Today's Review: Workshopping

I am swamped with college homework this week (critiques due tomorrow and my own workshopping piece due Thursday!), so today's review has been postponed. Apologies!

5 Things About Project IM

Since I can't offer a summary about Project IM right now (it's still in the initial brainstorming stages, among other reasons), I thought I'd at least offer a few highly vague yet somewhat telling things to give you an idea what it's about. So I give you:

5  THINGS  ABOUT  PROJECT  IM

1. It's set in an imaginary city. That is round. Because apparently I can only create round imaginary cities.
2. It's a utopian city. That quickly turns apocalyptic due to a handful of disgruntled men and one selfish politician. Because can there really be a genuinely interesting story set in a utopia?
3. It's narrated by a boy. Who is following/helping/in love with a girl.
4. Said girl is rather oblivious. And absentminded. And on the plain side. Yet she is All The Awesomesauce to him. And the city. Well, most of it.
5. There is magic. Okay, it's not exactly magic - it's more like powers. But they are wicked powers.
6. There is a lot of running.

(Yes, I know that's one too many. Since when have I ever done the proper number of items on a numbered list?)

So there you go, five (six) things about my current WIP, Project IM! I'll try to offer more tidbits about it in the future as I make progress on the story.

New WIP: Project IM

Shortly after last month's post about finishing the first draft of Project P, I settled on Project VIN for my next WIP. After throwing the imaginary confetti, I started printing research, tacking up inspirational pics on my Writing Wall, and sketching an outline. I even drafted the first few chapters, feeling out the story. The aliens were creeping me out, the body count was getting higher, and all was going quite well, thank you very much.

And then Project IM did this to Project VIN:

With a power-packed push that sent Project VIN to the back recesses of my mind, Project IM forced itself to the forefront of my imagination and demanded my full attention. It literally smothered Project VIN, whispering in my ear how Project VIN was boring and needed more research than I wanted to give it right now and really should percolate a while longer and wouldn't it be better as a YA book instead of NA perhaps I should give it some more thought before fully devoting myself to it? Then Project IM flaunted its shiny utopian goodness and lack of research needs and infinite possibilities and sure its female MC was still alluding me but wouldn't it be fun to finally catch her?

So needless to say...I'm now working on Project IM.

Don't look at me like that. I'd like to see you resist it someday.

PROJECT P IS FINISHED

I interrupt my regularly scheduled review for an important announcement that explains one of the reasons I've been neglecting to post reviews this month:

Project P is finished.

I REPEAT: PROJECT P IS FINISHED.

That's right, I actually finished the first draft of Project P - and in a reasonable time (for me)! I couldn't find the exact date that Project P was born, but I estimate mid to late April of 2012. Therefore, I wrote it in about 15ish months.

That's a record for me, people.

And do you know what finishing Project P means???

No, not that I now have a First Draft to edit and polish and try to sell. Project P still needs so much intricate research done that at the moment I don't want to touch it with a ten-foot pole.

It means that I can start a new project.

And not just start a new project, but start it without guilt.

As most of you know, I get at least one new idea a week. But during Project P, I always felt guilty about working on the new idea when I should've been working on Project P. When I'd finally guilt myself into returning to Project P, it would feel more like a chore than a pleasant job, and I would have to take a break from all writing until the interest returned (which is one of the reasons completing it took so long). But I pushed through Project P with great determination, and now that it's finally finished, I can start a new project - without the guilt!

Needless to say, I AM ALL THE EXCITEMENT.

So what's the new project, you ask? Well, I am currently trying to decide between two candidates:

Project VIN - YA/NA Dystopian/Post-Apoc
I'm a firm believer that NA is a good idea, but not as an excuse to feed more smut to teens. Is it too much to ask for an action/adventure story about college-age characters? I think not! My story: 19yo girl struggles to protect and care for her brother during an alien invasion/war. It's rather epic, if I do say so myself, and I'm All The Flails about writing the first third of the story. I currently pitch it as War of the Worlds meets The Matrix.

