Paddy's Wanderings

Novel-Tone News Day XXX

Greetings from the..Project

As you can tell from the picture, I was successful in my quest and passed the 50k word mark last night. What a crazy month it has been! I was cruising along and did a word count check and saw that I had indeed made the goal, so I logged into NaNoWriMo and verified, woot! Thirty days of relentless scribbling and I finally made it.

When I started out I had two goals my fellow wanderers. I wanted to write fifty thousand words on a novel project and blog about it every day. I have done both. Back when I signed up at the beginning of October, I thought I may just have a chance to do it, but the goals seemed a little lofty. They still do because I am here to tell you, it has been a long hard month and it is hard to imagine I am here.

It has been a lot of fun along the way, and I appreciate all the support from everyone. I have been  crazy, mad I say, during the whole month, and that is pretty much all I talked about or did. I am sure it must drive everyone crazy to hear me prattle on about this and that, less talk more write! scribble boy. I had no idea it would go for this long or I would even get to the end, but somehow, I did. But this is not the end by any means.

I learned many things during this process, first and foremost, the story is not even close to being done. Yeah you heard that right. I am thinking the first draft may go to 150k before it is done. No, seriously. I am about a third of the way there I think so I have so much more to do. That is just first draft, then there is all the other drafts and tweaks and what not, then time to shop it around, see if I can get it published. There is so much more to do, but that first step has been achieved. That step is hard, probably not the hardest, but oh so necessary. So I am not done, just getting started really.

I have never gotten this far, so I may as well go for the whole enchilada. I still don't know what I am doing or where I am going, but I am making good time. This has been an inspiration on many levels and I am going to just run with it, why not? The story still itches, it burns inside my head, wanting, needing to get out. If anything that banked fire, that smoldered for many years, is now a happy little fire. So I am going to continue on and see where this wander leads me.

So let me spell out some continuing goals. I am going to finish the first draft in two months and do a weekly update on the blog. I think that is doable. Then I will periodically update on the blog as I go further in the quest. We'll see just what I can do here, who knows where it will lead? I have no idea, but I am going to go for the ride,see what happens.

In an update on the story itself, our intrepid characters are moving along just fine. In their world, only five days have passed in the first hundred fifty pages or so. A lot has happened so far, but there is so much more to go to the end. I'll just keep following along, see where they lead, nudge em when they fall behind and just have a grand old time.

I think I will take a day off, let the fingers rest and the brain percolate, then start back at it tomorrow. I'll update the whole shebang in about a week. I am glad I did it, and thankful to the crazy folks who put the month together, they are an inspiration. It has been a good start, time to keep going.

Let's see whats out there..

The end is the beginning..

Paddy a.k.a Patrick

Novel-Tone News Day XXIX

Hullo Peoples and welcome to the..Project

I am almost there, about a thousand short at this very moment, but the monthly goal is in my sights and today it is going down. I had planned on sprinting by yesterday, but I ran out of steam, ahh the best laid plans of mice and men. Today is a new day and by midnight I should be there and post it up tomorrow morning. What a crazy month.

I spent most of yesterday just scribbling along on the stuff that needed to be filled into the beginning couple of chapters. Now a lot of that section makes more sense, and I am glad. I do have a sneaky suspicion that when that old rough draft is down, I will be revisiting this area in great detail, cause it just needs work. But that is for later, now is for spewing forth the idea, and moving the story along.

It is a good idea, if I say so myself. I like this story, these characters, and I am just wallowing in the world, enjoying the show. I keep peeking around corners, dawdling at shadows and frankly being a nuisance to my self. I am the problem in the slowness of getting it all out. I spend way too much time just staring and going, cool, oh look a shiny, cool. I guess it is a good thing, cause if I did not like the story I would have given up after about ten pages. I do that when I read a book, I do that when I try to write one. Fair enough.

I have said it before, I'll say it again. I have no idea what I am doing. I had no idea what I signed up for either, but I did anyways. This is hard, very hard. I always knew that and appreciated all the labor folks put into writing a novel, and when I connect with a book, it's like hitting the ball outta the park. There is nothing like reading a book and getting lost in it. That takes a ton of work and is not an easy thing to do. Now that I am trying to do that myself, the amount of energy and time is huge. I knew that, kinda sorta, but just four weeks in to this and I know now that I knew nothing about it at all.

