PBW Stories

Finished up today around 7:30 pm. Much rejoicing here as I can now dive into Thanksgiving without grumbling about my wordcount. :)

Words: 2010
Total Wordcount: 49240
Pages: 9
Hours worked: 5 (-45 minute dinner break)

Only 760 words to write tomorrow and I'm done, hooray!

Words: 1791 2063
Total Wordcount: 4695847230
Pages: 8 9
Hours worked: 3 4 (no breaks)

Still exploring the new room at Netherfield while waiting to hear back from my day job editor on the next phase of the new project. I might come back to write a bit more on the NaNo novel later today*, but for now I'm off to run errands.

*Got in one more page tonight, so added that to the day's counts.

Words: 2012
Total Wordcount: 45167
Pages: 10
Hours worked: 4.5 (-45 minutes dinner break)

Whew. Intense chapter work today that led to a wonderful melding of two ideas and a hidden library, hooray! I had no idea that would happen but it just did, right there on the page. The vicar's sister also totally bailed me out of a major plot problem -- and made sense in the Netherfield universe to boot -- so now I love her, too.

Took today off to rest up a bit and pamper our ailing kitty. More tomorrow!

Words: 3787
Total Wordcount: 43155
Pages: 18
Hours worked: 8.5 (-1.45 minute breaks total)

Went to town on the NaNo novel today to make up for the carpet cleaning absence. Very happy to be over the 40K mark; I think I might finish before Thanksgiving. Trying not to jinx it so never mind . . . .

Taking off today from NaNoWriMo to get my carpets cleaned. Back tomorrow!

Words: 2031
Total Wordcount: 39368
Pages: 8
Hours worked: 4 (-45 minute break for dinner)

Wrote right up to within blinking distance of 40K, but had to stop to finish the prep for the carpet cleaners tomorrow. A bit of a slog today because of my achy breaky back and some depressing news about a personal friend. Still, if life wasn't messing with me I wouldn't feel normal. Onward.

Words: 2281
Total Wordcount: 37337
Pages: 11
Hours worked: Have no idea.

Hopped between the writing and getting the house prepped for carpet cleaning later this week, and since I was only able to write ten or fifteen minutes at a time I didn't bother to watch the clock. Just now as I tallied my new words I was surprised to see how much I had written on the NaNo novel. The extra may come in handy tomorrow when we finish up the final moving of the furniture; my lower back is already singing the Ave Maria of pain.

Words: 1920
Total Wordcount: 35056
Pages: 7
Hours worked: 3 (no breaks)

After I wrapped up my ghost writing gig this past weekend my client offered me another job that starts immediately, so I mostly worked on the outlines for that today. I did get in three very productive hours tonight on the NaNo novel; I think all that outlining had me turbo charged to write some story. :)

Taking the weekend off from NaNoing to finish up and polish my writer-for-hire project. More on Monday!

Words: 3675
Total Wordcount: 33136
Pages: 21
Hours worked: 9.5 (-30 minutes for lunch and -45 minutes for dinner)

I had probably the best writing day so far this month today, with everything just rushing out to get into the story now that I've added the new idea. Very tired but happy. Skipping editing tonight so I can go fall on my face and snooze.

Words: 2197
Total Wordcount: 29461
Pages: 8
Hours worked: 4 (-30 minutes for lunch)

Switched around the writing sessions today just for fun. I think working earlier on the NaNo novel might help when I have tough scenes to write; went much better today versus yesterday.

Words: 1715
Total Wordcount: 27,264
Pages: 8
Hours worked: 3 (no breaks)

A slow but otherwise productive writing session tonight; I had something excellent but unexpected show up (again) in the story and had to work it in logically in order to keep it. I think it fits well with what I had planned, but I'll know better once I hit the editing stage. Onward!

Words: 4078
Total Wordcount: 25549
Pages: 21
Hours worked: 8.5 (-30 minutes for lunch and 2 X 15 minutes for breaks)

Wrote like a demon all morning. All I can say is whew. *Thunk*.

Words: 2045
Total Wordcount: 20841
Pages: 10
Hours worked: 4 (-30 minutes for lunch)

While I'm waiting to get the greenlight for the next phase of my ghost writing project I thought I'd knock out my daily NaNo goal early, which went without any bumps. I'm glad I passed 20K, and I'd like to make that 25K by tomorrow, but we'll see. If I don't hear from my editor by this evening I might put in another couple of hours.

Words: 2015
Total Wordcount: 18796
Pages: 8
Hours worked: 4 (-45 minutes for dinner)

I had a rollercoaster ride with the NaNo novel today, up and down with the writing until I moved out onto the back porch to work there for a while. Sometimes changing writing spaces does work, and this time it did for me. Hitting 2K every day makes me happier, too, so I'm going to make that this week's primary goal.

