The Starting Point

So I didn't write much this past week. 1398 words on Thursday was about it.

Still, that means my starting point is:

20,900 words

I think that's a pretty good spot to be. So far this morning I've only written 1,466 words, but I do have a very needy puppy to pay attention to as well. D comes home from work shortly and I'll have the rest of the day to write by myself.

Much luck to everyone writing their hearts out this weekend. I'm eating lunch and diving back into it.

Cheers,

Tina

3 Day Novel

So the three day novel contest has arrived. Kick off is tomorrow at midnight.

And I won't be partaking in the fun this year... not as a contestant anyway.

I will be locking myself in a room for three days. I will be writing feverishly. I will probably go insane by the end of it (just like last year). But I will be working on my novel, not a new project that I will submit to the contest.

For those of you partaking, I'm right there with you. Feeling your pain, rubbing the same blood shot, exhausted eyes.

For those of you not partaking, why they heck not? Ok, fine. I realize not everyone is up to the challenge of writing a novel in three days.

My goal is not really a word count goal. My goal is to get as much done as humanly possible in three days. Last year I wrote 20,000 words, so I know that amount is humanly possible... maybe more is too.

I'll give you all a word count update tomorrow on the words I've done up until Friday at midnight. Then we'll know what I'm going into the weekend with.

I wish all participants the best of luck... please wish me luck too.

Tina

Mondays

Did I mention that I hate Mondays?

I know today is Tuesday, but I have news from yesterday.

Got home from work and there was a form rejection letter from Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, waiting for me in the mail. I guess they didn't like "Broadcasting Live" (that's the short story that was once called "Pain and Blood"). This is its second rejection so I think I will have a few of my writer friends look at it and tell me what they think. I had a few people read through it before, but maybe it needs a little more work before I send it out a third time.

After reading the paper mail, I checked my email. There was a lovely email from the 3 Day Novel contest, announcing the winners. I wasn't one of them. I didn't even make the short list, or get an honorable mention. Oh well. I was thinking about turning my submission "Beloved Child" into a comic book script to see what happens. Now, I can go ahead and give it a try.

I had dinner after checking my emails, and then locked myself in my office (aka the spare bedroom) to write. It was one of my new writing days, so I tried to forget all the other stuff and just wrote.

Word Count:
Monday - 1,329 words

Not bad for 1.5 hours on a Monday night. It's actually really good.

Ok, so it wasn't the best Monday in the world but at least I got a good bit of writing done and I know what I'm going to do with the rejected stories that have come home.

Tuesday should be better.

Tina

3-Day Done

I did it!!!

This weekend was intense. I wrote for long hours, had minimal food and sleep, but somehow I completed a 75 page novella that's not that bad. The weekend went something like this:

Saturday - Got up at 8:30 ready to go, but the writing came hard and slow. It started picking up in the afternoon and evening, but my new-old laptop (new for me but actually old) decided to break... yeah, Ok, I broke it accidentally. I finished off the day around 8pm.

Sunday - most of the day was spent looking for, buying, and setting up a new laptop. I didn't get started until around 4:30 in the afternoon. (yikes) So I pushed my sleeping limits and wrote right into the wee hours of the morning.

Monday - Starting writing around 9:30am. By this time my body was sore from sitting, so I tried writing standing up with my laptop on a bookshelf, kneeling on the ground, even on my stomach (which I won't recommend). I wrote for 15 hours in total and came in just under the wire (meaning I wrote right until midnight).

My novella (because it's a bit too short to be called a novel) is called "Beloved Child", and has 6 chapters, a prologue and an epilogue (it's sitting at 19,108 words). And unfortunately, I'm submitting this is unedited, because I pushed the midnight deadline just to finish. I did go through as I was writing to make sure things were spelt correctly and such (and it's very possible I missed some), but I did nothing of real editing.

I read through it last night before bed (yes, between midnight and 3am). There are a couple of choppy bits, some bits that don't seem to make sense, but over all it's not half bad. It's really fast paced, more than I'm used to, but hey... it was written in three days, so of course it's going to be fast paced. I also wrote a little blurb after "THE END" that goes over what I've learnt from this. This truly was an experiment in trying to write an entire story from the bad guy's point of view, and I did that. I also manage to write my very first (and second) fight scene, and I don't think I did too badly.

I must have needed the sleep today though. Yes, I went to bed at 3am, but I slept until 2:30pm this afternoon. I haven't done that since I was 15 years old.

