happychemist | Entries tagged with nano 2004

60,001 / 60,000
(100.0%)

Done. With my very first romance novel. The first novel I've ever written. And the first story since my 10th grade creative writing class effort in which I used original characters.

( Thank you, my friends, for not killing me. )

I've been asked to share what I wrote. As of yet, I am extremely uncomfortable sharing. I will want to revise, revise, throw away, take back, revise some more before I decide on that. There are many inconsistencies I have to duke out. Beyond this, it is a first effort. And like most of my first efforts in cooking, sewing, and chemistry, it really shoudn't see the light of day!

Overall, I've been pretty happy with my NaNo Experience. I'm not sure if I'll write another novel this way, but I think I'll definitely give writing another novel a shot. I think I've gained a lot from this experience and I'm excited about trying it again. Maybe not in this hectic pound-it-all-out crazy way. SLOOOW.

58,003 / 60,000
(96.0%)

Today I finished my story with 2,000 words left. Am I anal enough to go for the full goal I made or am I sick enough of my characters? :)

I'm back in California, but I miss home. I wish I could have spent longer there. I look forward to going home in a few weeks, but until then, I have to ready my skit for presentation at the department holiday party and prepare my poster for John Bercaw's 60th Birthday Symposium.

< nerd >

The birthday symposium is such a cool thing: when professors turn 60 (or any decade >= 50, really) they get lots of papers dedicated to them and oftentimes, there is a symposium in their honor held at the professor's university/institute. A lot of former graduate students and post-docs who worked with the professor come back and give research talks. Current graduate students in the department participate in a poster session. Then, everybody goes out to dinner and lots of partying ensues.

And I'm EXCITED by this. :) Not the partying, but that's exciting, of course, but the whole environment. I love conferences and symposiums; they always get me so revved about chemistry!

< /nerd >

54,317 / 60,000
(90.0%)

After Thanksgiving shopping went fairly well. Scored a pair of boots for...the not so terrible weather of California.

*slaps forehead*

Well at least I'll look good.

Thankgiving dinner did go well. Good conversation and laughs, and we played tons of Mahjong and Trivial Pursuit...seems like we're going back to playing games. :)

I had an internal goal of writing 2,000 per day during this month. So I'm working towards my 60k goal right now. Yes, I took yesterday off as a matter of principle. Today i got to:

52,126 / 60,000
(86.0%)

The story is shaping up and the end is in sight! I've sent Carrie back to California and Jackie a way out.

Carrie is appropriately thinking of home and is currently calling home. I haven't thought about Jackie for about 4000 words now.

=p

Yay for Thanksgiving! Between mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce, I managed to write my 2000 words today.

( Turkey-day likes and dislikes. )

Happy Turkey Day, everybody! this year, I am thankful for my family, friends and Flippy, my molecule.

50,028 / 50,000
(100.0%)

Airport waits and jet lag...can be a writer's friend.

50k....woah.

The story itself is not yet completed, though I am on the home stretch of writing. but to have the 50k done...it really is something. I still feel kinda off...

( Back in Michigan )

I'm enjoying the peace of home. Taking advantage of the quiet to get writing and reading done...yum!

In BAD news today, Dan Rather is no longer anchoring CBS! This news had me quite distraught for most of the evening. I sat in shock over his announcement. And felt miserable. It's strange, really. I've grown up with him as my anchor. We watched CBS news every night while eating dinner. He tells me everything and I just love him. How can he not be giving me my news?

So overall, I'm both happy and sad tonight. I need more sleep. Now's a good a time as any to fall over...

45,703 / 50,000
(91.0%)

Words: 2,027
Morale: 8/10

After yesterday's intense exertions, I was really eager to write today...but found myself drained and confused.

Home stretch.

The days are getting colder here now. It's feeling like fall. I'm going back to Michigan for Thanksgiving tomorrow night, and well, going to the place that inspired the novel with a real-life family that likes to guilt you for not taking more care to visit? Sounds like the creative juices will break the dam there.

I'm looking forward to home. Even with the guilt trips. It's home

43,676 / 50,000
(87.0%)

Words: 2,359 (!?)
Morale: 9/10

Yeah. I'm confused as you are. I got home for the evening and started to write some more. And things started falling into place.

