Crazy NaNo Word Counts

How do I write more than 100,000 words in a month?
How do I write 50k in 10/11/15 days?

Good questions me, thank you for asking. Since I managed to get 50,000 words this year on day 10 and I'm already at over 90k with still more and month to go, I decided this might be a good blog post to create during one of my Write-or-Die sprint sessions. There are a few things that I can contribute to how I write that much within a short from of time. And those things are:

1. Grabbing the time whenever I can (also for the last two years this has been known as Luck)
- 2010 I ended up losing my job in October and didn't get another for a few months so I had all of November with no job while living at my parents (who are very awesome for all their support). That meant I had a lot of time and is partly how I managed to 50k in 13 days.
- Last year, I had a job but I worked only about 20 hours a week, sometimes slightly less and maybe once like 24 hours. So, even though I had to work (like working thanksgiving morning cause it was a grocery store), I still had a lot of time and still lived at my parents. (I don't have my own kids or a partner so yeah.)
- This year is a little different in that at the beginning of the month I had a job with minimal hours but something happened at the very end of October. I got a job offer. Yay! But oh, writing... So, yeah. The first week I had just the small 12 hour schedule but now I've got my new job and more hours. I now am working 6-8 hours a day, 5 days a week. But the key is, I still am finding ways to write, like how I'm writing this blog post which I normally use this sprint to write another part of a scene. I am getting over 3k before I go to work and then whatever I manage to write before bed.
2. Writing Sprints (aka Write or Die!)
Okay, this one is a re-new one. I tried the program back in 2008 online and while it helped a little, I didn't like it. But that was back when to paste it to the word programs it would all end up in a block single paragraph instead of having any spaces but they fixed it. Thank you fixer people! But yes, last year I did do some writing sprints but they were just with some friends in chat and self timed. This year, I'm in a writing group where we get points to taking part in writing sprints and there are official times to do them. They are helping me get my writing done because even on my days off I struggle to get work done at times and more of my writing is getting done during those times because when writing fast I can get about 1400-1800 words in 30 minutes on average. And I can get 7-800 words done in 15 minutes for shorter ones. That adds up fast.

3. A novel that is ready to be written.
This one is a tough one because it's really hard to predict if a novel is ready, at least for me. I have no idea until I start writing whether it will be a really easy one or whether it will be a struggle. Back in 2010 I had never written very much with only one nanowrimo win under my belt then so I made a March writing goal of only 25,000 words for the month. The novel went so well that I wrote 50k in 15 days and 65k for the whole month. Last year's nanowrimo I had one novel reach 99k+ that I haven't even planned to write, just kind of went with it. And the novel I had planned to write and prepped, I only managed to write 25k+ that month (pesky YA). Since my track record with fantasy was 50k in 13 days but my records for Young Adult is more like 14-25k in a month, this year I didn't know what to expect. I certainly didn't think my novel I thought would be maybe 80-100k for the whole story would end up at 90k on day 17, and new predictions are for 150k for the total first draft count. But I had no idea this novel would be that ready (especially since the lack of world building is to the point I'm naming things "something or other"). But I guess it felt ready in the end.

4. Support
- I have some really great friends online when it comes to writing. Granted, I know a few people who absolutely hate NaNoWriMo and a couple who raised their eyebrows at me for writing yet another novel first draft when I have two rewritten books that need editing (and are far closer to being submitted than anything else) but even they are supportive when it comes to my writing. Whether it's friends on Writing.Com, Twitter, Facebook (my grandmother likes my nanowrimo updates on facebook, lol), or in the blogger world. Everyone is great. Thank you to everyone who puts up with me and encourages me during my crazy writing attempts during november.
- I also find that one of the things that helps me to feel motivated and keep going is by helping others. On writing.com I have a nanowrimo related group with a forum that I keep updated and try to post some fun things on occasion, like youtube links. I'm in other groups where I am either just a member or I have a specific role where I answer questions and post supportive comments when I see someone is struggling. I also post on my nanowrimo region forums or on the regions facebook group. I try not to sound boasting about my word count number even though I sometimes post my number for others to see because while I may have a ton of words now, I remember what it is like to be on the struggling side. Since I took 3 years to ever make 50k in 30 days and back then I thought writing it in less than 20 days was like, impossible. Crazy how things work out.

