NaNoWriMo - Day 13

November thunders on and my word count creeps ever higher. I just wish I was sprinting up the 50,000 word mountain, rather than limping towards the summit.

I can write approximately 1,000 words an hour by hand, so a couple of hours will result in a fairly healthy word count. I consider this to be a pretty good performance since I know that there are folks out there that can't produce at that rate either by hand or at a computer or typewriter. However, when you're lagging behind your target by over 10,000 words, 1,000 words an hour seems terrifyingly slow.

When you think about it, 1,000 words an hour by hand really isn't that slow: I get an average of just over 200 words per A4 page, so I'm churning out five pages an hour. Unfortunately, no matter how much I want to, I can't do anything to speed up. There's an advantage of writing by hand as my word rate doesn't really vary, even when I'm not motivated, but I also can't hurry up when I'm slipping behind.

This week has brought three early shifts at work, which involve getting up at 4am (or earlier) and then forcing myself to stay awake for at least eight hours. By the time I get home, especially on the first couple of days, I'm usually so tired that my brain is mush and my amoeba-like thoughts are just floating around in the goo. I have been known to fall asleep while eating or drinking, the latter in particular is quite untidy since I usually wake up when I either spill my coffee in my lap, or all over the floor. Sometimes it surprises me that I'm not drooling in front of the TV and I'm sure that sometimes I am! So this week, finding the time to write hasn't been the issue; finding a coherent thought has. Thankfully I'm on my first of three late shifts and I've arranged a half day off on the last one so I can go to the Friday night write-in. After that I'm off work until after my holiday, so there will be plenty of time to catch up.

10,000 words is a lot to think about in terms of hours, but it's not so bad when I remember that there's still 9 days left until the holiday, and 17 days left in November. I only need to write an extra 1,000 words per day to claw back my target and that's only 1 hour extra each day. (Let's not think about Christmas or moving house, shall we.)

NaNoWriMo Stats - Day 13
Normal NaNoWriMo target: 21,671
Target for finishing early: 30,953
Frontloading target: 43,333
Current wordage: 19,556 (-2,115, -11,397, -23,777) and there are still hours left in the day!

NaNoWriMo - What's this 'frontloading target' business?

In the past two posts I have made mention of a frontloading target and I thought it might be a good idea to explain what that is (not least because I might forget myself).

While browsing the NaNoWriMo forums during October, I came across something referred to as 'The Reward System'. I later discovered there are two different motivational methods referred to as 'The Reward System' and I'll cover the other one in a moment; this one's about over-writing in the early stages of NaNoWriMo so that you have to write fewer and fewer words each day as the month progresses.

Generally speaking, NaNoWriMo participants are more motivated in the first week of the month and thus inclined to write more anyway. The benefit is that as your motivation declines, so does your daily goal, leaving you with one, single, solitary, lonely, and quite wonderful word to write on your final day. The agreed upon goals for a 30 day challenge are as follows:

Day 1: 3346 (It’s day one! Hell yeah, go for it!)

Day 2: 3216

Day 3: 3101

Day 4: 2986

Day 5: 2872

Day 6: 2757

Day 7: 2642

Day 8: 2527 (This is the hard part. Week one is out of the way, but you’ve still got some painful quotas left. Just do it!)

Day 9: 2412

Day 10: 2298

Day 11: 2183

Day 12: 2068

Day 13: 1953 (Almost there…)

Day 14: 1838 (Almost there……)

Day 15: 1724 (Halfway point! After this, you’ll be writing less every day than everyone else!)

Day 16: 1609

Day 17: 1494

Day 18: 1379

Day 19: 1264

Day 20: 1150

Day 21: 1035 (Less than a thousand words a day after this!)

Day 22: 920

Day 23: 805

Day 24: 690

Day 25: 576 (That’s a single good Word War! Feel free to laugh at the people with over three times this quota today!)

Day 26: 461

Day 27: 346

Day 28: 231

Day 29: 116

Day 30: 1 (Aww yeah! One word left! Make it a good one!)

(This is from Nicole Cook's blog, Daily Dish Recipes, with thanks.)

My problem is that with a holiday booked for the end of the month, I wanted to finish early (specifically, I'm aiming to hit 50k on the 21st November). Fortunately, a kind soul on the forums posted the goals for completing in 21 days, and that's where the frontloading target you've seen on previous blog posts originated.

However, perhaps you are only now starting NaNoWriMo (yes, there's still time!) and you'd like to use this system. Perhaps you also want to finish early, or you're aiming for a higher target. Well, here's a handy formula that will allow you to calculate your own daily goals.

(( t x 2) / d ) - 1 = g

g / ( d - 1 ) = w

t = word target

d = number of writing days

g = writing goal for day 1

w = amount of words to decrease your goal by for each writing day

I am no mathematician, (I'm a writer!) so I cannot guarantee this is correct mathematical notation, or that it is even right (although I've checked it with a couple of permutations, and it seems to work). I also can't take ANY credit for this at all. I didn't invent the reward system and the formula is stolen from bart6500 on Yahoo! Answers. Also, be warned that due to rounding, you would probably need to 'adjust' (i.e. increase or decrease by the odd word) on a few of the daily goals so that you have your one word left on your final day.

