Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Word Counting Down From My Favorite Number

Well I guess this is either really early for this Thursday or really late from last, but either way it seemed like it might be a nice time to write something other than my character for a little while. Something I can edit. Something that I care to make grammatically correct, spelled right and punctuated appropriately! (OK the exclamation point is probably a little aggressive here but there are just not too many chances to use them when writing a novel so I’m going over the top baby!!!!). It will also be really cool to not have to immediately check my word count after finishing this little post. But I probably will anyway.

Whew! Talk about a whirlwind! The funny thing is I am not freaking out like the powers that be indicated would likely happen, I also still feel like the idea is fresh and my MC still has boatloads more to say and do. I guess that is a good thing seeing as though I’m not quite halfway done yet. The good news is that by Thursday I will be, three full days ahead of schedule. Nice.

Halfway to the NaNo goal that is, I am personally aiming for 60,000 words and so far I’m pretty much on track to get there. I like to have more meat to work with later that way when I reread it and admit to the recoculously gratuitous dream sequence or the boring as hell dialogue I can simply remove it without fear of having to rewrite half the dang book so it can get published. I am really looking forward to having a chance to read again.

It’s been bumming me out that I haven’t had a chance to read everyone’s blogs either the past ten days. Some of you I get in email so I’ve been able to keep up that way, but this is actually the first time I’ve even logged onto blogger since the end of October.

By some miracle of chance, Theresa still seems to think that makes this little blog worthy of an award. Woo hoo! (Because I’m short on time, that’s the beautiful ‘Lovely Blog Award’ pictured above).

Theresa is a hilarious writer, I love her blog mostly because she has a rockin’ writing style -- slightly sarcastic and her subject matter is all over the map. Plus who can resist a blog titled An Officer and A Garbage Can.

Way to go Theresa *insert clapping* way to go!

If you don’t get that reference go to Netflix and add this movie right now. Girls should definitely pick up a box of Kleenex before sitting down to watch it. Come to think of it, some guys should too. It’s a good one.

Now I am supposed to link to blogs that I think everyone should read by passing the award on. Urgh, I hate this part of the award receiving. They don’t go and force Grammy Award winners to then pass on their award to five other people do they? Can’t I just accept this gracious gift with my humbling, and yet, touchingly honest acceptance speech; one glistening tear streaming down my cheek for the spotlights to pick up on? I mean I’m already linking to five other peeps at the end of this Broken Thought Process so can we just call it even? OK good. For a minute there I was feeling way too much pressure.

So anyway, I had to write today, its 11-10-09. All day yesterday I considered writing this and scheduling it to post at 08:07 this morning but I just didn’t have that kind of time so it will just have to post at like 08:32 or something. I like when countdowns start from eleven and not ten, eleven is my favorite number. Matt and I have decided that if we have a kid we are naming it Eleven. Of course I think it’s more appropriate for a girl instead of a boy so I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens there.


What’s that you say? ‘Shut your pie hole and give us an excerpt’? Well alright if you must have a juicy bit to chew on, here is a little something.

Sara opened her email only to see one from her mother. She wondered what had taken her so long; usually there were at least ten inbox messages from her mom by this point in the day. Most of her messages were silly forwarded jokes that Sara already received two years before that but occasionally she snuck one in that was meant to make Sara cave in to the ‘get married and have babies’ pressure. She was really good at it and today’s was no different.

‘OK hunny so I’ve been thinking of having my friends Ted and Myrna over for dinner. You remember them right? Ted worked with your father back in the early nineties when he was on the road for those six months. Well anyway they are coming on Saturday and I knew you would want to see them too so I told them you would be happy to join us! They should be arriving around six and their son Paul will be here after he is done with the contractors working on his three story home in the South End. That will be about seven so feel free to get here anytime before that. And I will not have you saying no, it is time for you to find a man and finally fill that great big empty house of yours. Make sure you bring a really nice bottle of wine, and wear a loose fitting shirt dear.
Love,
Mother’

Sara marveled at the way her mother could all at once extend a heartfelt invitation to spend time together and put the words in her head to make her feel like less of a woman. She wondered what year it was and how it was possible there were still women anywhere who felt that if a woman was single she must be ‘less than’ even if she had a wonderful group of friends, a fantastic job and a home to die for.


So I want to hear it, bring on the compliments, awards, publishing houses that are ready to give me a huge advance to complete it. Okay, I’ll take criticism too. Hopefully it will give you a basic idea of what the book is about, in 325 words that is.

Well I guess I should hit it now, besides the fact that I have five GLR posts and another 2,000 words to write today, I decided why not take on even more of a challenge so I accepted a writing gig doing SEO through my new favorite marketing company Social Lite. My fingers are in the best shape of their life!

Hope everyone has a chance to check out the ladies here…
Bree, Ginger and Bridgete.
PlusKC and Kate who are also Wrimo writing fools this month, so get over to their places and give them some high fives!!!! Or at the least some completely unnecessary exclamation points.

This post? Five shy of 1,200 btw.

9 comments:

lime said...

thanks for stopping by my place, for the kind words, and for letting me know how you found me. i always wonder about that.

good luck with nanowrimo. i know far too many folks who i could interchange with your protagonist and her mother. it rings true! ;)

ginger said...

i got you a present! (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

do you like it? heehee

i can't wait to read the finished product! xoxo

by the way, i undid my email subscription because i wanted to start receiving your posts via reader, but you took your subscription link down. i am sad now. :(

Rosebud Collection said...

You are doing good..I have great faith in you Jenn..Like I tell my girls..let nothing get in your way.
Will keep checking you out..and rooting for your success..
Hey, you do deserve an award..I am so happy for you.
Don't worry about checking blogs..right now you are too busy.
Will keep coming back and don't worry about emails either..I just wanted you to have the update.
xoxoRosebud.

Elizabeth Bradley said...

Keep up the good work! Glad to hear from you.

Joan said...

Glad you are having fun! That does deserve an exclamation.
I laughed at the "dear", at the end of the email. I could picture the mother. It's always nice when you can "see" the character.

Almost Precious said...

Your excerpt of you work-in-process is wonderful. Gives an almost instant picture of Sarah's mother and that bit of friction that rubs between them.
Sounds like you are proceeding well on schedule. Great Job !!!!!!
=D

Oh, my word verification is doelara, have no idea what it means but it sure sounds pretty; "Doelara glided down the steps with grace of a gazelle. Her head held high, shoulders back an air of royal nobility. Too bad she didn't know that the back of her skirt was firmly tucked inside of the top of her pantyhose..."

SPEAKING FROM THE CRIB said...

hey thanks for the heads up on social lite - i'm checking them out. as a fairly new blogger i'm always looking for ways to get better

and congrats on your award

Bridgete said...

I've been in and out of blogger lately and totally didn't catch that you posted this. Probably because I didn't expect you to be posting, lol. Anyway, I like the excerpt. When it ended I wanted it to keep going; with me, that's a very good sign. Can't wait to see the finished product!

Chris Stone said...

i feel for Sara! and again, good luck with the book!

*GO PATS!*