NaNoWriMo Day 7: The End of Week One

One week down, just over four more to go. It's an hour until the end of Week One of NaNoWriMo, and I am resting comfortably at nearly 12000 words. A quarter of my novel is done, or just about. 

Between school, our fall musical, and NaNo I have been working nonstop. Most of my classes are so mind numbingly easy that I just sit and write through most of them. So, most nights I hit my word goal before 10 PM. 

Week One has been the beginning of a whirlwind adventure. I found a novel idea and went with it, letting it take me where ever it pleases. Sure, my characters need a little more oomph, and the plot is slowly (but surely) unfolding, but, hey, I'm writing my butt off. I know where I want to go and I'm getting there. My main character, Rowan, the name sake of the book, still isn't sure exactly what she wants, and some of her opinions aren't clear, but the sass is strong with her. 

And from that we segue directly into the main topic of this post: Books on Fiction Writing. 

I avoid "How To" books about writing like they are ebola and I am America. Sorry, too soon? Most books about writing are so bad that they are not even worth cutting down the trees used to make them. I would rather eat razor blades than read some of the books about writing that are out there. 

Some people say, "Those who can't, teach."

Writing Magic
 By Gail Carson Levine

I say, "Those who can't, write books about how to." 

The first book about writing that I ever purchased was by Gail Carson Levine, the lovely author of Ella Enchanted. Her book on writing was titled Writing Magic, and I bought it because I thought it was an actual novel. To this day, it is one of the most well used books that I own. What I loved about it most was the way she talked about how she wrote and the fact that she didn't try to shove her way down your throat. To middle school me, it was a godsend. 

No Plot? No Problem!
By Chris Baty

A few years later, after two or three years of doing NaNoWriMo, I asked for No Plot? No Problem! A Low Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo. Even though I wasn't in the middle of NaNo, I read it anyway. The book is specific to NaNo, but offers tons of helpful tips and trick for any kind of writing. 

On Writing
By Stephen King

Probably the best book about writing that I have ever read is On Writing by Stephen King. On Writing is half-memoir, half-writing advise and completely and utterly fascinating. I've never been a huge reader of Stephen King, but I heard that On Writing was a must read. When I found it randomly at a Barnes and Nobel, I knew I had to take it home. I consumed the book in a matter of days. King tells his story beginning to middle (because he's not dead), describing how he became a writer and the events in his life that influenced his choice. In the second part, King tells how he writes, some rules of thumb for drafts and editing, and advise on writing and showing your work. On Writing is a little more strict about how writing should be done, but at the same time King understands that not every story will follow every rule and not every writer is the same. King is intelligent, witty, and downright hilarious at times. Read it. Read it now. 

So, moral of the story is: There are some good books on writing out there, they are just hard to find. Watch out for imposing bastards who try to shove their "correct ways of writing" down your throat. 

I hope you guys take a look at some of these. And, if you read them, comment below about what you think about them! I'd love to hear more. 

~snowie

NaNoWriMo Day One: Diving In

It's just past 11 P.M. where I live, and the great first day of NaNoWriMo is drawing to a close. The only reason I'm writing this post instead of my novel is because I'm exhausted and I put 2033 words in already. So, why not blog about it?

Last night, I decided to scrap the "first" idea that I had for my story. Something about it just felt off. However, I kept at least two of the characters, the title, and one character description: Rowan and Petra; Rowan; and Thief, respectively. I made myself go to sleep after fretting for an hour about not having a plot. I told myself that I would find one today, and I have.

I'm diving in. Nothing planned. Just an inkling of an idea. And, it's scary. It's nothing I've ever written before. It's something I know very little about. I have complete control and no control at the same time. And, it also makes me say this: take the phrase "write what you know" and set it on fire.

Writers who say "write what you know" are just afraid of the unknown. They don't have the guts to take an idea and jump right in. Nope, they prefer to stay in the safe zone, perhaps poking a toe outside the line when absolutely necessary.

Do you think that J.K. Rowling knew everything about Wizardry when she wrote Harry Potter? No. Did James Patterson know anything about human-avian hybrids when he wrote Maximum Ride? No, probably not.

I guess what I trying to say is that writing is an art. Art is what gives life meaning. When you write about something you don't know, you are helping yourself as a writer and a person, and you are adding your own little twist to something that might have been written a thousand times before.

Experiment. Expand your mind. Expand the mind of your readers. Write what you don't know.


Have a Happy NaNoWriMo!

~snowie

Biting the Bullet: NaNoWriMo Begins in 3… 2… 1...

People often ask me why there's a picture of a bird as the header for my blog about writing. Actually, no, they don't. I ask myself that, and then I tell myself it looks badass. But really, I'm too lazy to change it.

It's been a while since I have posted anything, and for that there is no excuse. However, as November 1st draws near, and I get more excited and nervous, all I want to do is blog about it.

