BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: GUEST,Cluin
Date: 30 Nov 06 - 07:56 PM

I'll start you off...

Once upon a time there were five little bunny rabbits named Hopsy Flopsy, Plopsy, Wopsy, and Fuckass.

Continue, continue...

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 Nov 06 - 09:35 PM

Just checked my page at NaNo. CapriUni has crossed the finish line. Way to go, CU!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Oct 08 - 01:45 AM

CapriUni, sirepseh, either of you signed on for this year, 2008? I just decided to sign up for it, today!

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 19 Oct 08 - 05:37 AM

I might give it another go. It is a terrific boost, because you get more done than you might otherwise.

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Nov 08 - 10:48 PM

Volgadon, sorry I didn't see this before! Hope you are joining in! It is a terrific boost; the deadline really gets me motivated. Having said that, though, I am about 9500 words short of the halfway mark, halfway through the month! Maybe I can catch up more tomorrow. Today was only 1650 or so. I like this year's quote:

"To achieve great things, two things are
needed: a plan, and not quite enough time."
--Leonard Bernstein

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: Ebbie
Date: 15 Nov 08 - 11:00 PM

You are amazing, kat. I would love to see the outcome!

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Nov 08 - 12:15 AM

Thanks, Ebbie, I would, too!**GBG**

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Nov 09 - 10:27 AM

Going to do it again this year, I *think*! Anyone else?

Ebbie, I did get it done last year. It's only been edited once, so much more to go, but if you'd really like to read it....*sheepish ah shucks smile* please let me know. If not, no problem. My sisters said there's enough for 2-3 books in it, i their opnion, though they did enjoy it.:-) It'sthe victionalised version of my dad's family history.

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: Ebbie
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 12:05 AM

Well, I'm working on it- got over a thousand words today. I'll have to get cracking butI didn't get started until this afternoon...

Didn't sign up with NanoWriMo, though, because the story I have in mind will probably be shorter than that. Unless I bring in other's stories too, in addition to the main protagonist. May do that.

In Nana, etc, what is the outcome if you don't finish? Do you have to check in with them periodically?

kat, as you know, I loved your Prairie Child- I'd love to read anything else of yours.

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 11:01 PM

Good for you, Ebbie! If you want to go for the whole shebang, it averages out to about 1666 words per day. I never do a set number; each day brings different opportunities of time in which to write, so I try to just roll with it.

The MAIN thing is to TURN OFF YOUR INNER EDITOR! It is liberating. Editing is for December...do not worry about tenses, punctuation, etc. just get the words down on the paper, so to speak. Add in whatever you want!:-) NOTHING happens if you don't do the whole 50,000, except you won't get a winner's certificate suitable for framing and some other little icons and such on your page at nanowrimo. It's all just a challenge for your own self-satisfaction.

You can paste in your novel in their official word counter as often as you like and the word count will show up on your page and beside your name. It's really fun to see the graph move along as you fill up the pages. You can also hook up with other participants in your area. I see there are 553 members in all of Alaska. if you join, look for "sagewalker.":-) I really appreciate your comments and support. Watch your email, darlin'! And, thanks!

SRS asked how I was doing. I am just under 4000 words..it is the third book in my series. This one tells of how I met Rog and the times we had out on the Wyoming prairie on Rog's twenty-five acre mini-ranch with a bunch of critters and the kids. I need to really light a fire and get cracking or somesuch! Thanks for asking, Maggie!

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Nov 09 - 06:49 PM

Slow going as Morgan was here most of the day. I did manage a few more words so I am just under one tenth of what I need at the end of the month.:-) More on my help thread.

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Nov 09 - 10:44 PM

Managed a few more this evening, so I am over 5,000 and counting.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: maeve
Date: 04 Nov 09 - 08:57 PM

Get a-writing, little dogies. Write a novel or three,
And I would read each one if 'twas up to me.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Nov 09 - 09:22 PM

Write one yourself, darlin' and I would LOVE reading it! As if you have the time, I know.:-)

Made it to 7,152 words this morning...almost one-tenth.

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Nov 10 - 01:47 AM

I must be crazy, but even years have been good ones for me on NaNoWriMo, so here goes...I have committed to the 50,000 word challenge and for once it will be a novel NOT based on my early childhood, nor my ancestors and , oddly enough, it will be in first person rather than y usual third. It will be based on a short story called Shadowhearts. As long as my Rog is laid up with a broken foot, I figure I might as well do something while he just sits here, working from home on his computer!:-) Not using the short story for a jump start, it's too compact, I've got the first 500 done...the writing officially starts at midnight for each region, will be in about 13 minutes for me..then to bed!

