From the Inkwell, From the Vein.....

The holidays were supposed to be an exciting and warm time to share with friends and family. I've never understood how/why people find it necessary to go completely insane. Simple times with loved ones are all I crave and wish for during the holidays. I wish I could say that working at a bookstore that we might actually be immune to the insanity, but it isn't true. Even now, 3 full days after Christmas and we are still getting trashed. What ever happened to people having respect for property? What about home-training? Have we all forgotten how to raise our children to treat things/people with decency? I am constantly amazed at the total disregard for everything in our store. It's not that I'm crying in outrage for the mistreatment of corporate America, not at all. But, the whole attitude of "isn't it your job to clean up after me" is not only erroneous, but degrading. We are not paid to be your maid, in fact, we aren't paid anywhere near enough to ...

Just when you think you've got everything all figured out, something somewhere seeks you out and throws you a massive curve ball the size of small island. Okay, so maybe it isn't the size of a small island, but it's still annoying. So, I have a vague, very general outline for my up and coming project "Soul Sifters", but I am, as yet, unable to come up with a single character name and I'm not even sure that the outline I have is really what I'm looking for.... sometimes I just wish stories could write themselves. I like the idea, but it borders on possibly being a psychological thriller or possibly a horror story. I don't think it's going to fit in either younger genre that I'm much more accustomed to writing in. Yet, I suppose that dabbling in other genres is part of the growth process. How will I know where I fit as a writer unless I try writing every possible form of writing out there??

Okay, so Christmas is definitely here....at least in the retail world. When shoppers are this cranky and this obsessed with what they're getting, it's definitely obvious that Christmas has arrived :( I've never understood why a season that is meant to bring out only the good feelings in people really brings out the worst in consumers. Don't people realize that Christmas isn't about obsessing over presents? That it's okay to not get the absolute perfect gift for someone? The person they're struggling so hard to shop for would probably prefer just to spend time with them, the gift is completely superfluous. Unfortunately, the attitudes of shoppers are very draining as anyone who's ever worked retail during the holidays can attest to. It makes it difficult to get excited about anything. And any energy that I might have had to focus on any writing projects has already been completely expended. So, very little progress has been made on "Soul Sifters...

Though there weren't many votes, it seems like everyone is eager for me to write out my story idea for "Soul Sifters". Now that NaNoWriMo is officially over *sighs*, I must focus my attention to other stories and to editing. I'm actually looking forward to reading my NaNovel. As it is, I've only read the first chapter and a few scattered paragraphs as I was finishing up. It will be interesting to see how well my plot held up through the 20-day marathon of writing. "Soul Sifters", I think, will be one of the more ambitious stories that I have floating around. I'm still fumbling through plot ideas and structures. I know the ideas I want to get across, but I'm struggling as to the best way of presenting them. But, there's no immediate rush. I'm giving myself until January to plot and outline and do some early research. It's Christmas, and anybody who's ever worked retail in the holidays knows it's pretty much---all work and not...

Okay....so I can't decide which of the following to work on next :) Any help would be greatly appreciated :) 1/ Stolen Child--- Inspired by William Yeats' poem with the same name. It's still a bit fuzzy but I want it to be something along the lines of a dark myth. Set in an isolated area, a "cursed" water area is avoided by all locals except those who are "dared" to try and stay in the area alone--- dark Faery-people lure innocent humans to leave their own world behind, but every wonderful promise the faeries present is a lie. The true motive is to ensure the survival of the dark faery-people as each human they trick and kidnap then become dark faery-folk who are enslaved and forced to trick and kidnap other humans. 2/ Soul Sifters--- Okay, this might be a strange one to describe and it isn't intended to be religious or non-religious, just a creative "what if"--- One of the laws of thermodynamics is that "energy can neither be cre...

To further complicate the crossroad decision from my previous post, I don't have just one new project to work on....I have 3 that are pulling equally in 3 different directions. Ah, choices....a blessing and a curse. In retrospect I think I've decided to not push my half-done manuscript. I'll let it take its time. There's something about it that is screaming to be left alone to marinate. It's a complicated, emotional plot that is refusing to be rushed....but I can't really blame it. So, now my decision lies in deciding which of the 3 nagging plot-lines I should pick to focus on at this moment...or at least in the very near future. I think I might need help making this decision......

It had been my intention to use the last 10 days of NaNoWriMo to finish a straggling project that's been hanging around half-done for about a year and a half. But, now that I have this precious time, where I can still add to my NaNo word-count and can still take full advantage of all the support that comes with this month's writing frenzy, that seems to be the last thing I want to do. It isn't the project. No, I really like the idea for it....it just seems to be hanging. Just recently I decided to add 2 more Main Characters to fill out and balance the plot. I think it might be the 2 characters that are throwing me for a loop.....I have to discover who they are, and where they fit into my already existing document. At this moment I don't even know their names :( So, the question is, do I continue to try and slog through this project just for the intention of raising the word-count for NaNo? Or, do I spend the rest of the month plotting said project so that it may flo...