Project IM - YA Utopian
Yep, you read that right - not dystopian, but utopian. I have actually come up with a "utopian" novel!!! (I think.) It was taking a backseat after I struggled with the opening scene, but I fleshed out the MC the other night, and then the sequel started plotting itself without my permission, and now it's seriously vying for my attention. I'd tell you the premise, but then I'd have to kill you, so I'll keep it to myself for now. ;)

So those are my choices! I've been poking them (and two other candidates I've already eliminated from the running) the past week while I finished Project P, and now that it's done I'm so excited to start something new I can't settle on one. They both feel like "The Story," so I think I'll start both and see which one elbows its way to the front of the line. ;)

Thank you to everyone here and on Twitter who encouraged me during my struggle with Project P - please stick with me for the new project as well! I'm hoping it'll be the one that finally propels me into the world of serious editing (my Achilles' heel) - and publishing. *crosses fingers*

And don't look at me like that. I will edit Project P...one day.

My Writing Status: Black Hole

This is currently the state of my brain - a giant black hole, swirling with all the stories and characters I want to write. At the moment I am not writing anything, a great sadness to me, but there is a very good reason.

I have no idea what to write.

Project P is so similar to a book releasing in May that I'm afraid to devote any more time to it before reading the offending book. To fill the absence I have tried to turn back to many other promising projects, but each has their own faults and I cannot decide which one is worth pursuing. 

So my brain has become a swirl of darkness and pinpricks of light, going round and round as it tries to decide which story to to devote itself to.

And in the meantime, devoting itself to nothing at all.

Writer, Know Thyself

Guess what? I'm dropping Project MS.

I know, I know - you are shocked. Me, drop a project? Unheard of!

So what's my excuse this time? The simple fact that I am ruining it.

As explained in my previous post, Project MS is technically the 2nd Draft of a finished manuscript. But it needed a complete rewrite of the first half, and a complete overhaul of the Main Character, a woman who had no life.

For the past month I and said MC have struggled together to create her a family, a background, a life. But no matter how real she becomes, I have no idea how she will react when I drop her into the story. Stick her into a familial situation, no problem, but fold her into the magical diversion that is the story and I find myself forcing it. And if I have to force anything, I know I am doing something horribly wrong.

The final realization that I was, indeed, forcing came with the last scene I wrote. It flowed smoothly from my fingers, but once the scene was done I stopped and thought, "Is that really how the characters would've acted in that situation?" I still, at this very second, have no idea. I have never asked that question of a story before, and so I knew it was time to give up on the book before I ruined it further.

So I am tucking Project MS back into the trunk for another time. I am determined to finish it someday, but this is not it.

Now, what am I to do with myself? I'm still not ready to tackle Project V, and I don't quite hear the call to complete Project P. I actually feel the need to take a kind of story break and focus on blogging - both my own and a new Q&A blog I shall be launching for my Nanowrimo group. To fill any creative writing itch, Project BW has been wiggling its fingers at me and throwing winks my way, so perhaps I'll play with it a bit - it always proves such enjoyable company. I also want to read more research books. I almost exclusively read novels, and it's high time I broadened my literary world a bit.

I know it seems as if I'm always dropping projects, never to finish anything. But sometimes, a person just has to go with their instincts. And so I am.

Wish me luck!

Nothing Is Original

I am elbow-deep in Project P right now, but I hate to leave you, my wonderful readership, in silence! Therefore, I offer you this piece from Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon. If you have never heard of him, or read this book, you have now and I highly recommend not only the amazing read but the author himself (check him out on his website here). His book has been inspirational to me, and I'm only on #2!

To inspire you today, I offer a comforting excerpt from the book, entitled Nothing Is Original:

The writer Jonathan Lethem has said that when people call something "original," nine out of ten times they just don't know the references or the original sources involved.

What a good artist understands is that nothing comes from nowhere. All creative work builds on what came before. Nothing is completely original.

It's right there in the Bible: "There is nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

Some people find this idea depressing, but it fills me with hope. As the French writer André Gide put it, "Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But, since no one was listening, everything must be said again."

If we're free from the burden of trying to be completely original, we can stop trying to make something out of nothing, and we can embrace influence instead of running away from it.

"What is originality? Undetected plagiarism."
- William Ralph Inge

New Project Ahoy!