So I added a wee bit more at the beginning and gave voice to a couple of characters and I am now ready to continue on with the main plot line. I guess. That sounds like I know what is next, where it is all going, but I am here to tell ya, I have no clue.  Well it is all in my head (insert maniacal laughter) and at some point, it will get all out. It is just a matter of when and where. We all know the devil is in the details. Time to get back at it and make the goal!

Now where did I put that pitchfork?

Paddy with a Smile

Novel-Tone News Day XXVIII

Welcome to the..Project

I have surpassed 46k and I am cruising along, feeling the flow. If today goes like planned, I should sail right by 50k with a wave and a laugh. Sure, it may be a maniacal laugh, but nay the less, I will be chuckling. That is the laugh of a man who is in the zone, doin' the dance, and knows full well that the end is so very far away. I should be frightened out of my wits, but I am not. Well, maybe a tad bit now and then, but that's cool.

Sometimes you just need a nudge to get you going on down the road. I took better 1/2's nudge and ran with it. By scribbling out a section near a thousand words long, I realized that she was more right then she knew. I did hit a bumpity bump and really did need to explain some of what was going on to make the beginning clearer. It worked. So silly goof ball that I am, I read what I have done in the proposed order it will appear and guess what? There are some holes I did not see.

You might say that this is bad in a first draft, it probably is, but it opened up a section I had thought about but had not scribbled down on the proverbial screen. And with that, it made what I had, make more sense and set up so much more stuff. More importantly, it opened the crack in the dam just that much more. So in a very real sense, it helped me get to the goal a little easier.

Last night also sucked just about all the energy I have right out my nostrils. It was flowing just fine, but exhausting and I sit here this morning, feeling very tired. But fear not my adventurous wanderers, I shall hit the story again in just a few short minutes. Mornings have become the very best time to get ideas out and put a few words down, if not a bunch. Then as the day goes by, add, add, add.

So the story did not advance in the sense of moving along the time line. However, it bulked up and got a wee bit meatier, maybe even bouncier. Oh the possibilities! So the main story is hanging around, taking a nap, while I add to what has already happened. You could say that the plot took a break for a minute and is havin' a cup of joe and a smoke. Not to worry, it won't be long now and then its time to saddle up and hit the trail.

Reading Backwards for Hidden Meanings

yddaP

Novel-Tone News Day XXVII

Good Day and welcome to the..Project

I popped off a couple thousand and hit the 44k mark with three days to go and I anticipate by the end of the weekend I will reach the goal. I did not think I could make it this far, and it sure isn't over yet, but it looks good, real good. It feels pretty good too. I am really wore out, this project takes a ton of energy, but tired in a good way.

Everybody is off doing the Black Friday thing and  I am just trying to buy a vowel, about six thousand would be good. Do I get a discount? It is kind of funny, I was sitting here thinking, man it is quiet, cruising along, the tyke is sleeping, everyone else is shopping, gettin' some stuff done. Then they burst in with the deals they found and went back to bed. All is good and I got right back in the saddle. What a day already.

The past two days I have found myself drifting to other sections of the story again. I guess I am just not going to do this in any kind of order. I guess that's okay, that is the way the story is coming out. But I am just bad, cause I keep saying, well what happened between here and there? Why did you not put that part in yet? hmmm? Yeah, I have gone over to the dark side, I am now arguing with myself about the story. I get that far away look, start mumbling and if I catch myself, I can not do that in front of other people. Yeah, I have failed that a few times..

Any who, the characters are moving along, the story is moving along and we are all just happy as can be. After a discussion last night with better 1/2, I believe I have to go back and add some stuff. No she has only read wee snippets of it, but she raised a good point, asked a couple of pointed questions. My answer was well, I know how that happened, its right here(points to head). She says ohhh, right, and the reader knows this how?  Um.. yeah.

