Writing

The funny and cool thing about writing a novel is that the story can change without warning.  Your characters can do something you didn't expect, or your story can change entirely.  Remember that sample I gave you the other day?  Well, it's not even in this novel!  My current word count is 14,700, so I am definitely on track to hit 50,000 words before the end of the month.  I find this whole process to be quite enjoyable.  That is an understatement if I've ever written one!!  I think about my book while I'm working (though I'm still giving 100% at my job-which I love by the way-physical pain aside).  I wrote over 3000 words today, in about an hour and a half.  That's been the pace I've been at since I started six days ago.  I never even knew I had this story inside of me.  And the sample I gave you in my last post is irrelevant.  And I think I'm going to have to change my title too, but I am not sure to what...it's going to have to go in a different book.


Here is the excerpt from my current book that I have on the NaNoWriMo website:

"Completely lost in the moment, Lily had not heard her father approach.  She did not notice the light being turned on.  But she did hear the anger in her father’s voice as he shouted “Get your hands off of that!”  He pulled her away, hurting her shoulder in the process.

“You are not to touch that box.  Ever.  Do you understand me?” he screamed.

Lily just stared at him, confused.

“Answer me!  Do you understand?  You are not to touch that box ever again!”

Lily nodded and whispered, “Yes.  I understand.”  She knew that it wasn’t the right time to ask, but she had to know.  “Daddy, what is it?  What is in the box?”

“You stupid girl!” he shouted.  “It doesn’t matter what is in there.  I said don’t touch it and I expect you to obey!”

Stupid, Lily thought.  I AM stupid.  I shouldn’t have asked.    Lily stood, preparing to move from the closet where she had been silently hating herself.

But her father barred her way.  “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked.
Lily thought for a moment, and then she sat back down.  She deserved to be here and she knew it.  Her father was right.  It was in these moments that she longed for the mother she never knew.  If only her mother was here.  She could run into her arms and know what love felt like."

Abbey is doing the NaNoWriMo for kids.  She is having trouble thinking of what to write now.  I'm not sure how many words she is at, but her goal is 12,000.  She keeps changing stories.  It was The Doorway to Heaven, and now it is Olive's Ocean.  She told me tonight that she had just written about the girl being kidnapped.

Katherine is also doing it. Her book is called Mr. Linden's Library and she has just over 2,000 words.  Her word count goal is 25,000.  So proud of them for taking the challenge to begin with.  Can't wait to see the finished product(s).  Here is an except from Katherine's book:

"“How can I help you?” The elf looked up. “Oh! What do we have here? What’s your name?” He asked Mandy.

“My name is Mandy. I need your help to get back to my world. I was reading a book, fell asleep, and woke up here. Do you know anything about it?” she told him.

“You are a human. Yes, I do know something about that book. Come in.” Mandy stepped in and the others stayed outside. He sat down in a chair and Mandy across from him.Brunor asked Mandy, “You know about my book. I guess that is how you got here.” 

“Yes. Do you know how I can get back to my world?”

“I do. But first you need to know about the book. 103 years ago, I wrote this book we speak of. I was writing of my own world, so that if anything changed here, it would be passed down to the leader so that they would know the history of their home.One day I was with the wizard, for at that time I was his apprentice. I had my book with me. The wizard was working on a potion that would bring you into a different world; your world. I was very clumsy then, and when I turned around to get something, I knocked the potion over and it spilled all over my book. I was sent home with my book. When I was asleep that night, a young elf named Duvainel sneaked into my house and stole the book She had somehow found out about the book and wanted to use it to take over the other world. She was the beginning of the Darkness. Duvainel sent one of her few followers to read the book. He never came back. I had no idea the potion was reversible. The book somehow got to you and sent you back to this world. I ‘m guessing you don’t know where the book is.”

Mandy answered him. “No. I was hoping you did.”

“I do have one idea. But we need the Darkness’s help for it to work.”

“The Darkness? How can they help us? Even if they can, how do we get them to?” Mandy asked Brunor.

“Duvainel’s follower had the book last. She would know where he was when he read it. How you are going to get them to help you, is for you to figure out.” Mandy was very disappointed at this, but didn’t show it. She thanked him and stood up to go.

“Wait!” called Brunor. “One more thing. When you find the book, read yourself back into your world. As soon as you get back, destroy it.”

“I will.” Mandy assured him and went back outside with the rest of the group."

Abbey also wrote a little song tonight.  I thought it was cute.  "Jesus, Jesus, you saved me from my old life.  I have a new and clean life now.  Oh, Oh, Oh.  Jesus my Savior, my Hosanna.  Jesus, Jesus you are my Lord.  Jesus, Jesus, my wonderful, wonderful Lord.  You live in my heart, and I'm trusting you."

That's really the only update I have right now.  I'm 300 words away from 15,000 so it seems silly not to go ahead and put myself over that mark tonight, right?