Hit the word count for my Nano Novel

Writing is something that got into my soul when I was very young. I think I was eight when I first tried to write fiction. The desire to create fiction, to tell a story, holds my soul tight within its fist never really letting loose any fragments of the piece that it holds For the last 15 years, I would start and never complete novels. Short stories and poems were easy because they could be written in one or two sittings, but novels....Novels were Mt Everest. Novels were the moon.....Novels were the world's largest chocolate Sundae after a steak and potato dinner...You get the picture.

As of 7 am on November 28th, I hit the 50,084 word mark of my Nano Novel. I had two scenes left to write. As of this blog, I have a scene and a half to write. I should finish those tonight. I'm guessing that it will be about 55,000 words when I'm through, but it will be virtually complete. It will be my first ever complete draft. I have something that I can go back and try and edit into a publishable or at the very least a submittable story. This is one of the greatest moments of my life, writing or otherwise. To have achieved a long held dream is beyond my imagination.

Thanks to my fellow Nanoers, Chris Batty, my fabulous characters, my loyal friends, and to the Academy....etc, etc...

Research Trip after NaNo

So I struggled last night with a scene. Austin's ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat. The problem that I had when I was writing it was that I didn't know quite how to deal with setting. I can see the battle ship grey walls (bulkheads). The hatches lining a long corridor. The big guns sinking beneath ocean. I couldn't describe it because I didn't know enough about the kind of ship that he would be on nor did I know the appropriate naval terminology for everything. This caused severe problems and my manuscript to have lots and lots of holes that will need to be filled later.

I think that after the first of the year, I'm going to have to visit Patriot's Point in Charleston one weekend in January. The last time I went was when I was kid. I'd had my eyes dilated that morning so I didn't see the outside of the ships at all. Hmmm....So I think thats the plan to make my novel better is to get better information.

I think that I also need to interview my grandmothers and grandfather about life in the 1940s. What was on the radio, what was on the movie screens, what did the movie houses look like, what were the stores like, what was a farm kitchen like, etc. , etc. Since its Thanksgiving, I may get started on that this weekend.

More than Halfway There

So I've been Nano-ing for more than half the month and I'm very pleased with how my novel is coming out. Yes, its not very good but its progressing along at the rate that I hoped it would. I'm ahead of schedule as far as writing. I've got characters with fairly distinct personalities. I've got an exciting plot with angst. All in all, its not too bad.

I'm writing romance. Not exactly what I intended when I started the book, but that is where it's going so I have to live with it.

I really like the group of people that are participating in this month long event. We all seem to be just a little bit crazy in a good way. I think that you almost have to be to be willing to do this. One thing that I find that we have in common is that if we didn't have to worry about money, we would all write for a living. When you find people like that, you know you have a good group. Very excited about finishing up...Its getting close to being all downhill from here.

The Slow Down...

So I called my former math teacher father on my way home from the write-in. Apparently, he hasn't been paying attention the a million and half times that I've told him what I was doing this month. I told him my numbers and my goal and he said...."You're about 40% of the way through so I would say that you're right on target." Thanks for sharing, Daddy.... I told you not two minutes early that I was on target for where I needed to be for my novel. Jeez, you had to go and make it a math problem and give me a percentage...

Speaking of my father, I called him after the Clemson-Wake Forest game. We won. Yea!!! We have two games remaining Boston College next week and South Carolina the following week. He asked me which game would I rather us win if we could only win one, SC or BC? I think most fans would rather for us to win BC because then we get the opportunity to play for an ACC Championship... To even be in this position is more than I could have hoped for at the beginning of this year. I plan on writing all day next Saturday before going crazy and actually watching the BC game.

Anyway, I should actually be writing instead of blogging right now. I'm just considering this a warm up exercise for the real writing that I need to do tonight.

Novel Progress and Writing a Novel in a Month

I really love this! For the past six days, I've been attempting to write the first draft of a novel straight through without stopping for revisions, without worrying about character arc and development. Just keeping the fingers moving and seeing what comes out in the wash. I feel like I'm letting the characters tell me who they are for a change and its great!

Carly - was at Pearl Harbor. Is cynical, but hopeful. Has real doubts about herself and her ability to be loved.

Kate - untested by life. Incredibly immature. Going to the Army Nurse Corps is going to change her so that she's ready to meet Ben as an equal in a later book.

Babs - a real surprise...she was going to be this occasional character that just showed up. She's evolved into this main character, sort of the opposite of Kate. Very very cynical and hard, but caring too. Really like her.

Trudy - not a sweet old lady. More of a harsh very Southern martinet who is the voice of reason and wisdom in this whole story.

I haven't gotten a real feel for the male characters yet, but I'm sure that will come as I work in their heads a little more. First indication is that Austin is very normal and infatuated with Carly. Ben is delusional and knows nothing about Kate despite knowing her for most of her life.

Thats the story so far.....