(Due to the fact that I was unable to attend my libraries this weekend, and therefore my haul was extremely malnourished, I have forgone the usual Library Haul this week. Do forgive.)

As you are aware, Project V has been giving me no end of trouble and refuses to be written, so I decided to work on another story, hoping it might get me back into the swing of the thing. I pondered a few options and started a few promising stories, but it wasn't until late last week that I found The Story.

And so, I am announcing the new and exciting Project P!

If you must know (because, of course, you must, right? ;), I am currently describing Project P as "The Hunger Games meets Legend (by Marie Lu) meets In Time." It is a stand-alone YA dystopian novel with a female protagonist in 1st Person Present Tense.

After much personal debate, I decided to devote the next two months to write it. To insure I don't aggravate my already bad health, the word count schedule is: 500 words on work days, 1,000 on off-work days, and 1,500 on weekend days. At this slow but daily pace I will have 56,500 words on June 30th. I do not consider this a novel length, though, and plan to write as many words as I can each day to be sure and make at least 60k in the end. But I need an attainable daily goal to strive for, lest I write nothing at all.

So why this story, you wonder? Well, there were two very important and very striking factors right from the start that indicated Project P was The Story:

(1) Before I could even wrap my head around it, my mind started writing a query blurb. I have yet to write a query letter, let alone a blurb for one, and yet there it was, pouring out of my pen onto the page. It was like another, more structured writer had taken over, which was both fascinating and freaky at the same time.

(2) And then, after several sentences of blurb, came The Outline. I am a hard-core discovery writer. I DO NOT outline. And yet I am now the proud owner of a currently 3-page and growing, honest-to-goodness outline. I don't normally outline because, once I get even the gist of the story written down, I lose interest. But so far, it has only increased my excitement to get this book written! Again, fascinating, yet totally freaky.

Needless to say I have no idea what happened, but I saw it as the writing on the wall - to write this novel, and NOW. Strike while the story iron is hot!

I begin tomorrow with a 1k day (although I'm hoping for 2k). I've had less than a week to get my main characters figured out, do some extensive research (of which I've only scratched the surface and will have to do as-needed from now on), draft an outline (currently only one-fourth done), and get some very important rules in order. But writing on the fly is what I do best, and I am all aquiver with excitement. I don't think I've been this excited to write a novel since perhaps my first Nanowrimo. Wish me luck!

Flying Books @ the Oscars!

Cirque acrobats weren't the only thing flying around the Oscars last night: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morrie Lessmore won Best Animated Short Film! *throws confetti* It's a fantastical "silent" story about a love of books and rediscovering one's passion and drive for writing. Every writer should watch it.

If you haven't seen it yet, give it a watch:

Top 10 Clues You May Be A Writer

Found this and thought I'd share it with you today (i.e. it's too long to Tweet ;). Here are the Top 10 Clues You May Be a Writer, and my comments to prove "My name is Skye, and I am a writer." ;) Enjoy!

Top 10 Clues You May Be a Writer

1. You would rather talk to the voices in your head than the person sitting next to you. Unless that person is a writer - and then you can't stop talking to them!
2. You know the library's phone number, but not your work number. In my defense we just changed my work number. Well, in July. The library's remains unchanged, despite their remodel.
3. Some of the letters on your keyboard are completely worn off. This is also the mark of a secretary. Therefore, since I am both, my keys are letter-less.
4. You have a favorite pen that no one else can touch. Well, a type of pen. But if anyone uses any of them (because, say, I accidentally left them about the house - but it's not my fault!), I get very upset (especially since they leave the cap off - they dry out people!).
5. Books are your favorite scent. Any other scent usually gives me a headache.
6. If you could meet anyone in the world, it would be your favorite author. DUH. Presidents and celebrities come and go - authors are forever.
7. You eat macaroni and cheese for a week because you spent all of your money at the bookstore. But I like mac & cheese...
8. Your/you're errors drive you crazy. O.O Crazy like an insane person!
9. You named your laptop. Blue, for that horrible blue logo wallpaper I CAN'T CHANGE.
10. You would rather write than go out. Going out takes too much energy, and can prove distracting. Unless it's to see a favored author, of course. ;)

So are you a writer? ;)

Post-Published Aspirations

What are looking forward to when you finally publish? What do you want to do when your story is en route to a bookstore shelf? If you hope to make a career of writing, I'm sure you've thought about it at least once.