For those of you who don't know, this is my sixth year of National Novel Writing Month. By the end of the month, hopefully it will be my sixth year of winning. Unlike the last two years, this year I had no clue what to write about. This scared me a little. Last year, I wrote City of Stone, a dystopian tale that I am pretty proud of. The year before that I rewrote my baby, The Night Stalker. This year, I feel that I have some high expectations which is intimidating. This NaNoWriMo will be my last NaNo in high school. Next year in college, everything will be different.

So far, I know my novel will follow a girl named Rowan. I had something planned out, but now that I look at it, I'm not sure if what I had is Rowan's story. Yes, a buddhist futuristic Robin Hood-type character sounds awesome, but since the day I first thought of that idea something always felt off.

There are two types of writers: the ones who have to plan every single detail out and the ones who don't. I fall into the later category. I have always believed that there is no write or wrong when it comes to writing. Writing is the one place where the rules of language can be twisted until they are unrecognizable, as long as it is done well. What works for one writer may not work well for another. This is no different.

Both types of writers have their pros and cons, just like everything else. Detail oriented authors have less writer's block because they know exactly what happens next and how to get there. However, this type of writing can be very restrictive.

I prefer to not plan out what I write. When I write, I feel like I am reporter watching the action and writing it down in vivid detail. I have an idea where the story will lead, but I'm not quite sure. Characters, scenes, and plot develop and often have surprising and amazing outcomes. I like to use the analogy of an archeologist. I'm digging up bits and pieces, uncovering them, and I sort of know what will be there, but there's always a surprise or two. I found that the more I plan out a story, the faster I get bored with a story. I don't want to write a story where I already know what's going to happen. That's why I can't read the same book twice.

But, like I said, just because I do it doesn't mean you have to. Every writer is different. Every mind works in a different way. It's taken me years to figure out how I write, and even now I'm still not sure. It's all about experimentation. Don't let "experts" tell you what to do. Find your own way.

There is no write way to write. You just have to write.

Happy Halloween and Happy NaNoWriMo!
Let me know how your novel is going in the comments…

~snowie

Late Nights With Snowie

Good god, allah, yahweh, babaganoosh, great spaghetti monster in the sky. I really should be in bed right now.

But I can't.

Wanna know why?

Because I feel like a freshman. And that's a terrible thing to feel.

Why, You ask? Because I keep waiting for someone to message me, and I know they won't. Hello, last semester of freshman year again.

On the bright side, I finished a novel just in time to start another.

Yeah, that's right. I wrote "The End" on the Night Stalker about five minutes ago. In all truthfulness, the last two chapters suck because I just wanted them done. But, that's just it. They. Are. Done. What, what!!! Four months for one complete revision. Hell, yeah. I'll take that any day.

More to come real soon.

Best of writing!

~Snowie

Another Video???

Seeing that this is the third video post on my blog in a row, I thought that I should talk about something writing related.

That is.... Camp NaNoWriMo! Yes, Camp NaNo is just around the corner, and this time you can pick your own word count! In other words, you don't have to write 50,000 words. You can write 500 or 100,000 words or 18,670 words.

The first Camp NaNo is in April, and the second is in July. This is fantastic because there is a two month break in between for editing and resting.

This year, I really hope to write three novels using Camp NaNo and regular NaNo. Just a few minutes ago, I had an epiphany about what I was going to write in April. My friend, M.L., just self published the first novel she ever wrote (I have no idea if you can buy it or not. If you can, I will hot link THIS). This got me thinking about the first novel I ever wrote called Arya Poisonhold. Arya Poisonhold was about an elf named Arya who finds a dragon... It was basically a rip off of Eragon. I love this novel to death, and tried to rewrite it multiple time. I never could get it perfect. I think I might try writing Arya again in April. It would be fun. I haven't written fantasy in a long time.

In July, I'm thinking about finishing my TNS sequel- Light. And November is still unknown.

Right now, I still have two more chapters in The Night Stalker. Speaking of the Night Stalker, I drew this....

It's Gail! From the Night Stalker! Just imagine orange hair and green eyes. I've wanted to draw her for a very long time. 

Best of Writing!

~Snowie

Why Write It?

The final installment in The Night Stalker Q&A series is brought to you by Banana (TM). Bananas are good!

Perhaps the most important thing to know about any story is why the author wrote it. Why did they put the time and the effort in to writing, editing, and publishing this particular story? What's so important about it?

As I was growing up, I always felt like there were more books for boys with manly, handsome action heroes and ditzy girls. The girls were princesses who wait in towers to be rescued and can hardly pick up a pillow. I was never that girl. Ever. I was the strongest girl in my grade and could beat all of the boys at arm wrestling. Perhaps that is why my imaginary friend and my first ever not stollen from another story character was a B.A. elf named Arya Poisonhold.

