Oklahoma

done

2009-08-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

I thought it was going to be 13 chapters in 13 days.

It was 22 chapters in 11 days.

That and so much more. But had I KNOWN how much more, I might not have written it.

Sometimes it's really best for the left hand to not know what the right is doing...

Gotta process this, and I will, then I'll come back here for a wrap-up.

Thank goodness Bob's cooking tonight! That's all I can say...

Today's word count- 3,587
Total word count- 55, 933

busy day

2009-08-29T20:29:00.001-07:00

But work is done, and dirt is lying all over my front yard.

New pipes are in place, as are more words. So far, all is okay.

I still need to make my bed, having washed the sheets. And my football team won, at the last minute.

But this story... Not turning out at all like I thought. Not sure how that happened, but the end is very changed. I suppose I have to smile, because it's how it is. Different, so different. This doesn't happen often. In fact, I think this is the most one story has altered.

But it's feeling good, and nearly completed. I think. Maybe.

Or maybe not...

Today's word count- 11,482 (split between four chapters)

getting things sorted

2009-08-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

Got a lot accomplished today, including what I had planned that was sort of pedantic.

Over dinner with Bob and Jay, I wrote two small pages, and I think there's more direction. But now I wonder if it will overshadow the end.

Well, I worry about that soon enough. At least for tomorrow, I know what's coming.

Writing this story has been far more than I expected. And I LOVE it when that happens.

It takes a lot of energy, but the feeling is so amazing, like what I'm doing actually means something.

Maybe, someday, it will...

Today's word count- 9,795 (split between four chapters)

ready for bed

2009-08-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

And I nearly forgot to read this aloud! Been done since before lunch, but only now did I remember that last bit.

Some good work, and I know more the direction. Whew!

Today's word count- 5,130 (split between two chapters)

big three

2009-08-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

Completed a trio today, a hat trick of sorts. Still much to write, but this was a productive day.

I wish I could truly express how it feels, but it happens so fast that I'm barely able to keep up with the typing.

Then, it's done, and here, so many hours later, I blog about it. About setting down words, phrases, so much.

And tomorrow I will do it again.

Today's word count- 6,486 (split between three chapters)

writing about sex

2009-08-25T17:49:00.000-07:00

Two chapters today, both with sex included.

Which might seem silly to annotate. But I feel it important, in that the sex brings about deep changes for Kaeton and Jill, reinforcing their similarities and differences.

There's the giggle factor in writing a sex scene, in that how in depth is it taken, how literal? How much is physical or emotional?

Anyways, I wrote two chapters, about sex, drive-in movies, smoking, pregnancy, the future. All rolled into less than 5,000 words.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring...

Today's word count- 4,938 (split between two chapters)

one day's break

2009-08-24T13:54:00.000-07:00

And all is back to normal. However, while I love my youngest daughter, her TV habits aren't conducive to writing. No Desperate Housewives in the background for me tomorrow!

With that, I did hear some nice jazz today, Ornette Coleman and Wes Montgomery. The story is coming along, yet another extra chapter today, so maybe this story might top out over 50K. But the chapters are short, in the 2,000 word range. A short story with simple chapters. About all I can sort right now.

Lots going on, but it will all be seen to, in one manner or another. Then tomorrow my girl goes back to school, routine established. I started walking today too, something else to squeeze in.

One day at a time...

Today's word count- 2,660

no title

2009-08-22T16:41:00.001-07:00

Feeling sort of blah... Not sure why. Hormones, little sleep, overload from yesterday, just one of those days.

Today's word count- 4,226 (split between two chapters)

a day I'm glad is nearly over

2009-08-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

Today we spent money on something there was no way to avoid.

We had to hire a plumber.

We have pipes full of roots.

After a long day without a toilet, we have one working again. Two in fact.

But it's nearly 6 PM, and Bob's yet to get a shower.

One of those days that you feel the angst wrapped around your throat, wondering just how much money will be spent, how long will the work take, will it be enough?

I'm not going to dwell on it because it's over, done with. For all intents and purposes, our plumbing troubles are done today.

What happens tomorrow I will deal with then.

Oh yeah, the writing...

It did happen, and not as I planned. Today's chapter was one I'd not anticipated, but as I wrote, it just turned into what it did. So now I'm up to fourteen chapters in the outline, and maybe more.