I'm glad it's over. It surprisingly painful to write for that long every day, but at the same time, it was very rewarding. Because this was an experiment for me, I pushed my limits. I got really depressed at one point because writing from the bad guy's point of view doesn't give you a lot of hope. Yet overall, I found a way to push passed it. I think the end result turned out pretty good. (oh, I also found out that I love short sentences right now, and I think I used them a bit too much. Oops)

If you get a chance to do it next year, I would recommend it. I might even join you.... Hmmm, do I really want to do this more than once? Probably :)

Have a good one,

C

3-Day Check List

My preparation check list for the 3-Day Novel Contest:

√ Finished my outline for "Beloved Child"
√ Got a desk for the spare bedroom
√ Got a laptop for the spare bedroom
_ Need to set up the spare bedroom with my new desk and laptop
_ Need to buy healthy snacks for the weekend
_ Need to figure out what D is doing for the weekend (so I know if I'll be home alone or not)
_ Need to clean the apartment so I'm not tempted to do it over the weekend

I should have all of this done by the end of the week. It is only Tuesday.

I hope to update you on my word counts throughout the contest, but I won't guarantee it. I will be working in a room with no Internet (because I get distracted easy), so my online time will be limited to an hour or so a day. I'll try and let you know how I'm doing, but it may just be after the fact.

If you are doing the 3-day novel contest, good luck. If not, please be cheerleaders for those of us risking our sanity to participate. Have a good one.

C

PS: I received my USA stamps, finally, so "Pain and Blood"(my 2nd short story) is now on it's way to Analog Magazine. Cross your fingers for me.

3-Day Count Down

5 more sleeps until it's time to play the 'lets-write-a-novel-in-3-days' game.

I'm excited... and nervous... and wondering what I was thinking when I signed up for this, but I'll be fine. This is a great experience, and have a great idea, and all I have to do now is sit down and write.

So way does it seem so hard?

Update: In the past week, I have created an entire species history for the Vinlue (my alien race in 'White Cats and Suicide'). I have also plotted out the first 7 chapters of 'Love Light Rising', but the rest of it will have to wait until after the weekend. For the rest of this week, I plan on plotting out my 3-day fantasy novel idea 'Beloved Child', and preparing for the 3-day. Busy, Busy, Busy.

On a side note, check out this website http://live.zeros2heroes.com/. This Canadian site lets people vote on comic book ideas that they would like to see developed. I'm not normally a comic book fan, but this looks like a pretty cool interactive site.

Have a great writing day,

C

Week Wrap Up

What a week...

I am officially taking part in the 3-Day Novel Contest. I sent in my registration today.

I also finished editing my short story "Pain and Blood", and I'm just waiting on US stamps to send it out to Analog Magazine.

And... I leave tomorrow to go the the Fantasy and Science Fiction Conference "Con-Version".

"What was that? It just went speeding by?"

"That's just C M Hunt, the author. She's flying."

C

An Update...

Well I certainly let this slip a bit didn't I? Thanks Capt'n for the nudge.

A month has gone by. WOW. Well, what have I done...

I moved, that one should be obvious. We haven't finished unpacking yet but it's starting to feel like home.

I finished 2 short stories. The 1st one, a fantasy, was sent out to a magazine. I should hear back from them in a week or two (they are in New Jersey). The second one is out to my readers, and once I have it back I'll send this one out too. Time to get my name out there.

I've been working on my novel edits as well, but not enough to send chapter 2 to my tutor. Sigh, I'll get on that.

I've also been working on my novella. I'm going to rework the angle a bit and send it to the Writers of the Future contest. Should be interesting. The first place winners (and some times 2nd and 3rd place depending on size) get published in an anthology and all finalists win money. Can't go wrong.

Last, I became a board member for the newly formed Edmonton Writers Centre. I won't write too much about this on here since this is supposed to be about my writing, but I'll direct you the Centre's website once it's up and running.

I think that's all I've done over the last month, writing related. I did go to two weddings, and enjoyed a pig roast weekend with the small community at my step-dad's cabin on the lake, but that's about it.

This month I'm going to the Calgary science fiction and fantasy convention "Con-Version 23". My first Con. I'm very excited. It's only a little over a week away. I'm going to be surrounded by science fiction geeks, H. Potter lovers, fantasy obsessors, and costumed fans. It's going to be great.

I'm also taking part in the 3 day novel contest. It's a crazy event that starts at midnight on August 31st (September 1st really) and lasts until midnight on Monday. The whole labor day long weekend is spent writing a novel. Granted it's a short novel (novella), but it's should be a really neat experience. I already have an idea in place.

Things are really heating up. I get my "Author" picture taken soon, and I'll post it on my website as soon as I have it. I just can't believe how productive I was this past while, even with the stresses of moving. Things are looking up.

I hope you are having a fantastic day.

C