My Pen Ran Out Ink - My 2012 NaNoWriMo Adventure

I hate feeling overwhelmed. I'm a writer, I love to write, but I've discovered it's not wise to over commit yourself. Last year I contracted 5 books. What was I thinking?

When National Novel Writing Month started creeping around the corner, I knew I had to commit to it. I'm down to 3 contracts, but even still, finding the time to write is challenging. This was my opportunity to catch up.

About two weeks out I started researching my project, Book 3 in the Moldavian Moon series, Sunrise Over Brasov. The paper flew. The ink spilled. Character bios. Thank goodness for Google images. I stocked up on pens, paper, French Roast Coffee and ink cartridges. I drew maps and outlined a plot. Come 1 NOV I was ready to write. My goal? 5 handwritten pages a day.

The challenge isn't actually the writing. Juliet, my muse, is fired up, has the strawberries stocked up, and is ready to go. It's finding THE TIME. Juliet will throw a hissy fit if I don't find THE TIME to write. I hate it when my muse gets mad at me.

November 1st came and I hit the paper writing. Words flowed like a rushing river onto the paper. The hero, Michael, re-kidnapped the heroine, Rosa, from the evil werewolf's fortress. I even fit in a day to meet with my NaNoWriMo buddy, Jenifer Ranieri at Panera.

Then my pen ran out of ink.
Juliet forced me to use a pencil.

My son, Joe, had a tumbling and trampoline class and his regular gymnastic class. Taxi service time.
Juliet made me take my laptop.

My son, Andrew, had basketball practice and Hip Hop Dance.
Juliet got mad when I told her I watching football on Sundays.

She pushed me toward the paper, whispered sweet nothings into my ear, promised me Lindor chocolates, and made me neglect my emails. I've got one account with over 700 emails.

THE TIME threatened to derail my progress, but Juliet kept me steady. My 6-year-old hid my thesaurus under couch because he wanted "Mommy" time, but Juliet found it.

I'm tired, weary, my fingers ache and I have a couple more gray hairs because I was stressed out to the max, but I did it. I'm a NaNoWriMo winner!

My treat? Lindor truffles and French Roast coffee from Starbucks. Actually, I'm hoping to give Jen Ranieri a buzz. Maybe we can go to lunch to celebrate if THE TIME lets me. He's a demanding beast right now.

The good news? I have over 50K on "Sunrise Over Brasov." There's more to write, but I'm pleased with the plot and characters. Now I can slow down and smell the roses.

The bad news?

I have to catch up on over 700 emails. Juliet tells me there's a button called delete. I'm not so sure.

For those who took the challenge and won, Juliet wants to invite you to a party. (Not at my house!) She's serving strawberries and chocolate.

For those who took the challenge and didn't quiet finish, Juliet says she's available for hire at a fee.

She's a taskmaster, just so you know.

I'd love to hear about your NaNoWriMo experience. Did you write with others in your region? What region do you come from? Give a shout out. Did you hang out at the coffee shop? Run out of ink, too? Share your word count and your story!

Author Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD, a taxi service for her boys, and addicted to dark chocolate and strawberries. The first book in the Moldavian Moon series is "The Wolf's Torment." Can Mihai save his family from an evil werewolf that threatens to destroy their happiness?

Here's a sample from the opening of Sunrise Over Brasov:

Several gunshots and piercing screams forced Rosa from the comfort of her bed. Uncertainty knotted in her stomach. What was happening? Flinging off the covers, she rushed to the window and pushed aside the heavy drapes. The thunderous noise made her pulse erratic. 
Frost had collected on the thick windowpane. Outside, several gun muzzles flashed – or was it nistal root exploding? She couldn't be sure. Overhead, a waxing half moon appeared just over the Brasov skyline. Rose worried her lower lip. The battle continued, but who would attack the fortress? 


She glanced at the mechanical brass clock on the table next to the fireplace. Five-thirty in the morning. The logs in the fireplace smoldered, threatening to flame out. Sunrise would come soon. She approached the chair next to her bed and slid her robe over her shoulders, crossing her arms over her chest to keep warm. Should she determine if Clement needed help, or should she check on Rickard? This fighting might trigger a change in him.


