NaNoWriMo: The Sticking Place

Day 9.

I always feel that the second week of NaNoWriMo is the hardest.  And I've bloody well hit that point today.

Week 1 is great fun because everything is all new and exciting and you're setting the stage for something wonderful.  Week 3 is probably the easiest as you're right into the thick of the plot and world almost feels real - well to you anyway since it's 100% your creation - and the characters begin to feel like people you've known all your life.  As for Week 4, well it's pure adrenaline that gets you through that one.

And Week-bloody-2...

That cruel mistress is a temptress and a tease.  She hangs ideas in front of your nose, but never long enough for you to get them onto paper.  She whispers the sweetest lines in your ear, only to whisper them low enough for you to only catch snippets and hints of phrases.  She beckons you close but never lets you achieve anything worthy of feeling proud of.  All in all, week 2 is a bitch.

In case you haven't guessed, I'm severely procrastinating with this post.  Such is the way of Week 2.  I have been on the laptop for over an hour tonight and have only written 500 words.  See what I mean?  The rest of it has been arsing around on Twitter, putting up this post and cleaning out my iTunes.  Oh and watching Amanda Palmer music videos.

Going to have one last attempt at tearing myself away from the internet and attempt another 1,000 words.  Week 2 draws me closer with the promise of success, but I'm almost sure she's a liar as well as a tease.  Anyway...once more into the breech.

Em
17, 552 words

I'm Such a Tease...

Since NaNoWriMo is now well under way, I thought I'd just toy with you all a little by posting my novel's prologue. The character featured in this has undergone a major overhaul since I created her in 2004.  Now she is hard, tough and more than just a little damaged.  I freaking love her.  Anyway, enjoy.

And I wish all NaNo participants the best in their monthly write-a-thon.

Em
5,051 words.

Somewhere in the Southern Realms…

A sign, nailed to a wall outside a tavern of very questionable reputation:

WANTED!!!

For murder, resisting arrest, assault on royal guards, high treason and witchcraft!

Short in height, slender in build.  Long, black hair, unruly in appearance.  Distinguishing features: black eyes and a prominent scar on upper lip.  Often seen dressed in men’s attire.

Here could be seen an artist’s impression of the bust and head of the criminal.  Wild, dark hair floated around a thin face; high cheekbones; furrowed brows over black orbs for eyes; and a wicked, almost malicious, smile split down the left with a ragged and hideous scar.

This woman is highly dangerous and no attempt should be made to restrain her by members of the public.  She has killed before and has harmed several royal guards.  Instead, all sightings and incidents should be reported to Queen Layith of Theorosana, or to the head of her personal guard, Lady Falienne.

Co-operation will be rewarded handsomely.

By royal order of the King and Queen of Theorosana.

NaNoWriMo Day #1

306 words...not cool.

Hoping it was just first day jitters.  Getting my head down for day 2 now.  Stay tuned.

A Change of Heart

NaNoWriMo is less than 1 week away and after weeks of me saying, tweeting and even doing an interview on the fact that my NaNo project will be a "Glitter and Trauma" spin-off, I'm having a change of heart.

Today, while chilling in my favourite pub in the world, some metal track blaring over the sound system, I realised something.  I freaking miss writing fantasy.

The day after I turned 16 (yes, I can be that specific), while helping my mum at a craft fair, I started writing a sprawling fantasy epic.  It told the story of a hero, a fair maiden, an angst-ridden youth and an evil queen.  Yes, I know it sounds shite, but it was my shite.  It went on for near 300 pages and was written across 2 years.  I was obsessed with it.  The characters filled my every waking moment, and often my dreams.  They possessed me and haunted me and whispered sweet, beautiful, terrifying things in my ears.  I filled mixed CDs with an "Original Soundtrack" and listening to songs that inspired me, or provided cues for key scenes, or gave my characters a theme to live to.  Fantasy art spilled from my printer before being glued into various scrapbooks and notepads.  All in all, I loved this project.

Until life happened.  University took over, I made friends, I got a new job, I suffered and survived.  My real world dramatically altered and my fantasy world fell away.  Horror took precedent in my reading, writing and cultural pastimes and fantasy...well, it became a dream world that I wasn't keen on going back to for a while.

It reached a point when I couldn't even bring myself to look at the chapters I had written.  The characters seemed flat and stereotypical.  Dialogue seemed clunky and pretentious and bloody stupid.  The playlists got boring.  My prose seemed so juvenile.  The file with the so-called "final draft" was stored away in a folder and left on an old laptop, while the notepads I had once poured over were left at my parents' house while I moved out on my own.

5 years have passed since I last looked at this story and these characters.  I've grown, I've changed, and my world has altered even more.  And now, after being so sure that I wanted to continue down the dark fantasy/horror route, the idea just hit me today that I should go back to my roots.

So, while chomping down on some damn fine Cajun chicken and sipping on a Pepsi, my characters returned.  They whispered in my ears again, promising that they can be better.  I've read a lot more now, my writing skills have been honed over the years, and my iPod is bursting with songs, desperate to inspire me.  This will not be a revisit to old material but, rather, a total rewrite.  No original text.  Just brand new prose with the same characters and general structure.  This is a brand new project with old ideas.  Once again, I am excited.

Therefore, I have decided that this NaNoWriMo, I am going back to the very beginning.  I am awakening the "Heart of the Dragon".

Success! Nanowrimo 2011!

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay!  Done with 2 hours to spare!  Booyah!  Sitting at 50057 words at the end of November for my new novel "The Other Side".  I've still got a fair chunk I want to do but I'm so proud that I did all that in November, and with my crazy job, too!  That was including not getting home until late on Mondays and a day where I had to pull an 11 hour shift!

Keep your eyes peeled folks and I'll keep updating on my novel's progress.  Shouldn't take long to actually finish now.

Woohoo!  Can't believe I managed this!

Lotslauv, Em

Oh Dear

Nano word count for yesterday: 0.  Uh oh.  I blame the crap day at work and the new bookcases I had to fill in the flat.  But now I've got Saturday to blitz it and my books do look awesome downstairs now.

My personal goal for today: about 3500 words.  I've decided that if I hit the 8500 mark in my total count, I can watch X-Men First Class tonight with a big glass of Southern Comfort and some Carte Dor chocolate indulgence ice-cream.  Incentives, incentives; that'll get me through.

Wish me luck.

Lotsaluv, Em

Nano Update

Alrighty folks, here's the breakdown of my Nanowrimo novel so far:

Day 1: 1717
Day 2: 1219
Day 3: 2464

Total: 5400

Not too shabby.  Especially considering the fact that I've been working all week and managed to make cookies last night for my third year pupils and K Bargie.  Would have done more on Day 2 but K distracted me by putting on Borat.  Damn that Sacha Baron Coen and his zany antics.

Should have the next catch up by the weekend.  Have a good Friday lads and ladies.

Oh and good luck to all the nano-ers out there working their wee socks off.

Lotsaluv, Em