I Won NaNoWriMo 2013

Well, I did it. I didn't think I would, but I did. I think it was because I had a story I really enjoyed this year. Like really enjoyed. The words just flowed out of me. At my peak I was averaging 1k words in 30 minutes. I did all of my writing while the baby was taking naps, playing on the floor, and in bed. I sacrificed a lot of extra sleep this month in order to get this story written.  I still have 2-3 chapters left to write, though, before I can consider the story completed, but as my friends beta each chapter, I can focus on finishing the story.

I will be publishing the story after the holidays on AO3 and Fanficition.net, so if you're fanfic readers, you should keep an eye on my author's page. (www.fanfiction.net/~beatlechicksteph)

And for those of you who have been curious about what exactly I'm writing, I've decided to hell with people making fun of me, I'll just put what I'm writing. So, here's the temporary blurb to go along with the story:

After the war, Hermione decided that getting as far away from England was what was best for her health. Settling down in a small New England town, she thought her life had finally become normal, then one day she is almost abducted by a homeless man, and she was rescued by a man named Dean Winchester.  Who is he, and why can't she just let him move on?

(I know, terrible blurb, I'll be fixing it)

NaNoWriMo 2013 - the beginning

Well, I'm doing it. I'm writing this year. I'm actually really excited about my story this year. Like really excited. I have 7 chapters outlined, and I'm a little over one chapter in, and I'm already past 5k words!  The biggest challenge I have this year is trying to write with a 5 month old around. I've found that I get all of my writing done while he is sleeping.  Today I was able to write about 3k words!!  All during naptime! I'm really impressed with myself.

This year I don't think I'll be telling the plot of my story, or share anything. My husband told me not to, because I'm writing fanfiction, and that y'all will make fun of me. So I'll just say, I'm writing fanfiction, in a really obscure category, with a really obscure pairing, and oh my goodness, is it fun!

Word Count Day 3: 5347/50000

Camp Nano Day 18

*Waves* Writing is hard when you're sleepy all the time. As I'm nearing the end of this pregnancy I've been busy trying to prepare things so that the baby will have a place to sleep when he's born, and also I've been sleeping whenever I can.

I wrote about 2k words today.  Which is the entirety of Chapter 2.  Considering I want to write 10 chapters before the end of the month, I need to get a move on and at least write a chapter a day.

Here's an excerpt of chapter 2:

    Evelyn rolled her eyes and dropped the duffel bag on the ground. She shrugged out of her backpack, and pulled out a notebook. She scribbled some information on a piece of paper and then replaced the notebook and backpack to their rightful places. She pushed the bag toward the man with her foot, and then shoved the piece of paper into the man’s abnormally large hand.

He looked at the paper before looking back at Evelyn. “Alright, Miss Evelyn Stevenson. I’ll make sure that you get your bag. Thank you for your cooperation. You may be on your way.”

Evelyn raised her eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. Instead, she moved around him, opening the door, ready to head toward the ticketing counter to rebook her flight.

She had just opened the door to the closet and taken one step outside, before she felt a tug on her backpack and she was dragged back into the closet, the door slamming in her face.

“What the hell?” She exclaimed whipping around to face her abductor.

“Change of plans, love. You’re going to have to stick with me. I’ll just take you to the solicitor's office, and we’ll find a way for you to go on your merry way after that.”

“Excuse me?” Evelyn exclaimed. “I’m not going anywhere with you. Who do you think I am? I don’t just leave airports with strangers. You said I could leave if I gave you the bag. I gave you the bag. Now let me go.”

The man sighed. “Look, I would love to just send you on your way right now, and have you off of my hands. The last thing I want right now is to babysit some American chit. However, standing right outside that door are two members of the Fitzgerald gang. I can’t in good faith let you walk out there and get taken by those men, because they certainly won’t be as nice as I am.”

“Wait, I’m confused. Why would some gang want to take me?”

