Sunday, November 30, 2008

NaNoWriMo 2008 Winner




5,742 words written today. Finishing NaNoWriMo 2008 at 50,611 words.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Breaking 40K


Yes, finally!

Okay back to cleaning the house then headed to work.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Rewards for Writing

So what are your rewards for meeting a writing challenge?

When I win NaNoWriMo with 50,000 words at the end of November, I'm going to break open my Gears of War 2 game. I was at the midnight sale, but I was writing.

I buckled down yesterday and wrote 3,601 words surpassing the NaNo goal of 28,339 words by 170 words. It's been a long time since I've hit a NaNo goal. My reward was to go to a free sneak preview of Twilight. Impressive movie. Now I'll have to pull the Twilight Saga books out of my TBR and read them.

When I broke 20,000 words on Nov. 13, I was ecstatic because I've been so behind when I got headaches from the days of rainy weathers. I celebrated on Saturday by watching Quantum of Solace.

When I finish Sweating with Sven, I'll have the satisfaction that I've continuously written for one of the longest periods of time.

Before NaNoWriMo, I gave myself an incentive. I bought a blue Ipod Nano. Now I can take my music everywhere and it eliminates distractions of turning on a CD player or the computer.

I'm currently grooving to the soundtracks of Kill Bill, The Best of James Bond with the original singers, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Sweating with Sven


Current wordcount: 17,393

That makes Sven happy, but I'll have to buckle down to make it closer to the NaNo goal of 20,004 words by the end of today.

Going to a write-in and bringing my journal, my Ipod and Pipsqueak my plot bunny.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Sven says Sweat


Current wordcount: 14,848

Yeah just 155 words behind on the Nano counts. I wrote 2,359 yesterday while channel hopping and watching ST:NG's "A Matter of Time", Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2, The Simpsons, and Family Guy.

I cracked up when Data said, "I assume that handprint will open the door whether you are unconscious or not." Reminded me of Jack Bauer.

When writing, I listen to the Kill Bill Vol. 1 soundtrack. It's probably the one I've played the most on my Ipod.

To all those taking up writing challenges this month, good luck!

Sunday, November 9, 2008

70 Days of Sweat Writing Challenge


I've joined the growing group of writers sweating with Sven. Since I'm NaNoing too, another 25K after Nov. 30 is reachable.

1) Sub Rosa: Collateral Damage
2) Mac / Security specialist
3) Dee / Security specialist
4) Contemporary, unspecified city and suburb
5) 75 K
6) Romantic suspense

If I have time, I need to add 10K - 15K to the previous 3 winning NaNoNovels that are part of this series.

Yes, nothing like taking on two writing challenges during this part of the year. LOL


Saturday, November 8, 2008

Excerpt from Sub Rosa: Collateral Damage Chp 1


Serenity Forest Cemetery
Afternoon


“Thank you for my family.” She watched the leaves stir across the placard, uncovering the angels surrounding the edges of the placard.

He stepped close and nudged her toward him. “Thank you. Sweetheart, we need to get you out of here.” He shook the twins in his arms. “They're getting fussy, honey, and it's getting cold.”

“Just another minute. I can't just leave right now.”

She rocked her newborn daughter then braced her head, lifting her and placing her against her shoulder. “Shh... little one... we'll be going soon.”

“Sweetheart, is she hungry?” He shifted his arms slightly so he could get closer to her. “Come on honey, I know you’re tired. You need your rest too.”

She nodded and watched a dervish of leaves spin off the corner of the tombstone to their left. That caught her attention. It symbolized her life so far. She didn’t know what would happen in the future. It was her hope that if would be better than it has the past years. The years haven’t been kind to her and her family. Now, she had the chance to live her dream.

She looked at the rows nearby. A family plot. So many people she had buried. So many times she had been hurt. So many times she was pulled to the brink of sanity and beyond.

