Even without the stats and blogging-accountability that I started off with, however, I am pleased to announce that I have WON NaNoWriMo, for the first time ever! I am pleased as punch, no joke. I’ve been dancing in my chair since I hit my goal.

My story isn’t exactly finished, as my main character is currently standing in a half-built casino, but I’m still insanely proud of my accomplishment.

And to be honest, much of what I’ve written is pretty terrible. But I still wrote it, from nothing, and that is amazing to me. There are some bits that have some potential, and one day I might even let someone read it.

There’s definitely some things that I did differently this year that I think helped me win where I failed before, and I’ll be keeping this winning strategy in mind for next year, because I am totally insane enough to do participate again.

1. I had a theme that i was aiming for. I didn’t know specifics, but I knew what was supposed to happen, and I had characters that I liked and knew things about. Sure, I lost track of the theme about 10,000 words in and haven’t been able to add it back in just yet, but having that idea in mind helped me determine the kinds of things that should be happening, and the theme can be added in the second draft. I went into it this year with a clearer vision of what I wanted to do than any other year.
2. I had amazing support and friendly competition. I went to more write-ins this year and got to chat with more writers than past years. I met some super helpful people. The best thing for my wordcount though was NaNoCrawl; another writer and I got together on Sunday’s and spent the entire day happy hour hopping and writing (and were joined by other people one week). It was the best thing ever! Beer is great, and good company is great. Without all the fabulous people I had egging me on and the friendly competition, I probably would have gotten bored, discouraged, or both, and given up weeks ago like prior years. But not this time!
3. In a similar vein, I also had a great online group to celebrate milestones with, and cheer on, and be cheered on by. For me, the amazing community was a big part of pulling me through. I don’t know if there were more enthusiastic people this year, or if I just made more effort to participate, but I am so glad I got to talk to so many people!

I have to admit there were times when I was seriously doubting my ability to make it, though. I had days at a time where I could not write at all, and seeing my little line drop further from the curve was scaring me! In fact, just on Saturday, my stats were giving me a panic attack, as I was waaaay behind from not writing for most of the Thanksgiving weekend. I found myself with less than a week to go and not much over halfway done. This is where NaNoCrawl saved my butt! Rich was way encouraging, and we buckled down and cranked out 10k words each that day! It was phenomenal, and was totally the boost I needed to finish.

Today I woke up with about 5k words left to write, and it took me all day to actually get to writing, but once I started, there was no stopping me, and I finished in record time. When I ended my scene, I checked my wordcount and was at 50,000 on the nose! I was really amused by that, and promptly started dancing.

And now, I need a break from my story! I need a break from thinking, really, but that’s not going to happen. I’m excited to do some revisions (and actually come up with some sort of ending), but I think I need a little distance and a renewed perspective to do these things, as I am well off any kind of path and need a plan to get back on it. I’m shocked that I’m still able to type at all!

Words Written Today: 3833
Total Words Written: 13441
Write-ins attended: 5
Words Written at a Write-in Today: 3794
Total Words Written at Write-ins: 9178
Cups of Coffee/Tea: 11
Pints of Beer: 5
Plans Changed to Accommodate More Writing: 2
Named Characters Killed: 0
Scenes Completed: 17
Scenes that Will Probably be Cut Later: 3
Random Ideas Generated: 12

Random Thoughts:

• Sadly, beer doesn’t work as much better than coffee as I would have hoped.
• However, writing while buzzed is still better than writing while caffeinated.
• I found the most inspirational bathroom on the planet today.
• I now not only know what my MC’s motivation is, I also know how it ties into a handful of scenes I thought I was going to have to cut in December.

Last Line I Wrote Today:

“You’re starting to sound like Bobby. Jude is fine right where he is, I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself. But thanks, really. Can you go keep an eye out for Beast for me?”

Typos of the Day:

There were way too many for me to even try to keep track of them, and some of them were doozies. Also, there is no Q in barbecue.

Words Written Today: 2795
Total Words Written: 9638
Write-ins attended: 4
Words Written at a Write-in Today: 2305
Total Words Written at Write-ins: 5384
Cups of Coffee/Tea: 11
Plans Changed to Accommodate More Writing: 2
Named Characters Killed: 0 (Man, and nobody has even been hurt yet, either! The lack of violence in my story is troubling).
Scenes Completed: 14
Scenes that Will Probably be Cut Later: 6
Random Ideas Generated: 9

Random Thoughts:

• I have got to stop substituting coffee for food.
• I need to write 5500 words to meet my 15k by Sunday goal. This will only work if beer makes me write faster than coffee does.

Last Line I Wrote Today:

Of course, there were ways to get blood that didn’t require sex, but most of them weren’t as enjoyable, and I was a terrible fighter.