The door flung open and a man stepped into her room. Who was he? The vaguely familiar scent of sandalwood and pine filled her senses. Her heartbeat spiked, but she held her ground and set her chin, determined not to show him an ounce of fear. 
There was no denying his masculinity. He was tall and his massive shoulders filled out the cloak he wore. Most of his facial features were enveloped by shadows, but she could make out his penetrating amber-hazel eyes through the darkness. A soft gasp escaped her. 


He raised his hand and lowered his hood. An inherent strength filled his profile. Confidence. Concern. Relief. 
Rosa's breath jammed in her throat. He looked familiar. He smelled familiar. 
"Rosa, it's Michael. Let's go."


"I'm not going anywhere with you."

My 2010 NaNoWriMo Adventure is over.... kinda.

Whewww.... can you beleve it? 50,206 words in 30 days. That's a lot of words. I am exhausted and drained and I must keep going because the novel is nowhere near done. But I got a good start. That said, I thought share some of my 2010 NaNoWriMo experiences with you.

I knew in October I wanted to get involved in NaNoWriMo again. I did it last year, enjoyed the craziness, and I was up for it again. Having a story due in May 2011, I decided to focus on a semi major revision of the story. I got out my maps, did up my character sketches, drafted research notes and outlined. For me, I need to do this premliminary work or I won't be ready to write on day one and I need to be ready to write on Day 1.

OUTSIDE CHALLENGES:
What makes NaNoWriMo demanding for me are my "outside challenges." There's the fact I'm a full time working mom. I answer 911 for LAPD. I'm grateful to have a job, but it's there. The good thing is I can write on my down time at work. The bad thing is because there's no computers, I have to write long hand and then type it up at home. I also have two boys, 8 & 4 and I'm always keeping up with them. There was soccer, gymnastics, religion education, doctor's appt and misc with them.

DAY 1

Day 1 hit and I hooked up at the Panera with Jenifer Ranieri. Jen does the cover art for Desert Breeze and lives maybe 20 minutes from me. She's also writer. It really helped that I could meet up with her and work on my project. Jen has a great sense of humor and that's really motivating for me.

I pretty much stuck to 1600 words a day. I'd like to think I'm slow and steady. Hey, slow and steady wins the race! And I had a passion for my project.

What was my project this year? I intended it to be a semi-major revision of The Wolf's Torment. It's turning into a MAJOR revision with a lot of changes that I'm very excited about.

HERE'S THE BLURB:
Crown Prince Mihai Sigmaringen has a lot to look forward to. Recently returned from England, he's engaged to Lady Theresa von Kracken. He hopes to unite the Romanian principalities into a nation, but when his best friend, Viktor Bacau, is bitten by a werewolf, Mihai's dreams and his relationship with Theresa threaten to shatter into a thousand tiny pieces.


Some of the major changes are that Sonia is now Mihai's half-sister instead of a maid and Mihai is more accepting of the witching power in him, and activitly learns to be a practicing witch. The plot is still the same, but how the characters get to the end has changed dramatically.


EXCERPT

Here's a small excerpt for you to enjoy. Mihai has returned to castle at the same time Theresa and Beatrice have.

******

He turned around and to find Theresa and Beatrice bundled up in warm coats, hats, and scarves. Their cheeks were red from the chill. He smiled at them.

"Hello, ladies."
"Hello, Mihai."

Beatrice bowed.

"So what were you ladies up to this afternoon?"

Theresa grinned. "We sent the wedding announcements out and Beatrice and I ordered our dresses."

"Well done. What else is there to do?"

"We need flowers, musicians, caterers, a daguerreotyper…"

"and rings," he added.
"Yes, and rings."

Her sweet expression warmed his heart. The thought of putting his ring on her finger thrilled him.

"We'd love to have your thoughts on our plans," said Beatrice.

Mihai gestured toward the castle, walking next to Theresa. He wanted to get the women out of the cold. Tybeski walked behind him.

"Well, tomorrow, Mr. Tybeski and I have a busy day. Parliament passed my tax, so I must send out notices requesting bids, and Mr. Tybeski will be working on our behalf for the orphanage."

Theresa stepped in front of him, grabbing his hands. They were right in front of the castle's steps. Her face sparkled with excitement. "That's wonderful! Thank you, Mihai."

God, he wanted to be alone with her right now. He curbed the desire, pushing it away for now, knowing that the promise of later might be fulfilled.

"I'm glad you approve. After dinner I want you to come to my study."

She raised a curious eyebrow.
"I want to tell you about the railroad."

