50,000

I did it. I hit 50,000 words tonight and am on schedule to finish this novel tomorrow. Now, if only I could think of a title for this beast.

 PS I recently started watching Parenthood and am so disappointed that Lauren Graham and Peter Krause are siblings. I'm still holding onto the hope that they will hook up.

Updates

1. My hands are freezing.

2. I'm super behind on my novel.

3. I hate reviewing books.

4. I'm taking a blogging break until December at the earliest.

5. I finished The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan. My least favorite book of hers, but I just started rereading The Hundred Secret Senses my favorite Amy Tan.

PS I just realized that midnight has come and gone and it's now Thanksgiving. I was going to make a list of everything I'm thankful for, but I decided that everything on the list was kind of generic. Although, I do want to say I'm so thankful for my parents. They're the best.

So here's a little video from one of the HIMYM (How I Met Your Mother) Thanksgiving episodes. 

This show is keeping me sane. Not watching it? Start right now.

“There are no ski lifts in the world of creativity. You gotta haul your own ass up the slope every time you want to come back down it. It’s not so bad, the more you climb up, the stronger you get, and the higher you can go, which makes for better runs.”

-Fred Gallagher

Meme Monday (NaNoWriMo edition)

Meme from here.

When and how did you find out about NaNoWriMo? From people's 101 in 1001 lists.

How many times have you done NaNoWriMo? Counting this one, one.

How many times have you won? If you haven’t won, what was your best result? n/a and n/a

How did you do last year (or your last participation)? n/a

Where do you write and with what do you write? I write in bed usually, or on the floor. I like to write lying down with my computer. I have however written parts of my novel in my car in a notebook with a pen.

How do you find time to write? I write in the morning. I usually make myself write for an hour straight. The first four days of writing I hit my word quota in that one hour of writing. If you divide it up evenly, writing 50,000 words in 30 days means you only have to write 1667 words a day. It's not that bad.(But I'm currently behind by ~5000 words... argh!)

Are your partners, friends and family allies or enemies? I've only told one other person I'm doing this. She's been great.

What are your strengths and what do you use to help you get to the end? I'm a fast typer. I don't have any issues with writing down everything that comes into my head for a particular scene. I think that's only because I'm not treating this like a real work. I know it's rough, I know a lot of it's crap.

What are you weaknesses, obstacles and challenges that hinder you from finishing? One of my weaknesses in writing is descriptive passages, but I'm trying to turn that into a strength by describing everything I can in my novel. It also adds to the word count, so bonus there. My biggest challenge is making myself write in the time I have. Sometimes it's hard to get started. Once I do though, I'm usually OK for the day.

Do you plot/outline/plan or do you write by the seat of your pants? How much do you plot or how unprepared are you? I plotted a little before the month started and I try to have a rough idea of what scene I'm going to write next when I stop each day. That way I can jump right into the writing the next morning. But I am currently learning a lot about my characters and the story as it goes along. I have no idea how it's going to end.

Do you participate in the real life community, go to write ins and meet ups in your area? I don't have time. They all meet when I'm busy.

What are your writing aids? Special snacks, music, totems, rewards or punishments? I rewarded myself with a prize when I hit 10,000 words. I have another prize for when I hit 25,000 words. I try not to listen to music or do anything else while I'm writing. That way I really concentrate on what I'm doing.

How to use an apostrophe.

A nice reminder for everyone. 

I'm currently several thousand words behind on my NaNoWriMo novel, so apostrophes are the least of my worries. However, I'm sure there are some people out there who are ahead in the word count, or not doing NaNoWriMo at all who will find this useful. 

It just occurred to me that even though I started this blog so I'd have a place to update my progress throughout the read-a-thon it doesn't have to be a blog strictly about books.

Sure, I love books and I love reading, but I also love other things. Like knitting, TV and movies, playing handbells, good food, my new Filofax, Sporcling. And I'm also doing other things. Like trying to figure out my life and being a babysitting machine.

So these things might start cropping up here.

“Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it, and above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light.”

-Joseph Pulitzer

Meme Monday

I finally finished the beast that was the first meme for Meme Mondays. This one is much shorter (even shorter since I deleted some of the questions) and comes from here. Go there for the full meme.

