Thursday Thirteen # 4

Since I'm trying to revise my current manuscript, I thought it might be nice to outline the things I do when I'm going through my story. So in no particular order, I present you with...

Thirteen Things I do when I'm revising. 1. Grammar, punctuation, and spelling – Even tough this is something I should know without thinking about it, I still struggle. My first draft is usually pretty rough. I need to come back and fix all the words that are spelled correctly, but are the wrong word. I need to make sure my deliberate sentence fragments get the right message across. And I need to make sure I have all my commas in the right spot (I always use too many). 2. Weak vocabulary – I’m guilty. I hate the fact that these words come out so easy in the first draft. I primarily go through and pull out the following: just, that, nice, very, really, almost, never, etc. I have a great link that I’ve found to help identify these words. 3. Passive voice – Another one of my guilty writing habits. This is a hard one for me to see sometimes. I actually have my husband help me out. He’s a pro now. I’m actually studying up and am going to make a point of squashing this habit. I’ve also found another good link that may be helpful to you. 4. Add more narrative – I’m a dialogue person. As I’ve said to some of my fellow writers, I could write an entire first draft with nothing but dialogue and a few tags. Going back and adding narrative is something I enjoy doing in the second draft. I know where the story is going at this point, so it’s much easier. >5. Plot inconsistencies – I have a tendency to drop plot threads as I get going. It’s one of the draw backs of being a seat-of-your-pantser. I can usually pick these up the second (or third) time around. 6. Check time lines – Again, I think this has to do with being a pantser. I don’t have a clear timeline in mind when I start, so things can get muddled as I get going. This is also easy to fix in revisions. 7. Things that make me go hummmm – In every manuscript I write, I always get to a sentence, paragraph, or heaven forbid, chapter that makes me question why I wrote it. These usually get cut. 8. Strengthen imagery – First drafts usually get the basic idea down. Revisions, I take the time to brighten things up. Take those black cars and make them faded black, 1992 Doge Neons. 9. Strengthen dialogue and tags – I don’t have too much to do here normally. But I want to make sure my characters aren’t sounding a like. I make sure my men say manly things, and my women come across appropriately. I also check my dialogue tags to make sure they work. 10. Layer in emotion – This goes along with the adding of narrative. I usually need to add a fair amount of introspection to give my characters depth. I find this is the hardest part of writing. 11. Setting details – Going back through and adding details to the rooms, environments, etc. 12. Character reality check – Are my characters acting in a believable way? Is there anything I need to change about them? With my story The Ties that Bind Us, I ended up changing my heroin’s job from a colony school teacher to the Chief of Security in the second draft. The things I had her doing didn’t make sense for a teacher. 13. – At the end of each draft I check the word count. Am I running too long or too short? It’s a bit of reality check.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Brick Wall

Okay, I'm a little frustrated this week. It seems everything is rallying against me, preventing me from getting any writing done. The rest of the week looks to be as bad, and I have company coming this weekend so I won't get much done then.

Things were going so smoothly with the first draft. The words poured out, I somehow found three hours a day to write. Now I can't seem to find three minutes. Even finding time to write a few lines in my blog is a bit challenging.

Starting tomorrow, I'm going to make a point of sitting down in front of my computer to write for at least an hour. I was hoping to do that tonight, but I'm just too tired after being in the classroom all day. Nothing better than teaching grammar to a bunch of techies. :)

And remember, tomorrow is Thursday Thriteen.

Those Catchy Phrases

I read this article today regarding interesting catch phrases. These phrases are essentially the shows hooks, the phrase that rings over and over in your mind long after the show is done. My favorite catch phrase when I was a kids was from the TV show Press Your Luck. I still think, "no whammy, no whammy, no whammy" over and over in my head whenever an email from a publisher hits my inbox.

I hope you enjoy looking through the list. I know I had a good laugh at some of these.

