My writing buddy

NaNoWriMo is over for this year and on November 30th, 2007 at midnight I had 25,100 words. A bit over half-way and that's OK. (hey, that rhymes!) I thought I would share with you one of my major helpers in writing the novel and he continues to be a great support as we move into December and our continued work at increasing the word count. (Perhaps I should say that I"m a support to him!)

Ansel has been a great help all month and he continues to keep close watch on my progress. Stay tuned as December continues, the story is just starting to get exciting and I promise, promise I'll put up a nice long blurb soon! In the meantime, thanks to all of you for giving me such encouragement! Please - keep it comin'!

Sorry, But I Won't Reach 50K

Hi all,
I thought I'd better get on this and finally write that I am not going to finish 50,000 words by midnight November 30th. The month of November just went to pieces for me and I haven't been able to keep up with writing every day.

I hope to actually get to 25K by Friday night, but won't be anywhere near 50K. Shall I list the reasons? It doesn't really matter, other than to say the between my headaches and my partner's unexpected appendectomy (these things are never expected, are they?) I just didn't get it done.

Yes, I'm feeling "not so great" about it, but what can I say. I did get a great start on my novel and I won't be putting it away and not continuing. I am sorry not to finish what I set out to do, but I think this is a lesson in not being hard on myself. This is a lesson I've been working on for some time and it comes back up again this month.

Anyway, thanks for staying tuned and for being so supportive. I"ll keep this blog up and move into regular mode as I keep going on my novel. Stay tuned if you care too and I'll be posting updates as I go.

Thanks again for all your support and encouragement. Cheers and Happy Writing, jill

New Goal for the end of the Weekend

Hi everyone: My new goal is to reach 30,000 words by the end of the day Sunday. I'm at around 18,000 right now, so I'm a bit behind on the overall word count (I'm not going to do the math to see exactly how far behind I am). Life got in the way over the past two days and I haven't written since Thursday morning!

AAaaagggghhhh!

But I will persevere! I can do this! I can make my goal for the weekend! Sunday I will spend my whole day writing (although Sarah says we have to get outside for a hike and she's right).

So, I'll be back at it and will let you all know how it goes.

2119 Words Tonight - Wow, this is really working!

I am having so much fun writing this novel! WOW - it continues to flow and it's awesome! These characters are incredible! I promised to post another excerpt, so I'm going too tonight, but first I need to warn you --- it's hard for me to know just how much this excerpt might spoil anything that happens in the novel. I mean, it's hard not to post something from the novel without it giving away at least some small part, but what I'm saying is that since I don't know where this is headed, I don't know how much of what I post will give away anything plot-wise that might happen. Just covering my bases, I guess. So anyway, here it is. Enjoy. Oh, and please don't pay too much attention to the grammar, spelling, etc, 'cuz it's about getting the words out, not editing those words (I'll do that in December).

This passage is between the main character, Elum, who has returned to Cadreya, the colony where he trained as a guardian and Galagia, a young guardian trainee. The first speaker is Galagia.

“When I was twelve, I had my first remembrance. As you can imagine, it was quite intense and at the time I thought it was a nightmare. I woke screaming in my bed, sweating and shaking, and unable to remember where I was. Nothing around me looked familiar and when my father rushed into the room I jumped out of bed and attempted to escape, not recognizing him and expecting him to attack me. He grabbed my shoulders and held me firmly talking quickly in a language I did not recognize. Then within seconds, my body shook violently and I fell to the floor, my father’s grip loosening under the intensity of the seizure. I lay on the floor for several seconds fully conscious of what was happening to my body, but unable to speak. After the seizure ended, I remembered where I was and more importantly, I recognized my father.”

