NaNoWriMo | Perle Champion

Day 13 Wrote no words except this Blog Today NaNo/ NaBlo

13 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

by Perle Champion in Blogging, Murder is a Primary Color, NaNoWriMo, Perle Champion

Day 13 of NaNoWriMo Wordcount still 15600/ NaBloPoMo (13 for 13)

Today is my weekly day out with my mom, and that is more important to me than any wordcount. I’ll catch up in the next few days, but today belongs to us.

Macy’s came to pick up the chair and ottoman she bought barely a week ago. They don’t make things like they used to. Macy’s, to their credit, didn’t argue. They picked up the defective furniture and credited her account.

From there we headed out to the Salvation Army Store on Green Springs. Wednesday everything in the store is 25% off and all clothes with a white tag is a further 50% off.

From there we headed to Acapulco Mexican restaurant, that that not only has good food, but on Wednesday has two for one on menu items A thru L all day long. We both enjoyed ice cold dos Equis and such ample portions of food that we both took home enough food for lunch tomorrow.

From there we hit Aldi’s, Academy Sports, Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Big Lots, happy hour at Bone Fish Grill for margaritas and Bang Bang Shrimp, etc., etc., and finally stopped off at Publix on the way home to pick up a few essentials including beer an wine and got back to mom’s around 7. I got to my abode a bit ago with a leftover shrimp for Jazmine – her due for my being out all day.

Now I’ve put the new heated throw I got at Walmart on the couch and Jazmine and I are going to enjoy the warmth while she does her ablutions followed by belly up snores and I read a few more chapters of Hild.

I’ll resume my writing on my NaNo novel tomorrow after a long chilly walk in the park.

Manana y’all.

Day 12 Wrote 2000 words & 1 Blog Today NaNo/ NaBlo

12 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

by Perle Champion in Blogging, NaNoWriMo, Perle Champion, wicca, Writing

Day 12 of NaNoWriMo Wordcount 15600/ NaBloPoMo (12 for 12)

Aimed for 3500 today, but fell short. I logged a hard fought 2000 though before heading out to run essential chores.

First up were items due at library today or I’d be charged a dollar a day each – too much with 12 movies checked out and several books. Run by my P.O. box to check for incoming and mail the car payment. Annoys me that I can’t pay it on line because the bank that holds the note won’t set me sign up unless I have an account at their bank. No thanks, I’ll mail it. Grocery store for coffee, an essential of life. Golden Temple for Essiac tea ingredients – don’t ask.

No momentum for writing when I got home, so I spent more than a few hours doing my monthly refrigerator and kitchen thorough cleaning which I’ve skipped the last 2 months (major ewww). Completing such a chore gives me the satisfaction of finishing something start to finish. Much needed feeling when writing a novel in spits and starts.

This morning’s writing was spent on the some background.

As the century waned in the decade of 90, more and more seeking enlightenment found it. Those who believed achieved each to his or her own dreams. Second sight for many became second nature – the gift held peril and obligation. The Wyse and ordinary people had been seeking and finding the truths and marrying like-minded and like-gifted, and by the year 2020, their children were being born with the inherent gifts and their parents were at once thrilled and afraid.

Also born in those days was a mounting fear of those with so-called unnatural powers. So the parents of the psy-child did not brag, did not speak of it and kept the children home to protect them and teach them control.

Hidden and quiet they went about their lives as normally as possible. Time passed and things were calm, but tense. Only among their own were they free to be themselves. And so there were coded emails and actual letters crossing the country; there were coded ads in the digital and print papers, followed by phone contact, then mind as one by one they identified each other. Their desires were the same. To live a good and fruitful life and leave behind something better for their children. But there was a cloud on the horizon and it was not just intolerance and bigotry.