And then reality hit

Well, I'm back at work after a week off. Today was hard because I wasn't able to get any writing done. Pretty much felt like this picture. (How would you like that painted on your bathroom floor - freaky!) I'm hoping I'll be able to get some revisions done later tonight and some done tomorrow. It was easier finding the time to do the first draft than the revisions. I need to be able to sit and really think about my word choice with the revisions. The first draft, I let it all come out - good, bad, and messy.

With this draft, I'm trying to fill in the holes and get my word count up. This is much harder than I thought it would be the first time through because I like the way things flow right now. In the next few chapters, I know there are some areas where I'll be able to add content. I think I skip ahead in the time frame, and will be able to add a day or two. But its so neat right now. :) I hate to mess with that. Still, I need to add at least another 10-15k, so I'm not going to have much of a choice.

2006 Holiday Edition of Getting To Know Your Friends

MG Braden tagged me with the Holiday getting to know you. I have to say I love Christmas and wish things weren't so crazy around this time of year. You wanted to know, so here we go...

Your Name: Christine

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Most definately wrapped. Usually in special gold wrapping paper.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? colored

4. Do you hang mistletoe? God, I'd never get any sleep if I hung mistletoe. My husband would most likely move it so it hung over our bed. :)

5. When do you put your decorations up? I just can't seem to bring myself to put anything up before December 1. I do some decorating, but I don't go insane.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? I make a french toast bake every year. You take a loaf of french bread and cube it. Then add raisins and cubes of cream cheese. You then pour a mixture of eggs and maple syrup over it and put it in the fridge over night. Christmas morning, bake it and eat. Yummy!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: One year my family moved two weeks before Christmas. It was crazy busy, unpacking and putting up Christmas decorations. We didn't know anyone, so my whole family spent a lot of time together. It was my favorite Christmas.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I was seven. I walked into the kitchen one day after school, looked up at my mom and said, "There's no such thing as Santa. Is there?" There must have been something on my face, or in my voice, because my mom didn't even try and argue. She asked me to keep it quiet because my sister still believed. That Christmas was still cool, because it was like I'd been let in on the biggest secrete in the world, and it was up to me to keep things quite.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? As kids, we were usually able to talk my parents into letting us open one. As an adult, we don't put anything out until the kids go to bed. The surprised look on their face is wonderful

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Quickly. I sneak up on it tie it down with lights before dumping as many decorations on it as possible.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love the snow, hate the cold. Wish we could have one without the other. :)

12. Can you ice skate? Yes, but I don't get to very often. My husband can't skate, so I haven't gone in years. My children both want to learn, so I'll be getting back into it soon.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I've gotten a lot of wonderful gifts over the years. Three years ago, my husband bought me a necklace that I've wanted for years. It was a complete surprise and I've worn it pretty much everyday since then. That's probably my favorite.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Spending time with my family and baking cookies with my kids.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Plum pudding with my nanny's brown sugar sauce. *drool*

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? On Christmas eve, we always make oysters and scallops wrapped in bacon. I don't know why, but like MG, we eat a lot of appetizers that night.

17. What tops your tree? A fabric angel. I bought her the first Christmas I spent with my husband. The poor thing is a bit beat up now, but I still dig her up and put her on top.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? I LOVE giving. It's such a thrill to get the perfect gift and see the look on the other person's face when they open it. I usually try and surprise my husband. I've only suceeded a few times over the years.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Loreena McKennitt has a Christmas CD called, To Drive the Cold Winter Away. On it is a song called Snow. I could listen to that over and over.

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Yumm! But I like Chicken Bones better. :)

Okay, so Amy, Alyssa, Maureen, and Kelly consider yourselves tagged!!

NaNoWriMo - Day 25

Well, I'm officially done NaNoWriMo! It was a lot of fun and I've learned a lot about myself as an author. I'm actually a bit sad now that I don't have anything pushing me to keep going. Not that I need to :).

I think I may actually be able to replicate this again, and get another first draft done in a month. It seems to suit my style - get things on paper as quickly as I can, then spend time picking it apart and filling in the gaps.

The next stage with my genie story is to finish the edits and write the synopsis. I might take a stab at that tonight. I have an outline that I might be able to change around a bit and use. Since I hate writing these things, it might make things a bit less painful.