"You want to work on the railroad bid, you mean." Her face slightly frowned.

He looked directly at her. "If I wanted to work, I wouldn't ask you to come to my study."

"I'm sorry," she said, gently.

"Oh, let's go inside, I'm freezing and I want a very warm cup of tea," said Beatrice. She looked at Mihai. "And if you want Theresa to join you in the study, she needs a very warm cup of tea, too."

Mihai cast his eyes toward the door and gestured with his hand for the ladies to go ahead of him. Beatrice was a colorful one, but it was Theresa who heated his blood with her innocence, her sense of adventure, and her caring nature. It was Theresa who he wanted to be with tonight – alone.

Week 3 - NaNoWriMo - Challenges

Week 3 NaNoWriMo has probably been the most challenging so far. Why? Because real life has a nasty habit of interfering!! Gosh, darn!

I did NaNoWriMo last year and this year. Last year I was a winner. This year I intend to be, too. I did all my prep work, cast my characters, did character bios, made maps, researched herbs, roots, werewolf and witch myths and I was ready to write on day one.

My NaNoWriMo project this year is kinda old and kinda new. I have a "deadline" to the publisher so I had to work on my rewrite/revision of The Wolf's Torment NOW. This project was previously with IUniverse, but I took it down, intent on changing some "big" things about the story. For one, I wanted to pair down the horror elements and focus more on the romantic elements. The biggest changes I've made: Sonia is no longer a maid - she's Mihai's half sister and Mihai reluctantly agrees to learn witchcraft, since his mother is a witch, and he is too. I just finished the first arc of the story - Viktor is bitten by Bane. I find the plot remains the same, but how I get there is much more different.


This week has been a challenge. The first two days of the week I was off and I usually do my writing at work on down time. I had to set aside time and work while my kids were home. It got tough when Joe wanted to jump all over my back. Yesterday, at work I couldn't do any work simply because I was on the the phones and I had no down time. I hope to work on the story today since I'm at a position that will allow it.

One of NaNoWriMo pleasures is meeting with my NaNoWriMo buddy, Jenifier Ranieri at the local Panera. We sit, chat a bit, drink coffee and write. It's fun to have a NaNoWriMo buddy. She's been able to get out to a couple of write-ins around the area where I haven't and it's nice to hear about her experiences.

My "unofficial" Word Count right now is 33K. My goal is to kick out another 3K today and tomorrow when I meet with Jenifier I need to get to typing.

Yes, Typing. Most of my writing is handwritten because at work, I can't have a computer and it's all handwritten. Just another challenge for me during NaNoWriMo.

I have a feeling Thanksgiving Week is going to pose another challenge for me.

Here's a RAW NaNoWriMo excerpt:
Bane watched form the rail of the ship as it approached Odessa. He had booked passage on a steam-powered boat as soon as Hecuba told him of his mark's destination – Odessa. And his mark had a name – Viktor. How delicious.

Viktor was several hours ahead of him, but Bane was resourceful and confident in his abilities to finally get what he wanted.
The winter wind wiped against his face. Hecuba was down below, resting. The potions she used to transform her body were getting more and more painful. Black magic had devoured her body. She had lived long – 200 years, but that was because she drank his blood, allowing his ability of regeneration and longevity to assist her body. It was now failing her. If she lived another two years, he would be surprised. And maybe it was time to give up the beast. He was nothing without her, and maybe he could finally consider death – especially if he could train Viktor to be his heir.

Bane ran a hand through his greasy hair. There was something about this Viktor that resonated deep in his bones. Something that he couldn't place – only that the man's natural scent, that of tiger lilies reminded him of home.


Odessa's port came into view. Bane enjoyed being a wolf, reveling in the supernatural power of his body. He was the leader of his pack and due to his age, he had skills younger wolves did not possess. Bane closed his eyes, recalling his younger days. He was born in a small Ukrainian tower – Chernivtsi, over 200 years ago, near the Romanian principality of Transylvania.

Bane looked to the sky, always aware of the phase of the moon. Because he was so old and a leader, he could transform at will. Younger wolves would only transform on the full moon when the moon's eerie light was at its full power, igniting the wolf's blood in its human host.

Werewolves needed two things come the full moon – to eat and have sex. When it came to satisfying the awful hunger, only human flesh and blood would do. There was something in human blood that held the hunger in check until the next full moon. Pig's blood would do if a wolf's appetite couldn't be properly attended to, but it lacked that special quality to be totally filling. A wolf would go insane if they drank pig's blood three moons in a row.