5. Caffeine/Sugar
Okay, I might but running out of things to add to my list but I've still got 5 minutes on this writing sprint so why not devote a section to caffeine and sugar! I do drink more coffee during November than any other month. This year it is even more than last year because back then I was in small town Wyoming so no starbucks or any 24 coffee places to go and hang out in to write. I did all my writing from home then, though I did drink some coffee and my eating habits are never very great during nanowrimo. I've had far more fancy coffee drinks this month than I have probably all year with the exception of maybe the month where I had to go to starbucks to get internet when I first moved and didn't have access in my apartment. I also have bought a few treats and such while going to those places (like chocolate pastries or cakepops). So, sugar and coffee help, sort of.

6. Finding What Works For Me!
This is the big one. I have practice writing novels at this point (6th year in nanowrimo and I write all year long off and on) at least that I have a good idea what works for me. It may not work for other people to write fast or to work on more than one novel at the same time, but it's what works for me. It takes times and maybe a few tests, and this isn't set in stone either, it will change and develop over the years. But I allow myself to figure it out and not try to write like others (though I may try suggestions). I know that there is no one way besides the whole "Write" part of it. I find that I'm okay with the "it's allowed to suck" mentality and getting out the words as fast as I can because I know that rewrites and edits are needed. I also know with some novels I go slower and take my time getting them done. I vary and I'm okay with that. Being able to say I write this way and I don't mind even with a couple of the naysayers has really helped me in general.


So, these are some things that help me reach crazy word count goals in a single month.
How are you? ;-)

Why I take part in NaNoWriMo

Thanks Sam

Okay, so I totally had the intention to do this epic "Why I do NaNoWriMo" post and to have it scheduled to post on day one of National Novel Writing Month. Yeah ummm *points to date of this post* if you hadn't figured it out by umm knowing what the calendar looks like right now, I will out right state: Epic Fail!

Not only did I not get this post written in time, but I didn't even get it done before I reached 50,000 words. Yeah, I won NaNo already and I haven't written the post on why I take part in the activity in the first place as I had planned. I really did intend to have it written, I promise but well, here we are on day 12 and I'm just now writing it and for the sole purpose of taking part in a half hour sprint when the section of my novel (yeah, i'm still writing after 52k in 10 days) didn't have a section at the moment that was sprint worthy. But that's okay, right? Right. Cause I say so.

But back to the promise I made to myself that none of you knew about but I'm pretending you knew about in order to make my hopefully 2k words in 30 minutes make sense and to get that word count somehow anyways even though it won't count towards my nanowrimo count.... Yeah, I admit that made no sense. The promise! I did start a blog post for my Why I Write for NaNoWriMo topic. I really did. I put in the title, a greeting and a picture of a fish and well, that is as far as I got before November 1st when I started writing.

And for those that wonder why there is a fish at the top of this picture, well it's because of the awesomeness that is Dory from Finding Nemo. She has a saying that goes "just keep swimming" so a close friend of mine gave me the idea that I needed an image with the phrase "just keep writing" and one of my other friends actually made the image for me. Thanks Sam! even though you never read my blog, I'm thanking you twice in this post anyways. So, yeah, now my signature when I do posts on Writing.Com in relation to NaNoWriMo, I have this picture of Dory that says Just Keep Writing and I love it. (just keep swiming, Dory montage) This is another fun thing to look at. I like the picture in part because it says to write but also in part because of her expression. Poor Dory looks so lost and confused but she's encouraging no matter what. So, I look at that picture and say to myself, just keep writing. It must be working because I'm at around 58k right now, and will have 60k before I go to bed tonight.

Now, after that long ramble, back to the topic and maybe even though it seems a little obvious at this point, I will give you all who may or may not even be curious about the answer to the big question of today's post.

Why do I, Dawn Embers, take part in National Novel Writing Month?

