NanoWrimo, Once Again!

I don't know how many years I've attempted NanoWrimo, only to crap out at week...three, maybe? Well, here goes again! Same damned story, revamped considerably already. Yeah, yeah, I know...that's not how Nano is supposed to work but I figure the WIP has morphed so dramatically from last year, it's a whole new novel. Wish me luck! :D

Restart Number 1,312?

Man, I can't get this derned tale off the ground. Is it supposed to be this hard? Is this an indication that I'm off in a ditch with it? Am I putting too much weight on a First Novel? Probably all of the above. But if I don't soldier on with it, there will never be a First Novel...a Second Novel...hell, ANY novel. I'm torn between writing the book I want to read (self-indulgently blathering on with it, quality be damned) vs. doing a good job. BAH! Again, I say BAH!

OMG...I'm writing!

The story has officially begun, even though I don't have a word count. The kids and I are jockeying for position on the computer, so it's all in chicken scrawl right now. Teaser: it involves researching luxury yachts...

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

Thanks to my patient, secretly creative husband, I made real headway on 'The Plot Arc That Will Not Die' over the weekend. Sure, it still needs fleshing out and that dreaded Sagging Middle isn't so much 'sagging' as 'nonexistent', but it's actually a pretty slender middle as the outline is creeping inwards from both ends. Just gotta make 'em meet! Hopefully that will happen tonight. But now I'm wondering, how important is a 'happily ever after' ending? Hmmmm.........

Warm-up Work

Going out of town this weekend to plant a surprise garden for my mom's 70th birthday while she's gambling her little heart out in Atlantic City. Will take this chance to work on my fledgling novella in the car. Hopefully this will make me less gun-shy to commit to 'The Snowglobe Prophecy'! Tentative working title of the warm-up work: 'Violet's Hour'. See you Monday!

Hmmm...new project, perhaps...

Okay, so apparently I'm not ready to write my Novel yet (big 'n'). I stare at it in horror every time I think of stringing its words together, poor thing. Maybe a minty fresh novella is in order. A new e-publisher is soliciting less wordy stuff, and this might be the ideal opportunity to loosen up, do something sans pressure, find my voice. I suspect my self-imposed expectations are getting in the way of The Snowglobe Prophecy. I'm terrified of failing it. I might be too emotionally invested. Distance. I think I need distance. Or beer.

Still Arc-ing, I Swear!

Blech, this 'creating a plot arc' biz is more difficult than I thought. BUT! After working and reworking what I have so far, I think I've cooked up a much better first-half than originally conceived. Now, however, I'm running dry. I think I'll just get to writing and let the story and the characters yell at me. Or nag my husband; he's really quite brilliant at thinking out of the box...a great Ideas man.

I found that scribbling my existing scenes on note cards and spreading them out on the living room floor is a kick-ass way to mastermind a plot. You can shift things around easily and visualize lots of what-ifs. Just thought I'd share that wee germ of wisdom. And I do mean 'germ'.

Happy Humpday, my literary lurkers!