House Shopping on the Internets

I did not get any sentences written on my main story, sorry. It turns out I started writing too soon and needed to go back and get some foundational shit done.

So this evening I spend two hours house- and job-shopping (kind of reminds you of last spring, huh?), and I got a lot of things figured out. Here are some of them, in no particular order:

Chanson, Colorado
Miles Tariq
Chanson High School, black/gold, Pioneers
10 miles outside of town
class conflict
solar farming

The solar farming part is especially brilliant because it is an incredible stroke of irony. You'll see. I am starting to see how things might turn out later, which is very, very good. I just have to get so excited by my plans that I can't wait to write the first draft, otherwise I'll spend the rest of my month planning and not writing (isn't that like 75% of a "real" novelist's work?).

Words Today: 0 (4 pages planning notes, though)
Total Words: same as yesterday
Sentence: sorry.
Brain Flashes Had: at least 11, maybe 12

I can do other things, too.

Damn, I cooked the shit out of stuff today. I promise to get at least one sentence written today so I can share it with you, but first:

Thanksgiving 2009

7 a.m.
Checked on pumpkin cheesecake made last night. Figured someone would notice if I had a piece for breakfast.
Rolled out and blind-baked pie dough from yesterday.

7:30 a.m.
Baked sweet potatoes in microwave.

8 a.m.
Mixed pie filling and baked.
Started grading papers.

9:30 a.m.
Put ham in oven.
More papers.

10:30 a.m
Didn't realize I needed more than a dozen eggs. Quick trip to the store.

11 a.m.
Made grits.
Started sweet potato casserole.

1:00 p.m.
Shit! I should have soaked the blackeyed peas overnight!
Found quick-soak method on internet.

1:30 p.m.
Put grits in oven.
Steamed squash in microwave.
Finished sweet potato casserole, set aside until marshmallow-melting time.

2:00 p.m.
Made corn fritter batter.
Put together squash casserole.

2:30 p.m.
Grits done.
Blanched greens.

2:50 p.m.
5-minute shower.

3 p.m.
Ham done.
Cooked onion and bacon for greens.
Sweet potatoes in oven.
Squash casserole in oven.
Fried corn fritters.

3:25 p.m.
Finished sauteing greens.
Put out vegetables.
Set table.
Poured drinks.

3:30 p.m.
Ate until cross-eyed.

4:30 p.m.
Made brown sugar-bourbon cream.
Ate sweet potato pie and cheesecake with a cup of coffee.

It's been a good day.

Today's Stats

Before I post my word count, let me first say that 1) I did most of the actual writing in class while my students were working, 2) I spent lots of my writing time reading a book on novel writing, and 3) I worked on my story notes--to the tune of like 4 pages of character and plot stuff. Hopefully doing lots of planning up front will help get the draft written.

Words today: 255
Total word count: 1646
Sentence: Even when he brushed his teeth in the morning, Stephen seemed hardly to see his own reflection in the mirror. (You will understand why this is awesome when you know what's going on.)

Today's Stats

Words: 877 (Paltry, I know, for someone who wants to be done by the end of the year, but everything I wrote I did in six-minute chunks while I made five pounds of home fries for the Honor Roll breakfast tomorrow.)

A sentence: Stephen debated for a moment between the right answer and the correct one.

Words and Sentences

So. NaNoWriMo started November first, and, in typical fashion, I am getting around to it late.

Tyson and I can't in good conscience (or good credit) get each other the iPhones we were going to for Christmas, so we're going to write novels together. We figured we've got an extra hour or two in the evening that we might as well be using for something productive.

So I got an idea, and let me tell you--actually, I can't tell you. My idea is literally so good you will be unable to keep from stealing it and writing your own thing, or selling it to a producer of movies.

People who have writing to do sometimes need to find an activity that puts that writing off for just a little longer. One of the things these people do is join or keep a sentence a day blog where they post a daily word count and the best sentence they wrote for the day.

Here's yesterday's:
"All in all, Stephen looks as though he might have just emerged from the dryer."
Word Count: 514, plus 2 pages of notes
Total Words: 514

Pictures