Tuesday, November 8, 2011

NaNoWriMo Day Eight: Increasing My Wordhood

Note for those who received the early version of this: This post is for Day Eight. Day Eight. I don't know why I keep doing this - this is the third time in this NaNovember that I've made a day count error. No biggie. I'll blame it on NaNoBrain. *grin*

So, have you noticed that I'm writing out my numbers? I mean, we could argue that it is appropriate - don't the rules of grammar state that we are supposed to write out the numbers up to a certain number, then we can switch to digital representation. But I'm leaving myself an opening here for padded word count if needed.

See, for the unNaNoInitiates, there are ways to increase your word count similar to those spam mails we all get. You know, the ones that say you can "increase your manhood"? Only these are tricks and hints to "increase your wordhood." And one trick is to spell out your numbers and don't use hyphens when you get to numbers of that size. It's legal. And it is grammatical.

So, I'm praciticing. Number = word version, not numerical version.

One trick I'm not using is contraction elimination. See, I've been doing a lot of writing. And I've found a pretty solid and consistent writing voice for a lot of my stories - be they memoir, creative fiction, or pure fiction. And I use contractions a lot of the time - especially in dialogue. Unless, of course, my characters are the type who would never let themselves fall into such a nasty habit as using contractions in their speech. (I do actually know a couple of people who rarely use them; one of them speaks very eloquently and it is natural fit for him - not some bit of snobbery adorned to impress others. Okay, back to what I was saying.)

I am using contractions. But, if it gets down to the wire and I'm behind, I can always go back and do 'find and replace" and expand the contractions out. But I doubt I will. I'm moving along fine in my word count so far. Some stops and starts and I'm not always on track - but - tada - again tonight I got caught back up on my word count after a -0- day on Sunday and a ~500 word day yesterday. So, yes, that means I wrote a lot of words tonight.

And made progress in my story.

Since I doubt I'll "increase my wordhood" any more tonight, I'll call it at an ending word count on day eight of :
13,446

In tonight's writing - we finally got to see some of the promised "Samantha Says Funny Shit" antics. There have been a few little jokes, but nothing to earn her that moniker. Tonight she showed her true colors. And we got to see a little of her sensitive side, too; although, as I'm sure you could guess, that part didn't last long.

Oh - and there is a second death. It was the character I expected to die earlier. Remember when I said someone was drinking coffee on a ladder and I didn't think she'd make it? Well, she did. She was fine and playful and then there was a breakup. And then one of the boys found her dead. Right now, you know as much as I do about her mysterious death. Except that I think it was a suicide - but I'm not sure, yet. It's just a hunch and I've been wrong with this character before.

#SheWriMo