Failure/Success

This November has been a time of both failure and success. Although there are still three days of November left, I have called it quits. I reached the end of my novel, and have no more words to write. Even after attempting to fill in more of the story, I could not reach the world goal. So, while I did finish my novel, I failed to reach the 50,000 word goal of the month, and the end of November marks a time of mixed triumph and failure.

I never knew that both could exist together so peacefully.

Thank you for accompanying me on my journey this year, readers. I will continue to update my blog on a (hopefully) regular basis. In fact, I am about to embark upon a new adventure. I have decided that, in order to keep myself writing every day until next November, I will attempt to write one thousand words a day, following daily photo writing prompts. This will be my daily writing practice. Practice makes perfect, readers. Always remember that. Starting on December 1st, I will begin, and hopefully continue my writing on a/n (almost) daily basis.

If I do skip a day or two, forgive me.

- Aimee

Day Twenty-Two

Word count - 41,443

My word count has gone up by maybe 1,000 words since I last updated. I've written such a small amount in the last day or so, it's a little sad. Here I am, nearly done, and I can't seem to get any more words out! Plus, I'm not even sure if my plot will fill up the 50,000 words required to win.

Funny, I seem to remember having the same complaint last year around this time.

I really hope that I can manage to write another 8,557 words without ending my book. If I do reach the end, I guess I'll just have to go back and throw in some filler scenes that I may have forgotten along the way! The urge to put in a smiley is almost overwhelming, so here you have it, readers: =D

Now, I'd better get going so I can write at least a little bit today. I'm all done with my homework for the day (including my final Psychology paper that's not due until the ninth or something?) and now I have nearly all day to write! Good luck to all my readers who are participating in NaNoWriMo! We're nearly in the last week!

- Aimee

Day Twenty

Word count - 39,399

I'm so close to 40,000, it's not even funny. But I can't seem to get there. Only a few hundred words to go, and they just won't come! It's all because my stupid MC had to do something stupid.

On the plus side, I made a visit to the Department of Redundancy Department last night with the sentence: "Overwhelmed by an overwhelming feeling..." How fascinating, the overwhelming feeling overwhelmed her! I shall have to examine that statement more closely just to see how overwhelming one might find an overwhelming feeling that overwhelmed her.

I had to laugh when I wrote that sentence last night, but I was not too half asleep to catch it and correct it. My inner editor is pretty quiet this time of year, but when I make such a glaringly obviously mistake, I can't help fixing it, no matter how funny it is.

Right now, before I try to do any more writing, I have to do some research for a paper I plan on writing tomorrow. I have to research Anti-Social Personality Disorder, which I believe is the disorder The Joker suffers from. Even though no one ever says exactly what The Joker's problem is, I'm pretty sure that's it. I just have to do a little research so I can back up my opinion. After that, I will try to at least break 40,000 words. Wish me luck, Readers! And expect my next update soon. If not tomorrow then at least in the next few days!

- Aimee

Day Seventeen

Word count - 35,995

Welp, I've written very little today. I don't know why, but I've had trouble getting any words written. They're all stuck in my head somewhere, and they just refuse to come out!

On the plus side, I love it when small characters I never intended to be important turns into an important character. My character Jesse has turned from an unimportant character I threw in just for the heck of it, into a potential villain! I really have no idea who his character is going to turn into. He has the potential to go either way, so I guess I'll just have to see how this goes.

The Christmas season has started once again. Honestly, I turn into a bit of a Scrooge during the first MONTH of the Christmas season. When I have to put up with Christmas carols, and decorations, and all the commercialism of the holiday season every day after the first of November, I get a little cranky. I mean, what happened to Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. What's not to like about Thanksgiving? I mean, there's food, family, and thanks to be given! I guess the main reason I dislike the Christmas season is because it just sort of swallows up my favorite holiday. But once the actual holiday Christmas comes around, I tend to shed my Scrooginess.

This year, give Thanksgiving some love, and hold off your Christmas commercialism until at least December.