Galagia’s voice was low and steady as she told her remembrance, not wavering in the least with emotion. The veil she described as having fallen over her conscious as a result of her dream seemed to have descended again and removed her from the present while she recited the event. As I listened, I noticed she had shifted her left arm so her sleeve was inadvertently shifted up to reveal a tattoo around her wrist. The tattoo was of a serpent eating its tail, the traditional tattoo from the colony of Nebili on the third planet from the moon of eleven. The symbol of the serpent eating its tail was an ancient design and the motif used by the artist to create Galagia’s tattoo was obviously familiar with the ancient images. As I looked closer I realized that each of the serpent’s scales were unique and had at their center another symbol, this one a character from an alphabet I did not recognize.

“Guardian,” said Galagia and I looked up at her face with embarrassment.

“My apologies, Galagia,” I said, smiling. “I was distracted by your serpent,” I continued, gesturing to her arm. “The work is quite beautiful and accurate to the ancient symbols, but I do not recognize the characters in the scales.”

“Most people do not see the runea, my liege,” Galagia said, lifting up her arm and pushing up the sleeve of her tunic even more. In so doing she revealed an additional tattoo, this one made up of just the characters themselves, laid out in long vertical lines like text. Looking down at her arm she recited, “Light is essence. Breath is beauty. Go in balance.”

“The ancient message,” I say with understanding, “you were Guardian before,” I state looking up at her face.

15,380 Words and Counting

I passed my goal of 15,000 words by the end of the weekend tonight. Originally I had thought I would hit 15K by the end of Sunday, but instead, I find that it's Monday night but I made my goal all the same (I can count today as the weekend, since it's Veteran's Day and I didn't have to go in to work).

This story is so much fun to write. I am constantly surprised by the directions it takes, by what the characters do, by what they learn. Where does this stuff come from? Last week I was fretting because I couldn't get Elum to leave home. He was back after a pretty traumatic event, one in which afterwards he didn't know what to do, so he found himself at home and he was just hanging out, doing nothing much at all... learning more about his younger brother having not seen him in several years, seeing his Uncle and cousin and generally working in the colony orchards without much thought of the past. By Friday on my drive back to Flagstaff after taking Sarah to the airport for an early morning flight, I was thinking, "what the heck are you doing Elum? You need to get the heck out of there! The readers are going to want some action, you know, not just a bunch of scenes in the orchard or the kitchen or the wherever!"

Can you see my frustration? Well, it finally happened on Saturday. I was writing away and all of a sudden, someone shows up with a message for Elum (sorry, no spoilers, okay?) and he has to quick leave the colony and head on out to make this story happen.

Now, I'm not saying that those first days of writing are not any good --- although the whole grammar thing is kind of a struggle --- what those days show are background for who our main character is, they set up the story, they flesh out the "drama and trauma" that are affecting him and his true goals in life, etc.... so they are not a waste, but I gotta tell ya, I was getting tired of him hanging out at home; out of the limelight so to speak.

Sarah said tonight that I just needed to tell Elum to get the heck out of there and after I did it, he did! Wow, that's an amazing thought --- on many levels.

As I move forward with this story things happen that I don't expect, connections get made with what I'm writing now and something I wrote days ago, pieces seem to fall in place or go in directions I was never expecting. And all of this happens in the conversations between the characters. They just start talking and I kind of know what they are going to talk about (I mean, I need to know since I'm writing it, right?) but all of a sudden some new thread comes up or some leap to the past gets made and lights go on, bells ring, and chocolate falls from the heavens! Well, not really, but you get the idea. It's amazing! AND really fun!

So, I made my goal and am feeling good. It looks like I need to do just under 2000 words a day for the rest of the month to make 50K and I know I can do it. This is just fun! They say there is a wall out there and that I'm bound to hit it. Who cares! I'm staying in the moment and right now the moment is FUN!

10,000 Words!

I hit 10,000 words today! Yippee! I'm so excited and I had such a fun time writing today too! Elum is finally leaving home after visiting for the first time in years to go back to training and his mission as a guardian. I thought he would hang around forever, sleeping in, eating home-cooked food, generally acting as if he didn't have a care in the world, but finally, today, he gets the message and heads back to his real life!

Whew --- I was wondering what was up with him. It's as if he was lolly gagging around as much as I feel like I've been lolly gagging around getting words down.

