I am a Boss

Today I started with roughly 43000 words.
Tonight I ended with 50070.
I feel like a total boss because I wrote almost 7000 words in one day, this is my first time winning the real NaNo, ever, and I finished three days early, as well as completing my novel.
Excerpts may come after I do a bit of editing, or the may not come.  We'll find out.
One last thing: I wrote the entire thing and only killed two characters, and Afon was not one of them, because of my left turn at Ohio (rather than right), it actually worked out better that way.
Thanks to you guys who stayed up with me late at night word warring  and Write or Die-ing with me.
Wish all you other NaNo's luck!   And of course, congratulations if you have already won. :D



~Charlotte Grace, the Mind Traveler

I Write Like...Many People

With my NaNoNovel, here are my results.

I write like
Chuck Palahniuk

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

According to my most recent blog post on CharMunkMintMaid:

I write like
William Gibson

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

And another excerpt from my NaNoNovel (This one involves lots of dialogue.)

I write like
Stephen King

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

Well isn't that nice.  O.o

We'll do one more, a post from Mind Traveling.

I write like
Dan Brown

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

~Charlotte Grace, the Mind Traveler

Beautiful People, Holiday Edition

 It's that time of the month, Beautiful People, where writers have to answer questions about their characters.  This month I'm going to do Sparrow, my MC for NaNo.

Sparrow: Why are you interviewing me?  I just had a major catastrophe in my life that's your fault, and you expect me to do this?
Me:  Yes, I'm the author.  Get over it.

1. What kind of holidays do they celebrate, if any?  

Well, seeing as I'm an American citizen, I celebrate the Chinese New Year and Children's Day.  What do you think I celebrate!?

2. What are they most thankful for? 

Well, isn't this nice.  I'm not feeling very thankful right now.  And it's your fault! 

Me:  I know it's my fault!  Please just answer the questions.  

Sparrow: Fine! Friends....

3. Do they have any family traditions? 

On Christmas day, we have a competition to see who can get up the earliest.  Whoever does, gets to open the first present (who cares about pickles!?)

4. What is their most memorable holiday memory? 

Well, let's see, probably the time when Dad forgot about Thanksgiving (Yeah, I have no idea how he managed to do that.) and went to the store to but a rotisserie chicken.  That was our turkey.

5. What is the most memorable gift they have ever received? 

My pendant from Maria.  It's blue and green and spaaaarkly.  Or perhaps it's the....Wait, no, I'm mad at you, I'm not giving you credit for anything.

6. Do they consider it important to be with family during celebrations?  

YES!!  Of course I do!  But that obviously won't be happening any more.  ~Gives me nasty glare~

7. Do they usually wait till the last minute to purchase gifts, or do they buy them ridiculously early? 

My shopping starts in early November and goes all the way until Christmas, I like to find the perfect thing for everyone, and have enough money for everyone.  Of course, this year I won't be doing much shopping.  ~More glares~

8. Favorite Christmas song? For fantasy authors, is music a part of their celebration?

Carol of the Bells.

9. Do they celebrate for religious reasons?  No.

10. How do they celebrate the beginning of the new year?  

Staying up until nine o'clock.  Yeah, I know, we're boring.

Me: Thank you for finally cooperating Sparrow, you may go back to your novel now.

Sparrow:  How about back in time too.

Me: No, you may not, I wouldn't have a story if you stayed inside all day to avoid Marija for the first time.

~Arguing ensues~

~Charlotte Grace, the Mind Traveler

Mist Made Excerpts

 Okay everyone, I'm a little bit behind on NaNo, and I'm procrastinating by giving you excerpts.  Here you are!

  
“And you, Sparrow,” he turned to me and I looked away. Why did all the Mist People have terrifying eyes? “How much do you know?”
The guard took his hand away from my mouth so I could speak. “Nothing.”
“You lie.”
“So what if I do?”
“It is wrong to lie to the king of the Mist Realms,” he said in a sneering tone of voice as if I didn't know that lying was wrong. “You will suffer the same fate of Afon if you do not tell us what you know.”
“I don’t know anything!” I snapped as the guard let me go. The room started to feel more stuffy, and I started hyperventilating. Now was the perfect time to have a fit of claustrophobia.
“But you do,” he said. He came forward and grabbed my arm. He twisted it and I felt a searing pain. I yelled. “This thing,” he pointed to my tattoo, “can read your thoughts for us. We know your location, what you are thinking, what you are doing.”