Thank you.

- Aimee

Day Sixteen

Word count - 34,131

I'm so close to finishing, I can nearly taste the victory. But at the same time, my plot has so much further to go, I highly doubt that it will fit within 50,000 words. So I won't worry about fitting it in. I won't worry about finishing my novel at 50,000. I'm ahead of schedule, so I ought to be able to finish the entire story by the end of the month.

My villain is busy being villainous right now. With his agenda revealed (to the readers, at least), he has only to reveal to the world what he plans to do. People will object, at first. Radical groups of rebels will fight back against his regime of terror. But in the long run, he'll succeed. Or will he?

I'm having a lot of fun planning out what will happen with my villain. Villain's are always so fun to write for. Their evil plans are fun to come up with, and planning their next move is cool.

Anyway, I'd best get back to writing. I'm not planning on doing a lot of writing tomorrow, since I have to teach and take piano lessons, and then do a lot of homework. I have a test to study for.

- Aimee

Day Fourteen

Word count - 30,209

That's right, readers. I'm only 20,000 words away from the goal! Even though I'm hoping to have a little more than 50,000 this year (since last year I won with 51,000) I'm still nearly to the point of winning. Unfortunately, I've come up against another wall. Last night I burst through the last wall in a triumphant blast of gunpowder and words, only to find myself face-to-face with another wall! This wall is proving more resilient to my bombs, shovels and pick-axes. I'll need to rethink my plans in order to get through/over/around/under this wall.

I did just have a spark of inspiration, regarding an event that happens somewhere along the line. I have a new villain, hehe. At least, I think he's a villain. He's more a misguided, confused young adult who's just looking to be appreciated. But he ends up in with the wrong people. I'm not sure how his story will end, but I know how it begins.

It's funny, because he is a character that was not originally intended to be important. Funny how those things work out.

I'll keep you posted on this guy's status as villain/whatever he may be.

- Aimee

I know that several of my readers are not people I know personally. But even the readers who do know me in real life will probably not know the small tidbit of personal information I am going to reveal tonight.

The making of friendships has always been an act I have failed at, repeatedly. In my life I have been introduced to many, many people. And yet only a few have I truly felt I could call friend. That is why it is so nice to be reminded that I do, in fact, have friends. And many of them are people I would never have imagined myself calling friend some day. That's the beauty of friendship, though, isn't it? Taking two unsuspecting people, and suddenly crossing their paths so that they meet, and unwittingly become friends. Friendships are made through experiences shared between two people, and it is just that that makes my friendships (the ones I have formed through the years) meaningful. I could call anyone 'friend'. I could know everything about this 'friend', and yet if we had not shared any experiences, on what would the 'friendship' be founded?

I may not have a lot of friends (comparatively) but the friends I do have are a huge blessing. I would be nothing without my friends (or the reason I have my friends. You know who you are!), and without them, I would probably not be the person I am today.

Friendship is special. Some friendships may not last forever; some 'friends' may turn out to be your worst enemies. But the friendships that last are one of the greatest treasure man-kind can posses.

Readers, never underestimate the value of a friend.

- Aimee

Day Twelve

Word count - 25,884

I did absolutely no writing today. I spent most of my day doing homework. I wrote a short paper for extra credit in Geography, did almost half of the assignment that's due in the same class in a few weeks, and read some history. I also cleaned the fridge, my room, and the bathroom. After that, I picked my mom up from work, and as soon as I got home I was picked up for D and D. Today has been a very busy day. In fact, I feel this poem reflects my day very well.

Today is very boring,
it’s a very boring day,
there is nothing much to look at,
there is nothing much to say,
there’s a peacock on my sneakers,
there’s a penguin on my head,
there’s a dormouse on my doorstep,
I am going back to bed.

Today is very boring,
it is boring through and through,
there is absolutely nothing
that I think I want to do,
I see giants riding rhinos,
and an ogre with a sword,
there’s a dragon blowing smoke rings,
I am positively bored.