“Because they probably think you’re Megan. It’s the only explanation I can think of why they’re staked out in front of this door.”

Evelyn shook her head. “Wait, Megan is wanted by a gang? I really don’t understand what’s going on here.”

“Look, I don’t have time to explain. I’ll just tell you that I’m a private detective here in London, and I was sent here to collect Megan. Instead I found you. Now the gang thinks you’re Megan. The only solution is for me to take you to my connection at the solicitor’s office and we’ll figure out where to go from there,” he explained.

“No,” Evelyn said.

“No? What do you mean, ‘no’?”

“I mean, no, I’m not going with you, I’m going to walk out that door and go to ticketing, and get on my flight to Athens. I have no intention on staying here any longer than necessary.”

“Didn’t you hear anything I said? Those men are no good, love. They’re not going to just let you waltz on by.”

“Then I’ll just calmly explain that I’m not the girl they’re looking for.”

Evelyn didn’t give the detective any chance to respond. She just turned on her heel, flung the door open, and walked out into the busy airport.

Word Count: 4640/15000

Camp NaNoWriMo Day 4

Looks like I'm going to have writing success on even days, and writing failure on odd days.

Even though it's still early on Day 4, I've hit my goal, but I'm sure I'll write more later.  If I do, I'll write another blog post.

Just finished the first chapter of the novel, which means my action is beginning to start.

I'm really excited about this novel, and I find my words just flowing out.  I may try and get a good start on Chapter 2 today.

Here's an excerpt:

     She picked up her bag and began walking toward the transfer station. She shifted the bag on her shoulder, and frowned. That was odd. The bag didn’t feel the same as it had before. She looked down at the bag, her frown deepening. This was not her bag. Her bag was this exact same brand and model, but was black with purple trim. The bag she was currently holding was black with blue trim.

“Fuck,” she muttered under her breath. She looked in the direction she should be going in, and then back in the direction the girl with her bag rushed off in. She began weighing her options, and then realized that her bag had all of her research books in it for her thesis. She needed that bag. And if that woman realized she had the wrong bag, she would probably turn it in in this terminal.

She glanced at her watch, and realized she would be missing her connecting flight, so she might as well visit the ticketing counter in this terminal as well after she dealt with this bag switch situation. She sighed and began heading in the opposite direction.

“Excuse me,” she asked a random person. “Do you know if there’s an information desk, or a lost and found anywhere close by?”

“Yes, keep heading in this direction, and the terminal will open up into an atrium, you’ll find a security desk there, they’ll be able to help you.”

“Thank you,” Evelyn smiled, and began heading in the direction the Samaritan had pointed.

She reached the atrium, and was immediately overwhelmed by how busy it was in there. It appeared that everything she needed was a level below her. She glanced down at the bottom floor and could see all the different restaurants and shops down below. The lower level was bustling with people as well. In the center, there was a circular counter area marked, “Information.” That must be where she needed to go.

She descended on the escalator, and began weaving her way through the crowds of people toward the kiosk. She could see the counter and began slowing her pace.

Just as the kiosk was within her sight, she found herself getting grabbed from behind.

“What the…” she was cut off by a large hand clamping down over her mouth. She began to panic, as whoever had a hold of her began dragging her in the opposite direction of the kiosk.

She tried to get away, but whoever had her was strong, and the arm wrapped around her upper body and holding onto her mouth was gripped tightly. She mentally cursed the fact that her pepper spray was in her checked luggage, probably on its way to Athens. She tried to plant her feet, to slow down her abductor, but it didn’t matter. He was too strong.

Her eyes darted around, hoping someone would notice her abduction and stop it, but everyone was too engrossed in their travels, that no one was even glancing her way. She reached her hands up in a feeble attempt to pry the hand away, but it, too was fruitless.

Just as visions of being sent into the sex slave trade began to fly through her head, they stopped. She screwed her eyes together in confusion, before they moved again, entering a dark room, the abductor closing the door behind them, locking them in together. Her panic returned.

