As I have stayed home from work due to illness (a landmark event), I figured I would update this journal to reflect my current degree of insanity. This is to say that in late December I made the demented decision to participate in NaNoWriYe. My goal was 500,000 words. I know I can write at least 150,000 in a month so I'm not worried about a measly 500,000. *gulp*

But I have come to realize that my list of daily writings is going to be a significant part of that total. Or it will as it stands now, anyway. I've got several project ideas on various burners and I'm taking this month fairly slow to figure out what I really want to do. Besides go crazy, I mean.

So stay tuned. We'll see what happens.

Went much much better today then yesterday.

Switched from third to first in Drawing Death. Worked better. Wrote 530 words in it. Brought the total to 1,040.

Dropped Something is going exceptionally well. I think it might be longer then originally planned but hey that's okay. 570 words written in it today.

Total for day 2 of wriye for 2 stories is 3,110 words.

You Dropped Something (Need a new title) Genre: Mystery WC: 0/10k

What it's about? Good question! I just know there's a FMC, a love interest who gets killed, a man who sees her drop the knife, and after that I have no idea.

Drawing Death (Book 1) Genre: Fantasy WC: 0/30k

Kaja Elena Thompson (Who will hereby be referred to Elena as she has so told me last night) always knew she was special. Little did she realize the gift she possesses will wreck havoc on the small town in which she lives. Reading cards for fun to pick up spare pocket change in the coffee shop, when the death card appears in each reading and people start dying, everyone looks to Elena to point the blame.

Engaging Demons (Book 2) Genre: Fantasy WC: 0/30k

Back again for a second spin Elena finds herself in trouble on the wrong side of things. Because of the misfortunes she's endured she must call on the aid of demons to help clean up the messes she made.

Fire, Memory, and Shadows (Book 3) Genre: Fantasy WC: 0/30K

Faced with the destruction of her town Elena must contend with the tumultuous emotions running through her body as she shifts through the fire and memories of long dead secrets that should have never been exposed.

Era of the Gods (Book 4) Genre: Fantasy <NaNo 08> WC: 0/50k:

The last adventure in Elena's journey. The Gods have heard her cries and callings to them. They have watched the destruction and now it is time for them to step in and taking things back to how they were before it all started. Does this include Elena's existence too?

Lessons from Our Masters (NaNo 07) if I get to it needs reworked and gaps filled in. WC: ?


Also, editing of Curio's novel and Sho's short stories.

ARGH.. I'm not ready.

*Flails and flops on couch*

Okay dreamy, breathe.

Breathing? What is this breathing you speak of?

It's where you breathe in oxygen and release carbon dioxide.

Oh. Right. Breathing. Inhale. Exhale.

Do you feel better?

Not really.

*Chuckle* You'll be fine.

*whines* I don't know what I'm writing!

*Eyebrow lift* You do know. You know exactly what you want to write. You know what your problem is?

Oh, I can't wait to hear this.

Your problem is that you worry to much over whether or not anybody else will like it. Your problem is that you worry your writing isn't as good as anybody else's. Your problem is that you're so busy comparing your style of writing to other people's you're failing to recognize your own style, your own way of writing, your ability to create worlds, and characters, and give them breath. Your problem is you try to hard to please everyone else before pleasing yourself.

Well, that's just great. What am I suppose to do?

Forget them. Forget their writing and their style. Find your own again and own it. You are as good as anyone else out there. You just have to believe in yourself honey. If you don't believe in yourself then ain't nobody else going to and that's the god honest truth.

God? What do you know about God?

*Laughter* Child, I know everything. That conversation is neither here nor there. Now, remember this, you are good enough and you can do anything you want. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise.

Okay, but I still don't know what I'm writing.

It will come to you. Just think on it today and if you have to use the first part of January for planning. Nobody says there's any hard fast rules you've gotta start right away. Do what works for you.

You have a point.

*Snerk* I usually do.


And that ladies and gentlemen is how my brain works.

[08:24] you can tell nano is over
[08:24] By the tumbleweeds rolling through?
[08:24] yep
[08:29] Yeah.
[08:30] Those are what happen when you feed plot bunnies until they're huge and then starve them suddenly.
[08:30] They turned in to tumbleweeds.
[08:30] Nothing but bits of random plot calcified into a spherical shape where the core of the plot and the spark of an MC withered and dried up when it was abandoned by its muse and creator.
[08:36] sad isn't it

Progress:

50017 / 50000 words. 100% done!

Time completed: 10:34 pm
Last sentence: "You are free"

The last chapter needs some major editing. I need to expand it out. Need two more festivals and two more dances for Celia. But you know what. It's done for now.

Editing comes later. For now, I sleep. Thank you all for not letting me give up. I love you and good night.

Progress

40000 / 50000 words. 80% done!

So I wrote a total 13,596 words yesterday. I have 9,992 left. But I know that it won't be done at 50k. For NaNo, it will be 50k but it won't be completely done.