Then there was the insatiable desire to have sex. Only a witch could sate the wolf's heightened desires. Their energy was intuitive, feeling the wolf's emotions, calming him. A human woman could accommodate a wolf, but couldn't calm – the sex would be rough, dangerous with a human. Most wolves hunted for food at night, rested, and then, during the day, when they were human, coupled with the witches.
The full moon would occur in Odessa and while he hated to be away from his pack in Mulfaltar, he was not going to let the opportunity of biting Viktor pass him by again. He left Timon in charge. Timon was crafty yet cold, but the other two wolves could hold their own with Timon, and the witches would be protected by the wolves.

He smiled, recognizing the Potemkin Stairs. Soon, he would have a new wolf for his pack.

Tuesday Writing Tips - How to Hook the Reader for NaNoWriMo

Hi all, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is less than a week away and I'll be back. This year's project is "The Wolf's Torment." Here's a blurb:

Crown Prince Mihai Sigmaringen has a lot to look forward to. Recently returned from England, he's engaged to Lady Theresa von Kracken. He hopes to unite the Romanian principalities into a nation, but when his best friend, Viktor Bacau, is bitten by a werewolf, his dreams and his relationship with Theresa threaten to shatter into a thousand tiny pieces.

I'm very excited at the project and I'm doing my research and preliminary work now. What's the goal of NaNoWriMo? From the website: It is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30. That averages to approx 1650 words a day. Do-able write? *wink*

Last year I did NaNoWriMo for the first time. It was a challenge and with all my other "obstacles" work, home, mommy, wife, I slid in with 52K at the end of the month and had a great start to my novel "The Count's Lair" (which is coming out FEB 2011 with Desert Breeze Publishing)


If you want to check out my NaNoWriMo space, here's a link: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/526402

I'm going to tie this into my next topic which is my Tuesday writing tip: how to hook the reader. It's not as easy as you think.

The beginning of the story must hook the reader or it doesn't do what it's supposed to do. The first sentence, paragraph, chapter has to grab a reader's attention. Some obvious turn offs include: spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Not so obvious: starting with description, back story, or a flashback.

The opening should have the lead character into the problem. Start with action, show the lead in motion, doing something.

Here's an example: Alice skulked after Edmund. What's the reader's next thought? Why. That encourages the reader to read more to find out.

Keep in mind: The opening should have an inciting incident and a story-worthy problem which should hold attention.

Reference: Hooked, by Les Edgerton, Writer's Digest books, 2007. If you want to follow my NaNoWriMo project, I'll be putting up my rough chapters on Writing.com. Here's the link:

http://www.writing.com/main/portfolio/item_id/1262325-The-Wolfs-Torment

News from the Publishing World - Misc Christmas Thoughts

JOE DECORATING THE TREE

First, I want to apologize for not being around much. Truth be told, real has me busy this holiday season. I just finished my Christmas card list, but now I have to wrap gifts and keep the chocolate in the advent calender flowing. Haha. Which kind of takes me to my theme today - Christmas traditions.

When I was a wee thing, I remember my Dad would buy lobster and we'd all go over my Granny's house for a Christmas Eve lobster dinner. Being a wee one, I didn't appreciate the lobster at the time.

When we got older, we used to go to my grandmother's house (on my mother's side) for Christmas Eve. Since I lived in NH, snow would litter the ground. It would be COOL. The wind chill would put it about 20 degrees. We'd have to warm up the car before going out to it.

We'd make pedogies (homemade) and have a non meat dinner before opening gifts. I loved the comdarie of making homemade pedogies. The whole family would gather around and one would roll out the dough, one would use a cookie cutter to make the circles and one would stuff the dough. It was my job to boil the pedogies and then fry them up in a pan with butter & onions. Homemade pedogies taste fab, but looking back, that butter & onion couldn't have been good for the ticker! Haha! I would go to Midnight Mass with my aunt Mary and on Christmas we'd have a big turkey dinner and visit the aunts and uncles.

Nowadays, my Christmas traditions are a little different since I live in California. There's no 20 degree temperatures in California. I'm kind of sad that my boys won't know a snowy Christmas, but I try to make it as Christmasy as I can. I light an advent candle for meals and I have an advent calender filled with choc and lollipops. I put out a navity and each day Andrew and I add a piece. We have an ornament dinner every year and exchange personalized ornaments with family members. Opening gifts are usually reserved for Christmas morning. That's what they did for my husband's family when he was a wee one.

