Computerised Tennis

Image: Unknown

Those 5,100 words yesterday didn’t half take their toll on me, particularly since 4,000 of them were written last night. When you’ve become so involved in the story that there’s a rush of inspiration, and therefore words, you end up going to bed with your head buzzing and firing ideas and thoughts in all directions. It’s like the old computer tennis game; two lines and a dot, except there are hundreds of those damned dots but still only two lines to try and hit them with.

Then there’s the morning after. You wake up buzzing but only because your brain has emptied of all your bouncing balls and character chatter, and you’ve had a solid night’s sleep. You struggle to get awake – coffee a priority – and for the rest of the day you have a lower level of physical energy, but a higher level of creative energy, built up because of what you went through the night before.

This is when I pause slightly and take stock of where I am in a story. Writing through such a large amount of the plot – especially when it’s not pre-planned – can get me lost so I like to review what I’ve written and freshen it up in my mind. I know it’s not recommended during NaNo, but I was never worried I wouldn’t make it this year and I’m still not. The most important thing for me is, and always was, to get the book right first and foremost. Making the 50k was – only just – in second place.

Reviewing a chunk also helps to get back up to speed again. Think of it like jogging; if you hit a rhythm you can go on forever, but if you stop for a few hours you stiffen up. In order to get back to the steady rhythm of the previous day, you need to stretch (edit what was written), exercise (write the blog), and build yourself back up to speed.

And that’s what I did, with over 3,000 done tonight. Lovely. Plus I’ve really stirred things up for Lennox now – no easy road for him now no matter which way he chooses to go.

By my latest reckoning, if I stick to the plan I’ve outlined for the rest of November I’ll win NaNo on the 26th (having gained a day because of last night), and I’ll complete the novel in its first draft entirety on 15th December.

In other things, I see a war of words is brewing over in the Bigot Brigade, with Rangers Chairman, David Murray, telling Celtic Chairman, John Reid, a thing or two about public speaking.

“I’m recently a wee bit concerned by some of the inferences and innuendo that’s come from John,” said Murray. “I give the utmost respect to Celtic football club – they’ve got a great tradition but I am recently a wee bit concerned by some of the inferences and innuendo that’s come from John and I think he’s got to be careful and realise he’s not barracking in the house of commons any longer.

“We are in a society in Scotland where every point and every word is picked up by everybody and he should be very careful with some of the chat.”

Never has more sense been spoken by any member of the Old Firm.

Read the full article here

Blood Ties (NaNoWriMo)

Blood Ties (NaNoWriMo)