I've decided it would make more sense for me to use my computer word count for my daily goal for My Own NaNo.
For one thing, that's how publishers determine length these days.
For another, it was starting to feel like I was cheating if I was counting one paragraph at the top of a page as a full page. And I've changed fonts, so I was actually getting more done than I thought, which is a good thing. However, I think it would be better to have a more accurate sense of what I'm accomplishing on a daily basis. So word count it is!
That's the thing about doing My Own NaNo. I can change things as I go, if need be.
Something to note: This is a very lean draft, as my first drafts tend to be. I'm not worrying about description. I'm not concerned with much historical detail. I'm thinking primarily of the emotional arc of my characters. How their relationship is changing. How they're changing. How other people are impacting that relationship, and how they're changing, too. At this point, other plot elements are less important, so I'll leave them for later drafts.
And hooray! My story and characters are beginning to take on a life of their own. That means I no longer feel like I'm inching my way through a dark tunnel. There are shafts of light and parts where I can scamper. Yippee!
2 comments:
Sigh. I've revised my plans also. I was going to enter Ilka in a couple of classes at a trial coming up next month, but I won't, after all. She needs more training before I take her in the ring again. These last two weekends, she was jumping up and nipping at me during heeling, or else running off in another direction. In a couple of Rally classes, she even tried to pick up the signs and play with them.
This past weekend was an almost total waste of time. I drove over five hours to get to this trial, only to find out when I got there that they'd had to cancel the Coursing Ability Test, because the ground was so dry it had cracked (TX has had a horrible drought this year), and they didn't want to risk a dog breaking a leg by stepping in a crack while running at full speed. Then, Ilka totally blew the only obedience class she was entered in. Not only did she heel poorly, she broke the sit stay. The judge offered to take Ilka back to Hawaii with her, if I wanted. :)
I did get some encouragement however. Another exhibitor, with a Sheltie, told me that they had gotten the dog as a pet, and by the time he was two, he was out of control. Then, someone suggested they take a basic obedience class with the dog. Long story short, the dog earned his Obedience Trial Champion title this month. So, there is still hope for Ilka.
Rosemary
P.S. From a previous post, about choosing a certain word over another, I have the idea you're writing a medieval. Am I correct?
Sorry to hear about puppy woes. Hope it all works out.
Yep, I decided to go back to my first love after the long break. :-)
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