Word count for the day: 255
Total word count: 33,742
Total Words to Write to be on track: 15,000
Not much writing today, but I’ve been keeping up a killer pace so this break is well-deserved. Keep writing friends.
Category Archives: Rachel Barnard
Nano ’14: Day 8 Update
Word count for the day: 4,714
Total word count: 33,487
Total Words to Write to be on track: 13,333
Nano ’14: Day 7 Update
Word count for the day: 3,766
Total word count: 28,773
Total Words to Write to be on track: 11,667
Total words on Day 6: 25,0007
It’s time to come clean. I’ve been writing my socks off, just not on the novel I meant to. I got scared. Afraid I wasn’t ready and that I hadn’t planned adequately I was getting stressed as the days disappeared before Hallonanoween. I had joint pain and headaches. Then I had an idea and I got excited about NaNoWriMo again. Yes, it’s a young adult novel. Yes, it’s in familiar territory. Yes, it’s something I know and love. Yes, I started planning just days before November 1st. Yes I’m a pantser this year. And yes, it’s been going quite wonderfully. Check out my word counts if you don’t agree. I’ve been getting really into the idea and yesterday I had an epiphany on how to make the novel into the best ever! I know I need to work on oonphing up the plot and creating better character development. Hello editing in December! Now I know exactly how to do that, though and I’m very, very excited!
Here is the novel I’ve already written over 25k words of (too late to back out now and pretend I’m still writing the Geocache Killer):
Mark on the World by Rachel Barnard is a novel that lies somewhere between John Green and Suzy Vitello.
Vanessa was a shy, introverted girl before she found out she wouldn’t live to graduation. It had always been her best friend Nichole who dragged her out of her shell, but now it’s Vanessa with her list of Challenges who is learning to pull Nichole along. From sneaking into strip clubs, construction areas, and into trouble Vanessa learns to cope with death and dying. When everything falls apart in a school shooting showdown Vanessa will have to give up herself completely to save those she loves. Will this be the mark Vanessa is hoping to leave on the world or will she be forgotten in the aftermath of the tragedy?
Nano ’14: Day 5 Update
Word count for the day: 3008
Total word count: 23,032
Total Words to Write to be on track: 8,333
Words written yesterday: 8,935
Me and my Geocache Killer duck took a vacation day yesterday to take care of some business. We went to the Geocaching Headquarters in Seattle and boy what a trip! For anyone who has done Geocaching or wants to and is anywhere near Seattle I highly recommend going. For this one you have to make an appointment, so be prepared.
What fun! Here’s some of what I learned. GC HQ employees 81 people, but four work in the warehouse near the Needle. They have their own Café that serves breakfast and lunch called the Signal Café after their mascot. They are quite a visual company and their office building is stunning! There is a large TV that continuously displays the most recent caches that are logged all over the world. They have a wall of cache goodies, where you can buy the specialized “found it” shirt only available at GC HQ. My tour guide was wonderfully informative and very excited about getting to see me. She succeeded in making me want to work for them! It sounds like such a cool and fun place to work at.
Nano ’14: Day 3 Update
Word count for the day: 3498
Total word count: 11,041
Total Words to Write to be on track: 5,000
Nano ’14: Day 2 Update
Word count for the day: 1918
Total word count: 7543
Total Words to Write to be on track: 3,333
I’ve already broken one of my guidelines! I may be in the middle of reading another Indie book, which is a good and bad thing. Good because I read quite fast, it isn’t too long, and it’s fantastic! Bad because it’s so good I want to finish and it’s distracting. Gr. I just have been in a reading mood these past few weeks.
In other news I was doing some geocaching with someone when we came upon this little fellow (can you call a female deer a fellow?)
Nano ’14: Day 1 Update
Word count for the day: 5625
Total word count: 5625
Total Words to Write to be on track: 1667
Last night was quite exciting! I love the concept of Hallonanoween, beginning NaNoWriMo EXACTLY (Yes, Paul) at midnight on November 1st. I like timings that have special meanings. However… I didn’t go. It was a little bit too far and a little bit too late and I fell asleep. 😦 Next year!
To recap: My novel: Check back with me on this one in a few days… I may have changed my mind and novel entirely!
My goals: Win NaNoWriMo 2014 by writing 50k of the aforementioned novel, Lose 5 lbs
Means to Accomplish Said Goal:
My nano plan…
– No reading and reviewing Indie books until December (only reading for pleasure)!
– No working on other writing projects other than blog updates!
– November blogging to only be about NaNo and pre-written reviews!
– Exercise!
– Write every day!
– Clear my social calendar for more writing time!
– Get up earlier so I can write for an hour every day before work!
-Be excited and stay motivated!
Goodreads Giveaway Ending: Last Chance to Win a Review Copy of Ataxia and the Ravine of Lost Dreams by Rachel Barnard
Nano is Close!
National Novel Writing Month is just about a week away now… Are you ready? I’m in the process of clearing my schedule, researching for my book, working on an outline, and drafting up my goals. Go back, you say, what is NaNoWriMo??? Well, dear readers it is the month of November where you attempt to write a 50k word novel in just a month! Check out nanowrimo.org for more info or to sign up! Pictured above is my -ahem- initial research for my novel. You can’t quite tell from the covers, but both these movies involve geocaching. That’s right, something else you may be unfamiliar with… Geocaching is a worldwide treasure hunt in real life! Check out geocaching.com for less cryptic descriptions and to sign up!
My goals for Nano are to write my novel the Geocache Killer and lose 5 lbs because I plan to write and exercise more! I’m going to follow one of my favorite author’s advice on how to write your first draft in 20 days (check out that scintillating blog post by Ksenia Anske here).
To accomplish this feat of inhuman strength and motivation I have created my nano calendar… Where I have placed my write-ins! I’ve also begun shifting my internal clock so that I can wake up earlier, get to work 30-60 minutes earlier and use that time to write!
After thinking and thinking about how I can possibly write a suspense/thriller when I’ve never attempted, I thought up a better spin to the story, one with more depth, one with more geocaching, one that will be funny, and fun to read. Perhaps it will be best classified as a drama… Whatever the case I’m getting nitty gritty on my outline now and will be finalizing my organization on my nano novel at my Factoria and Newcastle write-ins and writing dates on the 29th and 30th.
All my ducks are lining up, do you have yours?
See you at Hallonanoween, sooner or later Wrimos!
Rachel Author Barnard 