The other reward system involves chocolate. Or sweets. Or luxurious baths. Or time playing your favourite game. It is far less complicated than the above, requires no formula, requires no maths at all. (Hurrah!) What it does require is a willing arbiter, or diamond-like willpower that was fashioned under intense heat and pressure, possibly in the heart of Mordor.

Step one, find your arbiter. Step two, prepare your reward (if it's TV time, or X-Box time and you have those, you're all set). Step three, decide on your daily word count goal. Step four, write. You only get your reward when you've hit your goal for the day. Simples! Of course, if you're feeling really sadistic, you could always combine both reward systems.

NaNoWriMo - Day 6

My previously healthy word count is looking decidedly less healthy. Sure, I broke the 10,000 word mark yesterday with ease and powered on to just over 11k. It was cause for celebration. I ate a chocolate cookie. Day six, however, has once again resulted in a distinct lack of words. This makes me unhappy. It's all work's fault.

Today is my last of three night shifts. Night shifts are normally quiet. Night shifts are normally a time for reading or, on occasions when my brain can't function enough to understand words on a page, watching DVDs. I like my night shifts. They are normally characterised by short bursts of activity interspersed with lots of time waiting for things to happen. These ones, however, have been an almost constant flow of things to do, which means I get nothing done.

So I finish Day 6 on the same word count I started with.

Regardless of this slight disturbance in my writerly flow, I remain positive. I am still ahead of the standard target and my early finish remains in sight. The best part is that I am about to commence my three days off, which will include a Friday night write-in, so there is plenty of opportunity to power through and reclaim my lost time.

NaNoWriMo Stats - Day 6
Normal NaNoWriMo target: 10,002
Target for finishing early: 14,286
Frontloading target: 25,000
Current wordage: 11,362 (+1,360, -2,924, -13,638)

NaNoWriMo - Day 4

I seem to recall I promised I would periodically post during November concerning my NaNoWriMo adventure. I suppose I'd better stick to that promise or you might not come back in the future.

Like so many Hobbits, Wizards, Dwarves and Elves, my fellow NaNoers and I set out, November 1st, on our quest, each seeking their own 50,000 word prize. It was all going so well.

On day one I was riding high. I hit 590 words in my first 30 minutes. I ended my first session on 1,205 with plenty more hours in the day. I made 2,269 in my next session, and rounded off the day with a total of 3,866 words. In one day. All written by hand. I had almost 5 chapters under my belt, I'd introduced four major characters, killed three of them, and killed off a further two minor characters. 

Day two arrived, looking all bright and promising. Despite my husband's best efforts to distract me with his birthday shenanigans, I added a further 1,602 words in my first session and ended the day on 6,731 words. 

On day three, I had a shift at work to contend with and other stuff started to creep into my peripheral vision. Our house has been on the market for a good while and on Sunday we received an offer. A serious one. And the family would like to move before Christmas, please and thank you. And we're on holiday at the end of November. And I've got a job application to do and... ARRRRRRGGGGHHHH! Even with all that, I managed a healthy 2,027 words. I was quite pleased with myself.

Day four, however.... I'd quite like to forget about day four. In fact, as far as NaNoWriMo goes, day four was a total bust. 16 hours in work, plus sleeping and eating time, as well as the aforementioned job thing, really hasn't helped and apart from my diary entry, I haven't written a single word. ::sighs::

However, I'm ahead of the standard NaNoWriMo target, and only slightly in deficit on my target for a pre-holiday finish, so I am feeling reasonably positive. (We won't mention the frontloading target I set myself.) 

On day five, I'm aiming for 12k. If I can get near to 14k I'll be really chuffed. It's only an extra 5,000 words so it isn't impossible, but it would beat my highest writing day so far by an extra 1,200 words. Roll on day five... Long live day five!

NaNoWriMo Stats - Day 4
Normal NaNoWriMo Target: 6,668
Target for finishing early: 9,524
Frontloading target: 17,620
Current words: 8,758 (+2,090, -766, -8,862)

NaNoWriMo 2013

NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month. Thirty days and nights of literary abandon.

If you haven't encountered this phenomenon before, it is the challenge of writing 50,000 words in the month of November. Every year hundreds of thousands of writers commit to this challenge; in 2012, over 341,000 people from 586 regions on 6 continents, participated. NaNoWriMo has resulted in the publication of many well-known novels in the past, including Flowers of Baghdad by Bruce Lyman, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.

And tomorrow, the 2013 NaNoWriMo will begin.

I was first turned on to NaNoWriMo in 2009 by a writing pal, Aaron. I attempted it the following year (and also in 2011) but have never been successful. This year I am determined, I am committed, and I'm taking it seriously.

