Literary Road to Glory: 2013

Mesnard’s “Glory Road” progress:

Lat year I had delusions of ambition.  Not only did I make a whole slew of writing goals, but I wanted to formulate a system where I could fail and still succeed: so I wouldn’t fall into the trappings of a majority who make resolutions for a new year.  Thus, I adopted this Road to Glory point system and progress meter…heavily stolen inspired by the PSP game NCAA Football 2010.

My version entailed a month-by-month roadmap: with secondary goals to help bolster any months which I faltered; or rather, my endeavors proved too ambitious.  To top it off, I made a more long-term (and secretive) goal which I gave myself a decade to accomplish.

What’s my secret agenda?  That’s still a pinky swear with Palpatine shrouded with secrecy.  Life would be boring without secrets, don’t you think?

Though my output was abysmal a few months (and then some), writing in December rather than enjoying Nanowrimo burnout was what finally helped me amass enough points to pull off a Road 2012 victory.

Since things seemed to go so well, I decided to definitely do it all over again for 2013.  Raising the stakes higher, I even altered my long-range goal (which is the second progress bar at the top of this post) to drive myself a tad harder.

What’s in store for me this year?  Hit the jump to get the month-by-month breakdown.

Literary Road to Glory: 2012 Recap

The dorm room is packed and cleaned; which brings my foray into literary ambition to a close…at least for this year.  I didn’t plan to give up after a single year of making resolutions.  The big question is how I fared.

Before I cap things off, here’s a look at the cryptic “score sheet” I scrawled out to help become my roadmap. [click to enlarge]

How cryptic was it?  I tried to decode it on at least three occasions.  The sheet of notebook paper made a lot of sense at the time, but I made alterations as the months rolled by…a bit because the unexpected cropped up, but mostly to make things more challenging for myself.

After the jump is my 2012 progress report.

Nanowrimo 2012 recap

The 2012 OLL season came to a close now National Novel Writing Month has ended.  I did more than the goal; as quantity was concerned.  My novel is insanely long, but for the moment I sort of like it that way.

Proper tone; cadence; length; narration are all things I can figure out later when I work on a real draft.  My chapters aren’t traditional at this point either, but I like that for the moment as well.

On the bright side, I can safely say the story is past the halfway point.  After this current section gets finished up…there are maybe four major things before the ending.  Rather, four or five locations, then the big ending.  Sorry to all who want to read this while waiting for that Transformers reboot: no explosions at the end of this book.  Maybe a faint trace of saltwater, but the lead doesn’t end up having a day at the beach.

Then again, there is this…

No, nope – never a part of my plan.  I didn’t plan on her leaving Scottsdale in the story.  Then again, anything can happen when writing a novel in the Nanoverse.

Back on topic: here’s an auto-generated chart from the Nano site; showing my daily progress in November:

So close to sixty thousand, I know.  Maybe next year?  That giant bump in my stats was thanks to our Day of Writing Safe and Warm, which is our region’s version of the Night of Writing Dangerously event held in San Francisco.  Ours may not be as swanky, but sure can be a game-changer for a Wrimo’s word count.

My favorite way to keep track of November is with this widget:

This has been my word barometer for a few years now; and this season it was on display in this blog’s sidebar.  The colors can range from red to green, as I recall.  A green box means the daily word count was reached.  All the other colors represent a word count below par, so to speak.

My personal hope was to write two thousand words a day.  Now my plan is to make up the combined difference of all those non-green days with a newer December goal.  This means 2013 will be the time to see if I’ll avenge those orange and yellow boxes.

When I verified my win, I decided to make my forum signature a little easier to see.  Here’s what it became:

In case you’re wondering, all the black print and handwriting were lifted from the project I was writing for November.

Since I’m sharing images, here is something I received at the TGIO [Thank Goodness It's Over] party for our region:

One of these days I’ll open the pack up, but I haven’t had a special enough use yet.

That about wraps up why November is a tough month to keep my attention.  Now maybe one of these days I’ll finally finish one of these novels.  April and July are the Camp Nano sessions for 2013.  Maybe then?  Oh, wishful thinking…

Related links:

• my NaNoWriMo profile
• get a taste of my Nano novel (draft zero)
• my StayClassy profile (OLL fundraiser)

NaNoWriMo: 50k Reached!

With around an hour left in the day, I hit 50,000 words on the twenty-first of November.  My personal goal was to hit the mark before Thanksgiving, so I guess I cut it close.

Still more to go.  It’s like this novel won’t ever have a final chapter…even though I have some of the broad strokes for the end in my mind.  I’m doing my best to make it a payoff worthy of all the words which precede it, but I’m taking it a step at a time.

This is still draft zero.  Nano is very run-and-gun for me.  It causes a lot of word padding, dynamic shifts, and tangents.  I don’t even consider these first drafts anymore.  Often the speed and creative process causes a major shift in story or tone.

If none of that scared you off, a great deal of this draft can be found here.

 

Nano 2012: Story Update

The image is taller than what I usually show, but I’ll try to make it a shorter post to compensate.

