And the novel itself is finished...

I hereby declare on this day, November 30, 2010, that the novel Noir has been completely and totally finished.

Yep, that's right. The book is DONE. Final word count: 61151. Final page count: 198 (if you folded the 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper that they're written on...it would be a mini novel for sure!)

Not bad for the novelist who thought she wouldn't be able to write 50000 in 30 days...lol

And so begins the editing process. I have a lot to fix and take out before any of y'all can see it...and I have a list of people who agreed to help me edit it, but before THEY can even see it I want to make sure I don't have any continuity issues or anything like that. And my epilogue needs work. But that's all Noir needs...work. Because it's totally written.

So yeah...the next post shall likely be an excerpt, I've been on the lookout for a good scene to use :)

I finished!

So...I finished today :) I won National Novel Writing Month! My final word count was 50049. My book itself is nowhere near done, but I made it past 50,000. I actually did it in about 20 days...because I didn't seriously start until day 5 :)

At any rate...just thought I'd share :)

Upwards of 38000...

So...the last post I posted I was at a little over 14000 words, if I remember correctly. But today, I am proud to announce that I am caught up (and have been for some time), and at over 38500!

This is very exciting :)

Now plot twists are developing. My characters are crazy (in a good way, not lunatics, haha), and the plot is FINALLY starting to pick up speed. And for that reason, it's probably a good idea that this isn't going to be published. It would be so boring for most of my readers :P haha

But anyway..it's almost done :D

14,729 words and counting.

The past three days have been insane. I was totally behind...more than 5000 words behind, on day 7. On day 8, I had almost doubled my word count. And yesterday, I wrote upwards of 3000 words in about 2 hours...in all this insanity, I went from being horribly behind to almost caught up in a matter of 3 days. I am now at 14,729 words...my word goal today is 16,667, which would get me caught up to where I should be to finish on time.

All that being said...the plot is finally starting to get interesting. I've had a horrible time battling my 'inner editor,' as NaNo novelists say...I have so much I want to take out, but I can't...because if I do, I'll change my word count drastically, for the worse. So I'm going to just keep plugging along and wait til December to edit, like a normal person :)

I'm adding a word count widget to my sidebar, as well as a link to my profile on NaNo, in case you'd like to track my progress or friend me :) Just tell me who you are if you do friend me, please!

Bre

Chapter 3

BOY this has been absolutely insane. I totally wish I had more time for writing...and that I had actually started ON track, rather than 5 days late :\

I am currently almost finished with chapter three, and at 6503 words. I need another small break...figured I'd update whoever reads this, haha :)

All I have to say is...

yay for weddings, change, and Sherlock Holmes!

:P

First 17 chapters, and a title!

Almost 3200 words - 17 chapters outlined. JUST outlined.

This is gonna be one doozy of a novel...I've never written anything so huge, and the ideas just keep coming!

Friended my friend Mary on Na No today...she has a great novel started, My Maine, and she's right on track with word count too....yay Mary :)

Tomorrow I'll be trying to finish my outline and a couple more character profiles (for your reference), and see if I can't get caught up on my word count :)

ANNNNNNND....title!

Noir

:) Fabulous, I think. It really suits my plan for it....

Character Profile: Wes

Name: Westin Jacob Gregory
Nicknames: Wes
Age: 23
Born: June 9, 1987. Phoenix, Arizona.
Height: 6’
Build: Athletic
Hair: Brown, mid-length, bangs sweep across forehead over eyes
Eyes: Blue
Parents: William Gregory and Carley Dresden Gregory (step-mother)
Siblings: Alianna Joy Dresden, Alissa Jacqueline Dresden (twins, step-sisters)
Job: DC at the Phoenix Police Department
Living situation: With Alianna and Alissa in a small 2 bedroom industrial apartment in the
middle of Phoenix.
Education: Graduated high school, attending University of Phoenix for masters in Criminal
Justice.
Best Friends: Corbin Evans, his sisters, Amelia Jenkins
Likes: Hanging out with friends, fast food, math, social gatherings
Dislikes: Stupid people
Hobbies: Biking, running, reading
Personality: Westin is a very social person – he loves his job, being around friends and family, and parties. He is outgoing and friendly, but not loud or bossy – he is a leader, but knows when to back down and let someone else take the podium.