Introduced into the story the most important rabbit at Netherfield, which was fun. His name is Harold, he's small, brown, and has one loppy ear -- and he likes my heroine very much. :)

Words: 2345 3072
Total Wordcount: 16054 16781
Pages: 10 14
Hours worked: 3 5 (no breaks one two-hour break for date with my guy)

Had a very good writing day on both projects, finished up early so I can go out on a date with my guy -- I might hit the NaNo novel again when we get back from dinner and try to get some extra buffer pages done.

(Added: Got in another four pages after we got back from our date; adjusted counts accordingly.)

Here's one of my favorite scenes so far:


Behind her the door to the room flung open, and a familiar voice uttered an oath not meant for the ears of a young lady. "Miss Maycott."

"Hello again, Colonel." She turned her head to smile at him. "I've had another accident, as you see, and I'm afraid I'm unable to rise under my own power. May I impose on your kindness again for some assistance?"

He was beside her in another heartbeat. "Did you faint again?"

"No, sir. I slipped on the rug." She stared up at the ceiling and frowned a little. "I had not noticed the lovely painting up there before now. Such pretty clouds. That one in the corner there is rather rabbit-shaped, don't you think?"

"I will have to inspect it later." Greville worked his hand beneath her shoulders and carefully raised her to a sitting position. "Forgive me, Miss Maycott. I should not have left you alone like this."

"On this occasion the responsibility is wholly mine, sir," she assured him. "I should have gone to bed instead of traipsing about the room."

"Yes, now I can see how it is entirely your doing." He tilted her head back to look in her eyes. "Do you feel dizzy? Is there any odd ringing or buzzing in your ears?"

"No, and no, sir." She felt the coils of her hair slipping down her nape and grimaced. "My only complaint is that my hair pins seem to have deserted me."

"That is actually helpful, for I must check your scalp," he said, waiting for her nod before he ran his fingers over her head. "When you were thrown from the rig, do you remember striking your head on the ground?"

"I believe I landed on my side and arm alone." She winced as his fingers touched a sore spot at the very back of her skull. "Oh, dear. Perhaps I am mistaken."

"Hold still." He moved around her and parted her hair. "You have a lump here; I would say acquired from this fall."

"I did land on my back," she admitted. "Your rug does not care for my shoes."

"I see." Greville picked her up in his arms and carried her over to the bed. "I will have it taken out and burned."

"Do you mean to do the same with my shoes? For then I would have to return barefoot, which would absolutely send my mother into hysterics. If the rest does not," she added as he bent over her. "Colonel?"

"I am removing your shoes to examine your feet. I will not tell your mother." He set about that, and once her feet were bare he set them on the floor and checked her feet. "Is there any pain in your toes or ankles?"

"None." She felt him touch the scars across her right instep. "Oh, that. It is unsightly, I know, but one cannot escape such marks when one is caught in a poacher's trap."

He frowned. "They do not appear to be recent."

"That happened on my seventh birthday." She looked wistfully at her foot. "I was playing hide and seek with my cousin in the woods near my home. Fortunately he heard me screaming, or I might still be out there."

Greville straightened. "I am going to prepare a compress for your head, and a tray for your luncheon. You are not to move from this bed while I am gone, is that understood?"

"After this I will not twitch an eyelid, Colonel," she assured him.

A minute after her host departed Anne promptly broke her promise and sat up. Carefully she felt the lump at the back of her head, and then eyed the white rabbit by the fireplace. "Don't look at me like that. I told him what a turnip-head I am."

The rabbit's nose twitched.

Anne closed her eyes and dropped back against the pillows. "And now I am hallucinating. Marvelous." She felt something fluffy against her bare foot, and glanced down to see a small brown rabbit cuddling against her ankle. "Oh, dear. You appear to be alive."

The rabbit lifted its head, twitched its left ear and hopped along her leg until it was within reach.

Anne's hand trembled as she held it out, and the rabbit sniffed her fingers before creeping under it. Its fur was like the finest silk, and stroking it calmed her choatic thoughts.

"I am sorry I doubted you," she murmured to the little creature, who wriggled under her touch and nuzzled her palm. "But perhaps you should go back to your burrow before you are found out."

When she drew back her hand the rabbit lifted up on its hind legs, blinked twice, and then vanished into thin air.

Now unnerved, Anne reached behind her head to touch the sore spot. "Just how hard did I hit my head?"

Words: 2017
Total Wordcount: 13709
Pages: 9
Hours worked: 4 (-45 minutes for dessert out with my guy!)

My writing was interrupted tonight by a trip with my guy and kid to our favorite diner to have dessert. Since I've been hitting my goals all week on both projects I celebrated with a cinnamon bun and some decaf coffee. Nothing tastes sweeter than sticking to my work schedule! Ha.