Still writing this strange November.  Much has been different for me compared to a year or two back.  I’m sticking with my story from last year, and [so far] staying on-par with my personal goals so far.

I usually do some things to get ready for the Nano season.  This year I hesitated; whatever that reason was.  My updates here and my sponsor page have been sketchy at best.  Today I updated my Figment page (sorry for not mentioning updates there for at least a month).  There also hasn’t been an explanation for why I am writing what I am this month.

So what’s with the pic?  I did an earlier post showing the main character’s “last known whereabouts” when I was writing.  If you where she was as it happened, that could only complicate things for her.  The image is an indication of where she’s been.

What’s happening now?  Well…  According to all, she is ending her journey.  Kadie, the man from the establishment, and also-  That reminds me, maybe I’ve been letting her get a bigger lead than intended.  Here is the “establishment” in question:

That chapter did go much longer than intended, but that’s what the magic of a second draft is all about.  It’s all about quantity over quality though: in the month of November.

Officially Announcing my Nano-Nonsence

Most everyone knows my drive in November is more than my childhood dream of getting to eat a drumstick off John Madden‘s backup bird.  It’s writing like a fool for the sake of delusional diversionary some sort of literary endeavor.

There was a fantastic idea which came to me in early October: adapting a screenplay I did a lot of prep work on but felt too intimidated to quite write.  Ends up, I don’t want to even try tackling it at this point – knowing it would take a month of prep to organize into something I would feel confidant enough to execute as a novel.  So scratch that one…for now.

Then a friend of mine contacted me out of the blue in hopes I would finish my story which started out as a 2008 Nano novel (and later was worked on for part of Nanowrimo 2010 also).  The notion felt like the perfect excuse to shelve my new and likely way-too ambition project (due to circumstance)…but later on I realized something.

If I worked further on the 2008 story, some stuff would have to be put in place before November.  I would have to gather up all my notes; being sure to have my “backstory” writeups to work off.  I planned to have at least one chapter where the whole truth was laid out for the reader [despite what any of the characters of the story may know] — which would come up in the first week of November; should I keep writing the story in order…or at least the book’s order rather than actual continuity.  On top of that, I still felt a need to finish the chapter I left off before November; more for my own sake, but also because I had minor notes to pull up.  This is also the chapter which I employed one of the region’s Municipal Liaisons as a character in the book.  Due to all of those things, I decided to jettison the notion of continuing it at this juncture.  Which lead towards my final idea.

So much chaos has been thrown my direction, it’s not even worth bringing up.  Maybe when I am one day disassociated with it, there will be some sort of wide-reaching drama of Sorkinian proportions: followed by mild accolades.  Until that point, I won’t bother speaking about it in this venue.

I needed something to write as quickly as I can with the least amount of brainpower as possible.  I won’t call this a weak story or a consolation prize, but I knew it would be there for me if all else failed.

Not that I don’t like the story.  I have high hopes for it and think it has a lot of merit: once I hit the actual groove and one day get through a second draft.  Aside from myself, this story (at this very moment) has a cheering section of one.  The two of us could either be called mad or merely early adopters.

The novel shall be what I started just short of a year from this date.  At the moment, I say it’s more akin to 1001 Arabian Nights rather than a by-the-book novel.  My joke is it’s to books what television can be to cinema: able to develop more organically and have an overall story with small moments all within.  My first draft first chapters are usually the worst things of any of my written word, but that’s just how it is sometimes.

It would be nice to have a shot at finishing this tome of an elementary school student’s story.  I do feel confidant the story has a lot going for it — and it’s closer to the end than the beginning.  In my own mind, I think the ending will be a big payoff for the whole book in general, so I really can’t wait until I get to that point.

Much of the story is on my Figment profile.  There is a lot to it since I started it for Nano 2011, then continued it during Camp Nano‘s June session.

So there you have it!  i declared.  Now let’s see me try to follow through.  [As if I have a choice?]

Lots Happening in my Head (positively)

Weirdness – via jessiisthehizz

The image represents the heading a tad.  Some literary flatlining has been going on. Not in the blocked writing fashion, but more as a recovery effort.  I suppose the blog has become collateral damage as a result…just as my failure to update my writing sites.

In the last thirty days (in no particular order) I was:

• Completing Camp Nano with thirty minutes to spare; breaking my single day writing record.
• Finishing two short film scripts and a “micro-short” story (all contest entries) – while doing Camp Nano.
• Learning of Script Frenzy formally ending, and assisting in an organizational effort to rescue it in some form.
• Creating a new group on Figment to help an overlooked demographic.
• Committing to Camp Nano’s August session; taking a super-rebellious stance.
• Possibly bricked (then unbricked) my PSP again; consuming a few days.
• Joining a new writing site with the hopes of centralizing my stuff and offering perks to those who like my literary endeavors.
• Spending a weekend out of town.  Won’t get into the details; but  random pictures for posting.

Quite a logjam of information!  I’ll write about it all, but it will happen more out of sequence than a Quentin Tarantino flick.  The winners will be those who subscribe to the blog: since they get notified of my posts…no matter what I set the date as.  All the rest will have to keep clicking and checking for anything above which caught interest.  I’ll link as I go, meaning I’ll keep this post at the top until late July, but some things may get lost in the shuffle.