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Nov 10 - 10:20 PM

Good luck with that, and move often enough that you don't cripple yourself hunched over the keyboard!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Nov 10 - 10:37 PM

Thanks...LOL...I don't think there is any danger of that. As usual, I am having to write in snippets between everything else, this year it's playing taxi, etc. I did get 1700 done, today and to succeed I think, if I remember correctly, it's an average of 1665 or so per day.

I told Morgan about it today. He wants to do it, also. They do have it for young writers, kindergarten up to 17 years of age with the kids setting their own word limits, so I guess he's going to do it. Get him on the right track!:-)

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: Amergin
Date: 01 Nov 10 - 11:10 PM

I started on it for the first time today....I'll have to see where it takes me.

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Nov 10 - 11:20 PM

Yea! Good for you, Nathan!!

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: CapriUni
Date: 02 Nov 10 - 03:19 AM

I'm in again, this year (I skipped last year, due to burnout).

As usual, I'm doing a fantasy (though each fantasy I've done, has been a different sort -- that's the great thing about the genre).

As unusal, I've done more planning ahead then ever, and have actually come up with a list of specific plot points to cross off as my primary goal. I want to actually write a complete story, this year, instead of writing mostly a "first chapter" with a hastily-tacked-on resolution at the end.

The website is clogged to the gills at the moment, but next week or so, when things calm down, I'll post a link to my story synopsis and novel excerpt ... if I have an excerpt I'm proud of by then.

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Nov 10 - 10:46 AM

Kewl, CU!!

I tried last year, but didn't know I was in the depths of depression until half-way through and gave up. The even numbered years have been good for me, so here's to this year!

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: CapriUni
Date: 05 Nov 10 - 02:59 PM

Is anyone here who's doing NaNo planning on posting any of their Novel Info up on their site (you do that through the "My NaNoWriMo" menu)?

Here's my profile page: CapriUni's NaNoWriMo

If you click on the "Novel Info" tab, you'll see my "blurb," an a small excerpt from the end of my Prologue.

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Nov 10 - 10:31 PM

I haven't decided whether I will or not, CU, but I sure did enjoy yours!! That's a great start and, as usual, superb writing.

Amergin, how ya doing?

I went to work with Rog, today, I'm driving him since he broke his foot. Took my laptop, had over another 1,000 words done, lickety-split, bumped some stupid key on the keyboard and lost them, just like that. I'm going to check for auto-save tomorrow.

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: CapriUni
Date: 09 Nov 10 - 12:11 AM

Kat--

Grr. Argh. I Hate when that happens. I use OpenOffice (Share/freeware) and after I lost about 20 minutes of work, this summer, I set it up to autosave every five minutes (I still have to save it to make it permanant, but if my computer freezes, or the power goes out, the next time I load the program, it will restore up to the most recent autosave, in draft form.

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: Ebbie
Date: 09 Nov 10 - 01:04 AM

Well, NanoWriMO is not in my sights this year although I am writing.

One of these days I'm going to write a love story or something like that. Someday I want to write something just out of my own experience.I tend to write stories set in a specific time and place and there is always a great deal of research to be done.   Anybody else have that trouble?

Right now I'm well into a novel-length multi-faceted story set in the 1880s, set there specifically because it involves the everyday use of horses and since that is something I know a lot about (being brought up as I was) that part comes easy. However there is a lot about the 1880s I know very little about so the writing is slow going. Thank goodness for online research. I used to spend weeks in libraries.

The working title for this 'book' is 'Ny Mane is Jeo', although later that will be just one chapter heading.

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Nov 10 - 04:56 PM

I don't think I like laptops very much. I am at work wiht Rog and just typed a long message to you, Ebbie, when it was eaten by hitting the wrong button! Arrgghhh! And, I was just telling you, CU, that I LOVE what you've put up about your novel. GREAT stuff, as always.

I mostly came to report, I did manage to write AND save the next part of my novel and have passed the 10,000 word mark, though I know I am behind overall for daily average.

I'll be back.:-)

kat

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: Ebbie
Date: 09 Nov 10 - 11:02 PM

Something amazing about you, kat, is your ability to focus on it. By the way, suppose your story is told in 40,000 words - do you then go back and pad another 10,000 words into it? Not that I've ever had that problem - I always write more than I can use!

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Nov 10 - 11:30 PM

Thanks, Ebbie. It's the deadline, I think. I work really, really well with deadlines.:-) I never did my homework at night. I'd get up at 6a, get dressed, wash my hair, then do homework, in a rush, as I ate my breakfast. Must've driven my parents nuts, but I manage decent grades, so maybe not too much.

