New Year Updates

   I've decided that New Year's Eve or day, at the latest, I will be incorporating my planned updates for my blog. It won't be completely done when I change the layout as I don't have my banner or such finished yet, but it'll be done enough to work. So be ready for a new layout and a new name!

   So here I am, preparing for the New Year, and working on my resolutions. One of the biggest things I want to leave behind is the anger issues I've had this last month or so. I've been thinking everything over very carefully and I think I need to start doing that now. So from this point on, I'm going to ignore the biggest source of my anger-- it'll be gone soon enough anyway, and by ignoring it I'll be frustrating it further.
   I have to start working on editing my novel and making my way towards getting published. That's going to be my main focus this upcoming year. I also want to start outlining for next year's NaNoWriMo earlier than I did this year and rewrite another novel-in-progress of mine before NaNoWriMo.

   What are your New Year resolutions? Do any of them have to do with writing?

- Siddy

Preparations for Editing

Well, NaNoWriMo has been over for 21 days, December's almost gone and I finally have my manuscript all printed out and ready my red pen for editing. Parts must be rewritten while other parts just need a good going over. Unfortunately a writing mishap happened and it didn't print in double spacing like it was supposed to... I think it was because it was opened in an internet browser and not in MS Word... But that's all right. I plan to work with it as it is since I feel I've killed enough trees today...

   And there it is. The death of a dozen trees and my novel-in-progress in it's full, rough, unpolished, and unedited glory, still untouched by the Great Red Pen. I'll probably casually go over it, switching between working on that, reading library books, and writing other works-in-progress until after New Year's and then the real work begins. After I edit this one, add in scenes, and remove other scenes, check characters to make sure they're in character, and go over my grammar again and again (not exactly in that order but you get the idea), I'll redo it on the computer and reprint everything out-- killing more trees; I feel horrible for it-- to go over the second draft.
   Why print it out? Personally, I like editing on paper. It's different from working on the computer and the bright, glaring screen. No, not all of my editing is done with paper but I, personally, find editing easier if I print out my novel-in-progress and go over it that way.
   So like so many other Wrimos on their writing adventures, I'm preparing for the long, perilous journey of editing. But for now, I'm off to check the skies once more for the 2010 lunar eclipse, be disappointed when I find the sky is thick with clouds as it always is in winter, and then fall asleep on the couch-- my lovely bed away from bed.

   Hope everyone is having a great holiday season and enjoying the winter solstice,

   - Siddy

Post-NaNo Hangover

  Hoo boy, this year's NaNo hangover hit me hard. To make things worse, I won't let myself start editing until after the holidays (unless it's just organizing notes or preparing everything for editing) because my family ends up really busy around this time and my parents need all the help with the house as they can get.
   But I have other things to keep me busy, though. Like the chaos in the household and keeping on our house guest to find a job and do everything she needs to do. It's extremely tiring but it had to be done.
   I'm working on a new layout and name for the blog, so you can expect some changes soon. I've designed my own crest and with any luck and a bit of help from my dearest friend Arcane, I might be able to change everything soon.
   I would like to start posting some artwork and short stories soon too. Perhaps after the new year. And once I get my new cellphone I'll be able to post more photographs too.

Hope everyone is having a nice (and not extremely stressful!) holiday season!

- Siddy

Until Next Year, NaNoWriMo

   Well, it's over and my Post-NaNo Hangover hit me hard this year. I've been easing myself away from coffee by drinking tea again and contemplating certain scenes for my novel. I can really see the potential in this story. It just needs me to polish it up and whittle away the roughness until it shines.
   The weather held off until the end of November too. It's almost as if it waited to snow just to mark the end of NaNoWriMo. We're supposed to get snow for the next eight days, a clear day on the ninth day, and then more snow on the tenth day. As long as it stays warm in the house, I don't mind. I may have to go find my snow boots, though.
   But it feels strange. NaNoWriMo went by so quickly. I miss it already, and although part of me was ready for it to end so I could relax a little, the rest of me didn't want it to end. But there's always next year and I have editing to do and other stories to work on until then. Others in my WriMo group say we should make it a NaNoWriYe or NaNoWri∞. I love these suggestions and after December and all its trials and stresses and joys I might join them in doing this. But for now I'm forcing myself to take a little while to let myself relax, let my fingers recover from the endless typing, and to let the story sit for a little bit while I contemplate. When I pick it back up, hopefully I'll be able to see it with a fresh view and I'll be able to edit it more proficiently.
  It was a good month that went by with surprising speed. The MLs in my group did an incredible job and I once again want to give them a shout out and let them know that they are awesome. This was one of the best years I've ever had in NaNo and I look forward to next year already.
   This was a fantastic learning experience for me. I found out more about myself as a person and as a writer. Each NaNoWriMo brings new surprises for me and new challenges and each year I've managed to overcome them and learn more and every time I sit down to write or read I better myself as a writer. So here's to NaNoWriMo 2010. One of the best NaNos I've ever participated in.
   So I'm off to sit by the fireplace and read a book that I've neglected all November and drink a cup of hot tea while enjoying the peanut butter cookies I've made as a reward for all my hard work and effort in November.
And to all my other fellow Wrimos out there I want to say great job. You've earn every reward you may be giving yourself.
Enjoy.