The story is moving along quite nicely; got myself out of a stall in the current chapter and wrote through to the beginning of the next. Tomorrow the official site says we're supposed to "double up" on our wordcounts, but I think I'll stick to slow and steady. It's working for me.

Words: 2088
Total Wordcount: 11692
Pages: 9
Hours worked: 3 (straight, no breaks)

Here's a peek at the story:

She tried not to gawk about her as Greville guided her out of the morning room and into the center of the house, but the astonishing beauty of Netherfield could not be ignored. Above her head ceilings adorned with paintings of cherubs and angels soared, framed by gilded alabaster carvings so intricate they appeared to be constructed of golden lace. More paintings occupied every wall in sight, in clever arrangements that captured the eye and invited longer contemplation. Although entirely out of fashion with the current trend of sculpture salons, the free-standing statues that appeared in random spots seemed perfectly placed, and were often flanked by over-large floor vases containing small trees and other living greenery.

The staircase to which Greville led Anne flowed up from the polished walnut floors like a long, elegant arm gesturing toward the heavens. She paused to admire the dreamy grey-shot white Caldia marble steps, which invoked a sense of stepping onto clouds, and smiled at the whimsical newel cap of a life-size hare sitting on its haunches with a carrot between its paws.

"You have noticed the rabbits, of course," the colonel said as they preceded up the staircase. "I should warn you, the house is quite overrun with the beasts."

She smiled. "Mr. Fieldhurst must have been very fond of them. He was said to be quite enamored with all things French, which makes me wonder if rabbits have any singular meaning in their society."

"French monks in Champagne have been domesticating rabbits since the fifth century," Greville said. "Although I'll wager their purpose never strayed far from the dinner plate."

"I have heard the people of India are somewhat odd about their animals," she said carefully.

"In India all animals are considered holy and in some sense worshipped," he told her. "The holiest are cows, which are never used for meat. They are instead painted and adorned, and permitted to freely roam the land."

"How exotic." As most English people were inordinantly fond of beef Anne supposed such practice would offend her countrymen, but perversely she found it rather charming. "How do they get on with rabbits?"

He gave her a wry look. "They make them into curry."

Words: 2077
Total Wordcount: 9604
Pages: 10
Hours worked: 3 (straight, no breaks)

Spent most of today finishing up a project for my editor, so I got a late start tonight on the NaNo novel. I was determined to get in at least 2K by midnight, though, and didn't take a break until I got my words. Was not as difficult as I thought; after dinner the family was pretty great about leaving me alone to work. Now tired but happy and going to bed!

Words: 1848
Total Wordcount: 7,527
Pages: 9
Hours worked: 4 (-45 minutes for dinner)

I've switched my work schedule so that I do my ghost-writing job in the morning and work on NaNoWriMo in the afternoon or evening, depending on family/housework/cooking stuff I have to do. I feel better getting my pro work done first, plus I actually have more time to work on the NaNo novel in the second half of the day.

I knocked out a bit of Julian's backstory today as well as a romantic scene that adjoins the middle-book material I wrote yesterday. I'll probably stop chapter hopping from here as I prefer to write chronologically. Definitely a very decent writing day.

Words: 1658
Total Wordcount: 5679
Pages: 8
Hours worked: 3.5 (-30 minutes for lunch)

I skipped ahead today to write a scene that takes place in the middle of the story; I had the dialogue running in my head all morning and needed to get it down on the page. Also, anything I can do to help the middle-of-the-story slog takes priority over everything else!

Created a terrific room in Netherfield which is further refining the setting according to the legends without eating the story alive. I think taking it room by room versus a huge/long/infodumpish overview will help me better manage both the setting and the backstory.

Words: 2,002
Pages: 10
Hours worked: 4 (-30 minutes for lunch)

A somewhat slower but still decent writing day. I got a bit distracted by some backstory on Netherfield and had to cut that down before it grew a thousand heads and ate my story. Lost about 300 words in the process but no regrets. Sometimes being ruthless is the only way.

No problems with the NaNo web site today so maybe that's fixed.

Words: 2,020
Pages: 10
Hours worked: 3 (-30 minutes for lunch)

My first day at NaNoWriMo was slow but steady; I took my time with the first five pages so I could get the tone and pace I wanted, and then it was off to the races with the rest. I need to do some research on the terminology for some aspects of an English country manor that I don't know, and have noted that on my to-do list. I really loved crashing my protagonists rig; that was fun. :)

I did have a lot of trouble with the official NaNo site in getting my wordcount validated and my novel stats updated. I think it probably kept crashing on me because so many people are likely accessing it today to set up their novels and so forth. Hopefully that resolves in the next couple of days because it was a pain.