Thoughts on NaNo 2011

Another National Novel Writing Month has come to a close. 

It was a good year for me.  I reached a personal best word count of 53,454.  I completed the first draft of my novel, meaning I wrote to an ending.  Knowing how editing works, this might not stay the ending, but it is there and it works for me at the moment.  This is the first time I’ve had an ending for one of my novels. 

Many of my friends reached 50K.  (Special shout out to Matt, who’s the only other person among all the folks in the two writing groups I attend who also did NaNo this year.  He reached 50K as well.) 

I’m in withdrawal  We had a rousing virtual TGIO party last night on line in a place called The Smoking Pen Bar and Grill, a thread in the NaNo forums as well as a newly formed FB group.  As an indication of how much I am into this:  I have avoided FB completely up to now.  I joined just to be a part of the Pen FB group. 

{Aside #1:  TGIO = Thank Goodness It’s Over.  There are many local TGIO parties celebrating the end of NaNo, usually held the first weekend of December.  Although one of my NaNo buddies said in her region they held it LAST weekend, on Nov 27!  Seems a travesty.}

{Aside #2:  The Smoking Pen was created by NaNoer Kopiluwak a number of years ago.  The name comes from the rapid pace writing of NaNo, so fast the pen smokes...)

During November I was writing on my breaks at work.  Today was my first day back after the Thanksgiving holiday.  I wrote on my break!  Had an idea for a better description of something in the novel, and wrote it out.  Came home, pulled that sheet of paper from my purse and typed it in.  The same process I’d followed all through November. 

I have had a tab permanently open for the NaNoWriMo website since September.  I can’t yet bring myself to close it, even though I have a bookmark for the site.  Not ready to call it quits on this one yet! 

Oh, that final line of my novel? 

“Wherever this cruise is headed, sailor, count me in.”

Shameless Promotion

My writing friend Jeff has put up a story at wattpad:

J A Segal, Tanzania

Please take a look.  You can read (and it counts as a hit for him) even if you're not a member.  Have to join to leave a comment, though.  The cover art for the story is by our writing/artist friend Carol.

If you have comments and don't want to sign up over there, you could leave them here and I'll forward them to him.  :-)  Or go to his blog and leave them there!

(The links to both Jeff and Carol's blogs are on the right there, under friends.)

NaNo 2011, 50K day

I have made 50K in the wonderful craziness that is NaNoWriMo for the sixth time.

There is still a bit of my story to write to get to the actual ending.  I plan on doing that before the 30th, so I can add that milestone:  having an end to the story in November.  Never achieved that before, and this year is my best shot at it ever.  My characters have been very cooperative, even though there were many times I couldn't see farther ahead than the scene I was writing.  I'm at one of those spots now.  Although I know only one or two more scenes are needed, I can't see what they'll be. 

Best of luck to those of you still striving for the goal. 


Thanks for reading; comments welcome.

That NaNoWriMo Thing I'm Doing

I'm in the home stretch.  I've got less than 5K to go.  I just might finish before the 29th this year, which has been my finish date for the past four NaNo's. 

For the first time in my NaNo history, I may actually write to the end of the story!

Best of luck to everyone along for this crazy ride. 



Thanks for reading; comments welcome. 
>^.^< 

Here, have a BIG WAVE

This past week a new world record was set for the largest wave ever surfed (tow-surfing) - a 90 foot (27 meter) monster off the coast of Nazare, Portugal. 

The topography of the area is fascinating.  There is a deep (5000 meters) undersea canyon that runs close to the shore.  This canyon aids in the creation of unusually large rogue waves when swells from the right direction are heading to the coast.  On  Tuesday, November 8, there was an 8 meter swell running from that direction.  Three large waves of over 18 meters (60 feet) formed.  Garrett McNamara caught the largest.

That wave was about the height of a 9 story building.

I’ve experienced 10 meter seas (that’s not a story for today) and 8 meter swells are nothing to sneeze at.  But 90 feet??  The power of the ocean is mind-boggling.


Thanks for reading.  Comments welcome as always.

NaNo 2011, Day Five

I'm a bit behind, but not so much that I can't catch up before bedtime. I wrote a thousand words this morning and only need another 1300 or so to be on target.  I'm happy with the way my story is developing and haven't yet written through my beginning ideas.  The two main characters haven't even met yet!  I haven't had to resort to ramblings to get the word count.  (Around the middle of the month last year I wrote a committee meeting that went on for several days' worth of word count!  Haven't edited that yet, but it will be surprising if even 1/6 of it stays.)  The characters have provided some possible directions, and it will be fun finding out which the story follows. 

Now I'm heading out to enjoy the beautiful day! Best of luck to everyone!


Thanks for reading, and comments are always welcome.