NaNoWriMo - Day 24

Blah. I've just spent most of today working my way through my revisions for my genie story. It's sad at the amount of typos I've picked up, and even sadder the amount I've missed. My husband acts as my second eyes and is much better at finding those mistakes than I am.

It can be a bit discouraging when I'm supposed to be the writer in the family, but I can't see the obvious errors in my writing. I'm going to have to start reading my story out loud. The only problem with that are my children. There's something wrong about saying some of "those words" in my living room when my children are downstairs watching TV.

The good news is that I've almost made it to the 60k word mark with this story. I was hoping it would be a lot longer than it is, but so far no luck. I'm hoping it doesn't pose too many problems when it comes time to shop it around to publishers. Still, I have lots of revising to do, so there's still time to add. :)

And a special treat for Friday - Vin Diesel!

Thursday Thirteen #3

I've been reading Stephen King's On Writing this week, and have been getting inspired. Reading the mini autobiography in the book was a real eye opened on the regular everyday events in our lives that can be a major influence on us as writers. In honor of reading his book, and in no particular order, my Thursday Thirteen this week will be...

Thirteen Things that have influenced me as a writer 1. Grade 2 Creative Writing- Okay so this was a very long time ago, but the little creative writing book my school pulled together had a big impact on me. It was the first time I saw my name in print, and the first review I ever received. 2. My husband - My husband has been supportive and encouraging over the years. When he realized my writing was no longer something I considered a hobby, and was becoming something more serious, he was there to help me out however he could. Without his support, I wouldn't be where I am today. When I write about that oohy love feeling, it's coming from my relationship with him. :) 3. Moving- I'd lived a very easy life in my routine before I moved. I was 27 and picked up and moved my family to another country. It gave me another whole set of experiences to draw on and some hardships to make me appreciate things. 4. TV Shows- When I was a kid I watched a lot of TV. I decided that I wanted to be a movie director. As a result I watched a lot of TV and movies trying to learn what I could. I grew to appreciate different types of stories and how they were told. I'm now ruined with some movies, because I can pick out the "clues" the writers leave to lead to their revelation moments, and figure things out before the end. 5. My Children- Anyone who had children knows the huge influence they have on your life. The impact on my writing is the fact that I want them to see me doing something that I love. I want them to make career decisions based on what they love, not what they think is proper. 6. Music- Like a lot of writers, I get asked where I come up with my ideas. A lot of the time, they are images and thoughts that pop into my head when I'm listening to music. I'll get a little internal music video playing and I can turn that into a story. Strange, but it works for me. :) 7. Stephen King- And not just because I'm reading his On Writing book. When I was 12 I put down my Sweet Valley High novel and picked up Christine. I was amazed at how clearly I could picture the things he wrote about. As a writer, I hope to someday reach that level and have the same descriptive magnifying glass he holds up in his novels. 8. Going Rappelling - Whenever I write about fear, I'm standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting to take that next step that will put me over the edge. I'm scared of heights, and to this day I'm not sure how I made it over the side. But I did - twice! 9. Going spelunking (caving)- If you ever have an opportunity to do this take it. I went with a group into a series of caves. We climbed so far back it was mind boggling. When the group leader had us turn off our head lamps, you couldn't see anything. It was the blackest dark I've ever experienced. Even though we were there as a group, I've never felt so alone and scared in my life. Things got better when the lights came on, but we were all a little shaken. 10. Competitive Swimming- When I was younger, I used to compete in swim meets. I was good for my age and won quite a bit. Whenever I need to write about a cocky character, I dip back into the summer when I cleaned up at every competition. 11. My Dad's Heart attack- Gut wrenching emotion. Dad was okay, but we weren't sure there for a while. The feeling when I got the phone call will stick with me forever. 12. Almost losing an academic scholarship- So the difference between a B+ and an A- almost cost me a full tuition scholarship. I was a woman possessed when I went after the professor (long story). Angry determination, that came from this moment. In the end, I won my case, got the grade, and kept the scholarship. 13. Happy Endings - I'm a firm believer that the world needs more happy endings. That's why I write Romance and not horror. We have enough bad things going on in the real world, it's nice to bring some joy.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

NaNoWriMo - Day 22

Well today was a good day for revisions. I managed to get through the first three and a half chapters today with my NaNo book. I've been able to add several layers and tie up a big thread that I started early on, but dropped about half way through the story. I'm really happy with this story so far. It may be my rose coloured glasses, but it seems to flow well. We'll see, I have to get my editor to look it over. And by editor, I mean my husband. He's my toughest critic. :)

Five Things...