Because it's Awesome! and.... because I'm crazy.

That is pretty much the basics of the answer. I love national novel writing month and the strange challenge to try and write 50,000 words in one month even though I do honestly write off and on all year long. There is something great about a community geared event where a large number of writers in combined force get together and reach towards the same goal of writing a novel (well novella but honestly novella writing month just doesn't have the oomph of novel writing month) all at the same time during November. I like that. I come from a small town where if there are 3 people who are writing and willing to admit it out loud, that is saying a lot. Granted it's a little different now that I'm living near Portland which has one big artsy writerly community, but the small town world is what I spent most of my life in and being anti-social, I get most of my socialization from writing outlets like Writing.com and the NaNoWriMo Site. So, I think it's great.

And well, let's be honest. Anyone who tries to write 50,000 words in a month is a tad crazy. The ones that do it in 15 days are a bit nuts, and well, I'm flat out insane. Last year I did it in 11 days and since I got off to a good start this year even though I'm writing a freaking young adult novel (see vent elsewhere) I managed to keep a steady pace of 5,000 words plus or minus a thousand words a day. Which, is what led me to my 52,000 words in 10 days for 2012. I have no problem admitting that this is completely insane but I will also point out that my goal is to write the whole novel in one month and since my novel is a fantasy (even though it's also young adult) the novel wasn't going to be under 80k. In fact, it was supposed to be 80k but now I'm guessing the end result will be over 120k so I had better keep writing once I get this blog post done.

The real question may be why do I try to take part in it almost every year, with crazy writing goals like 100k or so. Why do I try to write new novels when I have 5 novels that are in first draft stage? Why do I start new ones when I need to edit the novels I wrote the years before? Will I ever do anything with those novels? How can they be any good if I write them within a single month?

Wow, talk about question overload. My apologies for this blog being so long (but hey, 2k words yay!) Okay, I will answer them in sections because I asked the questions and even if only one person cares about the answers, oh well. That's what happens when you follow a blog about writing, especially the one dedicated to my person writing only. hahaha I mean, thank you!

Why do I try to write new novels when I have others going?

Well, I think this is another question where the simple answer is this: I'm just that crazy! Yes, I like to multi-task and I'm used to having many ideas in my head because even when I'm writing one idea, I am often thinking about all my other ideas in my head. When I'm not writing, then I'm daydreaming about all of my ideas, though usually one at a time, in order to keep them fresh and the ones I think about the most, that draw my attention the most are the ones that get written. But those are never single novels, there are several ideas that I think are so great that I want to write them. I don't have a single one idea that I think about the most in comparison to some of the others. I don't have one novel that screams out to me "I'm the one!" Nope. I have several ideas that I love, that I want to be writing, so during most of the year, I work on more than one at a time. Only during these crazy mad dash months (national novel writing month, march novel writing challenge, even a couple failed camp nanowrimo attempts) do I even bother trying to write on a single novel at a time, and even then it doesn't always happen. Last year, for example, while I wrote 125k for the month, I was actually working on more than one novel for that count. I am just that kind of writer. I need more than one story to work on or else I struggle. It's just how I function. Sure, I wish I could be the one that dedicates all their time to a single novel and is able to get the book out and edited within 3 years, but that's not me at this point. Instead, I will continue to work on several novels and get them done some day.

Next question: Why start a new novel when I have so many going?

Besides looking at the above answer, I will admit this is not always the case. Well, for nanowrimo I have a tendency to start a new novel because the "rules" require it be a new novel. However, I do have a group on Writing.com that is dedicated to people who want to be rebels and maybe write on novels they had already started or that want to write towards a different word count (like 20k in a month, or 30k, or maybe even editing instead of writing that month) and that group is year around. However, for like the March writing challenge I have attempted a few different years, I haven't always started new novels. In fact, the year that I first wrote 50k in less than 30 days was in 2010 when I worked on a novel I was already 15k into before the month started. I had planned to write 25000 words for the month, so that seemed reasonable as it wasn't nanowrimo. But then by the end of day 12 I discovered I was already at 35k and if I wrote 15k in three days, then I would be able to say that I had written 50k in 15 days. So I did. That month I ended up writing 65k total and that novel ended up being my first novel that was long enough, ending at about 90k. I'm going to be editing that novel in December after I finish this crazy version of young adult fantasy that I have going on right now. So, there are times when I don't go crazy and start yet another new novel. I do use month challenges throughout the year to try and get an already started draft done.