Day 11 Wrote 3600 words &1 Blog Today NaNo Wordcount 13,600/ NaBlo

11 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

by Perle Champion in NaNoWriMo

Day 11 of NaNoWriMo Wordcount 13,600/ NaBloPoMo (11 for 11)

If I can keep this pace, I’ll be back on tract by Friday, and I’ve got to get it done during the day, as the round of parties has begun.

mm heart

Wednesday 11/13 Weekly day out with Mom (any writing will need doing by 10 a.m.)
Thursday 11/14 – PepperPlace holiday open house. Most all of the shops are open 5-9. Musts are Charlie Thigpen, Atmosphere’s,, King’s House Antiques and more.
Thursday 11/14 – Frontera Iron Works 5-9 (I got some amazing metal crafted flowers)
Friday 11/15 – Daniel Day Gallery’s Holiday Art Show. 6-10 (Still loving my handmade heart)
Saturday 11/16 – Viking Party at @ the Wilsons 6 til???

So I worked on a my protagonist’s love interest today. Excerpt below:

Character’s Back Story – James

Tomorrow was graduation. He remembered how his Mother worried; he could tell the way she paced when she thought he wasn’t watching. She’d yell at Dad when he talked about it, too. “No, absolutely not. It isn’t bad enough I worry if you’ll come back every day when you leave for work, you want me to worry about my only son, too. He should be a lawyer or a doctor or a writer. Lord knows he has enough imagination to be a writer. His school counselor said so.”

James hated it when they argued. He’d just turn the volume up on one his dad’s old viewer as he watched Sam Cade, Detective for Hire for the hundredth time. He’d pretend he was Sam Cade – super detective. “Yes, some day. Well, Sam Cade started in law enforcement, and then went private. And all the women fall for him and the regular law enforcers envy him. Yea, that’s what I’ll do. First, I’ll follow Dad’s path, but I won’t settle for just that; no sir, not me. I’ll get all the training I can get from the pros and then I’ll do what Sam Cade did. James Harden, private detective. Well, maybe I can change my name. James seems so, so ordinary.”

He remembered when he and his Dad used to talk long into the night on their weekly hike up into the mountains. He told James his fears and his aspirations, “I know that no matter what happens I’ve lived a good life. Boy, that’s all that’s truly important. Whatever you do in life, do it because you really want to, and do it really well. If you marry, marry for love and because of things and in spite of things. Your mom’s a good woman and when she met me, I was in law enforcement and she hated it. But I loved her in spite of that and she me too. Do you understand? I mean, you can talk yourself out of a lot of things just because you’re afraid. Don’t let fear ever stand in the way of doing what you love and loving people who may not love all the things you do.”

James wished he had written it all down, now. But sometimes, he lay back on a dark night on the side of a trail and let his mind drift back to those times and he could hear the distant voice echoed in his ear. “Follow your dreams, boy. Only a fool is never afraid, and only a coward lets fear stand in the way of what’s right for him.”

James thought. Thanks Dad, I’ll make you proud. I’m doing it Dad. I’ll be the youngest detective ever on the force in history.

Day 10 New project started late last night NaNo/NaBlo

10 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

by Perle Champion in Blogging, Murder is a Primary Color, NaNoWriMo, wicca, Writing

Day 10 of NaNoWriMo – New project started late last night – 10,050 / NaBloPoMo (10 for 10).

As I posted yesterday, I just lost all momentum followed by interest on the Wadenhoe novel, so I just stopped and decided to go with a sequel to an old Nano Novel from a few years back whose
characters still live in a far corner of my mind.

Tentative Title: Murder is a Primary Color. I’ve been writing on it most of last night and then again today to get back to the 10,050 words I had already written on Wadenhoe. I’ll have to do 3500 words a day to get back on schedule by this coming Friday.

I’m beat. I’m looking forward to pouring a glass of cabernet and tuning in PBS Masterpiece @ 8 to watch Paradise followed by a rerun of season 2 episode of Downton Abbey.

Dessert will be a second glass of wine and as many chapters of current new book, an ARC of ‘Hild’ by Nicola Griffith which is due out Tuesday. Set in 7th century Britain, the style is much like that of Mists of Avalon and I am so loving it.

Meanwhile, here’s new NaNo excerpt:
Scene: Breakfast bar in Jades sunny kitchen:

…”Hmmm? Oh – yes, Mira. I’ve been called in by my friend in law enforcement. You remember the Lt. Jeffries I worked with several months ago?”

