NaNoWriMo Day 9

Okay, so now I’m over two days behind. I haven’t been as productive as I should be. I’d like to think that’s going to change, but I’m not so sure. I’m taking off this afternoon to color my hair. I know, priorities right? And I thought I’d do some writing tonight, but the last item on “my list” officially arrived today. It’s a DVD. And I know that tonight around 10:00 I’m going to feel compelled to watch it.

See, I wrote a few days ago about my list and the fact that things were mysteriously beginning to arrive in the mail for me. No mystery, it’s the DHINSTTA (darling husband I’m not supposed to talk about) who discovered the list I’d made of the things I wanted to buy with the second half of my book advance (shameless plug here: One Wish, spring 2008). It wasn’t a lot—just some books I’ve been dying to read, a few DVD’s and some piano music. Well, it all came this week; ALL of it. Surprise!

And so right now I’m enjoying new movies, John Green’s “Looking for Alaska,” and this great pile of books that will take me well into the New Year.

I’m not getting anything for Christmas, though, or so he says.

Time: 2:25pm

0: number of times I’ve checked my school email
(Because I found out last night I passed!)
1: celebratory Dr. Pepper float
2: pieces of chocolate/peanut butter fudge consumed
(Which are now officially gone)

11,708: number of NaNo words written
38,292: words to go

NaNoWriMo Day 8

Still a day behind. Mentally I am NOT prepared for, or looking forward to, writing today. There’s too much on my mind: namely the results of my grad exams, which my advisor is obviously waiting until the last possible second to send me. It’s embarrassing how many times I’ve checked my campus email today. Embarrassing. At one point I had the screen up and was hitting refresh every two minutes. Seriously.

I see a lot of posts on the internet by people who “want to write a book” but can’t seem to find the “motivation.” First of all, I want to tell anyone out there, if you want to write a book, you just have to sit down and do it. There’s no divine light from the sky that’s going to rain down on you and give you the words you need to say. It doesn’t work that way. I wish it did, because then I wouldn’t have to worry about days like today . . . where I’m not interested in writing at all. Normally I would take a day off, but um, I have a deadline to make, and I’m still behind.

The point is that “motivation” isn’t what drives you to write; it has to be something much stronger than that. Motivation can keep you going, but it doesn’t jump start the process; that’s willpower. Today, I’m going to sit down and keep working on my story, not because I’m motivated (because I would much rather curl up and watch a movie) but because it’s just something I have to do. Hopefully, once I get started, I’ll find the motivation I need to reach my word quota. That’s usually how it works—not the other way around.

Time: 3:00pm
2: pieces of chocolate/peanut butter fudge consumed
Too embarrassed to give the number of times I checked my email
And that number just increased by one
And now two

10,315: number of NaNo words written
39,685: words to go

NaNoWriMo Day 7

I’m still slowly working to catch up so that I’m not a day behind on my word quota. Yesterday was a great day! I managed to write about 2400 words, which closes the gap just a bit, and today I’ve already written about 700 words, and that’s before naps and my usual nightly writing time. I’d love to get caught up so that I’m on pace by the weekend. I hate being behind; it’s suffocating. But I have to say, this whole word count thing is really motivating. I’m not sure if I would have been able to push through this story without it. There are some parts that move kind of slow—mostly at the beginning. Things are beginning to pick up, though. The majority of the book is going to be fueled by rumors, which I’m setting up right now. Once the drama gets going it should be easier to write, especially since dialogue in the form of yelling will be involved.

I think it’s poignant that the easiest part of writing (for me) comes through arguments. That’s when my mind works the fastest, I type the fastest, and my writing is literally On Fire. I also think that says something about me, which is kinda sad. Is it bad that I WANT my characters to fight so I’ll reach my quota?

Here’s to rumors, and yelling, and pre-teen girl catfights.

Time: 2:45pm

1: pieces of chocolate/peanut butter fudge consumed
12+: number of times email checked for grad exam results
9,064: number of NaNo words written
40,936: words to go

NaNoWriMo Day 6

I can’t believe it is day six already. Usually Novembers drag on and on. And that whole time change mess doesn’t help. I mean, who wants it to get dark at 5pm? I feel like I should go to sleep after dinner. I can’t wait until Christmas, then it can jump straight to May for all I care.

I’m in the midst of problems with my character’s voices right now. The main character is 11, and I feel like I’m writing above my intended audience (9-11) year old girls. They are sounding more like 13 or so to me. I’m trying to bring my writing down some, but it’s hard. It’s always recommended that you read a lot of books in the age bracket you write for, and well, I can’t tell you the last time I read a book for an eleven-year-old.

Okay that’s a lie, because I just realized that right now I’m reading “The Giver” by Lois Lowry, which is one of those classics I somehow missed when I was a kid. So maybe everything is okay after all, and I’m just second-guessing myself. That happens a lot when you’re writing. After “The Giver” I’m on to the amazing Maureen Johnson, who I’ve heard so much about but have yet to read something by.

Goal for the day: to remember that NaNoWriMo is about quantity of words, not quality of writing. Revising and second-guessing are for December.

Time: 1:20pm
1: Dr. Pepper Float from Sonic
2: pieces of Halloween candy consumed
8: number of times email checked for grad exam results
9: number of times email checked for grad exam results

6,289: number of NaNo words written
43,711: words to go

Yes, I’m still a day behind.

NaNoWriMo Day 5

I mentioned the other day that, when I’m writing, I give the voices in my head complete control. Well, you probably won’t be surprised to know that I talk to myself, too. Really, even when I’m not writing, the voices talk, and I talk back.

This morning I was getting ready to go out, fixing my hair and whatnot, and I started talking to someone in my head. Like, if I saw this person today, I imagined what they would say and what I’d say back. And I realized, after a few minutes, I was having a whole conversation in my mind that didn’t even exist. Thankfully I can “write off” that kind of behavior, because I consider it part of my job. It’s research, honestly. But still strange, especially now that I’m aware of it. J

In the meantime, Kathryn Kennedy did a great job with the NaNo article in the Reflector on Saturday, and I heard that it was even passed around my family reunion in my absence. What I’m not supposed to know is that the only reason it made it to the reunion was because someone was using it to line the car so their dish wouldn’t spill. But I forgive them . . . it’s better than lining the dog crate, which is where my newspapers usually end up!

Thanks to everyone who’s keeping track of me this month! I’m feeling the pressure, really.

Time: 2:30pm
2: pieces of Halloween candy consumed
1: pieces of chocolate/peanut butter fudge consumed
5,118: number of NaNo words written
44,882: words to go