Nano Day 30: All's Well That Ends

Dear Diary,

I write this, my dearest of dear friends, from the comfort of my home. Sipping tea in my favorite chair. Eating chocolate-dipped cookies. Surrounded by the hundreds of red pens that were showered upon me at my return. Life has never been so sweet. 

I emerged last evening to discover not the fancy party I had imagined, but an indoor luau in full swing. The glasses clinking were filled with brightly colored liquids and umbrellas. The snapping flames from the tiki torches and fire in the barbeque pit. The delicious smells that of smoke-roasted meats and fruity salads. 

And instead of being chased out, I was welcomed with applause and cheers, despite my appearance and atrocious odor! (Thankfully the odor was quickly remedied by a quick dip in a nearby wading pool.) Then they showered me with red pens like confetti, which hurt a bit but was well worth the pain.

As I was ushered deeper into the room, my host (she which imprisoned me) approached in pajamas and wide-brimmed hat and said: "Ah, there you are. Good, good. I sent a car for you..." She eyed the state of me. "But apparently you found your own way here. Anyway, it's good you're back - we have so much work to do!" Then she raised her sky blue drink and yelled, "But for now, let's par-tay!"

And so I enjoyed myself immensely, eating and drinking and talking and collecting every red pen off the floor into a nice weaved handbag I picked up...somewhere. Then, once we were sufficiently sloshed, my host (or, her driver) brought me (us) home, where I now lounge, happy and content.

So my dear friend, this is my last entry. After I sign off I shall tie you up and hide you away somewhere never to be seen a-more, lest you bring back horrible memories that I do not wish to contemplate ever again.

Although I could've sworn I overheard my host discussing "next year's hostage plans" with a ninja at the party last evening. I pray it was only the fruity drinks talking...

Yours no more (I hope),
Inner Editor

Nano Day 29: 50K? In the Bag.

Dear Diary,

I am close!

I was able to dig away just enough brick and mortar to squeeze through and found myself under what appears to be the floor of some type of large room. There is a lot of noise above me - people chatting, glasses chinking, those little lit cans of fuel snapping under hot pans of food - the smell of which is making my mouth water.

I am taking a quick moment to catch my breath and smooth out the wrinkles and filth from my clothing, then I shall approach the trapdoor I discovered at the other end of the crawl space and face my fate.

Pray that I shall be able to grab at least a crab puff before they chase me out.

Here goes nothing!
Inner Editor

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Nano, Day 29

I reached 50K! XD *throws confetti* It was a tough month this year, but I made it. Somehow.

Nano Day 28: The End & Start

Dear Diary,

I HEAR VOICES. And I do not believe they are only in my head! I am quite elated.

The sewer finally gave way to a dirt tunnel that every so often is topped by a manmade substance, such as the brick and mortar I am currently sitting under. And I can clearly hear voices coming through!

After digging the last bits of jelly from my last jar I will begin using my trusty spoon to dig out some of the bricks. It's time to come up for air!

Yours on the rise,
Inner Editor

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Nano, Day 28

It is official - I FINISHED ASAU.

With about 3K still to go.

But I dove right back into Project V without taking a breath. It has been a bit of a rocky start - I haven't read or written a word of it in over a month. But I'm already up almost 1K - only a little more than 1K to go! XD

Concerning Project V, it feels REALLY good getting back to it. I am ready to get down and dirty and finish it already! Curious, I glanced at my notes and discovered I came up with the idea for it the end of May. Such a short time ago! This has to be a record story turnaround for me. But that was the plan in the first place.

ALMOST there!

Nano Day 26: The End Draws Near

Dear Diary,

I feel I am quite hopelessly lost, my dearest friend. I have been wandering about these sewers for days without any sign of light or an exit, and fear the worst. Can you imagine? Those banked words may never see a red pen...

I did hear a great noise a while ago - it sounded like the pounding of many feet, as if rushing about with great urgency. It shook the tunnel walls and set the water sloshing around me. My pants are now soaked up to my shins, and it is very uncomfortable - I do hope it doesn't happen again.

I have been subsisting on an underground food storage I stumbled across (perhaps a few days ago? I don't know), filled with dried meats and bottled jellies. While it made for quite a meal, the way out was bricked up tight with no sign of busting or digging through. Whoever they were, they were quite accomplished in masonry along with their mastery of food preservation.

I fear I shall never find my way out, and shall spend the rest of my life down here, gnawing on turkey jerky and talking only to you.

While the company is quite pleasant, I would kill for a good candy bar.

Yours lost and possibly forgotten,
Inner Editor

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Nano, Day 26

Thanksgiving should have been a good word day, but alas when I sat in front of the computer after not writing a single word Wednesday I had lost all (and I do mean ALL) interest in ASAU and was repulsed by even the thought of the story. So I did the second thing a writer would do in the situation - I turned off the computer and left it for another day, even though I was behind word count. (What is the first thing a writer would do, you try to remember? That would be ditch the story and begin a whole new one. But so close to both the end of my story and the end of Nano, I wanted to TRY and stick it out.)

Thankfully, after some Black Friday shopping in the morning, Friday proved kinder to me, and spread out on the couch (and not at my desk) I got back into the story and passed word count.

As for today, after a nice afternoon with an amazing and lovely Word War taskmistress (where has she been all month?), I am now at 44K! Only 6K more to go. But there is a problem: I am in the middle of the LAST SCENE. With 6K to go. And it's mostly action. Rut-roh.

