Saying Goodbye to NaNoWriMo 2011

It is officially December 1st, which means that National Novel Writing Month 2011 is over.  It’s both quite sad and refreshing at the same time to know that we have an entire year to wait until next NaNo.

This year was my first year participating in it and I must tell you how much I truly enjoyed it.

At first, I felt like the goal would be impossible.  I mean, come on, 50,000 words in a month, that’s insane!  But once NaNo officially started, I dove right into writing and felt that it would be a lot easier than I thought.

That feeling of “easy” faded quickly too as some days I just did not feel like writing.  I did go days without writing, mostly on the weekends, and sometimes I felt like I was terribly behind.  And only once did I ever feel like giving up and scraping everything I had just written.  But luckily, that misery passed and I shook that thought out of my head and continued on.

On November 28, with two days left to spare, I reached the 50K word goal.  I don’t think I have ever felt so exhilarated in all of my life!  The feeling of completing what I thought in the beginning was an impossible mission, left me with the thought that I could complete anything!  

I think that the feeling you get when you realize how many words you actually wrote in a month (whether you reached the 50K or not), is the true meaning of NaNo; it’s all about that end sensation and realization that you actually completed something you worked so hard for.

However, I don’t think I could have ever gotten to the end with out my fabulous Facebook NaNo Support Group!  I did not find much help through the NaNo forums on the NaNo website, nor through the “writing buddy” option.  Instead, it was a small Facebook group of 159 NaNo-ers where I found the bulk of my motivation and inspiration.  And it’s the fact that we’re now creating a Critique/Editing group which is still helping me to write and complete my novel.

So for the first year of my NaNo experience, I must say that it was quite rewarding and worth it.  I will definitely be donating and I suggest that all of you who participated should donate as well.  Even $10 can help!

According to the NaNo website there was a collective NaNo 2011 word count of:

Not bad, NaNo-ers, not bad at all.

So let’s welcome December, and say goodbye to Novemeber and National Novel Writing Month.  

And let’s promise each other that we will continue to write even now that NaNo has come and went.

Happy December, All!

🙂

Advertisements

Teaser Tuesday: The Last NaNoWriMo Teaser

Teaser Tuesdays by: Should Be Reading

Flip to a random page anywhere in your current read and copy down two (2) “teaser” sentences.  Share the title and author and then post your teasers in the comment section of this week’s Teaser Tuesdays at Should Be Reading!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This will be the last NaNo teaser from me!

I have officially finished NaNo, though I am still writing to get my story done, and I will be happy to dive back into reading real books!

But for today’s Teaser Tuesday, I am going to give you another, and the last, teaser from my NaNoWriMo novel.  Make sure you tell me what you think!

Title:

Sonrisa

Author:

Me, Kalie Lyn 🙂

Teaser:

Only the sound of one gunshot in the night forced their hands apart, the loud boom causing all three teenagers to jump up in shock.  After the fear had passed, after all three had settled back into the comfort of the couch, did Karim and Lola lock hands again, this time their fingers knowing where to connect with one another’s.

FIN

Ahem.  I’m am pleased to announce that you are looking at another National Novel Writing Month winner!

*pops open a bottle of champagne*

I have officially completed the 50,000 word goal, and it only took me 28 days!

While I am excited beyond no end, especially since it was my first year competing and I won (YAY!), I am still not done with my novel.  Correction: I am way, WAY NOT done with my novel.

Let’s see.  I have exactly 50,000 words and have just started chapter 6.  There are to be 12 chapters, so…I have…6 more chapters to go and probably another 50K words to write.  There is still a long writing road ahead of me to finish this damn thing!

But that’s OK.  That’s OK because I chose a story that is interesting to me and one that I want to keep on writing.  I will not give up, and definitely not let myself lose motivation.  Just because NaNo is over, does not mean my inspiration and writing schedule is over.  No, no, no.  I can do this, and I will finish it!

However, for the rest of the night (it’s 9pm here in Spain) I shall be celebrating!

CHYEAH BOI!

