Daniel Radcliffe all Grown-Up and the Trickle after NaNo

Well, he might not get the same type of cheers as co-star Robert Pattinson - which is more akin to Beatles hysteria. However, Daniel Radcliffe (AKA Harry Potter) is still my favorite.

Did you get to see his interview on Inside the Actor's Studio? Here's part one (above) and part four (below). You can catch parts 2 and 3 on You Tube..



Are you a real fan of Daniel's? Well, if so, you can catch him on Broadway in Equus, a controversial play, where the young Radcliffe appears nude for a long and dramatic scene. Not the Harry Potter we've come to know and love. But I suppose they all have to grow up... the actors and the fictional characters they portray.

So... Life After NaNoWriMo...

I have been sputtering to a slow start to continue my book since NaNo. I took the first week of December off. 1) I had a stomach virus and 2) I was seriously burnt out. I think I used up all the words in my head and I needed to grow new ones. So today, I wrote, maybe 50 new words... It's amazing how a week off creates such space and distance between you and your story. I needed to re-read the last few chapters, study my outline, and do some quick research to get back into it. It really IS like exercising!

But still, I love my idea and I am still going forward, hopefully now with a bit more of a serious flow than this painful trickle. There is something to be said about a fake deadline. Self imposed deadlines don't seem to have the same affect on me as NaNo did. But I've got to make mine work the same because I do really want to finish and begin revisions.

Anyone else having a slow time after NaNo?

FINAL WORD COUNT FOR NANOWRIMO

Drum roll please........

If I count all words in this draft at this point, the total count is......

40,829

However, about 7,000 of those words are from a few chapters from my last version that I need to rewrite, but have now run out of time. So, if I only count all the words written from Nov 1 - 30 and don't count those two or three chapters I haven't rewritten yet, than my final word count is......

33,016

But, I am not upset at all that I didn't reach the goal of 50,000 words. I never thought I would meet that goal, although there was a moment when I did believe it was attainable. I have learned far too much to feel sad. I have learned I can...

...write through fatigue
...write through pain
...write through a cold
...write through sick children
...write through sleepless nights
...write after working with 3 year olds
...write while my family is home and doing loud activities
...write in the car with the radio on and the kids in the back seat watching a movie (My husband was driving... Oh and I cannot, however, write while my DH sings. Sorry, THAT is too much of a distraction for me!)

~But most of all, I have learned that I can finish this book and that I will finish this book.
~I have learned that 50,000 words is reachable and that my story will probably wind up being longer than 50,000 words.

I have learned a good set of earphones do a lot more than block out sound. They also work like blinders on a horse and help me to zero in my focus.

I have also learned not to share your story before it is finished and never, never, EVER revise until YOU ARE DONE! Repeat after me.... NEVER, EVER, EVER REVISE UNTIL YOU ARE DONE!

Writing my first novel has been a real up hill battle, learning simultaneously about my novel as I am learning how to write one! Not an easy task at all. But I love what I do. I can't not (double negative, I know...) do what I do. And one day I will make money doing what I do. I believe in my story and I believe in my dedication.

I would recommend NaNo to everyone and anyone who will listen. My suggestions are...

1. write an outline before Nov 1. Write several. A long, detailed one and a short one. My long one was 31 pages full of detail - what characters were in that chapter, what props, what's foreshadowed, what was the mini conflict, mini resolution, and "disaster" that kept forever pulling my MC to that point of no return, or what I like to call the journey... My short outline was 2 pages long and basically was a few short words - no more than 3 - just sighting he crux of each chapter.
2. Do your research before November 1
3. Tell members of your writing group, you will not be sharing pages for the month of November

I want to thank all of you for following my journey and for cheering me on through this process. It was such a thrill to know you were all there behind me and I was behind all of my fellow NaNo writers as well.

My story will not reach The End at word 50,000. And although NaNoWriMo is over, many of us are not done. So, join me in setting a new goal - to reach 50,000 words or the end of your story by December 31st. Let's ring in the New Year with new MSs. So, whose with me?

Again, from the bottom of this writer's heart... thank you! December 31st, here we come!

NaNo Day 19

NaNoWriMo Day 19 Word Count

Goal: 2500 words

Actual: 2696 words

Total Word Count: 26,690

Downside: So far not liking my chapter 15 at all. might delete it tomorrow

Highlight: LOVE my chapters 13 and 14. AND... I'm over the mid-way hump and now on the other side of the novel mountain!!!