I've never not had enough words, though I've only done this twice, successfully. (Last year, I didn't know I was so depressed when I tried to write about our ranch in WY. I had to quit because I kept crying every time I tried to write more. I made it to 20,000+ and that was it.)
This year's may even go way over the 50,000. I'm not sure. I am only into the second day and it is supposed to take a year, but I am rethinking that!

I meant to tell you, two years ago, when I did "On Garfield Creek," based on my dad's oral history, I did a lot of quick research and *met* several really neat people via the phone when I called about some salient points concerning the 1880s in Leadville, CO and elsewhere. When it gets published, I will send them each a copy with my thanks. When I am writing that way, I put in notes in CAPS to remind myself to check something, be it research, character's names form back up the novel, etc. It helps and I usually try to highlight it as I go along, so it is really noticeable. That way I am not getting bogged down with the details whilst writing on deadline. That's one of the things nanowrimo stresses...turning off the Inner Editor...December is for revisions, fact-checking, etc. It's very liberating, imo.:-)

Interestingly enough, one of my now favourite authors (new to me this year) is Paulo Coelho, who said in an interview I read, that he writes his novels in a month and then takes a couple of years to edit and fine-tune them. Made me feel good to read that!

Ebbie, I think you should write about what you know/remember/experienced. I am sure you have some great stories with unique insights. They say write what you know about...even in a novel elements of ourselves can creep in. I'd love to read any of your stuff.

Thanks, again,

kat

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: Ebbie
Date: 10 Nov 10 - 12:56 AM

Thanks, kat. In a sense this story is something I am familiar with- I HAVE traveled with horses, have helped train them, have had them as my only means of locomtion, spent hours alone on them and with them.

What I don't know about the 1880s, especially, is where railroads ran in which regions and when, I don't know the geography, terrain or climate of the region I'm writing about.

Ha! I just realized that is somethign I can switch. I know the West Coast, especially Oregon, and I know northern Virginia and southern Michigan. Unbeknownst to them, they is goin' to move. :)

Thanks, kat!

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: CapriUni
Date: 10 Nov 10 - 01:40 AM

Ebbie (and Kat and others)-- NaNoWrimo's hompage has forums, and one of the message boards is dedicated to research, for questions like: "Where did the trains run, in the 1880s?" It's a bit like mudcat, except for random facts..

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Nov 10 - 09:51 PM

Thanks, CU. I'd seen that, but not until after I'd found out something I needed to know asap. Will keep it in mind, though.

Ebbie, that sounds great!

Just got over the 20,000 words line. Still behind a tad, say 5,000 words, but I will make it, I think. Life has been throwing up some nasty curves balls, but if I can snatch an hour or two here and there, I will get it done.

Chris Baty's pep talk today was neat. I threw in a monkey wrench in my novel I didn't even know was going to happen until after I read his email.

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: Crowhugger
Date: 15 Nov 10 - 10:48 PM

I don't know how I missed this thread all these years. This would be so much fun to do next year; I think it's a bit late for me to start this year. So I'll cheer. Great going everyone, keep the output flowing!

Did any 'catters post excerpts yet besides CapriUni? Great stuff, CU, I really enjoyed it!

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Nov 10 - 11:23 AM

A little humor that turned up in my Twitter feed today.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Nov 10 - 02:23 PM

LOL, that is so true, SRS, thanks!

Crowhugger, it would be great if you did this, too!

I haven't posted anything from this year's novel, yet, but here is an unedited excerpt from Prairie Child which I wrote in 2006 for Nanowrimo: CLick HERE.

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: Ebbie
Date: 16 Nov 10 - 03:12 PM

First draft snippets from Ny Mane is Jeo:

The sky was darkening rapidly when they had finished eating and rolled out their blankets. George dug in one of her bags and fished out a small comb. This is celluloid, she said with a hint of pride. I don't want to lose it. She gave several swipes through her ragged hair then held it out to him.

Here, boy, she said. Might as well see what you can do. You are a pitiful sight, for sure.

Imitating her actions, he applied the comb to his mop but it got stuck immediately. She helped him unentangle it.

You know, boy, she said conversationally. We could cut that in a blessed minute. I'll show you what I do for my hair.

She stepped back to her saddle, dug in the bag that hung always from the saddle horn, and extracted a large, well worn knife.

With her left hand she swept up her hair to the top of her head then took the knife to it. The knife was sharp and cut through the strands readily. She let it fall and there was a perfect fit, short in front and longer in back, kept well away from her face.