We fantasize about the finer things that come with signing that book deal - launch parties, tours, the long line of fans waiting hours just to get our autograph. But while these are pretty much pipe dreams for a debut author, there are still plenty of awesome things we can aspire to.

Here are the top 5 things I plan to do, and look forward to, when I get published:

1. Sneak-signing my book at a store. Stephanie Perkins tweeted that she did this at a Target once, and I knew right then that I had to do it myself someday. What an awesome surprise for a random reader!
2. Meeting other published authors as colleagues. Right now I meet authors on a reader-to-author or aspiring-writer-to-author basis. I can't wait for the day that I meet some of the authors that inspire me on an author-to-author basis and be able to say, "Yes! I am published too! Meet Tuesday for coffee and discuss how to fend off hordes of screaming fans? I'm free!"
3. Being a Guest at a convention. I've been an attendee to many conventions, even a volunteer, but the thought of being invited, possibly even paid to attend a beloved convention would make my decade.
4. Being part of a multiple-author tour. While I'll admit they look a bit exhausting, how awesome would it be? Passing a mike up and down a long table with fellow genre authors answering odd questions with hilarious anecdotes and riling the crowd into a screaming frenzy. Good times, good times...
5. Receiving fan mail. I'm not stupid - I will receive dislike and hate mail as well. But those few instances when a reader takes the time to write and tell me how much they loved reading my work will make everything worthwhile. 

So what's on your post-published checklist?

The Last Quarter Swamp

For the past few months, try as I might, I haven't been able to return to writing - and ultimately finishing - Project V. I've become disinterested with the story, which I have been away from since early October because of sickness and Nanowrimo. Although I know how it ends, the forthcoming story feels flat and murky, and I can't get back into it no matter how hard I try.

This is not the first time this has happened to me. I seem to have a Last Quarter Swamp, where I get bogged down by the chaos of what's come before and can't reach the end that is so close and yet so very far away.

This is a side effect of being a discovery writer, since I start writing without a clear idea of the characters and plot. Instead I create as I write, coming up with things as they are needed. This is all well and good as a quick fix, but things conjured on the fly can prove weak with time - and sometimes don't even conform to the progressing story. By the time I hit the Swamp, I find myself with one giant mess of a book. How am I supposed to create a viable and satisfying conclusion from utter chaos? So I become overwhelmed and ultimately lose interest.

For me, story creates character. But the snag lies with the fact that you really can't write a story without a character. It's very chicken and egg, where you can't have one without first having the other. I do start with a rudimentary knowledge of the main characters, but I discover who they truly are as the story progresses, watching how they react and interact with the world and story. And as the characters develop, so does the story, revealing new angles and areas I hadn't initially imagined. Which then expands the characters even more, which in turn expands the story even further... It's a vicious cycle.

But as the characters and story grow, they leave behind an outdated mess that isn't of much use, creating a 1st Draft from Hell. And you wonder why I have yet to finish a full edit?

I'm happy to say that, instead of abandoning the story as I normally do, I'm working through the Swamp by brainstorming. When in doubt, go back to the drawing board. Right now I'm pondering the main character - especially who was, i.e. backstory. So far it has been an amazing discovery of epic proportions that will shatter the very foundation of my story, mainly because it adds two new characters into the mix (one in Book 1, and one in Book 2). This will cause me to undertake major re-writes of the 60K+ words already written, but it will ultimately deepen and broaden the book. (Who knew he had a best guy friend growing up? And a girlfriend? I certainly didn't.)

Ultimately, with this new material re-piquing my interest, I hope to return to writing Project V soon, either re-writing the first 60K or finishing the story (badly, but finishing). (And yes I know, "everyone" recommends I should try to finish before re-writing the rest.)

But first: Brainstorming the world. Might as well get the major disruptions in all at once. ;)

Library Haul: Super 8 and Eve, of Late

It's time for the first Library Haul of the year, in which I show you what goodies I picked up during my weekly trip to the libraries (TL, ML, and CL).