Excerpt:

Violet was singlehandedly the most powerful woman that I knew. I had heard the stories about how she came to be Queen of the vampires in this city. She had come in from nowhere, made her allies, and taken over the throne through bloodshed and fear. She killed the old Prince, and all his strongest followers. She made examples out of a few others. Nobody dared to cross her because they knew what would come to them if they did.

Not that it was all doom and gloom with Violet in charge. No, in fact, it was a good time to be a vampire here. She had relaxed many of the rules that the old leadership had in place, and we had a lot more freedoms than before. As long as nobody broke the rules, she was happy, and she seemed to genuinely want all of us to enjoy being vampires in her city.

But Jericho, she didn’t have to stick a stake through anybody’s heart and leave them out to see one last sunrise to gain the loyalties of the masses, metaphorically or otherwise. I had to know more about what she could do. I had to know more about her. For the first time since high school, I really hoped that the girl I had given my phone number to would call me.

Typos of the Day:

Mazagine and facinsated.

Words Written Today: 1342
Total Words Written: 6746
Write-ins attended: 2
Words Written at a Write-in Today: 0
Total Words Written at Write-ins: 3079
Cups of Coffee/Tea: 9
Plans Changed to Accommodate More Writing: 2
Named Characters Killed: 0
Scenes Completed: 11
Scenes that Will Probably be Cut Later: 4
Random Ideas Generated: 6

Random Thoughts:

• Am officially out of buffer, but still on track. Will need to put some serious writing in this weekend to get back ahead of the game.
• I am honestly convinced that I am mentally incapable of writing while I’m at home.
• Reading threads titled “Adopt a Pickup Line” shortly before trying to write a scene where a guy meets a girl, even if he’s NOT trying to hit on her, is a bad idea.

Last Line I Wrote Today:

I didn’t fault Lauren for not having recognized her, and I still had no idea who she was.

Excerpt:

“JUDE.” Lauren said tersely. I knew that tone; she was jealous, and didn’t appreciate not being the only really good looking woman at the club. Worse, she probably especially hated not being THE best looking woman there. I looked up at her and saw that she was wearing her Ice Queen face. It was time to get her home before she did something stupid.

“Ah, it seems to be time to leave.” I said to Jericho. “It’s been lovely, sorry to have to cut it short.” Lauren tapped her foot impatiently as I put my card down on the counter in front of Jericho. “If you find yourself free tomorrow evening and want company, or need a tour, event recommendation or anything at all, give me a call. I know this city inside and out.” She placed the card in her wallet and thanked me. I nodded respectfully towards Bobby and led Lauren out of the club.

Most men would have given the whole world to have had a conversation with one beautiful blonde end with taking another home, but frankly, I was more than just a little miffed. Just because Lauren didn’t physically appear to be much older than nineteen years old didn’t mean she had to behave like it still. She felt like she was entitled to the moon and stars in the sky by the sheer virtue of her attractiveness, and Violet had re-enforced that belief by giving her whatever she wanted.

Typo of the Day:

I misspelled “widened” as “widended”, but had no problems with “quizzically”.

Words Written Today: 1186
Total Words Written: 5442
Write-ins attended: 2
Words Written at a Write-in Today: 1078
Total Words Written at Write-ins: 3079
Cups of Coffee/Tea: 7
Plans Changed to Accommodate More Writing: 2
Named Characters Killed: 0
Scenes Completed: 9
Scenes that Will Probably be Cut Later: 4
Random Ideas Generated: 5

Random Thoughts:

• I will seriously need to hire a team of males to point out all the places my main character sounds like a chick. Hint: there’s a lot of them.
• It pains me to say it, but there is in fact such a thing as too much coffee.
• It’s hard to type and eat a sandwich at the same time.
• My spell check is not psychic.
• My vocabulary and I are not on speaking terms today, apparently.
• I’m a little low today’s word count but still a bit ahead of the game. I’m hoping to add a larger buffer this weekend.

Last Line I Wrote Today:

When the bartender brought  –

Yes, I stopped writing in the middle of a sentence. That’s how hard my vocabulary is fighting me tonight.

Excerpt:

Up until that point, Lauren had been one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. She had a bombshell figure, a seductive smile and an air of alluring confidence. The woman that had just walked in to the club was a step above all that and put Lauren to shame. She was absolutely stunning.

Her skin was very fair and flawless in that way that porcelain is, and her features were vaguely Nordic. Her long, light blonde hair was streaked with blues and pinks in a few places, and she looked around the room with ice blue eyes. As she shrugged out of her coat, I noticed that she had a tattoo of a large palm tree on her forearm, and her slender frame had just enough muscle to indicate that she took really good care of herself.

I must have spent just a tick too long staring at her, because the girl I’d been chatting to a moment earlier huffed and left her seat. I groaned quietly. She had been nice to talk to, seemed at least a little interested in me, and I really could have used a bite to eat that evening, all things considered.

Word of the Day:

lilt /lilt/
Noun: A characteristic rising and falling of the voice when speaking; a pleasant gentle accent.