NaNoWriMo Day Twelve

And so an elm fell in love with a maple

and were locked in an

everlasting embrace.

NaNoWriMo Day Twelve Word Count

Goal: 1945 daily words

Actual: 2043 daily words; 15002 total words; 30% done!

Downside: I caught a bad case of the "let's read all my previous pages" bug today and completely lost track of time re-reading and revising! I was stuck, I tell you, stuck! I couldn't help myself. I felt like I couldn't remember all that I had previously written and so I couldn't write forward without first reading back. It's a bad habit, -- the way, I'm used to writing... First, revise yesterday's pages and then writing forward. I'm what I like to call a two-stepper. Only, I didn't just read yesterdays pages...

*

It all started because I was critiqued last night on the first four chapters of this WIP. Originally, I wasn't going to let anyone read it until it was finished and I'd had a chance to revise it. But these ladies have read my story since the very beginning and I wanted to hear if they thought, this new angle and new voice was putting my story on the right track. Their answer was 'yes,' happily.

*

I saw the piles of MSs on my desk this morning, and I tried to ignore them. I told myself to put them in my binder and read them December 1st. But they called me. They beckoned me. They taunted me with their remarks in the margins and squiggly editorial marks. And like not being able to turn away from an accident scene, I was pages deep suddenly in revisions!!!

*

Highlight: With that said.... I still managed to eek out 2043 words today, bringing my total word count up to 15,002 words!!!! *party horns sound* *confetti falls* I also felt very overwhelmed still that I was behind and kept saying, well, I should be at 20,000 words today. I should have written 6,000 words in order to catch up. And then I said, wait a minute... There are still 18 days left. 15,002 words subtracted from 50,000 words is 34,998 words divided over 18 days = 1944.3333 words a day, or just 1945. I really think that's possible! For the first time, I REALLY feel like I can do this! Like I can finish this novel. It might not be polished. It might have a lot of repetition and cliches, but I can write 50,000 words in 30 days! I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

*

Time is yet to tell, but I am feeling very positive and very good. And this NaNoWriMo business is AWESOME!!!!

NaNo Day Ten and Going Strong!

First, to start the day, I decided to go for a drive and take some photos of the beautiful fall foliage before is quietly slipped away into winter. We already passed the peak of the season, so if I missed today, I would have to wait until next year. Above are some of the best shots of the morning.

Oh, Casey McCormick awarded me an "I Love Your Blog" Award. As soon as I can figure out how to post it on my blog I will. Thanks, Casey! I've never been awarded an award before! This is my first! I am over the moon about it!

After yesterday's conquer of my daughter's dresser (I posted a few more pictures at the end of the that posting, BTW) I was on top of the world today and wrote until I just couldn't any more. So, what's the word count... drum roll please...

NaNoWriMo Day Ten Word Count

Goal: daily goal, in order to completely catch up = 8,805 I knew this was somewhat impossible. So, I kept it in mind, but didn't feel hard pressed to reach that huge daily goal.

Total word count for ten days should be around 16,670 words. Again, I began the day at 7,865 words, so I again, didn't really strive to reach that lofty goal, but kept it in the back of my mind

Actual: daily word count actually reached today was 5,094! I was very happy with this number and very surprised. My heart actually hammered as I stepped back to tally up the day's words!

Total word count to date: 12,959 Chris Batty, from NaNo, sent an email to all of us today saying we should try to get to 15,000 words by tonight since this November has blessed us with 5 weekends instead of 4. Maybe I'll get there by tonight. Maybe not. Either way, I am ecstatic that I went from 7,865 to 12,959 in just one day! What a day!

Downside: Word burn out! I have to admit by the time it was time to stop (because the bus was pulling up to drop off daughter #1, I was relieved it was quitting time. I think I ran out of words. I'm surprised I can even write this entry. But this is not really a downside. It's just a fact... what I feel like after I pump out 5,000 words in one day, actually 3.5 - 4 hours of work.

Highlight: Well, duh! my word count! I am so thrilled! I feel great!

