NaNoWriMo 2015 : Consecutive Win #8

The writing is not yet done, but I did cross the 50,000 word benchmark on Tuesday 11/24/15.

Proof, again, that the annual writing retreats help.

Making time and space for focused writing helps. Being in a place where the only distractions are the ocean and the sunsets and walks on the beach helps. Being prepared with food and drink and snacks and tons of tea helps.

And I did it. I wrote over 50,000 words in the month of November - from 12:01 AM on November 1st until 11:56 pm on November 24th, to be more exact. And my manuscript (in it's very raw form) was validated on the NaNoWriMo website at 11:58 pm.

I am a NaNoWriMo Winner!

Report from Oceanside, Oregon for day 23

It was a full day of activity other than writing. It started early due to reports of an incoming cold snap combined (in some order which was not quite determined) with wetness falling from the sky. The result of the wet and the cold would be white stuff and/or frozen glossy stuff on the ground. Which, so the report insisted, could result in treacherous traveling through the coast range passes and the Oregon Cascades.

I don't care about the Cascades, I'm not on that side of the state. But I am on the coast and I will be coming home on Wednesday, about the time all of the magic of weather predictions was to coalesce into whatever it was going to be.

Part of the irony of this situation is that I had just been discussing my annual debate of "Snow tires?" or "No snow tires." I was, again, on the side of no snow tires because, you know, they're tough on the roads. Chains can be very awkward for me because of where we live and where a lot of my work happens. We live out far enough toward the east that there many be some snowy or icy conditions which make it difficult to get out of the neighborhood, if the stuff manifests at all. So if I put on chains so I can get out of the neighborhood, then by the time I get towards the river to cross over into downtown, often the roads are clear. And I have to take the chains off. then I get outside of downtown on the other side and there is a steepish hill which is heavily traveled I have to go up and often that, due to the trees which protect much of the road from sun and warming/drying scientific processes, it stays slippery and needing traction devices. So must put them back on.

So, studded/snow tires are better. I know they won't be helpful in the big stuff if we get any.

So - here I am at the coast and the passes may be snowed over or iced over and there is a Les Schwab up the highway a bit in Tillamook. I called them when I first woke up (which would not have been the time I would get up other than a trip to the bathroom, you know) a little before 8 am (remember, I probably got to bed around 3 am) and asked if they had studs in stock for my car. She said yes, and they were already in a three hour queue. Ack! She offered to put me "in line" if I was going "into town" by 11 am. I hadn't planned to do that, but I said yes since she couldn't schedule and appointment or put me in line for anything other than the three hour wait they were already on.

So I did get a little more sleep (about 90 minutes), got up, showered, went "into town" and purchased the tires and got them mounted.

I wrote while I was there, waiting, which was a mere 45 minutes. Then went to a local cafe where the locals seemed to go for lunch. After which went for a long walk on the beach, where I discovered that the key to the place where I'm staying had disappeared from my keychain.

Eeek! What to do? Don't panic. And all was well, it had slipped off from the carabiner somehow and was waiting for me on the floor mat on the driver's side in my car.

Back to the cabin with the gorgeous view. Writing. More writing. Dinner and conversation. Writing. And it is now past midnight.

The weather report now is not giving me the little alerts with the red and white triangles with an exclamation mark in the middle. There are still some warnings about potential of wintery weather and roads but there is no more predicted rain and cold snap conditions like there were yesterday. So maybe I won't need the special tires but I have them if I do.

And I am now ahead on my word count, despite all of this. I hope to be very close to the 50,000 word goal by the time I leave on Wednesday. I think I will be. Right now my word count is:

      40, 317      

Happy me!

NaNo Update for the 22nd Day

The NaNovember 2015 coast writing retreat is under way and it is working.

Today I caught up and earlier tonight surpassed the word count goal for today. The goas was 36,667 and my current count is 36,781. I am not much ahead, but at least I am not behind. Until it turns midnight and then I will have at least another 1667 to write. Which I will. Today I wrote 5656 words.

