Whewww.... can you beleve it? 50,206 words in 30 days. That's a lot of words. I am exhausted and drained and I must keep going because the novel is nowhere near done. But I got a good start. That said, I thought share some of my 2010 NaNoWriMo experiences with you.
I knew in October I wanted to get involved in NaNoWriMo again. I did it last year, enjoyed the craziness, and I was up for it again. Having a story due in May 2011, I decided to focus on a semi major revision of the story. I got out my maps, did up my character sketches, drafted research notes and outlined. For me, I need to do this premliminary work or I won't be ready to write on day one and I need to be ready to write on Day 1.
OUTSIDE CHALLENGES:
What makes NaNoWriMo demanding for me are my "outside challenges." There's the fact I'm a full time working mom. I answer 911 for LAPD. I'm grateful to have a job, but it's there. The good thing is I can write on my down time at work. The bad thing is because there's no computers, I have to write long hand and then type it up at home. I also have two boys, 8 & 4 and I'm always keeping up with them. There was soccer, gymnastics, religion education, doctor's appt and misc with them.
DAY 1
Day 1 hit and I hooked up at the Panera with Jenifer Ranieri. Jen does the cover art for Desert Breeze and lives maybe 20 minutes from me. She's also writer. It really helped that I could meet up with her and work on my project. Jen has a great sense of humor and that's really motivating for me.
I pretty much stuck to 1600 words a day. I'd like to think I'm slow and steady. Hey, slow and steady wins the race! And I had a passion for my project.
What was my project this year? I intended it to be a semi-major revision of The Wolf's Torment. It's turning into a MAJOR revision with a lot of changes that I'm very excited about.
HERE'S THE BLURB:
Crown Prince Mihai Sigmaringen has a lot to look forward to. Recently returned from England, he's engaged to Lady Theresa von Kracken. He hopes to unite the Romanian principalities into a nation, but when his best friend, Viktor Bacau, is bitten by a werewolf, Mihai's dreams and his relationship with Theresa threaten to shatter into a thousand tiny pieces.
Some of the major changes are that Sonia is now Mihai's half-sister instead of a maid and Mihai is more accepting of the witching power in him, and activitly learns to be a practicing witch. The plot is still the same, but how the characters get to the end has changed dramatically.
EXCERPT
Here's a small excerpt for you to enjoy. Mihai has returned to castle at the same time Theresa and Beatrice have.
******
He turned around and to find Theresa and Beatrice bundled up in warm coats, hats, and scarves. Their cheeks were red from the chill. He smiled at them.
"Hello, ladies."
"Hello, Mihai."
Beatrice bowed.
"So what were you ladies up to this afternoon?"
Theresa grinned. "We sent the wedding announcements out and Beatrice and I ordered our dresses."
"Well done. What else is there to do?"
"We need flowers, musicians, caterers, a daguerreotyper…"
"and rings," he added.
"Yes, and rings."
Her sweet expression warmed his heart. The thought of putting his ring on her finger thrilled him.
"We'd love to have your thoughts on our plans," said Beatrice.
Mihai gestured toward the castle, walking next to Theresa. He wanted to get the women out of the cold. Tybeski walked behind him.
"Well, tomorrow, Mr. Tybeski and I have a busy day. Parliament passed my tax, so I must send out notices requesting bids, and Mr. Tybeski will be working on our behalf for the orphanage."
Theresa stepped in front of him, grabbing his hands. They were right in front of the castle's steps. Her face sparkled with excitement. "That's wonderful! Thank you, Mihai."
God, he wanted to be alone with her right now. He curbed the desire, pushing it away for now, knowing that the promise of later might be fulfilled.
"I'm glad you approve. After dinner I want you to come to my study."
She raised a curious eyebrow.
"I want to tell you about the railroad."
"You want to work on the railroad bid, you mean." Her face slightly frowned.
He looked directly at her. "If I wanted to work, I wouldn't ask you to come to my study."
"I'm sorry," she said, gently.
"Oh, let's go inside, I'm freezing and I want a very warm cup of tea," said Beatrice. She looked at Mihai. "And if you want Theresa to join you in the study, she needs a very warm cup of tea, too."
Mihai cast his eyes toward the door and gestured with his hand for the ladies to go ahead of him. Beatrice was a colorful one, but it was Theresa who heated his blood with her innocence, her sense of adventure, and her caring nature. It was Theresa who he wanted to be with tonight – alone.
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