He's off and now the story will really get going! I'll add another excerpt (a bigger one, I promise) soon. I promise!

Early Mornings

I've been getting up early to write every morning, maybe not so early for some, but an hour earlier for me every day. I can say that the writing is going really well, my characters continue to surprise me and I very much look forward to what they are going to do next. Here's a very brief taste of the tail end of a conversation my main character, Elum (yes, I changed his name or should I say he changed it for me?) and his mother:

“Elum?”

I look up to see her a hundred marks away, waiting patiently for me to catch up with her.

“Coming,” I call and trot down the path. “Thank you, Mother. Your words are always a comfort to me and I bless you for giving me life.”

“You give me too much power, my son,” she says smiling. “You’re father was also involved!” and with that she turns laughing and continues through the forest.

I know it's a brief taste and doesn't really show you what's happening, but I wanted to share that Elum is very close to his family even though they don't know he is a guardian or the danger he is in. (Please don't worry too much about the grammar, sentence structure, etc....just a reminder to anyone reading this blog and to myself "this is about quantity people, not quality. Editing comes in December."

Before I get back to Elum, I just wanted to put in a word about why I linked "The Golden Compass" movie trailer to my blog. New Line Cinema certainly doesn't need me advertising their movie (although they are obviously encouraging it by providing the code to pop it into your blog) but I wanted to add it because Philip Pullman's books known as "His Dark Materials" were a true literary shift for me. (Thank you Deb E. for introducing me to this amazing trilogy!) I'd never before read anything like them and to date that has not changed. If you haven't picked up "The Golden Compass," "The Subtle Knife," or "The Amber Spyglass" you've just got too! You also have to read them in order (follow the sequence I listed). Go, run lads, get ye to your nearest seller or lender of manuscripts and expand your literary experience. You won't regret it!

On another note: Congratulations to Deb E. for moving forward to swiftly with writing 100 words for 100 days! You go girl!

OK, Elum, here I come.

Not Too Bad a Start

It's the end of the weekend and although I only wrote today, I've got 2843 words so far. Not too bad for having a couple of hours this afternoon when I could really be quiet and concentrate. I think that will be the key, finding the time when it's quiet to really focus on the work.

I'm excited - we are off!

Getting Off to a Slow Start

I'm four days into NaNoWriMo and I'm just getting started on my novel. I hate excuses, but I must say I've been down for the count with a massive headache since late Wednsday....so crapppo, I just didn't have it in me to write. But now it's Sunday and I'm feeling a lot better and I'm off and running. I'm not going to think too much about what this might mean over the next month as far as how to catch-up because I will catch up.

...now...back to my novel....

On Your Mark, Get Set, GO

Less than five hours now before the official start of NaNoWriMo. I wonder how many of the 90,000+ are poised over their keyboards (let's remember that our friends in New Zealand and Australia have been going for quite some time now) ready to start typing like mad!

I've been contemplating whether to stay up and get started at 12:01am. I'm thinking --- NOT! I need my sleep and my fingers need to be fresh and for those of you who know me, I'm a morning person, not a night owl. Now I realize that after the clock strikes midnight we start calling those hours morning, but let's be reasonable here! I think starting at just after 6am over a bowl of cereal will be just fine.

So, "on your mark, get set, go..........................."

More Ideas for Adding Words

Yesterday when I was looking at the NaNoWriMo site for ideas on how to add words to make it to 50,000 one of the suggestions was to have the MC sing songs all the time. Along these lines of singing, I call Sarah my sunshine, which of course leads to numerous renditions of "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine....."

Tonight we had a fabulous second meal made in our new crockpot we got as a wedding gift. Now, please be fair and remember that right after the wedding we moved and have been settling in here in Flagstaff, so the fact that this is just our second meal is not really that big a thing.

But, I digress...

