Having an end date for your quest through the noveling unknown is like bringing along a team of jetpack-wearing, entrepreneurial Sherpas.
— Chris Baty
Despite what you may have learned last month, sustained writing is best accomplished as part of a balanced lifestyle, one that includes things like grocery shopping and speaking in complete sentences with your significant other.
― Chris Baty
I tend to celebrate crossing over with a meditative ceremony where I print the book out and neatly stack its pages on the floor. When everything has been properly laid out, I take a few steps back from the work, close my eyes, and offer up my thanks to the writing powers for another bountiful harvest. At which point, I get a running start and dive headlong into my word-pile, rolling around and snorting like a pig. And then I fall asleep for three days. How you celebrate is up to you.
― Chris Baty
Well, this is definitely a first for me. I actually reached the 50,000 word mark on Wednesday. In other words, I finished NaNo a week early. I still can’t believe it. This has never happened to me in all the years I’ve been doing it.
AND for the first time ever, I never fell behind in the words once. It was steady progress the whole time. But I’m not done yet. I said I was going to do a story a day, and I have three more to go.
When I decided to do an anthology instead of a novel, I honestly never expected that I’d be able to keep up the pace. This week actually went better than the week before. All except Friday. I picked out my prompt for Friday early, and then struggled through most of the day trying to get it done. Finally, in the early evening I gave up and switched to a new idea. Not only did I get it finished in time to log it on the NaNo site, I really liked the story.
And just to prove I’ve been under a magic NaNo star . . . I got an email from one of the organizers telling me my name was drawn from a pool of others who donated (NaNo is a non-profit organization). I’m not sure what it is, but it’s on the way. Also on the way is the shirt I liked but had to wait until they restocked before I could order it.
Once again I used a prompt that I used before, but again the story was totally different. The first one was only 500 words for one thing, and the ending was different. The new one, aside from being much longer, had more interaction between the characters and ended in a budding romance. Definitely a keeper.
Even though I have more energy and time in the mornings, I’m finding I’m getting my best writing done in the evenings. I have no idea what’s up with that. I was really hoping to spend more time in my office to create a routine in there but it just didn’t happen.
One of the reasons is, it’s been sunnier than I expected. Not that I’m complaining, far from it. I’ve been grateful for the sunny days because they energize me. But I can only sit at my desk early in the morning or late in the afternoon. The rest of the time the sun is angled just right to reflect off the screen of my computer.
Of course I’m an early riser, and I’ve got a good two hours before the sun’s a problem, so I really can’t use that as an excuse for the entire day. And it’s no excuse at all for the grey days, which we’re going to be getting a lot of this winter, according to the weather man.
Maybe it’s just a case of mind over matter. I need to stop thinking about it and just do it.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Wordage Report
NEW WORDS:
Flash anthology – 16,161
Blog Posts – 1044+662+365+1204=3,475
Total = 19,636 words
Down to the home stretch with NaNo. There’s going to be a serious drop in new words next week. LOL
EDITING:
Actually looking forward to editing these stories.
WHAT I’M READING:
Despite the fact I’ve getting higher word counts, I did more reading last week. I treated myself to a new Nora Roberts book, a two-in-one called Christmas Everlasting. ‘Tis the season, ho ho ho. I’ve only read a couple of chapters, but it beats playing online games.
On the Kindle I finished reading Werewolves Only, by Carrie Pulkinen, the book about the cop and the werewolf. I really wanted to thump the hero so he’d tell the heroine the whole truth, but everything worked out in end, as it should.
Then, for something different, I read Seduction Games, by Allyson Lindt. It was about three gaming friends, the woman meeting the two men for the first time. The hotness of it didn’t take away from the greatness of the story over all.
Now it’s back to the werewolves with Fated Mates, by Alicia Montgomery. So far all I’ve read in this story so far is the main character (whose name I forget) is a private detective who’s just found out she’s a vampire.
GOALS
Crossed the finish line with NaNo and I’m still going. I’m back to having fun with the stories, maybe because the pressure’s off.
The blog posts all got up on time and I had no problems writing them, unlike the way it was going before NaNo. Maybe I do better under pressure.
I’ve been toying with ideas for my post NaNo plan. Instead of scheduling things for a specific time, I’m going to try listing things I want to accomplish and give myself a time limit for them.
THIS WEEK’S GOALS
1. Finish NaNo and celebrate.
2. Keep up the good work on the blog posts.
3. Refine my post NaNo plan.
Write on.
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