Catch A Star As It Falls

I sent off two submissions, read the current issue of Premium Green, and have most of my planned writing goals met for the month; the only lingering one is the poem-a-day project, which I obviously can't finish early.

That said, I'll be largely offline for the next while so that I can enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with my family. To my fellow Americans, have an awesome Thanksgiving with abundant good food and cozy company. To my international friends - have a wonderful week! Best wishes to those who continue to plug away at NaNoWriMo. You can do it!

After four days, the migraine finally eased off. Some of the residual weirdness remains in my head and I'm typing worse than usual, but at least I was able to get some work done on the computer today.

NaNoWriMo's work is done. I finished up the scene I was in when I passed 50k. Those final statistics:

Today: 1,287
Total: 51,453

I'm not sure what to have happen in the next few chapters, though elements are starting to come together for the finale. I have a month to ponder my plot and fill in that gap. Abnormal definitely has more of a typical urban fantasy plot structure to it, making it more straightforward than Normal with all its flashbacks.

---

Have you published any scifi/fantasy/horror flash (<1000 words) this year? TTA Press has a call out for an Advent Calendar event. They won't publish the stories, but they will link to the selections and provide a forum discussion area. First priority is given to their authors, then forum users, and then others. I'm an "other," but I still sent in an email pointing him to "The Pacifier" on Niteblade. You can nominate other people's work as well. They prefer stories about Christmas, but it's not a requirement.

I had very, very good timing to finish my 50k when I did. For the past two days, I've been fighting a migraine that is the light sensitive sort. I'm actually trying to type this while not looking at the screen. I'm hoping to still finish up that scene tomorrow, because it's definitely not happening tonight. Staring at the white background feels like eye muscles are being ripped from my skull. Whee.

I've kept up with the poems, at the very least.

Forgive me for my typos; my fingers know not what they do.

Goal achieved.

Today: 1,932
Total: 50,166

I'm still going to write a smidgen more this month because I can't stand to leave it hanging in the middle of a scene. When that is done, I'll set it aside to marinate until January. In the next few days, I have a flash fiction story to write, those submissions to make, and the continuing poem-a-day challenge.

I'm pretty sure I finished my 50k for The Locked Door on November 19th as well. Weird to think that was two years ago.

I'm currently in the midst of a magnificent rejection streak. I had a nice, personalized rejection last night that made me sad for a while, just because I felt strongly about the piece. I'm trying to do the brave and bold thing and search for a new home for that story. If I shave off about 150 words, I can send it in to the Writer's Digest Short Short Story Contest, which has a deadline of 12/1. There's another contest I was reminded of today that I'll deploy my toilet gnomes story to as well; the deadline there is also 12/1. That will be my writer-stuff to do this weekend - ye old climb-back-on-the-horse-that-just-threw-you philosophy.

That, or continue the stuff-my-face-with-cookies routine that's been carrying me through today.

Today: 2,138
Total: 48,234

Today's poem had a prompt of "sloooooooow" which made me think of Rhonda and her zombie poem theme. I didn't write on that subject, though - I drew on my Navy wife experience instead.

My husband gifted me with a new monitor as an early Christmas gift. It's spiffy, but strange. I'm not used to reading in a letterbox-type format. It will be interesting to resume work on NaNo tomorrow and see how differently the words look on the screen.

Today's writing went well. I wrote the final scene of my outline today and brought in a new villain and some pretty nasty blackmail to compel Celeste to do something she really doesn't want to do. That should give me enough material (I hope) for the next two days to finish out my 50k. After that, I can focus on a ton of holiday-related stuff that must get done prior to Thanksgiving.

Today: 2,934
Total: 46,096

Also, my four-year-old has two new books he's wanted read to him every day for the past two weeks - Rainbow Brite books. I am incredibly pleased; the husband, not so much.

Poem for the day is done.

I'm running out of outlined story. Therefore, I'm finding miraculous ways to stretch out my scenes. It is adding to the drama factor, so at least it's not simply filling space for the sake of filling space (see Mouse).

Today: 3,037
Total: 43,162

Hubby read through part of my manuscript over the weekend. Of course, I did the eager writer thing and asked what he thought. "Well, it has..." He made a long, dramatic pause. "A lot of typos."

Yes, dear. Thanks a bunch.


I'm very happy with my poem today, too.

A year ago on this date, I met the 50k mark on Normal. I'm not going to lie - it bugs me that I'm at 40k this year and not producing as much. However, I do believe I'm producing better work. I just need to remind myself that a lot of that first 50k of Normal was exposition that I had to completely cull. I'm going slower now, and saving myself more work later.

