The Confabulator Cafe

Tag: from the trenches

  • Starting Out Strong

    Hello! Welcome to day three of NaNo. Everything’s going well so far. However, I’ve spent far too much time looking up one random fact or another that I think I might have to throw in the towel and admit I shouldn’t be a pantser. Then again, I think even if I better planned my novel, I would still be googling “Regency House Names” because if there is one thing I remember from regency romance novels, it’s that every house has a name.

    Hey Ashley–you’re a house now. Hope that’s cool.

    I’m trying out a new genre for NaNo. Typically I write fantasy geared toward young adults. In fact, two of my NaNo wins have been in this genre. The one time I deviated from it I had a ton of fun but ultimately hated the end product. Then again, I wrote in a genre I don’t read. This year I’m at least sticking with something I enjoy. Regency romance novels are my guilty pleasure. I can chew through several in an afternoon. In fact, in preparation for my new novel I spent a week with my nose buried in the spines of one of my favorite authors. (more…)

  • Tuesday Blues

    I don’t know what it is, but there is something about Tuesdays that are hell on my wordcount. Last week, if you recall, I only managed to write 139 words. This week I pulled in a much more respectable 439. So by this logic next Tuesday I’ll write 739 words.

    I’m still ahead on my word count, but only by a day and a half. That’s a bit scary.

    It’s also pretty impressive because in the past week I had two days where I did not write a single word on my novel and another two days where I was behind on my word count.

    It wasn’t week two blues if you were wondering. Nope, I planned to be ahead so I could take off time to celebrate my birthday. (In case you were wondering, my loving family purchased me amazing blankets and sheets… in addition to books). Now that my birthday high has settled down, it’s time to get back to writing. And I did. I pulled two three thousand word days in a row.

    But yesterday I just wasn’t feeling it.

    Hopefully today I will write more. I need to remember to take my computer with me to work. If nothing else, I need to develop an outline for where I’m going with this novel from here on out. Maybe start thinking about an ending.

    I’m over halfway done guys. And that’s both amazing and terrifying.

  • Yesterday’s NaNo Word Count Was What?

    I only wrote 139 words yesterday.

    We’re starting day six of NaNo, and contrary to what you believe, I’m not panicking. I’m actually doing really well. “But Amanda,” you might say, “you only wrote 139 words yesterday.” Don’t worry, I hear the confusion and the worry in your imagined voices… and I thank you for it. However, don’t worry about my word count.

    I’m doing just fine. This week is hectic for me. I have deadlines and karaoke and three days of nothing but my birthday. So I planned for it. I spent the whole weekend with my fingers flying across the keyboard. To stay on track, I don’t have to write another word on my novel until Sunday.

    That isn’t how you do NaNo though. (Well, everyone can do it differently, really). You do NaNo one day at a time. The point is to learn how to bang out some words every day of the week. So I’m going to. My word counts may just be a bit lackluster. (more…)

  • NaNoWriMo 2013 Excerpt from The Demon Within

    NaNoWriMo has come once again and many of us at the Café, myself included, are already busily typing away trying to get to that coveted 50,000 word goal. Sadly, the frenzied pace of full-time job, word counts, and daily living leaves me little time for actual, coherent writing, so instead I’ll treat you to weekly postings from the trenches. Please note that “treat” here is a subjective term. This is pure, unedited and unfiltered writing here folks. I can’t be held liable for damages caused to your psyche or personal property due to reading this material.

    I’m writing five, 10k-word short stories this year for NaNo. This excerpt is from The Demon Within (working title), about a barbarian bred for fighting demonic hoards who gets exiled for being tainted by one.

    (more…)