As we finished our great meal tonight it struck me, as if by a fairy's wand and Sarah helped me finish it out:

We love our crockpot
Our silver crockpot
It makes beef and chicken really good
No matter how hard
You try and screw up
Things come out just as they should

Now, if I can only get my MC to sing this at some point in the story --- I'll gain 30 words!

Freezing Sunday Morning

It's 37 degrees outside this morning and the wind is crazy wild! Although, at this particular moment it seems to be a bit calmer. Last night was like hearing a wailing cry that never rested.

Before I went to sleep last night I thought of some more great scenes and events for my novel. I'm keeping them in my sketchbook by my bed (really I carry this thing around with me everywhere). Why is it that all great ideas seem to come when you are almost asleep? Is the mind more relaxed and thus not distracted by daily life? Is the veil between conscious and unconscious blurred enough to let those gifts from beyond filter in? It's a mystery, but a fascinating one.

Anyway, my MC (main character) is going to be known to all as Guardian. His real name Jacob Mons is known only to his family who have not been in his life for decades or maybe a century (if I choose century that will have some interesting "time" implications for the story). Still looking for a name for the Seeker and the bad guy (girl). Suggestions?

I'm going to have a flash back scene where the Guardian is too late getting to his new Seeker to save him from the bad guys. The event will have happened just after Jacob completes his training and becomes Guardian. Having this happen is a way to create a memory that haunts my MC as he learns a new Seeker has been appointed to him.

Isn't this fun?! Yeah!

Finding the Words

I spent some time this afternoon looking at the forums on the NaNoWriMo site. There are a lot of people out there posting away like mad! It's pretty great! Everyone is gearing up for November and making some interesting suggestions on how to hit the 50,000 word count. For example:
"Put potato in as every other word."

"Have your MCs (Main Characters) fight like little kids a lot"

"Yes you did!"
"No I didn't."
"Yes you did!"
"No I didn't."
"Yes
you did!"
"No I didn't."
"Yes you did!"
"No I didn't."

"Describe everything in excruciating detail." (think Henry James)

It's all been fun, but it also made me finally decide to answer the question I've been avoiding for the past twelve days, "Just how many words a day are we talking about here?"

The answer (and don't all you wiz-kids answer without giving the rest of us a chance)?
1,667 words a day.

Can we all agree right now - at 10:06pm on a Saturday evening, that 1,667 words a day is a LOT? Yeah, I think so too! But, hey, all my friends are going to send me chocolate, chai, peanut M&Ms, lots of light and love and maybe some WORDS.........right?????? Right????? Please????

I don't mean to sound so pathetic and it's not even November yet. I'm really not too panicked! In fact, every day I think of more ways to add to my story --- the trick is to remember them in the heat of the moment (of course, I'm writing them down!). I'm still excited, jazzed, ready to pounce! So stay tuned, the mahem begins in 11 days!

Question of the Day: What's the book about?

I've been getting some encouraging words from friends and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. The main question seems to be, however, "What's it about?" I've put off a few of you for a few days now, so I thought I'd better live up to what I promised and give you all a synopsis. Here goes:

Basic PLOT: This is a story about a guarder of secrets, the seeker of knowledge he protects, and the power that wants the knowledge to unleash what is basically evil into the universe. The seeker knows he's looking for knowledge, but doesn't know what the knowledge is...or that the Guardian is there to protect him. The power that wants to unleash evil doesn't know exactly what the knowledge is either, but has tortured enough seekers to gain their knowledge, so he has more of a clue than my "virgin" seeker.

1. Spacial/Temporal Location: World where it is commonplace to travel between planets/Undisclosed time but definitely future human race
2. Main Character: Known as "The Guardian," he is a protector of Seekers. We won't know his born-name until later in the book (can't reveal any of those secrets in a synopsis, though).
3. Secondary Character: _____ (haven't quite got the name yet), "Virgin" Seeker the Guardian protects.
4. Bad Guy (Girl, actually): _____ (again, not sure of the name yet - think Trinity from the Matrix, but bad). She wants to have ultimate power.
5. Other Characters: All types of folk who help/hinder the Guardian, while he protects the Seeker who is looking for the knowledge.