Why do new ones instead of editing?

This answer question is a little different than the ones above because I can't be fun and play crazy. The truth is editing is hard and it represents a new stage for me. While I have worked as an editor for a small publishing company and for a college newspaper, and I have edited my writing to a small degree like fixing the glaring typos (which I do during nanowrimo too, I even delete and fix things when I do these silly writing sprints. I'd be so much further if I didn't use that delete button but it would be so much worse too). I have never actually edited a full novel before and as much as I hate to admit it, the thought intimidates me a little but that will end soon. I spent part of this year, in february and beyond getting my edit notes ready for 2 of my novels. The only reason I let myself start writing a new novel this year was on the sole idea that I would get it done and then in December I would not be allowed to work on any new first drafts. That's right, after national novel writing month ends this year, I will not be working on a first draft until 2013, assuming the world doesn't end before then. I am going into editing mode as of December 1st. I will edit my 2 novels, I will make the writing something that is readable for my beta readers and I will start to get ready for the next stage in this crazy writing life. I am going to get something ready to submit to agents. Granted I started one of the novels back in 2007 so it has taken me a really long time but that is one thing that I have found nanowrimo has also helped with. It has proven something to me and that is this one fact:

I can write.

Sure, it's not the greatest thing in the world but I know not to submit my first drafts and hopefully soon I will be able to say this:

I can rewrite.

I can edit.

I can submit.

And I hope you all are still here to cheer me on.

(And yes, if you are curious: When I wrote this blog post using write or die, I managed to write 2k in 30 minutes.)

Novel for NaNoWriMo

So, I picked out which novel I was going to write for National Novel Writing Month like... a month ago. I just forgot to post the result on here, oops.

Out of the 3 novels I spent October prepping, I am going to work on:

Aeon/Xan - This is one of those, character doesn't know they are royalty types. Aeon is a mage student who has never had a stable home, doesn't know his parents or even his real name. One year he met Xan and after a fight asked him to protect him but had no idea how much of an impact he made on Xan, who later becomes his warder. Something also affects his memory (need to decide what) so he no longer remembers Xan and may never pass the mage test because it requires memorizing spells. Both him and Xan have wild magic, which is deemed inferior. I started writing this in first person in a notebook, but it was horrible. Recently I wrote a part of the story from Xan's POV and it has deepened the story. (fantasy) series

Yep. Fantasy novel.

Correction: Young Adult Fantasy novel.   eeek!

My track record for nanowrimo is: 
Romance/Erotica: 50k NaNo 2008, 99k+ NaNo 2011
Fantasy: 65k (50k in 15days, march 2010), 51k in 13 days NaNo 2010
Young Adult: 14k NaNo 2007 (took 2 years for first draft to end at 23k, rarely writing on it), 17k (march 2011), 25k+ NaNo 2011

Yeah, for fantasy I'm fine, for book with romance in it in some way, fine, but that pesky young adult part causes trepidation. Can I write a young adult novel in one month? I'm not sure. Then again, maybe this is the year and the book I'll do it, I'll finally write over 50k of a young adult book in one month! I hope.

That and I'm trying to tell myself it's just a fantasy novel even though the characters decided to go YA on me. Yep, just a fantasy novel.



Who is ready for NaNoWriMo?
Anyone else with trepidation?

Novels to Prep for NaNo

I narrowed the list down even more. These are the top three, the ones I will prep during October and hopefully pick one from by November.