That's it.....20 days, 28 chapters, 57,058 words and the first draft of my NaNoWriMo Novel "Lost in the In-Between" is complete!!!! 10 whole days before the deadline, Woot!!!!

One more chapter to tie everything up and my NaNovel will officially be complete. Well, the first draft of my NaNovel will be complete, but that's still something. At just under 56,000 words this is the longest and quickest-written novel I have ever managed. Now what I have to look forward to in the coming months will be the dreaded editing. The energy and enthusiasm that went into this project initially will be needed more than ever as the edit begins. I just hope I'll be able to dig the energy back out. But, this will also make the third novel added to the stack of edits. I suppose I'll have to decide which direction to move first....which book to work at.... I suppose my next plan will be to reread all 3 books and try to decide which one is the closest to being ready for submission. If I don't start sending out query letters soon, I'm going to have an entire bookcase full of unpublished manuscripts. Plus side of that is I'll always have a spare novel to ...

I just realized that my NaNovel is actually the longest manuscript I've ever composed...and I'm not even done yet! When I first sat down and outlined the story before November 1st, I had serious doubts that the plot would carry me through the 50,000-word requirement to be considered an official NaNoWriMo winner. But, here I am, November 19th and I am currently at 53,376 words!!!! Today is also my 2nd anniversary with my husband and what better way to celebrate. I can completely devote my attention to my supportive and up to now neglected husband and not feel guilty. I think as authors we sometimes forget the ones who wait patiently in the "wings" or in the hallway as we ignore everything about normal life for the duration of our writing frenzies. It is never more obvious and poignant than during a literary marathon such as National Novel Writing Month. At a time when we feel obligated to strap the keyboard to our fingers to even half-way compete with the rest of the...

Just passed the 50,000-word mark right before midnight!!!!! My total word count for the Write-a-Thon was only about 3,500 words, but it was enough to get me to my first NaNoWriMo win!!!! Now I just have to finish the book....have about 10-15 % left before the end and will get there very soon ;)

So, the last week or so, the words have only sort of trickled out. I'm mostly blaming it on work and being completely exhausted when I come home. I have been able to crank out a few hundred words everyday on my lunch break, and maybe a few hundred more when I get home at all hours. But, I still haven't passed the 50K mark yet, and I am fairly sure that I would have if work hadn't started interrupting my momentum and energy-level. But, that's okay....I am just under 48,000 words and about 80% done with my novel's first draft. Even in 17 days that's a record for me. It's also a goal I feel I can definitely improve on in the coming NaNo's. I'll be sure to adjust my vacation to give me the right amount of time to see IF I really can FINISH a first draft in a week!!! ----I'm looking forward to the challenge for the next couple of years. But, I digress. The main reason I'm posting an entry today is to bring up NaNoWriMo's Write-A-Thon. Fro...

I just passed the 40,000-word mark and it's only day 11 in this crazy month-long literary marathon. I really feel that if work hadn't invaded, I might...just might have been able to get the word count out in a week!!!!!! And I can't tell you how unbelievable that is for me. To have a working first draft in a week is amazing and exhilarating and something I never would have thought possible for me. My first book took a little over 3 years just to get a complete first draft. My second book, still isn't a complete first draft and it's going on 2 years. My third book, I was very proud to say, made it to complete first draft stage in just at a year.....but now this!!!!! My fourth book project and I am very close to having a complete first draft in less than a month!!!! And I actually might make it at around 2 weeks!!!!! I CANNOT BELIEVE IT!!!!!! This has been the thrill-ride of my life and I really hope to be able to continue doing NaNovels every year for the rest o...

I'm about to pass the halfway point on my 50,000 word journey. In less than 500 words I will be embarking on the last half of my NaNovel. I can't believe I have gotten so far so quickly. It is only day 4 and I'm well on my way to victory. This has been a thrilling 4 days and I know for sure that whatever happens, every November will become my insanity month. I will strive for normalcy and calmness for the other 11 months, especially since I'm a retail manager. But that one month in the year, that precious sweet 30 days will be all about the magical and terrifying power of words. Since signing up on Oct 18th, I've been stifled, stilted, excited and exhilarated. And now I feel more accomplished than I have ever felt in anything I've done. I don't know how all of this will turn out ... well, I know how my book will turn out, I know pretty much how I want it to end ... but what I don't know is where I will go from there. I don't think I'll even l...

