Accountability, author's timecard, word count written, feeling lonely out there?

[Kali]

Last year was actually my first try.    I'm hoping to do it this year too, but I decided today that it was more important to me to finish the current novel.  It's such a learning experience about writing, plotting novel-length fiction, that I don't want to toss it away to start a new fast first draft.  So if I finish by November, I'm in for this year.  If not, not.

That said, 8600 words today on the Grace story.  I only stopped because a) my fingers feel funky and b) I need to check something with the book and it's in the bedroom.  If I lie on the bed to get the book, I'll fall asleep on my face.  So I'll finish off the Grace story tomorrow, send it off for beta reading, and then have no excuse not to write the Rachel story.

[jeno]

I'm always amazed when people manage to complete NaMo (am I right on the nickname for it?)

It's called NaNo, usually. People who participate on the forums call themselves Wrimos.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

4700 words, today, breaking the 50k barrier.

If I could do that for the next nine days in a row, I could finish this blessed thing before the new job starts.

(Technically it's after midnight, but I have recaffeinated and am giving serious thought to having a whack at the next chapter right away, as the last one, for the first time in the book so far, dropped a totally new plot element on me out of nowhere*, and in the paragraph before the big change-of-direction/twist/everything-suddenly-gets-much-worse which is nominally two-thirds of the way into the plot, too.)

*For values of "totally new" meaning "I knew this was a logical consequence of the shape of this universe but I was not expecting it to hit the story until after a pile of other stuff that is several novels further down the line."  Then again, every thing that surprises me makes me less worried that the plot shape of the thing is totally derivative and will instantly appear to all the readers as a rip-off... this is why I avoid TV Tropes.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

...and a thousand more words last night before I fell asleep.

The notion of finishing this book in the next week is actually looking credible even though I have had some sleep and thought about it sensibly.  I am going to get a walk in now, quickly, before anything hurricaney hits, so that my back is prepped and warmed up for another day of lying in bed typing like frenzy, and if today continues productive like yesterday did, I think 30,000-word-deathmarch is go.

(Which will mean I'll probably not be around much anywhere else on the forum.)

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

..deathmarch day 1, add another eight thousand words, we have broken the 60kword barrier.  With six chapters and a not-epilogue to go.  I am less worried about total length here than I have been for a bit.

[KevinEvans]

Well the current project is a war game, miniatures, set in the 1632 universe.

I am calling it Pistols, Pikes, and Propellers? Primarily, research has been most important, with only as much writing as needed to lock down the rules set. Another day or two, and I can get the game on paper.

Nano can be great fun, the concept of blowing right through a story, and watching a visible progress chart, can be quite liberating. Last years novel(s) (we wrote two) have already been submitted, and this year’s novels have been plotted, and are waiting November. We attend LosCon so we have the additional motivation of being done before the con to drive us.

Regards,
Kevin

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

Two more chapters.  68kwords.

Everything is under control. ("It's my heart. It's like an alligator."  4 points for the reference.)

[Kali]

Just over 2k words tonight, for a total of just over 70k words in the story.  A lot of complications mean a complex bit of character-juggling before they can advance to the next plot point, another rescue scene.  This, I have the feeling, will indeed be the final battle sequence.  Like neuro, I'm no longer nervous about the story's length.  I wanted at least 80k, preferably somewhere between 90k and 100k.  I'll make 80 without breaking a sweat, though 90 might be optimistic for this draft.

Of course, as soon as I finish, I have to start the top-to-bottom edits.  I have a file with a list of things to sweep for.  I have to make sure I'm acknowledging past injuries, for example.  One character has a particularly bad hand injury, and I have to make sure I mention it when appropriate.  I also want to change one character's speech patterns just a little to make sure he doesn't sound like everyone else.  And then there's a lot of little things to write that will polish up the C-plot, bringing it to B-plot status.  Some foreshadowing, some hints of something hinky going on.  I'll have to find plot-appropriate points to insert those and then smooth the transitions down so it's seamless.

Maybe I'll make 90k after all.

But first, finishing this draft.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

75kwords, and I realise I have one more chapter needing in than I thought I had. Maybe two. So we are looking at probably 85-90kwords in total.  Low eighties I can live with in a first draft.

It's annoying when you realise, when you get to the bit where "oh, thing X turns out not to be that way after all" that thing X is so obvious and so taken for granted by everyone that you have not mentioned it since you first set it up, and you may actually have edited that bit of set-up out a couple of weeks ago while fixing for something else entirely.

It is extremely damned annoying when your writing laptop keels over suddenly with a memory problem, and all you can find online suggests that nobody has fixed this particular sort of problem in this particular sort of laptop for twelve years.  Writing fiction on a desktop sucks, because it feels like work.

[meg_evonne]

Computer woes suck. I've got title woes....

[meg_evonne]

Found it. Found it. Thank God.  Two years and it comes now. *grinning.g

[Kali]

I either find titles early or not at all.  The ones I find early are good ones.  Otherwise... no.  A year on this novel, and the best I can do is "Little Black Box".  Since music figures prominently in this story, and in what might become a series of them, I thought I could title the novel the same thing as the most important song that plays, which would've made this one "Black Days".  Or the title could be whatever item is causing the mayhem, which is "Little Black Box". 

I figure with any luck, if an agent likes it, maybe their brain will come up with something better.

Today's goal, 72k words and getting into the damn basement like they've been trying to do for the last, oh, 10k words.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

Oh, titles.

The problem the current one has is that the closest thing to a decent sounding title I have is a massive spoiler for nearly the ending.

[Kali]

This is the first time I've made wordcount early.  Got my 2k count in, and they're in the basement.  Yay!  There was much rejoicing.  Rachel's had her moment of character growth, the allies are allies again, there's nothing left to do but throw down.  So I may go back to writing today and start in on the big battle scene tonight.  We'll see!  Time for a late lunch and a break, then we'll see what my brain feels like doing with this.  72k.  If I can't get at least 8k out of two witches, four werewolves, a catholic priest, and a vampire then I don't deserve to finish this book.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

and three thousand more words today, followed by a break, as the new job wants me in signing contracts tomorrow morning therefore I need not to stay up writing to 3 am tonight.

The target was 30kwords in 9 days.  I have done 32kwords in 4 days.  I am also pleased to still have two chapters and a not-epilogue to go, so. Aiming for one more chapter tomorrow afternoon, and the rest... the day after (hey, I'm between jobs, I have no clue what day of the week it is.)