Today is very boring,
I can hardly help but yawn,
there’s a flying saucer landing
in the middle of my lawn,
a volcano just erupted
less than half a mile away,
and I think I felt an earthquake,
it’s a very boring day.

~ Jack Prelutsky

I love that poem. I remember hearing it read on that old kid's show Arthur. Does anyone remember that show? I used to love it!

It's nearly midnight, and I'm still at a friend's house. My thought process is fuzzy and slow; I can't seem to get over the terrible wall that has fallen into my path. Writer's block, my eternal foe, how dare you stand in my way? I shall draw my mighty sword, and smite thee. Thy fall shall be great, and thy misery complete. No other writer, nay not one, shall be subject to your tortuous ways. This, oh writer's block, is my promise to thee.

- Aimee

Day Eleven

Word count - 24,341

I skipped yesterday, didn't I?

That's okay. Today I have a little time before History class, so I'm taking time to update right now. I should be studying for my Geography test or something, but a few minutes to update my blog won't really matter.

So last night I was writing, just chugging along trying to reach the half-way mark, when all of a sudden I get to the point where I introduce a new character, Lewis, who is heavily based on a good friend of mine, and as I was trying to write what he said, and all I could hear was my friend's voice in my head. I couldn't help laughing, and that was the end of my writing adventures. I hadn't expected my friend's voice to throw me off so much, but it did, so I'm stuck at a point where I've just introduced a new character, and I can't write anything about him without cracking up. I'm hoping today I'll find it a little easier.

I watched Ramona and Beezus last night with my family. It was so cute! It was just like a books, and it brought me back to the years of my childhood when my mom would read those books out loud to us. I love those nostalgic trips to my past.

Anyway, my teacher will be here any minute, so I'm going to pretend I'm studying.

Happy Thursday!

- Aimee

Day Nine

Word count - 21,050

I can not believe how giggly I am. It probably has something to do with the ridiculously small amount of sleep I've gotten this week. For example, I almost just wrote "I can't not believe". I'm tired, and me and my sister have been giggling since earlier today when I began reading the Nanoisms (that's terribly hilarious typos and grammatical errors for any Readers who don't know the WriMo lingo) on the NaNoWriMo forum. I haven't laughed so hard in my life.

I even realized that I had a few of my own. My favorite one goes as follows:

She was happy to see him, but

And that's it. I have no idea where I meant to go after that! I obviously had an idea in my head at the time, but after going a few hours without writing, the idea left, and I'm stuck with a half-finished sentence that has lost the original inspiration. That's the worst place to be. But I left it alone, and continued the story. I hope I can finish that sentence eventually.

Other than that one sentence that I've left hanging, the story goes well. Exciting things are finally happening, and I can't wait to see where else my novel takes me.

Here's to the second week of NaNo!

- Aimee

Day Eight

Word Count - 17,009

Sorry about skipping yesterday and the day before, Readers. I didn't get a whole lot of writing done on Saturday, since I mostly worked on homework, and since I was not home later in the evening I didn't have time to update. But yesterday I did a lot of writing. I was very proud of my word count, and of what I wrote.

I'm not counting on getting much writing done today. I'm with my boyfriend, just hanging out and watching Castle. Cop shows are always amusing, but when you throw a mystery writer into the mix, they're just awesome!

So, my villain is developing nicely. He's a very interesting character to write. Villains are the most fun to write as it is, but when a villain turns out well, much better than you thought he would, it's a pleasure to write him.

- Aimee

Day Five

Word count - 12,426

My word count is slowly climbing, Readers. I'm very pleased with what I've written, and with how my plot is coming along. It's funny, I threw in two random characters that only play a very small part in the story (but are kind of necessary) and I based the look of both of them on people I know, and the idea of the second one on a person I know. I say the idea, because I did not take his personality, just... the idea of him. His demeanor, I guess you could say.

Is it weird to use the looks and demeanor of people I barely know in my novel? It's not like they'll ever realize they were the model. I did use one of my friend's names, intentionally. But not for the character based on him.

