Tag Archives: NaNoWriMo

I am delighted to announce that I am a second-time NaNoWriMo winner! Woo hoo! My final word tally for November for Patterns in the Void is 51,470.

Okay, so maybe you noticed that I said it was the final count for November. Nope, the novel isn’t done. In fact, the next scene I have to write is the midpoint. I’m halfway there.

Today I also finished up the essay I’m writing, that will be shared with my women’s spirituality group on Tuesday. I’m pleased with how it came out, and I plan to publish or share it in some way after the gathering.

I’ve been really slacking on the blogging, this past week. I’ve posted here, but I’ve been neglecting my Starcat’s Corner blog, and I need to write a newsletter post for Feline Dreamers, too. I also need to get caught up with the final few episodes of The Conquer Summit. And of course, holiday preparations are beginning in earnest now, and I’ve been plotting and planning what gifts to give to my family and friends. Some things we make, and other things we shop for, and of course there’s the decorating and baking and all the other fun holiday traditions. I made holiday cards with my Mom, my Aunt, my daughter ElvenTiger, BlackLion, and a good friend and her son on Saturday, which was both fun and productive.

I’m trying not to let my admittedly huge to-do list overwhelm me.

Luckily, I have tools and techniques to help me relax and calm down when I feel like there’s too much going on. It helps that a lot of the projects I have on my plate are things that I consider fun. I’m so thankful that I’ve been creating my life that way over the past few years. It’s a nice thing to do for myself, and I think it makes me a better person to be around, too.

Lest this all sound too self-congratulatory, I know I still have a lot to learn, in many areas of my life. I’m blessed that I’m here now and that I have the support and love of my family, so that I can focus on turning my dream career of writer (as well as artist and musician) into a reality.

Many blessings to you on your creative work and all your passions!

I think the best way to do today’s update is in chronological order. It’s been an interesting few days since the last ROW 80 check-in.

Thursday was a busy day, as always – it’s when we attend our weekly homeschool co-op. Afterwards, though, I had the evening free for writing. I came home and BlackLion and I cleaned the house, and then I sat down to write. Later, we made dinner and ate, then we put together the newsletter for our business, Feline Dreamers.

On Friday I got a lot done on the business, and got to a bunch of other little tasks that I’d been meaning to finish. It was a productive day, and I passed the 25,000 mark for my NaNo novel – a day early! So, that was really good.

Except…

I realized that I had to add some kind of major sub-plot or something to the book. You see, the target for NaNoWriMo is 50,000 words in a month. But the target for this book, based on a bit of research into average work counts for the genre, is 95,000 words. And given where I was, about one-quarter of the way through the book, and the quick timeline for my main character until the big midpoint plot twist…well, I didn’t know what to write about in all that big open space.

It was proving to be a problem. I felt like I was blocked, but I didn’t want to freak out. It was a minor writing crisis. Been there, done that.

So, I took Saturday off from writing, and used it for some more plotting and planning. I relaxed and got in a creative space, brainstorming and bouncing some of my ideas off Quester, seeking his advice. I’m lucky to be surrounded by fellow creative story-loving family members. I love them.

Anyway, I came up with a great solution. I decided to include the back-story of my antagonist, telling his life story and weaving it in with the present-moment events of the novel. I can totally make it work, and I’m satisfied with the solution.

But that meant I had to figure out how to weave it into the part of the tale that I’ve already written.

So, starting today and for the next five days after this, I’ll be writing the story of Edmund the Magnificent. Today I went to rehearsal – we’re learning some cool new “bucket drumming” for an upcoming gig – and afterwards I started writing the first of the flashback scenes. I’m pretty pleased with how it’s coming along.

Tonight we went to a fun show – it’s an improv comedy troupe based in Portsmouth, NH, whose shows are centered around role-playing games like D&D. They’re called Dorks in Dungeons, and they’re hilarious! We just got home, and that’s why my update is so late.

I hope you enjoyed my somewhat strange tale. It was an unusual weekend, but everything turned out well. This week my intentions are to stay on track with NaNo, practice my drumming every day, promote the hard copies of Cultivating Self-Love, and catch up on the Conquer Summit videos and homework. Among other things. May the rest of your month be productive and fun!

That’s the working title of my NaNoWriMo novel, Patterns in the Void. The word “patterns” will definitely stay, though I’m not sure about the rest of it. It’s a draft, though, so it’s okay with me if the title is in draft form, too. It’s an urban fantasy, with sort of a mystery twist. Here’s the premise:

Cassie lives for the stage, but the mysterious disappearance of her performance troupe’s leader on the eve of their big tour soon leads her down dark pathways.

Intrigued?

I’m having a lot of fun with it so far, and I’m at 10,554 words as of this moment. Woo hoo!

Blogging is still proceeding according to plan.

Some of my other goals, though, are on hold a bit as I focus on getting into the NaNo groove. Overall, I’m feeling good, and feeding my creative fires is having a positive ripple effect on the rest of my life. We’ll see where it all goes.

This afternoon, my main task is to make food for tonight’s homeschool group and for Dryst’s soccer banquet tomorrow evening. Shepherd’s pie and homemade mac & cheese, to be specific (hungry now? You’re welcome). I guess even in November, life goes on and the teens need to eat!