Standing next to her was one of her lifelines. Her way back from the edge. The way back to him. The way for their family and hope for the future.

In front of her lay the past. The faces. The voices. That soul of hers pulled at her. She had to remember them, remember where she came from, remember the reason why she was here today.

In her arms was the future. The path from the darkened road, the darkest, blackest time she had lived, the time when she wanted to keep buried in back of her mind. At one time, all she did was live in her past. It colored what was going on, changing the perception of what was real and unreal to her.

Her reality was skewed to everyone around her but it was normal in her eyes. In her eyes, the events took on a different character and colored her perceptions afterward. What did she know? What did she think she knew? What was false? What was real?

What had others told her, she didn’t believe. It wasn’t real to her. How she acted was out of character. “Out of character,” she was told and she hated those words. Hated them since she was younger.

Those words didn’t cover the hurt that it always brought to her. The hurt that would come back and bite her in the ass at the most in opportune or at the worst time possible. When at the worst times, it always cost a life of someone she knew, someone she cared for, someone she loved. Always taken away at the most inopportune time when that person was needed in her life. She had lost so much. That took a toll on her mind and spirit.

One person brought her mind back. He was the beacon in the darkness. The guiding light from all the darkness surrounding her. That small precise shaft of light was the reason she was here. Intact. As much as possible not as she had hoped, but as good as it gets in her case.

Over the last two years, she had felt the best as in her younger years. It was a welcome relief from all the destruction that was her life. That path was now closed off from her. She would never go there, never ever again. It was never going to happen again. Though that was her hope.

She knew never to say “never.” It was a jinx. Now it was out like the genie from the bottle. No way in hell could she call it back those thoughts.

Dammit, she felt it now. It was going to happen again. She was cursed. She had always known. She knew it to her bones.

She glanced to her left and saw her husband’s shadow appear briefly then disappeared as quickly as it appeared. She shook her head. He didn’t know what it meant for that to happen just then. That was a sign only for her.

“Hey, you’re getting really cold. The kids need to get inside.” He moved to her left side as she shifted the baby against her chest. “Honey, we’ve stayed too long. The twins are beginning to kick each other. The sign that soon they’d be howling.”

“The twins, are they okay?” She snapped her attention to him then the toddlers in his arms. “Shh… little ones, we’re going now. Don’t fight. It’s not good to do. You have to be there for each other.”

She looked at her son. “You have to remember the older takes care of the younger, no matter what.”

Their son stopped and looked at her as if he understood.

Her son glanced at their daughter. The thought was communicated and she settled down.

Both twins turned to her and began cooing together. Their son grabbed his sister’s hand.

“They understand?” He shifted so they could be closer.

“Yes, they do. He just told her.” She felt tears in her eyes.

“That’s amazing.”

“Yes, it is.” She wiped the tears that threatened to fall. “Let’s go home. Get the kids warmed up.”

“Get you away from the bad memories.” He felt her hand around his waist.

“No, just remembering the good ones this time. You chased them away.”

What she didn’t tell him, he’d never know. Knowing it, would only bring pain to them again. That’s not an option.

~*~*~*~*~

Before I wrote this, I didn't know who was going to take point on the POV. Definitely a NaNoNovel with some of the sentence structures. Well, I'm not editing until December.

It's rough writing this year. The story's progressing a little slower than I had expected because the characters are too busy talking about various topics. I'm planning on writing an action scene. Hopefully that one will be done by Wednesday at the latest. My secondary characters are surprising me since I don't know as much about them as my main characters.

I'm going to have to break down and read. I usually finish 2-5 books a week. So far I haven't read one, not even the one I had started. Is there such a thing as reading withdrawal?

Monday, November 3, 2008

Election Day November 4, 2008


If you have the opportunity to exercise the right to vote, please vote Nov. 4. Otherwise, you'll forfeit the right to complain.

Take a few seconds and think about other countries where this isn't possible.

Now will you exercise your right to vote?