So I need to add in some more bits that I just left out. I have no idea why I did that, but it makes sense. When I get first draft done, which will be awhile, she gets to be first reader and find all the holes and other crazy stuff I forgot. I just have to get there first. So with the first goal almost achieved I'll have to start thinking about goal two in the quest.

Back to the front!

Pondering Paddy

Novel-Tone News Day XXVI

Thanks for stopping by the..Project

I had a great day yesterday, scribbled out over two thousand words to bring the total to over 42k and much closer to the monthly goal. Indeed, I do believe that I shall just make the mark if I keep pushing. That amazing feeling can just keep truckin' my way cause it is cool to have it just pour right on out to the screen.

Today is a day to give thanks, and there is much to be thankful for in my neck of the woods. My family is very supportive of all that I do, even mad novel quests. The better 1/2 is my biggest fan and I am very lucky to have her by my side. She is great when I prattle on endlessly about..well about everything, and I try to do the same. The wee sheeple kids are very understanding of their weird dad, even the tyke helps out and writes with me. The rest of the family has always been great, they even bought books of poetry!

I am also lucky to have good friends, the kind that help you out and are supportive in what you do. I am part of a an excellent group of folks, we help each other, and that my friends, is cool. Although.. I am sure they are scratching their heads over this whole November novel cruise, but they are still there, and offer encouragement, even when the ole Paddy is wandering off.

Life is good.

The story is cruising along, the poor souls keep getting into one mess after another, but they don't give up or quit. I won't let them. But I will say this, the story sometimes just writes itself, the characters do their thing and I am just observing, taking notes. Lately, I have just been along for the ride with a slight nudge here and there. I guess the story really was inside all along, I just had to break the dam and let it flow. I do wish I could write as fast as I read though, I want to find out what happens next. Oh sure I got an idea where it is all going, but still, I don't know everything.

Folks have asked me, so what is the story called? I do not know really. The working title I have been using is After the Fall of Darkness. I also refer to it as Carnac's Story in files and casual conversation, but I haven't settled on a title, maybe when it is all done, inspiration will strike and I can come up with a catchy title.. I just don't know yet.

The next question is, so what's it all about Paddy? Well again, I am not done, so it is kinda hard to explain and give a good synopsis. I can say it is about friendship, love, betrayal, honor, courage and that is kinda sorta what I can come up with, right now. It's a story of people and all kinds of things pop out, as will happen when people are just doing, just living. As to plot? well... If I did a back cover blurb it might read something like this..

'This is a story about some old friends who come together when one of them dies. They go on one final quest in honor of their fallen friend. Through many trials they discover that all is not lost, the end is just the beginning.'

I guess I will just have to keep going, get it done, and then we can sit down and read it together.

Thankful I am not using a quill to write!

Patrick a.k.a. Paddy

Novel-Tone News Day XXV

Welcome to another day of the..Project   

All the news that is the news right here on day twenty-five. I am twenty words short of 40k as of right now, and that is pretty cool. I had no idea I would get this far, but somehow, I have. Five days to go and 10k of novel madness, I think it can be done. I have hit a groove the past couple of days around the two thousand mark and if I had more time, I would be able to get more done.

But you know, this rushing and hurly burly month is kinda cool. I like the energy it creates and the deadline and pushing of it all. I tell ya, it motivates me to get moving, get it out. Oh sure I want to do it, the story wants to come out, but without that extra push, it would dribble and take forever. In the past, it has let the well run dry, that my fine feathered wanderers, is not good.

Well our intrepid adventurers have been on the road a couple of days and it just keeps getting harder. I put em in a jam and then gotta figure out how to get to the next stage. So far, so good. But I believe it is gonna get a whole lot harder. The story has taken control a wee bit, and the characters have as well. They might just surprise me, brush themselves off and ask if that is all I got. Who knows?

I keep joking about just riding along with a notebook.. er parchment scroll to fit into world context, and writing down what happens, as if I have no plan or idea. Sometimes, I don't. I nudge the story along the path I want it to take, but it is the how that often surprises me. It is like, okay we are going from point a to point b, go do it. The story and the characters go and do, but sometimes not as I had thought they would. It is the little things that surprise me.