I'm still probably one of the strongest girls in my grade, but all of the boys can beat me at arm wrestling. Karma.

For much of my childhood, I longed for the strong, heroic female characters that I was missing. I felt out of place because to be pretty, you had to be Barbie. And Barbie wasn't strong or B.A.

When I started writing The Night Stalker, I think I was trying to fill the void of a strong, female role model. If you look at everything I've written up two about a year ago, you'll find that all of my main characters are strong, heroic females. The first book I wrote where the protagonist wasn't a strong female was Loving Amelia Perfect, which I wrote last summer. The two main characters are Amy, a shy girl who is secretly agnostic; and Ben, a social outcast with major family and relationship troubles. Ben was the first time one of my narrators was a guy.

Now, books are changing. More and more protagonists are heroic females like Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games and Tris from Divergent. Writers are saying that girls don't have to be skinny to be pretty. Any shape or size is beautiful. People don't have to be perfect, they just have to do the right thing and be strong. Don't let people push you around. Make your own decisions.

This is exactly what I'm trying to get through in The Night Stalker. I want to tell girls that they can be independent and make their own decisions, go after dreams, and kick fear in the butt. Gail isn't a perfect person. She's stubborn and very independent. Gail doesn't take orders well and will decide to go off and do her own thing in the blink of an eye. But, at the same time, she knows when to be smart, when to stay, and when to help people. She doesn't try to act stupid around guys, and she repeatedly doesn't do what they want her to do. Though there is romance in The Night Stalker, the romance isn't a huge part of the storyline. Gail is focussed on other things like finding her mother, defeating the Alliance, and deciding, as the Night Stalker, if what she is doing is right. I wanted to show that there is more to life than romance, and that you don't need someone to love you in order to be a good and amazing person.

That's all I have today. Take it away, Banana (TM)!

Banana (TM) because bananas are good! Free fez with a purchase of thirty bananas. 
Bananas are great for everyone. Warning: Bananas may cause extreme energy boosts and acute healthiness. Eat regularly. For free fez, send in the form with proof of purchase. 


Best of Writing!

~Snowie

Interlochen School of Creative Arts

Back a while, in the first week of December, right after the madness that was NaNoWriMo, I was still typing like a mad man. For the first couple of days, I was fervently trying to finish the Night Stalker. But, a week before December the 15th, I was killing myself. During NaNoWriMo, I had decided to enter the Virginia B. Ball Contest. The winner would get a 30,000 dollar scholarship to Interlochen.

I just barely managed to enter myself on time.

And I waited and waited and waited some more for that email or that phone call.

The email came yesterday. And I..... Wasn't a finalist.

Oh well. There are plenty more contests and a whole lot of writing to do.

If you would like to read it, click here. I let my English teacher read it, and she left a lot of notes, but I haven't gotten around to actually editing the thing yet. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it!

In other news, the Night Stalker is nearly finished. I am currently working on Chapter Seventeen out of Nineteen. I'm getting to the really good part after bawling over a really sad part. I cry every time.

I am working feverishly on Loving Amelia Perfect. Last night, I did a complete read through and now have a list of things to fix on the over all plot. Tonight, I will be working on the outline and hopefully character dynamics. Fun stuff!

For a while, I have been thinking about writing a book called something a long the lines of Diary of an Atheist Christian. It will follow the life of a Atheist who is raised in a Christian family and the hardships he/she went through. It might also follow two or three other people. I was hoping to do this for Camp NaNoWriMo, but I feel like starting it earlier... Hmm...

That's all for now!

Best of Writings,
~Snowie

The Thames Family

They're smart and they're witty, 

Bloodthirsty and broken, 
They're all together crazy, 
The Thames Family. 


(Fail.)

Abigal and Thomas Thames

Abigal Thames is the sort of person who gives an order and people follow it, no questions asked. She is about 5'8" with orange, curly hair and brown eyes. In 2018, she was 53.

Thomas is quieter than his wife and very smart. He is a weapons inventor for the military and his wife's partner. Thomas is a year older than Abigal with brown hair and the Thames's green eyes. 

Abigal and her future husband, Thomas, met in high school. At age 18, she and Thomas joined the army. Abigal worked as a nurse, but soon made her way into the ranks with her remarkable knowledge of military strategy. Abigal's father was a general in the army. After seven years of fighting alongside Thomas, Abigal married him. Abigal and Thomas had three children: Matthew and Phillip, born when Abi was 25; and Gail, born when Abi was 32, just after Matt and Phillip were kidnapped. In 2000, Abby was selected as the Strategist for Operation Light. She and two others (Noah’s Dad and a general) prepared a plan to protect the United States from the impending Alliance Attack. Operation Light was finished just months before the attack. Abigal was captured and taken. She was assumed to be dead.

