Deadline Day

the holidays and house tour hit me like a speed dump and threw me off track. BUT I did get halfway done. The most i've ever written on one project so I achieved that personal goal. Fear not, I'm going to continue working on the novel and try to report on my progress here on a regular basis. So, we are now entering the BEYOND...

I'm determined to take on the NaNoWriMo challenge next year. Promise. What a great ride.

Day 20: Almost to 50%

Current Overall Word Count:








I'm still on Chapter 6 because its become a super important flashback scene of a heated argument between Selene and Bane that led to their break. I may started Chapter 7 with the other half of the flashback with Bane and Selene father with the Ulfric give the mondstein shard to guard and protect to explain why Bane was picked for the task. The original scene was only between Bane and Claudus but as soon as I summed up the epic argument in order to get to he men's conversation, I knew I needed to write it out. I finished the argument tonight and will finish the men's conversation tomorrow. All of this build up will lead to Bane revealing the Mondstein shard to Selene in Chapter 8 (?) ...

Day 19: 45% Done!

Day 17: 20K Milestone!

Day 16 Word Count Surprise

my word count at NaNoWriMo and the word count I'm posting here don't match because I didn't realize the NaNoWriMo was on eastern time or something is off. Anyway, I'm trying to fix it but not sure how. We'll see...

Day 15 Current Overall Total

My tracking of the writing sessions and totals got messed up somewhere this past weekend so I'm starting fresh on the tracking with tonight's current total. I might have time to back track and correct things. We'll see...








I finished Chapter 5 around Monday last night. WOOHOO!!!!
I'm way behind where I should be to meet the deadline but its the most I've ever written on one novel idea. So I'm achieveing my objective. Write every night no matter what or how much.

Let's see if I can get to 20,000 tomorrow night.

Update: I've uploaded the counter images of my progresses and went by the title dates I gave them the moment I snapshot them

Day 14 Started Chapter 5

Weekend Progress

Word counter covering Nov. 12-13
Finished Chapter 4

Day 11 Craziness

I've lost track somehow so here is the current total as of tonight or at least that is what image title of the counter claims.

What Happened to Day 10?

my new PowerBook arrived!!!! 'Nuff said.

Day 9 Session 11 Deep Trouble

Writing Session: 11
Finished Chapter 3
Started Chapter 4
Today's hours: 3
Today's Word Count: 3248
Today's Page appox.: 13 ( 250 words per page)

Current Total Word Count







Total Pages approx.: 54 ( 250 words per page)


Finally got out of the dragging basement scene! I don't know what happened there or why it became so troublesome but I keep chugging through it until I got out on the other side. Finished Chapter 3 with that scene and opened Chapter 4 with Deanne and her situation. Sigh of relief. I was starting to wonder why I was writing this darn thing. It must be the second week slumps. Then today rolls in, and I ended up writing the most I had ever written before (so far). Go figure. I think I was starting to think about it instead of letting it flow and come out wonderfully messy on its own.
I think too much! I've got to stop that!!!


This writing session & blog entry was made possible in part by
Falling Through The Sky from the album "Underworld - Music From The Motion Picture" by Renholder

Day 8 Session 10

I'm getting further behind but at the moment I'm to tired to care. Hopefully, I'll be able to spend more time on it tomorrow.

Day 7 Session 9 Basement Retreat

I'm past 10,000 words! And 20% done!!!!
I was pup sitting all day today but was able to get a little writing done. I'm all caught up now!
BTW, I don't name chapters in my books or stories. I've always believed they gave something away about the actions or occurrences in those chapters. So, the titles I give each blog entry are only for the blog or are unofficial never to be used names for each scene.

Day 6 Session 8 Rewrites

Mom was very sick today so I ran over there and took care of her. I only got some major rewrites done.
I did introduced the Mondstein at a better earlier place than I originally planned.

Day 5 Session 7 Painful Pleasure

Writing Session: 7
Chapter: 3
Scene: 1, (changing POVs) Kicking the Moon barroom
Today's hours: 3
Today's Word Count: 2015!
Today's Page appox.: 8 ( 250 words per page)

Current Total Word Count







Total Pages approx.: 34 ( 250 words per page)

Old passion flared between Bane and Selene when they realized they survived the first battle. Yummy...