Yes. The ocean and the sun and the very calm breeze carrying the salty air and the sound of a seal up to the little cabin are bringing me back into my writing.

I'll take it.

NaNo Update through Day 19

It has been an interesting couple of days. Not in writing, but in life. And the "interesting" did affect my (lack of) writing, though I managed to knock out some words tonight.

Not very interesting words. But I wrote more than nothing. And I just noticed: not very many green days in the month so far. But not very many red ones, either. Balance!

I am in the final days - officially, today, Friday is my final day - of prep to interpret "Broomstick." That is the fun part. Last night (meaning Wednesday night) we watched the play again, and I signed through it, followed by feedback and some discussion with my understudy. This is a one-character, one actor play so we have one interpreter, but with an understudy in case something happens and as a support and someone to bounce ideas off of; she has been great! The show last night was fantastic. And I'm doing more work on my own; I will be interpreting the play on Saturday.

So, not much written today. But in the morning I'm taking my car in for an oil change and it happens to be right next door to a nice coffee shop. So, yes, please, I WILL wait while you do the oil change and no hurry. I'll be next door with coffee and breakfast and my laptop, writing.

I am significantly behind on the word count now. I won't tell you how many. I will say that the target for November 19th was 31,667 so you can see for yourself that I'm several thousand behind.

But, the good news is that after the play on Saturday, I am heading to the coast for my annual November writing retreat. So, my lagging word count will be erased. And I should be able to get ahead. Way ahead, I hope. Because I'm coming back to a string of work.

What's happening in the story? Not a lot. Words are happening. And even what is happening within those is being kept under close wraps. Very close. Between me and the laptop and Scrivener.

Okay. Now to bed so I can get up, drop of the car, and write!

NaNo Update as of Day 16

Progress on the story has slowed. This is about the time I usually am at or headed to the coast for my writing retreat. But, one more play to interpret before I go. Soon. Soon, I will be snuggled in a small, cozy rental with food and drinks, my laptop, a book or two, comfy clothes, writing. And writing.

And we're taking flashlights just in case. I love this place we're going in Oceanside. An amazing full view of the ocean and cliffs from the top floor, with big windows and no obstructions. And the last two time? three times, maybe? I've been to this place the power has gone out one night. The last time it was out for nearly (or actually?) a full day.

So. Flashlights.

And keeping the laptops and cell phones charged. Not that there is much of a cellular signal in Oceanside, but I usually have one with my service provider. Yay.

And paper. Paper to write on as a backup if we should lose power for longer than our laptops last. Which I don't expect.

I don't know, maybe there is an energy saving power down time in Oceanside. Naw. I think it's the weather. And we might get a good storm while we're there.

I also have a writing meetup in the "morning" (for me) before work. So, off to bed now so I can writing in the morning and put a dent in the missing word count.

I'm not worried. I will make it to 50k before 11:59 pm on November 30th. I will. Actually I will make it to 50k before 2:45 pm on November 30th because I start work at 3:00 and will still be working at midnight.

To bed!

Response, a poem

*
Response

by Dot.

I am not ignoring what is happening.
In Paris.
In Beirut.
In Kenya.
In other places where it happens every day.
In places which are not in a foreign country.
In places where things just as heinous happen and no one/very few outside of the circle affected know.
In homes and schools and fields and forests and cities and towns and on the road.
In places hidden and public.
I am listening.
I am watching.
I am reading.
Some of my feelings don't have words and I don't have an answer except to live each day as if it matters and treat each person as if they matter and to know that - what?
What do I know?
Touch heart. Heart connection.
soul beating breath

*

NaNo Update on the 14th day

Brief NaNo update: Day 13 was a true Zero writing day. I thought it might be with the play to interpret last night and a couple of appointments. "It's all good." Today, so far, only a handful. Maybe more later. If not later today, then tomorrow.