Wylie Kinson just tagged me to reveal five things about myself. Well here they are in no particular order.

1. I'm slightly obsessive compulsive. I'm like a dog with a bone when I get something in my head. I can't stop till I see the end result I want.

2. I'm not as nice as people think I am. I have that little evil voice in the back of my head always shouting out a sarcastic remark or something unkind. Thankfully, I've learned how to ignore it.

3. I get grumpy when I'm tired. Nothing earth shattering, but when I tell people I get grumpy, they usually give me a strange look. "I've never seen you in a bad mood." Which leads me to point 4...

4. I'm a great actress. I've been in a lot of plays over the years. I like to play overly emotional characters who get to cry and scream a lot. I have a tape somewhere with my doing just that in a play called Trojan Woman. Good times. :)

5. I "hear" my characters talking to me. I feel like Will Ferrell in Stranger Than Fiction, the little voice saying the words that my characters want to say. It can be very disconcerting. :)

And here is a picture of Vincent D'Onofrio because he's my favorite TV detective. :)

NaNoWriMo - Day 21

And then I tried to revise.

I don't normally have any issues when I sit down to revise my manuscripts. I know where I need to beef things up. I can see where I need to change the word choice around to help with the flow. Normally I love this part of writing. It's very rewarding when I'm able to polish things up till they sparkle.

But not this time.

I think it's because things are so fresh in my mind with this NaNo story. I'm having a hard time with my edits. Where I could sit down and write for 2 hours and get lots written, now I can't sit for 15 minutes. I hasn't helped that my oldest daughter was sick today. I plan on taking tonight off and starting fresh tomorrow. I'd still like to get through as much as possible while I'm off this week.

Keep moving forward. :)

NaNoWriMo - Day 20

I finished up my first draft this morning, and ended up with 52000 words. That's a little less than what I was hoping to have, but still, not bad. I took a small break and then got back at it and started revisions. So far I've added a few thousand words to chapter one and it seems a bit fuller. I think most of my holes are more towards the middle of the story. We'll see when I get there.

With any luck, I'll get a good part of the way through the revisions before my vacation is done. I'd like to have a polished manuscript before Christmas so I can start sending it off early January.

As I was finishing up the manuscript, I found myself writing a few threads that can lead to a follow up book for one of my secondary characters. I'm not going to start Beth's story until I go back and finish Perfect Match, my sci fi romance that I abandoned for NaNo. I don't want my other story to be completely forgotten. :)

My writing was more relaxed today, knowing I didn't have to worry about hitting a particular word count. The funny thing is I hit the target anyway. They say it takes 30 days to form a habbit. Maybe I've formed a few good writing ones as a result of NaNo. One can only hope.

I did it!!

*finishes running a victory lap around her living room*

I'm not done the entire novel but tonight I crossed the 50k mark for NaNo!!
This has been an amazing few weeks for me, and I've accomplished more than I ever thought I could in such a short period of time. I still have a lot of work yet, but I'm very pleased that this manuscript is as complete as it is right now.

Tomorrow morning I'll get back at it and wrap up the first draft. Then it's on to the edits.

NaNoWriMo - Day 19

Well, I'm hoping to reach 50k tonight before I go to bed. It may be tight as I'm watching the Grey Cup with my husband and was out this afternoon for our last chapter meeting of the year. I only have about 1400 words and if I push hard, I should get them in before midnight.

