One Week.

One week. That can seem like a lot of time, not enough time, or both at the same time. Enter me!

In exactly 1 week I leave for Punta Cana and in exactly 1 week I have to be at 50k for my Nano. The pressure is cracking down, I just hit 40k so I don't think it's too bad, though with all the stuff I'm doing this weekend and that I need to get done BEFORE I leave on vacation... Yikes. I want to be at 50k by the end of this weekend so next week I can focus on packing and getting stuff done before I leave.

My thoughts on NaNo nearing the end of week 3 and at 40k: It's been exhilarating, self-disciplining, frustrating, but I am enjoying it. Some of the stuff I have written is pretty good if I say so myself, but some of the stuff you spit out on a time crunch is your best work. The only thing I've found is how difficult it is with the simple things. Like remembering a character's last name. You know you mentioned it in the beginning, but seeing as you haven't re-read anything you've written yet (at least I haven't) you have to scroll just to find it. Not re-reading has probably made me make a few mistakes. But that's what next month and the months after that are for.

It's been a learning curve for sure; I never thought I would be able to write this much in such a short amount of time. I had low expectations of myself when I signed up for this, but have learned if I put my mind, fingers, much needed sleeping hours into it, I'm doing alright. I have surprised myself. It's been fun because you develop these characters so fast and pull things out of thin air to just make something to go off of. I know there are some parts where I need to elaborate more on or parts I need to change a bit, but I ignored it and just kept going. I have found that KEY in doing Nanowrimo. Don't ponder on what you've typed and DO NOT delete anything. If you must, just rewrite that scene or just keep going as if you already wrote it, or even go with what you put down, you may surprise yourself with how it can alter the story even better! Rule #4: Do not touch the delete key during your Nano. Unless it's to fix spelling mistakes from typing at Mach 1.

One thing I was incredibly surprised at is the character I *thought* and planned in my head to be the MAIN character, has actually developed to be the secondary character and my original secondary character has become the main one. I don't know how that happened, but I went with it and I think the story is better off this way.

What else have I learned so far... Take examples from real life and shove it into your story. Or if you see something happening on your way home, write that in too. Someone getting mugged, fire trucks parked outside of a building, a car accident... If you ever get stuck just throw in a random curve into your main character's plans. In the first part of my story I wasn't sure where I was going, then I was watching a show where a couple's car broke down and so in return, I made my main characters car break down on the side of the road. On a deserted highway. When they were running from something. Drama, problems, conflict... this will all buy you many, many words and can even strike you to take your story in another direction or beef it up even more.

Anyways, I should get back to writing seeing as I have some down time! Just had to post an update seeing as I've been lacking during this busy month.

Keep knocking on wood for me and sending me encouraging, inspiring thoughts!

-A

I won't talk about NaNo, I won't talk about NaNo...

Ahhh I love days off from work. I'm still in my pjs, hair's a mess and no make up. I've been up since 7.30am (was supposed to be 5.30am, but I slept through my alarm again... Good thing I didn't have to work today...), and I've been busy as a bee. Shot right into writing the 'unmentionable' furiously, trying to pump up my word count. Mix that with sewing away, my third project being pj shorts. This pattern has pockets and I'm starting to debate if I should just skip the pockets. I think it's only because I'm at that step and... *sigh, ok, I'll do the damn pockets...

I love the feeling after you've created something. After making my first hobo bag I was driven to do more. I made a similar one for my bff (shorter strap than mine)- here is a picture (don't mind the rough edges)-

and now I'm on to the clothe-esque projects. Hit up Fabricland's crazy sale last weekend and got a bunch of patterns and the ideas and creations are all floating around in my head, waiting to be made.

I had to take a break because sometimes I start to think too much about how the structure is supposed to fit together and I drive myself mad, then I get frustrated. It took me 10 minutes to figure out how to turn the pj shorts inside out (you laugh now, but if you were at the stage I'm at with them, you would have been confused too). The inside seams are all sewn together and for some reason I couldn't picture how... ok I'll stop.

What else is going on in the world of me... I'm in for a busy couple weeks. I'm at the halfway point of my Na-*cough* , well you know, so I have to pump up the volume (good movie, btw) because for my timeline I'm slacking a bit. Going to watch New Moon next Friday - I really wanted to re-read the books again before I went (Haven't read them since I first got all 4 and read all 4 in a span of a week), but I don't think that will happen, seeing as I have too much going on. I leave for Dominican in less than 2 weeks and I'm finally starting to get excited about it. I meant to tan for a good month before I went, but now there's less than 2 weeks until I go. I'm so screwed. I'm going to come back looking like a lobster and my office Christmas party is the day after I get back. I will rock the lobster look. I'll just be red in the spirit of Christmas.. Maybe I'll wear green and use that as my excuse.

