May #WriteMotivation Goals

Wait, April’s over? What do you mean, April’s over? o.O

Between Camp NaNo and the A to Z Challenge, it feels like the month just kind of flew by. I managed to survive both events without wanting to hurt myself or anyone around me, so that’s a good thing, right?

Header image and thumbnail photograph by Hugh Lee and licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

1) Critique the stories I’ve been sent and get them back to their authors by deadlines.
So far, I have two in the queue, although I’m not ruling out acquiring others during the month.

2) Read at least 4 books.
Trying to keep pace with my goal to read 70 this year.

3) Write at least two posts for a NEW blog project.
New and secret… *rubs hands together and cackles*

4) Start outlining 2008 NaNo Project, code name: SK.
So I entered the goals before I started getting beaten over the head with an urban fantasy idea that kind of came out of nowhere and is already over a thousand words into the planning stages.

I’m kind of in love with my MC for this new story, in that I think he’s about 10 kinds of adorable and I just want to squish him. However, I have also had the climax of SK in my head for YEARS, and I desperately want to get that down on paper.

So this goal may change. WE’LL SEE.

5) Cheer on everyone else!
Rather self-explanatory, I believe.

April Camp NaNo – Week 4

Mmm, s’mores and writing.

Minimum word count for April 28: 28,000/30,000

My current word count: 27,772/30,000

Adventures in NaNoing: I FINISHED!

Yes, that’s pretty much the important thing here. I finally wrote “The End.” At some point in the next couple of weeks, I’ll probably skim through, clean it up as best I can, and prepare to send it to the people who, for reasons I cannot begin to fathom, actually want to read this thing.

(Also, my final word count? I am so happy it’s a palindrome and that was TOTALLY NOT PLANNED. )

Very Short Excerpt:
Completely unedited, as always.

“What are you waiting for, girl?” General Natriss demands. “I’m not going to stand around here all day. As soon as that shield comes down, I’m going to flay you alive!”

“That’s not really an incentive for me to take the shield down, is it?” I snap back, unable to stop myself from rising to her petty sniping.

General Natriss cackles. “Then take it down and we’ll talk this out like ladies, then. Over a cup of coffee.”

Ugh, coffee. I scowl at her. “Coffee is disgusting. Tea is so much better.”

From the way her eyes widen, you’d think that I had just insulted every member of her family, born and unborn. “You take that back, you…you…”

“Only uncultured, uncouth fools like coffee,” I continue, for no reason other than it is just absolutely hilarious to get her all riled up about this.

Her face twitches, and for a moment I think she’s going to have a seizure. Then her beautiful features harden into granite. “And tea is for spoiled, foppish brats who are too afraid to get their hands dirty.”

Something in her tone ignites a fire deep in my chest, and it’s all I can do not to punch her face right then.

April Camp NaNo – Week 3

This past week has been the kind of week where I just want to curl up on the couch with a book and just kind of remove myself from the world for awhile.

Between everything that happened in Boston, the 18th anniversary of the OKC bombing, the explosion in Texas, and some midnight tornado sirens and warnings halfway through the week, it was a week that just left me feeling stressed, tired, and heavy, for lack of a better word.

It’s times like this that writing has really helped. It gives me a chance to take a break from this world for a little while and channel those heavy feelings into creating another world. And when I come back, I’m a little stronger and a little more hopeful.

And even though last week reminded me that there is evil in our world, there were also moments like this that reminded me that the human capacity for love, compassion, and generosity will always outweigh it.

Mmm, s’mores and writing.

Minimum word count for April 21: 21,000/30,000

My current word count: 21,748/30,000

Adventures in NaNoing: I did a good job of keeping up with my word count this week, and I am so very close to the end of the book. I ended up having to break what I thought would be my penultimate chapter into two, so now, finally, I’m on chapter 19/20.

Also, trying to write while squished under the stairs with a sleeping bag and a pair of boots? Not as easy as it sounds.

Very Short Excerpt:
(Completely unedited, as always.)

“Transport Alpha Delta Zero Niner, report.”

After only the briefest of hesitations, Edgar punches a button and answers. “This is Transport Alpha Delta Zero Niner, over.”

“Transport, why aren’t you at your station?”

My heart stops, and then all I can hear is the pounding of blood in my ears. No. We can’t be found out now. Not when we’re so close.

“Technical trouble,” Edgar lies easily. “Our engine and navigation systems are on the fritz. We should arrive at our station shortly.”

We continue flying in silence for about thirty seconds. Just when I think we’re in the clear, the com crackles to life once again.

“Transport Alpha Delta Zero Niner, you are aware your station is in the other direction?”

April Camp NaNo – Week 2

Mmm, s’mores and writing.

Minimum word count for April 14: 14,000/30,000

My current word count: 14,243/30,000

Adventures in NaNoing: This week was our write-in for Camp NaNo, which was a lot of fun and surprisingly productive. We brought (or rather, Rebekah brought) the Box of Doom in case we needed to spur ourselves for writing, but our group generally did a good job about settling down and getting stuff done!