It's okay. This is why I have my November writing retreats.

NaNo Update Day 12 : making progress

The shift in Work In Progress has resulted in, um, progress. Last night I wrote 2000 words in just under two hours. Today I wrote 1800+ in about 90 minutes. Not bad.

I have nothing to share about content at this point.

Writing is happening.

That is good.

And that's the end of this update. Except that I don't expect much of a word count tomorrow, since I am interpreting a play tomorrow night. Which is okay. I passed the 20,000 mark today, which is where I need to be.

NaNo Update : and - new writing

This is a first for me. In terms of NaNoWriMo.

I have changed books. "The Ring of the Dominoes" will be written; it will. Just not this November. Unless this new one falls flat or fails and I don't think it will but you never know. "The Ring of the Dominoes" is still valid - but this new one has called me and I am going for it.

No. No details. Not now. I don't know what my updates will look like as I move forward.

But my new NaNoNovel is "Write from the Body" - which isn't what it seems from the title but I'm leaving it as is because I need to write it.

I will probably not write the 1800 words needed to get caught up to the daily average tonight. That's okay. I have some writing time tomorrow between observing and giving feedback to an interpreting team on a rehearsal tomorrow morning and then observing just for support and entertainment another play's interpreted performance tomorrow night. So maybe I will be behind tomorrow, too. Because I also have to do some practice and preparation on the play I'm interpreting Friday night.

But soon. I will catch up. And if I don't, then I at least have my annual coast writing retreat later.

Okay, on to "Write from the Body." My new NaNoBook.

Oh! And I found an email I sent to myself on Nov 8th with two sentences for the novel. So I haven't had a zero day, yet. Yay. Near zero - yes, two of them. Whew. I thought I'd done something.

NaNo Day 8 - and on the 8th day she rested - not so much

*
It was bound to happen this month.

Zero.

Zero words written today (Sunday, November 8th). I'm not crying over it. I thought, maybe, this year, once again, no zero days. But that was unrealistic given the amazing theatrical opportunities (not just mine for interpreting, but others, meetings, discussing, watching).

Knowing that Zero happens is one reason that I established my annual personal writing retreat somewhere around the middle of NaNovember. A few days away on the coast for writing. Sleeping, walking, writing, eating, writing, napping, drinking wine, writing, walking, writing. This year the trip is a little later than usual and a little later than I'd like, but I had to wait until my plays are done.

So that first red square on the eighth day is me (not) resting and not writing.

The day started with an MRI of my knee in the morning (from the injury a couple of years ago; don't expect anything major but want a better understanding of what is going on with it to determine the best course of action to get it as good as we can get it). Then breakfast with my sweetie who went with me to the appointment. Followed by a sign through of "Orlando" at Profile Theatre. And then video relay.

Therefore : no writing.

And that's okay.

Tomorrow I start the day with a theater meeting. Later I have video relay. And in between those two things I'm hoping to get some writing done, although I will have, at best, ninety minutes, and am expecting closer to sixty. My current word count holds me until Tuesday, since I'm still ahead on the daily average.

For now, Sleep.

from the KeepCalm-o-matic

NaNo Day 7 - camping in a coffee shop

Coffee shops seem to have the mojo for me with writing. Or the house of a fellow writer. A place where I don't have the distractions of things I need to do and/or the kind presence of shared dedicated writing time. Being somewhere with the intention and purpose of writing and nothing else.

Which I have had for just under that past two hours. The time has been productive and it is time to wrap it up and go pick up Serena and her art supplies and then take them home. Before I go to watch "Orlando" again tonight, in preparation for interpreting the play next Friday.

Today I've written 2,210 words in about an hour and forty-five minutes, for a new total word count of 15,883. I am well ahead of the average count needed to be on track, which is good. This is a very busy week with much theatre happening (preparation for this week's play, feedback for another interpreting team, a preparation viewing for a different play later this month, and watching another interpreting team do their magic at yet another play). A great, wonderful, creative week. And not a lot of time for writing. I will write. But I might lose a little of my momentum.