Octave's Story - This is a science fiction one that i guess in a little way reminds me of the Matrix in that there is a system to fight against. But none of the "one" nonsense. Groups are chosen to take part in displayed rebellions, and each group has an Other (non-human) but they don't know till after training who the other is on their ship. Octave is an other, and he ends up in the rebellion because of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He never intended to rebel but when faced with that or death (and the death of a child) he chose to fight. (sci-fi) stand-alone

Aeon/Xan - This is one of those, character doesn't know they are royalty types. Aeon is a mage student who has never had a stable home, doesn't know his parents or even his real name. One year he met Xan and after a fight asked him to protect him but had no idea how much of an impact he made on Xan, who later becomes his warder. Something also affects his memory (need to decide what) so he no longer remembers Xan and may never pass the mage test because it requires memorizing spells. Both him and Xan have wild magic, which is deemed inferior. I started writing this in first person in a notebook, but it was horrible. Recently I wrote a part of the story from Xan's POV and it has deepened the story. (fantasy) series

Snow White - Male version of Snow White, to a degree. The women are the ones who usually take over the crown because they have magic in the family line. However, Snow is the only child the king and queen had. His powers haven't been discovered yet. Even though his servant still believes in him, he knows many doubt his ability to reign as the realm starts to decay. He leaves the castle in order to travel the land and find a way to be of use. (fantasy) stand-alone

NaNoWriMo 2012 Ideas

Okay, I was going to do a post on whether or not I should take part in National Novel Writing Month this year but looks like I've already made that decision. So, next is which novel to write. I need to narrow down my ideas to 1-3 of them for the October Prep Challenge I take part in on Writing.com. Last year, I worked on three during the prep and used one of them during NaNoWriMo and wrote another that I hadn't prepared at all.

This year I have a list of 10 ideas to pick from and they are almost all fantasy stories. I must say, I'm surprised I have so many stand-alone ideas on this list. Though that may change. The YA I worked on last year was a stand-alone. I haven't even finished the first draft yet and it has a sequel planned now.

1. Wood Fae MC story. - However, I prepped this novel last year for the challenge, so I probably won't do it. But it's an option as I still need to write the novel at some point. And I need to finish worldbuilding it. (fantasy) stand-alone

2. Octave's Story - This is a science fiction one that i guess in a little way reminds me of the Matrix in that there is a system to fight against. But none of the "one" nonsense. Groups are chosen to take part in displayed rebellions, and each group has an Other (non-human) but they don't know till after training who the other is on their ship. Octave is an other, and he ends up in the rebellion because of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He never intended to rebel but when faced with that or death (and the death of a child) he chose to fight. (sci-fi) stand-alone

3. Red - A tale based in part on red riding hood, though the one under the hood is a boy. The part about going to grannies house however is just the start. The wolf is actually a man who uses the grandma to get Red to join him on a plan to change the realm he lives in (not the same one Red was raised in however). He had been looking for an adult but Red's father is no longer alive and he never had the abilities. The riding hood was passed down to Red from his grandfather. (fantasy) stand-alone

4. Djinn - Magic type character, not sure if he relates enough to qualify as a djinn but working on the details. He is under threat constantly, always on the run because as long as he'd on his own he's viewed as a danger to society. Only those that are claimed by Masters are left alone.  His bf is a djinn too and has a Master. He gets tricked into getting a Master too and hates it. But his Master offers him something, a challenge and the prize is his freedom. (fantasy) stand-alone

5. Aeon/Xan - This is one of those, character doesn't know they are royalty types. Aeon is a mage student who has never had a stable home, doesn't know his parents or even his real name. One year he met Xan and after a fight asked him to protect him but had no idea how much of an impact he made on Xan, who later becomes his warder. Something also affects his memory (need to decide what) so he no longer remembers Xan and may never pass the mage test because it requires memorizing spells. Both him and Xan have wild magic, which is deemed inferior. I started writing this in first person in a notebook, but it was horrible. Recently I wrote a part of the story from Xan's POV and it has deepened the story. (fantasy) series

6. Rebellion - has similarities to #2 as came up in the same month. Though this one could be sci-fi or fantasy. MC goes to a city that is under the control of a larger organization and struggling to survive. He helps encourage them to rebel, joining in the fight. But he fails to tell the one he gets close to that he's actually a slave. That his own home was far worse than what they experience and he was sold by his brother. He doesn't even have a real name, just one some tribe gave to him on his journeys. (fantasy or sci-fi) stand-alone