Word Count: 2222/15000

Camp NaNo Day 2

Day 1 was a bust. I worked all day, and was too tired to write.  Day 2, however, was a success!

I have ten chapters of my novel completely outlined.  So all I have to do is take that outline and translate it into actual plot.  This is proving to be a successful way for me to novel.  I'm finding the words flowing out of me much better than they were in November.  It might also be because I'm in love with my novel this time around, and I'm genuinely excited about working on it.

Excerpt:

    Evelyn leaned forward and wrapped her mom in big hug. “You know I’ll be fine. I have pepper spray in my checked luggage, and as soon as I’m reunited with it, I’ll put it in my pocket. I’ll be fine, I promise. I’ll check in with you every day through e-mail, and call at least once a week.”

Her mom sighed, and squeezed Evelyn to her tightly. “I know, I know. Just let your mother worry, okay?”

Evelyn laughed. “Okay, I’ll let you worry, just don’t worry too much, okay?”

Her mom laughed, “Okay.”

Evelyn pulled away, and glanced at her watch. “Oh wow, I have about forty minutes until my flight. I better work my way through security, and get to my gate.”

Tears filled her eyes as she looked at her parents. She forced a smile on her face and leaned forward and gave each of them a hug. She pulled away, to see that they, too, had tears in their eyes. She reached up, and wiped at her eyes.

“Stop it,” she said, giving a watery smile. “I’ll be home in three months. That’s nothing. The time will just fly by.”

Her dad smiled. “You’re right. We won’t even notice you’re gone.”

Evelyn laughed. “Of course you will, who will leave piles of research lying all over the house for mom to yell at?”

“I guess, I’ll have to pick up the slack in that department,” he said with a laugh.

Evelyn gave them each another quick hug. “I love you both, and you know I’ll miss you terribly.”

“We know sweetheart, we love you too, and I bet we’ll miss you more,” her mom replied.

Evelyn stepped back one more time and took a deep breath. “Okay, I better go now, or I’ll never leave.”

She picked up her duffel bag from where she had laid it at her feet, and walked in the direction of the escalators that would take her up to security and eventually her gate. As she ascended, she took one last look at her parents, and gave them a small wave, before she couldn’t see them anymore. Her adventure had officially begun.

Word Count: 1269/15000

Camp NaNoWriMo

Okay, so my foray into NaNoWriMo failed this last November.  I was in my first trimester, I was exhausted, and I just didn't love my novel, so I gave up.  Now, in just 2 weeks, April will be here, along with the first session of Camp NaNo.

After lots of debating, I decided that I'm going to participate.  I'm in my third trimester, and it may be my last real chance to sit and write for a while.  The best part of Camp NaNo? Flexible word count!  I don't have to write 50,000 words! I can set a much more manageable goal.  So I picked 15,000 words. That's where I was when I quit NaNo in November.

I've also been working on a novel since January. I have a complete skeleton of the novel, and I have 5 chapters intricately detailed out.  I also have a first draft.  I'm re-writing, not editing, but completely rewriting the novel I wrote for NaNo 2010, "Mistaken Identity."

Here is the synopsis:

Evelyn Stevenson, a graduate student in history at Iowa State University, is on her way to participate in an archaeological dig in Greece.  She has never been away from home, so she's looking forward to this adventure. However, a mishap during her layover in London, has changed those plans.  Her life is now in danger, and the only person who can help her is the mysterious private detective she has run into.

Patrick Moore is a private detective in London. He's been hot on the trail of notorious crime family, The Fitzgerald's.  He's out for revenge, and focused on his goal.  Rescuing American Evelyn from the airport was not in the plans.  Will he allow this woman to get under his hard heart, or is he too focused on revenge to think of anything else? 

Well, there you have it.  Just like in November, I'll post excerpts of what I write each day.  I've worked really hard on this novel, and I'm very proud of it.  I'm really thinking this will be THE novel.  The one I try and get published.