I plan on taking tomorrow to tie up the last chapter or two of the book, and then go back and begin cleaning up chapter one. The book is wrapping up a bit faster than I'd like, but I'll be able to expand it with the second draft. I'm still hoping to have the end manuscript between 70-80k. Time will tell.

NaNoWriMo - Day 18

The end is near! I'm currently working on chapter fourteen tonight. Things are flying along and I'm getting ready to wrap my novel up. :) Currently, I'm sitting around 46,600 words. I'm going to try and push through till I hit 47,000. That means I should finish NaNo by tomrrow night if all goes well.

I'm still stunned at how fast everything seems to be moving. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me. But the fact that I'll have a pretty decent first draft done, is very encouraging. I know a lot of my fellow NaNo participants are having a lot of luck as well. This has been such a positive experience for me, I'd encourage everyone to participate in it next year. Even if you don't get the full 50k words written, you still can take advantage of the support of others and get a good start.

I'll check in with everyone tomorrow. I hope your weekend is going well!

NaNoWriMo - Day 17

The laptop lay silent on the coffee table - waiting. In the distance, the sound of an alarm gently playing James Blunt stired the aspiring author to life. The laptop got excited. Would she come out now and power it up? Then the one sound that the laptop dreaded more than any other echoed down the hall - the snooze button. What's this? She's not getting up? The laptop let the built up power stored in it's batter discharge slowly.

Okay, that's all the creative juices I have left in me. I'm officially on vacation after a very long stretch at work. To celebrate, I've decided to take today off from writing. I'm at a decent word count for NaNo, so I feel no guilt about doing this. I'll get back at it tomorrow and most likely finish the story this weekend. I'll then spend most of my week off working on plugging the plot holes that I know are there. :)

Happy Friday everyone!!

Thursday Thirteen #2

Thirteen Things I've learnedfrom TV shows 1. 24 - I've learned that the is nothing more powerful than a well done hook (and Jack Bauer). 2. Battlestar Galatica (new) - I've learned that it doesn't matter if your setting is in outer space, if you don't have a compelling story, you won't succeed (and trust me, they have a compelling story). 3. Stargate: SG1 - I've learned that subtly and humor are powerful writing tools when used effectively. (and MacGyver is still hot). 4. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - I've learning that there isn't a detail that is too small not to spend time on (and if you don't pick up on it, your readers certainly will). 5. Heroes - I've learned that even if you don't have a lot of plot, if your characters are interesting you're story won't fall flat (save the cheerleader). 6. Firefly - Take an old idea and place it in a completely new setting (cowboys in space - brilliant). 7. Dexter - That even your villain has an interesting story to tell. Let them tell it! (Damn the Drunk Writers board for this one - now I'm hooked). 8. Babylon 5 - Your story arc is important. Make sure you know where you are going so you can tie all the elements together (one of the best series endings ever). 9. Law & Order: Criminal Intent - Chemistry between your hero and heroin is key (love Vincent!) 10. Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Never underestimate the power of a character's name (this show was brilliant for use of names). 11. Doctor Who - sometimes what starts off as a simple, or well used idea, can blossom into an amazing adventure with twists you never expected (new series is great fun) 12. Numbers - think outside the box (who ever thought math could be portrayed as cool). 13. Any soap opera known to man - when things start to get stale, add a twist (aliens, the devil, super heroes, they've done it all).

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

NaNoWriMo - Day 15

Well, it's officially the half way mark. I hit 41000 words tonight! To say I'm happy would be an understatement. Things have been going so well for me, I'm actually scared to go back and read what I've written in case it, well, sucks. I'm sure it won't be that bad, but you never know. I'm hoping to get the first draft completed by the end of next week. Being on vacation with the kids in school will be a great opportunity for me to finish the first draft and get a good start on the second. It will be interesting to say the least.

Tomorrow is Thursday Thirteen, so stay tuned for something fun and exciting. I just have to think of something now. :)

NaNoWriMo - Day 14

Despite wanting to crawl in bed and go to sleep a few hours ago, I managed to push through and hit the 39,000 word mark tonight. I'm really pleased with how this book has been going. I'm not sure if it's the story line itself, or the motivation of NaNo that's keeping me going. Whatever it is, I'm really thankful.

