NaNoNotNow

I'll be honest. This NaNowriMo has turned into NaNoNotNow. Yep. I've failed miserably. So miserably I've even stopped counting. So miserably I don't even recall when I last opened the file. So miserably I haven't even visited the official site for weeks, let alone read the forums. I haven't even been doing my usual forms of Nanowrimo procrastination.

This year I won't be racing to the finish line, because it feels as if I've been running in the wrong direction, and I've lost sight of the racetrack completely.

But I have learned a few things from this particular November:

• for Nanowrimo to work for me, I need to be working on something new with no fear of how it reads - it's got to be about getting the story down on paper. Fresh.
• pantsing can work, plotting can work as long as I'm open to stuff happening all by itself.
• this is not the month to edit or rewrite or worry about finished product.
• this is not the month to write new scenes and squeeze them all over the place into my manuscript.
• this is not the month to totally scrap a secondary plot and try to find a replacement that makes sense and works with the primary plot.
• words don't write themselves especially when I'm trying to beat someone else's score in a game on facebook.
• you need to stay engaged with your story for the word fairy to sprinkle her fairy dust
• backing up is good - thankfully the death of my laptop did not equal loss of scenes or words, but it might have if I'd written anything in the last week.
• taking a week's holiday in November is good for wordage. But alas, I went to work every weekday of November this time.

So what will I do different next year?

I will spend the rest of the year doing the editing, rewriting, submitting, clearing the decks so that June (for 50ks) or November (for Nanowrimo) are clear for the unencumbered outpouring of a shitty first draft. I will be happy to know that it will be a shitty first draft that requires a lot of work, both structural and other editing.

So tell me? Has it been NanoWriteOn for you? Or NanoNotNow? What was your 2010 Nano experience?

Diane

NOVEMBER 1ST ~ NaNoWriMo

November 1st, and so it all begins again. It’s NaNoWriMo time and are we excited? A Little scared? Do you have that nervous energy that bubbles up from deep down threatening to consume you? If you answered to one or all of these question you’re in the right place.

Writing a novel or part of a novel within the month of November along with hundreds, even thousands of other people is an experience well worth sharing. For the RWAus members it is a time for bonding, sharing, encouraging and listening when things aren’t going to plan.

Talking of plans – did you plan, plot and dissect your novel ready to start writing today? Or are you flying by the seat of your pants and waiting to see where your characters or story led you?

Whichever way you go, remember to have fun. Don’t stress, don’t put more pressure on yourself than you need to.

If this is your first NaNo congratulations for joining in and good luck with your first NaNo journey. For those who are repeat NaNoers, welcome back and may November bring you many wonderful words for your novel.

For now:- LET THE FUN BEGIN!!!!

Sandie

It's A Wrap

Well NaNo is over for another year. The thing with NaNoWriMo you never know what it is going to throw at you. The secret is to accept what you can do and not stress about what you cannot do.

This year we have four ladies that reached the 50K mark.

CONGRATULATIONS

AMBER ~ 52,907
HELEN ~ 50,246
JENN ~ 51,277
PAM ~ 51,083

To everyone who took part in the challenge to me you are all winners, to sit down and just attempt is a big challenge, to undertake such an endeavour while working and/or raising children is mind boggling to me.

At the end of the day or month, you now have more words than you did at the start of the month, which is an enormous plus for any writer. Keep up with your story, you never know it could be the next Emerald winner.

Oh, as an add incentive, there have been many a novel published that was a NaNoWriMo project. Nikki Logan is one example, and I’m pretty sure Suzanne Brandyn is another. So, finish, edit and submit those NaNo babies.

Now not that I’m going to put any pressure on any of you, but don’t forget JUNE, yes you have seven months until the next challenge ladies. Enjoy your time off.

Thank you everyone for the support you have shown one another. A big thank you to the ladies that helped with posts on the blog over the month. Diane thank you for keeping the girls going with sprints via 'Twitter'.

CONGRATULATIONS EVERYONE FOR A GREAT MONTH!!!

Happy writing
Sandie

Finding my Writing Rhythm

(Cafepress have now added Beach Tote Bags and gym bags to their range.
You can find my products here)

It's Day 21 (gulp) of Nanowrimo, and I'm only just over 21,000 words (double gulp). This is the 7th year that I have participated in Nanowrimo and each year is a different experience. It seems that I'm still finding my writing rhythm.