What's your favourite reading spot now that the weather's turning? (if your climate is changing for the warmer, the question still applies!) Bed. I almost always read in bed unless I'm not at home, or it gets unbearably too hot (but I have a high tolerance, especially when my only movement is turning pages).

What single book sums up the Autumn/Fall season for you? The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier. I have reread it every year for the past few years, usually around this time. Autumn can be a stressful season what with the homework and holidays. I like rereads and children's books at this time because they're comforting and familiar.

What books are you hoping/expecting to read between now and Christmas? (a selection is fine)... I'd love to reread all the Harry Potters and the Chronicles of Narnia before I see the films.

What's the best book you read over the summer? I really enjoyed The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. 

Do you like to turn leaves, or are you a Kindle convert? Definitely a fan of paper books.

Ten Rules for Writing Fiction

This article is great. I especially love Margaret Atwood's, Neil Gaiman's and Helen Simpson's bits of advice.

NaNoWriMo Laments

1. While I like my story (mostly), I'm pretty sure no one else will.

2. The main impetus for my story is something I know nothing about (drugs and drug dealing). Eh... once I get past the part I'm slogging through right now, it will mostly be relegated to MacGuffin status (hopefully).

3. I was writing like a beast for the first 4 days. I would sit down, write for about an hour, hit all the plot points I'd planned to and hit my goal for word count. But I've slowed down am already behind and it isn't even the end of the first week.

I think I've slowed down mostly because I've hit a really boring point in my story. I'm trying to write it chronologically because I'm pretty sure if I let myself skip around, I'll end up with all the main episodes of my novel and nothing to connect them to each other. Or only the exciting parts will get written and huge chunks of the story will be missing. Hopefully I'll be able to make myself bust out this one bit quickly and be back on track to finish on time.

And not a lament:

I'm actually having fun. It's kind of cool to just type words (I think my typing might have improved in the last few days). There's been very little editing, lots of crap coming out, possibly tons of continuity errors (it's impossible to keep track of all the small details of the plot when writing this quickly, but it's liberating. It's crap, who cares? I'm writing for the first time in forever, and I'm going to reach my goal of 50,000 words. Unless it kills me.

Remember, Remember the Fifth of November

Happy Guy Fawkes Day everyone!

This week has been crazy, so I dug out one of my favorite books, The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier. I've reread it almost every year since I first read it.

I like to read something familiar when life gets crazy (as it always does around this time of year, what with school in the past, work in the present and the holidays always). This year I have the added stress of trying to complete NaNoWriMo around strange schedules, practices, family dinners and trips. I'm already over 2,000 words behind. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up between today and Sunday.

“Talent is helpful in writing, but guts are absolutely necessary.”

-Jessamyn West

Meme Monday

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
~$400, I think. It was on textbooks.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
If I’m just browsing and see something that looks interesting, I usually open the book to somewhere near the back and read a little before I buy it. If I’m looking for a specific book that I’m really set on reading, I usually pick it up without looking through it first.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?

Only really bad writing or terrific boredom.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?

Yes, but I now have too few shelves and too many books, so there are a lot of them sitting in unorganized piles on my floor.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?

Keep books.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy as mentioned before.

52. Name a book that made you angry.

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. I thought the end was such a cop out.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?

I really enjoyed The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I didn’t think I would because it was recommended to me by a friend with very different taste in books.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?

I expected to like Lighthousekeeping  by Jeanette Winterson more than I did. I also expected to like Then We Came to the End  by Joshua Ferris more than I did. I didn’t even finish it.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?

Anything from my youth.

This is the last of the first meme for Meme Monday! Now I have to find another for next week... I liked just being able to hit post for the last four weeks.

In other news, I'm starting nanowrimo this week. Check it out here. The website is pretty slow. I think that's because today is the first day, so the site is getting a lot of traffic. I fully expect to fail miserably at this challenge (why did they put it in November? If the rest of the world is like me, this is one of the craziest months of the year), but hopefully I'll get some writing done. We'll see. 

Also, most of my posts this month will be related to NaNoWriMo. Just a warning.