Me, too & a Question to All JaNo-ers

I, too, am giving up the ghost. My NaNo story just wasn't cooperating, and I refuse to waste my writing time on a story that isn't useable. So, I'm back to editing "Return to Stiller Creek" and working on the new "A Jewel For Geoff" instead.

Good luck to the NaNoers out there!

Also, to the folks here at the JaNoWriMo blog -- is there any reason or interest to keep this blog open? If not, I'm going to shut it down. Though I do admit to having a January NaNo on my mind...

Please let me know?

Throwing In The Towel

Yeah, I know the month isn't even half over, but I'm so far behind that I don't think I'm going to catch up. I've thought a lot about Marianne's post and I think she's right. At least for this year, I don't think I need to prove to myself that I can write the 50K.

It's not that I don't like the plot I've come up with, or the characters, but right now I feel like I have a big dissembled puzzle in front of me and not enough time to put it together in a way that's going to make me happy in the end. Meanwhile, I have a finished manuscript that needs editing and another that's almost finished that I really like.

I only got to about 11500 words, but for now I'm just going to put it aside and take a look at it sometime down the road. Maybe I can make it into a novella or something.

Good luck to everyone else who are still hanging in there!

Bowing Out

My NaNoWriMo journey is coming to an early end. I need to focus on getting the book completed by December 1st and don't have time to be counting words and thinking about anything else but submitting the best manuscript I can. Good luck to everyone still participating! No matter if you hit 50K or not, you're a winner!

URGH

So... I started writing on my NaNo book again yesterday and ... it sucks. It's boring, it has almost no conflict, and the characters are wooden.

Yes, really.

And, I contemplated and considered and realized -- I HATE editing. HATE it. Especially when there are major plot changes. So the question I asked myself was: do I push through (because I know I can get 50,000 really sucky words) or do I stop, breath, and brainstorm a little bit so that when this thing is done, it's actually something I can use.


Truth?

I want it to be something I can use. So, for the next couple of days, I'm going to stop writing and start thinking. I'm going to consider what my real conflict is (because the one I thought I have isn't one as it turns out), what the black moment will be (because, oddly, I never had one in mind) and how I can flesh out my characters a little better.

I know that's not what NaNo is about. I know I'm supposed to say "Damn the torpedos (or in this case, the plot) and full speed ahead!", but the last time I did that, I got 50,000 words and a story that was shelved, never to see the light of day.

That's just a stupid waste of time. I don't need to prove to myself I can write a novel -- I've done that. I need to use my time wisely. Do I hope I can jump back in and still make my goal? Absolutely. If I know where I'm going, then writing 2000 words or more a day shouldn't be out of the question.

So... that's where I am. Wish me luck.

Hanging on....sort of

Well, I'm still at it. I'm so painfully far behind though, that I'm doubting my ability to finish this.

I revamped the characters, started it fresh and like the story much much better, but there have been so many distractions that it seems impossible to write. Everyone seems to gather in the dining room (ie the office) and they chat and sing and have a grand ole time.

Or I'm running errands. Today it was groceries. Tomorrow it's laundry. Never can catch a break! But at least I can bring a notebook with me tomorrow over laundry. At least I can find some quiet at the laundramat.

Anyway, I'm at 7624 words (sorry, no cute writopia potato guys). I've got a loooong way to go to catch up!!

But one bit of good news... the girls (2 of them) are going over for a sleepover at a friends tonite. So it'll be somewhat quiet.

Back at it

I had surgery on Thursday so haven't written in days. I'm not even sure where I am, but I'll try to figure it out. I'm hoping to write today. I did some revising on paper this weekend, but it hurts to sit at my computer too long so haven't done much typing at all. The book is due December 1 so I'm a bit panicky.