Nano Update/I'm a Failure.

I failed NaNoWriMo. :(

I started Nano so excited and so full of confidence that I would and could do it, and I still think that I could have.

I was ahead actually when I decided to quit but I don't feel like a failure because the reason I stopped involved my story. I reached a part in the novel where I realized I had done something wrong, and I'm still not completely sure what that thing is. At times it felt too strained, my main character felt flat and I decided that if I kept writing without fixing this problem I would be in a very deep hole. Now I have 100 pages of something I need to fix so I'm going to do that first.

I just printed out my partial draft and I'm taking it with me to edit during the long car rides I have ahead of me this week and hopefully by the time I return home I'll know where I'm going.

So, all in all I don't feel like a failure, I have something that needs fixing that I believe has potential - that was my goal in the first place.

I think I'm going to start doing a Weekly post that solely focuses on how writing is going. I don't know if any of you are fellow aspiring authors, but it would help to talk about it. :)

I will be partially MIA this week because Thanksgiving means hectic travel in my family.

NaNoWriMo Update: Day 9

I meant to do this post yesterday, but I had an essay that stole my soul. It was horribly hard and I'm still unsure on my topic, but I refuse to think of that now.

I am going to focus on what is more important to me at the moment, and that is how my essay made me feel about the book I'm writing.

I had been longing to write all day, but I knew from the time that I woke up that I couldn't until I had written this first draft. I needed to have something to bring to class tomorrow and that fact absolutely destroyed my inner drive to do it.

I ended up doing something essayish which will definitely suffice for a peer editing discussion, but I have never wanted to write so much in my life as I did today. I was thinking about the next scene constantly and I was so ready to just write as much as I could and I missed my characters.

I missed my characters, people that don't exist.

It kind of surprised me, I missed them, really missed them. I didn't get to write and be a part of their world until almost midnight and only writing 1k was torture, but it was worth it because now I know that I have to finish this story.

I really hope NaNoWriMo where be where I do it, but school has to be priority. So far I am fine, but I don't know how much I'll be able to write with this horrible essay due Monday.

At least I know, I have to keep writing.

Word Count: 17145

Nano Update: Day Five

Ugh.

Oh dear...

Today has been completely filled with self doubt about my story. It has been awful. I wrote quite a lot, I just hit 3000 words, but it was not easy and I hated every second of it. I'm not sure where to go to get from where I am to where I want to be, but I think it will become easier once I completely figure out what will happen with certain aspects of it.

Anything that is wrong I know I can fix in revision but I guess my self editor has just been in full bloom today. Everything I wrote sounded too stupid, and I was never able to fully get rid of that feeling. I keep telling myself I'll go back and add the lyrical prose I love to read, but I do not believe myself apparently.

I have never written a contemporary before, or a book told in the first person. Both of these things are proving relatively challenging for me because they're just so new, but I am still writing and I still love my characters and my story! Which is the important thing.

Oh well.

Word Count: 10,125

Time to go reread The Truth About Forever. Yes, I have read it already this year. Don't judge, it's research.

Nano Update: Day One!

So far I have been very pleased with the way Nano is going! My goal word count for each day has been 2000 words and so far I have met that without really even trying!

I have always had to make myself get away from the computer so far to quit which can't be a bad sign.

I thought it would be horrible on me honestly because I'm a full time student and I have animals that need to be taken care of and a blog that has to keep running and reading! I need to read!

Reading has kind of taken a hit, but it's day three. I'm still getting used to this. :)

I don't know how much writing I'll get done today as I'm going to a book signing, but I'm three days ahead according to the Nano counter. I hope I can write some at least - I really like the next scene.

How are you guys doing? Anything that has been difficult?

Word Count: 6227

In Defense of NaNoWriMo

Yesterday around the blog world there was a bit of a controversy (I say controversy for lack of a better word, it wasn't bad) on NaNoWriMo.

Maggie Stiefvater (who we all love) came out with an Anti Nano blog post which actually really surprised me. I'd never heard anything bad about Nano before so it was strange to see a published author not liking it.

Her reasons are solid and I understand where she's coming from, but there's one point where I think we definitely disagree. She said in her post that doing Nano wasn't really realistic for publication because essentially your writing will be awful, and I have to say I agree with her on that...

But that's the point.

NaNoWriMo is not supposed to be a perfect novel. The point of Nano is to make you write. It makes you give yourself permission to write crap which honestly I feel is very important. I have tried many times to write whenever the inspiration hit me or whenever I had the time, but at the end of the day, I had no reason to keep going. I was writing so gradually that eventually I didn't care if it ever got finished because I lost the passion for it.

Nano is something that will make you keep going and if you reach 50,000 words or you finish your first draft in December you will have something completed to revise and you will be able to work with something. All first drafts are supposed to be crap, it's just how it works.

I mean I could spend a year writing a novel, but I honestly feel that I would get so into the editing that I wouldn't do much writing. I love Nano because it gives me permission to keep going.

I personally love knowing I have thirty days to do this. All the people in my life who know I'm participating do think I'm crazy, but that's okay and I'm fine with that. I just really love this story now and the more I write, the more I want to write. I've never felt like that before.

Everyone has a different writing style, but I personally need a word count goal and a deadline, otherwise I wouldn't be able to get anything done.

As far as publication goes it is definitely not impossible for your Nano book to be your break.

Just ask Courtney Allison Moulton, the author of the upcoming Angelfire, or Julie Kagawa, the author of the Iron Fey series.

This is my defense for Nano, how do you guys feel about it?

Is Nano good for the writer or is it destructive?

Nano Update: Day One

Today was the first day of Nano and I'm pretty okay with how I did. I have been trying to decide which story I was going to do for weeks now, and I ended up changing my mind last minute. The one I decided on I really don't know as well as the other, but I am definitely embodying the idea of Nano!

I saw this daily update over at Blkosiners Book Blog, and I don't know if I'll do this every day (if you want me to let me know!) but here's my update for day one.


Word count: 2271
Any problems today? Figuring out where I want to go, and just overall character development.
Any victories, no matter how small? I think I picked good names, and I think it will get better.

NaNoWriMo is Almost Here!

Nano starts tonight at midnight and I am so excited!

Nano will probably effect my blogging a bit, but I'm waking up an extra hour earlier every morning to write and I have some posts scheduled so if it works out right you won't even notice I'm gone. :)

If I start not replying to emails as often you know where I am.

If you want to add me as a writing buddy my name is christina.books.are.life. I'm amazingly original when thinking up usernames.

I will be doing Nano updates throughout the month, probably letting you guys no how much I am failing, but hopefully I will make it.

50,000 words in 30 days here I come!

I Must Be Crazy... NaNoWriMo 2010!

I'm either really ambitious or really, really dumb. I haven't decided which one yet, but I am participating in NaNoWriMo!

I've done it before but this year I am dedicated and the YA fantasy I will be writing is awesome, at least in my head it is, though knowing me I will probably think it is crap once I place it on paper.

I'm super excited about it because I hardly ever have time to write anymore and I really think this is just the thing I need because I have had this in my head for 6 months now. It's time to write something.

So, I have my writing music all ready and because I find this song strangely inspirational for writing here it is!





Yes, I know it's about writing music, but work with me here. I find it inspirational, and perfect for NaNoWriMo.

I might post my in depth writing playlist later because it is full of emotion and awesome, but this is my pep song and maybe it will help some of my fellow Wrimos this year!

If you're participating let me know so I feel less crazy!