NaNoWriMo, 6798 words, and Progress

Remember how I said I wouldn't win NaNoWriMo? Not only will I not win, but at my current rate, I'll lose at epic proportions.

If I had produced the minimum daily word count of 1667, I would've had 33,333 words by the end of today. As of the writing of this blog post, I have written 6798 words. Yep, just 6798.

Just reading that number makes my chest tighten with anxiety. If I could, I'd ignore everything and just write to catch up. But I can't.

I could list all the reasons and excuses why I haven't been able to keep up for this year's NaNoWriMo. But I won't do that either.

Instead, I'm taking my coach's suggestions and realizing that any progress is, well, progress. Those are 6798 words that move me forward in the story. Those are 6798 words that didn't exist at the beginning of the month. Progress.

Ten more days to go in this year's game. Still time to generate more words. Win or lose, I'll be proud of the story I'm shaping. The story won't stop picking at me, so I'll keep writing into December and beyond to finish it. Along the way, I'll keep in mind +Sylvia van Bruggen's reminder to enjoy the journey. And make Progress.

Slow Progress

I'm chugging along. Progress is slow. Slow as we settle into the kids new school year. How slow you ask?

Well, since last week ... One Scene Done. Yes, Done. Just One, but Done. Only ~90 more to go.

A lot of work left, right? Fortunately some of those scenes, which ended up as thinking/no-action scenes, will be folded into others. Or is it unfortunately as I'll have to work to blend information that originally wasn't intended in the other scene? I don't know.

In this small progress, I'm reminded that revising takes so much more time than just writing a scene. Rereading, deleting, adding, rearranging, questions to ask and answer, picking the just perfect words, nailing the emotional impact, all while maintaining the flow.

But completing that one scene, that small victory, appeased the Muse (btw: she still holds that sword) and gave me energy to keep working.

Since the Muse watches me out of the corner of her eye while she sharpens that sword, and I desire that Victory High, I'm off to revise.

(Don't ask if I like revising yet. At this stage, better to leave the question unasked. And unanswered.)

List of Late

Yes, a list of Late.

• January is half over and this is my first post in the new year. Late.
• Other author/writer blogs have listed, discussed, advised, commented on how they are/aren't meeting their resolutions. Late on this too.
• Still working on the 1st draft of my 2010 NaNoWriMo novel. Yep, late.
• Online courses not complete. Late.

Late. Late. Late. Late.

I hate it when people are late. I despise it when I'm late. So, yeah, I'm a little edgy about being late on so many things.

Fortunately, I don't have external deadlines to meet, just my own goals. And this years goals include to finish the revision course, finish my Think Sideways course, find a crit partner, and finally start the query process for at least one of my stories. I know, I know. These goals sound awfully familiar ... like my goals from last year. You guessed it: Late.

But I haven't quit. I'm still reading, learning, thinking, typing. Still working. 

And you know what? I'll keep my list of Late, thank you very much, over a list of Never.

2010 NaNoWriMo Week 1 - So far, so good.

Five days in, and so far, so good. I've been toploading, if you will, this week, writing more than the minimum 1667 words per day to build myself a little padding for the days when I don't meet the minimum word count.

Which might happen this weekend as I play hookie by going with the family to the local Highland Games and Celtic Festival. And there's a birthday party on Sunday. And next week the husband is going out of town, so I'm on my own with the kids for a few days. While I'll try to fit in as much writing as possible during that time, I'm not holding my breath about it. Probably just a little of gritting my teeth. ☺

As this is my third year participating, I've set a writing schedule and process in place that is working so far. As far as how I feel about the story ... again, so far, so good. Later during the revision process, I'm sure I'll find lots of not-so-great bits and pieces. Such is the nature of writing to my chagrin.

On the left sidebar, I have a gadget that displays my total word count. If your interested and not participating in NaNoWriMo, that's a good place to see my progress. If you are NaNoWriMo-ing, find me as AnneV on the site.


This year the two older children are playing along with me again via the Young Writers Program at NaNoWriMo. Before November started my 9 year old son set up his story file in Scrivener (yes, he is his mother's son when it comes to technology), but as of today, has yet to type a single word of his story. My 7 year old daughter, who didn't sign up until Halloween, has over 150 words towards her 301 word goal, typing them in before breakfast and after school.

So ... I'd say so far, so good all the way around.



Aside #1:  Why the Celtic Festival this weekend? No, to my knowledge neither myself nor my husband have any Scottish, Irish, Welsh or other Celtic blood running through our veins or hiding in our DNA. I'm just a Scottish enthusiast who drags her family to the event. ☺ Fortunately, they are good sports about it.

Aside #2: If you were curious as to what my story is about, here is my one sentence summary.

A surprising bequest forces an engineer to find and love

the artist within herself with the help of her deceased grandmother.

Attack Plan & Wish List

Remember when I said that I'd do something writing related everyday this month, despite all the hustle and bustle? Well, I've logged 4 days of not doing any revising, but I am caught up on one of my courses.

Today I turn it around: red pen and course worksheets are out; I'll chip away those scales while I wait for the bread dough to rise.

On a lighter note ... Saw this on Writer Unboxed this morning. Made me smile. I think I'll print multiple copies of the graphic and stick it around the house. If not a reminder to the rest of the family, then to myself.

First Day of NaNoWriMo

Today was a good day for the NaNoWriMo players/writers in our household.

My 8 year old son, at last count, had nearly 588 words typed into the computer. My 6 year old daughter used the time in the car to and from shopping with her dad to write out her first three chapters with pencil and paper. I'll type it up for her tomorrow and have a count, but I'd guess she's got close to 100 down. Poor thing, when she got home, she had a fever of 102F. Not sure how much more writing she'll get done in the next few days.

Me? I finished my day with 5,382 words, which accounts for the first five scenes of my story. Thanks to the hubby for picking up the slack today which let me get so many words down! A great start for sure. (And a good thing too, with a fever ailing one child, it's sure to affect the others, keeping me busy.)

I'm using techniques I learned in my writing course, How to Think Sideways. And I have to say, writing this novel is soooo much easier than last year's NaNoWriMo novel.  I suspect the pre-work done with the exercises from the course is the biggest contributer to the difference. It could just be that the second novel is easier. Who knows, but it's working.

And a quick note to fellow NaNoWriMo'ers out there: Good luck and keep those words flowing!