You want me to do that to your hair? After it is shorter, you can comb it.

He nodded hesitantly. His grimace was a question and she answered, No, it doesn't hurt a bit. Here, sit down here, David, just to steady you. This won't take but a minute.

The boy sat obediently and held rigidly still. She grasped the tangle of his hair and applied the knife to the roots. It came off in great bunches; she laid each dirty handful in a pile. When she was done, it was jagged but his hair was much thinner and most of the snarls were gone. Picking up her comb she started combing from the tips of each strand and worked her way upward. From time to time she picked up the knife and cut out a clotted mass. Ten minutes later she was done and he raised his hand in wonderment, feeling his head. He gave her a tentative smile and she ruffled his hair.

See? It's more civilized, for sure. Now, pick up your cut off hair and let's burn it, throw it in the embers. No point in letting some witch or a hoo haw or a sorcer get ahold of it.

He flashed her a startled look and she nodded grimly. But no problems, she said. We'll get rid of it good.

********************************
Someday when you grow up you'll find yourself a girl and get married. Don't shake your head at me, boy. It's the usual thing. And don't worry about not talking. Lots of women would like their man not to say a word.    After the I Do, that is.

He raised an expressive eyebrow and she expanded. That's when the preacher asks you Do you take this woman to be your awful wedded wife and you say, I do. Now, I don't know, she said conversationally , why he calls the woman 'awful', I expect it actually means that it is full of awe. Anyway, everybody promises the same thing, so no problems.

************************************
Can you read? She looked over at him. He shook his head mutely.

Well, I declare. Humph. That would have made your life easier, I expect. On 'tother hand I've never been much for book learning myself. Just about everything I know I learned from what I have seen and what I have thought of by myself.

Still it would have made your life easier, no doubt about it. Everybody should know how to read. She looked at him again. The boy's tan face had turned a dull red and his eyes flashed at her with hurt pride and resentment.

Well, I declare. And that's all I will say about that."

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Nov 10 - 03:28 PM

Great characters and dialogue, Ebbie! I want to read more...very intriguing AND funny..."aweful wife." LOL

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Nov 10 - 11:09 PM

CU, Amergin, howya doin'?

I just got past 36,000. It's all downhill from here. LOL!

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: mousethief
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 01:53 AM

I'm at 40,400. I think I actually know how I'm going to wrap things up, too! What I don't want to do is to have all the loose ends neatly tied up, and be 3000 words short!

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 03:10 AM

Fantastic, mousetheif! I am sure you can keep that Inner Editor at bay long enough to get plenty more...you are well on your way!

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: mousethief
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 11:52 PM

DONE!

50,272 words in 28 days.

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: mousethief
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 11:55 PM

Or, well, 27 days. Oopsies.

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: Ebbie
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 03:34 AM

Congratulations, Mousethief! Was this the first draft and now begins the fun part? How about sharing?

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 03:37 AM

From: hesperis
Date: 03 Nov 03 - 08:18 AM
Wow. I'm the only mudcatter stupid enough to do this?
*Waaaaah*

We would....but we're all too busy writing on the Mudcat Forum!

GfS

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 11:44 AM

Me, too, mousethief, though my novel is not done, I have well surpassed the 50,000 word goal!

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: Ebbie
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 07:31 PM

You two are amazing.

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: mousethief
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 12:44 AM

It's got a lot of work to be done. The plot needs tightening in several places, the inconsistencies are outrageous, and all the dialogue sounds like me! But here's the opening two paragraphs.

My master got in rather late this morning, reeking of sushi and Chanel No 5. He went straight to bed, didn't pet the dog, didn't feed the goldfish, didn't lock the door even. I couldn't tell from his demeanor if he'd had a successful or unsuccessful evening. But apparently he was tired. He's been seeing this one particular lady, a rich widow with a broad neck. He rarely marries his marks: he isn't the kind to fall in love, and it doesn't require marriage to bite.

But I'm being rude. I should introduce myself. My name is Fang, and I'm a Kuvasz. My master is a vampire. I don't know when I first discovered he was a vampire. The fact that he never goes out in the daytime was a clue. That he never cooks with garlic. That he has a scrapbook by his bed with cut-out photos of women's necks from magazine necklace advertisements. But I think it was the subscription to VQ that finally tipped the scales.

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: Crowhugger
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 01:52 PM

LOL, mousethief, and big congratulations!

Let me say that I'm in awe of all you. The high word count people for achieving that, the lower word count writers for achieving that and for keeping at it. Impressive.