Speaking of Christmas, I can't believe it's next month. How scary. Time is going by way too fast and I don't like it.

I got to see my bff last weekend, which was awesome. I haven't seen her since my birthday in May. Normally we have 'Rum Nights' when we're together, but this time we switched it up and had Co-Ca-Banana Night. It involved homemade pizza making, crazy mis-matched pjs, long island iced teas, and a mini Simpsons marathon. She also brought me a prezzie, his name is Charlie. Apparently we both had creative urges in making gifts for each other.


Anyways, I best stop procrastinating now and get back to.. the unmentionable. The next post will most likely be all about it though seeing as I'm about to celebrate at passing the halfway 25k point.

-A

NaNo Update and Other Musings

So I had this dream the other night where the world was coming to an end (or something like that), and I was a part of a few selected people who were going to be saved. The queen was even there - though she wasn't old and wrinkly at all, this queen (who was the queen of the WORLD!) she was young and quite beautiful and had red hair. Why I was a part of this group to be saved, I don't know. But my job, my whole task in this 'being saved from the world' thing, was to choose a wine to stock the boat with. The boat that was going to save us, I guess. Me, this person who was specifically selected to be saved from the world in this small, elite group of people, including the queen of the world (seriously, she was probably a only few years older than me) was chosen to choose the wine that the boat would be stocked with. So I remember me sitting around this big table, with the queen, and some other people and we were testing like seven different bottles of wine. That's all I remember.

I know what you're thinking, and don't worry I was thinking it too. I often have bizarre, unexplainable dreams. I wish I could remember them all. Man, what it would be like to be in my unconscious state of mind full time. I bet I would end up in a psych ward.

On another topic, it's now week 2 of NaNoWriMo! Huzzahhhh. My current word count is just a smidgen away from 18,000. I think I'm doing fairly well (at least I hope so), but there's this little annoying voice in the back of my head taunting me and telling me I'm not going to make it. But I just try to kick that voice with my literary power legs and try to ignore it to no end as my fingers fly feverishly over my keyboard. I probably wouldn't be near this far if it wasn't for my bff and her help with planning.
*Fun Fact* - A doesn't believe in outlines. A outlines as she goes along.
The actual story is going pretty well, I feel for how many words I have, my plot is kind of slow, but things will soon pick up. There's nerdlicious awkward flusters, a hot cop, slick haired, evil antagonist and pick-pocketing and conning. Things are picking up nicely.

There's also just over 2 weeks until my trip to Dominican! I've been so busy lately I haven't even had much time to think about it and get excited, but I'm sure it will come soon. Hurray for vacations! I'm just crossing my fingers that I'm not going to get sick with... well I won't say it just for the risk of jinxing it, but y'all know what I'm talking about, I'm sure. Knock on wood. A lot. And keep your fingers crossed for me.

Anywho, I could keep blogging away, but alas I must dress myself and get ready for work. Keep cheering me on and sending me good thoughts for NaNo!

Until next time.

-A

NaNo p4 - The Day After

Ahh I am taking a break from writing to do... more writing. Hello blog!

Let's back track a good 21 hours... It's almost midnight, I just finished watching a marathon of True Blood season 2 (saved the finale for tonight!)and I sit down to start up my NaNo story. It's weird - I knew what my first sentence was going to be word for word, so I got that out first, then the rest kept coming out. My goal was to get maybe a page out or so (I was exhausted), but before I knew it it was almost 2am and I reached the 1,677 word count. Hurray! To bed I went, a happy girl.

Today I woke up, did the lazy Sunday morning thing while adjusting to the time change - coffee, tv, breakfast. And off I went for more NaNo time.

My story is going pretty well so far (knock on wood), I think I got a good kick off for a start. I've tried not to say too much about my plot "idea" in fear of jinxing it (especially before I even started), except my bff - she is my muse and is going to help me brainstorm when the time is needed (I <3 her). I will say this - it starts out with a bang (well, more literally a murder). It was funny - last night as I was starting it off, Cape Fear was playing in the background on my tv (I like to have background noise when I write, else I go crazy), and it was a perfect ominous mood setting to kick off my NaNo.

So right now I lay at 3,225 words. I think that's pretty good (or is it? NaNo virgin here...) My "goal" was to have around 5k words by the end of today. I still have a bit of time left, but had a few things to do this evening. Now it's almost 9pm and I'm crying over the fact that tomorrow is Monday *tear* Hopefully I'll get a bit more write time in tonight, but if not - tomorrow is another day!

So now I'm going to settle in and see if I can spit any more out before sleepy time. Night all, and Happy November!

-A