Maybe I am just crazy after dashing along the past twenty-five days. That, after all, was the point of starting this whole thing. I have never done anything like this and why not try it? I got five days to go with crazy writing, then we'll take a deep breath, take stock of the situation, then start doing it some more. Crazy? Yup, crazy like a writer crazy..I think.

Until tomorrow...

Paddy a.k.a. Patrick

Novel-Tone News Day XXIV

Welcome to another edition of.. the..Project

Well folks, I scribbled off just over 2k to bring the total to 37k for the month with a little over 144 hours to go. Who is doing that counting?? Geesh, people are trying to concentrate here, that tick tock sound your making is really annoying! Just having some fun here, if you can't chuckle at the Time, what can you chuckle at? I mean really, come on, a guy with a mirror following around the lead singer? puhlease..

This post is a tad bit loopy because of lack of sleep and it has been a fun day so far. No really, it has been fun, in a good way. Even writing the gloomy parts of the story was not so bad last night and this morning, and I got to stick in a funny part. That is the cool part of the process, I have those down times when I can barely scratch out anything, then I have those free wheeling times where it just flows.. that is cool.

Who doesn't like a roller coaster, the good old fashioned kind that scare the crap out of me just looking at them before I get on for the ride? That is kinda what I am seeing today. I got on the ride and that first hill when you think you are going to fall back right out of your seat? yeah that part? the part where someone like me who is terrified of heights and ladders says what in the sam hill are you thinking? I think I am past that and now its just the ride with the loop d'loops and the big curves and dips. You know, the fun part. I think I made it there today.

Alas my fellow wanderers, I think this story is so freakin' long that I may just have to do every ride in the park to get to the end, even the dreaded ferris wheel.. That is exciting in a scary kinda way you know? The good news is, I can take a break from the rides, throw a few baseballs at milk bottles and shoot a few balloons with a BB gun, maybe even win a stuffed animal or two. Oh and lest we forget, I can go laugh at myself in the fun house mirrors.

I may just have to eat my way to the end as well. After all, I can't pass up an elephant ear or get sticky with the cotton candy, or eat a red hot or three. See it may be a carnival atmosphere with big rides and all the crazy stuff, but it is fun. It is gonna be a long, long day I think. In the end though, it will be time well spent even if I just scribble away for myself, and well, any other hapless soul I foist the..Project on along the way. I think we're good.

Off to have the carny guess my age!

Paddy at Play

Novel-Tone News Day XXIII

Welcome to the..Project

I sped along yesterday, gathering about 2500 to bring the total close to 35k, which leaves me seven days and 15k short for the monthly goal which I think is doable. I have switched to the morning time to write and that seems to fit my mood just fine. I think I just need it to be quiet without any distractions, then I can get lost in the story and just simply scribble away. So yeah, I think I can make it.

A sense of urgency seems to help more then hinder. I will not sacrifice speed for quality, or at least what I consider quality but the fire is there, the time line to achieve certain milestones just stokes it. I really need that deadline to keep it rolling and so, I have started to set other goals with that in mind. I believe that I am shooting for 150k total first draft and that means December and January will have the same goals. Then I can think about all the other stuff, maybe. It seems like a lot and I am unsure where it is all heading, but that seems to be itching the back of my mind. Who knows?

I will say this though, I am tired. The daily writing is a workout both mentally and physically and I was unprepared for that. This is good. Going into this mad quest, this foolhardy adventure, was all about seeing just what it takes and what I can do. The story is fresh and moving along, it just seems so long and slow. It is not, but it feels that way. I can read most novels in about five or six hours, this is going to take months to complete, that is the scary part.

Our band of characters are happily moving through the story and keep surprising me along the way. The story has settled into a wee bit of a rhythm and all is well. I am starting to write into the wild again though, stuff I have not thought a lot about, that hazy middle between point a and z. I am eager to find out just what happens, where it will take me. Just when I think these folks are predictable, boom! we are off to the races, must be one of those times right now.

Well I am off to adventure, gotta go tip tap away and see where it leads me.

