Melonade

Weekend writing was a success. My goal for yesterday was a total of 5,001 words, and by the end of the day I came in at 5,436. This was especially rewarding because I stared at my computer for about an hour feeling quite sure that the well was dry before making the final push and getting the last 600 in a half hour.

I don't know how today will go. It will be my first weekday writing attempt. Monday evenings are usually spent reading at Barnes and Noble or watching a lot of tv, both of which I will have to forego in order to get my words for the day.

Time to get to work.

Enjoy your day.

I survived Writing Day One, which transitioned into Writing Day Two since I managed to fall asleep at 4:30 this morning and awake around 12:30 p.m. I can only blame myself for the odd sleeping patterns, which I attribute to my extreme caffiene intake. Before the late night couch-fest which included Pope updates from all the major news networks, and viewing of Back to the Future Part II (thanks, JB) , I managed to rack up over 1750 words, putting me safely over my 1,667-word goal for Day One. Hooray!

Here's where I admit something I had forgotten in the last few years: writing is hard.

To clarify, the early stages of development of a new novel are particularly difficult when I'm quite foggy about the direction of the story. When I wrote for my creative writing classes in college, I had a 1,000-word requirement for each week, which I could usually turn out in a couple of hours after class. In those hours, all creative juices flowed fiercely and consistently from brain to fingertips. I miss those days.

I've come to realize that my novel-writing process is a lot like watching tv. I see the story unfold in my mind, watching the characters move around and exchange dialogue. My job is merely to record what I have seen and heard in a way that future readers can understand. So when I only get to see part of a scene, it's as if the program directors decided to stick in a commercial break or a breaking news bulletin. And when I'm struggling for a long period of time, it's as if the President has decided to give a speech and has taken over all of the channels for the evening. Arg. Of course, with a 30-day deadline, I can't afford to have any presidential addresses interrupt me, and even an extended commercial break frustrates me.

Random question of the day: What is the most magical color?


Current Day's Word Count: 598 (but I'm just getting warmed up).

Enjoy your weekend.

Tomorrow is the day! My race to 50,000 words will officially begin tomorrow. I am just about to explode from the excitement that's built up in the last four days. The fantastic thing about my writing process is that it's as much of a discovery for me as I write as it is for those who get to read it later on. The thrill of writing gives me the same rush that I get for the few seconds I feel that I'm hanging in the air just before zooming down the first big hill on a roller coaster. The contents of this blog during the upcoming month will probably be limited to talk about the novel. I predict that word counts and progress updates will dominate.

I have spread the word to a few choice folk about my the plan, and most people have been enthusiastic. I hope they maintain that encouragement over the next four weeks, especially during those times that characters frustrate me or I've written myself into a corner (I am sure that most of them secretely think I'm insane, but at least they are considerate enough not to say that to my face.).



Enjoy your day.

I have decided to write a novel. This is not unusual to say, since I've been working on various writing projects for the last five years or so. This is unusual because I am going to write an entire novel (50,000 words) in 30 days. That's right, April is going to be my month, baby.

You may have heard of the National Novel Writing Month (lovingly referred to as NaNoWriMo by its fans). Every November, people around the world vow to devote 30 days to hardcore writing and turn out a solid first draft. No Internal Editor, no heavy research, just writing as quickly as possible in order to hit the 50,000-word mark by the end of the month.

Yesterday I picked up the NaNoWriMo creator's book called "No Plot, No Problem!" for a little pre-writing inspiration. I didn't realize what I was getting myself into. By the time I'd read a few pages, I had decided I would follow this guy's advice and write my own 30-day masterpiece.

You may ask why I am not finishing the novel I am already working on that has about 35,000 words, and I would say that it's because that is against the rules.

And so I now ask you to pariticipate in my quest, because friend participation is an important part of the process. You are welcomed to do any of the following:
1) leave encouraging comments here on the blog or send emails that detail your complete faith in my ability to complete the task.
2) place your bet on my inability to do it and what you think I should give you if I don't come through (i.e., gooey desserts, movie tickets, housecleaning service, etc.). Most reasonable bets will be accepted. Please take my respectable income and debt repayment duties into account when choosing your terms.
3) do or say things that warrant character inspiration and possible inclusion in the story.
4) understand that I can't tell you what the book is about (sorry, it's in the rules, too.)
5) understand that I will have to be somewhat antisocial for the next 30 days and not think I'm crazy for choosing writing sessions over social activities every once in a while.

People at the office keep telling me not to work too hard. I hear this a lot from one of the drafters I work with and random delivery guys. I must admit that I can’t be accused of working too hard this week. Both my boss (the engineer from whom most of my workload comes) and the administrative coordinator (the other “office girl” who does everything that I don’t) were out all week on vacation, and other folks were out here and there through the week. Basically, it was the most boring week I’ve had since I started this job. The phones were pretty quiet (partially due to Spring Break, I’m sure), and it’s not one of our busy times, so I was actually desperate for work. Usually I love Thursdays because they are generally less hectic than the other four days of the week and it’s a nice balance, but this week was like having five Thursdays in a row. I hate leaving my office at night with the feeling that I didn’t accomplish anything. It’s very frustrating to know that the biggest moment of the day was proofreading angry letters to contractors who can’t get their act together or trying to give directions to our office over the phone. I’m really looking forward to the day when I won’t be responsible for answering the phones and licking envelopes. I hope that day comes soon.