Some writers write fast.

Some writers write slow.

Some edit as they go.

Some spit out a dirty draft and edit later.

Some take years to write a whole manuscript.

Some never finish their manuscripts.

Some work on several stories at once.

Some can't even begin without a title.

Some are pantsers.

Some are plotters.

In ten years of serious writing, I think I've fitted in all these categories. There seems to be no true formula for me to finish a manuscript, though Nanowrimo puts a bomb under me and helps me to write fast - even more now with the added desktop software of Write or Die. For a couple of Nano attempts, I started with only the briefest idea of what I wanted to write -- a concept, a feeling I wanted to capture -- and still ended the month reaching my 50k goals.

But last year, I outlined every chapter first before I started Nano. It was my best Nano year ever and I finished the month with over 65,000 words. I finished the first draft in February the following year at 136, 000 words (so it needs a lot of cutting).

This year...I feel like I'm trudging up Mt Sinai.

(And there's no camels around to buy to make the journey much easier)

But I'm going to keep trudging. Because I know the view from the top (the point where you can type THE END) is magnificent.

How are you faring on your Nano journey? Have you found your writing rhythm yet?

THE GREAT RACE

We love our races in Oz and November is significant on the racing calendar with the running of The Melbourne Cup – the race that stops the nation. This November I discovered the race that gets the nation going – the novel writing nation, that is.

Yep! NaNoWriMo – it turns out – has all the thrills and spills of a great race. It can be exhilarating and exhausting, dangerous and disheartening, excruciating and enriching.

Week 1 - starts just like the Melbourne Cup – horses in the starting gate, excitement and anticipation oozing from every pore like cheap cologne. We are the jockeys strategising, our goal in plain and indisputable view. The gates slam open and we’re off and racing, sprinters and pacers soon separating the pack.

At the end of the first straight, we discover this race is not so straightforward after all. It’s now a steeplechase of unexpected hurdles and challenging jumps. As we cross the week one finishing line, we feel slightly overwhelmed but still focussed on one thing – numbers.

Week 2 - is definitely about numbers. It’s like being part of the mad mob in Sydney’s City to Surf fun run.

The elite easily intimidate first-timers (like me) – overawed by our own insignificance in those shiny new Kmart joggers. Also among the mob are:

• the serious competitors with starting line honours,

• the don’t-get-in-my-way-or-I’ll-crush-you runners,

• and the I-really-should’ve-gone-home-last-night party animals.

Speaking of animals, you’ll also find the gorilla suit guy – a little crazy for thinking he can do it, but giving it his best shot and having fun – after all, that is the aim of the race.

Again, week two starts off strong, although it’s not long before the pack thins.
Some give up.
Some fall over when they realise they’re not serious or prepared enough this time around.
Others hang on until Heartbreak Hill – and oh, the pain!

You set a feverish pace, heart pumping, back aching, such pressure! The mob eggs you on, but they are passing you to the left and to the right. You try The Little Caboose method, “I think I can. I think I can...”

Do you quit?
Never!
Simply let the race go on around you, stay focussed and stay on track.

Week 3 - is like the Bathurst Grand Prix at Mount Panorama. The view is good from here, although still not quite all down hill yet. This is where skill is important – knowing when to accelerate and brake. You are desperate to edit through those chicanes and re-write those hairpin bends out of the story.

Should you? The race rules say this is a no-no. But do you really have to follow the rules?

Not always. Look at the iconic Beetle. Volkswagen suddenly stopped and switched the engine from the back to the front. Now it’s better than ever. So yes, go crazy. Break a few rules and get back in the race because the best is yet to come.

Week 4 - is the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race (or in RWAus Nano speak it’s the Plotsville to Happy Ever After Race). You’ve got the wind in your sails (your ballast most likely the result of too much Nano chocolate). But beware the albatross. This last leg can be deceiving. It’s not always smooth sailing and only the prepared will survive.

So grab those reins, hold on tight, have fun, keep those revs up and avoid seasickness by keeping an eye on the November 30 horizon.

Most importanlty, run your own race, your own way and achieving your personal best.

Jenn J McLeod
http://www.jennjmcleod.blogspot.com/

Where have all the Flowers Gone?