ANDREW DECORATING THE TREE



Both my boys are excited for Christmas this year. Joe is 3 and is just starting to "get it." He goes to the advent calender every day which is cute.

Christmas traditions are important because, for me, it makes the family unique. While lobster isn't on the menu anymore, I made a clam chowder and Brent will cook up a rib roast for the ornament dinner. I made sugar cookies with Andrew and he loves it. Joe should be old enough to get it this year. We'll see.

I hope you're having a good holiday season and enjoying your own Christmas traditions.

*******

NANOWRIMO

Did I tell you the reason why I neglected the blog? Part was because of National Novel Writing Month. I was tying my fingers off trying to get to 50K words. And I did! I'm a winner at 50,291. Mind you, my novel is probably just a little over 1/2 done but I've got a good start with it. I have to admit, I entered Novemeber prepared. I had character bios, maps, outlines and I was ready to write. I don't think without that prep work, I would have made my goal.

A


The other reason is the real life business of the holiday season. I work from 6 pm to 2 am and I usually have to get up at 630 am. I am exhausted all of the time. It sucks. I have to do my house work, and the Christmas extras. Not that I mind, but I find there's just not enough time in the day.

My NaNoWriMo project was "The Count's Lair" a book that will be published by Desert Breeze publishing. I'm very excited about the story. My hero is a werewolf who falls in love with a talented pianist in Hungary 1901. I love the time period. While werewolves don't have the appeal that vampires do, I enjoy them because I explore the more pyschological aspects of it.

******

New from the Publishing World.

I try to keep up with this one which isn't easy. I usually get my news from Publisher's Weekly as I find they are the most up to date:

A new program debuts on Sirius XM Book Radio this week: “Penguin Classics on Air,” a half-hour series devoted to the discussion and exploration of some of Penguin Classics’ 1,500-plus titles. Penguin employees will write and produce the series, and the show will air twice a week—Mondays from 3:00 to 3:30 P.M. and Thursdays from 11:30 P.M. to midnight—on Sirius 117 and XM 163.

It sounds interesting. This week is about Jane Austen. Having just seen Pride & Prejudice with Keira Knightly and watching Becoming Jane, consider me a Jane Austen fan. Surprisingly, I didn't read her in High school, so I'm just now getting introduced to Jane.

I'm a firm believer in entering writing contests. It's where I cut teeth and I've entered the Writer's Digest Contests since 2006. Here's a contest being offered through Publisher's Weekly and Amazon:

Also today, Penguin Group (USA) and Amazon announced the third annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Competition. For the first time, the competition will award two grand prizes: one for general fiction and one for best young adult novel. The 2010 competition will also be open to novels that have been previously self-published. The competition runs from January 25, 2010 and until February 7 at www.amazon.com/abna.

Here's something a little interesting: A Candianan Private school is switching to EBook readers!

The Blyth Academy, a private school in Toronto, is replacing its traditional textbooks with the Sony Reader Digital Book which will be loaded with electronic versions of students' textbooks. “There may be one or two [books] that we still find are better in the printed version, or that maybe haven’t been fully converted into electronic texts, but we’re hoping by the end of the year, that we’ll have all of our texts completely in electronic format,” said Blyth director of development Brandon Kerstens. He added that some of Blyth’s approximately 170 students in Toronto have opted to continue using hard copies of the books.

The school is maintaining its library of printed books, and students will still read fiction in printed versions. “We’re not doing away with printed text altogether because novels are so beloved, and people love to have their novels in a printed version,” said Kerstens.


Enjoy your Wednesday!
Smiles,
Steph

Week 4 NaNoWriMo Update! Finished!

It's week 4 of NaNoWriMo and as I write this, there are only 2 more days to finish your novel. While I'm not entirely done, I did finish 50K words so I'm a THRILLED. It wasn't an easy journey for me and I knew when I signed up in October that it would be challengeing to say the least. It would be challeging because:

#1 - I work full time from 6 pm to 2 am
#2 - I have a 3 year old
#3 - I still have a house to take care of, dishes to wash, clothes to clean, vacuming, etc

To prepare - and I did prepare, I picked a project I knew I was ready to write, "The Count's Lair." This is a paranormal romance which is the sequel to "The Hungarian." (which will be released by Desert Breeze Publishing in May 2010.) I had the plot roughly outlined, I'd done my research about Budapest, and 1901, and I had done background sheets on my main characters, "Anton and Amelia." All I had to do come Nov 1st was sit down and write.