So, that's it for now! This is going to be so fun! I'm really psyched about it!

Oh yeah, and about the Knowledge: No one Seeker has ever assembled all the Knowledge except in legend.

It's all about QUANTITY people!

So I'm reading through the intro email I got from NaNoWriMo and it's talking about the site, setting up your profile and then at the bottom are three and a half tips (yes a 1/2) on how to make it through the contest.

What is the contest you ask?
Let's do this really truly CRAZED thing: sit down and write 50,000 words in ONE MONTH! Yeap! 50,000 words - 30 days - November (do they realize Thanksgiving is in there?).

So what are the tips you ask? Here ya go - verbatim!

"1) It's okay to not know what you're doing. Really. You've read a lot of novels, so you're completely up to the challenge of writing one. No plot? No problem! If you feel more comfortable outlining your story ahead of time, absolutely do so. But it's also fine to just wing it. Write everyday, and a book-worthy story will appear, even if you're not sure what that story might be right now.

2) Do not edit as you go. Editing is for December. Think of November as an experiment in pure output. Even if its hard at first, leave ugly prose and poorly written passages on the page to be cleaned up later. Your inner editor will be very grumpy about this, but your inner editor is a nitpicky jerk who foolishly believes that it is possible to write a brilliant first draft if you write it slowly enough. It isn't. Every book you've ever loved started out as a beautifully flawed first draft. In November, embrace imperfection and see where it takes you.

3) Tell everyone you know that you're writing a novel in November. This will pay big dividends in Week Two, when the only thing keeping you from quitting is the fear of looking pathetic in front of all the people who've had to hear about your novel for the past month. Seriously. Email them now about your awesome new book. The looming specter of personal humiliation is a very reliable muse.

3.5) There will be times you'll want to quit during November. This is okay. Everyone who wins NaNoWriMo wanted to quit at some point in November. Stick it out. See it through. Week Two can be hard. Week Three is much better. Week Four will make you want to hug the world."

This is what I'll be doing the month of November. I'm going to need all the encouragement you can send me - See tip 3 - so please, keep it comin'!

Thanks for reading, jill

Finding my way around NaNoWriMo site

At the moment I'm not feeling very productive: just finding my way around the NaNoWriMo website ---- would love to spend a whole day doing this, but do I want to use a precious Saturday or Sunday to do this???

I find it very interesting that I'm even asking that question...(more on that later).

When setting up preferences, profiles on so many sites lately (not just NaNoWriMo, but Facebook, Connections) this takes a lot more time than I ever imagined. I'm finding that I think much more about how I am spending my "free" time. Except that I'm about ready to embark on a HUGE project in November to write 50,000 words of my novel! Holy Cow! 50,000 words!

I'll be emailing a bunch of my friends to request their support as I take on this challenge. So for those of you who've gotten that email and are now looking at this blog - thankyou! Thank you! And thanks!

I'm IN!

Well, "it's official" as the email says from NaNoWriMo. I'm committed to writing a novel in November --- so here we go!

I am so jazzed about this --- excited and curious about what the experience will be like. When will the great looming WALL appear and how hard will I be going when I hit it? 'cuz, it's bound to happen! You know it is....but hey, I'm game. I've got a cracken idea and it's gonna be a blast to see where these characters take me!

In the meantime, until November 1st that is....I'm psyching up! ~j

23 Days to Start

On November 1st, I'm going to start writing a novel. It's all part of NaNoWriMo. My friend Deb Eisloeffel did this last year and it was a real inspiration. In early 2007 after my job ended, I started creating the idea for my novel in my head and with a few notes on paper. Over the course of the next six months I started a new job, got an offer for an even better one, got married and moved to a new state, so the idea has been resting.

But now it's time to dust it off (that wasn't very creative). Now it's time to get ready to write write write.....so I named this blog "Just Keep Writing."

I'll keep this blog going during and hopefully after the process and we'll see what happens. In the meantime, just keep writing! ~j