Warm Up Your Brain – It’s Almost November

October 21, 2014 ~ JodiLea

What happened to this year?

I must have missed a bunch. November is looming up on the calendar, again, and you know what that means… NaNoWriMo!

November is National Novel Writing Month. I am determined to finish my draft of “Through the Door”, last year’s novel, but so many things have distracted me this year.

Since I already have over 50,000 words written, (57,980 to be exact), I cannot enter it as my 2014 novel. I can, however subtract the 57,980 words from the total words this November as I bumble along trying to finish by Dec. 1st. I will have tons of editing to do, as well as more research, but to complete the story will be HUGE. My first complete novel after all these years!!

Sometimes, I lose focus, because I want to end this particular story and move on to my next idea. I tell myself that’s what it is, but I think I’m lying. The truth is so embarrassing to me, as “the writer” in the family!

I have no clue how the story will end.

It did have an end, but I trashed it. Why? Because it was WAY too corny. I admit that I like old-fashioned corny, but this was roll your eyes while gagging corny. Even I could not stand it. Yes, it was that bad.

So, for now, I’m introducing new major and minor characters, trying to expand my heroine’s options. I tried to re-outline things, but that was a bad idea.

Strong characters have their own way of determining a story’s outcome. Which is good, because mine are going to have to finish this story on their own.

Good luck and Happy writing to all my fellow NaNoWriMo writers!

♥ Jodi

The Fermentation Process

November 17, 2013 ~ JodiLea ~ 1 Comment

No, I am not making wine! NoWine

I’m referring to my book. I have my completed outline/draft sitting in its folder – undisturbed. This is one of the most important steps for my pre-editing phase. Why?

Because I need to step back and remove myself from the story. I am anxious to edit and fix the multitude of errors, that I know are in there, so this is one of the most difficult steps I have.

For example, there is one major error I made in third chapter and I need to re-examine chapters before and after, and review my research notes to fix it. This will be a lot of work, and it must be done, therefore I want to do it and ‘get it over with’ so I can move on to areas more ‘fun’ to work on.

I must also get rid of a few ‘fun’ stuff in the story, or move it closer to the end. I, once again, have been overcome with romance. Not that there’s anything wrong with some romance going on. 😉

Anyway, I am keeping myself away from it all. Only jotting notes down if a brilliant idea pops into my head. (I’m still waiting…) So, I plan to finish quilting my current quilt, cleaning out my office that is so cluttered I’m getting claustrophobic sitting in here.

I’ll get out and walk for a bit, while I can, a storm will be coming through and it will be rainy all week. Then settle in to watch my 49er’s beat the Saint’s, while munching on popcorn.

Anything but writing…

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photo credit: Leo Reynolds via photopin cc

NaNoWriMo: Day One

November 1, 2013November 1, 2013 ~ JodiLea

It’s a gorgeous autumn day up here in the Sierra and my plan is to work on my novel out on the deck, enjoying the fresh air. Also, to get out of view of my messy house, dishes and quilting to do, Christmas shopping, and the bi-monthly dealing with the hospital that shall remain nameless, that keeps billing us instead of our insurance.

They are making me go Pirate – Aaaarrrggghhh!

November comes at just the right time for me to finish my first draft and let it ‘breathe’ in a drawer for a few weeks before I edit. I have a deadline to get a decent second draft finished by Martin Luther King’s Birthday week-end.

While I wait for the ‘breathing’ novel, I will try to finish the first draft of a different novel (one I worked on last year during the NaNoWriMo craziness).

So… Not Pretending will be pretty quiet this month. I may – no promises – toss out an excerpt here and there from previously mentioned novels.. Just to keep my little corner of cyberspace from growing cobwebs.

I’ll leave you with this quote:

If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on
walking.

— Buddhist Proverb

TTFN,