2009 2011
Me:
Hey! National Novel Writing Month! I love NaNo. Maybe I could do NaNo again this year.
Hey! National Novel Writing Month! I love NaNo. Maybe I could do NaNo again this year.
Fear:
Are
you high? You have edits due to your copyeditor at the end of November.
Are
you high? You have edits due to your copyeditor at the end of November.
Me:
True. But there’s the heady rush of new stories, new characters, crazy people
jumping off roofs onto steampunk dirigibles…
True. But there’s the heady rush of new stories, new characters, crazy people
jumping off roofs onto steampunk dirigibles…
Subconscious:
Dirigibiles!
Dirigibiles!
Me:
So much coolness…and kisses! We haven’t written one of those in a while.
So much coolness…and kisses! We haven’t written one of those in a while.
Prudence:
You’re just chasing a shiny new idea.
You’re just chasing a shiny new idea.
Me:
I’m not chasing. Courting maybe…Shiny likes me too.
I’m not chasing. Courting maybe…Shiny likes me too.
Fear:
Failure’s not an option – you have to finish those edits. If you go off
chasing some steampunk skirt, you’re going to miss that deadline and hate your
life. You’ll be up all night, cramming edits at the last minute, forgetting to
pick up your children from school, cooking the cat for dinner, and wearing your
shoes on the wrong feet.
Failure’s not an option – you have to finish those edits. If you go off
chasing some steampunk skirt, you’re going to miss that deadline and hate your
life. You’ll be up all night, cramming edits at the last minute, forgetting to
pick up your children from school, cooking the cat for dinner, and wearing your
shoes on the wrong feet.
Prudence:
And this is different than normal how…?
And this is different than normal how…?
Fear:
You’re not helping.
You’re not helping.
Ambition:
We can do both! We’re a kick-ass writing team! No mountain is too high!
We can do both! We’re a kick-ass writing team! No mountain is too high!
Inner
Spock: It is within the realm of possibility. 50,000 words
in 30 days is only 1667 words per day. Previous data shows a capacity for 800
words generated in an hour. In theory, that is only two of the twenty four
hours each day.
Spock: It is within the realm of possibility. 50,000 words
in 30 days is only 1667 words per day. Previous data shows a capacity for 800
words generated in an hour. In theory, that is only two of the twenty four
hours each day.
Fear:
TWO HOURS! *faints*
TWO HOURS! *faints*
Me:
Wow, two hours. Okay, maybe that would be a stretch on top of getting my edits
done. Maybe Shiny will have to wait until next year.
Wow, two hours. Okay, maybe that would be a stretch on top of getting my edits
done. Maybe Shiny will have to wait until next year.
Subconscious:
Dirigibles! Epic! Kisses! Ninjas!
Dirigibles! Epic! Kisses! Ninjas!
Me:
Ninjas? There are no ninjas in this story.
Ninjas? There are no ninjas in this story.
Subconscious:
Ninjas!
Ninjas!
Me:
Maybe I should put ninjas in the story…
Maybe I should put ninjas in the story…
Ambition:
Last year we did NaNo AND a major book launch! We can do this! Go team!
Last year we did NaNo AND a major book launch! We can do this! Go team!
Prudence:
You’re really nothing but trouble, aren’t you?
You’re really nothing but trouble, aren’t you?
Fear:
This
might kills us. Send us to the hospital with pneumonia on Thanksgiving at a
minimum.
This
might kills us. Send us to the hospital with pneumonia on Thanksgiving at a
minimum.
Me:
NaNo is a wild abandon of writing and imagination. A headlong rush of putting
words on the page. It’s creativity on steroids. This totally fits with my plan
to amp up my creativity by tapping into the boys
in the basement, as Stephen King likes to call my subconscious.
NaNo is a wild abandon of writing and imagination. A headlong rush of putting
words on the page. It’s creativity on steroids. This totally fits with my plan
to amp up my creativity by tapping into the boys
in the basement, as Stephen King likes to call my subconscious.
Subconscious:
Hot boys! In the basement!
Hot boys! In the basement!
Me:
And it could be a great antidote to the grind that final edits can be. We would
still stick to the original planned writing for November. This would just be a
cherry on top.
And it could be a great antidote to the grind that final edits can be. We would
still stick to the original planned writing for November. This would just be a
cherry on top.
Prudence:
The plan. It’s always the plan that dies first. *cries*
The plan. It’s always the plan that dies first. *cries*
Fear:
That wouldn’t happen if you listened to me.
That wouldn’t happen if you listened to me.
Me:
A lot of things wouldn’t happen if I listened to you.
A lot of things wouldn’t happen if I listened to you.
Fear:
*sticks
out tongue* *pouts in corner*
*sticks
out tongue* *pouts in corner*
Ambition:
We’re going to do it! It’s going to be awesome!
We’re going to do it! It’s going to be awesome!
