NaNoWriMo, Turris, and an Omnia

                          Source: imgfave.com via Kelly on Pinterest

It's been absolutely eons since I last posted, I know. Some of you who know me might be surprised that I haven't said a word about NaNo on this blog. Part of that would have to do with the fact that I wasn't terribly excited about it.

HOWEVER! I am doing NaNo, and I am much more excited about my novel than I was when I started. I began outlining late, so I only have eight outlined chapters before I start treading in the darkness of a story without a story. Scary thought. The positive side is, that I haven't reached that eight chapter yet, and I've already written 11,000 words, and discovered another thread that I can really use!

If you're at all interested in discovering what my novel is about (*cringe!*), then you can check out my profile on the NaNoWriMo website. In a few words here, I will tell you that it is about a tower. A really, BIG tower.

One last note. I was annoyed to discover that the name I had chosen for a digital device in the story, Omnia, has already been used for a cellphone. I'm keeping it for now, but will probably change it later. It's just disturbing to learn that I'm not the genius I thought I was.

Beautiful People - Unnamed Girl

It's time for the Beautiful People meme again, that Georgie and Sam have a link-up for once a month. This month I've chosen to answer the questions about a new character that I don't really know yet. She's in progress, and doesn't even have a name! If you have any unique name suggestions, let me know.

1. What type of laugh does he/she have?
 I think her laugh is just a nice, normal laugh. Perhaps is is slightly louder, but definitely not obnoxious.

2. Who is his/her best friend? 
In the story that I will be writing about this girl, a young man becomes her best friend, because he is the one of the few other people who believes the same things she has come to believe. He can make her laugh, but he can also gently remind her to fix her mind on the things above.

3. What is his/her family like?
Her family is a very typical family.  The society they live in is chaotic, and self-serving, and her family, although slightly better than most, reflects this culture.

 

4. Is he/she a Christian, or will he/she eventually find Jesus?
 She does not start out as such, but her story is definitely a journey in finding and growing in the Lord.

5. Does he/she believe in fairies? 
Perhaps fairies don't enter the story, but she does enjoy myths, legends, and tales of long ago. If fairies fall into that category, then yay!

6. Does he/she like hedgehogs? 
Having never seen a hedgehog before, she merely admires them as an interesting animal that you can read about in the library.

7. Favorite kind of weather? 
All types! Sometimes she prefers the bright, cheerful sun, and other times she likes the rain as it falls onto the window of her room. Even if it is fake.

8. Does he/she have a good sense of humor? If so what kind? (Slapstick, wit, sarcasm, etc.?)
She loves to laugh, although it often seems as though there isn't much to laugh about. Mostly though, she is not humorous herself, but enjoys the humor of others.

9. How did he/she do in school, or any kind of education they might have had. 
She was an excellent student, in both highschool and college.  She is as smart as a whip, despite a depraved system, and this intelligence is what helps her on her journey.

10. Any strange hobbies?
She enjoys what is called Tower-Climbing. Since she lives in an immense tower, and has never set foot on solid earth before, this is an activity that often replaces rock-climbing. It is as obvious as it sounds. They merely climb and rappel the outer tower walls, which are honeycombed with nooks, crannies, cliffs, and dangerously thin ledges.

A Glimpse at Apartment 33 -Part 1

Once upon a time, not too long ago, I started a story about a group of people who lived together in a rather small, rather old apartment building.  It was to be a simple tale, about these people, and how their friendships help to change and mold each of them.

Just for fun, and inspired by the Beautiful People blog meme that Sam and Georgie are doing, I thought I would introduce you to a few of the characters, and perhaps it will inspire me to start writing their tale again!


Karolyn Ambleton

Age: 24

Sweet tempered and kind, Karolyn is the loving wife and mother of her household.  New to Apartment 33, she does her best to make friends with the other residents and surprises them by hosting a party for that very reason.  She likes to make special treats for the children, and pretty presents for the adults.  One of her faults, however, is that of jumping to conclusions, and when she gets angry she gets angry!  It takes quite a bit though, to rile that gal up.

Mackenzie Ambleton

Age: 25

Being Karolyn's husband, Mac lives daily with bright, cheerful things, which on the whole, he doesn't mind.  A little more serious than most, but with a charming smile, he tries his best to keep things fairly sensible and understandable.  If they aren't, then he feels like everything is out of control.  Working as a journalist at the local paper, he puts in long days and sometimes works late, causing him to often be tired. Mac likes playing with his daughter, 1-year-old Grace, building model ships, eating chocolate.

I Won NaNoWriMo

Yes, you read the title correctly.  I am quite pleased with myself.  Oh, and I did it with one word to spare, too!  Not too bad.