I think the wall has crumbled, finally. It's still tripe, but it's got a direction. This has been by far one of my most enjoyable days this month, and I'm just really happy with the progress I've made...not only in word count, but also in development of my novel.

My novel. Wow, that sounded grandiose.

As I'm at over 43K, I can safely say now that there is NO WAY this novel is finishing in 50K. My goal is to finish the novel itself in this month, though, because I know that if I don't push for the finish now, it'll never happen.

I'm optimistic.

I'm now just realizing it's 2:30 and I'm beat. Time for some rest. More writing tomorrow!

41,317 / 50,000
(82.0%)

Words: 5,005
Morale: 8/10

I feel like I've just had my teeth extracted.

Two days of being uninspired and (fortunately) being carried away with work led to zero counts on both Thur and Friday. So my guilt had me up and at it this morning. I got a good solid 2,000 done in the morning.

Then I went to the write-out.

While I was considerably LESS productive I really had a great time with other people. We talked a bit abotu novels and I just really enjoyed the companionship. I still managed to crank out another 3,000 at the session, so I'm feeling like a stud. :)

All in all, I think I'm still inspired, so I may push on.

In terms of excerpts, I will comb what I've written for post-worthy stuff, but I'm keeping to myself these days. Don't know why. Uncomfortable, I guess.

Jackie and Greg have completely taken the novel over. I MUST get back onto Carrie and Josh.

These two couples will HAVE to be separated at some point. In their separate stories. But later. Not now.

36,312 / 50,000
(72.0%)

Words: 2,050
Morale: 8/10

A hectic day in lab. It was nice to write tonight to let go of all the tension.

The problem with getting things to work is that "is it going to work? let's wait and find out" limbo no longer exists. There is another thing to work on immediately afterwards. My to-do list has gone from "make these two compounds" to "Take this measurement of this compound" and "do this to that compound". I'm not complaining. It may sound like it, but I'm not. I'm actually quite relieved. I just think it's odd that both of my reluctant reactions (one taking me two months, the other taking me one month) have chosen now to work. The next few days will be intense but extremely rewarding. I'm trying not to lay off the writing, because it really does give me a nice outlet...I've been so much more productive and clear-headed in lab this month! It's weird!

I think part of the reason why my reactions are both working now is that my Thanksgiving vacation is coming up. I have found that whenever I am about to leave town, things start suddenly working. Well, at least I get to go home with a sense of accomplishment :)

So obviously, the lesson learned is that I ought to take vacations more often. =p

34,262 / 50,000
(68.0%)

Words: 2,030
Morale: 8/10

Still finding my characters hard to manipulate, but I'm stubborn.

In more interesting news, I isolated the compound that I've been working towards for the past one or two months. Yay! Go me! :) I don't know if I have enough for all the measurements I'll need to do on it, but I'm hoping...

32,232 / 50,000
(64.0%)

Words: 2,681
Morale: 9/10

Overall, a pretty good writing day. Still waiting for that wall to tumble...a lot of my character's actions still seem natural but they're not leading anywhere. I'm not too worried. I think someone will enter the plot...maybe Albert, Carrie's scientific fiance. But whyever would be abandon his chemicals?

But, in more important news: over 60%! Y A Y !

29,551 / 50,000
(59.0%)

Words: 3,083
Morale: 9/10

What a fabulous weekend! I had a very relaxing and enjoyable time away...and came back this evening refreshed to add more to my word count. It was easy to write tonight. I think that the break was good to have.

I have a title for my story! It's now called Homecoming. I know. Sounds like a heart-warming romance novel set in the Midwest, doesn't it?

Anyhow, good word count for the evening, so I think I'll stop there.

26,468 / 50,000
(52.0%)

Words: 2,165
Morale: 8/10

Look, it's green! And...I'm more than halfway through! :)

Thank you, Wendy, for the encouragement :)

Things are looking good. I've been typing my fingers off so that I can take Thursday-Sunday off, essentially. I may get some time tomorrow night, but Friday-Sunday, I am going on VACATION with the dear doting man who's put up with me thus far.

And my characters are not invited!

So I am set so that I'll be "on track" when I get back.

