Literary Abandon – That’s a Wrap!

Today is the last day of NANO. I have been  extremely focused, er mostly. It’s that last-minute push to deadline, 90 to nothing, write like the wind, all systems GO!  It hasn’t been a great month writing wise. Two weeks ago I got the creeping crud, that had me down for days. My weekends are already off-limits for writing, and the past few days, well with Thanksgiving and my daughter being home from college . . . there hasn’t been much wordage accomplished.

I did however manage a fair amount of handwriting the story in my trusty spiral notebook. Have pen will travel!  While football was on . . writing or crocheting.  While the bird cooked . . . writing.  While the rolls were rising. . . writing.  OH! Then there was a great inspirational  burst of eighteen pages of handwritten glory.  I spent the morning dictating my  massive amount of wordage to my Dragon,  and then came up 7500 words short.  GAH!

The race was on.  Write like you’re on fire from 6 a.m. until my fingers are bloody stumps or I reach my goal. Whichever comes first.

It was a close call, but I have done it.

 I WON NANO!

My 50000th word that sealed the deal – Versailles. But, that wasn’t enough for a performance oriented overachiever. NOOOOOO.  My final count is at 53, 611. The story isn’t complete, but  at least I hit my goal.  So . . . I’ve decided to go ahead and join the ranks of my writing buddies and participate in Snippet Sunday.   I’ll be sharing  just that – little snippets of Valkyrie’s Curse with you but you have to promise that you’ll leave feedback on it! If it sucks then I expect you to tell me it sucks, OK? Do we have a deal?

Much has transpired in the last few months, just in case you were wondering why I haven’t been posting.  I’ve gone from the ranks of the dual employed down to singularly employed, now I am officially unemployed.   I can’t file for unemployment however, because  the company I worked for was located out-of-state, and has not payed in Missouri taxes for the 5 years that I worked for them.  Yeah,  it was a bear at tax time.  I’m back to filling out job applications and pounding the pavement. OH the joy!

As much as I love doing this blog,  a paying job always comes first. At least until everyone buys my books and I can earn a living from the sales. OOH! That reminds me, about my book Red Wine & Roses;  I’ve been nominated on the Best of the Best for 2015 for five categories! The  categories close today for the next round, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I  will still be in it for at least one of the categories.  The categories that I was nominated for are:

• Favorite Book of 2015
• Favorite Contemporary Romance 2015
• Favorite Romance Author 
• Favorite Debut Book
• Favorite Contemporary Romance Author

I am thrilled and excited to be nominated even if I don’t make the top ten to go into the next round.  Also, I was invited as honored guest at the Library Book Club, and they chose my book for their December read – YAY!!!    I dare say, I may have to let it slip that I was nominated.  SQUEEEEEE!   Just a moment of excitement there, I promise not to get  egomaniacal on you!

With this writing abandonment this month, it has  had me reflecting on my past NANO projects. My first NANO in 2011 I wrote Kiss of the Dragon. Some of you may remember the excerpts I shared from that one. It is definitely a paranormal fantasy. I edited, revised and tweaked that one multiple time, having submitted it to three different publishers where it was rejected. I shelved it.  Then there was my Pirate tale, Cabin Fever which I did not win at NANO, then shelved it, incomplete out of frustration. I’m not sure what  I can do with that one because one of my former associates took my idea and ran with it, publishing  his version as an erotica. Do I trash it,  try to revise it?  I don’t know.  Last year’s NANO winner was the first Valkyrie’s Curse, which started as a short serial installment on the group blog I formerly managed, Storytime Trysts.  It was supposed to be scary, which it failed.  It was supposed to be romantic/erotic, which it failed. What it  is though, is an action adventure with  the best antagonist that I have ever come up with.  If Hannibal Lechter gave you the creeps,  then  Dr. Sheffield will set your teeth on edge.

What to do with my drawer full of projects?  I am pursuing publication of Valkyrie’s as a series because  it has grown from the feeble serial posted on Storytime to  a full-blown novel, and  now a  whole series of seven books.  NaNoWriMo has been a great catalyst for me to get the first draft down.  I would in no way feel that  any of my NANO drafts were publishable, but as a great writer once said “You can’t edit what isn’t written. Although this year has been a trial for me,   with this final push I did it.

What this tells me is that each of us,  me, you . . . ALL of us can do more than we think we can.

We CAN achieve our goals.  

We can accomplish our dreams. 

The new year is coming up fast which is the perfect time for goal setting. I’ve accomplished a few things on my list,  but not as many as I would have liked to. Start thinking now as to what  you want to accomplish in the coming year.  Take ten minutes today to evaluate this year and what you would like to change in your life for next year. Aren’t you worth ten minutes?  YOU BET YOU ARE!

Write on my friends,  write on!

Till next time ~~~~~

Ellie