That’s a question many of us may ask during November. I think at times we can let the challenge of getting words on paper run our lives, and from time to time we have to remember that there is an outside world with real people in it. This past week I’ve written more words in one week than I have in a very long time. Now I don’t know if it is because I’ve had six weeks off from writing before hand or if it’s the new genre, whatever the reason I’m enjoying my writing. The fact that my laptop internet is having a major male moment is a big help because I don’t have twitter deck popping up very few seconds.

I’m also taking time away from the computer, going for a walk each day to get the mail, yes it takes me a good fifteen minutes to walk up and back from my mailbox. Friday even in the rain, I went for a walk, took my trusty duck head umbrella my son bought me, it was like water off a ducks back or head in this case.

This year with my writing I have a new rule, if I’m on a roll “Please do not disturb” if not, I’ll be out to chat. It’s working just fine at the moment. Okay we are only one week in, but still, my family understand were I’m coming from and I love them for that, even our friend that are visiting know if my head is down and I’m typing ten to the dozen don’t talk to me. Most of the time because when I am at the computer I’m writing and procrastinating, I have the time to spend with family and friends. I’ve taken time to sit outside and watch the foals play together.

So I’m sitting on the 20K mark with today’s words to go on that, I’m feeling inspired and busting to start each day even if some have been slower starts than others. What about you? How is your month going? Are the words coming freely? More important are you taking the time to smell the flowers? And you know what? There is really only one person you need to please this month with your word count or pages edited and the is YOU!!!

Happy writing.

Sandie

Nano Envy

Yes, it's true, I'm suffering from NaNo envy!

It's only the first week, and I look at the word counts being tossed around and gasp at some of the numbers. And I'm not even writing new words for this month. I'm editing, but that is really a rather loose term for 'rewriting' my ms.

How do you find the time to get these words out? Have you bolted the door on your internal editor and chained your muse to the desk? And if you can do it for this month, why not all the time?

In between sprints have a think about what you've changed in your life to get through this month. Maybe the pressure of Nano has kicked your procrastination devil right out the window. Are others in the house shouldering some of the load? Wouldn't it be lovely if some of these changes were permanent!

This early on in Nano I thought it might be nice if we all shared some tips on how we're finding the time to write, or what tricks we're using to get the words to flow.

Here are some of mine:
- cook a giant pot of bolognese (or similar), and freeze meal size portions
- set the alarm for 30mins earlier in the morning
- have some nice rewards for yourself on standby
- join in some sprints
- close your eyes while you write - seriously! (I actually do this all the time now as it means I can't edit while I write, and it actually makes me more focussed).

So, what do you do?

And we're off and writing...

Whether, you're a plotter, or a pantser, or a skirtser (in Nicky's case), it's time to pick up your favourite writing implement and make a start on this year's Nanowrimo.

No more procrastination. The time is now.

A couple of late articles have been added to the online advice for Nanowrimo: The 12 Step Guide for Succeeding at Nanowrimo. And the downloadable Nano for the New and the Insane (put me in the latter category).

I've bought the nifty desktop version of Write or Die and after a couple of test runs last weekend, I'm truly in love. I wrote most of last year's Nanowrimo effort using the online version. In fact most of the 136k was churned out using Write or Die (64k during Nanowrimo itself.)

If you haven't got a title yet, you can try the Random Romance Title Generator.

I'm not fussed. I don't care if I have a title when I start. And as I'm writing number 3 in my Bilby Creek series, I know the town and a lot of the secondary characters well. This year's supporting cast includes:


















Chloe, Luke, Kirsty and Dylan will all be back. (If a story is set in Bilby Creek, Kirsty will make sure she's there, so I might as well humour her). And I'm sure Genevieve will also feature (though she doesn't have her own avatar yet).

So I have the characters, the setting, the idea, but I don't yet have a plot. I hope it will evolve in the writing.

Research I did earlier in this year included the following photos:





























I'm sure that gives you enough clues of the setting of my story. It will begin with a bunch of committee members dropping dead (no foul play - though that could make it interesting, mostly old age) -- so the committee needs new blood, and my secondary characters step in. And that's all I've got so far. Yes, I'm truly going to pants it this time. It's worked in the past, I hope it works this time.

How about you? Plotting, pantsing or just skirting around the issue?

Go, go everyone. It's November 1st and EVERYTHING is POSSIBLE.

Are We Excited Yet? NaNoWriMo ~ Hell Yeah!!

A big welcome to all our new members for this year's NaNoWriMo.