I should hit the 40k mark tomorrow morning. :)

I'm now moving into the last four or five chapters of the manuscript and am trying to wrap things up, but not too quickly. I also seem to have found the humor again with the last chapter :). I'm hoping to keep things light at least until the last chapter. They can then have a good heart to heart, a tumble between the sheets, and a happily ever after.

NaNoWriMo - Day 13

I've got the flu. I think. This doesn't really surprise me considering how many people in my house have been sick. I'm at the beginning stages of sick. Where you feel sort of achy, sort of upset tummy, and mostly blah.

The good news is I did get some writing done, just over 2000 words. I might sit down and try to write another few pages to see if I can get closer to 3000 for the day, but I'm not going to push it.

Tonight is Heroes and Doctor Who, and we need to watch Battlestar Galatica from the weekend. So I have TV oblivion to slide into once my little ones are in bed.

I'm posting this picture because it's how I feel - and it makes me smile. :)

I detect a cat theme this week. :)

NaNoWriMo - Day 12

Today was a good writing day. I feel like I'm really starting to hit my stride with these characters. I'm finding it hard to resist the urge to go back and add to the obvious holes in some of the scenes that I've written though. I won't, no matter how badly I want to.

I'm hoping to cross the 40,000 word mark some time this week. Maybe on Friday if I can keep this pace up. I think the book will be close to 60-65k when I'm done this first draft. Then with some editing I should be able to get it up another 10k or so.

I also need to go back and add to the humor of the book. I'm trying to write this as a comedy, which is a hard thing to do. I find myself drifting into scenes and making them darker than they should. Again, it will be easy to spot these and fix during round two. I also need to go back and lace more sexual tension in the chapters leading up to their first love scene. It was pretty intense and I had the feeling that it came a bit out of the blue.

I've written over 8000 words this weekend, so I've decided to call it an early night and give my hands a break. I'm starting to feel like this cat :). But I'll be back at it tomorrow morning bright and early. :)

For a change of pace

A lot of people have been playing with these quizzes on their blogs recently. Being Canadian, I thought it only appropriate to take the Canadian quiz.

You are 93% Canuck!

You rock, you are an almighty Canadian through and through. You have proven your worthiness and have won the elite prize of living in a country as awesome as Canada. Yes I know other countries think they are better, but we let them have that cuz we know better than they do, eh?

How Canadian Are You?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

I was disappointed there weren't any Strange Brew questions on it!

And yes, I'm procrastinating...
Yes, I'm going back to my story...
Here I go...
Going now...
Humm, lunch...

NaNoWriMo - Day 11

Only a short post today. It's 11 pm and I am pretty beat right now. I was up half the night last night. My youngest was sick again with the stomach flu. Ended up having to wash the floors, walls, toilet, etc after a "miss". I then had to give her a bath at 2:50 am. Good times.

That took the wind out of my sails for my morning writing session. Then we went to the Remembrance Day ceremony that my daughters had with Girl Guides. So most of my day was gone.

On the writing front, I did pull out ahead. Once everyone went to bed, and my husband busied himself in front of his computer, I was able to sit down and write. And write. Until I find myself here now at 11 pm and looking at a word count of 29,181. Do I push through and hit 30k tonight? Or do I fall into my comfy bed and continue on tomorrow?

Decisions, decisions....

NaNoWriMo Day 10

Today I crossed the half way point for my NaNo word count!!! I didn't think I was going to be able to do it, and in fact if felt like just about every road block that could have popped up in front of me did. But as soon as my girls went to bed tonight, I was able to type the last few pages I needed to cross the line.

If I can keep this going I'll be past the 50k mark before the end of November. I'm going to try and write as much as I can to finish off the story. I usually add an additional 10k of words when I go through my second draft. I find I tend to go sparse on the detail and need to build up my world building a bit.

I hope all you other NaNoers out there are having success with your stories as well. Remember, all forward progress is good progress!