Here's my haul:

Highlights:

• Legend by Marie Lu is back, so I can finally finish it! Woohoo!
• I Follow Anna Carey on Twitter, and one day realized I'd never gotten my hands on her book Eve. How had that happened? After Legend, it's next on my list - and I'm really excited.
• Also grabbed a copy of Misfit by Jon Skovron (who I just started Following on Twitter).
• Picked up Super 8, which we watched last night. It was pretty good, but aliens? Really? The two main kids did an awesome job though. Fannings have such amazing talent.
• Brainstorming Project V like mad right now, so once again I checked out a few books on plot (what I feel to be my weak point). I'll never really end up "reading" them, but I'll flip through'm at least once before taking them back. ;)
• Acquired the new Florence + the Machine, although after an initial listen I'm not impressed. Also got the new Rihanna, which was even more of a disappointment. Not a good way to start off my new year of music.
• Also made a stop to the nearest B&N (not all that near, but it was worth it). I snagged Skip Beat! (one of my favorite manga series ever) Volume 26, which I quickly breezed through and now find myself screaming with frustration at its speedy passing. It begins the Violence Mission saga, in which Kyoko and Ren act as very close brother and sister for his secret part in a movie. I was squeeing through the whole thing, and wailed when as it ended! Three months until the next installment... *sob*

So what did you pick up at your library as of late?

 

Oh, and Happy New Year! XD

Why I Write

Just when I think I've reached the point where I can no longer get much from articles on writing, I stumble across one that leaves me pondering just how much I think I know. I read an article that asked me the simplest question: Why do you write?

And I had no idea.

It's not that I've never thought about it - I mean, we all do here and there. But I had never focused directly on the question.

The article said that you should write it down, to have on hand when you get discouraged or stressed and start questioning why exactly you are putting yourself through this anyway? So when I headed for my thinking spot (the shower) a little later, I gave it some serious thought. Why do I write? Here is my answer:

I write because I have so many stories to tell, and I want people to read and enjoy them as much as I enjoy creating them.

The article said that our reasons tend to change over the years, and I know this to be true. When I first started writing, my reason was to make a lot of money penning awesome stories so I could quit my job and move to Colorado with my parents where they could retire and relax. (This was only fed by the fact that said parents kept asking me when I was going to finish a book so they could move and retire and relax already! ;) But I now know that it is extremely difficult to make enough money to fulfill that dream - writing just doesn't pay that much. You have to throw your whole self into becoming a book machine, or get really lucky and hit it big. Not that I'm not going to try, but my reasons for writing are now much more realistic.

I come up with at least one new story idea almost every day. Life inspires me, and before I know it I'm thinking, "But what if this had happened instead?" or "What if she was put in this situation?" or "If only there had been a body in the middle of the room!" My mind starts churning and creating and expanding the story, and I itch to put it down on paper - and ultimately show the world. One day I hope I can, and I look forward to hearing what the world thinks of it.

But first, to get it down...*sigh*

So why do you write?

The Secret of Blogging Regularly?

Unfortunately no, I don't know the secret of blogging regularly - I'm wondering what it is! Do you know? I have no idea how some people do it bi-weekly, let alone daily. I can never think of anything intelligent to talk about, and if I do it takes several days and many hours to write (because it can't be posted unless it's perfect). *sigh*

But I haven't posted since November (when Nano gave me a very good excuse and month-long subject to work with), so, updates:

So yeah, Project V... all I have left is the last fourth or so, but after being sick in October, doing Nano in November, and then being hijacked by a brand new story for 34 handwritten pages the beginning of December, I lost all momentum and can't find my way back. I tried printing out what I have so far to read through, but I got sick of it around Chapter 4 - not a good thing considering "if you are bored, so will the reader be." So at this point I'm not sure what to do other than set it aside for a little more time and abandon the 12/31 finish deadline. Perhaps this wasn't to be The Story after all...

As for the December story that hijacked me, it was coming along really well...until it wasn't anymore. So I decided to let it go for now. It was a fleeting idea that came from seeing one too many Mary Jane characters in superhero stories and wanting to break the mold. Perhaps if I started typing it up I would regain my interest, but for now I'm okay letting it breathe - my wrist couldn't take much more anyway.

