NaNoWriMo Resolutions

In the NaNo Forums, there’s a sub-board called The Year of Doing Big, Fun, Scary Things Together. If you know me, then you’ll know that my idea of adventure is being two feet off the ground or maybe going two miles over the speed limit (life on the edge!). Some people are actually planning on real adventures (“Does anyone else feel like hitch hiking around the world?“), but I think I’m gonna keep it simple. So here’s my list:

-Publish two novels (NaNo ‘08 and the first part of a three-parter. I hesitate in calling it a trilogy because it’s supposed to be one book.)
-Write 100 short stories
-Collaborate in Script Frenzy
-NaNoWriMo, of course
-Get a steady job
-Declare my major and minor
-Move out…? Doubtful.
-Climb two mountains
-Go white water rafting
-Make elaborate chalk drawings in [a secret location*] with my friend Kirstin.
-Make a movie

*It’s going to be a surprise. A very big surprise.

Oh- our youth group is going out to Wyoming this summer, and we will be climbing mountains and white water rafting. Just thought I’d attempt to look cool on my list. :)

So, if anyone is out there, what’s on your list of Big, Fun, Scary Things to Do in 2010?

Chat later.
-Carissa

Iolyn is sitting in his corner.

So while one of my main characters is sitting in a corner and keeping the middle of the story from progressing (the end is going quite nicely with Virgil and Niamh and another character, thank you very much), I’m planning for NaNoWriMo 2010.

I know, I can hear it already: What?!

You just got through with NaNoWriMo 2009!

…*^@&ing crazy writers…

I’m not alone. Here, look. I’m justified in my over-enthusiasm. A lot will depend on my school schedule, but I know that I will go out of my way to have a three day weekend. Once I get my fall schedule, it will be much easier to plan writing times.

Here are a few ideas I’ve had:

1) Ghosts in Miller Auditorium. You know it would be cool.

2) I declared 2010 the Year of Short Stories the other night. Maybe five short stories with 10K words each.

3) The story of Penne Fallie! For those who don’t know, she’s a minor character in WWID who is super interesting and every day I kick myself for not making her more important. But alas, WWID is about Sim, Tal, Tig, Kit, Kaye, and Zephyr. And Sen. :D But PENNE! Ohhh, Penne is a gem. And her story is so sad. I think I might approach it from first person, which would be exciting.

4) The story I was going to do this year, Fix It! It’s about a music major (she was originally named Rose; that might change) who is failing math, so she gets a tutor named Isaac. Isaac falls for her, but Rose doesn’t really see him that way because either 1) She’s after this total jerk who’s in choir with her, or 2) She’s dating the total jerk who’s in choir with her. Romantic comedy of course. :)

5) A spin-off of my very first baby, Fine Line, which will be about the budding romance between two supporting characters (Leah and Evander) throughout their senior year of high school and college and all that.

Sometimes I worry that I’ll run out of story ideas. Then I get another ten. Plot bunnies!

Those are all the ideas I have for now.

Chat later.
-Carissa

“I Wrote a Novel, Now What?”

You know what I declared yesterday while I was editing the next two chapters of Event Horizon?

“I am sick of Iolyn and his crap!”

Honestly, the kid annoys me. He’s got it pretty good and keeps complaining about everything! Phoebe’s a little bratty, too, but at least she’s funny and mainly likable. Iolyn is just a jerk sometimes. I know you don’t see it because I beat him into behaving for the story, but behind the scenes… I want to smite him.

This might be why my mother thinks I’m nuts. :)

But since I’m currently tired of Iolyn and his crap, I’ve temporarily gone back to editing last year’s NaNoWriMo novel. Now that story is pure win- even finished a week early on the word count. It’s reminding me of why I’m writing Event Horizon in the first place, which is good, and giving me ideas, which is better. ;)

In October, I believe I mentioned that all winners get free proof copies of their NaNoWriMo novel from CreateSpace. Well, I decided to be lame and get another free proof copy of the book I’m actually publishing. I know, how crazy is it that I want the book I’m emotionally attached to the most. So that means… no Event Horizon quite yet. BUT that also means:

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF IMMINENT DOOM

IS IMMINENT.

Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.

It’s way more publishable than Event Horizon (oh, EH, bless your paper heart*) and yeah, my soul went into the ending. My sooouuulll.

I’m a wee bit tired. Why am I blogging this early in the morning?

Chat later.
-Carissa

*Why yes, that WAS a reference to a weird Raggedy Anne movie.

Coming Soon

Here’s a short scene from Chapter Seven. Enjoy.

Virgil smiled weakly. “Let’s get to work,” he said, preferring a different topic. “Why do you keep creating these bugs? They’ll eventually get in by themselves. Then we’ll need to kill ‘em. Why don’t you start on some bigger creatures?” Right as he said it, a small black dog jumped up on his lap and started licking his face.

“Waffles, down!” ordered Iolyn, pointing at the dog. “Stop licking him, Waffles! We don’t know where your- oh, good dog, Waffles!” He said this because the little dog- Waffles, presumably- had jumped up in Iolyn’s lap and was sitting there obediently.

Virgil stared. “Great. Puppies. Just what every new world needs.”

“I thought so!” Iolyn picked up Waffles and held him out to Virgil. “I think he’s calmed down now if you want to hold him.” He smiled. “You know you wanna. His name is Waffles, for Pete’s sake. Waffles.”

Waffles the dog. Just what this story needed. :)

Chat later.
-Carissa

50.3K!

Against all odds, I made it.

Ka-blamf, wench.

I’d like to take a moment to thank everyone who got me here. First, the readers- Mreeb (even if you are stalking me :D) and CaveDwellers- you two keep me going. I’d also like to thank The Office of Letters and Light, my friends, my family, my dog, my demon of a cat, college and career, youth group, my friends from school, everybody else in the world…

It’s been one heckuva ride.

This is in memory of my fish, Miracle. She was almost three years old, which was almost one year too old for a fish of her type (female betta).

So now you’re probably thinking, November’s over; she’s got nothing to write about. Yeah right. There’s still a story to be finished, folks! Also, there’s one more party, and that’s the Thank God It’s Over Party. I might be attending the main one or having a small one with my NaNoing friends.

Chat later.
-Carissa

44K, so close, yet so far away

That rhymed.

I have the absolute worst writer’s block right now. I’m in the middle of writing this really happy chapter, but it’s mainly filler. I don’t know why, but it’s much more difficult than usual.

Four more hours. *Deep breath* This can be done.

10:07. I’m really going to die.

I hope you got a good night’s sleep, because I did not.

On the plus side, I’m ahead of schedule. Way ahead. Most of what I’ve written is pure nonsense and will be cut, making the story much shorter… but that’s OK. November is for writing, December is for edits. I almost wrote “December is for sleeping.” Pht, there’s still school in December; it’s totally not time for sleeping.

If I fall asleep in between classes today, it’s not my fault. Well, OK, it’s totally my fault, but what can I say? I sold my soul to NaNoWriMo.

If you’re wondering, I’m closing in on 40K. This can TOTALLY be done. I made a schedule last night. My average is 500 words in 20 minutes, so I keep doing that with little 5 minute breaks every 1000 words.

Chat later.
-Carissa

I might die this year.

I’m sleep deprived, behind on my word count (I looked… it’s bad), half starved because I’ve been skipping meals, and my mother just scolded me.

But DOGGONE IT, I’m gonna make it. And you know why? Because Mreeb is a star and I got her comment cheering me on at just the right time!

OK, now I need to collapse for a minute.

Chat later.
-Carissa

Young Writers’ Program

A word from my aunt Karen. Enjoy. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you’re all being good Americans and eating twice your weight in the usual Thanksgiving cuisine. It’s pretty smooth sailing over here, working on Chapter Six. Don’t get excited- I haven’t worked that far backwards. I’m just skipping ahead.

It’ll be close, but I’m pretty sure I can make it. :)

Chat later!
-Carissa