have to write that story. And then keep writing compelling stories.

That's why I'm putting myself through the hell I call NaNoWriMo. And whether I have 5000 words or 100,000 words, I have moved closer to that goal. Keep reminding me that, okay? Thanks!

Vince Flynn!

I am so psyched for this new book. And for the signing that will come with it. Yes, I'm one of those fans. I wait anxiously for a book to come out and then I wait with even more anxiety for a listing of book tours so I can sit around in my favorite places (bookstores with cafes) and have the author sign my book. I love pumping authors with questions about how they developed the book, their writing techniques and habits, and anything else they can share with me about the insider scoop. Such is the life of the unpublished writer.

I love Vince Flynn. His writing is tight and his characters grow with each story that comes along. I'm two books behind this one right now. Vince hasn't been a hardcover autobuy yet but he just became one because I hate the new style of paperback S&S is coming out with for their "top" authors. You know the size, about as wide and deep as a regular mass market paperback but taller. And more expensive. Honestly, people, if you're going to go to the trouble to make the book a little taller, just make it a trade paperback and call it good.

Anyway, because I don't like the new size of paperback, I'm now looking desperately for hardcover copies of Memorial Day and Consent to Kill in addition to picking up this very new, very sleek looking hc of Acts of Treason. The husband is going to hate me, but I want what I want and since I read these books first, he has no say, now does he. Besides, with the coupons Barnes & Noble gives out, I can get AOT for about $4 more than those new ugly paperbacks.

Oh, and fyi, I'm listening to Mr. Flynn on a local radio station and his advice to upping sales - release your new book in the fall. This doesn't mean you'll top the best seller lists, but you'll sell more copies because you're close to the holidays. And books tend to get more exposure close to holidays. But don't go to fall too early in your career because everyone is vying for a fall spot. I'm not going to love this publishing/marketing thing when I finally do publish, am I? Ugh. Still, sage advice, thank you Vince.

I'm off to head to B&N for my copy. Darn, another perfectly good writing day shot to hell because of the lure of a good book. Oh well, what's a girl to do? *grin*

I Really Should Be Writing, but....

It's been one of those weeks. I should be writing. The story is really starting to take form and I really should stick with it before I lose it, like I normally do. But there are so many good books out and I'm not one for delayed gratification, lol! So, instead of writing as much as I had hoped, I read the following books instead:

Dead Beat by Jim Butcher
I really, really, really love this series. I don't know what my fascination with vampires, wizards, faeries, etc., is but I'm sure glad I can pick up one of these books to get a nice fix. Jim has great storytelling skills and his characters are anything but flat. I learn much about the craft of genre fiction by reading Jim's books.




Morrigan's Cross and Dance of the Gods by Nora RobertsThese are my escape books of the month. Nora has a very interesting take on the vampire genre and I'm anxious to see how this trilogy will end. So far I love Larkin, the shapeshifting hottie from another realm. Cian is another hottie. He's the vamp in the trilogy. Basically, this series is about six people with strong convictions, bravery and special powers who have been called by the celtic goddess Morrigan to battle the vampire queen and save all the worlds from a terrible fate. Yeah, I know, the premise seems very mellow dramatic and the first book feels that way for the first half to two thirds, but as the first book really builds steam and flows into the second book, you start to believe these people could be real and their quest is important. So far, so good.


Juliet's Law by Ruth Wind


This is only the second Ruth Wind I've ever read and fortunately it's part of a trilogy. The first book to be exact. This is the journey of a woman who has been raped and how she finds herself again. The book takes place in Colorado and infuses a lot of Native American spiritual beliefs into the story line. It was a satisfying read and I look forward to the nest two books, as the series is about three sisters. It doesn't hurt that the hero appealed to my baser side- yum!


Norah's Ark by Judy Baer
This is my feel good inspirational read of the month. It's a cute story about a woman who followed her dream and opened a pet store. You learn that Norah is a caring woman who loves to fix things. But she can't fix the mix-ups that occur when she is sucked into the drama of her best friend's love life or when she realizes that the man she could fall in love with cannot stand her dog. While this book doesn't address deep spriritual issues, it does show how daily reliance on God and strong communcation and trust impact relationships. Truly a fun read.

There have been more books, but they obviously aren't as memorable to me at the moment. I have way too many books on the to-be-read pile, too many assignments for the paying job to complete, too much to do with renovations and too little time to get it all done and write my book. Such is my life. If I could harness the energies I have for online shopping and surfing for good instead of evil, maybe I could find my way. *grin*

Books I'm looking forward to

I mentioned in an earlier post that Monica Pradhan's debut fiction novel was going to be released in October 2006. I've had to do a few web searches, but Bantam Dell/Random House now has her book, The Hindi-Bindi Club listed on their site with a release date of May 1, 2007 as a trade paperback. And available for pre-order.

No website or marketing or any other information about Monica's (mo-Nee-ka) new book, so I'll keep you posted. I've been looking forward to this book for a few years now, I guess I can wait a little longer. *grin*

Farrah Rochon's debut novel Deliver Me, which is due out in stores in March 2007, is another book I'm anxiously waiting for. Farrah sold this took to Dorchester this past July. I've read some of the draft of this story and I have to say it's excellent. Not that I'm biased or anything. Farrah also happens to be a great friend of mine. I'm so very proud of her!

I'm also learned that T. L. Hines has a new book coming out next summer. According to Hines, The Dead Whisper On is not as dark as Waking Lazarus, not that I found WL dark. I found it fascinating and refreshing for a book by a Christian author. No preaching, no ranting, no agendas. Just a good story that had some faith in the story but was overall very entertaining and made me ask myself some questions. I've also read that WL is in it's second printing. Go T. L.! We should all be so lucky.

Those are just a few books I'm looking forward to. There are many more, but I need to cut back on what I read so I can put more time into what I write. Farrah, Monica and T. L. have inspired me to really dig deep into my current WIP because perhaps there is a place for me in the big bad world of publication.