arc of time

last year i had no idea what i was getting into. october ended with me needing something to fill time and a big void in my life. i think it was probably seth who first mentioned nanowrimo to me. so i decided what the heck, how hard can it be?

and the truth is it wasn’t. i blazed through last year’s nano with almost no stopping. i wrote a lot with jamsmooth and was done with 50,000 and then more way past that.

this year was different. first, i knew what i was getting into and knew i could be successful. second, the book was a lot harder. a lot. the story was not one that i felt as connected to as last year’s. the character did not jump at me like my characters in “minority” did. and i wrote in the first person, which i discovered was very, very hard.

but i did. nano 2009 is in the books and i am a winner, limping over the finish line sometime friday morning with 50,046 written. the story, a sort-of murder mystery set in las vegas, features as it’s key character the son of a billionaire hiding from life and solving crimes in las vegas. it was tough to write. i don’t know if it’s any good.

but i did it. and i am a nano winner, again.

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Now playing: The Decemberists – The Crane Wife 1 & 2
via FoxyTunes

Tags: nano, nanowrimo, nanowrimo 2009, odds, writing

well, about 2/3 of the way through nanowrimo now and i have about 12,000 words to go. almost nothing. it had been slower for sure this year. for one reason, i am just busier. so much going on this year and in particular on the weekends has really taken that time away from me. last year i banged out 5,000 to 6,000 words on a weekend, this year i fail to even hit the daily quota.

also the story is harder. last year’s just flowed out of me and this year’s has been much more challening. it’s first person, a murder mystery and also not a story i have been writing in my head for a year like last year’s.

i am going to finish, there is almost no doubt about that. fortunately i have the train and bus ride every day and despite some google docs challenges i have been cranking the words out while in transit.

speaking of which, better get back to it. i only have a week left….

Tags: nanowrimo, writing

i am doing nonwrimo again. for the uninitiated, nanowrimo is national novel writing month. the basic idea is people all over the world try to complete the first draft of a 50,000 word novel from november 1 to november 30.

i did it last year, penning the first part of a book called “minority” which was all about four people who meet on a marta bus. i found the experience exhilarating and like all things that make you that pumped up tremendously challenging. it forced me to find time in my day to write every day no matter what and it made me look inside of myself for reserves of creativity i didn’t think i had.

so i am doing it again in 2009. i started at midnight on the first with a 4,000 word writing session and have been writing ever since. this year’s novel is calledd “odds” and it’s a bit of a thriller/mystery novel set in las vegas. who knows where it will go, it certainly isn’t as clear as last year’s was but i am having fun with it.

friend me if you are doing it too, i am jeherv on nano of course

Tags: nanowrimo, writing

well, i finished part one of minority yesterday on the bus. it clocked in at just over 52,000 words and i am considering that my official entry into nanowrimo.

so i guess i did it. it’s 50,000+ and is a story on it’s own.

but i am not done. i have three more parts to finish the story and i am going to go for it. i owe it to these characters.

i am taking two days off though.

Tags: 'minority', nanowrimo, writing

for the first few weeks i was absolutely cruising on my novel. recently it has been a lot harder. i feel like i am in the weeds with no way out. the writing is definitely coming slower and harder. i am still getting the quota or more in every day (i wrote 2200 words yesterday) and i am now over 39,000 words. there is no doubt that i will get to 50K, probably by the end of next week. i am hoping to wrap up section one of the novel by the end of november and make that my wrimo. i will still hav three sections to write.

i have read several pieces on writing and they all say that “page 70″ is the hard part. the part where the story stops making sense, the freshness of the novel had worn off, and you start thinking of other stories to write.

but i am going to finish this one. i have been having a difficult week mentally and i am sure that is translating into harder writing too, so hopefully as that clears up the flow will come back.

either way, this book is getting done.

Tags: nanowrimo, writing

well i am now passed the halfway point of the nanowrimo. in fact i blew by it today getting just north of 27,000 words in my novel, which i am titling minority.

i actually think it is going to be a ton longer than 50,000 words. it may end up being north of 100,000 by the time it is done and i fully do intend to finish it. this story is way to enjoyable for me to get out. i am loving writing it and learning more about my characters as they evolve.

interesting, but over the last two days i have been writing the introduction to the fifth protagonist and he is by far the hardest for me to write. he is a teenage black guy who lives off of bankhead in a pretty tough family situation. by far he is the hardest of the protagonists i have had to write. so trying to get in the mood i have downloaded and been listening to some music i wouldn’t normally listen to; most notable one clifford harris.

and damn it’s catchy. really.

either way, reco, i have decided on the best track for us to translate – ride wit’ me.

totally.

Tags: nanowrimo, t.i., writing

i have been writing like crazy. it’s probably why i haven’t been posting yet (that and i know i want to post about the election i am jut not ready yet) but i am having a blast with nanowrimo. i had planned to make it to 14k last night but i got inspired pretty heavily with a new characted, called “the neighbor” and i spent about an hour after the hawks game pushing myself up above 15,000 words.

i am really happy with my story too. so much so that i am almost losing myself in it the way i hope a reader would. i think it might be good. not sure yet, but it really could be.

i have settled on the working title “minority” too, based on the old blog post that is serving as the inspiration for the novel.

Tags: nanowrimo, writing

so at annie’s prodding i am going to take the plunge.

i have registered for nanowrimo and i am going to try to do it. for those that don’t know the basic idea is for the entire month of november you write like crazy in an attempt to complete a 50,000 word novel by the end of the month (about 175 pages.) rough draft only, no editing.

i even have a topic picked out (i was waffling between two, but a conversation with jamsmooth convinced me of the direction i should go.)

wish me luck. frequent updates for sure.

other atl’ers i know of giving it a shot – annie, jamsmooth and seth.

good luck to each!

Tags: blogging, nanowrimo, the novel, writing