I'm satisfied with my effort for my first NaNoWriMo, and I wouldn't rule out trying again next year, maybe even with a partner or team, so that we could get together and write and cheer each other on, too. That would be great.
I do plan to continue to write a little bit every day until I finish the first draft of this story. I'll continue to post my word count, too.
“Give me a minute,” she said, returning to the cabin and dressing as silently as possible. As she slipped out the door to meet her brother, the sun was just rising, and the day promised to be hot...
...Claire narrowed her eyes. “Summer camp and pranks go together like baked beans and franks,” she said. “The trick is to never let it get personal.” She sighed. “Don’t worry, there’s a work order in for your door—it will probably be fixed before you get back from the survival campout.”
Word count: 16847
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
NaNoWriMo Day 29: Sunny Sunday
The weather was way too nice to stay inside today.
“How about worms in their beds?” Dana suggested. “That would be gross.”
Hannah laughed. “Yeah it would.”...
...“5:30,” he answered. “I need to go back to the meadow to see if there’s a trail or something, so I can make sure that the thing I hit last night is okay. Come with me?”
Word count: 16466
“How about worms in their beds?” Dana suggested. “That would be gross.”
Hannah laughed. “Yeah it would.”...
...“5:30,” he answered. “I need to go back to the meadow to see if there’s a trail or something, so I can make sure that the thing I hit last night is okay. Come with me?”
Word count: 16466
Saturday, November 28, 2009
NaNoWriMo Day 28: Pie Saturday
The apple is long gone, but the pumpkin, sweet potato, and pecan are still around for anyone who cares to begin or end a meal (or three) with pie.
Hannah and Dana went to the campfire for a little while, but their hearts were not in it. They sat alone on the quieter side of the ring and talked, their voices low.
“I hate to see Greg so upset,” said Dana. “It was an accident, though.”
“He’s really protective of animals,” Hannah explained. “At home he won’t even kill a spider; he scoops it up in a cup and puts it outside. He’s always been that way.”
“That’s sweet,” said Dana. “The world would be a better place if more people were as nice as he is. Hey! That reminds me, what are we going to do about Regina and her henchmen?”
“I haven’t really had much time to think about it today,” said Hannah. She looked around and found all three of them watching her and Dana intently from across the flames. Was it her imagination or did they look a little less arrogant than before? She wondered if her threats that morning had actually intimidated them, or if there was some other reason for this unexpected change.
Word count: 16002
Hannah and Dana went to the campfire for a little while, but their hearts were not in it. They sat alone on the quieter side of the ring and talked, their voices low.
“I hate to see Greg so upset,” said Dana. “It was an accident, though.”
“He’s really protective of animals,” Hannah explained. “At home he won’t even kill a spider; he scoops it up in a cup and puts it outside. He’s always been that way.”
“That’s sweet,” said Dana. “The world would be a better place if more people were as nice as he is. Hey! That reminds me, what are we going to do about Regina and her henchmen?”
“I haven’t really had much time to think about it today,” said Hannah. She looked around and found all three of them watching her and Dana intently from across the flames. Was it her imagination or did they look a little less arrogant than before? She wondered if her threats that morning had actually intimidated them, or if there was some other reason for this unexpected change.
Word count: 16002
Friday, November 27, 2009
NaNoWriMo Day 27: Black Friday
Not really. It's been a perfectly pleasant day with lots of family and food... except for the "ozones" Scrabble incident. That was a little dark and ugly. On the flip side, we learned that "bottlery" is a word (despite what my spell check is telling me right now). It means not a place where bottles are filled, but rather one where they are stored. Who knew?
“Isn’t everything better with ice cream?” Dana asked as she caught up with the group. “What’s happening?”...
...I just want to go back to my cabin,” he told her. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
Word count: 15824
“Isn’t everything better with ice cream?” Dana asked as she caught up with the group. “What’s happening?”...
...I just want to go back to my cabin,” he told her. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
Word count: 15824
Thursday, November 26, 2009
NaNoWriMo Day 26: Thanksgiving
I'm thankful for the 30% progress I have made. Now about those other 35,000 words...
Greg had fared much better, but he commiserated with Hannah on the way to wash up before dinner. “Who’s fault is this, Mom or Dad?” asked Hannah...
...“A la mode!” they said together. It was a silly routine that they did with their dad, but Hannah felt better knowing that when she was out in the woods, Greg would be there, too.
Word count: 15031
Greg had fared much better, but he commiserated with Hannah on the way to wash up before dinner. “Who’s fault is this, Mom or Dad?” asked Hannah...
...“A la mode!” they said together. It was a silly routine that they did with their dad, but Hannah felt better knowing that when she was out in the woods, Greg would be there, too.
Word count: 15031
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
NaNoWriMo Day 25: Soup Night
My family has a tradition of gathering for a meal of soup and salad the night before Thanksgiving. It's always a sweet and simple way to usher in a bountiful holiday season together, and tonight was no exception.
Hannah discovered that shooting a bow and arrow was a lot harder than it looked; there was nothing natural to her about trying to hold the arrow in place while drawing back the string, aiming, and then firing. She missed the target almost every time. Joe came over to her and suggested a different bow. She had chosen a long bow because it looked like the ones she had seen in movies like Robin Hood. Joe had given her a bow that was shaped like a bracket in a math problem; he called it a recurve and explained that it might be better for a beginner, but not even the new bow could help Hannah, and she spent a frustrating afternoon.
Word count: 14387
Hannah discovered that shooting a bow and arrow was a lot harder than it looked; there was nothing natural to her about trying to hold the arrow in place while drawing back the string, aiming, and then firing. She missed the target almost every time. Joe came over to her and suggested a different bow. She had chosen a long bow because it looked like the ones she had seen in movies like Robin Hood. Joe had given her a bow that was shaped like a bracket in a math problem; he called it a recurve and explained that it might be better for a beginner, but not even the new bow could help Hannah, and she spent a frustrating afternoon.
Word count: 14387
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
NaNoWriMo Day 24: Yeah I Should
I saw my former student Red today at school. I gave him the big thumbs up on his plan to try NaNoWriMo next year. That kind of thing really warms an English teacher's heart on a raw morning in November.
He smiled and said, "You know, you should really write a lot this weekend."
"You must be Hannah and Greg," Joe waved them over. He smiled but did not make eye contact. “Archery is a lot of fun,” he told the group, “but obviously there are some pretty strict safety rules. Even with these beginner bows and arrows, someone can get seriously injured unless everyone is careful.” ...
...“The most important thing is to never, never, never shoot at a person or any other living thing. Don’t even aim within 50 yards of them. In the event that someone or something breaches the safety zone, you will hear three short blasts of the whistle. At that time, shooting must stop immediately. We WILL practice this—it is as much or more important than hitting the target.”
Word count 14270
He smiled and said, "You know, you should really write a lot this weekend."
"You must be Hannah and Greg," Joe waved them over. He smiled but did not make eye contact. “Archery is a lot of fun,” he told the group, “but obviously there are some pretty strict safety rules. Even with these beginner bows and arrows, someone can get seriously injured unless everyone is careful.” ...
...“The most important thing is to never, never, never shoot at a person or any other living thing. Don’t even aim within 50 yards of them. In the event that someone or something breaches the safety zone, you will hear three short blasts of the whistle. At that time, shooting must stop immediately. We WILL practice this—it is as much or more important than hitting the target.”
Word count 14270
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)