Abigal and Thomas were scientists in the first versions of The Night Stalker when The Night Stalker revolved around DNA and super soldiers. Although the story is told from Gail's point of view, the plot revolves mostly around Abigal and her part in the war, but that's a huge post for another time. I chose Abigal mostly to connect Gail to the rest of the war and put Gail in the center of everything- almost accidentally. Also, Abigal has a really amazing backstory, and is a kick-butt 50 year old woman.

Matthew

Matthew is tall with brown hair and green eyes, like his father. He has a very strong survival instinct and is a natural leader, like Abigal, his mother.

Matthew was kidnapped at age 7, and thought to have been killed because he was weak. A nice soldier let him go, and Matt spent time in Europe traveling from family to family and trying to get back to the United States. He couldn’t go to an Embassy because Alliance had spies everywhere. Matt met up with the European Rebellion after war started. He also met Abigal, but didn’t realize it was his mom. However, Abigal knew it was him. Matthew rose through the Rebellion ranks and was kidnapped by Hamilton to be taken to the United States.

Philip

Philip is the son of Abigal and Thomas Thames. He is the older identical twin brother of Matthew. He has been mentally and physically abused for most of his life, so Philip is filled with rage and hate towards everyone in his life. 

Philip lived in Brownings City, PA until he was kidnapped at age 7 with Matthew. He was raised in Russia under the guidance of Alliance leader Alyxandr Romov. Philip hates his parents and Gail which was the main reason he attacked the United States. This hate was caused by Romov's psychological torture on Philip. Philip married an older woman named Eleanor at age 15. They had Hamilton same year. Eleanor was 18. Philip was forced to marry Eleanor because Romov wanted two heirs to the Alliance throne. Philip later killed Romov and took over the Alliance.

Hope you enjoyed another round of Things You Didn't Know But Know Not About The Night Stalker! Happy Holidays!

~Snowie

Why Them?

So far, you know the plot and the sides to the story. Now it's time to start meeting the characters and learn why I chose them.

Gail Thames

Gail is my main character. She narrates most of the novel in the first person ("I"). Gail is telling the story a few years after it happened, so it features other peoples' stories that Gail has heard. Physically, Gail has her mother's orange, very curly hair (Think Merida from Brave, but shoulder length), and she has the Thames's green eyes. She is twenty-one and loves martial arts, kickboxing, reading, knitting, and cooking. Her three best friends are Kayla, Jeff, and James (You'll hear more about them later). 

Gail and Jeff grew up together along with Kayla and Morganne. When the war started in 2012, Gail was removed from public school. In 2012, the US was invaded and Gail’s mom was taken. Gail grieved for a few years and then was inspired by Robin Hood. She started stealing from the Alliance and giving her spoils to the fugitives. Gail kept this a secret. Her secret was stumbled upon by Jeff and Lucy, an Alliant turn Rebel. Lucy and Gail were partners for about 1.5 years before the Black Carriages took Lucy. During this 1.5 years, Tom found out about Gail’s secret and started properly training her. In 2015, a storyteller came through who knew Gail’s secret. She told the Shelters about Gail- indirectly- calling her the Night Stalker. Gail stops stealing because the guard in the city went up. The storyteller goes on to spread the news of the Night Stalker. By 2018, nearly the whole world knows of the Night Stalker, but not one, not even Gail, knows who the Night Stalker is. After reuniting with Kayla, Morganne, and Jeff, Noah and James show up. And the story begins.

I can't really remember why I chose Gail exactly. A long, long time has passed since I came up with Gail Thames. If I were to chose Gail today, I would chose her to tell this story, because she's not your average soldier. She doesn't take orders from others well, and always wants to go off and do her own thing. Gail is constantly getting in the middle of the action without ever really trying to. Gail's main goal is to travel to Maine and find her mother, but at the same time she feels the need to fight the Alliance and fight for her freedom. Gail is very stubborn and set in her ways. She has a hard time connecting with people, and prefers to be alone, which is a downfall of hers.

Hamilton Romov

Hamilton Romov is the son of Philip and Eleanor Romov. For most of The Night Stalker, he is our resident "baddie". Hammy, as I like to call him, is a fresh fifteen. His most distinguishing features are his died white hair and blue eyes. For a fifteen year old, he's pretty tall- 6"2'. Imagine a mix of Chris Zylka, Matt Lanter, and Austin Butler with blond hair and blue eyes. 

As a child, Hammy was trained by Philip and Alyxandr Romov, the King of the Alliance up until 2010 when he mysteriously died. Hamilton was abused mentally and physically by daily whippings, beatings, and torture. On the upside, Hammy became very tough physically and mentally. On the other hand, he wouldn't mind seeing Philip dead. Hamilton hates his mother because she is weak, but at the same time, he loves her as his mother. Hammy took a liking to hunting, fishing, horse riding, and knife throwing. From a young age, he was the friend and the fiancé of Octavia Blackwelt. 

