Done outlining. Now I just have to write the book...

I finished my outline for NaNo. I gotta say, I'm pretty stoked about it. I'm actually surprised with some of the ideas I came up with - I never thought I was that creative:)

I've assigned myself one chapter for everyday of November, and broken each chapter into a few scenes. So getting to my word count should (ideally...hopefully) be a lot easier than if I were to just wing it. I've tried winging a book. And that book is still only half-way finished after about 8 months of time to work on it:(

I've also found some really good writing books that are helping me a ton in my planning. But at the end of the day, I can plan all I want, but it won't get the dang thing written...

So here goes NaNo. Wish me luck:)

Here's my NaNo commitment letter :)

NaNoWriMo 2009 Commitment Letter

These are my commitments to myself for NaNoWriMo 2009:

• I will write like there’s no tomorrow to tell as much of the story as I can today.

• I will not re-read anything that I’ve already milked for its word count.

• I will not be ashamed of using the long way of explaining things for the sake of the word count.

• Once I’ve hit my target word count, I will continue writing until the scene/chapter is done.

• I will write every day until the first draft of my book is finished.

• I will not spend time worrying over the right word.

• For the sake of my word count, I will not avoid too many uses of “he said”.

• I will go off on any tangent that I can bring back to my outline.

• When I think about writing, I will get my butt in the seat and do it.

• I will email my work to myself everyday to avoid the potentially fatal loss of data that computers occasionally cause.

• I will not allow myself to be distracted by Facebook, Farkle, Bejeweled, or any other unnecessary internet application.

• I will enjoy my writing experience.

• I will not put additional pressure on myself to do any better than I do.

• I will win NaNoWriMo 2009.

When I win NaNoWriMo 2009, I will reward myself with a full-body massage, an entire packet of Chocolate Scotch Fingers and a Milo.

I am capable of adhering to these commitments because I am talented and because my story needs to be written. I am the writer of my story.

Signed:

Rebekah D. Hay

Plotting away...

I've been working on my plot outline for NaNo. (Considering that next week is my last week of calm before the storm that is NaNo, I really need to get this thing nailed down.) And I've realized how crazy plotting can be. Like, I know what's going to happen. I know the little happenings that will eventually be lined up just right to push the story forward. But for some reason, even though I know it in my head, actually seeing it in outline form is proving really difficult. It's a really weird feeling, knowing I know what's going to happen, but not knowing how to show I know what's going to happen. Or ... something.

I've also run into another interesting predicament. My story is moving to a very different genre (mystery/crime) than I originally expected (romance), and I've read very few mystery/crime books in the past. So while I know I want some high-impact events, I'm pretty clueless when it comes to the possibilities. Ugh, I think I need to get to the library tomorrow...

Inspiration, anyone?

So, yeah. If I'm gonna do this writing thing, I guess I should take a look at whose writing really inspires me. And the first name that comes to mind is Edna St. Vincent Millay. I've loved her work for years. I remember my mom giving me a book of her poetry for Christmas, and I thought it was the best gift ever. Apparently, I've always been a bit of a nerd:) Anyway, here's my favorite piece of her work:

Sonnet 02: Time does not bring relief

Time does not bring relief; you all have lied
Who told me time would ease me of my pain!
I miss him in the weeping of the rain;
I want him at the shrinking of the tide;
The old snows melt from every mountain-side,
And last year's leaves are smoke in every lane;
But last year's bitter loving must remain
Heaped on my heart, and my old thoughts abide

There are a hundred places where I fear
To go,— so with his memory they brim
And entering with relief some quiet place
Where never fell his foot or shone his face
I say, "There is no memory of him here!"
And so stand stricken, so remembering him!

So I guess I'll blog after all...

I've gotten pretty excited about pursuing my writing career. I (hopefully) will be starting a writing course in January/February, and to kick things off with a serious bang, I've signed up for NaNoWriMo this year. I'm pretty stoked about it, although I need to get more writing done each day now to get used to the daily grind of NaNo. But I am preparing for the book itself as best as I can. I've got characters and a decent plot. All I really need now is a setting (it's gotta be somewhere that's artsy with a big city within about a few hours' drive) and some subplots (working on one, but that's as far as I got). Oh, well. I'll get to it eventually. October 31st hasn't arrived yet, so I'm good...

Also, I started writing my first novel in about February this year. And while it's kind of been sitting around stagnant for a few months, I've had a few ideas simmering away on that back burner for a while now. I'll probably get back into it once November's over. I think the biggest problem I'll have with it (as I've suspected from the start, even though that didn't change the plot at all...) is the fact that I'll definitely need to do some "on location" research. See, the majority of the book is set in L.A. And while I've been to LAX, I hardly believe that qualifies a person to write about the mass of chaos that is Hollywood. So...if and when I make it back home for a visit, I'll probably squeeze in a few extra days to hover around L.A. and try not to look like a tourist so I can get a bit of authentic material. Anybody wanna come along?? (BTW, that totally sounded like I have a clue of when I'll be able to do this research, but in actuality, I have no idea how soon I'll be able to make the trip.)

Anyway, here's to the start of whatever I can make of this passion of mine:)