NaNoWriMo 2009

As promised, here is my post that will track my progress with NaNoWriMo for the month. I will try to update the Writertopia graph daily (there is also a Word Count meter on the left side under my Twitter updates). Once in a while, I'll post a note with the date under this meter, instead of starting a new post for every comment I have.

Also, if you can't tell, I am doing frequent updates with Twitter - so if you want to know how I'm progressing, just follow me on Twitter (AlexaGrave)!



11/1/09 - Day 1 down, only 29 more days to go! The weekdays will be the biggest challenge, since my husband was around to be driven nuts by the little one today. Hey, at least it didn't feel like I was writing total crap. ;)

11/6/09 - Weekdays = no way I'm getting anything written because the little one demands my attention and I refuse to live in squalor (dishes and cleaning bathrooms, etc.). By the time my husband gets home I can barely think! And this Sunday I won't be writing either since we'll have friends over most of the day installing the molding in the little one's room (this must be done, as it's been put off for over a year and a half already). Sigh. We'll see what I get done on Saturday, but right now reaching 15k by the end of the month would make me happy.

11/9/09 - I'm not sure what's wrong with the Writertopia counter. I'll still update the other meter at the end of each day. Perhaps I'll copy that meter here in the post as well.... Anyway, I may be far behind, but at least I haven't given up (even though last Tuesday I was very close to giving up in a bigger sense because trying to do everything I need to do has been straining me). Only got a couple pages today, but it's better than nothing.

11/10/09 - Yay, I'm 10% to 50,000! I know, I know, still way behind. I have to revel in the little accomplishments to keep me going at least.

11/22/09 - I was sick most of the week. =( And I gave up on the 50k goal a while ago. Just not going to happen with the little one and other things. That doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying to add to my word count. I'm hoping for 14-16k by the end of the month. We'll see!

Zombie Alexa Grave?

Yes, back from the dead after over two months of not posting a damn thing!

Life has been busy - ups and downs, money junk and ALWAYS baby stuff. My daughter is 19 months old now and she never listens when we say no. She understands what we're saying, she just thinks it's funny (she especially breaks out in laughter when we pull her away from digging in the cat litter - sigh).

She runs my life and doesn't allow much time for anything!

With that said, it is my goal for November to toss out any bit of sanity I have leftover (I'm not even sure if I have a scrap left). I will be attempting NaNoWriMo again. But I'm going to be a NaNo Rebel this year! I plan to continue the rough draft of Shepherd of Dreams (which by the way will hence forward be called by its new title, Dead As Dreams - I'm quite happy with that title). I may not reach 50,000 words, but I'm pretty sure I'll write more than I have between last NaNo and this NaNo. =/ But if I DO reach 50,000 words, Rebel or not, I'm validating! I am positive I have at least 50,000 left to go for the rough draft.

Unfortunately, my goal of finishing the chapter I'm currently in the middle of before NaNo didn't happen...so I will be starting the NaNo Count in the middle of a chapter - oops! I blame my mother coming over on Thursday this week (my designated writing day for the last month or so).

As far as other writing updates go, I just finished a read through of one of my critique partners' super long novels, so hopefully I'll also find the time in November to start my general and internal comments on that. I submitted a story to the Writers of the Future Contest. I have slacked on other submissions and queries. And yes, I know I missed my triannual update, but oh well. Have to focus on the present and the future 30 days.

I will add a new meter to the left side soon for NaNo (alongside a new one for Dead As Dreams - if I can find a decent meter). Plus, I plan to use the Writertopia one again in an actual blog post and change it every day (I love the moods on that one).

My NaNoWriMo username is the same as always: alexagrave. Please add me as a buddy if you'd like! Also, here's the link to information on NaNo Rebels.

I have to head out now, as it's Halloween, and my 8th wedding anniversary! Happy Halloween and Blessed Samhain all - and of course, happy writing!

Rejection from Bards and Sages Quarterly

I have edited out some formatting snafus and Xed out the name of the responder:

Thank you for your submission to the journal. Unfortunately, it does not meet our needs. While apparently the subjects of the story are non-humans, that in and of itself does not make it a speculative story. All that is really presented here is another awkward teen angst moment decorated with a speculative motif. The narrator is annoying in a rather emo sort of way, and the constant interruption of the story with the "thump" "bend" nonsense is distracting window dressing that does nothing to build the scene or move the narrative. At the end, all we have here is a wallflower that got invited to dance. Good for her, but not really an engaging story.

Sincerely,
XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Every Little Bit Helps

Well, if you were watching my Twitter updates, I did not get 70 pages written last week. Life loves to interfere, and I just needed a break to zone out and not think too hard for a bit. If you're a writer and are thinking of having a baby - beware, they take up most of your time and energy! I'm not saying don't have one - just expect writing to be on the back burner for a while. =P

So, I did get 7 pages written at least (1 chapter). That's more progress than I've made on the Shepherd novel in months. It's a good start. Now I plan to aim for 1 chapter, or 7-10 pages a week. This I think will make slow but good progress.

I am also back to more critiques, which always keep me busy.

In other news, the agent that requested a partial sent back a rejection. =( Such is the writing life. I'll be sending more queries out again in the next couple weeks.

Okay, short blog entry. The little one is throwing around her high chair tray.

Happy writing all!