And one more, because I know you're all dying to read more now. Just kidding about the dying part, I wouldn't want to kill any of my readers. (By the way, she has amnesia in the following excerpt if that will help.)


 “Her service?” I asked.
“I’m her apprentice, sort of. I’m learning to work under the king…I want to be his main architect someday. She’s my only chance. She threatened to let me go if I didn’t start doing things right. You’re not the first thing to go wrong…” He sat down on his bed and started twirling a stone ring on his right middle finger.
“Where’d you get that?”
“Dad gave it to me.”
“Will I ever get to meet your dad?” I continued standing.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“He’s…dead.” I thought I saw a tear fall onto the dark piece of stone.
“Oh…” Talk about an awkward turtle. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, it’s not your fault,” he looked at me, looked me in the eyes, and I didn’t look away, even though there were tear streaks on his face. I felt like I knew some similar pain, I had lost a family member too, perhaps. He knew who, too. I could feel it.
“I…I know how you feel,” I said.
“I know.” Afon looked away.
“Tell me why?”
“You…you lost a sister, a younger sister. I’m not supposed to tell you that. Please don’t tell Marija.”
“I won’t.” A sudden idea struck me. “Did…did Marija wipe my mind?”
“She helped.”
A chewed my lip for a minute. “Did you help?”
He sat silent for a moment. “Yes,” he whispered hoarsely, as if he was afraid I wouldn’t like him if he told the truth.

To be honest, that's probably my most favorite part in the whole book.  


~Charlotte Grace, the Mind Traveler

"So sit down and focus 'cause it's November and I'm going to write a freaking book."

NaNoWriMo was going quite well until about yesterday.  I was ahead by one day, my characters were wonderful and my plot was good.  But then I realized that I hated my last chapter and that Sparrow (my main character) is becoming a little bit 2D.
In other words I'm not feeling very NaNo-ish today.  Part of it is I got sick yesterday, so I don't feel like doing much other than Facebook and listening to Christmas Music, but the other part of it is I want my writing to be perfect.
Get over it, Miss Grace, that's not what NaNo is about.
NaNo is about writing that first draft.  First drafts are not meant to be perfect.
Basically I'm saying, who cares about that rotten chapter.  Turn it into a dream or something and keep going!  I'm off to write!

Also, here is an epic music video.

~Charlotte Grace, the Mind Traveler

NaNoWriMo Update

I can honestly say that this is one of my best NaNo's ever.  I love my characters, the plot is thickening, and I'm not having and problems with my word count goal.
No, I'm not lying.
The only real problem I'm having is I don't think my setting is very good.  Setting and characters have always been one thing  I lack and I have failed epically at both using NaNoWriMo.
On the bright side, I reached 10,600 words last night (and then fell asleep, with the computer running.  Thank goodness it was plugged in.  I really didn't want to lose 2000 words or so.), so sorry if I'm incoherent today. 
My plot took a very unexpected turn, I mean, really unexpected turn yesterday, and I think it may be from some drama (~gags~) at dance.
Sparrow and Afon are falling in love.
At about 10:00 last night I was like, "WHAT IS THIS!?" when I realized what was happening.  I don't like romance novels, so I may try to shove it away and get on with the story, but it might be hard.

~Charlotte Grace, the Mind Traveler

 P.S.  I may be falling in love with Afon too. ;)

NaNoWriMo Fever

NaNo update!: So, yesterday NaNoWriMo started.  I wrote over 2000 words and now it's after eleven today and haven't written anything, mostly because I had to help Dad in hte shop and I slept in for almost two hours (I also fell asleep while writing yesterday.  It was at Mom's piano studio.  She had a student.  Awkward). 

I know many Wrimos are terrified to get started, and I'm writing this to encourage.

It's hard to step out and try new things for many of us.  We're terrified we'll do it wrong.  And you know what, you will get this wrong.

Every great novel ever written had a terrible first draft.

That's the point in NaNoWriMo!  To ignore your inner editor and let yourself write a novel.  Sure the diting is absolutely horrendous, but that's what December is for.

Now, why are you reading this?  Stop pretending it's National Novel Procrastination Month and go write!

~Charlotte Grace, the Mind Traveler