Nov 1 hit and I was already 6K words into the project, but then real life hit, too. I worked, I hung out with my 3 year old, I did the dishes. If I wasn't doing that, I was writing. It was challenging. I wrote during times of the day I don't usually write.

One thing that really helped was going to the It's A Grind coffeeshop on Tues and Thurs and meeting up with my writing buddy, Jen. I did sign up under the LA chapter on the official site but I wouldn't travel all the way down to LA so Jen and I set up our own support writing group. It was great. I just want to give a shout out to Jen and her encouragment. She's fantastic!

Yesterday, I finished and posted my 50K words. It was very rewarding to hit the big 50K. The novel is just over a 1/2 done. Now I can finish it at a more leisurely pace. I can also get back to some things I've neglected like my book reading, my review reading and a couple of blog posts for other blogs I'd like to do.

I just want to thank everyone for their support - especially Jen & Gail from Desert Breeze. And I saw Vivian from 4RV pop in as well. Thank you. Your encouragment as meant a lot to me. I'd also like to give a shout out to my at work editor, Kathy Kravitz who has a bead on my characters just like I do.

Look for my blog to get a little more loving care for me. I also put off my official Nov newsletter, but I'll be back in December.

Here's the blurb for NaNoWriMo novel:
Can a man haunted by an ancient curse fall in love? That’s what Count Anton Varga dares to explore when he meets beautiful and talented Lady Amelia Andrássy. Anton rediscovers Amelia in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, giving a concert and he hungers to pursue her, only he has a secret which he fears she will not accept. With the help and support of his friend and servant, Georg, Anton decides to win Amelia’s heart. Will the journey bring him the love he’s hungered for, or will it tear his heart apart?




Here's a small excerpt from the novel. It's under contract to Desert Breeze so I'm very excited to have given the project a good start. Anton is taking Amelia to the Kris Kringle (Christmas) markets in downtown Budapest. Enjoy!

The auto entered the Pest side of the city. Her eyes darted to the window, afraid to meet his, not daring to release a firestorm between them. People darted along the street, all dressed in thick winter coats. It was then she realized that Anton wore a light overcoat. She reached out, grasping his hand. He was unusually warm.

He smiled at her. “Are you cold?”

“A little. The auto’s warm enough, but you’re hot.”

“I suppose I am.”

“Why is that?”

He pursed his lips, as if uncomfortable with her question. “My temperature is a little higher than most.”

“How can that be?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Complicated?” she questioned.

“Unbelievable, almost.”

“I’d like to know if you want to tell me.”

His eyes softened to an almost cerulean shade of blue. The auto came to a stop. Anton directed his attention toward the driver.

“Bela, meet us here in two hours.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

Anton opened the door for Amelia. She slid out of the auto and put her gloves back on. Amelia noticed Anton didn’t wear gloves, and he didn’t have his scarf around his neck. He fell into an easy pace beside her as they navigated down a busy street, surrounded by people heading toward the Kris Kringle markets like they were.

He stiffened a little as he faced her. “I’m not proud of my actions. This is not something I find easy to talk about,” he said finally.

Week 3 NaNoWriMo Update - Slogging on

Well, it's week 3. Let me tell you, I am feeling a million things - stressed out, drained, and worried. I call this the storm before the dawn. I am drained. Writing 2K words a day is challenging since I have very little time. I'm stressed because I want to make 2K a day or I'll get behind. I'm drained because I am writing 2K at least and it's draining work. How's that for honesty.

On the plus side - I'm on target. I've got 32K words so far and I'll be adding some more today. And I LOVE what I'm writing. I love this story. Budapest is fantastic city for the setting. The story is romantic, mysterious, and fun. I love Anton. He's so tortured and Amelia's like a candle in the dark for him, just lighting up Ravenwind and his heart. The plot is strong. I've got some great scenes planned. I just need to write.