26,412 / 50,000 (52.8%)

But I'm okay with 26k considering I hadn't written anything for a while. According to my calculations if I write 5k Friday, 10k Saturday, and 8,588 on Sunday I will be at 50k and finished. I can do that.

20,209 / 50,000 (40.4%)

Her eyes were lowered looking at the ground when Lazaro came in. There was a mirror on the wall. “Celia, look up into the mirror.” She lifted her head; saw him standing there, a pair of scissors in his hand. Her eyes started to fill and she shook her head violently. “No, No, No. Please, Sir, do not do this to me. No, do not cut my hair, Sir. Please, do not. It is not fair. Do not. Please, Sir. Please.” Celia rose from her chair, turned to face him. Her eyes were wide, full of tears. “Please.” It was a useless cry. Lazaro stared coldly at her, pointed to the chair with his finger. Celia sat down, whimpering, trying to wrap herself into her body. She continued to shake her head. He came to her, pulled the hair back, and brushed it from her face. From his pocket, he removed a rubber band, pulled her hair into it. “Please, Sir.” He ignored her voice, opened the scissors, sliced across her hair, once, twice, three times. It fell to the floor, wafting down, slow. A raining puddle of red. It covered the floor it got on his boots. He shook them off and watched the strands float and rest on the tile.

15,196 / 50,000 (30.4%)

Thanks to Usagi for not letting me give up.

Well! That's it. My first (and maybe only) NaNovel of the season is more or less complete. And wonder of wonder that I didn't see coming is that I managed to wrap up the story at the same time. It needs a massive edit but yeah. It's pretty cool. I think. I don't know, I feel like it's more an extended outline than it is the novel itself. Anywho, here's the promised snippet.


Morighwen

“You little wretch,” the Queen hissed, grasping my arm and yanking me into her tent. “Are you trying to destroy everything?”

“Forgive me,” my words spilled between clenched teeth, I do not think my tone was submissive enough to please the bitch but it was all I could manage around the pain in my arm. She was cruel, as most Queens could be, but she actually enjoyed it.

“What was that, before? Are you so eager to kill your little half-Housed sister that you would destroy the entire proceedings? High Magic gave its word, child. And while it may not seem like it to one such as yourself, that actually means something,” She continued digging her claws into my flesh, leaving crescent shaped holes in my dress. I could not pull away and I did not try. It had occurred to me that her fingertips might be poisoned – her nails were colored somehow, a vibrant green that shimmered in the light.

“I did not even think, I admit, my Queen,” I gasped, unable to remain stoic through the pain. “I reacted on instinct, oblivious to what such an act would represent. Please forgive me.”

“As if you were so fortunate,” she spat, releasing me with a shove so that I sprawled at her feet, my dress tearing. “You are a disgrace to your father’s house, at this moment, Morighwen. If you do not correct this unfortunate circumstance before the final day of the Peace Gather I will have no choice but to reassess your usefulness to my cause.”

Fear thrilled along my veins, I folded myself into a bow, my legs tucked under and my arms outstretched. It was humiliating and terrifying to think I could be so quickly discounted and so easily tossed aside but I knew she was right. My actions had made me a liability. What else could I do?

The lady in waiting had entered behind us and tied the flap closed, then had waited beside it. Now she went to the Queen’s side and stared down at me. I could feel the weight of her eyes on the back of her neck. She bent down with a whisper of cloth against flesh – she wore none of the layers beneath her elaborate gowned – it must have been lined with silk – and whispered something to the Queen.

They held a quick conference in hushed tones, in a language I did not know. I had thought that I knew them all; or at least the ones pertaining to magic use but apparently I was lacking. Once more I felt the familiar sting of humiliation.

Silence fell and I waited patiently, ignoring my upset stomach and the emotions swirling through my mind like an unsettling cloud.

“My loyal one has come up with an interesting proposition, Morighwen,” the Queen said with a thoughtful tone. “Are you up for it?”

“You have but to tell me, my Queen, and it will be done,” I replied quickly daring a glance up at her slipper-clad feet, you are too kind.”

“I doubt you’ll think so for long,” she said, leaning back in her chair. She kicked my shoulder with one foot, lifting me up and sprawling me on my back with my legs still folded. It hurt. I gritted my teeth and did nothing. I knew this game.

“Command me, my Queen.”

She sat in her throne, considering me with slitted, hard black eyes. Her lady in waiting at her right hand, all but purring in satisfaction with a rust-colored smile and a goblet of mead in either hand. The moment seemed to freeze and I could not breathe. Her eyes grew so terrible and harsh.

“You will kill your sister before the final eve of the festivities with no help save Liachghan’s,” she said at last, breaking the silence. “Do it, at last, instead of playing with her like a cat plays with a mouse. I weary of your pettiness jeopardizing my plans.” She sneered and clenched her fingers around the arms of her chair until the bones stood clear of the skin.