Are you excited yet? Yes, it’s coming up to that time of year again. It’s an adrenalin rush. Will I make it? What if I fail? Nah, I won’t fail. You know what it doesn’t matter if you do, as long as you give it your best shot and have fun. Now, to prepare you for the epic month ahead here are some tips. If anyone has anymore please add them in the comments.

1. Have an idea of what you intend to write. Whether you’re a plotter or a pantser, you still need to have at least some idea about what genre you intent to write. I’m plotting this year, so that will be interesting. I’m writing book 2 of Cassandra’s ‘Scarlett House Series’.

2. Get your writing space sorted. Make sure you have plenty of room to work. Okay, this may be a mammoth job on my part. My office looks like it’s been a playground area for 20 or more kids.

3. Cook ahead. My slow cooker is getting a good workout this month with easy to re-heat meals.

4. Make sure you tell family and friends your writing times. If they ring or call round for a coffee or chat in those times ignore them, you’re not available. It can be done, I’ve done it. Yes, I’ve been told I’m rude, my reply is, “I told you I was busy.” You just have to be serious.

5. Stay off the internet during your writing time. Facebook, Myspace and Twitter will survive without you for a few hours a day.

6. Turn Spell check and the editing tools off during November or at least the WIP you working on the month. If you don’t you’ll spend half your time editing and not writing.

7. If you reach your word count for the day treat yourself to a small reward. Set major milestones and select a reward when each one is met. They don’t have to be big rewards, a coffee and biscuit or chocolates (okay that will not be one of mine) or a long soak in a hot bubble bath. Anything that will give you a boost.

8. Have your house sorted so there is very little housework to do during November. Or better yet get someone else to do the work.

9. If you are a member of a lot of online groups go no mail on the ones that are not needed or at least go digest.


10. Believe in YOURSELF.



That’s it for me. I hope you have a great November. We’ll have blogs posted during the month to help motivate you and your word graphs will be updated each Saturday. More details on that will be posted on the loop. In the mean time happy planning/organising.

Sandie

The End is Near

June has been a big month for us all and not just because of the 50/30 challenge. Whether you reached your goal or not, remember you have more words on the page or pages/words edited than you might have if you didn’t take the challenge. If you have accomplished that, than you are winners.

Last week had its ups and downs for me. Computer and internet problems saw me doing a lot of writing by hand (which I still have to type into the computer). Family issues saw me diver for cover for a couple of days, but I’ve come to the decision that, there is nothing I can do about this problem at the moment so I’ll think about it later. (Oh, isn’t that very Scarlett O’Hara of me. LOL)


I’ve posted my new round of Fallen Angel Reviews on my review site if you’d like to have a look (okay they are the links to my reviews, minus two because of technical hitches) http://www.sandiehudsonreviews.blogspot.com/ .

My editing is moving along okay, but I’m going to have to go back over it all again. (I HATE EDITING!) Just thought I’d share that with you. July is going to be editing month for me, yep the writing is getting pushed to the back of the computer and all my finished WIPs are getting edited, if it takes me into August and September to do them I will. What is Diane’s saying? “Write, Edit, Submit.” So that is what I’m doing. What about you? Are you going to do the big edit thing in July? How close are you to submitting? Have you submitted and waiting for word back?

On a personal note, thank you all for a great month, as always it is a pleasure writing with you all and don’t forget to gear up ready for NOVEMBER – NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH. I knew you’d like to be reminded about that now.

Happy writing.
Sandie

Sprinting

Welcome to the first of what will be an ongoing series of posts during the June 50k in 30 days. A group of us will take turn about to keep you motivated to reach your goals throughout the month.

In anticipation of our Monday start I thought I'd get the ball rolling. So onto that motivation....


Feeling motivated yet? Don't worry, if you aren't, I'll leave you with a bit of Hugh, guaranteed to get the creative juices flowing out of anyone.

I'm going to cheat a bit here and copy a post I recently had on my own blog - because from some of the posts that have been floating around I realise some of you are a bit worried how you will meet your goal for the month. And the answer is simple:

Sprinting. Not the kind that involves sweat and pain. The kind that involves you and a bunch of other like-minded writers all writing together at the same time.

When I first heard about sprinting I have to confess I was a little sceptical. How could sprinting be any different from any other time I am writing? How could it possibly help get more words out?