(Chace Crawford - it's Wes!)

Character Profile: Lewis

Name: Carlton David Lewis
Nicknames: Lewis
Age: 37
Born: October 11, 1973. Phoenix, Arizona
Height: 6’ 3”
Build: Tall and muscular – almost body-builder type
Hair: Nearly bald – but what’s there is dark brown
Eyes: Hazel

Spouse: Bethany Lewis

Children: Gabriel Lewis (adopted)
Job: Chief Detective Inspector at the Phoenix Police Department
Living situation: With wife and son in a small, ranch-style home just outside of Phoenix.
Education: Graduated high school, graduated University of Phoenix at 24 (1997) with masters in Criminal Justice

Enemies: Amelia Jenkins
Likes: Coffee, spending time with family, cracking cases, overseeing everything in the CID
Dislikes: Being disrespected, being outsmarted (especially by those younger than him), feeling inadequate
Hobbies: Golf
Personality: CDI Lewis is very loud and assertive. He feels like he should be the smartest one in the CID, since he oversees the entire department, but he knows that AJ is smarter and more qualified for the position, so he treats her as lesser than him (to make himself feel better). He is difficult to get along with, but good at his job, so no one is prepared to fire him from the CID.

(Lewis looks just like Jason Statham)

Character Profile: Kendall

Name: Kendall Marie Jenkins
Nicknames: Kay
Age: 8
Born: February 2, 2003. Elizabethtown, Virginia.
Height: 3’ 7”
Hair: Brown. Long and wavy, usually pretty tousled.
Eyes: Hazel
Parents: Christopher Andrew Jenkins and Mercedes Jenkins
Siblings: None

Living situation: With mother, in a small apartment in Tucson, Arizona (not far from the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, which is where her father is stationed)
Education: In third grade at Canyon View Elementary
Pets: A guinea pig named Meredith

Best Friends: Alexis Anderson, Grace Ryan

Likes: Ice cream, sleepovers, ballet, horses, stuffed animals, staying up late with Mom
Dislikes: Bullies, that Daddy doesn’t live at home, cleaning her room
Hobbies: Drawing, reading, ballet and tap dancing, making jewelry, writing letters to her aunt
Personality: Kendall is very much a girly girl. She loves to dance and hang out with her friends from school. She is smart and has always gotten good grades. Since she is an only child, she is somewhat assertive and a leader; her friends, Lex and Grace, follow her and do whatever she tells them to do. She is independent at school and her extracurricular activities, but when she is at home, she is a “mommy’s girl,” and loves to spend time doing girly things with Mercedes, such as shopping, making dinner, and watching movies on the couch.

(Bailee Madison - exactly how I picture Kendall, haha)

Character Profile: Amelia

Meet my main character...

