25K and counting, baby

As if to make up for last night, I smoked tonight...broke 25K and I think I've finally figured out my hero and heroine, who were just stick figures being moved around for a lot of this process.

Tomorrow I will be sorry, because I think I burned every brain cell I have. But tonight...well, I'd drink some champagne or whisky, but I'm on antibiotics that would make such ill-advised. Just have to save that up for when I finish, I guess!

I broke NaNoWriMo

I just went to report today's pathetic word count--I'm at 21,881, which is more than respectable, but the amount that's today's work is sad indeed, for I was distractability lass. Got a lot of other things done, but not much writing.

The NaNoWriMo site crashed.

I broke NaNoWriMo with my sad failed efforts at writing tonight!

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NaNo Update

2935 words tonight, bringing me to 11,199.

And my hero finally deigned to make an appearance. Although I think Mr. Wrong may in fact be Hero #2. He just doesn't know he's a hero yet. He thinks he's just this guy. Hero #1 knows he's a hero, but big cats are like that.

I have had chocolate. Now I must give a massage and sleep.

Nanowrimo, day 2

Up to 8568 words, though I should round it down to 8560 to account for chapter headers.

It's already taking unexpected turns. And I haven't introduced the hero yet, which I really should remedy. I expect a good chunk of the first chapters will end up dispersed throughout the book, since some of it was me figuring out who the heck the heroine, the not-the-hero and the Mysterious Other Presence are and what their deals are.

So far, I'm pleased. Wish me luck.

Nanowrimo day 1

4,423 words on the new project, and not one bit of that is a sex scene, I'll have you know!

Not bad considering I'm still half sick and took migraine meds around 3. I can't guarantee how coherent the last 1000 words are, but that's what revisions and rewrites are for.

And there may be more to come. This one has me by the throat.

I've gone and done it

I've signed up for NaNoWriMo, to jump start the next Duals and Donovans book, the direct sequel for Lions' Pride. (Foxes' Den is a Duals and Donovans book, but is only slightly related to Lions' Pride. One of the heroes is Elissa's cousin.)

I'm not going to sweat if I don't make my 50K. I have other things that need to happen in November, including continuing the revisions for Out of the Frying Pan. But I know myself and if I don't give myself a reason to start the next book, I'll get lost in research and procrastination instead of doing it.

at least it's not the flu...

and thank goodness for that, but some nasty virus got its metaphorical claws in me and I've spent the past few days largely asleep. Feeling better today, but still stayed home from work and slept until 11:30. I've been so sore it feels like the mattress tries to beat me up at night and we have a temperpedic mattress, nice supportive foam!

Oh well. So it goes. With luck, today I'll feel well enough to work a little on Foxes' Den. It's so close to being ready to go to my editor...

At least in my semi-delirious state, I think I came up with some plot elements for Lions' Pride 2 (which is NOT going to be its title).

home again, home again

Just back from a wonderful conference, Authors After Dark. It's the conference's first year, so it was relatively small, but it was a great group of people. This was my first "fan" conference. Unlike the RWA conferences I attend, which are strictly industry, this one was designed to bring authors and readers together.

And wow, it was fun! Totally different energy, much more like a science-fiction convention than a professional conference. The other authors and I were definitely working--signing books, chatting with fans, talking up our work--but it was more relaxed, less fraught atmosphere and there was a definite party element, including a massive costume party with dancing.

I got to meet my wonderful Samhain editor at last, and see Kat from Phaze again. Got to meet other terrific writers who love the dark side of romance as much as I do. I even got a cheer when I introduced myself at a panel--an avid reader who'd bought Lions' Pride and loved it. Not bad for a relatively new name! And these felt like my people. It wasn't just that they were fellow writers and readers. They were writers and readers with Goth streaks, readers and writers who larped or did SCA or science fiction fandom as well, writers and readers who were outside the mainstream in a number of comfortable ways. I even discovered that someone I was chatting with at dinner was a friend of a friend, quite outside the writing community.

And to top it all off, we raised $1500 for a local animal shelter raffling off gift baskets!