During 2008 NaNoWriMo I joined in, not wanting to disregard it completely. Confession time. I was wrong. I was pushing out numbers in 30 minutes that I had no hope of doing on my own. I am a convert.

So over the past week I have been sprinting. Not as often as I would like, but the few occasions I could spare. And in those few nights of sprinting I managed 30 pages. THIRTY pages. I was stunned when I sat back and counted. Thank you to those wonderful ladies who have been sprinting with me.

Why does it work? Because it's a short burst, separated by chatting with the other sprinters in a chat room. To know others are writing with you, trying their hardest to get as many words out pushes you along. At the end you report back, congratulate or commiserate. Chat about how it is going or ask for help. But above all there is a feeling of companionship, understanding and friendship.

I love Sprinting. I just wish it burnt calories like the other kind.

So join us in the Friday Night Chat Room (found in the RWA chat room - if you don't know how to get there just ask) every night from 7.30pm EST. Or send a post out if you are wanting to sprint at any other time.

Tuesday's Torture

Here is part of the opening scene to my NaNo novel. As it turned out the first few days work was probably the better of a bad lot. LOL. But, as you can see it still need work. It’s interesting because now that I have read part of it again I may just do some editing on it while I’m editing a few of the others and start writing it again after Christmas.

Marianne sat quietly in the small parlour watching Shep Freeman from below lowered lashes as she attended to her needlepoint. Her sister Charlotte sat by Shep’s side prattling on about how hungry she was and how hard it was on their beloved mother to have to go without food. Charlotte’s selfish behaviour astonished Marianne at times. Charlotte two years older than Marianne always made sure Marianne knew her place.

‘Charlotte, I’m sure we have more than enough food to last us a good two weeks.’ Marianne felt it her place to inform the couple.

Charlotte looked over her shoulder eyes filled with fury. ‘You have no idea what we do and do not have Marianne. I’m the one who has to manage the household.’

Some household, there is only the three of us, and I do all the cooking. Marianne held her tongue. She would receive a good tongue-lashing from Charlotte as soon as Shep left.

The house they now lived in with its small rooms and heavy curtains resembled nothing of what they had grown up with, oh how she missed the peace of the countryside. The beauty of the rolling hills, the smell of wild flowers and slow flowing streams. She closed her eyes to the pain of the eviction from their childhood home by her sister-in-law after her stepbrother’s death.

‘Miss Marianne, are you feeling alright?’ The deep baritone voice of Shep Freeman washed over her bringing her back to her surroundings.

Shep Freeman, a tall man with dark wavy hair pulled back in a ponytail. His hazel eyes reached down into her soul and smile send a pool of heat to her stomach. Marianne had fallen in love with him the day he arrived on their doorstep carrying Charlotte in his arm after she had taken a fall. His muscular arms had held her sister close to his wide chest. Marianne wished it had been her in his arms. She dreamt of his hard body pressed against hers. The smell of him close to her, a raw male scent. It was a wanton thought, but she could not help herself. He was everything a man should be and more.

‘Yes, I’m fine thank you Mr. Freeman.’

Marianne lowered her eyes back to the needlepoint she was working on. It was no use saying anymore, Shep would hand over part his wage to help them out causing his own family to do without again.

‘Shep and I are going out in the garden for a bit Marianne, be sure to keep an eye on Mother.’
Marianne nodded her head in agreement. Now it would start, Charlotte would take Shep into the garden and work her charm on him. The sad fact was that Charlotte knew how to work her charm on everyone. She often came home with money from one person or another. She never told Marianne how she obtained the money, nor did Marianne really want to know.

She stood and moved to stand by the side of the window. The large garden lay out in front of her, Charlotte stood within the circle of Shep’s strong arms. Her hands farrowed in his hair. Shep smiled down at her sister, and then lowered his lips to hers.

Marianne closed her eyes pretending it was she in Shep’s arms. It was her mouth that he covered and drank from like a man dying of thirst. She groaned deep down in her throat. Her eyes opened in shock, she was behaving no better than a common whore, but that did not stop the tide of excitement to course through her body.


Okay that is my bit done.

Sandie

Nano is nearly over!

Wow! Look at all those green bars piling up in the word count thingamijig! Go green!

We are awesome.

And we still have approx 36 hours (depending on your time zone) left of Nano to go!

And everyone who participated is awesome, including those who just could not find the time to write because life got in the way, or could not find the words to write, or had a better offer (submissions, anyone? - go Nat!!).