The last thing I want to do is go back and try to ADD to ASAU. I never want to see this story again - I have been writing it on automatic for weeks now. I thought of perhaps trying to fit in a short story, but there are only a few days left and I have another deadline to think of: Project V - 12/31/11.

So the plan is, if I don't make word count when ASAU ends, I hit the ground running right back into Project V. I have been DYING to get my hands on it again - I even started questioning character motivation instead of falling asleep last night. It is screaming to be finished, and I'll be damned if I don't answer the call.

Viva la noveling! XD

Nano Day 22: The Final Scenes Approacheth

Dear Diary,

Do pardon the smell, but as they say: I have struck gold!

Well, "gold" is a horrible term for the stroke of luck that has befallen me. More like "filth," for I have indeed struck filth in every sense of the word. But while I have assured myself that I shall scald my skin and burn every article of clothing on my person afterwards, it is a blessing.

You see, before I could begin tunneling up towards possible freedom, I broke through into a sewer tunnel. While the smell is quite atrocious and makes me gag, you can understand my elatement: no more digging on my part!

The sewer tunnel continues with no end in sight to either side, but after several days of crawling about in the dirt, a nice jaunt through raw waste will do me good.

The "jaunt" part. Not the "through" part. The "through" part will take all my willpower and much breathing through the mouth.

Yours up to her knees in unmentionable liquid,
Inner Editor

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Nano, Day 22

No writing yesterday during or after work, but I got in a nice 3K+ afternoon today. My story is moving at a breakneck pace now - I have decided to stick to only the major scenes planned in my head, so it is simply pouring forth from my fingers.

I have already made the two trades (for the son and for the spy father), filled the spy father in about everything, and now they are currently entering HQ. Soon: the final scene.

Keep your fingers crossed I'll get 10K out of it somehow...

Musing Mondays: My 4-Point Approach

Time for the Musing Mondays question, brought to us by Should Be Reading. Today's question(s):

How do you decide to read a book by an author you haven’t read before? What sort of recommendations count most highly in making that decision?

I rarely care about the "author" when I'm choosing a book - I simply go by the actual book. Sometimes I will look to see if the author is female or male depending on the story, but that is very rare. The only time I ever care about the author is if I love the book - then I go looking for them, and more of their work.

So how do I decide to pick up a book? I have a "4-Point Approach":

1. Cover. Unless it is by a very favored author, my choice to pick up a book begins primarily with the cover. Yes, I totally "judge a book by its cover." At the bookstore or library I mainly browse anything facing forward - if just the spine is showing, it will have a very hard time grabbing my attention (unless the title is so off the wall and in such big letters I can't help but notice it).

2. Title. After cover comes title. If it's too weird, long, or plain, I'll skip right over it if the cover doesn't really grab me. One-word titles are all the rage right now, which could be considered too plain, but they are doing a pretty good job of making them unique and interesting (Paranormalcy anyone? ;).

3. Summary. And I'm not talking about the inside flap or the back cover description - I'm talking the one-two sentence summary on the back of the title page. If a book does not have this, I will most likely put it back - simple as that. Unless the cover/title looks exactly like something I'd read, I don't have the time to stop and skim the book description. If the summary really intrigues me, though, I may scan the description afterwards, just to make sure it is what it seems.

4. Subjects. If the summary is too vague, I'll glance at the subjects. These give me a better idea of just what exactly I'll be getting into. If most are to my usual tastes I'll give the book a try, but if they are all "familial relationships" and "vampires" then I have no interest in even trying.

As for Recommendations...I rarely listen to them. If someone recommends a book I've never heard of but sounds intriguing then I may look for it at the bookstore/library -  but it will get the same 4-Point Approach like any other possible read. If I'm already interested in a book but unsure if it'll be any good I may scan through a trusted review or ask someone who's read it, but otherwise I go simply on my own tastes.

This is all, of course, within the context of my favored genres, which consist mainly of Young Adult, and Suspense & Urban Fantasy trade paperbacks ("t-ps" are a genre to me ;). I rarely browse genres I don't read, and even more rarely pick up something in them for perusal.

So how do you choose what you read?

Nano Day 20: 35K & Change

Dear Diary,

I apologize for the radio silence the past few days, but I wanted to make as much progress as possible before they figure out where I have gone.

I am happy to report that my progress is very good. I believe I am under the cell wall now, but shall proceed several more feet before I begin tunneling up. I most certainly do not want to emerge still inside the walls - or, worse, pop up into an abandoned cell where they will never know to deliver an evening meal. As it is I subsist on old crusts of bread, bits of cheese, a bottle of water, and a party pack of Smarties I was given for "good behavior."

Little did they know that their reward would subsist me through this ultimate betrayal. Good behavior indeed...

Yours no longer behind bars,
Inner Editor

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Nano, Day 20

Productive Write-Out yesterday - which was good because I got nothing written Friday and feared today's required word count. But yesterday got me past today's count.

And as of today, despite a carry-over migraine from yesterday, I am now caught up to Tuesday, so if for some reason I cannot write at work (and my boss would do that to me, just because I think she won't), I can skip tomorrow if need be.

As for my story, they have the terrorist for trade, but now the boy has been kidnapped. Holy conflict Batman! As I am over 35K I decided to just hit the major scenes, and if I come up short word-wise after the story ends I'll figure it out then. But I have to: make the trade for the boy, make the trade for the spy dad, then a big HQ scene, then the spy dad goes and rescues the assistant. I figure that should fill 15K, don't you?