I'm drained, but I'm plugging on. **smiles**


ABOUT THE NOVEL:

Can a man haunted by an ancient curse fall in love? That’s what Count Anton Varga dares to explore when he meets beautiful and talented Lady Amelia Andrássy. Anton rediscovers Amelia in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, giving a concert and he hungers to pursue her, only he has a secret which he fears she will not accept. With the help and support of his friend and servant, Georg, Anton decides to win Amelia’s heart. Will the journey bring him the love he’s hungered for, or will it tear his heart apart?

Week 2 NaNoWriMo 09 update - plugging away

I'm two weeks into NaNoWriMo and I thought I'd post an update. This is my first year tackling NaNoWriMo. It's been very rewarding, but very demanding.

Well, I knew the project I wanted to work on - a paranormanal romance that takes place in Budapest 1901 between a "relucant" werewolf, and a woman. I need to really make a start on it, and NaNoWriMo has given me that. It was plotted before I started writing and in fact I'd written a 4,000 short and a 10,000 word in prepartion for the novel.

What I find demanding is finding the time to write at 2,000 words a day, which is my goal. I usually find the time at work, but my work schedule has been a bit off this week. I had Monday off, worked Tuesday, had the holiday off, and worked yesterday.

It's hard for me to write at home unless everyone is out of the house. Which is very rare. I'm plugging away, but I am feeling a bit fatigued.

I'm in the LA area, but the support groups are actually in the LA area, and since I'm in Castaic, it's hard to get there. The good news is that I've found a great partner to NaNoWriMo with and I've really enjoyed the times we're gotten together to write. I have to admit, it makes a BIG difference have someone there to offer on the spot encouragement and suggestions.



I'm up to 21,055 words so far, just a couple hundred words off the pace I should be at. I can't wait to crack 25K. I'm going to enjoy a bottle of my favorite wine and take the day off. hehe.

My story takes place in Budapest. I've been to Budapest once in Sep 1997. It's been 12 years so I'm sure Budapest has changed, but I LOVED Budapest. It was such an international city. I loved the history it embodied and I loved the central/eastern feel. It wasn't as modern as Paris or Frankfurt, Germany, but it was thriving and alive with a culture all it's own. The Danube spilt the city in half giving the city an extra layer of character. I've including a picture of Budapest, one that gives me inspiration.

Here's a blurb for the novel:
Can a man haunted by an ancient curse fall in love? That’s what Count Anton Varga dares to explore when he meets beautiful and talented Lady Amelia Andrássy. Anton rediscovers Amelia in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, giving a concert and he hungers to pursue her, only he has a secret which he fears she will not accept. With the help and support of his friend and servant, Georg, Anton decides to win Amelia’s heart. Will the journey bring him the love he’s hungered for, or will it tear his heart apart?

You can find me on the official site at:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/526402

If you get a chance, pop on in and check it out!

Week 1 - NaNoWriMo - I'm doing okay so far...

Well, here we are 6 days into NaNoWriMo and I'm pumped. Still. Amazing to believe, huh?

This is my first year doing NaNoWriMo. I've always been initimidated by it in the past, but this year I decided to bite the bullet. I had a novel I needed to write and I thought NaNoWriMo would be a great opportunity to write it. On 15 Oct I signed up and started preparing.

I gathered my tools. I made a graphic of the cover to inspire me. Actually, Kiyasama from Writing.com helped me come up with the graphic.

I wrote a blurb. I outlined my plot, cast my characters, and threw paper all over my living room table. I've got character bios and ink strewn throughout my computer room.

My goal is approx 2K words a day. I'm getting there. I usually handwrite my chapters at work and then when I get home I type them into the computer. It's not really time consuming. On my days off I go to the "It's A Grind" down by the Ralph's and meet up with a writing buddy and type away.

It's working so far. No writer's block, if anything, I don't have enough time in the day to write. It sucks. haha!

My novel is a paranormal romance and it takes place in Hungary in 1901. Here's the blurb:

Can a man haunted by an ancient curse fall in love? That’s what Count Anton Varga dares to explore when he meets beautiful and talented Lady Amelia Andrássy. Anton rediscovers Amelia in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, giving a concert and he hungers to pursue her, only he has a secret which he fears she will not accept. With the help and support of his friend and servant, Georg, Anton decides to win Amelia’s heart. Will the journey bring him the love he’s hungered for, or will it tear his heart apart?

If you want to check me out on the official site, here's my link:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/526402

If you want to sign me up as a writing buddy I'm StephB

Have a great week NaNoWriMo'ing!
Steph