My current project is my short story entry for the Pacific Northwest Writers Association contest (due mid-February). I did it this year with no intention of winning (and I didn't), and can't wait to do it again next year. It's the only contest I could find that gave two critiques win or lose (if you know of any others, please let me know). I'd yet to really receive much critique (I'm very wary of having people read my stuff - the "must be perfect first" complex again), so this was a great way to get some "professional" constructive criticism - and I was pleasantly surprised with the results. Although I never expect to win (this year's winning story showed me I don't write what the judges consider "winning material," I guess), I loved the feedback I got and am really looking forward to some more.

For the short story, I flipped through ones I had already started and discovered a complete 2K first draft from last December. After getting over the shock that I could have possibly written a short story under 10K, let alone 5K, I was very happy to declare it a worthy candidate. For now, we shall call it Project SS12. Who knows - maybe I'll post it here once it's finished (we'll see).

So that's it for me. What are you working on right now?

4 Truths To Remember

I wrote this for my Regional Wrimos, and thought I would share it here as well. Rules 1-3 pertain to the writing life in general, and should always be kept in mind for a First Draft. May they serve you well.

Truth #1: First drafts are NEVER perfect.

So don’t expect yours to be! All seasoned writers, especially professional ones, will attest this is a universal truth. Any who say otherwise are lying through their hats (whatever that means, but they’re still lying). This month your story will veer helplessly into gray, boring areas. The dialogue will get away from you – as will your characters. But don’t despair! Just wrangle everything as well as you can, and once you’ve got your 50,000 words nice and settled in, you can attack them in January with editing vigor and cut and add and polish them until they shine. First: get your words written. THEN worry about perfection.

Truth #2: “Writer’s Block” does not exist.

So many people talk about the horrors of “writer’s block.” I am here to tell you now: IT DOES NOT EXIST. What we call “writer’s block” is usually one of two things. (1) Merely a hitch in the story, be it an uncooperative character, a plot falling short of its mark, or general confusion as to where the darned story is going! Or (2) pure and simple laziness, which is a disease that can run rampant among aspiring and seasoned writers alike (beware!). So when you find yourself “blocking” and that horrible term pops into your head, remember: it’s all in your head. Step back – peruse your notes and read through the last few paragraphs (but don’t edit!) to see what’s hitched in your story. If you can’t find a solution, skip over the whole section and start writing another part. Maybe once you have a better idea of where the story is going, you’ll see where you went wrong and will be able to fix it later. Or evaluate your state of being – perhaps all you need is a good power nap on the couch. But don’t lie there all day – make sure you’re up and writing after a short while!

Truth #3: Writing rules are made to be broken.

There seem to be so many restrictive rules to writing that we must follow or never be accepted into the “writing community.” But think about it: if everyone followed ALL the rules of writing, would ANYONE be published? Probably not. So this month, forget all the rules! If your writing seems a little crazy, a little off the wall, don’t fret it! Remember: you can always edit it later. You never know what breaking the rules will inspire in your story! And as for grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation – if they’re bringing you down, ditch those too! You can correct your overabundant adjectives and break those run-on sentences after you’re done, so shut off your spellcheck and get typing!

Truth #4: Nano is about getting the idea down into words – and having fun!

Getting the story down is the hard part. Once it’s written, EVERY SINGLE WORD can be changed for the better – so don’t worry about getting it perfect the first time! Just enjoy the thrill of writing and have as much fun as possible. Nanowrimo is an exciting adventure – treat it as such!

Nano Day 6: Over the First Hump

Dear Diary,

Today's stack of books divined after every 131,313th word that "a quiet mind is worth hiding the cucumber." Needless to say, I took this as an omen and flew into a panic. (Because, obviously, I am the cucumber.)

After hitting my head on the ceiling, my shoulder against the bars, and stubbing my toe on the bed due to a lack of flight experience, the tranquilizer dart my captors shot into my derriere (with surprising accuracy) took leave of my consciousness and rudely left me with nary a penlight to think by.

When I awoke, the offending books were gone, and in their place waited a copy of Who Stole My Cheese? I greatly fear its divination, so have incorporated it straight into the scale Empire State Building.