The only writing I did yesterday was to complete my poem. I didn't even open up the Abnormal file. It wasn't a relaxing day, regardless... actually, it seemed to be a day when everything was going wrong. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't open the document. It might have blown up.

Today I wrote 2,000 words and my poem. Critter behaved like an obnoxious brat as I was trying to write (and only when I was trying to write), so I was very glad to make it to my minimum goal for the day and stop. And then the boy behaved himself, of course.

Today: 2,122
Total: 40,125

Goal is to make 50k by or on Thursday.

Last night about 8PM, Hubby walked up to me in the kitchen. "You've been doing this frowny thing with your eyebrows all day," he said. "What's your word count?"

I tell him.

"You need a day off," he told me in his stern-Daddy voice.

But that day wasn't today - it will tomorrow, due to a load of errands and a family outing to see the Phoenix Coyotes versus Dallas Stars. Oddly enough, the last NHL game I attended was in February 2008, and that was the day after I dreamed of the basic plot line of Normal. I spent the entire game writing pages and pages of notes in my little tiny notebook (much to my husband's chagrin). I'll undoubtedly spend much of this game tomorrow working on the plot holes for Abnormal.

Today: 2,937
Total: 38,013

The poem today had the prompt of "renewable," so I wrote a completely silly rhyming verse about using cat hairs to solve the energy crisis.

The writing today was hard, probably because I'm at another bridge between action scenes.

Today: 3,053
Total: 35,076

I'm not very happy with the poem today either. It's just one of those days.

Beneath my eyes, the bags are so big I could carry groceries in them.

I had a fit of panicky-perfectionism today. The morning was so busy with cleaning and appointments and boy that I couldn't get any writing done. At 1:50PM, I only had 300 words and the poem done. So I did the lazy parenting thing and strongly encouraged the child to go upstairs and listen to music and play. It worked. I had just finished up my 3k when the husband called to say he was headed home from work, and then I had to spend an hour doing supper.

Today: 2,922
Total: 32,023

I hope to go to bed early tonight.

My characters have been talking an awful lot for the past two days. Tomorrow I get back to some action scenes. Also, I've now officially diverged from the chapter outline. I split my old chapter 7 in half, and made a new chapter after that, too. Which is good because I'm still not clear on what happens during that gap from chapter 11 until the ending.

Today: 2,027
Total: 29,101

There were two poetry prompts today, love and anti-love. I was amused because the past two days I've ended up with a love poem (Sunday) and anti-love poem (Monday), even without specific prompts on that subject matter. So today I did another love poem. Maybe I can break this cycle tomorrow.

I've been go-go-go all day, and now I'm too exhausted to make an elaborate post.

Today: 2,954
Total: 27,074

Poem done.

Tomorrow I'm setting a lower goal (2k) because I'm going to actually get out of the house and attend a lunch potluck.

I thought the writing today would be pretty straightforward - have Celeste on the scene of a multiple casualty incident, throw her on supply duty instead of healing, and then have her recognize someone in the crowd. Then I realized my textbook mentioned supply being necessary to triage, but didn't really give specifics. How could I write about that duty then? So I had Celeste sent there, then had her called for a rather nasty extrication situation wherein she had to amputate some lady's legs with her mind.

That took up my 2,000 words for the day, but they were pretty slow words because I had to flip all over the place in my EMT textbook, from soft tissue crush injuries (where the pictures seriously squick me) to hypoperfusion to the MCI/triage chapter. Editing this part will be loads of fun.

Today: 2,059
Total: 24,120

Today's poem prompt was "Should ________," and I ended up with a romantic poem about the end of the world. 'Cause that's how I roll.

Today was spent mostly on one scene that involved a small crowd of characters talking/arguing, which is rather challenging for me... and that led into the start of a multiple casualty incident scene based on the EMT textbook (I can already tell it will need oodles of plumping in the revision stage).

Let it not be said that I avoid challenging scenes. I just do a lousy job, that's all.

Today: 2,039
Total: 22,061

The poem today was easy. I had the concept in my head as soon as I read the prompt. It was nice to have that out of the way first thing.

Tomorrow we're not going anywhere, so I might make extra progress. However, I also have a magazine article query I've been eyeing nervously for the past week, trying to get up the nerve to send it in and try something new. If I'm going to give it a shot, I need to do it ASAP so that the editor hasn't filled all the slots, if she hasn't already.