This writing session & blog entry was made possible in part by
The Steward Of Gondor from the album "The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King" by Howard Shore & Billy Boyd

Day 4: Session 6 Taste of Moon

Writing Session: 6
Finished Chapter: 2
Scene: 1, (changing POVs) Kicking the Moon barroom
Today's hours: 3
Today's Word Count: 1636

Current Total Word Count
(including all edits/rewrites):






Total Pages approx.: 26 ( 250 words per page)
I'm exhausted today. I think its a combination of the writing and time change catching up with me. My body just crashed. But I was able to sit down and write a good amount tonight. Whee...I not only finished the scene but the chapter. Yes! So what that I didn't reach 1667 or 1671 words quota. I accomplished a lot for not being able to keep my head up. :P

Karin and the artifacts are still in for now. They are a good driving force so I'll see where they lead me.

End of Chapter 2.

BTW: I'm finally reading Neuromancer by William Gibson. Fascinating read and I might need to read it again to get everything, a rare occurance for me (aced reading composition on all standardized tests- aren't I special :P).

For the non-scifiers, Neuromancerwas the 1984 (?) award -winning classic that gave birth to the cyberpuck genre. Cyperpuck spawned the Matrix movie Trilogy (1st movie is the best sci-fi movie ever!).

Another fresh, new day, another 1000 words. For now, bed and hopefully dreamless sleep.
I feel the beast coming.

This writing session & blog entry was made possible in part by
Love In Distance performed by Tan Dun (violin) from the album "Hero" by Tan Dun

Day 3 Sessions 4/5 Gunfire-Moonfire

Writing Session: 4 & 5
Chapter: 2
Scene: 1, (changing POVs) Kicking the Moon barroom
Combined hours: 3.5
Combined Word Count: 1698

Current Total Word Count
(including all edits/rewrites):







(I decided to use desktop snapshot image of the counter.)
Total Pages approx.: 20 ( 250 words per page)

This scene developed very differently from what I first envisioned but its a much stronger solution. When I first started, I though to show the action, Race taking Deanne as hostage etc, through Selene's eyes. But as I wrote it, it was clearly Deanne's POV. I went back and rewrote the beginning from Dea's POV, creating a intense scene , sizzling with repulsive sexuality.

Excerpt:
"You're a feisty one aren't you? I love them feisty." Race said. "They scream more in the end." He grabbed a hand full of hair, yanked her head back almost slamming it into the wood, and ran his long tongue up the column of her throat ending the journey with a deep, ruthless kiss, ravishing her lips.


When Selene and Bane enter the scene, it became a gun battle with silver bullets.

At this point (actually before this), I wondered why Vicious sent Race.
What did he want from Selene and Bane?
Why did he want Jamie alive?
(he killed off all of Selene's other relatives)
Why did he tell Race not to harm them (they don't know that yet)?
Does he want an ancient werewolf artifact Bane possessed? Maybe.
What is the artifact?
Do I want there to be an artifact? Crutch much?
But he's already pack leader. Why would he go through all the special trouble?

Suddenly, Race shouted at everyone to stop the fighting. Then he told someone named Karin to step forward. A whole new character I didn't see coming. Who is this mysterious woman with the moonlight colored hair and silver eyes?
Very surprising!
Do I want to go down this path?
Let's see where it leads.

This writing session & blog entry was made possible in part by
Battlestar Operatica from the album "Battlestar Galactica - Season One" by Bear McCreary

Day 2 Session 3 Question of Loyality

Writing Session: 3
Chapter: 1
Scene: 2.5 - in Selene's office
Began: Wednesday, November 2, 2005 9:44:42 PM
Ended: Wednesday, November 2, 2005 11:17:35 PM
Session 3 Word Count: 1087

Current Total Word Count
(including all edits/rewrites):







Total Pages approx.: 12.8 ( 250 words per page)

Selene questions Bane's loyalty to her father and the Fiorelli Pack. They reach a type of truce before they are interrupted by the arrival of Race Cito and Vicious' Elite Guard. Race is Vicious right hand, Enforcer, and Executioner. In other words, his favorite psychopathic killer who loves the bloody work his master awards him.