Whatever you end up with at the end of November is okay.

And I want to thank our fellow 50ks bloggers, as you took the pressure off the Topless Tabledancing Tarts. We didn't have to perform so regularly.

So here is the challenge to my fellow bloggers. Post an excerpt from your Nano work on this blog. Good, bad, unedited, ful of Nanoisms. It's your choice. Let's get a taste of what everyone was doing this month.

Here goes (word doc open, searching for something now) - an excerpt from Reality Check:

Dylan placed the drinks on the table and pulled up a chair close to Kirsty. As soon as he’d taken his seat, his mobile started vibrating again. The bitch! It’s as if she knew where he was and who he was with. No-one had warned him that Siobhan was working with the production company and if she was going to keep up this level of harassment then he was tempted to take his project elsewhere. He’d managed to escape her for the last couple of years and it was almost as if it was out of sight, out of mind, but now that she’d spotted him in the meeting today and seized his new business card, she had called him every half hour. He stared at the familiar number flashing up on his screen.

“Sorry, Kirsty, I’ll turn my phone off.”

He hit the end button and turned the mobile off.

Kirsty smiled. “Don’t you need to answer it?”

“It’s nothing vital. I’ll catch up on the messages tomorrow.”

Damn Siobhan! It was over years ago. Why didn’t she get that? Why did she think there’d be another chance for them?

“Are you okay?” Kirsty asked. “You seem a little preoccupied.”

He forced a smile, searching for an excuse. He did not want to bring Siobhan’s name into the conversation, though he was sure that Kirsty would have noticed the tension in the meeting room that morning. He was sure that everyone else in the room had known that he and Siobhan had been a major item for a couple of years. She’d given him his first break, but the relationship had become so controlling that he’d had to break it off, and change his number. There was only one cure to shake the spectre of Siobhan, and that was the delightful young lady who now sat in front of him, waiting for him to speak.

“I’m fine Kirsty. I’m just feeling a little under the gun to come up with the right concept and the right location.”

“I hope that Bilby Creek will be the solution that you need. It’ll be fun to visit again. I haven’t been back there for six months.”

He smiled, a real smile this time. “I’m looking forward to the trip, especially with such a beautiful tour guide. I thought we’d leave early Saturday morning, stay the night and drive back Sunday evening, in time to have you back at work on Monday morning.”

“It’s a shame I have to go back to work on Monday.”

He downed his beer and stared at her. “Don’t you enjoy your job?”

“Being called into the meeting today is the most exciting thing that’s happened in five months on the job. Most of the time it’s just photocopying, typing and filing.”

“I’m happy to have contributed some excitement into your work day.”

Kirsty’s cheeks reddened to a delightful blush.

“So you’re my knight in shining technology come to rescue me from my life of computer files and paperwork?”

He laughed, and reached over to rest his hand on hers. “I’ll see what I can do to rescue you. I might just be in need of a personal assistant for this production. Or even a star for this reality show set in Bilby Creek. The prodigal daughter returns to her home town.”

Kirsty let out a tiny squeal. “Are you serious? You’d put me in the show?”

“If that’s want you want. Of course the network will have to approve it, but I’m sure we can persuade them with a good screen test.”

He swallowed his words. He knew that Kirsty would be magic on the screen, and would probably provide the network with a ratings bonanza, but he was hoping that it wasn’t the only reason she’d agreed to go out with him that evening. Because he liked her. Really really liked her. And he didn’t want to find out that she was just in it for her fifteen minutes of fame like all the other girls had been.

“I’d never thought about doing reality TV before,” Kirsty replied.

“Do give it some thought. It may not be the best thing, especially if you want an acting career. Sure there’s a few reality celebs who have moved past the stigma of their shows, but many of them have just ended up on the C-list, and back at their dull and boring lives within months of their television appearance.”

“I know. I’ve read TV Week. I know how quickly the fame appears and goes away again. I just think it would be an interesting experience.”

“Your whole life would be up there on the screen for everyone to dissect and rake over in internet forums. Your life would no longer be private. Every move you make off camera will be reported back to the press in some form. At least while the show is screening. Are you prepared for that?”

Kirsty shrugged, sweeping her straw around the chunks of ice left in the bottom of the glass. “Not really. But I’ll do whatever it takes. Besides the producers may not want me. I might flunk this screen test.”