But such is the pattern of NaNoWriMo, which is why I take the opportunities when I can for extended, hunkered in writing time when they come.

Okay, off to collect S and her things.

A good writing day. I made it through the secondary character's back story, I think. No dead bodies, yet, which is surprising. The inciting incident for the impetus of this book requires the death of a character. But, it will get there, eventually. Or maybe I will have 50k of build up; I hope not!

NaNoZzzz Day 6 - I did?

I wrote. A few words. Not many. Which is why the #6 square is orange - for effort but nothing of substance.

A very long work day. On not enough. Sleep.

So any words. Were good words.

And Saturday is calmer. For me. Once I (hopefully) get caught up on sleep. Maybe get in some words before going to Serena's book signing and demo event. From which I will slip away for an hour or so and write. Many coffee shops in the area to choose from.

Now. Must. Sleep.

A super long very early day it was.

Nothing happened in the novel except that the author decided to launch into a explanation about her writing group.

Okay.

NaNo Day 5 : Wow oh Wow

I will let my stats speak for themselves. Wrapping up my first time with this writing group - which has been very lovely. And productive.

'Nuf said.

words written today = 6,345

total words written = 13,476

NaNo Day 4 - Wait! I Missed a Day?

I didn't miss a day writing but I missed a day posting a NaNoUpdate. Huh. Oh well. At least I wrote!

I have a nice little pattern going on my calendar (see to the left). A green day (wrote at least the daily average), a yellow day (I wrote; below average word count), a green day, a yellow day. So tomorrow should be green, right? Right!

Today my protagonist final revealed her new career. She and I had to have a little chat, because what it looked like she wanted to do wasn't going to work. Nope - that one couldn't be it for a number of reasons. So, as I was writing today, she came up with something else and I said, fine, we'll go with that. Then she added a part time job so she has a safety net while she builds up her business. She works part time as a book acquisitions manager for Powell's (gee, I wonder where that came from!) and she is building her business as a Conference and Major Events Coordinator. She hasn't revealed the name of that business yet, but I'm sure it will come out with more writing.

I will confess that I know tomorrow will be a green numbers day. I am joining a writing group which has been meeting a couple of times a month for a while. There is coffee and tea and a brief check in and intention setting, then write for a couple of hours. Then eat your sack lunch and check in. Then write for a couple/few more hours. So tomorrow is packed with at least, what, four hours of writing time? It should be good!

Current NaNoWord Count is 7131. Which, I know, is on my calendar to the left.

NaNoDay Two - still ahead on words

Prepare Thyself : NaNoWriMo Has Begun

Yes, friends and friends of friends and the unsuspecting visitor who skips along to this page. It is November and that means NaNoWriMo.

And that means that I will probably be posting more here - and increased traffic over on Facebook and maybe even Twitter.

But, how? If I am writing a novel, shouldn't I be focused on that? Wouldn't it make sense that, since my writing is going toward the goal of 50,000+ words on the novel this month, that my other writing would be less? Why is it more?

Don't ask. I can't tell you. It just is.

I write more on the novel - a new novel. And I write more other places as well.

This year there is an added obstacle - well, two. I have two shows in November. Last year I had one. Before that I tried to avoid interpreting plays in November because my brain is busy with the novel writing and I don't want to confuse it with other words, or distract it with learning another story.

But last year there was a play I couldn't resist - and it was fine. This year there are two plays I couldn't resist. And I will be fine.

I've had to let some other things go on hold or do them at a decreased frequency to make this all happen. But happen it will. And I do have a writing retreat planned for later in the month - those catch up days, which I am pretty sure I will need.

I am going to write for about another 20 minutes, then I have to go home to bed. Because I work tomo- later today. And I need some sleep between now and then.

As of right now, my word count is 2065 words in 1 hour and 25 minutes. Not bad! I'm off to a good start.