Note Taker, Map Maker

Scribblin' Paddy

Novel-Tone News Day XXII

Hello, and welcome to the..Project

I was in the zone for a bit yesterday and tip tapped out 1800 words to bring the monthly total to just over 32k, and that is good. It was nice and quiet in the wee hours of the morning and I got a bit accomplished both in word count and the ever changing outline. I say ever changing in the sense that I filled in some holes between points and fleshed out some thoughts as well. I imagine that if I had done more of that before I started this month, my total would be much higher, but alas, I did not.

I am happy with my progress so far for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, I have consistently written a significant amount every single day. For me, this is a big deal. One project, everyday working on it for three plus weeks is new ground. Secondly, I have amassed twice the amount of product on one big novel length project than I have ever done before. So yeah, I have been successful so far. Scary thing is, I think I can keep going not only today and tomorrow, but until I get it all out.

I freely admit I have no idea what I am doing, but I am doing it. That doesn't bother me all that much really. I have no doubt that along the way I have broken every rule or approached this whole project in a very neophyte way. Whatever man. You gotta start somewhere and that voice that pops up and says you don't know what your doing why are you even trying, yeah that voice, can just jam it. This isn't something that if I make a mistake or screw up or whatever is going to really effect anything or anyone. No one will be harmed by a little scribbling if don't know what I am doing.

Oh I have read a ton of books on the subject, did the whole English thingy in college and all that but the common denominator and all of that stuff? They can't tell you how it is done. Boil all that right down and I have yet to find anyone with a clear cut instruction guide.. as if you can even do that in a creative process. Well I guess you could try, but then that kinda defeats the purpose right?

Creativity is messy work that is why you wear old clothes and work in a well ventilated, clean level work space. I can just about guarantee your gonna get your hands dirty, make a mess on the floor and drive everyone around you nuts. In my other wanderings, I have experienced that in great quantities. Sometimes, you just have to go with it and make a mess and maybe, just maybe, something cool will come out of it. Then again, I have no idea how that works, but it does.

In the story portion here we find our hardy band of characters enjoying some apple pie and doin' a little reminiscing, chewin' the fat if you will. Oh fear not my friends, this is but a brief respite. Soon they will encounter even more challenges and more scars(metaphorically speaking..sort of). I think it is time to saddle up and hit the trail again, both for the characters and the weird guy in the back, taking notes.

Rolling along

Paddy

Novel-Tone News Day XXI

now where did I put that..Oh! Good Day from the..Project!

Ahhh yes, another November day, the kind of days where the sky is gray, the air crisp and the fingers are sore from tip tapping away. I scored another thousand words and topped out at over 30k for the month. So far the quest goes well my fellow wanderers. Oh I know, nine days to do 20k to make the goal, but it is not impossible. I think I will do just fine. This weekend should produce a lot more in the way of word count, I don't believe there will too much staring at the screen time.

I am a tad bit absent minded today, as if that is anything unusual. I was organizing files and jamming stuff together and doing the whole put the story together thingy. And I had a thought, hey, where is today's blog piece on the infernal novel? Oh yeah, I got to write that. So here I am, back in the land of the living, so to speak. I lost track of time, but in a good way. Some days I get lost in the stories, and I like that.

Our intrepid band of characters hit the first bump in the road and it turned out okay. I even made a nice joke, a little tie in to the other parts of the novel, and no one got hurt. Oh but it is still just a hitch in the story, nothing compared to what is to come(que villainous music). The cool part is, I had no idea this was coming out. I have been searching for that elusive bridge and it just showed up, fortuitous that.

I love books obviously, and I love a good yarn as much as the next person. That being said, it stands to reason I want to tell a story and I often do. This story though, this is monstrous. Excuse my excitement, I often get that way with a new story, even an old one like this one. That is the beauty of it, for me. See I have had this story, in a much smaller version grant you, floating around forever. But now that it is going to paper, I am really just reading it for the first time. That is cool. It also sucks raw eggs through a straw, cause I am a perfectionist and want it all out, word perfect the first time.

Sometimes you just have to be a willow, bend in the wind, and ride the storm out. So I have undertaken this crazy quest and it pushes, hard. But so far, it is a blast. Well at least that's my story, and I am sticking to it.

Tilting at Windmills

Don Paddy