Throwing In The Towel...

Well, it's a lot better than throwing the MacTop. That being said, I'm not really giving up, just conceding to the challenge. I lose. NaNo wins.

In fact, it kicked my boo-ta-tay. With tomorrow being the final day of November there is NO POSSIBLE WAY I can meet the 50K word challenge. That is unless my fairy godmother floats down and waves her magic want to turn back time. I refuse to post my final word count (It's THAT pathetic). Just know that if I needed to come up with $50K by tomorrow to pay Joey, The Fist, Mahooney, and I had a dollar for each word I'd written so far, I'd be getting fitted for concrete shoes right now. Come this time tomorrow I'd be sleeping with the fishes.

I'm not ready to admit that this month was a waste. No way! I may not have written 50K words in 30 days, but I have fully developed my plot line, worked on making these characters more real to me, and researched some important info that was necessary in order for me to write some of the future plot more realistically. So, all in all, I feel like this time has helped to usher me into a place where I probably should have been at the start of NaNo. If I had been "here" at the start of the challenge then I think I would have had a much better chance of reaching that goal. Better late than never, right?

Now the real work begins. I've written the first chapter, although SOMEBODY thinks its too short. That person was fitted with concrete shoes and sent to take a nap in a deluxe waterbed. And I'm excited to see how Robbin's story unfolds. She's a sassy character, and has plenty of snide remarks. At the moment her main interactions are with a Miss Ellie who is full of odd sayings and witticisms, so I'm having fun writing at this point. I'm still working on my flow, but I know from experience that as soon as it starts it will be hard to keep these kids quiet.

I think I'd like to shift the focus of this pathetic little blog from participating in NaNo to being a means to document the process of writing this novel and see how that works out. I can't promise long or frequent postings, but I promise to not forget to keep those of you reading it informed of my progress.

I want to thank you all for your support and for not pointing and laughing at me It's no fun when you're at the business end of the laughter and pointing. ;)

Until next time,

Shannon

Slow Goings...

The million dollar question seems to be, "How's the writing going?" I wish I had a million dollars every time I've been asked this. I also wish I had a million dollar answer, sadly all I have to offer is, "SLOW."

Every night I sit in front of my trusty MacTop, (for you PC owners that's a superior piece of electronic equipment that cannot even be compared to an average laptop, hence the distinction), and every night I stare at the screen; willing the words to come. They don't.

This weekend I spent some time with my "sounding board", AKA the best friend, and we hammered out some key details and that seemed to help get my head in the right space. I've written a little, but not nearly enough to consider myself on track. If I ever want to reach this goal of 50K words by Nov 30 I'd best get my patootie in gear!

As a "thank ya kindly" for all the support and "YOU CAN DO IT" messages I'll share a little tidbit of what I'm working on now. WARNING: it is VERY rough and unedited, not at all a finished product. Think of it as a glimpse into my creative genius, if you will. (You can laugh at that last bit, 'cause I sure as hell am.)

The sky was grey with thick clouds that blocked the brilliant sunlight Florida was typically known for. Wind blustered in from all directions, scattering leaves and kicking up pine needles, sending them flying into the chain-link fence that denoted this place as set apart from the outside world. Spanish moss swung from the branches of the old oak trees like macabre garland reaching down to brush the tops of the headstones that dotted the small cemetery plot. Everything seemed to be in a perpetual state of mourning here, clothed in varying shades of grey or brown and peppered with the occasional shroud of black. Even the lone figure that stood hunched over a cluster of stones blended in with the gloomy scene. From the dark shoes and the long black trench coat pulled tight against the weather to the grey cap, every inch of the visitor looked as if it belonged amongst the dolor. One might wonder if the sun ever touched this part of the earth or if it was in a perpetual state of shade and shadows.

A light rain began to fall, spattering and coating everything. With it the temperature seemed to drop ten degrees, and the wind renewed its efforts to blow down anything in its path. As if to show its gusto, a burst of cold rushed in and carried off the cap of the stranger, revealing a shock of red locks that fell down her back and began to whip around. Yet, the visitor remained planted in the same place she’d taken since arriving, seemingly unaware of the worsening weather or the loss of her hat. It was the rusty hinges of the gate groaning in protest against the wind that drew the woman out of her trance. Still unaffected by either the cold or the rain, she made no move to leave, but took in her surroundings. She startled when she realized she wasn’t as alone as she had thought she was. Behind her stood a man. He’d been so quiet and still she wondered if maybe he wasn’t a figment of her imagination or an apparition. The later would have been more appropriate considering her surroundings, but before she could get really good and freaked out, the being cleared his throat. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you,” he apologized and she relaxed a bit. He couldn’t be a ghost, only corporeal beings apologized. At least that’s what she assumed.

