NaNoWriMo 2011 Winner

I did it! I finally won NaNoWriMo and wrote (slightly over) 50,000 words in 30 days.

In the three years I've participated, this is the first year I won.

The end of November and National Novel Writing Month coincided nicely with the end of my novel. While the novel is far from being done, I finally wrote my way to the end of the story I've been trying to write for four years - that is an even bigger accomplishment than the 50,000 words!

Too tired to reflect any deeper tonight. Right now, I need a break from writing!

NaNoWriMo: Day 29

Almost There!

Words written today: 3,221
Total NaNo2011 word count: 47,800
Words to go to 50,000: 2,200 with 1 day remaining
Total Novel word count: 72,274
Percent Complete: 96%

NaNoWriMo: The Final Days

November is almost over, that means National Novel Writing Month is coming to an end.

I've already written beyond my outline, beyond where I saw the story ending. Back at 13,000 words to go, I thought I didn't have that many words left in this story - but since then I've written my way through half of that.

While I got a lot of writing done over the long weekend, I've been dealing with a stomach bug that cost me a whole day of writing. 

Right now I'm at 43,690 words. It seems impossible not to make it after getting this close. There are only two days left and I still have 6310 words left to write in order to reach the 50,000 word goal. I have no idea how I'm going to do it. But I guess I'd better get started at finishing this thing...

Words written today: 1,960
Total NaNo2011 word count: 43,690
Words to go to 50,000: 6,310 with 2 days remaining
Total Novel word count: 68,164
Percent Complete: 87% 

Debbie Davis, Midtown Athletic Club

So many women today juggle multiple roles. I talked with Debbie Davis about how she balances, work with being a single mom to a child with autism and still finds time to work out every day.

Open publication - Free publishing - More gifts

NaNoWriMo Day 20

I've been trying to get caught up this weekend, and now I'm back on track. I'd like to get some more writing in today, so I can get ahead. But it feels good to not be behind anymore!

It's also a good feeling to be on the other side of the halfway point and inching closer to the 50,000 word mark. I have to step back for a moment and recognize that I've written over 33,000 words so far this month! Even if I don't win NaNoWriMo this year, that in itself is quite an accomplishment!

Words written today: 2,459
Total NaNo2011 word count: 33,372
Words to go to 50,000: 16,628 with 10 days remaining
Total Novel word count: 57,846
Percent Complete: 67%

NaNoWriMo Day 19

So I've had some pretty pitiful word counts the past few days and I've fallen behind. I've dedicated this weekend to getting caught up so I can get back on track - and, if I'm lucky, get ahead!

I spent at least three and half hours writing today but I'm still a bit behind. Here are my stats:

Words Written Today: 2,698
Total NaNo 2011 Word Count: 30,913 (Should be 31,673)
Words to go: 19,087
Total Novel word Count: 55,387
Percent Complete: 62%

I'm getting very close to the end of the novel. I only have a few scenes left in my outline. I'm worried I may not have 19,087 words left to tell of this story, although that would put me right at a great novel length (I've read most editors look for the 75,000-120,000- word ballpark for an adult novel.)

Of course an outline is only an outline and I may find I have much more to tell. The only the way to know is to write my way through it!

NaNoWriMo Week 2 Wrapup

Week two is traditionally harder than week one: the novelty wears off, you find yourself daydreaming while at the keyboard - fantasizing about doing something, anything but writing!

I'm officially behind! I've been meaning to catch up the weekends, but that hasn't worked so far.

I find I'm having my best writing sessions in the morning. In the morning I'm fresh and not too tired from my day, or distracted by prime time television. If I could get out of bed even earlier, say an hour and a half, I could start meeting my daily goals in the morning (but that means I'd have start going to bed earlier too!)

Here are my current standings:

Total NaNoWriMo 2011 word count: 22,152
Words to Go: 27,848
Total Novel word count: 47,636
Percent Complete: 44%

Dropbox

Here's a tool I've found helpful that I'd like to share with other writers: Dropbox.

If you're not using Dropbox, it's a great way to access your files from multiple computers and it serves as a sort of backup system for your writing!

