Ending NaNoWriMo

So, today is the last day of November, how'd your NaNoWriMo projects turn out?

Me? Well, I started writing My Sister's Memories way late in the game. And I mean..wayyyy late in the game. I started this project on November 11 (I only know this because I just checked), rather than November 1st. As stated in previous blog posts, I've been rather busy...Yuck.

Over Thanksgiving I wrote a decent amount, which was really nice. While the Penet family was watching football, I was usually physically present in the room, but hanging out with my characters. Baxter for awhile was chilling on my lap, napping, and I was typing away. (Actually, as I write this, he's laying next to me..thankfully rather than ON me.) I easily wrote 10,000 words over Thanksgiving before having to take close to a week long break that involved leaving VA, going to MD, getting stuck in a horrific traffic jam in CT, stopping in MA, and finally arriving in ME.

Oh, also this month I managed to put my car in the ditch not once but TWICE, and run over something huge in the highway that managed to rip out my O2 censor (my check engine light is STILL on). Nonetheless, I press on.

Tonight is the first night I've been able to pick back up, and I've almost written 4,000 words. It's been difficult because my new roommate keeps trying to talk to me, and there's a basketball game on the TV, plus, I have just natural ADD...

With the end of the night coming in about 15 minutes, I'm hoping to wrap up my NaNoWriMo Project at 20,000 words, and then have it actually done sometime in December. So far, I'm really, really liking the story.

I'll keep ya'll posted on my progress.

Happy end of NaNoWriMo! :)

Day 20: Judgement Day

Today is Day 20 of the project. I worked a 9-5pm shift at the warehouse. I talked to some fun customers, had fun with my manager...I picked up my tax information and found out I'll be able to attend LitDay as well as the PNWA conference (in Orland and Seattle, respectively). I'm am SOOOO excited words cannot express. After this endeavor, I went boxing because I'm out of shape (and getting sore from playing too much Wii Fitness).

All in all, I didn't start writing until about 7pm. Then I made dinner (which was awful, sorry again, Laura) which took another hour. But...

I did it! I wrote a novel in 20 days. Granted, it needs some SEVERE editing, but it's done!!!

---The progress---

Pages: 200 (Kind of lame, I know, but that's what editing is for)

Word Count: 56,300 (ish) (Not 60,000, nor 70,000. I hope editing will fill some of this in)

Pace: 2816 Words/Day

50,000+ Words, Day 17

It's DAY 17 today and still early. I just surpassed the 50,000 word mark! Which means, I need to get at least another 10,000 in 3 days (to reach the 20 day mark). That sets the pace at: 3333 words/day (at least). Double that if I'm hitting the 70,000 mark. (Confessions of an Immortal Heart finished up at 73,000). This of course is negating how far I get by the end of today :)

This daylight savings time crap is throwing off my groove. Well, that and my sister's presence in the Outer Banks. We stay up too late and it's distracting. (Although, technically, I can say it's research...as my narrator has a sister :) ). It's been awesome having her here, but I need to ration my Laura time and increase my WRITING time. It's kind of pivotal now, right?

Getting back to the topic of the blog...Submissions stand at...
Submitting to an agent earlier this morning.
Submitted Breaking Myself Down last night after some heavy edits. Yet another $15 submission fee :(, but oh well. Hoping to win a contest sooner or later :)
I've also submitted to three other competitions this week (different pieces)...which brings my submission fees up to a whopping $72. Yackkkk. I'm also missing my debit card, which is SUPER lame. I may need to order another.

I'll keep you all posted on the progress :)

Also..I'm not sure if you've noticed. I really like smiley-faces. I REALLY, REALLY like the :/ face, which on some chat forums doesn't turn into a face. Either way, it's my favorite.

The 20 Day Project

It's technically midnight (therefore March 8th), but I haven't slept yet, so I consider today to still be March 7th. I will be writing for a few more minutes then taking a hiatus known as sleep. 

So, here are the most recent stats (or what I've figured out):

In order to stay on task with an approximately 60,000-70,000 word novel I need to write about 3,500 words a day. 

To write a 200 page novel in 20 days, it'd be 10 pages a day.

Here's the pace thus far (thank you dear Word Count tool)...

Day 11

I'm on page 144

Writing pace: 13 pages/day

Word Count: 40,620

Word pace: 3,692 words/day

 If I keep up at this pace, I may have a novel in 18 days :) But, things happen, so I'm still aiming for 20 and no less than that. Besides, if I finish early, that means I get to start editing faster :)

Right now I have the beginning written, most of the middle, and the end finished (or at least the last two pages of the end finished). I need to now connect the dots from middle to end. 

I'm pretttttttyyyyyyyy exxxxxccccciiiiittttteeeeddddddd. :)