NaNoWriMo 2008 Progress – Weeks One and Two

Week One – Dated 11/04/08

Right now I’m on track for completing 50,000 words by the end of the month.  I’ve not reached my daily word count goal but some writing sessions are more productive than others.

One thing I’ve been disappointed in is my lack of NaNoisms.  These are funny, unintentional typos.  Sometimes a word is misspelled or the wrong word is used.  This will frequently happen when writing while a conversation is happening nearby.  Instead of typing up the train of thought, the writer will begin to transcribe the eavesdropped conversation.  When the resulting sentences are a combination of the conversation and the action of the novel it can be a hoot!

During the first week is when our characters come alive.  They do or say things we don’t expect.  For instance, my main character was widowed six months prior to the break-in of her home.  And now she appears to be falling for the police officer that was sent to check on the security alarm.

Week Two – Dated 11/12/08

Since last week I’ve learned my key to getting new writing done.  I make the mistake of approaching it the way I do my editing.  Slow and steady.  So much thought is put into getting the right words onto the paper (or word processing program) that few words actually make it.  The tool that has been screaming through the NaNo world this year is Dr. Wicked’s Write or Die!  You enter your time or word goal and then pick your mode of prodding.  An html window opens up that keeps a running total of the number of words written.  Once you pause in your writing, the background screen changes color until it is red and then your punishment for not continuing kicks in with annoying sounds.  I admit to not using the sounds but the changing background color is enough of a clue to get me writing again.  I manually copy and paste the words written into my Word document so if I lose words it is my fault and not Dr. Wicked’s.

My story keeps making twists and turns.  I always include a Pembroke Welsh Corgi.  This year Sammy has found a place in the novel.  In a matter of two days he went from sacrificing his life to save a little girl to being an actual fairy steed.  I think he’s going to survive this novel after all.