Dropbox is a web-based hosting service where you can save and share up to 2GB of documents, photos and videos for free (for up to 2GB of file storage). The files sync so that your updated files are available on any machine on which you've downloaded Dropbox. So I can work on my novel on my laptop, and have the updated version already on my desktop and pick up right where I left off.You can also access your files on your web account, in case you're on a computer that doesn't have Dropbox installed. Dropbox has versions for multiple operating systems and mobile devices.

It's easy to use and its Free  No more emailing files back and forth to yourself or carrying around your USB drive (though backing up on your USB can't hurt!) Watch the video or download it at Dropbox.com

NaNoWriMo Week 1 Wrap up

I have to say, I think week one of NaNoWriMo 2011 was a success.

I've been finding success with having two (or more) writing sessions a day. I'm no early bird, but every day I've gotten out of bed an hour early to spend some time writing before starting my day. In these morning sessions, I've been able to write a few hundred word (and today 1002!) so that when I sit down for my evening session, I have a less intimidating word count goal.

I must admit I'm starting to slow down a bit. Although I'm following the outline I created before the start of NaNoWriMo, I'm realizing I made need to change the order of events and that I need to add some subplot action. I'm trying to put these thoughts out of my head and just keep writing - I know I can always add subplot and rearrange the sequence of scenes later!

Here's where I stand:

Total NaNoWriMo 2011 word count:  15,020
Words to Go: 34,980
Total Novel word count: 39,472
Percent Complete: 30%

I'm on track so far!

Solutions Studio and Spa

Congratulations to Judy Fridd, Jennifer Grim, and Jackie Leturneau of Solutions Studio and Spa for winning the Greece Chamber of Commerce 2011 Small Business of the Year Award!

I met these great women who have run and maintained the family-owned salon since 1993 and I was inspired by their passion. You can read about it here:

NaNoWriMo Day 4

This morning, I had a great writing session. I've been engaged in the writing since the start of NaNoWriMo, but today was the first time since November 1st that I was really inside the scene. Other writing sessions, there have been interruptions, or I've been preoccupied, eyeing the clock to make sure I'm staying on schedule. This morning was solid hour of writing where the real world fell away and I was right in that room with my characters, walking around amongst them. It's an exciting feeling to feel that the story is already there in your mind, you just have to get out of the way and get it down on paper.

Some days, sitting at the laptop and getting the story to come out can be painful. Those days, the writing doesn't come easy and often, that's when your personal Critic comes in and starts telling you to give up. Other days, the writing feels effortless. Days like this remind me why the difficult days are worth it. And you have to get through those not-so-easy writing sessions to break through to the great ones.

That's what's great about NaNoWriMo - if I didn't have this goal to write every day and to write the next 50,000 words of my novel by November 30th, I probably wouldn't have been at my laptop at 6 o'clock this morning.

Words written today: 2,240
Total NaNo 2011 word Count: 8,689
Words to go: 41,311
Total Novel word count: 33,141,
Percent Complete: 17%

NaNoWriMo 2011 Kickoff: Day 1

Today marked the kickoff of National Novel Writing Month 2011. My goal for this year is to write the next 50,000 words of (and hopefully finish) the second half of the draft of my novel. I knew I couldn't just wake up on November 1st and pick up where I left off from the last time I wrote (which was over a week ago.) So last night, I prepared by doing some outlining. It got me thinking of the progression of the second half of the story, and how I will lay everything out. This is one thing I got hung up on last year that prevented me from reaching the 50,000 word goal. Now that I have more clear direction, I think 50,000 will be more achievable.

I set the alarm an hour earlier than usual to give myself some time to write before heading to the office this morning. By the time I hit the snooze a few times, fired up the laptop and made a cup of coffee, I was nearly a half-hour late getting started. I was able to write 999 words in about forty-five minutes, 668 words shy of the daily goal.

I was a bit discouraged by that low number. But I came home from work, fired up my laptop again and exactly twelve hours after my morning writing session, started writing again. Despite some technical difficulties and a reboot, I wrote another 1009 words for a total of 2008 words today. Now I'm back on track.

Words Written Today: 2,008
Words to go to 50,000: 47,922
Total Novel word count: 26,460
Percent Complete: 4%

Looking forward to seeing what the rest of National Novel Writing Month has to bring!