Me:
It’s going to be hard. But hard is good. I like hard.
It’s going to be hard. But hard is good. I like hard.
Ambition:
Me too!
Me too!
Inner
Spock: I’ll have the spreadsheet ready for you
momentarily.
Spock: I’ll have the spreadsheet ready for you
momentarily.
Prudence:
At
least let it be okay if this is the first NaNo that you don’t finish, okay?
At
least let it be okay if this is the first NaNo that you don’t finish, okay?
Me:
Deal.
Deal.
Subconscious:
Steampunk! Kisses! Ninjas!
Steampunk! Kisses! Ninjas!
Me:
No ninjas.
No ninjas.
Subconscious:
Ninjas!
Ninjas!
Me:
Ok, maybe. But only if they kiss.
Ok, maybe. But only if they kiss.
Are you NaNo-ing this year? You might want to check
out @WRIMO – awesome inspirational stuff to crank up your boys in the basement,
and all proceeds benefit the Office of Letters and Light (NaNoWriMo Central).
out @WRIMO – awesome inspirational stuff to crank up your boys in the basement,
and all proceeds benefit the Office of Letters and Light (NaNoWriMo Central).
NaNo ID: SusanKayeQuinn (creative, huh?) Friend Me
Once again, I'm missing NaNo. I want to finish my current draft, and I haven't started planning my next novel. I'm planning to do both in November. Maybe next year I can time things better.
Or maybe not.
I know it can be tricky. I had absolutely no plans to do it… and yet here I am. 🙂
Ha, loved this. 'Creativity on steroids' is possibly the best description of NaNo that I've heard yet.
I'm definitely taking part — I love NaNoWriMo 🙂
Awesome! Go, write, win! 🙂
It's hard to kiss in a ninja mask.
Wait, you mean they have to get undressed?? This could be a sexy novel.
I so love this post! That's where I've been the last week. I'm finishing the "final" edit for Champion in the Darkness, and I'mm participating in NaNo – although I won't have kissing ninjas this year, that sounds like fun! I'm pursuing Captain Wrath (finally). My NaNo name is Tyreantigger, if you want to be NaNo buddies.
haha, love it! And so true. I just got a shiny new idea (yesterday, actually) and I'm thinking about signing up for NaNo for it, but I'm also in the middle of revisions and I'm not sure if it's doable. We'll see.
Hey, when did all my inner voices leave me and take up residence in your head?
As of this moment, I'm still on Ambition's side. I can do this. After all, I timed it perfectly to have my new novel out with beta readers until December 1.
No, I won't be doing NANO either. I'm already working on a first draft for a new novel and subbing.
Enjoyed the funny post, Susan. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has mental conversations.
Good luck to all NANOWRIMO participants!
Inner Spock – hot boys in the basement – chasing steampunk skirts – I think this is officially my most favorite blog post EVER. Like in nearly 3 years of blog reading.
Yes, my mind argues with me too. I'm doing Nano!
Catherine Stine’s Idea City
I just signed up too. I figure that I've been on a deadline every month since August and I don't have one for November – might as well create one of my own. Good luck!
I never considered signing up because NaNo seems so unattainable. Dividing the words up into daily batches figuring on 800 words/2 hours makes it sounds better, but I think it would take me closer to 4 hours to write that many words. Maybe after I've published my first book.
lol… too cute!
Not me this year. I've got about 5 shiny new ideas but am not feeling the desire to pound any out in a month.
Thought it was pretty cool a week ago when I was at a writer's retreat in Oregon and someone won a hardcopy of Open Minds. I told her all about what a great lady you are and to visit your blog, and she was excited to check you out (and to read Open Minds.)
I absolutely love this post. Totally captures my thought process every year when November starts sneaking in. xD
And I am most definitely participating this year with my creeptastic plot. 😀
Go! Write! Win!
Let's rock the word count 🙂
LOL! Oh, Susan. That was hilarious! 😀 My favorite =
Inner Spock: It is within the realm of possibility. 50,000 words in 30 days is only 1667 words per day. Previous data shows a capacity for 800 words generated in an hour. In theory, that is only two of the twenty four hours each day.
And telling fear a lot wouldn't happen if I listened to you. Truer words…
Ugh! I'm not doing Nano this year. It's the whole out of town for a week that gets me. But maybe I'll do the 30-day challenge again come December… We'll see.
ROCK ON w/your bad self, though. I love kissing steampunk ninjas! 😀 <3
You must be channelling the inner spirit of myself and many other intrepid souls embarking on this journey. Good luck to all of us. 50,000 here I come!
Definitely Ninjas.
Gotta love the Inner Spock. Logic is your friend, But Spock is better friend. Now then, I believe it would be interesting to see ninja in a steampunk world. You are an amazing Author, and a great multitasker at that. You can do all that you wish and more. Good Luck.