I chose Hamilton mainly for his background. Hammy hasn't had an easy life. He hates his father and has a love/hate relationship with his mother. He has taken mental and physical abuse daily for almost ten years of his life. The only love and support in his life comes from Octavia, his childhood friend and now assassin. I wanted a raw and violent, perhaps a little psychotic character, but at the same time, I wanted the reader to feel sorry for him. I wanted my readers to be able to connect with him. 

So, there you have it. Gail and Hammy are two of the biggest most influential characters in The Night Stalker. More to come!

~Snowie

P.S. Merry Christmas

P.P.S. Don't forget to comment down below! I would love to hear your opinion on the plot, the sides, Gail, and Hamilton.  

Now That You Know

So, how did you like the plot? (Psssst Leave a Comment. I'd love to hear your opinion of it.)

Now that you know the story, it's time to meet the two sides of it. 

The Alliance

Meet the Alliance. They are a Russian-based Mafia that was headed by Alyxandr Romov. Romov has held a grudge against the United States since they illegally captured his parents. When Romov died in 2010, he still had found them. In order to get back at the United States and a handful of other countries who interfered with his criminal web, Romov sent agents to a little house in Brownings, Pennsylvania. The agents kidnapped the twin sons of well-known Military Strategist Abigal Thames and her husband Thomas, a military weapons inventor. The seven year old boys were smuggled out of the country. 

On the way to Russia, one was deemed too weak for Romov and was killed. The boy, however, escaped. For 13 years, the twin that was still with the Alliance, named Philip, was heavily abused and trained by Romov. Plans to invade all six continents and kill Romov's enemies were put into place. Philip had plans of revenge of his own, but went along with Romov. Romov's death in 2010 is still suspicious. 

Philip took over after Romov's death and put the invasion steps into place instantly. The Alliance army was already in place in every country. Countries fell before any one knew what was happening. In less than 24 hours, bombs were falling. World War Three had begun. 

As a government, the Alliance is a Dictatorship, ruled by King Phillip. The next in line is Philip's son, Prince Hamilton. A majority of the major army positions and government positions are filled by old Russian, North Korean, and Chinese leaders. 

The Rebellion

The Rebellion was started as a part of Operation Light. OL was created by the President as a back up plan to the Alliance threat. 3 people (Abigal Thames, Alaric Cook, and General Crosley) worked together to create an army that would come together and fight the Alliance if the world powers were to fall. 

When the Alliance invaded and took over America, the operation was implemented and leaders gathered troops. 8 years into the war Newfoundland, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Connecticut have been won in the USA alone. The European army is gorging their way through the middle of Europe in an effort to cut off West Europe from the Alliance.

All over the world, there are ten Rebellion armies: one in Europe, four in Asia, two in Africa, one in Australia, one in South America, and one in North America. Some are lead by a single person, others, like the one in North America, are headed by a General and a counsil.

I hope you enjoyed this little break down of the Night Stalker's armies!

~Snowie

The End of All Things (Or At Least a Few)

When something ends, another thing must begin.

NaNoWriMo ended. And the beginning of novelling after of NaNoWriMo began.

November ended. December began.

2012 is ending, and 2013 is about to begin.

And according to some people, the world is ending soon. The beginning of a universe without an Earth populated by people will begin. To you I say... Yeah... Sure.

And last, but not least, The Night Stalker will be ending soon. I will finally allow myself to begin editing, polishing, and looking for a wonderful and very talented agent/publisher.

If you ask me, this November was very successful. I (re)wrote a novel!! You wrote a novel!!! You sat back and laughed at our craziness! You only wrote half a page! What ever you did, I clap for you. We had fun, I think. I nearly made it to 60,000 words in a month. I am actually just over 59,000 words and counting.

Soon, I hope to be posting more both on here and on YouTube. I have a book picked out to start recording, and I have a ton of Night Stalker Q&A I am really excited about writing for Writing Thoughts. 

During the month of December I am doing a No T.V. Challenge. You can stay updated with all of that on AnAwfulLotOfRunning, my nerdy workout blog and tumblr. Feel free to check it out while listening to awesome music. 

In the mean time, get some sleep. You deserve it.

Happy writings,

~Snowie

Hitting the Mark

Just as planned, I hit 50,000 words yesterday!!!!! WHOOOOOO!

The only sad part is that I still have 7-ish chapters to write. I had fun, I really did. This NaNoWriMo was absolutely fantastic. There's still six days left, but the month went by so quickly.

This blog was started for me to talk about the things I've written, especially the Night Stalker. It's been an absolutely amazing journey from that point to here. I want to say thank you to the people who have been with me from "the beginning" and the people who have joined me along the way- M.L., Blake, The_Doctors_Assistant, and V... And the other one (You know who you are). Really, guys, I couldn't have written anything this year with out you (Well, I could have, but it would have been very, very hard and unsupported).