End of Chapter 1.

This writing session & blog entry was made possible in part by
Battlestar Operatica from the album "Battlestar Galactica - Season One" by Bear McCreary

Name Game

My luck with naming characters is sometimes uneven but usually works out right in the end. Well, all the names of the cast have fallen into place except my leading man. At first it was Darius so his nickname would be "Dare". But that was too obvious or "cute". So it changed to Kane but it seemed to harsh. A perfect name for a villain (not Vicious though). I settled on Quinn when I started NaNoWriMo but it doesn't fit either.

Vicious went through a similar name game but I really like Vicious for now. It prefectly describes the character. Confession: I got the idea from Cowboy Bebop. Busted!

Selene's brother when from Lucus to Jamie for no particular reason except it fit with his personality.
Selene and Deanne were never changed (except surnames). They felt right from the beginning.
(Need to post cast list)

So recap:
Darius "Dare"
Kane
Bran (after a famous Celtic hero)
Michael
Quinn

So the next change is:

Bane!

I know, way too obvious a name especially for a werewolf character but it feels right. Its probably better for a villain name ...whatever ...Wait a minute Kane? Bane? *eye roll* I guess the "K" seems too harsh (?). How strange. Silly me. *sigh* Back to the naming board.

The character is a "bad boy" lone wolf type (cliche go away) so I think the name fits for now. I'm thinking he choose it himself after he reached puberty and acquired his white timber wolf form. Its custom in the Packs to choose your own name at this point in their lives and carry it into adulthood. (Sound good-its a Native American custom) In fact, the character has probably been screaming at me that his name was really Bane but I ignored him. I bow down for now.
But I'm still looking.

Any suggestions? Please post them. Thanks!

Now I have to return to my story file and replace all the Quinns.
I'm never satisfied. *sigh*

Day 1 Session 2: Family Business

Writing Session: 2
Chapter: 1
Scene: 2 - in Selene's office
Began: Tuesday, November 1, 2005 10:35:56 PM
Ended: Tuesday, November 1, 2005 11:39:42 PM
Session 2 Word Count: 796

Current Total Word Count
(including all edits/rewrites):







Total Pages approx.: 8.4 ( 250 words per page)

Selene learns from Quinn Bane that Vicious has her brother. She can no longer run from Pack business.

This writing session & blog entry was made possible in part by
Love In Distance performed by Tan Dun (violin) from the album "Hero" by Tan Dun

Day 1 Session 1: Smell of a Wolf

Writing Session: 1
Chapter: 1
Scene: 1 - Kicking the Moon Bar
Began: Tuesday, November 1, 2005 12:00:08 AM
Ended: Tuesday, November 1, 2005 1:17:34 AM

Starting/Session 1 Word Count:

1,207 / 50,000 (2.0%)

Pages approx.: 4.8 ( 250 words per page)

This word counter is really elegant and suppose to look like this:

but Blogger can't seem to handle it properly no matter how much code fiddling I did. Oh well, its still useful. it might be worth reproducing it as an image file (like above) but I haven't decided yet. I need the time to write. ;)

Excerpt:
Selene smelled the werewolf the moment he walked into her crowded bar (Kicking the Moon is the name of her bar)...
The thick musk of forest pine with a hint of dark chocolate filled her werewolf enhanced senses, sending heat through her body. Delicious, she thought as she paused to savor the scent. She unconsciously flexed her fingers in anticipation of hot, sweaty flesh. Biting back a moan, she tossed a vodka bottle up , caught it in mid flight by the neck and poured the liquor across the bar, filling the five shot glasses in front of her. She smiled at the applause, winked at the closest male customer, returned the bottle to its holster and moved the shots forward without missing a beat of the blasting Joan Jett song.
As she setup for the next order, Selene inhaled again, picking up underlying scents of cinnamon, apple, and lilac. Lilac? She only knew one male wolf who possessed lilac in his natural scent.
Quinn Bane.
Shit.


This writing session & blog entry was made possible in part by
Red Red Red from the album "Extraordinary Machine" by Fiona Apple