I Won Again!

The book is called, Hidden Temple to the Lost Gods.  It's a horror novel.

This was by far the easiest one to actually finish and I got to 50,000 words earlier than any previous attempt.  I was actually within 350 words on Wednesday, 27 Nov 13, but some of that was an outline I wrote after the beginning of November and when I pulled it out it was almost a thousand words.  I made those up and added the last bit.

I thought I would end up with more of a novel "kit."  A collection of unlinked chapters or scenes with instructions on how to put them together and what needed to be added to connect them.  That's not quite what I have.  This has a beginning, middle and an end.  Some of the characters need to be built up, and some switched up in their roles, but it is mostly in there in sloppy, ugly, unreadable first draft.

I only hope I can focus long enough and hard enough to get it fixed up enough to send it out to publishers.  That will have to wait for another month.

Backwards My Novel Is Being Written

Scary how my eyes line up

I'm going to hate myself later.  I normally plot all this stuff out and have a detailed outline before I start to write.  I normally know just where I want to go and pretty much the route I want to take to get there well ahead of time.  It's the small details I leave for the writing, usually.  Plan first, write later.

Not this time around.

I have no plot, no protagonist.  I'm just letting them go and hoping to sort it out later.  I don't know if it will work.

This is the fun part.  Figuring it out later will be not as much fun.  I'm eating desert first and leaving the dreaded brussel sprouts for later.

Things are going well, I'm keeping up with the word count, but there are a lot of notes to my future self on what to do where.

I'm throwing stuff down, tossing stuff out all over the place.  I didn't put down ground clothes and tape carefully around the windows and trim.  I'm slopping it all over and leaving the clean  up for my later self.

I'm sorry later self, I really am.  I'll make it up to you, promise.

Combat Pole/Poll? and Happy Veterans' Day!

National Guard Bird holding some poles for me
from Wikipedia

Happy Veterans' Day and thank you to all my vet family, friends and their families.

The last poll was the most successful of all.  There were nine votes (I hesitate to say nine people voted because this is Chicago).

Spiders and Other were tied for scariest things with three each.  Maybe it was the unknown factor of "Other" that played in.  Based on comments I think I know what two of the others were.

Tied for second place were The Dentist, Heights and The Dark.  I could make a joke about going to the dentist on Mount Everest at night, but somehow it seems like it would be an old joke.

I want to start a new poll and this being Veterans' Day I wanted to ask on this blog the question I've been asking myself ever since I got back from Afghanistan:  which should I join, the American Legion or the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Both are fine organizations that I would feel proud to join and that I would like to support, but I don't want to join both.  If I had to chose one which one?

I think I've been sitting on the fence too long.  The longer I take to

decide the longer both of them don't get my support as a member.

Questions I ask myself about the organizations that are relevant to me, and the answers to which (or your opinions on the answers) you my readers may be able to provide.

Which is more supportive of the BSA?
Which has political views more in line with my own?
Which has nicer hats?
Which is older, has a more proud history?
Which would look better on a resume / help more with networking?
Which would benefit more from my membership?
Who do I know that is in the VFW or the Legion?
Which has more famous members / alumni?

In my town the VFW and Legion meet in the same storefront office.  Most members are the same.

I like that the VFW is for combat vets only, point there.

The Legion gave an award to my eldest daughter a few years ago for a paper she wrote, so they have a point there.

I know that the VFW has it's origins in the the Spanish American War and the Philippine-American War.  That is a strike against it.  I'm not proud of either of those wars.

Please help me decide.

NaNo Birthday

Enjoying one of the
best BDay presents ever

It's my birthday and NaNoWriMo is going along exactly according to plan (Muhahahahahaha).

Should I take the day off of writing to enjoy or should I get cake all over the keyboard?

Let me know.

BTW, I labeled this "Holiday" because I firmly believe that someday this day will be celebrated as a holiday (at least it will be in some country I make up and/or on some ConWorld I create).

Enjoy the day!

NaNo Begins, Kαλό μήνα!

For better or worse, I've started.  I don't have a full outline yet.  I'm attacking it as a discovery writer.

Hope it works.  Wish me luck.

NaNoWriMo 2013 Final Prep Post - Da Outline!

Props to "Prop"

Well, it's finally here.  My last chance, the final day before the madness begins.  I've got my hardware all set up and whether or not I'm ready, it's time to go.

One last thing.  Here is the outline for Temple of the Lost Gods.  There are parts missing, but that to to protect the innocent from spoilers.  The outline is complete I assure you...

trust me.

I failed.  I had set aside time to write this last night and some things changed.  I was unable to write this and unable to write my outline.  I will have to write my outline and synopsises in such a way that I will be able to incorporate them into the novel itself and use them in my word count.  I will try to post them here as I do them.