Sunday 30 November 2014

30 November - the final day of NaNo 2014 - let's just see...

A year ago today I had to write 8,800 words in one day just to reach 50,448 words to complete NaNo 2013 - thankfully NaNo 2014 has been an entirely different experience. Last Saturday on day 22, I reached the 50,004 target :-) As you can see from my NaNo widget I have a added a little extra but today 30th November, the very last day, I need to go for it... purely for my own satisfaction I need to see if I can hit the next magic number. I have no idea where the plot will come from but I know I must write.

So, my starting word count is 53,414 words, let's crack on and see what happens by the end of today...

UPDATE: in four hours I have written 6691 words which took my total to a fabulous 60,019 words... woohoo!

I validated with the website, who generously to gave me a beautiful words count of 60,105 - done and dusted for this year folks... whose up for Nano 2015?

Saturday 29 November 2014

A Hard Day's Write - Library of Birmingham - update

A brief note to mention an event 'A Hard Days Write' taking place today on the second floor of the  Library of Birmingham - a marathon writing session where participating writers (me!) will follow each other in writing a specific story. Like in a relay each writer will complete a set time and follow the work and style previously set by the other writers.

I'll give a full account of the day in a follow up later.

I plan to dedicate tomorrow to NaNoWriMo - I hit the 52,000 words then paused due to the day job but tomorrow I am going for it... let's see what I can achieve on the final day!

Enjoy!

Update:

Yesterday was a day of firsts. Firstly, I didn't write at 2pm as planned by the organisers but at midday, as one writer didn't show for their slot. I turned up early just to let them know I was on site and eager to write at 2pm.... within seconds I was seated and filling the midday gap!

If you're a regular follower you'll know that the genre I pay the least attention to is sci-fi. I have no feel for it, no understanding of the elements or minutia that relates to the genre. Boy how I chuckled, to myself, when I sat down to find... a sci-fi story started at 9am by the first writer. I'm not one to shy away from anything so off I went. I didn't have time to moan, sulk or think about the wonderful possibilities if it had been a romance... I simply started to type. Me writing sci-fi - now that was a first! I managed 800 words in the time given and yes, I took the story slightly off course (I had to introduce a tall, dark and handsome) but I retained the sci-fi element and left the next writer entering a sterile room decorated in stainless steel.... Lord knows where he took it after me.

Partway through my write, the organiser Iain Grant switched the projector leads; my typing was projected onto the ceiling in an instant - yep, a first for me in the Library of Birmingham. It seemed strange making spelling errors that everyone could see in an instant and yes, I nimbly changed them hoping nobody noticed.

A moment of delight was when I needed a male name for a new character - a young lad walked by so I cheekily asked 'what's your name?' I pointed to the ceiling and he watched as he 'Dylan' became the new character mentioned in conversation - also a first, hubby usually gets the job of quick fire input.

All in all, my time slot whizzed by, I was pleased that I participated, which again was a first for me, and would gladly participate in future. I don't know how the story ended, what the word count reached or whether 'Dylan' remained or disappeared but what I do know is that us writers need all the creative stimulation we can get; in any form, at anytime and in any location - yesterday ticked all the creative boxes for me.

I can only thank @IainMGrant and @HeideGoody for allowing me to participate in their event - cheers!

A Hard Day's Write: me busily writing Sci-Fi... a first!


Saturday 22 November 2014

Nano Day 22 = 50,004 words complete!

There isn't much to say other than... I have surprised myself - woohoo!
So, I'm off to enjoy the champers and have a little read of my Jill Mansell book.


Monday 17 November 2014

NaNo day 17 - woohoo!

As my NaNo word count widget depicts I'm currently at 42,454 - an amazing achievement for me. I can honestly say the words are simply flowing and I'm not about to stop anytime soon. I'm not even going to attempt to analyze for reasons why? I'm just going with it.

Last year on 23rd day my word total was 33,000 word count - which gives you a fair comparison regards my current progress.

I intend to continue until the 30th November so we'll see where I end up.

For now, I'll just keep plodding x




Saturday 8 November 2014

NaNoWriMo meets OCD

This week NaNo 2014 has shaken my world. In order to write 1667 words a day, I've had to change my routine drastically: it's been a while since I saw 5am! Yet, this week he's become my new best friend as I changed my alarm clock to write before work. OMG it was a shock but well worth the effort as 500 words before the day job begins is not to be sniffed at!

I've written during my break time  and lunchtime - when I usually read a book (which I have missed doing). Then once home from the day job I've completed another 100 minutes. Yep, I know slightly weird but hey when NaNoWriMo meets OCD... well anything can happen (including 'cod or a minnow')*

But, it's been worth it; I've had my best ever start to NaNo reaching the fifteen and a half thousand mark by week one!

A positive side effect has been my re-evaluation of my daily energy focus day job v writing job - which is always the litmus test for me. Plus the massive high I've experienced from yet again being involved in this crazy event. I've also encountered numerous new NaNoers on-line and one in the flesh!

So given that I'm wide awake at 2am on a Saturday morning I'll love and leave you to notch up a few hundred words on my NaNo project.

My aim this week is to continue the routine and get further ahead just incase life deals me a nightmare day later in the month.

Enjoy x


* an anagram of NaNoWriMo OCD

Follow up: I stayed up and simply NaNoed through the night - see what I mean about this crazy event?

Follow up 2: OMG! The NaNo madness hasn't subsided and so.... I have just clocked up my 25,013th word in just 9 days!!!!! Proof is attached.

 

Sunday 2 November 2014

NaNo Day 1 and Day 2

Day one

It's here! The crazy world of NaNo began for me late on Saturday evening of 1st November having arrived home from Ireland I sat down to write. It felt so good to be purely writing and the words flowed beautifully and in no time at all I had my reached and exceeded the daily target with 1690 words. Goodnight and thank you x

Day two - I had the house all to myself; so made the most of it by cracking on early and achieving my daily goal of 1667 before 11am. Throughout the rest of the day I've snatched 15 minute sessions here and there between jobs. It all helps towards NaNo - 5111 words today! I'm a happy chick tonight. Fingers crossed my NaNo widget is now reading 6801 total words.