Words Written Today: 1692
Total Words Written: 4256
Write-ins attended: 1
Words Written at a Write-in Today: 0
Total Words Written at Write-ins: 2001
Cups of Coffee: 3
Plans Changed to Accommodate More Writing: 1
Named Characters Killed: 0
Scenes Completed: 7
Scenes that Will Probably be Cut Later: 3
Random Ideas Generated: 4

Random Thoughts:

• My main character is not acting like himself.
• Had a hard time focusing today, took me a while to get going.
• I didn’t write as much as I would have liked today. Hoping tomorrow will be better. Made word count for the day at least, though!

Last Line I Wrote Today:

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she scoffed, pulling her helmet onto her head. “He’s trying to kill me.”

Excerpt:

“You’re out of your damn fool mind, you know that?” I declared, “You really should get the hell out of here before Violet sees you. I’ll even forget that I saw you, as a courtesy.” She laughed at that.

“Oh Jude. Violet isn’t going to be here any time soon, she’s busy. Besides, you’re already in this one with me. I’ve got evidence, and I know Violet’s mailing address.” I looked up at only the security camera that would have had a clear shot of us and grinned.

“What, from that? It’s not recording anything, not with the kinds of things that go on around here.”

“It is now, and it’s streaming everything to a location you won’t find.” She pulled a phone out of her corset and showed me a picture of the two of us sitting at the bar, with me accepting the envelope that was still between us. Well shit. She was playing my game, and playing it well.

General Stats:

Words Written Today: 2564
Total Words Written: 2564
Write-ins attended: 1
Words Written at a Write-in Today: 2001
Total Words Written at Write-ins: 2001
Cups of Coffee: 2
Plans Changed to Accommodate More Writing: 1
Named Characters Killed: 0
Scenes Completed: 4
Scenes that Will Probably be Cut Later: 2
Random Ideas Generated: 3

Random Thoughts:

• Scrivener, where have you been all my life?!
• Fact: coffee tastes better at midnight, which I verified at the midnight kick-off write in I attended.
• My brain responds very oddly when I ask it, “what’s a good reason for the MC to leave his house right now?”
• My writing is still pretty bad haha.
• I’m a terrible speller.

Favorite Line I Wrote Today:

“I had assumed that no longer sweating meant that I didn’t have to do laundry ever again, but the fact of the matter was that some ladies still didn’t appreciate my charm, and red wine stains refuse to take themselves out of most fabrics.”

Best Typos/Fake Words of the Day:

• Demin
• comiseraters

Opening Lines:

I politely waited for a moment for the swell of applause to die down, at least enough to talk over. In that moment, I really let it all sink in; where I was, what I had accomplished, and the price I paid to get there. The bright lights, the million eyes on me, and the rolling cameras were amazing, despite the heavy weight on the sliver of soul I had left. Somewhere in those million eyes, there were two that were filled with the tears from a broken heart.

I briefly asked myself, was it worth it? Everything, to be right here, right now?

Absolutely.

In a mere three hours, I will be starting what I believe is my sixth attempt at NaNoWriMo. My book keeping is a bit fuzzy. Those of you that know me know that I’ve tried and failed multiple times, but I keep getting on the horse. Why? I don’t know, probably because I’m a little crazy and/or masochistic.

To me, the important part is that I have fun when I’m trying. My discipline gets a little better every year, as does my writing. So I keep trying, because one of these years, I’ll win.

My novel-attempt this year is a social commentary on fame vs. infamy buried under a layer (or five) of vampires, the equivalent of Lady GaGa if she was made of magic and wrote Norwegian Death Ballads, and general depravity.

Will this year be the one that I win? It’d be nice if it was, but if it’s not, I’ll try again next year.

Because really, I’m not a failure until I stop trying.

I woke up late for work today, which doesn’t happen often. I woke up to the sound of my dog barking at the window instead of my standard alarm, because for some reason my phone was off. That was really odd, because it had been on an hour earlier when I woke up before the alarm was set to go off. So I tried to turn my phone back on and got no response.

Like any good techie, I removed the battery for a few minutes and put it back in. Huzzah, the phone turned back on! But, 20 minutes later when I went to check something on it, it was off again. Rinse and repeat about 4 times (once in the middle of trying to factory reset it), and I found myself at T-Mobile being all like, “WTF mates”.

They were able to successfully reset the phone, and it stayed on for a whole hour, yay! But then it started doing the same thing again, booo. Took it back, got a new battery, didn’t even make it out of the parking lot before the phone shut off.

So now I’m waiting for a replacement. Chances are it’ll be a refurbished phone, which sucks cause mine is still pretty new. But if it works, whatever. The problem is that the new phone probably won’t be here until Thursday at best, possibly Friday, but with my luck, more likely not until Monday. Until then, I don’t really have a phone.

Karmimi… we need to have words. They start with, “I hate you so much” and end with “die in a fire”.

Roll a D6 from Connor Anderson on Vimeo.