This is my second year attempting NaNo, and my second year as a winner.  Several things that I can compare about the two years are as follows:

• I actually had a plot this year.  Granted, it was a short plot and didn't get me to 50k, but it's one more plot than I had last year!
• Last year I was in a totally awesome group on Homeschoolblogger.com where we could talk and share about NaNo and other random things.  This year I was part of a totally awesome group with a total of five people, where we talked about NaNo and other random things.  I really miss the old group, but I couldn't dispense with the new.
• Last year's novel was about a small boy caught up in a mystery that basically revolved around child labor and other similar topics that I tried not to touch upon.  I still haven't edited it.  This year's novel is about a young man, a prince, who can only think about trying to please his awful and slightly abusive father (The way that sounds, it makes it seem like a really horrible thing!  I mean, it is, but it's definitely not anything intense.  Please don't mistake that.), and misses a lot of other things in life because this is his one and only focus and drive.  I...still haven't edited it. (Sorry, that's too much to expect from a person!)
• Last year?  Some NaNo people wore Viking hats, I'm pretty sure.  They did that this year, too.  I'm not sure what the whole Viking thing is about.
• This year I am going to get get the CreateSpace proof copy, or whatever it is.  This means that I will get it no matter what, even if I don't have a second draft finished.
• Last year I wrote 50,000 words in a month.  I did it again this year.  It was hard work, and I'm a little disappointed with my novel, but I can't describe how awesome it is to win.  I had forgotten that from last year.  I feel like I'm walking on clouds.

NaNoWriMo: Day 17

Alright, this is my first NaNo post of the year, I think. It might be a little odd to randomly decide to post in the middle of the month, but I've got to update sometime, right?

My novel is about Prince Dev, who has spent almost all of his life trying to prove himself to his Father, and be accepted by him.  Those who truly love Dev had tried to persuade him that he can't be so obsessed with this one thing, but it's useless (of course!).  It takes a new friend, a huge mistake, and the loss of both his father and brother, to make Dev realize that there is more to life than what he had been living and believing.

Amazingly enough, I actually had a basic plot written out for this novel, and I finished it just barely in time for NaNo to begin.  As I have gone on writing, I have been surprised as many plot twists have almost fallen place, and I have been inspired right when I needed to be.

As far as word count goes, I have fallen behind by about 5k, after not writing for a few nights.  Oops.  I'm working on catching it back up, and I still consider myself to be in the way of winning.  If I do, this will be my second, complete first draft!

Are you doing NaNoWriMo?  If so, how is it going for you?

The Glade Between the Forests -or- The First Draft of my Novel is Finished!

A few final tweaks, the addition of a sentence or two, and that was that. It was finished. The first draft of my novel is complete.


Now I am in an inbetween place. A valley between two mountains. A village between two cities. A clearing between two forests. The eye of the storm. Here I can catch a breath of cool, sweet air, but I can smell the rain that is coming with the towering clouds.


The forest behind me, once dark and forbidding, now seems almost friendly and welcoming. I have been there. I have seen it's hidden secrets. I have discovered the path through it, and have learned it's personality and quirks. Now I am resting in the sweet glade that separates the one from the other. The forest ahead of me is now the one that looms large and frightening. The only thing that I have to help me throught that forest, is the knowledge that I have acquired from the forest behind me.


In other words, I am inbetween two steps of the novel writing process. I have completed the first draft. Now, the large and seemingly unending task of editing my work lies before me. I am a little overwhelmed at the prospect, but at the same time, a hint of adventure and daring challenges me, and I feel myself responding with thrills of excitment.


This is a new step. I am going where I have never gone before. How long will take me? I don't know. I don't know how big the forest is. I don't know the circumference of the storm. The city is a big place!



Picture credit goes to Karen's Whimsey Public domain Images.

© 2010 Defective Compositions

NaNoWriMo: Progress & Location

It is now day 6 of NaNoWriMo, I believe.  For the most part is is gong very well, and I am rather pleased with my progress.  I have written almost every day, and I am well above the average word count per day, which is a good thing.  It means I'm ahead of schedule.

There was one day that I wrote hardly a thing.  I wanted to write, but I wasn't sure what to write next.  I keep harboring suspicions that my plot isn't big enough for 50,000 words.  Yet here I am, still plugging away.  Well, plugging isn't exactly the right word; I am enjoying myself.

Just in case you wanted to know, there is now a meter on my sidebar that will tell you my current word count.  It updates when I do, so, if you are interested, be sure to keep checking back!

I am quite in love with my bedroom/studio.  I would like to think of it as my studio, at any rate.  It's where I do almost everything!  I wanted to show it to you, so here it is!

This is my entire room.  There is a desk in the lower right hand corner that you can't see.  If you look beyond the two closets you can see Bluejane's room, as well as Bluejane herself, studiously playing games.

If we come a little closer to the lower left hand corner of the picture above, we can see a comfortable looking, little chair and it's ottoman.  I actually switch between here, the bed, and the desk, when I am using my computer, but I decided that I would only showcase the chair.

Finally we get close enough to see my "paper".  Yes, it's Google Docs, and I like it that way.  Although there is undoubtedly a charm and comfort to writing on real paper, with real ink (or lead, as the case may be), this method saves time, and, in the event that my computer crashes, most of my documents will be saved online.

So, that's it!   You had a peek into my charming attic bedroom and workspace.  The poor thing is simply yearning for Christmas decorations, but have yet to make any.  I have an idea for a garland...but that is not what this post is about.

Copyright 2009 Defective Compositions