What was I thinking?

Or maybe the better title is what in the world did I just do? Well, I found not one but two YA Novel contests...but both were subbed during November. November. The month of NaNo. The month when I throw all caution to the winds and write my heart out, trying to speed write several novels I then spend the next year rewriting. So, I'm busier than Santa on Christmas Eve during November.

But...and it's a big but...I decided to push my well known limits just a little further. I can say when you're posting a contest (250 words of 1st chapter for one contest, synopsis and first five pages for the other) during days when you're already overwhelmed, your mind starts to play tricks on you. And play tricks my mind certainly did. I could not get into my NaNo stuff. No way. Going slow. Editing the life out of my submissions. Coming close to beating up the keyboard to try to make some sense. And the upshot?

I posted the first contest this afternoon. One agent and five editors at major publishing houses will read that one. Oh, I so hope someone's really impressed enough to want much more. Then at nine o'clock tonight, with millions of other young adult writers all across the country, I went for the querytracker.net contest. Only 70 get in. Just 70. I sat at my computer from 8:45 on. At 8:59, I entered my log in information. Then waited for 9:00 and just a few seconds. Didn't want to be caught up in what I was sure would be a logjam of folks getting on right away. Submission screen came up immediately. I put in the information, making sure everything was absolutely perfect. Checked three more times. Blew a kiss for good luck. Then clicked on submit and crossed my fingers. It went! Yippee! I'm one of the 70. Win in this contest is a request for a full manuscript with Anna Webman of Curtis Adams.

Do I have a chance? Oh, I hope so. All I know now is that I'm really ready to dive into the rest of my NaNo work and hope I won't slow down until the certificate prints out.

NaNo Day 11

Oh, the woes of a rainy day. All I want to do is sleep. Lovely sleep. But I managed to shove out one chapter of Blaze, well under what I planned. I'll have to do better tomorrow or I'll never finish. Today's totals with Blaze's miserable 18,183 words is 99,287. Tomorrow I will do better. I swear it.

NaNo Day 10

And it's off to the races with Blaze. Well into what a couple of boys at my son's school called the boring part. Can't get their words out of my head. Working hard to make my middles as interesting as the beginning, climax, and ending. Real work there. Learning how to blend description and action while NaNoing. Today's total count 98183. Paradox Lost remains at 76004 while High Hopes rests at 5100. Blaze jumped up to 17079. Hoping tomorrow will bring an end to the middle and I can move into the subclimas. Outlined that well. It should only take a day to write.

NaNo Day 8

And it's slow today. The words won't come but I'm not worried. I did fix the ending of Paradox Lost, bringing that word count to 76,004. Blaze added a new chapter for a total of 13021. High Hopes remains the same at 5100. Total NaNo count only eight days in? 94,125.

NaNo Day 7

As always, I came to a decision point as the first week of NaNo drew to a close. The three projects I decided to do were slowing. The characters stopped speaking to me. I was taking on too much and worried I would not finish. Then the solution presented itself as I struggled with going on, of not quitting in my fifth year.

I would break up the projects, complete them one at a time. That being said, Blaze begins the intense writing tomorrow. On the fifteenth, the day my youngest has his fourteenth birthday, I'll do the same with High Hopes. But Paradox Lost, my fantasy novel about time travel and fantastic powers, took all my attention yesterday and this morning.

So, word counts. Paradox Lost has The End on it with a grand total of 75,828 words. Blaze and High Hopes remain the same from yesterday. NaNo to date is at 92,441.

Will I finish in time? Sure will, and probably with about fifteen days left to think about a middle grade project I have simmering on the back burner.

NaNo Day 6

Okay, on track. Real life is in the background thanks to my number four son. Paradox Lost heads for the finale with a grand total today of 58,704 words. Blaze is flaming along with 11,513 words. High Hopes struggles with only 5,100 words but I know it will break out of its rut next week. Yeah, the weekend promises several things and I only hope I can do it.

NaNo Day 5

And the battle to finish three novels in 30 days continues. Took much longer to achieve goals today but I managed. High Hopes came in at the least with a total of 4,560 words. Blaze took off as the characters came alive with 9528 written so far. Paradox Lost, my tale of time travel and fantastic abilities is now at 50,722 words. What will tomorrow bring? Better, I can only hope.

NaNo Day 4

And the push is now on. After fighting for every word since this year's NaNo started Sunday at 12:01 AM, I am now into the stories. And working all three of those I plan to complete at the stame time. Paradox Lost was the main focus for the first couple of days and is now at 45,999 words. Almost at the sub-climax there so I'm thinking it'll come in at around 80,000 words. That's only for the first draft.

Blaze is now at 5757 words. And the twist that came up after I did all my careful outlining is holding water. The story expands, with new twists and turns. It's more about the people involved than the powers they wield, but what a group of dysfunctional people. Kind of reminds of my own family growing up. And in my dictionary in this particular story, there is a picture of that group next to the definition of dysfunctional.

High Hopes is now taking on a life of its own, after I added a chapter near the begining. At only 3292 words, I'll have to really concentrate on this one next week while finishing up Blaze. Here's hoping I'll have Paradox Lost complete by Sunday, so I can get the others done.

And if there's time. Well, there always is time, isn't there? I have two other stories outlined and sitting in the wings. Let the push head into full gear.

NaNo day 3

Better. Decided to work only two projects this first week. But I know I'll be back in full swing next week. So, Paradox Lost moved forward 8580 words today. Blaze came in at a steaming 1850 words. Total done this AM 10430 for an updated NaNo count of 50,181. A personal best. I've never finished the minimum word count so fast before. But I know serious editing is in my future.

NaNo day 2

OMG! I can't believe it. Year five may be when I don't finish. I know. Only day 2, but I'm just super tired. Can't think. Can't stop yawing. Can't do much at all. Book 1, got 7217 finished; book 2 only 316; book 3, nada. Can you imagine that? Only 39,751 so far. What have I done wrong? I know! It's time to kick the cat out of the bed so he doesn't spend half the night playing.