I wrote over 7,000 words on Saturday to get myself back on track. I also came to the conclusion that I may not need a full 30,000 words to finish out this novel, as after 14,000 words I’m down to the last two chapters and an epilogue.

In slightly related news, do you remember a few years back when, in a fit of procrastination, I ran just about everything I’d ever written through the “I Write Like” generator?

Well, I did it this week for the 2012 NaNo, which, as you may recall, is my Star Wars/Twilight/Fifty Shades of Grey crazy fanfic parody mash-up thing.

This is what I got:

I write like
Stephenie Meyer

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

I laughed like a maniac for about ten minutes straight.

Very Short Excerpt:
Completely unedited, as always.

“Do you know where the captain is?” Edgar asks me.

“No,” I say, “but we’ve got to hurry. He’s going to be executed at dusk.”

Nadine saunters up, sword and shield in hand. “Then we’d better get the hell out of here. And not just because the entire damn place is about to come down around our ears.”

MigMig trots up behind her, squeaking the entire time. And from above us, I hear an imperious QUACK!

I look up to see the professor still clinging to the serpent’s spike.

Nadine’s eyes widen in shock. “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

“I don’t think he is,” Edgar says. “Everybody on!”

“On?” I repeat, dumbfounded. “Wait, ON? You want us to get ON the giant man-eating snake?”

“Have you a better way of getting out of here without resistances from the guards?” Seb asks calmly.

I don’t, but it apparently doesn’t matter what I think, because Nadine has already jumped onto the giant snake and Edgar is helping MigMig get up. Well, quadruple crap.

April Camp NaNo – Week 1

Mmm, s’mores and writing.

Minimum word count for April 7: 7,000/30,000

My current word count: 3,352/30,000

Adventures in NaNoing: As you might be able to tell, I haven’t so much shot out of the gate this month as kind of hopped out and limped. Between work and finishing up a couple of projects I’m critiquing for others, I haven’t had as much time to write as I’d like.

However, today was shockingly productive, in that I wrote nearly 2,500 words. And I was able to get enough other stuff done that I’m fairly sure I’ll have some more time to write this week.

…And okay, yes, MAYBE I spent Saturday reading a Discworld book instead of writing. DON’T JUDGE ME.

In other news, the A to Z Challenge has been a lot of fun so far! I’ve enjoyed dropping by the other blogs to see what everybody’s doing for the month. Next week, most likely, I’ll post some of my favorite blogs I’ve been visiting.

Very Short Excerpt:
Completely unedited, as always.

We eat in silence, finishing off the gruel in our bucket. (I have no idea if it’s actually gruel, but by God that’s what I imagine something called “gruel” would taste like.) Nadine examines the empty bowls and bucket, looking as though she’s trying to consider how to use them to get out.

From across the hall, I hear a zap and a loud “QUACK!”, and then Professor VonQuack smacks against the back of their cell, his yellow feathers singed and smoking.

I jump to my feet. “Professor! Are you all right?”

The response is a wave of a wing and a faint “Quack.”

“The professor says he’s quite all right, and he thanks you for your concern, Miss Lia,” Seb says.

August Camp NaNo Wrap-Up and September #WriteMotivation

Well, Camp NaNo is over for another year, and I think I *might* be overdoing it trying to get in three 50k months in one year. I did pretty well and got a big chunk of the beginning of my novel written, but between paying work and a writing contest, I missed the 50k mark.

Mmm, s’mores and writing.

Minimum word count for August 30: 50,000/50,000

My final word count: 46,539/50,000

Adventures in NaNoing: The day job alternated between good and frustrating this week: good because I got the opportunity to launch a couple of websites that sorely needed it, and frustrating because I spent quite a bit of the week troubleshooting problems to no avail.

There are still several work-related things I need to finish, particularly since we’re taking all of next week off. I’m looking forward to it, but that means I need to clear my plate so I can actually enjoy it.

Plus, I completely forgot Friday was August 31, so I spent most of the day rapidly editing three pieces to enter in a writing contest. I got them shipped off an hour before the post office closed, though, so I feel like I did accomplish something.

Not to mention I spent Friday night hanging out with some writing friends. Considering how much of my time is spent in front of a screen (web dev by day, writer by night), it’s nice to get out and talk with other people, especially other writers.

Very Short Excerpt:
Completely unedited, as always.

He sat across from her and put the papers neatly together, then drew the quill with a flourish. “Name?”

She’d seen shorter contracts on the king’s desk. Kiral blinked. “That whole thing?”

“Hmm?” Rety looked up at her, his pale eyes guileless and confused. “What whole thing?”

Kiral pointed at the stack of papers. “That whole thing. That’s what you want me to answer?”

“Oh!” He seemed to realize what she meant. “Oh, no no. Not at all.”

She relaxed. Maybe this wouldn’t be quite as bad as she feared.

“This is just the first part,” Rety said. “There’s another two.”

And September #WriteMotivation goals!

1) Finish Buzz stuff by Sept. 10.
2) Edit 5 chapters of the ’06 NaNo per week.
3) Post to the blog twice a week.
4) Post at least 2 reviews.
5) Comment on at least 3 other blogs each week.