Well Kat if i'm gonna do this next year I'll want to put a moratorium on performing during December because of all the music-learning and deadline-oriented rehearsing and that typically fills every waking moment each November. I've hardly seen my husband & dogs for the last 2 weeks, never mind my computer.

It's been fun spreading the word about it though, and I noticed there is lots of local support in my area.

Go, go, go, folks, less than a day and a half left!

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 03:53 PM

I hope you DO, CH!! You'd be surprised at how much you can get done in between everything else. When you turn off that inner editor things just spew out and there ya go, before you know it you've done a thousand, and then another thousand. One thing it has taught me is I am really motivated by a deadline!**bg**

Mousethief..you've got my attention! Great set up!

Here's the opening of this year's effort called "Shadowhearts. It needs lots of editing, too, but at least there is something to edit, eh?:-)

I don't remember anything about Uncle Lewis except vague references to his being a bit eccentric, reclusive, and having loads of money. I was about to find out just how much as I was the only recipient listed in his will...well, as long as I met certain stipulations. I was certainly interested. My varied careers always had great starts then I lost interest. By contrast, the stuff I did for free...listen and give intuitive advice, empathise and get nice feedback, make jewellery and give it away, all held my attention and I love doing it. Now, maybe, if old Uncle Lewis really had been that rich, I might be able to do those things and not worry about how I was going to pay the rent and feed myself and Sasheen...she's my chocolate point Siamese who assists me in my work with folks. She "vets" them, in an unobtrusive way...letting me know with a look, a blink of the eye, a tail swish if they were to be trusted or not. Of course, I have my own "feelers" out...watching and listening for negative vibes or some underhanded, not truthful dealings. Between the two of us, we have a pretty good track record when it comes to clients. They are all given to freely, but those who can almost always offer a little love offering or a trade in kind of goods, most often fresh veggies when in season and sometimes a stash of jewellery supplies, old beads, necklaces and the like with which I could make new items. I tried selling my jewellery once or twice but it never worked. You see, I design with the specific person in mind, so the Stone People communicate to me just how they want to be placed in a design...whatever resonates the best for that person. Often-times I'll put something together and think it's just right, when I get a feeling, see new patterns in my head and bingo! The "stones" have "spoken" and I rearrange the design to something much better which I never would have thought of. I love doing it, but I wish it paid the bills better.

I was sitting in the lawyer's office, no cats allowed, so I was on my own whilst studying him and his decor. Sturdy, solid old-fashioned desk of oak polished to a warm and old honey gold...glassed-in bookshelves filled with uniform looking leather bound tomes with alphabetic and numbered bindings, plus a couple of shelves of non-conformist books, not as large, but still with that old library look and smell, even through the glass. I was interested to note the man did not match his fossilised references. Perhaps there used to be an "& son" on the door which now read, "John Laurence, Attorney at Law" and he'd inherited the library. About five ten if my guess was right, as he sat in a comfortable looking old leather desk chair. He had a mass of unruly hair, slightly silver around the edges with leftover reddish hues to match a few freckles across his nose. His eyes were almost almond shaped, a hint of something different than the Queen Boadicea red hair connections, and a frank, open sort of blue...they were warm and friendly now, but I wouldn't want to cross swords with him in a court room or anywhere else for that matter. There was an edge to him I could sense...all my bells were going off..."warning, warning Will Robinson" just like that robot in Lost in Space. He had on a GQ looking suit with an unexpected cotton chambray shirt, open-necked, no tie, maybe he wasn't as tight-assed as he seemed.

"As I was saying, Miss Kitteredge, Mr. Dunosh set some unusual parameters pursuant to your receipt of his full estate. Are you aware of his net worth?"
I vaguely shook my head, "Not a clue. Mum and Dad almost never spoke of him. I heard he had loads but never how much."
"How much do you know about your Uncle, then?"

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: Ebbie
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 12:22 AM

That's a fun beginning, kat! (I'm not too much into vampires and zombies, MT, but I like your writing)

Subject: RE: BS: NanoWriMo - Anyone up for it?
From: LadyJean
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 12:28 AM

I've been working on a novel since January, trying to keep up my confidence, which gets harder by the day. I don't think it's bad. But I don't write for myself, I want to publish, and I know that's a bear. If and when this latest work is finished it will be the third novel I've written. The other two never saw print. Well, I'll keep my hopes up.

Note there are plenty of crooks out there who will try to separate you from your money when you go looking for a publisher. The rule to remember is "They pay you, you DON'T pay them!"

But keep your confidence up. Have you ever read Norah Roberts? If she can get published so can you.