7. Blood Prophesy - This one I'm always hesitant with because they do in some ways have similarities to vampires. Not human, can feed on humans but also on each other. They feed on the energy of humans though it's not as satisfying as actually eating them. Most live on a different realm, however, and have been blocked from invading the human world but the lines are weak and a war is brewing. Female MC (only one this year on list) is one of them, and she is seeking the Prophet, who she was instructed to kill because that would stop the war because the prophet could be used by someone else to break the barrier entirely. But she doesn't know it's a lie. (fantasy/paranormal/ish) series

8. Snow White - Male version of Snow White, to a degree. The women are the ones who usually take over the crown because they have magic in the family line. However, Snow is the only child the king and queen had. His powers haven't been discovered yet. Even though his servant still believes in him, he knows many doubt his ability to reign as the realm starts to decay. He leaves the castle in order to travel the land and find a way to be of use. (fantasy) stand-alone

9. Witch story - MC is a male witch, but his parents struggle to accept that he's gay. He joins the military to get his father's approval and is away fighting in a war when disaster strikes the world. Both him and his boyfriend are in the war when it happens but the war gets forgotten due to bigger problems. They end up having to leave to try and head home, fighting through natural disasters and strange attacks. It's a struggle to survive and he must find the source of the disasters. (fantasy) stand-alone

10. Another magic slave type - This one is based a little off the anime, Black Butler, in that it helped inspire the idea but the premise isn't similar. MC is a magic weilder, almost an adult and managing on his own. He is strong and capable, not worried about getting an owner because he's deemed a lesser since has no formal training. However, he saves a younger boy (mid teens) who had been taken to be sold in slavery, not knowing he was a rich kid. When the boy goes to thank him, the bond is made and he becomes owned by the boy. He struggles in the new world that he is forced into and must protect his Master who has made many enemies. (fantasy) stand-alone


Any thoughts?
Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year?
What are you writing?

The One

I could have swore I had a topic about this already. Proof why I really need to label my posts better so I can find what I've done before instead of having to read through them all to see. Then again, not sure what to label this post even now.


Many people over the years have mentioned "the one". And I don't mean the one they want to spend their lives with, per say. I mean that one novel, that first one that makes it to agents and editors desks/computers/etc.

For some, that book is easy to pick. Those are the ones that write only one story at a time, at least as far as I can tell. Not being one of them, this is only a guess. Sometimes it's the second, third or tenth one written, but they focus on one at a time. On the other hand, when there are 10 to pick from, how does one decide which will be the one?

I'm not sure.

But I think I've decided which are the ones (yes there are 2) for me. I am certain that the mutant novels will be the ones I sent out first. Granted, that doesn't mean they will be published first because they may never be picked up by anyone. But they are the ones I'm going with first.

Now to get back to editing them.


Do you have "the one" yet?
What is it?

August Goals

August is here already.  Year is past half way over, we get closer to 2013 and I'll be 28 by the end of the month. Oh how time does fly. Time to reflect on July goals, whether I was successful in reaching them or not, and to make goals for August.

July wasn't too bad overall, minus the reading goal. I think I had some successes, so here are my results for my July goals.

Read 3 books. - Epic Fail. I read.. 0.
Write Something. - Win. I have written poems, started stories, worked on a couple chapters. I did write something. Yay!
Keep up in June/July/August challenge - So far, so good. I only have one week I didn't write anything in and that week was when I moved and Giselle said that was okay.
Apply for better jobs. - I have applied for at least 20 jobs this month. So, while I only have the one offer that I don't know if I'll take or not, I did apply for better jobs.


My August Goals
Camp NaNoWriMo - actually take part and write more than 15k, since working on 2 different YA novels.
Write in June/July/August challenge - continue writing something each week
Read - something, anything, just finish a book
Continue editing mutant novels
Continue search for better job (get second form of ID to get a new job)



How did you do in July?
What are your goals for August?