Name: Amelia Grace Jenkins
Nicknames: Ami (pronounced "Am-ee"), given to her by her sister; AJ, given to her by her classmates/co-workers.
Age: 22
Born: November 7, 1988. Aurora, Colorado.
Height: 5' 1"
Build: Petite, but not scrawny. Very athletic.
Hair: Dark brown, long but usually in a ponytail. She never takes the time to style it, so when it's down, it's generally wavy/curly.
Eyes: Brown
Heritage: Irish/Spanish descent. Weird combination, yes.
Parents: Christopher Daniel Jenkins and Amanda Elizabeth Reynolds Jenkins.
Siblings: Elizabeth-Ann Jenkins and Christopher Andrew Jenkins.
Job: DC at the Pheonix PD
Living situation: Currently living with parents in a small apartment in Pheonix, AZ.
Education: Graduated high school at 16, graduated from the University of Pheonix at 21 with her masters degree in criminal justice.
Pets: Used to have a Golden Retriever, but he died 2 years previous.
Best Friends: Alissa Dresden, Alianna Dresden, Colin Keith, Westin Gregory
Notable Relatives: Kendall Jenkins (niece), Mercedes Jenkins (sister-in-law)
Enemies: CDI Carlton Lewis
Likes: Coffee, chocolate ice cream, music, little kids, her Blackberry smartphone
Dislikes: Being disrespected, people who expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter, dresses, Carlton Lewis
Hobbies: Writing, suspense films, reading non-fiction, chess, chemistry, playing the piano
Weird Facts: Has a photographic memory, which is sometimes beneficial and sometimes a hindrance. Semi-introverted. Has never had a boyfriend, and doesn't intend to ever marry. Doesn't have many close friends. Has always been addicted to coffee. Doesn't like her name. Quick learner. Incredibly intelligent.
Personality: As previously stated, AJ is slightly introverted. She dislikes parties and social gatherings, but will attend them if absolutely necessary. AJ has very few close friends, because she can be very standoffish and seem cranky at times (though the ones she has are very loyal). She is very thoughtful, observant, and analytical, but not overly so in any of those areas. She is somewhat tomboy-ish and can be outgoing. She loves competition and is ridiculously smart - so much so, that she sometimes comes off as a know-it-all, which annoys most of the CID and makes her almost an outcast among the department.

AJ is prone to be very distrusting and hesitant to befriend anyone. She is very opinionated, and can be outspoken. She is not sympathetic; she is tough and rarely emotional (though, at times, she can be...depending on the situation).


(She looks a bit like this pic of Emmy Rossum, from what I can tell)

Untitled...still.

Yay! So...I finally got my NaNoWriMo blog set up. Obviously, since you're here and reading it, you would know this. lol

Since it is not yet November 1st...I haven't started on my novel. I'm not planning on staying up until crazy hours of the morning, running on caffeine, or anything like that. In fact, I probably won't get my 50,000 words in November. It may take November AND December. But the fact is, I want to participate and at least TRY. So...I am!

My info so far...and my user on NaNo is piano_chick993, if anyone wants to befriend me :)

Working Title: -
Genre: Mystery
Projected Word Count: At the end...it'll probably be around 50,000.

AT THE START DO YOU:

Have an outline? Nope, not yet.
Scene-by-scene? I have a couple of scenes in my head so far...
Know how it ends? Mm...not yet :)
Have your climax in order? Nope, still thinkin.
Know your main characters yet? Yes, I do...they're my best friends ;)

IS YOUR WORK GOING TO BE:

Funny? Perhaps.
Sad? Yeah.
Semi-Autobiographical? Pff, no.
Based on another story? Not that I know of...

HOW MUCH HAVE YOU PLANNED? Have you used:

A paper journal? Yes
Multicolored pens? yup
A computer? Yes
Index cards? nope
Bulleted lists? yes
Plot charts? no
Character charts? yes
Character formulas? no
Favorite writing sources? ?

ODDS AND ENDS:

A line you would like to use: Notta clue.
A scene you would like to include: Definitely a chase scene. Those rock.
A concept you would like to explore: Not sure...yet
A cliché you would like to avoid: Again, not sure.
A character you would like to use: A super haughty private investigator who has absolutely no acceptance of the fact that my main character is 20x smarter than he is ;)

FORWARD THINKING:

Do you expect to be able to complete it? Someday...probably not for NaNo though.
Do you intend to complete it? Of course.
Would you ever try to publish it? Perhaps...depends on how good it is.
What do you expect to get out of this month of frantic writing? A FINISHED, original story...for once. (the only things that I finish are fanfics. lol)

As you can see...my story is still in its baby stage...still interviewing some characters and thinking about a plot...but it's gonna be cool :)