I used the empty tranquilizer dart as the spire.


Yours unmoved by Swiss,
Inner Editor

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nano, Day 6

After I posted last night, I spread out on the couch and wrote over 2K, taking me past 10K a day early! XD

This also took me past today's word count, which was a blessing because my health was not very nice to me this afternoon and I only got in about 800 words, leaving me just short of tomorrow's count - and leaving it to most likely be written at work (not always possible).

But I will give it the ol' college try tonight.

Unless someone just turned on the television.

Never mind.

Nano Day 5: Writing Out

Dear Diary,

When my captors brought my evening meal I requested a whole new stack of New York Times [so-called ] Best-sellers, along with a picture book of scenic New York.

According to my calculations - although I am quite horrid at math, as words are my forte - if they bring me a new stack of books each day, in under a week I should be able to create a scale model of downtown Manhattan, the residence of them that cursed me with such horrid books.

And then once that is finished, I shall request Newberry Award winners and recreate Paris. Perhaps if I build the Eiffel Tower tall enough, I will alert the media of my location and they will rescue me.

Yours to scale,
Inner Editor


 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nano, Day 5

Today was my first 2011 Write-Out! I'm very happy how well it went - lots of old faces, but quite a few new ones too. It was great to see them all! XD

And I got a shocking amount of words written - I never get much typed up outside of sitting all by myself in the living room without music, noise, or distraction of any kind. Even if ASAU is giving me trouble, at least it has been easy to write.

I'm hoping to get in another 500 words at least tonight, so I keep this short. I hope your weekend is filled with many, many words as well!

Nano, Day 4: Mad Typing - Typing Mad

Dear Diary,

After I was unable to decipher the chicken scratch the last captive called writing scrawled on the walls of my cell, I returned to perusing the horrid books allotted me yesterday. But after several hours I could no longer stomach any more and began playing word games with them instead.

I have discovered that if you string together every two-hundred and twelfth word from each book, it says: "Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like coleslaw?" Most intriguing.

I requested a random number from the captor who brought me dinner, and he has offered seven-hundred and six. I am most eager to see what intriguing new insight it will bring me.

I also requested coleslaw, but he was not as forthcoming with the side dish.

Hot like coleslaw,
Inner Editor

P.S. It turned out that the last captive of my cell was, in fact, a chicken. And therefore the writing on the wall is, in fact, chicken scratch.

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Nano, Day 4

Woke this morning feeling like Nano had been going on forever already and was it ever going to end? This is a normal feeling for me in the first week though, since as an ML my Nano cycle begins in mid-August, scheduling locations and preparing activities. But I think some of it can also be attributed to my unease with my story. Third-person is being so difficult!

But I hand-wrote a few more pages at lunch, and although I'm now sporting a major headache for my troubles I got it all typed up and counted all nice and proper. And despite its difficulty, my story she is relatively a-flowing.

Not quite at word count - better get to it!

Nano, Day 1: Not So Surprising Changes

Dear Diary,

While popping out for a quick scone, two figures in black tossed me in a trunk and drove away. I now find myself locked in some sort of cell, in an unknown location, with no way to get out.

After screaming for several minutes, my captors informed me I will only be held for 30 days, and then I will be free to leave. I fear the worst at home, but have contented myself to my plight. They were kind enough to give me this diary, a fuzzy pink little book with the words "Spoiled Princess" emblazoned across the front in glitter.

I would have rather had my scone.

Yours affectionately,
Inner Editor

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Nano, Day 1

Choosing a story to write for November is my hardest decision. I will go through several changes during October, only to discover on November 1st that the story I finally chose does not feel like being written now.

This is what happened to me today. My planned story (NGGU) wouldn’t come out even with a shoehorn, so I finally started looking elsewhere found my original plan (Plant Life) felt like speaking up. It’s boring and a lot like last year’s (which is why I ditched it), but I made word count so I’m not complaining. But I know for a fact that this is not the story I want to write this month, so the search is once more on.

I am considering going rogue (or rebel, as it is known) and tackling the rest of Project V and some of Project V: Book 2 (it's going to be a trilogy). But I want to exhaust all other options first. Will keep you posted.