Now, tomorrow is my test. I work with the kiddies in the morning. It is brain numbing work. They're adorable, but by the time I leave there, my brain has clicked off. I am going to take Philip Pullman's advice (from NaNo) and write even on bad days. So, tomorrow I will put that to the test. Stay tuned to find out how I do...

Thanks again everyone for all your support. It means a lot to me that when I am trying to get through these daily goals to "hear" you all behind me cheering me on. You're the best bloggy friends a writer could wish for! XO

NaNoWriMo Day Eight

NaNoWriMo Word Count

Goal:
regular daily goal = 1667 words
Total word count goal for eight days = 13,336

Actual:
today's word count = 1,793 words (for today and yesterday.)
Total word count = 7,865

I'm still off by 5,471 words

What I learned: write something every day, even if it's crap. Writing every day keeps you connected to your story, characters, the flow you are moving in, your pacing, your voice, etc. Taking off a day or so in-between, no matter the reason (good or bad, avoidable or unavoidable) does make it so much harder to get back in to the story again.

Downside: I am so far behind! But I know I will catch up. I do have later chunks of my story written, but needs to be revised, so when I get to that part, my word count should jump back up. Also, although I am striving to show and not tell as much as my earlier draft, I am noticing I have a lot of back story. Too much back story. In one chapter, I have six paragraphs of back story. That can create a slow and boring reading experiences, so I must be careful of this!

Highlight: I'm writing again! Nothing else matters, as long as I just keep writing. Eventually, all these other things will be worked out in subsequent drafts. So... just keep writing, will hopefully be my new mantra I can stick with...

NaNoWriMo Day Three

Today was a bit harder, only because I had a short time to write in the morning before having to go to the dentist. Then I had a short time to write before my kids got home from school, while I was still in a bit of pain and exhausted from the who dentist thing. Still, I managed to eek out over 1,000 words, so I am happy.

NaNoWriMo Day Three Word Count

Goal: 1667 daily words or 5001 total word count for the three days

Actual: 1516 daily words, 6072total word count

Highlight: I was in some uncharted territory today and that was exciting. The chapter I worked on today, was not just a re-write, but it included a lot of new material I added from my writer's retreat into my outline. Also, the highlight was just having a deadline. I love a deadline. I work very well with ridiculous deadlines. They make me push myself and work against pain and fatigue. If I didn't have this deadline, I wouldn't have written at all today. I probably would have taken some Motrin and a nap after the dentist, but instead I wrote. That feels great! (I;m having some color technical difficulties today...)

Downside: I didn't make my 1667 words for the day, but I am still ahead of the total word count needed for the first three days by 1,071 words, so I am not too upset about it. I'm off to a good start and I feel great. And yes, the NaNo website is still super slow!

NaNoWriMo Day Two

So far, this is exactly what I needed to kick my butt into gear. My family has been amazingly supportive, keeping the house quiet so I can write. Yesterday my DH took the kindelah out of the house so it would be super quiet.

Goal: 1667 daily words or 3334 total word count

Actual: 2577 daily words, 4554 total word count

Highlight: Fixing some things that were missing, wrong, or needing deletion from my 1.5 draft. Being VERY AWARE this time around of SHOWING and not TELLING.

Downside: Again, the downside remains when it is time to update my NaNo word count. The site is excruciatingly slow and it doesn't show yesterday's words at all. I mean it does on My NaNo, but not at the top right on the home page... I guess someone has to verify, and how can they when I still can't cut and paste my scrambled text in that spot... ARGH!

But I don't want to end on a sour note, so I will repeat my total word count instead...

4554 words in two days!

NaNoWriMo Day One

First, some Halloween pictures... Lambertville NJ might not do much on the 4th of July, but they go hog wild on Halloween. The entire neighborhood gets into the "spirit."

NaNoWriMo Day One Word Count

Goal: 1,667 words

Actual: 1,977 words

Highlight: Passing my goal with ease

Downside: Can you say S l O W . . . The NaNoWriMo site could not have been slower. I think I grew old waiting for pages to open. And I couldn't download my daily excerpt for verification. At first, I was not going to download my text for fear of stealing, etc. But then I figured out how to scramble my text so I thought, maybe I will download today's writing. However, I couldn't get my cursor to even click on that spot. Did anyone else have this problem.

Question for NaNo Writers: Are you going to download your excerpt each day for word count verification?