Monday, October 31, 2016

Happy Halloween and Ready for NaNo?



I hope your trick and treating was successful, however you define that. On TV, some cable channel is cutting the hell out of The Rocky Horror Picture Show...

This quick note is to say, no, I’m not ready but I’ll do it anyway, best I can. However, if you’re having second thoughts, here’s a few reasons why that may not be a bad thing, thanks to Janice Hardy’s Fiction University:

With the mad dash to 50,000 words starting tomorrow, many writers are spending today’s writing session doing last-minute prep work for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWiNo).

But some of you might still be deciding if you want to do NaNo at all. With so many “Planning for NaNo” articles out there (some written by me), I thought it might be nice to play Devil’s Advocate and share some reasons why it might not be a good idea to do NaNo.

Read more at Fiction University. You should be following Janice anyway, but in case…

Best Luck to you, whether you dive into the crystal clear waters of NaNo, or some other lagoon of your choice.

Friday, October 21, 2016

A Brief Update, Then Ready for NaNoWriMo

I’ve pulled Nursing Girls from the earlier posts and stuffed them back in the crooks and nannies of my hard drive. If somehow you missed it and want to read it still, a brief email with your return email will suffice.

Obviously, my free books in August were not contingent on anything, but if you took advantage, a review would be appreciated. Thanks.


Since Nursing Girls was posted, I've been to Naples, Italy, for ten days (plus recovery time!), edited and formatted a monthly web serial for a dear friend (five issues so far), done some reading and tried to keep up with the news and events, and of course, the upcoming elections, which can't come too soon! Beyond that, I'll say I plan to vote, I hope you do likewise if you're in the US, and we'll say no more about that.

Because of my lack of focus recently, I have three WIPs under way. Four if you count the photo essay I’m doing of our trip to Naples. (Oh yeah, we had a great time!) I hope to use my 50 000 NaNo words to make a significant advance on the stories. The three are Mark My Dance Card; Low Places, and Dragons Run My Life. The first two are Mercenaries Stories, staring Beckie, Ian and their crew; the last is a fantasy that I hope will be fun to read. So far, it’s been fun to write.

Info I added to the NaNo website for them:
Mark My Dance Card is a rewritten Princess, which went by the wayside when Brexit happened. The plot I'd envisioned for Princess didn't work very well in the new non-EU England, so Beckie and crew are investigating two disappearances, three friends, and an oil tanker.

Low Places is planned to be shorter, following Beckie as she attempts to protect the family of a Mexican prosecutor about to try a drug trafficker. For his part, the drug lord intends never to come to trial.

Dragons Run My Life is a step into fantasy, not yet well fleshed out. The concept is simple: The princess is killed. Tanial is a ringer for the princess: red hair, freckles and all. The soldier responsible for the princess seeks Tanial as a replacement. Their goal becomes wrangling Tanial out of the prearranged marriage waiting for her.

Between the three, today I have a total of about 40 000 words. I’m planning for a total of 200 000 words, so NaNo should leave me in good shape, assuming the muse doesn’t go on vacation!

If you also plan to do NaNo, good luck and sprint! As always, comments are welcome.