I'm not very good at this try-something-new thing.

It's been a long day, even if I did squeeze in a short nap after completing 2,000 words. I'm tired. A week of maintaining this intense pace is starting to wear me down. Oh, the motivation is still there, and I'm following my chapter outline.. but by the time 6PM comes, my brain starts to shut down. I just want to stare at the screen and stop thinking. So here I am on LiveJournal!

Today: 2,967
Total: 20,022 (goal for the day was 20k)

Poem completed as well - this one with a fantasy twist.

The weekend is here, and with it the obligation for errands such as grocery shopping. The word goal for Saturday and Sunday will be 2k a day, hopefully with more naps included.

Excerpt from chapter five:

“Heeeeeey,” the voice burbled like a cartoon frog. I looked at Mitch, then followed him around to get a better view of this admitted serial killer and rapist.

Dustin Schuster was a gelatinous blob of a man. What had once been solid muscle had degraded to layers of loose, flabby fat, stacked in layers like a child’s attempt at pancakes. A white tank top scooped so stretched and low that an errant nipple peered out an armpit hole, a misplaced pink eye of flesh. In his face, I could see a faint resemblance to his shrewish mother. The lips, the somewhat upturned nose. Rolls of jowls framed his jaw in a parody of a mane.

“Well, if it isn’t Mitchell. Hey man, long time no see.” He extended an arm, and Mitch shook his hand, a palsied look of horror on his face. “And who’s this?”

“I’m Celeste Reed. Guild Healer.” I shook his hand as well, feeling as though a taint seeped through the layers and into my skin. I resisted the urge to rip the glove off and put a new one on.

Well, I'm completely brain-fried at this point, so I'll keep this short so I don't embarrass myself. I had to squeeze in writing time today, and I didn't even get to do my poem until 7PM. There's nothing left of me.

Today: 3,352
Total: 17,055

One of Critter's therapists canceled today, but that didn't end up clearing much time. Wednesday is generally a chore day, and the sort of chores I can't really put off - like vacuuming the central areas of the house, doing a load of laundry, and studying the grocery to make next week's menus. In the end, my word count ended up pretty much as I expected it to be:

Today: 2,704
Total: 13,704

Have I mentioned how much I love tracking this stuff in Excel? This wonderful fellow created report cards for monitoring daily progress. I used it last year, too. It has the added bonus of Critter-pleasing features. Each day he's asking to see my bar graphs, and they make him dance in absolute joy. Yep, he has a major thing for bar graphs.

And, excerpt!

“I’ll give my parents a call later,” Sid said. “Meet up with them, sit down, tell them about Abigail’s power and what we hope to achieve.”

I arched an eyebrow. I wasn’t even sure what we hoped to achieve, other than subverting the Guild and risking my house in a magnificent bonfire.

“Why do you need to tell them about me?” Abigail said, sullen tone softened by curiosity.

Sid took a deep breath. “My little sister Maria was a fire-starter. Not a full-body immolator like you, but a finger-touch starter. Hers started when she was two, and she couldn’t control it, and then when she did she got caught in a snowstorm and froze to death.”


Oh, and poem four has been completed as well.

Edit: And relevant NaNoWriMo comic from the cats of Two Lumps.

I wrote the entire chapter three today, involving a rather awkward family reunion and a girl who can self-immolate. The first part came out very fast - 2,000 words in an hour and ten minutes. The next 1,400 words took over an hour, though. In all, NaNo time used up most of the time Critter was in school.

Also, the poem today is the best one yet.

The next few days won't go as well. Tomorrow is therapy day, and there are appointments and family-doings the rest of the week. Two-thousand words a day will remain the minimum goal.

Edit:
Geez, how tired am I? I didn't post my word counts.

Today: 3,485
Total: 11,005

7,520 total; 3,422 today. The only reason I didn't stop closer to 3k was because I wanted to finish chapter two.

Today was a bit of a struggle. Not a lot of action, but necessary conversation that propels the plot. I probably have too big a dump of back story, too, so I'll need to trim that when I edit. But hey, that's what NaNoWriMo is all about. Now I just need to keep myself from wandering back to the docx file and doing some minor editing.

The poem was harder today, too. I spent two hours ruminating possible poems on the subject of "looking at things from a different point of view," and in the end I wrote a very simple four-line blank verse.

Odd fact: both poems have involved people who are laughing. This will not last. Oh no. Soon, the blood and gibs will flow and my true depressive self will be revealed. MWA HA HA. Ahem.