I've been writing outside of my apartment for the past two days, and that's helped a lot. I think I was just getting a little claustrophobic at my messy dining room table. Yesterday was a loud and cheerful coffeeshop. Today, it's the third floor of the quietest library I've ever been to. It's been working, and I've been happier.

In strange observations, I've found myself completely embarassed to write a kissing scene "in public". I am always afraid that suddenly someone will walk by and see the word "tongue".

So I think it'll be a while before my characters start making out again. Maybe that's a good thing. Or maybe I should go to the humanities library on campus here. After all, I'm pretty sure no one is there...and I can find a corner where I can write the words "hot and passionate" all I want without embarassment.

either that or I'll just write *insert passionate kiss...7/10 in hotness* or some nonsense like that. =P

24,303 / 50,000
(48.0%)

Words: 2,863 (!)
Morale: 8/10

I shouldn't be proud that my writing has become SO bad now that I can't post it, but I am. I am officially writing incoherrent, inconsistent TRIPE. But happily, my cup of tripe runneth over.

This calls for a change in icon.

Nearly halfway there...

21,444 / 50,000
(42.0%)

Words: 2,046
Morale: 7/10

( Click here for what I've written today )

A rough writing night. Tired. Really tired. I'm glad I forced my way through my goal, though. I feel accomplished because of it.

Sent off my brother tonight. I'm sad, but it's all right. I hate saying goodbyes *sighs*

anyhow, off to sleep! :)

19,394 / 50,000
(38.0%)

Words: 1,223
Morale: 9/10

( Click here for what I've written )

I spent an enjoyable evening with my brother, who's in town, visiting.

I love having him around. It's been such a long time since we've been on our own. I think we spoke more this weekend than we have the past four years. Or, at least, I suppose what we said this weekend meant more...

After spending time with him, I spent a very enjoyable evening reading and editing some of my friends' writing.

I love reading my friend's work. It's just so...inspiring. I know I'm not allowed to edit my own work, but it does satisfy my Inner Editor to work on someone else's :p

Calmed down, mind open, I opened my word file just to take one last glance at the work I'd done...and I found myself easily deciding that what I really needed was a kiss.

And that's exactly what happened. I realize now that I will eventually have to go back and add some scenes here and there but this is exactly where I want to go next. This, of course, means that the next time I'm at writer's block, I'll simply bug my friends for more of their writing to take my mind off of my own...so my dear friends, get writing!

18,171 / 50,000
(36.0%)

Words: 2,395
Morale: 7/10

( Click here for what I've written today )

It's red. No good reason why. I like red.

Today I came across my first real writer's block. I really worry now that I have no good reason to keep my story on more than the next 10,000 words.

I'm sure this is just some strange depression. chris mentioned it in his book and i went "pfft" and now i understand what he means. i'm not ready to throw in the towel and give up all hope, but dammit, where is this story going?

I wished I wrote more today, but I just felt exhausted and impatient.

Like a temperamental four year old.

GAH. Let it go, Crystal

15,776 / 50,000
(31.6%)

Words: 3,822
Morale: 9/10

( Click here for what I've written today )

Progress! Nearly a third of the way there!

I kind of wished that I had written more today, but I got to read this morning! Read! Oh how I've missed reading.

Today, I worked 5 half-hour spurts with ten minutes in between, making a variation of something Chris suggests in his book. It worked fairly well.

I am relieved that I get to spend my evening away from my computer; LA Philharmonic does take precedence over writing, I'm afraid. :p

i'm starting to have apprehensions that this story may be over in less than 50,000 words. I'm going to ignore them, though. I think that the story is less than a third of the way through, so that's good.

11,954 / 50,000
(23.9%)

Words: 2,560
Morale: 8/10

( Click here for what I've written today )

I've broken 10k!!!! Hurray for me! Things are going fairly well. Lab today was kinda difficult; I really need more sleep. However, still got through everything and managed to finish early. So I came home, and wrote, wrote, wrote.

I am going to actually enjoy a bit of real life tonight. And then get sleep. Lots and lots of sleep.

Happy weekend!

9,394 / 50,000
(18.8%)

Words: 2,013
Morale: 8/10

( Click here for what I've written today. )

Tired, but feeling accomplished, having extracted 2,000 words out of...what feels like nowhere.

Wow. The sleep rule is really suffering now. I think I'll go and fall over now.