That's a bit of what I've got going on so far. I'll continue to update you on my progress (or not, depending on how the cookie crumbles) and feed you little bites of the next great American Novel. (Yeah, I'm laughing again. Fee free to join in.)

Until next time,

Shannon

On Your Mark... Get Set... GO!!

Day One:

So we're fifteen hours and thirty-seven minutes into NaNo and my word count is at a whopping total of ZERO. That's not for a lack of inspiration, but time. I have so much floating around in my head that its giving me a headache!!

And can we talk about how amazing you guys are? Ellie Mae made me an awesome avatar for my twitter account as a way to encourage me, Kell has been texting me affirming words all day, and CP? Well, CP went to a Ron Pope concert. (if you don't know who RP is then we can't be friends anymore. Call me after you've Googled or YouTubed him. I heart him, he's fantastic! You'll thank me for this.) Did I mention that while she was there she had the guy write me a little note? I about keeled over. I just wanted to thank all of you for your support and I'll post a bit of whatever I get around to penning tonight!

Happy Writing (or reading)!
Shannon
SuperNanney75

To Write or Not to Write? That is the Question...

Hi, y'all!

If you're reading this then consider yourself lucky or on my short list of "People I want to torment" because not many people know about this little venture.

This blog was birthed when someone recommended that I blog about my upcoming experiences while participating in National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo, or if you're pathetically lazy- like me- just NaNo. At first I scoffed at this person. Why would I write about my experiences of failing miserably at a writing challenge? Why would I take precious time from writing said novel to write a blog about how I was failing to meet my daily word quota? This person did not offer any helpful answers. No, this person merely shrugged and walked away while I stewed in the juices of their toxic idea. Thus this blog was born.

I will be attempting to write 50,000 words of original fiction during the month of November. While this might come as a surprise to some of you, writing has been a serious hobby of mine for the past two years now. I've been involved with several writing communities and met some amazing people in that time, as well as flexed writing muscles I had no prior knowledge that I possessed. In that time I've written several short stories, a couple novellas, and one novel that will never see the light of day. (No, you may not read it. I don't even read it. Yes, it really is that terrible.) This challenge shouldn't be freaking me out as much as it is, considering that I've been writing eight, ten, thirteen thousand word chapters for a while now, but... it IS! In order to meet the deadline I will to be writing an average of 2,361 words a day, five days a week.  I think the idea of a deadline is what has me so spastic. Nevertheless, I have said my goodbyes to my already sad, pathetic social life. I am resolved to countless hours spent in front of a computer screen playing moody music and ignoring the world as it spins by on its merry, carefree way. (Not that this is much different from my life now, but I have to insert drama any way I possibly can. Please refer back to the part where I mentioned my sad, pathetic social life.)

I'll be journaling a few times a week here about what's going right (or wrong), how my word count is progressing (or not progressing), and if you're super, duper good maybe a snippet or two about what I'll be working on. Here's a little synopsis I have posted on my NaNo author's profile:

Title: Uninvited
Genre: Science Fiction/Romance
Synopsis:
     Robbin Lopez has recently inherited a home from her beloved, albeit eccentric Aunt Cora in historic St. Augustine, Florida. A talented musician, Robbin moves to St. Augustine to reacquaint herself with the life she distanced herself from many years ago. Despite every effort on her part to not get attached to the town and the house, she finds herself doing just that, until one day when a large crate is delivered to her. A piano from Europe now fills her new home, as well as an unusual supernatural entity. What could this mean? What does this spirit want from Robbin? Is it a good ghost or a bad ghost? 

Those, as well as a few other questions will be answered as I dive into this novel. Consider this blog your ticket to a front row seat to my insanity. Feel free to comment and tell me you think I'm stupid, or wish me a little luck. Believe me, I'm gonna need it.

Thanks for reading!

Shannon
NaNo Author name: SuperNanney75