- Siddy
95,414 words.

P.S. I'm dedicating this win to my Mom and Dad. Without their support (or my new netbook that they bought) this year probably wouldn't have been so amazing or successful. I love you guys with all my heart. Thanks again for everything you guys do.

The End is Nigh

   Title is dedicated to my sister. She'll understand it if she ever reads this thing.

   Well, the end of NaNoWriMo is in sight and I'm at a total of 85k even so far. My story is at it's climax and I'm ready to write the ending.
... Okay, well I'm not ready to write the ending. Just like beginnings, endings tend to give me some hassle. But I have to keep forcing it forward, word by word. Even if it isn't right at least it's written. I can make it right at a later time. The point is to get it written first.
   I am completely exhausted, though. The struggles with our house guest has left me irritated and uneasy these last few weeks. Things will either smooth out and she'll learn our rules or else she'll leave. One or the other will happen in the end. We'll just have to wait and see which it is. The lack of sleep isn't helping either. Once NaNoWriMo is over, I vow to get to bed earlier and get out of bed earlier.
   I miss Arcane too. We're talking tonight over MSN longer than we have been able to in a while. I wish my cell phone was fixed so I could call her and talk with her. It would help a lot with my current stress and she is my muse... It would be useful to have her during NaNoWriMo, though I did perfectly fine.
   On Monday, my sister and I are going out with Grandma to see the new Harry Potter movie and we have a write-in to attend later that same night. They're also talking about planning a write-in during the last hours of NaNoWriMo. That would be a lot of fun. I hope they can manage it.
   But for the moment, I'm off to bed.

   Keep writing, Wrimos! The end is (sadly) in sight!

- Siddy

Thanksgiving Day: What Are You Thankful For?

   Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope your Thanksgiving Day is going wonderfully smooth and you're all happy and content. I'm taking a moment to write up a blog post while my Mother and sister cook up dinner, my brother and room mate clean the remaining bits of the house, my youngest sister watches, and my dad jumps in where needed while I'm cleaning up any dropped eggs or jumping in when help is needed.
   I have to admit. I'm truly content right now. Yeah, I've been having problems with my new room mate but it's mostly because we're learning each other's boundaries and she's learning the house rules. My only complaint is the disrespect and not listening issue she's been giving me. My Dad sat us down and had us talk it out and so far we haven't had any issues but we'll see what happens in a week's time.
   Other than that, I'm completely content. I have my new netbook which kicks ass, two fantastic parents who love me endlessly and support my dream of becoming a published writer (I mean, they bought me my new netbook when we really couldn't afford it. I'm so grateful to them right now), a great family, and a chance to pursue my dream of getting published.
   I've learned so much from this month alone. I've reached my NaNoWriMo goal without much issue, and I've gotten myself back into the habit of writing every day. I've noticed my writing style has changed and grown, and I, as a person, have matured. I'm happy and thankful for everything.
   So in short, my list of what I am thankful for it: My Mom,and my Dad, who are amazing and the best parents I could ever hope to have, my siblings who are fantastic and always have my back no matter what (I LOVE YOU GUYS, EVEN IF I DON'T ACT LIKE IT ALL THE TIME)... my dog, Rascal my cat Liger (who helps me write; she listens as I spout out ideas and bounce them off of her), and my three birds, Yamato, Eiji, and Tomo.
   My new netbook, Toshi-- again, something I really have to thank my parents for. NaNoWriMo, because every year is a new adventure with them and during those thirty insanity-filled, frantic days I alway learn something new about myself as a person and as a writer, and my writing skills always grow and improve.
   I'm also thankful for my muse and first reader/fan, Arcane. Without her, my current noveling project wouldn't exist and without her my NaNo novel wouldn't be as far as it is right now-- she saved my word processor when it started messing up and quit working. I LOVE YOU, MY MUSE AND TECH SUPPORT.
   Mom, I want you to know that I cherish all my moments with you, even if it's just our bitch sessions over a glass of wine, a run to the store, or a trip to Starbucks and Barnes & Noble. You're a huge support to me and without you, I doubt I would ever have started writing. You've taught me that even if your life is chaotic and you don't seem to have a lot of time, you can still accomplish your goals and still have fun. You've taught me a lot, Mom, and I want to thank you for everything and tell you how grateful I am and how amazing of a Mother you are and I know that in the end, you'll probably always understand me the best, even during those days where I don't understand myself and I hope that one day, if I have my own kids that I can be both a mother and a friend to them, just like you are to me. I love you.
   Dad, I love our sessions where we bounce ideas back and forth. You've helped my writing in so many incredible ways and I hope that one day when you read my novels that you will see those ideas you give me or suggest during our idea sessions. You've always helped me push myself and keep on track with my dreams and even though some days I act as if you're the villain in my story, I want you to know that when I do that, it's because I believe you're strong enough to take it... I know it upsets you, but I want you to know that in the end, I'll always be your Pumpkin and when I need to hide away from the world or break down and cry, you will always be the one I go to, because I know I'm always safe in your arms, no matter what. I love you.
   The words 'thankful', 'I love you', 'grateful', and so on are just words. I know they'll probably never express how I really feel because in the end, the feelings are bound by the words used to describe them-- that's why it's difficult to convey emotions from the page to your readers. If you don't do it right, then they're just words on a page. But I hope you guys get the meaning behind my words. I love you both, with all of my heart and I hope you guys know how thankful I am that you're my parents and how much I respect you both.
You're both amazing, to put it simply.

   I hope everyone's Thanksgiving went as good as mine and I hope you all have something to be thankful for... Even if it's just one thing then your life is going good.

Happy Thanksgiving,

- Siddy

Personal Goal has been Reached

   I am proud to say that last night I crossed the 75,000 word mark in NaNoWriMo! 75,000 was my personal goal and I'm very happy that I hit that goal. This was definitely one of the most challenging NaNoWriMos I have ever done but I have learned so much from it and matured greatly from it.
   I look at my writing more as work instead of fun. My largest jump in words this month so far has been 10k in one day. But the month isn't over and my story isn't done. So I'll keep working, even when the story is finished.
   But for today we have to prepare the house for Thanksgiving and get everything all ready. We have a handful of relatives coming over this year so the house has to be cleaned up. My dad gave us permission to stop occasionally to do writing sprints. I can clean that way easily. So off I go! I hope everyone else enjoys their Thanksgiving.

Stay thankful for everything you have.

- Siddy

All Night Write-In

   All Wrimos know about the Night of Writing Dangerously, but many of us can't afford the money to get all the way to the Night of Writing Dangerously. So the Cleveland WriMo group started their All Night Write. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it. But here I am, in my room, staying up all night and writing to be with my fellow Wrimos in spirit.

   It's 2:30 AM here and I'm almost at 70k. I have to hit 70k before I can go to bed. That's the deal I made with myself. Also, my room mate keeps mocking me because I write my daily word count goal on my hand and she says it looks like a serial number. I end up chasing after her, yelling "EXTERMINATE" like a Dalek.

   I've given up on coffee trying to keep me awake. I switched to grape kool-aid~ Cold, sweet, and full of purple goodness~ <3 

   But now I'm just procrastinating. I have to return to my writing. And kool-aid.

Keep writing Wrimos!  And go Cleveland WriMo group!

