NaNoWriMo

I have found myself home with no errands to run, the house is somewhat clean, and I still have almost two hours before I pick up the kids so I figured this was the perfect opportunity to post something.  Yay me!!

My last post was about National November Writing Month, fondly known as NaNoWriMo.  It is an opportunity to sit down and write like a crazy person.  You have the entire month of November, thirty days, to write 50,000 words.  By the end of it you have either a rough draft of a novel, or at least the start of one.  And it's not only 'writers' who participate.  Perhaps you have a story in you that you just wanted to get out on paper, see where it takes you.

I first participated in 2010 where after coming down with a cold followed by strep throat and then an extended trip to Portland for Thanksgiving, I managed to get just over 32,000 words.  While I was disappointed to have not made it across the finish line, I was excited that I had hammered out that much.  I even knew where I went wrong.  I had no notes or outline whatsoever.  I made great progress in the beginning and then found myself getting stuck.  It also didn't help that it was a spy/action novel which needs to be more technical to be decent.  I have done a complete revision of that work (basically the same concept, but a whole new story) and am still getting stuck on the details.  I'm sure it will be great if I ever finish it.

This year I spent almost a good three weeks making notes and continued making notes whenever I had downtime that wasn't in front of a computer, i.e. stuck in waiting rooms, plotting before falling asleep, and it proved most beneficial.  Every chance I had to sit down and type I was not a loss of what to write.  Ok, maybe there were a couple times, but most days I was way over the target daily goal of 1,667 words, sometimes even double.  At the end I crossed the finish line with an official word count of 51,451!!!  I still wasn't quite done with my story at that point, but still exciting none the less.

Last night I finally typed up my ending.  To be honest it is complete crap, but I now have a very rough draft of an entire novel.  It can only go up from here.  I've already had two copies of the manuscript printed and waiting for me at Staples.  One for a friend and one for myself.  I am headed to Las Vegas this weekend and I don't want to take my laptop, but I will take the printout and will make notes on the plane.  Maybe I'll even force my husband to read some of it.  That was the next time we go to a party and someone asks him if he has read what I've written he will finally be able to say yes!

And now here is a synopsis and excerpt of my NaNoWriMo Novel:

Elana Tanner will never forget the night she struck and killed a drunk that happened to stumble in her path. The jury found her not guilty of any crime, but the family still sued for damages and with nothing left to lose, she has started a new, simpler life on the island of Kauai. But things don't stay simple for long when the deceased's brother comes to town.

She was leaning against the front bumper with the hood still up trying to decide what to do when she heard a car slow down and pull up behind her.  She peeked around and saw the shiny car that screamed rental.

At first she smiled, thankful for the help.  Because everyone had cell phones, most people never seemed to bother stopping to offer help anymore.  But then the driver stepped out.

“You have got to be kidding me,” she muttered.

“Well, well, well.  Look who it is,” Kyle said.

“Someone is on their way to help me,” she lied, “so you can just go on your way.”

“That’s ok.  I’ll wait.  I want to revel in this hand that life has dealt out to you.”

“You are a real piece of work, you know that?”

Kyle leaned against the hood of his car and watched her.  She looked back down the road as though waiting for her savior.  Problem was as long as Kyle stood there, no one else was likely to stop and help and as usual she had let her cell phone die.  That’s what happens when you don’t use it very often.  She really only had to stay in touch with her parents from time to time.

As though to add salt to the wound, Kyle pulled out his own cell phone and texted or played a game or something.  Elana didn’t really care at this point.  She just had to fight back the urge to ask him if she could borrow it.  She glanced at the cooler in the back and worried how much longer she had to try and get it home.  She would feel horrible if Mrs. Wilcox had to throw any of it out just because she couldn’t afford a more reliable vehicle.

Kyle must have sensed her distress because the sneer finally left his face and was replaced with concern.

“You don’t have anyone coming do you?”

She looked at him, but didn’t answer.

“Fuck,” he mumbled and pocketed his phone.  “Let me give you a ride.”

“No,” she said.  “I don’t need your help.”

“You’re lying.  You do need help.  Your car is clearly not going anywhere and I don’t see a phone in your hand.”

“I didn’t say I don’t need help, I just don’t need your help.”

He walked to the back of her jeep to grab the cooler and walked back to his car.

“Hey,” she shouted.  “What the hell are you doing?”

“You’ve been eyeing this cooler so I’m guessing there is something important in it that you need to get home.”  He slid it into his backseat and then opened the passenger door.  “Get in.”

She scowled at him, but gave in.  She grabbed the other box of items and put it in next to the cooler and then went back for her purse and phone.

“You do have a phone,” he said.

“The battery is dead,” she growled.

“Your day just keeps getting better.”

 She crossed her arms.  “You have no idea.”

They rode in silence at first.  When Elana couldn’t take it any longer she spoke up.

“Exactly how long are you in town?”

He looked at her.  “Why do you want to know?”

“Because I was thinking I would lock myself in my house until you were gone so I wouldn’t have to worry about running into you anymore.”

He smirked.  “I don’t know, I might have to prolong my stay now that I know my presence irks you so much.”

“This is harassment, you know.”

“And I think you deserve it.”

“Stop the car!” she yelled.  “I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to let you help me.”

“No.  You killed my brother and then run off to live the rest of your days in paradise.  Why shouldn’t I get to make your life a little harder?”

“First of all, your brother was the one who was severely intoxicated that night, NOT me!” she shouted at him.  “And did you not see the piece of crap I just left on the side of the road?  You are sorely mistaken if you think I am living in paradise!  I came out here to get as far away from your family as possible.  I lost my job and boyfriend because they couldn’t handle the media circus, I left my parents!  Their only child had to leave the continent because your family wouldn’t leave me alone!”

“My parents lost their oldest son because of you!” he shot back.

“I know that!  I can’t tell you how sorry I will forever be.  But continuing to persecute me is not going to bring him back!”

Kyle stared straight ahead as he gripped the wheel until his knuckles were white.

“I have played that night over in my head a million times,” she said.  “What if I had been able to react faster?  What if I had left the office a minute later or a minute sooner?”  Tears were starting to roll down her cheeks.  “His eyes still haunt me.”

“What do you mean?” he asked. 

“I held his head in my lap while I waited for help.  I prayed, I begged for him to hold on just a little bit longer.  I watched the life go out of Jarod’s eyes before anyone else could get there.”

“You stayed with him until the end?”

“Yes!  What did you think I did?”

“I – I don’t know,” he said softly.  “All I had heard was that he was pronounced dead at the scene.  I guess in my head I imagined you standing on the sidelines.”

“It’s just past this bridge,” she said.

“What?”

 

“My place is just a couple driveways pass this bridge.”