Normally I'd be complaining about not having any words come at all. But now I have so many pouring through me that I'm having withdrawals when I step away from my laptop. And I mean serious separation anxiety. I can feel my chest tighten and my pulse race and my breathing double. It's not like I'm walking away mid-sentence. Heck! I'm not even walking away mid-paragraph. But, as soon as I step inches away, the story starts screaming in my head to be let out. I'm like a gambler watching the stakes get higher and higher... the jackpot growing and growing before my eyes. Every word takes me that much closer to my goal and I HAVE to keep going. Whew!!!! Okay, I'm addicted....*hangs head* My name is Mysteria-Wednesday, and I have a problem.....

For anyone interested....I'm blogging my NaNovel---completely uncensored and definitely un-edited on my MySpace page. You can link my page from my links list or ---- www.myspace.com/onedreamerofdreams Be kind ;) It's raw, and unpolished, but I'm hoping it has the potential to mature into a strong novel one of these days.....but must get word-count out while it's running like water!

Day 2 and have totaled 15,164 words!!!!! Woot!!! I've never written this much in 2 days in my life. Now, I know most of it is going to be total crap that will have to be edited to oblivion, but just to be able to release the words like opening a vein is exhilarating. I've promised not to go back and read or edit anything I've written until the month of November is up. Well.....I've read a little bit, but I promise that I haven't read all of it. And I've totally left it un-edited (my apologies to the readers of my blog for having to read the first run of crap). I'm just enjoying the ride and eager to see where it takes me.....if my pace continues, I won't need the whole month to hit the 50,000-word finish-line!!!!

Is it possible to be possessed by a story? I've only been writing on my NaNovel since midnight, off and on (with time in there for sleep) but I'm already at 6148 words and counting....21 pages to be exact. I don't think I've ever written so much in so short a span of time. I guess when you take away the hindrances of an internal editor and put in a huge time crunch...30 days tops....I guess anything can happen and does!!!! Wow! I didn't think it possible.

Okay, so NaNoWriMo has officially started for me and in 2 semi-short writing sessions I have cranked out 4017 words....1679 of them by 1am. So I hit my first day's quota within the first hour of starting and am now on my way to fufilling my third day's quota and it's not even 6pm yet! Good Day!!! Huzzah!! The 2 sets I've done aren't terrible, but they aren't shiny gold either. But, I'm being good and following the No-Edit rule, I've only fixed a handful of spelling and grammar mistakes, but I've not done any stringent editing. I only hope this momentum holds through the rest of the month. Or at least until I hit the 50,000 word mark...after that the sky's the limit!!! Okay, off for another round of brillance ;)

9 hrs and 15 min left. I never thought that waiting for something would cause such agony. Every spark of inspiration has been told to wait patiently. Every sleepless hour of plot mulling will be for nought if my memory and sketchy outline don't hold. I am so accustomed to crawling out of bed in the middle of night, laptop in hand, when a eureka moment happens. The last 2 weeks have been an agonizing and torturous exercise in creative stifling. And finally in less than 10 hrs, I will be put out of my misery. I'm so excited I can't even begin to describe it. I like my basic story idea and I like the fact that I'm going to try and get it written out in a month! I know it will in no way be perfect, but just being able to pour my heart, soul and visceral innards into it non-stop for a solid month of insanity is exhilarating. Especially since I haven't been able to write any of it out at all. The conscious effort of not-writing has been the hardest part of this for me...

I'm down to the 22 hour mark and counting. Soon the misery of anticipation will be over and the race will be on! I'm so anxious to get started that I almost can't stand it. It's difficult to find enough things to occupy all the time necessary to make it to the starting line. It's strange how easy it is to procrastinate when you're in the middle of a project...but when you have to purposely "wait" to start the project, all you seem to want to do is start it. I think this psychological reversal might be a great motivational tool for getting things done when you really don't want to. I'm prepped and prepared, outlined and outfitted. I've characterized, plot-erized, scene-erized and now I'm ready to begin. As long as my momentum holds, this might actually be easy. Lets just hope that once the thrill of getting started wears off, that there will still be enough energy to complete my story.

So, 2 days from now I plan on embarking on a sort of Literary Marathon. For those who have never heard of NaNoWriMo--National Novel Writing Month--essentially, the month of November will be devoted to composing a 50,000 word novel in just 30 days. It is essentially an exercise in quantity over quality as the purpose is specifically word count with the intent of shutting down the internal editor that keeps most of us from finishing the "Great American Novel". These last few days have been complete agony as the storyline I have is screaming to come out and be written. I think it's actually been harder to contain myself until November 1st than it has been coming up with a story to write about. I've written 2 other books up to the 50,000-word mark, so I at least know the amount of work that goes into it, but this will be the absolute first time that I will try to do it all in one month, I just hope my sanity lasts and that my husband will forgive being ignored for the...