Anyway...

I didn't get as much writing done today as I would have liked. I stayed up way too late last night, and now I'm exhausted. Sleep sounds so good right now.

- Aimee

Day Four

Word count - OVER 9,000!!! 9,743 to be exact

That's right, Reader, my word count is nearly at 10,000! I've reached an interesting part in my plot. The only reason it's interesting is because Ember has stopped moping, and now nothing is really happening. I'm just waiting for Ember to get a job at the local bar/restaurant, so I can get her so stressed that she finally has a mental breakdown and cries her eyes out. Then she'll be good to go!

Even though my story's hit a slow spot, I'm excited about it. Things are going very well so far! I've hit no walls (in almost 10,000 words) which means I haven't wasted time digging, bombing, vaulting, or otherwise trying to get over, around or through the writer's block. Then again, I'm barely even a fifth of the way through. Supposedly the 30,000 word mark is supposed to be brutal. I don't remember if it was last year or not. Last year's WriMo is all kind of a blur. All I can remember is the fact that I went to Disneyland one day, and only wrote 300 words that day. That was a cool day.

So, I guess I'd better sign off. I may end up writing some more tonight, but it's not too likely. I'm hanging out with my boyfriend; we have a few hours before going to see the new movie Megamind at midnight. We're going with a bunch of people. (So far only five, for sure, though.)

Oh, before I go, I wanted to brag about something.

I don't think I told you (or maybe I did and just can't remember it) but I had to write an essay in class for my History class last Thursday. It was part of the exam. Well, I just got my results today, and guess how well I did, compared to my last score of 78? I got a 98!! I was very proud of myself when I found out; I guess I just needed that one practice essay to figure out exactly what my teacher wanted from our essays. And once I get that practice essay... I rock.

Thank you for dealing with my conceit, Reader.

Happy Thursday!

- Aimee

Excerpt

Time for you to read my excerpt, Readers! I figured I may as well share it with you, since I'm just sitting around waiting for my geography teacher to show up. Please keep in mind that it is very, very rough. Otherwise, enjoy!

London, England

Heavy clouds hung over the city; a thick fog clung to the buildings, and drizzling rain fell steadily. Inside an old, handsome building, a young, well-dressed man sat behind a desk. Two men, older and gray-haired, sat across from him. They were deep in discussion.

“I don’t understand your proposal, Stephen. Please, explain it again.” One of the older men leaned forward expectantly.

Stephen, the young, blond man, tried his best to keep from sighing in frustration. His proposal was of a somewhat delicate nature. To explain it again was to waste precious time that could have been spent convincing others to follow his plan. He already had many of the high officials in America on his side. He needed the support of the English to get his plan rolling.

“Once again, for Mr. Griffin.” He spoke slowly. “You have heard, of course, about Novo flu.”

Both men nodded the affirmative.

“What you have not heard, perhaps, is that the sickness changes its victims. Makes them... different.”

“Yes, yes,” Griffin nodded, gesturing impatiently. “You’ve already given us a fine demonstration with your girl, there.” He indicated a young girl standing silently in the shadowy corner of the room. Only a few minutes ago Stephen had displayed her power; she could understand and translate foreign languages perfectly, even though she could not speak them. The black-haired girl stood as though frozen in her place, her hands clasped behind her back, and her eyes down-cast.

Stephen waited a moment, gathering his thoughts, and then went on. “It has come to my attention that these... people may be very useful to us. Some of them have powers that are quite extraordinary. My associate in America told me of a girl who could change anything into pure silver. Imagine what we could do with a power like that! We could make use of these Deviants; put them to work.”

“You mean, slavery.” The second man said bluntly.

“If you like to think of it that way,” Stephen replied in a careful tone. “Personally, I look at it as a kind of economic salvation. With these Deviants working for us, we can do things we’ve never thought of before. We can heal wounds with a touch; cure sick minds with no more effort than it takes to sit and concentrate on something.” He sat back, throwing his arms wide. “We could rebuild the world; we could bend the very weather to our wills!”