I am very excited to see the Night Stalker reach a point of 79.99999% done. I'm sure you guys are, too.

A little pre-December update. During the month of December, I will be writing all about The Night Stalker's characters, settings, plots, romance, why I wrote the story, and anything else you would ever need to know about the book. If you have any questions about the Night Stalker, feel free to comment down below.

~Snowie

Above and Beyond the Call of Writing Duty

Today, I sat down at my computer with a challenge set and the bar raised higher than ever before. I had challenge myself to write 25,000 in five days. Yes, I am insane. 25,000 words? In five days? That is half of a novel, thats half of a NaNoWriMo!

You are already where you are supposed to be for NaNoWriMo. Why are you writing more that you need to?

Oh, there is a reason. Believe me. There is a reason.

If you love personality types and the Meyers-Briggs test, then you will know what I mean when I say I am an INFP. INFP stands for Introvert iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving. Among lots of other things, it means that I am a perfectionist and a procrastinator. Everything I create artistically has to be perfect or the piece will not make it anywhere but a trash bin. If I don't have a deadline, nothing will get done.

Ah, deadlines. I love those sweet little dates. <3 p="p">
All five of my rough drafts would not exist if there was not deadline stapled to my head with a goal tied to it. 50,000 words in 30 days was a little piece of figurative heaven for me. Four of my rough drafts were written for NaNo (I've actually done NaNoWriMo 5 times, but I don't count last year's novel as a novel because it, well, sucked). The other draft (The Night Stalker) was written with sheer will power, a calendar, and a goal of 9 written pages per week.

I am afraid that if I don't get The Night Stalker draft 4.0 done before the 30th, then The Night Stalker will never be done and the multiple years of I have put into this novel will be wasted.

After a 9,000 word long Chapter 10, I am happy to move on to a very exciting Chapter Eleven.

I am so excited to tell you guys everything you have ever wanted to know about the Night Stalker in December!

Happy Writings!

~Snowie

P.S. 5,000 Words Down, 20,000 To Go! Nearly at 50,000!

  

Mid-NaNo RunDown Time.

Today is the 15th! I can't believe it. November goes by so quickly.

Currently, I am in the Eighth Chapter of The Night Stalker. Rewriting is going very well, and, so far, I am very pleased with how my ideas are turning out. The Night Stalker has taken some turns, but I feel that it still stays true to the first draft. That is what I really wanted all along.

Tonight I have just under 2000 words to write to reach the daily word count- 25,000 words. In the next month I hope to tackle another 35,000 words, eleven chapters, and about 200 more cups of tea.

Stats!

As you can see, I have a long ways to go to hit 60,000 words.

For those of you that read yesterday's post, I did in fact get that whole scene sorted out. Everything is great!

Allons-y!

~Snowie

MuseSober

Ever been MuseDrunk? If you are a hardcore artist, I am guessing that you probably have been. MuseDrunk is a term I just came up with about thirty seconds ago.

Ever heard of the term Love Drunk? MuseDrunk is basically the exact same thing. Love Drunk means you are completely and utterly consumed by love; whereas MuseDrunk means you are completely and utterly consumed by inspiration. When ever you write, draw, paint or sketch, all of the stars align. The picture is perfect, and the cat survives another day.

As it so happens, smack-dab in the middle of November, I am MuseSober. More accurately, I am LoveSober. I was doing fine, typing along at a fingers flying to Hell with no return speed when I hit a bump. That bump grew even larger when I realized the importance of that bump. The bump was my second of three subplots.

Dun... Dun... Dunnnn......

It was.... The love story. GROOOOAAAAANNN. In the eight chapter, Noah and Gail finally realized that they really like each other, and so they kiss. About halfway through this heartbreaking kiss, James (Who was punched by Noah just five minutes prior) interrupts, and Jeff gets really, really mad because he's loved Gail since kindergarden. Now, no one is happy, and Noah has a broken hand.

I've written this scene about three times, and the mood never feels quite perfect. I've run out of ideas and all of the feels.

How is your NaNoWriMo going?

~A MuseSober Snowie

P.S. My midterm NaNoWriMo report will still be coming on, well, tomorrow if you are interested in that. 

National Novel Youtube Reading & Writing Month

Yes, I did just make up NaNoYoReWriMo (National Novel Youtube Reading and Writing Month). I was actually just mashing the two things I wanted to talk about today- NaNoWriMo and my Youtube Project.

First things first- NaNoWriMo is coming up in just a few short days. (Yay!) I haven't touched The Night Stalker for weeks, but I have been working on Love By Text, or, as I now like to call it, Loving Amelia Perfect. It took me a while to find a name that fits. But, I had an epiphany and I realized that Loving Amelia Perfect is the best title I've found so far. I'm hoping that both novels will go far with in the next two to three years. I made a promise to myself that I would be published before I left high school. I intend to keep that promise.