Thursday Thirteen #1

Happy Thursday everyone! Just for fun I've decided to take part in the fun that is Thursday Thirteen.

Thirteen Things about What I've Learned So Far Doing NaNoWriMo 1. Consistence is the key. 2. Having a time goal really keeps the pressure on me to get the writing done. 3. Creating a story outline before I write really does work! 4. Sometimes a silly idea turns out to be the best thing in the novel. 5. Moral support is a huge motivator 6. I do my best writing at 6 am *eek* 7. I can actually write without drinking large amounts of coffee. 8. People think I'm talking about Mork and Mindy when I say NaNoWriMo. 9. My family is afraid, very afraid...but very supportive. 10. The little word wiget on my blog is cute and I tend to obsess over seeing the number count rise. 11. I only needed a little otivation to get excited about my writing again. 12. I think I can actually write 50,000 words in a month while working full time, and looking after my husband and children. 13. It doesn't have to be perfect the first time! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. Tanya 2. Jane 3. Chaotic Mom 4. Caylynn 5. Olive 6. Janeen 7. Whiskey Talking 8. Maggie 9. The Imperfect Christian 10. Angela James (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

NaNoWriMo Day 8 - Milestone!

To quote one of my favorite characters from Heroes - I did it!!!

When I started writing my book at the beginning of NaNo last week, there was no way I thought I'd reach the 20,000 word mark in such a short time. When I realized that I was so close today, I promised myself I wouldn't stop writing today until I hit it. Well, I am very proud to say that I've done it. I'm totally blown away.

If nothing else comes from my experience with NaNo this year, I now know that I have it in me to produce a large quantity of writing in a short time, while managing the rest of my life. Now, whether or not it is quality writing is another matter all together. But as Margaret Moore commented the other day on her blog, things are never perfect the first time. I can fix any manuscript once it's been written. The challenge is writing it in the first place.

I'm also adding a picture of the man who's inspired my hero in this story, Cliff Simon. He's a regular on Stargate: SG1, playing one of the bad guys, Ba'al. He's got an amazing accent that I could listen to all day. :)

NaNoWriMo Day 7

Well, I'm glad I've written a little ahead, because I didn't meet my goal today. I was up most of the night with my youngest daughter - stomach flu. That mean I slept past my 6 am alarm and didn't get any writing done until lunch. Tonight I had parent teacher interviews, and had to get caught up on some critiquing.

All said, I managed a little over a thousand words. I'm not beating myself up over it, because my word count for the first week of NaNo is over 16, 000.

None to shabby.

Tomorrow is a new day, and I'll be up again early. I have Gravol to thank for ensuring a good night sleep. :)

NaNoWriMo Day 6

I pretty much feel like this picture today - running underwater. I got a great work out, but I'm tired, and didn't seem to get very far.

I was able to produce another 2064 words, but I am ready to stop for the day. Even though a part of me wants to keep at the story, I really don't want to burn out before the end of NaNo. I'm going to be powering off the old laptop after this post and take a much deserved break.

Besides...it's Monday. Doctor Who and Heroes!!!

Those two shows will get me revved up for my tomorrow morning writing session. I have fallen into the pattern of writing three times a day: 6:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 7:30 pm. I write for about an hour each sitting, which has been yielding me about 2000 + words a day.

And on a completely different note. I read this brief article about a dog that was drafted by the German army. I'm sure there's a story in there somewhere!

NaNoWriMo Day 5 - And a New Blog Look

Hello everyone! Well, I've survived day 5 with a good productive word count. I was able to write just over 3000 words today. I was aiming for 4k, but had to do the laundry, play with my kids, etc. I'm not complaining.

NaNo so far for me has been an amazing experience. I'm not sure if it is the story itself I'm working on, the external goal that is driving me forward, or all the support I have from the various NaNo groups I belong to. No matter how you slice it, I've been bouncing I'm so excited about writing.