Stephen stared at the two older men. His wide, brown eyes took in their expressions; they looked at one another, and nodded. Stephen, smiled, pleased. His idea was taking off.

Day Three

Word count - 8,903

Ahh, things are finally working out. I had to have a very stern talk with Ember, because she would not stop moping about David. She needs to just chill out, and get on with her life. And least for a few chapters. Nothing was happening, because she was just moping around and being all annoying. Well, no more! She and her friends just had an epic snowball fight, and that was enough to cheer her up. I hope she'll be a little more cheerful now. Otherwise we'll never get anywhere!

I honestly have no complaints right now. I got a little stuck earlier, but the snowball fight fixed everything. I used almost 1,000 words on that snowball fight. It was fun! Now Ember has to go find a job, though. It'll help. It won't be boring to write about. (I hope.)

I don't have a lot to say right now, Reader. Today was a semi-lazy day. I just had piano lessons, and that's it. No homework, no pressing obligations. All I did was write, after my piano lessons, of course. And I did tie up that loose end that was bothering me...

Being three days ahead of schedule, I am feeling very good about this year's novel!

- Aimee

Day Two

Word count - 6,926

I'm alternately proud, and ashamed. I managed to write more than a thousand words today while I was at school. Most of it was done in Psychology, the one class that I barely need to pay attention in. It's nice to know that I can write even when someone is talking in the background. Sometimes I do my best concentrating when I have background noise, such as the television, or my freakishly loud family. Other times, I need to be in complete solitude. Today was not one of those times, I guess.

I've been getting random bursts of inspiration all day. I've been considering whether or not to kill off a character or two, and if I do end up killing someone off, then who? My boyfriend suggested that I kill off David, saying that 'it would offer great character development for Ember!' But if David died, Ember would spiral into insanity. She would fall apart, and there would be no story anymore. So David will definitely NOT be dying. Not in my story, anyway. He'll probably die of old age just like the rest of us, eventually.

Now that I've passed the initial reintroducing my characters part, I'm enjoying my novel a lot. The characters are lovely, as I've come to expect, and so far my plot hasn't had too many holes. I decided I need to cut one character out completely, so I'm going to be doing some major editing to my first novel once November is over. And I forgot that the group had a big ol' Saint Bernard dog with them, so I'm going to have to figure that one out too. He'll probably show up unexpectedly, and I'll have to go back and fix the fact that I haven't mentioned him yet in the story. My plot holes have been easy to fix, so far.

Things are going quite well! I hope any pf you readers who are participating in NaNoWriMo are doing as well with your novels!

- Aimee

Day One

Word count - 4,991

November is off to a great start. I was up until nearly three in the morning, and wrote three thousand words between midnight and the time I went to bed. I'm expecting to write at least a few more thousand today. I'm glad I decided to keep as far ahead of my word count as possible. Some people think writing 1,667 words in a day is hard. I think it would be hard for me to stop myself from writing more than that!

So far, I'm pretty pleased with how things are going. I didn't anticipate that writing a sequel would be so difficult, but I've worked through the first part of reintroducing my characters, and now my plot is getting somewhere! It's so much fun, writing for characters who have developed in the last year. A lot of character development has occurred in just the week and a half or so that's passed between the first book and this one. My main character, Ember, is a lot sadder, a lot more sociable, and infinitely more reliable. She's learning to trust people, and think of them as friends. It's very nice to write for someone who's a little more... up-beat. Even though she's done nothing but mope since the book started. She'll be more cheerful later on, after she gets David back.

I'm sitting on the bed in the extra room in my boyfriend's house right now. It's mostly quiet, but I can hear voices downstairs; his mom, and one of his friends talking. I really ought to be writing, but honestly I'm having trouble concentrating right now. I'm very tired. Maybe I can jot down another thousand words or so in the next few hours.

I can't wait to see where this story takes my characters!

- Aimee