Second and Last of all, I had an idea for a Youtube Project, which I believe is one of my goals on 43things.com. If it isn't, it is now. Anyway, my idea is this. I need to world on my speaking, reading aloud, and individual speech skills. In order to work on these things, I thought I would read from a book (That is in the Public Domain), record myself, and put it on Youtube. To make this exciting, I would preform each section that I read as if I were preforming a Prose piece in Speech. For those of you that have no idea what speech or prose even is, basically, I'm reading a story and acting out little pieces of it along with changing my voice to match the characters' voices. I wanted to know what you guys thought of this idea and what Public Domain books I should read. Feel free to post a comment, or vote in the voting box to the right.

I hope this project will not only help me, but also spread awareness about free literature and books in the Public Domain. If all goes well, more people will be inspired to read more.

Better Writings,

Snowie

Roast Beef

So, I'm sitting on the couch watching Step Up 2 when I decided that for the first time in days I actually want something to eat. Being sick sucks. No food and very little water for three days. I'm reaching into the fridge for the biscuits which, of course, is at the very back of the fridge. In the process, I end up knocking an entire roast to the floor. The juices spilt everywhere, and I'm surprised that my cat isn't around licking the entire kitchen (and my feet) to pieces.

Besides being sick and missing probably my last home volleyball game ever and a tournament, school's been really busy. With homework, volleyball, and band (Speaking of band, I am currently first chair, second clarinet- OHYEAH!). I've had no time for anything- reading, writing, blogging, vlogging, arting, or journalling. But life is what it is.

Many of you know that the ever so amazing NaNoWriMo is coming up in just a few weeks. So, to spare your eyes and my fingers, I'll just post a link that talks about NaNoWriMo for those of you that are a bit behind on the times.

This year, I'm not doing anything new. I am finishing the Night Stalker. I WILL DO IT!!!!!! Otherwise this might never get done and I have worked to hard for it to not be done. Yes! Motivation, plus a little procrastination. We'll see how this November goes.... See you then!


~Snowfire

Some of My Favorite Writing Resources Part Two

Why hello. Might I say that you look fabulous today.

Wasn't July Amazing? I had so much fun Writing Something Everyday in July that I almost decided to give August a try. Just kidding. That would be a lot of work.

So, today I went to volleyball, but after that I came home and sat down at my computer. I stared at the screen and told myself that I should probably do something productive. After checking my e-mail and Facebook, I rechecked my e-mail because I had an idea. Don't you love ideas? One e-mail had caught my eye. The message was from a blog that I follow called The Flourishing Abode. April Starr, the lady who writes the blog, titled the post 10 things you shouldn't miss. In the post, Starr writes about 10 websites. Two of these websites caught my eye and looking at the post also reminded me of a Part Two post I never did.

Some of you might remember my post titled Some of My Favorite Writing Resources Part One. If you don't, click the hyperlink and a new window will open with the post. All of the sites are really fun and helpful in writing.

I did promise a Part Two post with seven more sites. So, here they are.

Daily Writing Tips

This site does exactly what someone would think the site would do. It gives you writing tips on a near daily basis. The writers cover everything from Yiddish Words to using Artist or Artisan. Some of the posts require a higher than freshman level of english knowledge to understand, but all posts contain useful information as all posts should. 

The NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program, NaNoWriMo, and Script Frenzy

I know, I talk about these sites way too much. I find it hard to stop talking about awesome things. In a nutshell, the Young Writers Program and NaNoWriMo are the same thing. Both are about writing 50,000 words in one month and both are managed by The Office of Letters and Light. There is one big difference. NaNoWriMo is for people thirteen and older while YWP is for the youngsters. Cool right?Script Frenzy starts in April. Basically, you write a 100 page script in one month. I have yet to complete a single Script Frenzy. 

Writer's Digest

Writer's Digest is all about the writer's digestive system. I'm just kidding with you. A writer's digestive system is a very scary place full of adverbs, replacements for said like gasped and exclaimed, and tons upon tons of coffee. Or tea. Whatever floats your boat. If you are a subscriber, to Writer's Digest, then I envy you. Not only do you get great writing content, you get awesome advise on everything to do with writing. If you are running a little short on cash, you can always subscribe to the free weekly newsletter. The newsletter includes writing prompts, advise on getting published, news from the writing world, latest blogs from WD bloggers, and more. 

And finally, the last two sites are the eye catching sites from the Flourishing Abode post. 

Rainymood.com

If you are anything like me, nothing gets you more in the writing mood like a good rainy day. Rainymood.com does exactly that. Just plug in your nice comfy headphones, grab a cup of Joe or that tea you have been wanting to try, and type away to the sound of a never ending rainstorm. 