Again, not anything over which I'm going to fuss. It will be what it will.

Like my septic system. Just how it goes...

Today's word count- 2,107

Benjamin Button

2009-08-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

Was on this afternoon, when the girls were here. One mine, one by proxy. The proxy of being the best friend of my daughter.

Jay and Kay have been in each other's back pocket recently, and Kay's a good girl. Somewhat rowdy, but nice to have around. Like Kaeton and Ben, close are Jay and Kay, tight, and right now they're out, but later, when they return, the movie will too.

It's okay; I've not seen it before. An old, wizened baby was not appealing, but I only caught one glimpse, then averted my eyes. I'm kind of squeamish.

The words are flowing, and while I was going to only write one chapter a day, I have a road trip on Sunday. One day will have double duty. Not like jury duty, which is good. I'll sort that when the opportunity makes itself known.

For now, it's a simple story, nothing overly taxing. Only a loose idea of the plot, which is nice. Especially since the words are coming by the bucket loads as of late. Nothing to do but type, type, type.

Today's word count- 2,387

first day

2009-08-19T14:04:00.001-07:00

But not of the month. Of this story, more like a novella or young adult novel.

And already things are different. For starters, I spent at least half an hour, more like forty-five minutes, doing some research. Then the writing began, and as I had only typed maybe five lines, I was already correcting mistypings.

I NEVER DO THAT.

I always wait until that day's work is written, THEN I go back and remove the red marks, most green ones too. All but the fragments I want to stay. But today, scene by scene, those red marks disappeared...

That was weird. Like writing not on the first is some out of body experience by another person. Am I another writer when it doesn't start on the first?

We'll see next month, as a project is all set to begin on 1 September. We will see...

Otherwise it was good. Not sure if it's more for young adults, and if so, it will be my first step in that direction. The MC's are all twenty, won't age more than 23. I have NO idea what the criteria is, but I do know this won't be longer than 50K. Just an entry in the year of writing, dangerously.

And on that note, the first day's work for this novel is complete. Now I have editing to do, a baby blanket to crochet, some water to drink.

Maybe even another cup of tea...

Today's word count- 3,148

in a mood

2009-08-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

To blog. Because there isn't anything else pressing but listening to music and I can't edit and listen to tunes except for John Coltrane or Wes Montgomery.

And right now I've got The Raconteurs going. Not conducive to real work.

But blogging about all this is meaningful too. So Oklahoma, you say...

The tunes for that are on my phone as my five year old ipod is not compatible with any of our PC's or laptops at the moment. But my phone is a handy device, good for everything (well, many things). I'll be listening to those songs coming back tomorrow from Thea's (hopefully that and not jury duty), getting last minute bits sorted. The very next day I start writing.

I've never started a book in the middle of the month. That sounds terrible anal, but the truth. Since November 2006, it's been a NANO kind of deal. Start on the first of the month (any month) and write. However the nineteenth works too, a Wednesday, and hopefully thirteen days later I'll have a manuscript.

Or that's the plan. I know very little else right now. Other than I'll be eating a bagel with cream cheese in a bit, cheesecake later.

I love cheesecake!

no way out

2009-08-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

Like more than a few of my stories, this one is going to written up quite soon after the initial conception. Others that follow that path are New Year's Eve, Alvin's Farm, Through the Glass.

This idea came to me on the thirteenth of this month; writing will commence the on nineteenth. Not a huge outline, other than chapter titles, which is very much NYE and AF. TTG was outlined within an inch of its little life.

This story is the second in A Year of Writing, Dangerously, what I'm terming the next eleven and a half months of my life. What my diary covers, an academic planner from Thea's college. Maybe next year I'll splurge and get some Filofax refills, but this year it was too late and I'm so used to being on an academic schedule (all those years of having kids at home) that an actual year cycle just wasn't in the cards.

Besides, I'd be lost for the next four months without the calendar. And now I have one, and this idea and there is time.

A chapter a day, not overly hurried, just one chapter. Thirteen of them, to finish on the last day of August.

I'll return here on Wednesday, if not before...

it's so often the music

2009-08-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

How does that happen? I really don't know, am just not sure.

But it is, and here this is, all because of one song, Oklahoma, by The Call.

and the MC's name?

Caten, from the silly thing where you type in letters to confirm you're not a computer.

What is that called???