I spent this morning looking at pictures and watching videos of snakes as research for a scene in my novel, Sail.  I shiver to think about them!

Last week I finished the first draft of Sail while writing for NaNoWriMo.  It clocked in at about 120,000 words, or 370 pages.  I’m working on cutting as much as I can and making it more coherent, but it’s a complicated process.  I’ve cut 15,000 words so far, including a thirty-page section that dealt with a giant snake.  I’m trying to reincorporate the snake in fewer pages right now.

I’ve never seriously re-written anything that I wrote before.  It’s strange because I feel guilty every time I make a cut–as if once I wrote something it should stay there.  Cutting out fifty pages so far was really difficult, but I’ve convinced myself that the book will be a lot better because of it.  Comment below to share your re-writing experiences.

I just read this update from NaNoWriMo, which has me even more excited to finish:

As a 2008 winner of NaNoWriMo, you will be eligible to receive a free proof copy of your trade paperback book. Details will be posted here and on the “I Wrote a Novel, Now What?” page on December 1.

This offer is sponsored by CreateSpace.  So keep pecking away to get a proof copy of your manuscript for free! 

Read more.

We’re now more than a week into November, which means there are three weeks left in National Novel Writing Month.  The widget above shows my progress so far.  I couldn’t be happier with how much I’ve written.  I’m adding on to a novel I started two years ago, hoping to finish the first draft this month.  All together, including what I’ve written for NaNoWriMo, I’ve got a 105,000-word novel.  How well is your novel writing month going?  Comment and post your progress widget!

Today was the first day of November, which means it was the first day of National Novel Writing Month.  I met with a friend at CK Cafe in Claremont, a little hidden cafe filled with comfy chairs and tables that are just the right height.  Soon there were nine writers there, plugging away at their manuscripts–some on laptops, some with good old-fashioned pen and paper, and one woman on a 1930s typewriter.  Best of all were CK Cafe’s $2.25 Thai Teas, which are the best beverages in the world. 

All together, I kicked out 2,890 words!  In order to write 50,000 words in thirty days, you have to write about 1,600 words a day, so I’m really happy that I’m ahead of the game at the moment.  If I can get up to 5,000 words tomorrow, I’ll be 10% done.  I was also expecting that I was just going to spew out a bunch of words, just to get the story on the paper, which I would later have to go back and fix.  Not so!  I’m actually happy with most of what I wrote–at least for now–and the good thing about where I’m at in the story is that it’s going to be pretty fast-paced and action-packed from here on out.  It should be relatively easy and fun to write.

It looks like the gathering at CK Cafe are going to become regular, so I encourage any Claremont/Montclair/Rancho/Ontario/Pomona writers to come on down and soak up some of that great energy that develops when you get a lot of creative people working in one place.  And if you’re taking part in NaNoWriMo this year, be sure to comment and let us know how you’re progressing!  You can also watch my progress here on the NaNoWriMo site, or send me a buddy request so we can both do this together: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/419938.

St. Faulkner

Remember: tomorrow, November 1st, is the first day of National Novel Writing Month.  Go to www.NaNoWriMo.org to sign up for a free homepage where you can post your progress and get in touch with other writers in your area.  Also tomorrow, I’ll be sitting down in CK Cafe in Claremont to kick off NaNoWriMo, trying to get my six pages done in the early afternoon.  Stop by at about one to talk about writing, Faraway, or NaNoWriMo.  And remember: William Faulkner, the patron saint of National Novel Writing Month, wants YOU to write!

This Saturday beginning at 1 PM there will be a “write-in” held in the Claremont Village to kick off National Novel Writing Month, 2008.  Visit CK Cafe in the Claremont Village during the early afternoon hours and you’ll find me there, trying to plug away at the first 1,667 words of the 50,000 needed to complete NaNoWriMo.

From Jennifer Carey, another Claremont-area writer who will be there: “CK Cafe is really a hole-in-the-wall. CK Cafe is at 109 Yale Avenue. You’ll want to park on Yale then pass the Danson (which is also 109 Yale), going into the alley that is adjacent to the Danson, then turn left and you’ll see a patio. There’s a door on the patio that leads into CK Cafe. It might be hard to find, but it is worth it. The place has great atmosphere and wonderful coffee and tea. And: free wi-fi!

You can check out their website here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/ck-cafe-claremont

All are welcome and invited, even if you do not reside in the Pomona Valley area.”

So bring your laptop, your pad of paper, your outlines, and an insatiable urge to write, and let’s kick off NaNoWriMo with a bang.