43 Things

Ever have trouble setting, remembering, and following through with goals? Just sign up on 43 Things and enter all of your goals. People using the website can cheer you on. If you have a goal that requires more than one person, a team can be created. 43 Things let you set reminders for goals and write a diary entry about the progress made on the goal.

To finish things off, I love hearing from the people who read what I write. Don't be afraid to comment. I have never been a fan of saying that, which is why I made this...

~Snowie

The End

Do you no how good it feels to type The End at the end of a month long haul of full on novel-ing? If you don't then you obviously have never tried and won a NaNoWriMo. I actually think that this NaNoWriMo was the best one yet for six reasons.

• 1) It was in the summer, so no school to worry about, and plenty of time to write.
• 2) I actually finished the novel, a feat I haven't actually done in a NaNo before (The 13th Games does not count)
• 3) I wrote almost everyday and stayed on track with the word count
• 4) I was trying something new with writing- a new genre
• 5) There was a really interesting character and a pretty interesting character who were really fun to write
• 6) I used a lot of people and events from my own life in my novel which over all made the whole thing seem a lot more real, but that's because I know what character is drawn from what person.

I should also say that a lot of the problems that are in Love By Text (New Title wanted, Old Title irrelevant), come from my life. Writing about them and incorporating them into the story helped me to better understand them and figure them out. It was like my own form of therapy.

A lot of ideas and events that I had planned to write, I never got around to writing because I felt like they didn't fit in the story just right at the moment. Some of these ideas include Ben hooking up with Julia again and Amy finding out when she surprises Ben at college, Amy and Ben writing letters back and forth to each other (Which was at first the entire reason for the story), and the Epilogue when Amy graduates and drives to see Ben in college. 

So, time for a two week break from novel writing. I have an announcement, I think, set to post on July 1st, so I better start preparing for whatever that may be. Time to catch up on some much needed sleep. 

Still looking for New Titles. Can't wait to start revising... Wait, what?

~Snowie 

Camp NaNoWriMo 2012

Oh yes. It is that time again! Time to write another 50,000 words in the name of writing. But wait! What's that you say? It's not even November yet? It's May, you say? That is why the lovely people over at the Office of Letters and Light put a Camp in front of NaNoWriMo. This year there are two Camp NaNoWriMo sessions, one in June and the other in August. Camp NaNoWriMo is exactly the same as regular NaNoWriMo. You still write a 50,000 word novel in one month, there are still "winners" and t-shirts, and of course, and the words per day goal is still 1,667. The one thing that is different from NaNoWriMo are the cabins. Cabins are exactly what they sound like. You can either pick who you want for cabin mates, let a computer make the decision, or not be in a cabin at all. Cabin mates are supposed to provide encouragement and ideas for you along your month long novelling adventure. Another great part about Camp NaNoWriMo is that if you have done NaNoWriMo or Script Frenzy before, then you do not need to sign up again. Your NaNoWriMo Username and Password work perfectly with the Camp NaNoWriMo website.

I have participated in Camp NaNoWriMo once before. I used it to start writing Light, the sequel to The Night Stalker. At about 25,000 words I realized that TNS doesn't need a sequel, so I stopped writing. I am actually quite fond of Light. It would be a good story on its own. I liked Camp NaNoWriMo since it was in the middle of summer and I had more time to write because I wasn't in school.

This year I am planning to write in June, but probably not August. In August, school and volleyball start up again and writing will be put back burner of my life. I am planning to write a full on romance which is something that I've never done on a grand novel scale. This time (Unless I get really bored), the main plot will be focused on the romance, not supernatural beings or a war. I am a little bit worried because I don't have a lot of things or ideas on romance and what problems will affect it. I want the romance to be perfect, but that's the problem. Romance is not perfect, there are conflicts. I just have to find exciting conflicts.

And here is the Rough Plot.

I know that I want it to be a sort of Romeo and Juliet forbidden romance type novel. I even have the perfect songs to go with the novel.



and




(Going through an Adam Lambert phase, sorry)

The two main character's names are Amy and Ben. I want to tell the story from either both their points of view or just from Amy's view. They meet in high school and Ben graduates a year before Amy. They meet at a party and hang out for the rest of the summer until Ben goes to college. Amy and Ben talk to each other via text and letter and find comfort in each other away from their lives. (Learn more about the plot and characters HERE.)

.... This should be a great Camp NaNoWriMo.... As you can see, romance is not my thing. That's why I need to work on it. The novel (Title: Love By Text... maybe?) could turn out really good or really bad. My money is on really bad, but that is ok. I'll learn how to not write a romance novel.

~Snowie

P.S. Perhaps Camp NaNoWriMo is a good way for a certain Blake to get his novel done.... =)

P.P.S. Here's a link to a letter Amy writes to Ben. And another link to a short romance that I wrote.