I’m not trying to force anyone to subscribe, but there are perks: especially once I give the layout another renovation.  Hopefully the posts will all be up before camp starts again, but who knows.  I still plan on adding to the “cabin blog” we started before the June session.  Call it moonlighting…but I did make a couple posts very similar here as I had there.

More could be mentioned, but I’ll save it for one of the secretive posts.  Keep checking back; unless you’re a notified subscriber – since you’ll know the minute something is posted; no matter how heavy on the chronitons an entry happens to be.

Main Character Spotted:

Main Character Spotted

Seen leaving…

Destination: Unknown

Of course to quote Anthony Kiedis, “Now that is a lie.”  If I let everyone know where she was, someone might want to go out and catch her…and then I’ll never be able to finish the book on my own recognizance.

For fun, I’ll test out the idea of letting you know where she’s been: also to prove I finally got to the “inciting incident” and its consequence, so to speak.  You can also check out the scene at that locale [while it lasts] by scrolling down or “hit[ting] the jump” as I like to say.

Spoilers ahead – be warned!

If you DON’T want to be spoiled, you have two options (both which are FREE by the way):

1)  Wait until (at least) July for me to start posting chapters on Figment.

2)  Check it out from the beginning on Authonomy.

If you enjoy anything you see or read, don’t forget that I am still trying to StayClassy – but I’m not the “hard sell” type.

Enough warnings!  Look on if ye dare…

Camp Nano: Week Four Progress

The counselors at Camp Nanowrimo told me this was the most humane way to put a book out of its misery.  I will make no statement either way.

Wish I could say the image is me burning through my book and it will be kidnapped by teamsters ready for punishing you publishing soon.  To quoteth Thor, “Nay.”

I am happy to say I have more words written than to go after this week: meaning I got past the halfway mark.  I’ll cut to the pertinent parts of the breakdown-

My Average Words Per Day: 1,452
Total Words Written: 33,401(of 50,000)
Words Remaining: 16,599(as of June 23)

At This Rate You Will Finish On: July 4
Words Per Day To Finish On Time: 2,075

I’m shaving that estimated finishing date down.  I recall it being July 10 at one point…so I’m bridging that gap.

When I hit 50k, maybe I’ll give followers a peek inside my cabin.  It’s sort of our blog-within-a-blog.

If I make better headway, I’ll post an update on my main character.  Stay tuned…

Camp Crunch: Day 20 of 30

 

 

 

In horse racing and drinking, I think they call it Post Time?

That is long gone I suppose…unless you want to count this as The End is the Beginning is the End the beginning of the end is the Beginning is the End for session one of Camp Nanowrimo 2012.

I’m still approaching the middle of the race: shy of the halfway mark of 25k.  Here’s the breakdown…

Average Words Needed Per Day: 1,667

My Average: 1,245

Target Word Count: 50,000

My Total (19th @ 11:59pm): 24,907

Words Remaining: 25,093

Current Day: 20

Days Remaining: 11

At This Rate You Will Finish On: July 10, 2012

Words Per Day To Finish On Time: 2,282

July 10th?  That’s not an option!

Time to do like JSBX and kick it into High Gear, baby (sans reindeer in my vehicle’s grille, of course).

The Road to Quantitative Completion

Things weren’t going my way late last night.  I wasn’t hard enough hard on myself since I knew my Camp Nano wasn’t going well.  Hopes of actually adding an ending to the story have all but dissipated.  I needed a break of sorts to cope with it.

I took a nature walk past the time cabins were supposed to be on lockdown.  As leaves and twigs crunched beneath my feet like so much generic bran cereal, I tried to empty my head.  it kind of worked, but now I had a song running through my head: but it’s by Julie Andrews and not by John Coltrane a Coldplay track, but Jay-Z decided to dominate it [no complaints].

Losing track of – my tracks, I saw a strange frame of a structure.  Cellar doors?  Not remembering any of my horror movie training, I decided to give it a peek.

Camp Nano: Two Week Report

 

As you can see, everything is pretty well illustrated.  I did get to a new chapter [segment] finally.  These things get beefy, and I can’t say why.  In case you can’t tell, those numbers are integers in the negative; not out-of-place hyphenations.

Hopefully I’ll start picking up slack.  Good or bad, I had to post progress.  Perhaps I’ll hold off on making crafts until July.

Camp Nano: week 2 – update

I am behind in wordcount.  How much?  I won’t look.  Who could know I could be so distracted at a writer retreat.  No progress chart to show, but maybe they’ll let me use an old slate in the corner.

Now that I think the day over…there is more I need to finish today.   A flash piece to edit and submit; and a two-page script?  I better go check.

Sorry for the span between information.  Blame the camp’s post office?  I haven’t forgotten about anything…or anyone.  My StayClassy page has been updated – and at 25% of the goal, give or take a point.  [I would have added it as a sidebar, but WordPress doesn't allow javascript.]

5,183 words and counting…

-M