Someone passed on to me an Internet quiz that determines how addicted you are to the Internet. I took and and found out that I'm an average user. The funny thing was if I replaced the word Internet with Writing the result was different - I'm an addict! I actually had to apologize to my daughter today because I jumped down her throat when she kept bugging me when I was trying to write. *sigh*

I'll be find once NaNo is finished. :)

On another front, I've changed the look of my blog. I hope you find it easier to read. I'm going to try and add some fun things to it over the next few days. Let me know if there is anything you'd like to see. :)

NaNoWriMo Day 4 - Burning Up

Literally! My left wrist was causing me grief today, which meant I couldn't type as fast as normal. Plus, I was doing a lot of running around this morning, so I wasn't able to start writing until this afternoon. With my wrist brace on, I still managed to get 3000 words today. Not as much as I originally hoped for, but I'm still happy none the less. With that word count, I've officially crossed the 10,00 word mark.

My goal for tomorrow is to get another 3000 words early in the day, then have a break. :)

Edit: I was browsing the Thursday Thirteen links and came across Lady Jane's blog. She had a link to Josh Groban's song Awake, and I thought I would share it. If you haven't heard Josh sing, do yourself a favor and check this out!

NaNoWriMo Day 3

I've had a great writing day. NaNo has been an awesome way for me to kick start my creative juices again. Plus it doesn't hurt that I'm having a whole lot of fun with my new story. My old WIP is still there, but having a month away from it should help with my excitment with it.

So far today I've written 2000 words. I'm hoping to get another few pages done tonight, but I'm not going to worry too much about it.

On another note, I was browsing around the NaNo site and found this cool progress meter. There is also a challenge one. So if anyone wants to take me on I'm game!!

I've also added a few new links of some great sites I've discovered. I hope everyone enjoys them as well.

NaNoWriMo Day 2

I'm on a roll! I'm going to wrap up writing for today so I can spend some time with my husband. I've had great progress so far reaching the 4845 word mark. I find the time pressure and daily goals very helpful for me. I'm not tempted to go back and edit, and I'm also not wasting a lot of time agonizing over the perfect word. Get the basic idea down and fix it later.

When I tried to do NaNo last year, I didn't have much luck. This time I managed to figure out a complete outline. Being a seat-of-my-pants writer, normally I find myself going down the wrong road a lot of the time. Not this time! I know exactly what I want to do at each step, but have managed to leave myself enough room for creative sparks if they strike.

The other part of NaNo this year that's helping me from the start, are my writing buddies. It gives me motivation when I hear how well they are doing. I hope I am able to give them the same in return.

Best of luck to everyone on day 3!!!!

Tagged!

I was just tagged my Maureen McGowan to list five interesting things about myself. So here we go...

1. I have had supper with Prince Charles. Okay, so I wasn't alone with him. I was asked to be the female university rep for Atlantic Canada when he came to Fredericton, NB back in 1996. I think I forgot to curtsey properly. He is shorter than I thought he would be, and he has amazing eyes.

2. I have been in an informercial. I didn't say anything, but my success photos were shown in the Beach Body.com informerical for Power 90. I lost 25 lbs exercising every day. They gave me $200 for my troubles which paid for the program, and a bit extra.

3. I knew I was going to marry my husband before I met him. I had a dream one night when I was 14. I sat up in the middle of the night and knew his name. I figured at the time I was mixing the names of two other boys I knew. I moved three months later, and who do you think I ran into, my husband. Been with him ever since.

4. I can't eat green peppers. They make me ill within about 30 minutes. I've had people blend them up and try too sneak them into food that I'm eating, and they still make me ill. It's very strange.

5. I'm terrified of heights. I can't go up a step ladder. I get vertigo watching movies. Flying just about kills me. I also pass out at the sight of blood. Basically, I'm a wimp.

I now tag...Cathryn Fox :)


NaNoWriMo Day One
Well, I know day one isn't quite done, but I've already met my goal for the day! I couldn't believe it when the word processor said 2034 words. I would have cried out in joy if I wasn't at work :). I'm hoping to get another page or two written tonight, but it will have to wait until after Girl Guides.

I hope my fellow NaNoWriMo authors are having a great day too!