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First Tuesday (Or Better Late Than Never)

by Silver James 3 November 2009 5 Comments

killthemall Which would be today. Right? Ack. I have this marked on every calendar in my house. As soon as I post this, I am going to my iPhone calendar to add the first Tuesday on every month from now until 2011! I started to say Doomsday, but some people think that’s going to happen in December 2012. Luckily, I’m going to take my long sea cruise in January 2010, my first book FAERIE FATE comes out April 9, 2010 and The Only gets married in January 2011. That should take care of everything long before the Mayan calendar runs out. Right? That was a resounding bit of silence out there.

Today is a ramble. National Novel Writing Month started with a bang for me Sunday. I ripped off almost 2500 hundred words. Unlike previous starts on a new WIP, my characters played nicely and remained in their own POV, no shifting back and forth. Details were forthcoming. The setting set up nicely. Monday? Uhm…not so much. I managed to get just enough words to stay on track for the minimum track. I have my word count chart set to show what I need to reach 50,000 words by midnight on November 30, ie. 1667 words a day. In actuality, if I can write 2000-2500 words a day, I can have a finished first draft ready to polish, revise and edit rather than the first 2/3 of a novel. That is my goal this year–not just 50K words, but a “real” novel. I’m hoping Iffy will come out of the closet tomorrow and play nicely.

I have no idea why she’s sulking. This is the story she’s wanted to write since RWA nationals. I have terrific characters. I even have photographic representations for ALL of the major characters. That’s a first for me. I’ll often have a picture of the hero, occasionally for the heroine, and never for the villain or secondary characters. I’ve got a plot that should provide enough twists and dark alleys for my pantser tendancies to exploit. The words should not be drying up at this point in time.

Personally, I think it’s time to break out the World’s Finest Chocolate. With almonds! Do you remember selling that candy for school fund raisers? Oh. My. Gosh! Best. Chocolate. EVER! So, writers? What do you do when the words don’t/won’t come? (And you forget it’s your day to blog?) Inquiring minds (and blank ones) want to know!

5 Comments »

Sandra Leigh said:

I changed narrators today, and that got me over the brick wall I hit yesterday. I know I can’t keep switching POV, but the one I was using just wasn’t working, and this one feels absolutely right.

I have noticed that NaNoWriMo makes me think I can eat anything I want. I’ve just lost 32 pounds, I’m feeling great, and suddenly pumpkin spice muffins and carrot cake sound like just what the doctor ordered. I may end up with 50,000 words and 50 pounds to my credit by the end of the month. As that song from “The Music Man” goes – “Write a little -eat a little -write a little -eat a little -write, write, write -eat a lot, write a little more.” (paraphrased!)

# 3 November 2009 at 9:59 pm

Silver James (author) said:

Changing narrators can often provide a way over, around, or through the wall. Sometimes, changing tense will do it, too. One year, I switched from 3rd person to 1st and I was off to the races! For about 30,000 words. LOL Then I had to switch back. Eventually, I revised the whole book into 3rd person.

Congratulations on the weight loss. I keep telling my metabolism that NaNo calories don’t count!

# 3 November 2009 at 10:39 pm

Lavada Dee said:

Sandra, 32 lbs oh my gosh thats wonderful. I’ve lost 22 and still have quite a ways to go. I’ve never done the NaNoWriMo but after following others this year I may do it next year.

To answer Silver’s question “What do you do when the words don’t/won’t come? (And you forget it’s your day to blog?) Inquiring minds (and blank ones) want to know!”

I HATE it when I forget anything and usually go through an initial beat myself up. Then I take a deep breath and go into the First Day (Minute) of the rest of my life. As for words, I give myself permission to write pure junk that I absolutely know I’ll need to revise. It’s sort of freeing.

# 4 November 2009 at 5:54 pm

Silver James (author) said:

Lavada, that’s really why I enjoy NaNoWriMo. For 30 days, I give myself permission to write…junk if the good words don’t flow. Sometimes I get lucky and really good words come. I love when my characters decide to play nicely and then a really unusual twist turns and I’m galloping off in a direction I’d never considered. Being pantser at heart, I live for those moments!

And congrats to you, too! 22 pounds is awesome. Good luck on the rest of your journey to goal!

# 4 November 2009 at 6:52 pm

Katrina Stonoff said:

Silver … ahem … the iPhone thing may not work. I have my day (which was last Wednesday) marked on my iPhone already, and you may notice there is no post that day.

What makes me write is Dr. Wicked’s Write or Die. I really HATE it when the page turns from pink to red, and I find I’ll keep typing just to keep it white. And usually, once I start typing, the drek fairly quickly turns back into the story.

Congrats on the weight loss, girls! Sandra, don’t let Nano sabotage all your work. You’ve worked hard for the svelte new shape!

# 15 November 2009 at 9:14 am