“I doubt it. I’ll take a camera down to Bilby Creek with us and you can do a bit of your tour guide on camera. We’ll get enough of an idea whether it’ll work or not from that, and then I can take it back to the production company, as a suggestion.”

He smiled, gazing at her loveliness, her peaches and cream complexion where the blush had now faded, her beautiful brunette waves framing her face. He felt his stomach lurch as he realised it had been a really stupid suggestion. Ratings-wise, an absolute first-rate choice, but for him, he knew that it would make his life very very complex. Because he had a bad reputation for not keeping his private life and professional life separate and already, just by being out with Kirsty tonight, and longing for much, much more, he was swimming back out into the sea, far beyond the safety of the flags.

This is Dylan:




And this is Kirsty:


Okay, who's next?

Tuesday's Tale

So here we are into our final week of NaNo and not a moment too soon for some of us. This can be the hardest week of the lot, mostly because if you still have ways to go it is so easy to say ‘hang it I’m not doing anymore’. Oh, wait a minute I’ve been saying that for the four weeks. LOL.

Honestly though, this is a hard week. It’s a week where you have to keep pushing yourself or get your friends to help push you just that little bit more. If you are at the point of no return it doesn’t mean you failed. How can you fail something if you have tried your hardest? Let’s face it life gets in the way at times. That can’t be helped. We have kids get sick, we get sick, holidays need to be taken. Lord I’m going to need a holiday after this month. But if you have taken every opportunity you can to write than you are a winner.

Has anyone else struggled with their stories this month? Has anyone just struggled with a story at anytime? Have you ever sat down to write the novel you’ve been wanting to write for months, years even only to find out that it is a heap of CRAP? How do you get past that? How do you learn to love this one story as much as you love the others? I mean your stories are like your children, they are a part of you and you don’t love one child more than another, so shouldn’t your stories be the same?

I’m hoping to reach the 50k mark today and I know there are others in the same boat. To those that have already finished huge congratulation. To those that will be writing right up until the end, just know we will be there to cheer you on no matter what word count you end up with.

Sandie

Men in Uniform

As the theme for this week's blog is Men in Uniform, I thought I would google the phrase.

Any single girls out there in Melbourne or Brisbane reading this? Because this is what I found:

Men in Uniform Speed Dating

Woohoo! Now I've never done the 'speed dating' thing myself. Back in 'my day', it was 'slow dating', you'd usually give the guy at least an hour to impress you, rather than a five minute face to face meeting. I did the classified thing, met lots of guys, went on a heap of blind dates. It was a hell of an eye-opener. A couple of meetings progressed to second dates, and some went no further than that first drink, but nothing eventuated from the two occasions that I took that particular adventure. I found the whole thing very superficial - so I'm not sure how increasing the quantity, while decreasing the quality of time spent with a person would improve your chances of finding Mr Right.

When I look back and analyse my relationships especially the ones that worked for a substantial amount of time, it was always a gradual getting to know the person, a slow burn. The lust at first sights (and none of that happened on a blind date) never worked out beyond the initial attraction.

Anyway, back to Men in Uniform: let me find a few pics:

Here lemondrop has done the work for me: 20 Favorite Movie Veterans How can we go past Richard Gere in An Officer and a Gentlemen? But I do apologise in advance for the alien in uniform, you know the one I mean - initials TC, used to be married to NK.


Ooh, nice calendar! Wonder if there's a 2009 edition?



Okay enough of that! Yeah I know there's never enough, but the scary thing for me about men in uniform now is that the ones I meet in real life seem to be getting younger and younger. Maybe it's because I'm adding another year to my age tomorrow - starting to feel old.

I want to tell you about Write or Die! Write or Die is a website that I discovered while procrastinating on the Nanowrimo forums. Great for word sprints, and people like me who can end a paragraph and then check their email instead of writing on. So you set your word target and a timer, and you type into the web site itself. If you stop typing, after a set period of time, it will flash red and start playing unpleasant sounds to you. ( I won't tell you what the unpleasant sounds are - you can discover them for yourself) The sounds stop when you start typing again. I'm going to test it out now and write for 10 minutes so I can get a Write or Die widget for this blog post!

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lab.drwicked.com

8 days of Nanowrimo left. If you're on track, congratulations! 8 more days of hard work and you will be at 50ks or beyond. If you're behind, don't despair! Just keep moving forward, and find out exactly how much you can write in one month!