🙂

Teaser Tuesday: NaNoWriMo Teaser

Teaser Tuesdays by: Should Be Reading

Flip to a random page anywhere in your current read and copy down two (2) “teaser” sentences.  Share the title and author and then post your teasers in the comment section of this week’s Teaser Tuesdays at Should Be Reading!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I actually enjoy taking a break from reading.  Yes, I know, I know, I’m now a book criminal just for saying that, but it’s true.  It’s like taking a break from something that you have done everyday for your life and you absolutely love to do.  You realize just how much you miss it, how much you wish you could do it, and when that time comes, it will make reading even better.  So, not reading during NaNo is a blessing in disguise – plus, it helps me concentrate more on my own novel.

So, for today’s Teaser Tuesday, I am going to give you another little teaser from my NaNoWriMo novel I am writing.  Make sure you tell me what you think!

Title:

Untitled at the moment

Author:

Me, Kalie Lyn 🙂

Teaser:

The three friends chanted widely, danced stupidly, laughed hysterically, and smiled contagiously for the rest of the afternoon.  Their worries and sorrows were far away from their minds, and each had not a care in the world.  While the sky and people outside of the dock were bleak, Lola, Karim and Elle were elated, their faces contorting with joy and their stomachs hurting from pains of laughter.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?: Another NaNo Excerpt

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading?  by  Book Journey

 

 

I am still having trouble juggling NaNo and reading for pleasure, so lately I have done no reading.  Which trust me, sucks!

So for today’s Monday reading, I will instead give you another excerpt from my NaNo novel.

Enjoy and remember that critique is always welcome!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Shhh…Lola,” her mother said patting her daughter’s head.  “Nothing happened, everything is fine.  You just had a bad dream.”

Lola’s eyes widened.  What was her mother saying?  Nothing was fine and it all was not a dream.  The sound of the gun and her mother’s pleas still echoed in her mind, but her mother would not tell her what had happened.

Lola watched as her mom, her only parent and stable support, continued to rock back and forth, the blood from her nose dripping heavier and her sobs becoming short and quick as if her mother was hyperventilating.

“Mom?” Lola asked, the sight too much to bear.  “Are you OK?  What is going on?”

Lola’s mother just continued rocking, bleeding and sobbing while the night outside turned slowly into day.  Lola sat in silence next to her parent, her brain and ears finally blocking everything out.  She watched her mother’s sanity leave, Lola thinking that maybe Ted and the police had taken it with them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Note: The words above are my own: © Kalie Lyn, 2011.*

NaNo Word Cloud

So because it’s Friday, and I procrastinate on Fridays, instead of writing I have been creating my own word cloud.

These are the words in the Prologue of my NaNo novel.  Based on these words:

Can you guess what my story is about?

What one word grabs your attention the most?

Would you want to read the story just by seeing these words alone?

Tell me what you think!

To create your own word cloud visit Wordle.

Why Do You Do What You Do?

“Why do you write?” they ask.

Why do I write?  That’s like asking a world traveler why they travel – because they were born to experience other cultures and see the world.  That’s like asking a photographer why they take pictures – because they were born to capture that one moment in time and make it last forever.  That’s like asking a veterinarian why they help animals – because they were born an animal lover and they grew up wanting to help them.

I write because I was born to write.

Every since I was younger I wrote.  My first “book”, at the age of 7 or so, was my own story based off of the board game Clue.  The final manuscript, and I still have it today, was ten pages stapled together of misspelled words and terrible drawings.  I then went on to write more stories – ones with correct spelling and no drawings – and have not stopped writing since.

It truly is my only natural talent.  I feel that I was literally born to write.  I have quite a vivid imagination and stories to tell, and whether I am writing book reviews, essays for school, a travel article, or a NaNo novel, I just plain and simply love it.

“So why do you write?” they persist.

I write to ignite imagination.

“Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality” ~ Jules de Gaultier

I write so I can learn.

“The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to write a book about it.” ~ Benjamin Disraeli.

I write to create new and unique worlds, times, people and places.

“Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own.” ~ Carol Burnett.

I write because I have a story to tell.  Even if it’s only for myself.

“I never feel that I have comprehended an emotion, or fully lived even the smallest events, until I have reflected upon it in my journal; my pen is my truest confidant, holding in check the passions and disappointments that I dare not share even with my beloved.” ~ Stephanie Barron.

I write because I was born to write.

“The only reason for being a professional writer is that you can’t help it.” ~ Leo Rosten.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whether it’s writing, painting, healing, helping, or anything else, why do you do what you do?