- Siddy

NaNo Updates

I know. I'm feeling pretty uncreative with my blog post title. I've even given up on naming my chapters or even dividing the book up into chapters. I'll go back and divide it up after NaNo. I've hit 60k at last. I'm finally getting back into my groove and slowly bringing my word count up higher and higher each day.
   At the moment, I'm sitting at my writing desk, with my music paused, cold coffee sitting beside my desk lamp, and my cat sitting on my lap. I'm just a few moments from taking a break to stretch out stiff muscles, reheat my coffee and pet my poor cat who has been sleeping on my lap the whole time I've been writing, silently encouraging me-- or begging for attention. I still can't decide which one it is.
   I was thrilled by the Holly Black pep-talk NaNo sent out. My three favorite authors, Tamora Pierce, Holly Black, and Naomi Novik, have all done pep-talks now, so I'm thrilled. Also, I got the email that my NaNoWriMo hoodie has been shipped so I should be getting that soon too!
   But for now I'm off to stretch my muscles, give my birds fresh food and water, and give my cat and dog some attention before I eat dinner and return to writing.

   Keep up the good work, fellow Wrimos!

- Siddy


P.S.
Don't forget that it's donation day for NaNoWriMo, so if you enjoy NaNo and can afford to give a bit, please help them out! NaNoWriMo depends on us to keep going!

*NaNo Happy Dance of 50k Goodness*

I am proud to announce that last night I hit the 50k mark in my NaNo Novel! This is the earliest I have ever hit it and I'm extremely pleased with myself.

But I'm not done yet! Now it's onward to 75k and then who knows from there. Of course, I had to reward myself. So I went out fishing for Lake Erie Steelheads with my grandpa. Sadly, we didn't catch any. In fact, the only thing we caught was the poor minnow that was attacked by my lure and ended up tangled-- not hooked but tangled-- in my lure's hook. I'm happy to say that it was released unharmed (physically, at least. I can't speak for his mental state. I mean, it's probably thinking "I was just attacked by a plastic-looking fish that's more than twice my size with hooks sprouting from it! Of course I'm not okay!") and will continue to swim for another day.

But now I'm off to get into my pjs and snuggle up with a blanket to write a little bit before I go to bed. I have a horrible OCD issue with the blue progress bars on my NaNo profile and I can't stand them being too close together.

Good luck to all my fellow Wrimos! Keep writing!

- Siddy

NaNoWriMo is Here!!

   Well, it's been here. And where have my blogging post been? Neglected. We're into the fourth day and I hit 15,000 words. I think it's my best record so far! These last two days I've written 5,000 words or just under that.  I might not hold to that tomorrow because some laundry has to be done but we'll see what happens. Write or Die has been extremely helpful, along with @NaNoWordSprints on Twitter. And as always write ins are useful.
   My story is going good so far and kept pretty close to my outline-- which I think is a miracle in itself. I'll hopefully post a synopsis soon and maybe even an excerpt. When I do, I'll post a link and a post letting everyone know that I posted them.
   But for now I'm going to head off to bed and get some sleep as a reward.

Good night. And keep writing, Wrimos!

Growing Eager...

   Well, it's almost that time again, folks... That time where madness ensues and insanity grips millions of scrambling writers for an entire month. That's right. I'm talking about NaNoWriMo. The weather is beginning to change here in Ohio, telling me that I need to prepare for that month-long scramble by stashing away sweets and stocking up on coffee. Like a squirrel stocking up for winter, I am stashing things away for November.
   My goal this year is at least 75,000 words by the end of the month. That means at least 2500 words a day must be written. I plan to stick with fantasy for this NaNo-- I tried my attempt at horror/fantasy last year and worked on that most of this year. It'll be nice to get back to writing what I write best.
   If you're joining NaNo, leave a comment, or friend me on NaNoWriMo.org... My author name is Dragon_Master or you can find me here.

   Every year since joining NaNo, I've done the same thing... I always remember NaNoWriMo the moment the weather starts to get cold, and then usually after that is Halloween... I live for NaNo and Halloween (Halloween's my favorite holiday)... And then, last I remember my birthday-- which is sad because it's before NaNo and Halloween.
   On the 17th of October, I hope to get a new laptop as one of my birthday gifts. A ten inch screen laptop, just over three pounds and a comfortable keyboard once I adjust to it. Perfect for me to put in my bag and take with me when I'm out and about so I can write every free chance I get.  My dad keeps reassuring me that he has every intention of getting it for me, so I believe him.
   As for Halloween, I still haven't decided upon a costume (me? Too old for costumes? Never!) and I should probably decide on one soon... We'll see what happens, I guess.

   As for the months of October and November, you can expect plenty of updates. Especially on Twitter. I know I neglect my blog, but at least my Twitter remains updated pretty often!