I have spent much of October working towards my NaNovel: outlining, researching, and world-building. (That, and generally stalking other participants on the NaNoWriMo forums.) I'm working on a story that I've been dying to tell for years. It's soft science fiction, set (mostly) in the Andromeda Galaxy. All being well, this will be the first in a trilogy and part one (currently titled Into the Light) will involve mystery, intrigue and a couple of generous tablespoons of action.

In addition to the planning element, part of my NaNoPrep has involved getting my tools together and working out where to write. Having had such a positive experience with hand writing in my diary, I decided (foolishly, perhaps?) to hand write my NaNovel. I have realised that the computer kills creativity. I have had more success writing creatively by hand in the past ten months, than writing on the computer in the last ten years so I've treated myself to a couple of new fountain pens, I've stocked up on Stabilo 88s (a long-standing favourite ink pen) and I have prepared the notebooks and notepads I'll write in. I've also put together a folder, which I'll discuss in a later post, for notes, research and inspiration.

A couple of weeks ago, I also managed to create a little space at home where I can write in peace. This is something I have never had before and something I didn't expect to have this year either, but I had a brain-wave and a few hours later, with upstairs completely reorganised, there it was. It's still a work in progress in this photo (a little bit different now), but you get the gist.

So how do you fancy coming with me? This is an adventure that is as easily accessible to the novice as the professional, that doesn't require you to be in amazing physical shape and, doesn't require any special equipment (not even climbing gear). All you need is paper & pen (or equivalent). NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow but it isn't too late to join. Sign up at NaNoWriMo.org and get your thinking cap on. Not got any idea what to write? It doesn't really matter because you can write anything that your brain can imagine. Go for it! And if you don't want to join, I'll be blogging periodically with my successes and failures (hopefully more of the former) so you can track my progress.

This is my year. Maybe it's your year too.

Good luck to all the NaNoWriMos.

From a Buick 8

I mentioned in my last post that there's been lots happening over the past weeks. I haven't posted much, but I have been writing and also reading. There's been plotting and planning too, but more on that later. If you've read my post about Goodreads (here), you will know I set a reading target this year. My goal is now in sight. I'm in the process of reading my twentieth book, and there's still plenty of reading time left in the year. It helps when I happen across a 400 page book I can read a in three days.

From a Buick 8 by Stephen King is a slightly strange book. On Goodreads the rating graph is a mixed bag. There are few that hate the book, but also few than love it. At the time of writing this, almost 40% of reviewers rated it only three stars. However, I found it completely compelling and couldn't put the damned thing down. Why?

One of the most notable elements of the book is that it lacks the traditional corner stone of storytelling: character development. What little plot exists is delivered in flashback, always returning to the same point in time. I believe that many readers can't see past this, expecting something to change between the beginning and the end. However, as much as this is a story about a dangerous and mysterious thing that appears to be a Buick 8, it's also about obsession, the passing of time and the passing of responsibility from one generation (or individual) to the next. In this sense, perhaps the point of the story is that nothing really changes between the beginning and the end.

At times, Buick 8 is grotesque and macabre, satisfying King's horror fans and this was certainly part of what enthralled me (I won't deny that I was intrigued to find out what the car would do next) , but I was equally, if not more, interested in the characters. Each section of flashback is told by one of the characters; whichever can speak with the most authority on each part of the story. And speak they do. Each character has a distinctive voice (a turn of phrase, an accent, speech pattern or tone). Each flashback is written in the first person, as if the character is addressing the reader directly. As a result, I felt that each character spoke to me as surely as if they were sitting beside me and I couldn't wait to hear what each character had to say.

It might not suit every reader, but I personally found From a Buick 8 thoroughly engaging. I will certainly read it again in the future, and it's probably my favourite read of 2013.

Kat Middleton BA (hons)

So, once again, not a lot of posting going on, but plenty of other stuff, most significant of which being my graduation.

I have written here (and elsewhere) about the Open University and my 'adventures' studying Literature. Finally, after more than ten years, I am officially a graduate and, as proud as I am with my achievement, as I look back I'm also saddened. Because it's over.

Studying with the O.U. has been a roller-coaster of highs and lows. There have been assignments and exams where I have done far better than I expected, and also those where I have struggled to reach a grade I'm happy with. I've had more than my fair share of late nights (or indeed, all-nighters) trying to get assignments finished. I've had trouble paying for my studies, worried and panicked about finishing the degree following the change to university funding that came into affect last year. I've even had tutors that I didn't much like, and done a course that was a horrible mistake! But the truth is, despite the deadlines that always arrived too soon, the torture of studying poetry, the pile of books that loomed over me like the north-face of the Eiger, studying has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and not just for the fancy piece of paper at the end.

The Open University has exposed me to material I never would have read or studied before. It has surprised me and I have surprised myself. I honestly didn't expect to enjoy Middlemarch as much as I did, and of the parts of the course to excel in, why was it a section studying Napoleon and the French Revolution?

And so, to the Open University, I tip my mortarboard and say, "Thank you."

I am looking forward to never again having to reference the stuff I write.