10/23 Preparation for NANOWRIMO

I spent six hours on a train yesterday and I used several of them to develop characters a bit more and to decide where my plot was going. I have enough ideas on paper for about eight chapters, not nearly enough. So when I go back home, another six hour ride, I'll work on my laptop some more. I'm getting more and more excited about NANOWRIMO. Who'd have thought I was such a masochist?

10/21 Planning--but not too much

Tomorrow I'll be on the train for six hours, so it will be planning time for the novel. I don't plan too much when I write a book, but I do want to know the direction I'll be traveling. Last year's NANOWRIMO manuscript was an "on the fly" manuscript and it really shows it. Just a lot of verbiage in order to complete the 50,000 words. I trashed about half of it, and think it has real potential now.

This year, I'm hoping for a better outcome, quality-wise. I know that's not the intent of NANOWRIMO, but I still have hope.

10/20 Any Meat in That Soup?

I took blogger's challenge and will post my NANOWRIMO novel as it plays out--beginning November 1, 2004.

Technically I'm fudging a bit, because I have two chapters written. But I won't count those in my word count--unless I'm absolutely desperate. :)

Any Meat in That Soup? is the second in a series about Samantha Darling, the nosiest social worker to ever be licensed. Excerpts from her first adventure Who Killed My Boss? can be found on my home page.

The first few paragraphs from Any Meat in That Soup?--

He fell at my feet. Nice place for a man.

Problem was, he was blue. Maybe dead.

Stay tuned for more.