“Yes Miss, it’s the murders on the news. Isn’t it?”

Jade’s white forehead furrowed and she gazed from beneath black brows. Mira was momentarily frightened and Jadeah sensed her fear and relaxed her face and smiled. “I should view the news more often, you apparently know more than I. Yes, I suppose it would have been on the news. But please, no questions. I must plan my day. When the bell rings, it will be Lt Jeffries. Please let him in.”

Sabrina was suddenly on the red leather stool next to Jade, carefully preening her paw with special attention to her claws. Their eyes and minds met and Sabrina queried, “We have work?”

“Yes, will you help?”

“Of course. I might be an old woman, but I am quite able.”

“Point taken old girl. We wait for our ride; be alert.”

Mira watched in awe from the stove as she poured the steaming chocolate almond milk into a large blue mug of equally steaming black cayenne laced coffee. She knew her mistress talked to this feline, and she was sure the feline understood and talked back.

Mira’s grandmother had explained to her about curanderas and their familiars and told her to treat the cat as well as her mistress and speak to her as to a human and with respect. This cat was not like her little Sabato at home, not at all. This one looked at you when you talked. Mira only hoped it could not read minds, too.

The doorbell interrupted her thoughts, and she put the coffee on the bar in front of Jade and left the kitchen to let in the Lt. She touched the keypad and stood with her mouth a little open. She had forgotten how fair was this gentle giant. All blond longish hair, clear amber eyes and legs that went on forever. “My mistress waits in the kitchen, sir.”

James strode down the hall and Mira did not catch up with him until he was seated at the kitchen bar on the other side of Brie – and now there were three.

Day 9 – Dumping Current Novel – NaNo/NaBlo

09 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

by Perle Champion in Blogging, Murder is a Primary Color, NaNoWriMo, Writing

Day 9 of NaNoWriMo – Dumping current project and starting a new one (sigh)/ NaBloPoMo (9 for 9).

Met with Alabama Writers group for NaNo write-in at Panera’s Main Street @ 10 this morning for a write in and we got no writing in. It turned into a kibitzing session.

That was fine. I’ve pretty much lost steam on this project and seriously considering a sequel/spinoff of a previous NaNo Novel. I’ll have to double up to catch up, but those characters live for me and I can rethink the Wadenhoe project for later in 2014.

I’ll be updating title, etc., on Nanowrimo tomorrow, and start doing some furiouss writing most of tomorrow on new project to make up for lost time. Tentative Title ‘Murder is a Primary Color’.

Met two interesting young women this morning whose Indie Publishing Company is worth a look. Check them out at Matter Deep Publishing.

p.s. My own indiepub e-book (How to Journal and How to Publish from your Journal) will be going on sale as an Amazon selection on December 2 @ $2.99. I’m hoping it will kick up sales.

Day 8 – No Words Written – NaNo/NaBlo

08 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

by Perle Champion in Blogging, NaNoWriMo, Writing

Day 8 of NaNoWriMo Wordcount Still 10,050/ NaBloPoMo (8 for 8).

They (not sure who they are) say it takes 30 days to build a good habit and 3 days to break it. Well I didn’t make the 30 of building, so it only took 1 to break it. The day out with Mom yesterday took the edge off my urgency to write.

Althouth I’ve journaled, written emails and made lists of agents to send the children’s picture book to, I’ve written nothing to speak of on my NaNo Novel.

It’s going to be a long weekend of catch up. I plan to go to 2 NaNo write-ins. One at Riverchase Panera tomorrow morning and another at Beans, Books, and Candles at 2pm. Taking the spiral notebook which I usually write in and the laptop – if I can’t do one, I’ll do the other. I’m 3000 behind.

My ToDo list is not working today. I’ve added an item in all caps in red – STOP PROCRASTINATING!!!!!

Day 6 To Do List NaNo/NaBlo

06 Nov 2013 1 Comment

by Perle Champion in Blogging, Freelance Job Search, NaNoWriMo, Wadenhoe House, Writing

Day 6 of NaNoWriMo Wordcount 10,050/ NaBloPoMo (6 for 6).

The ToDo! List is working – sort of. I am now at 6 days of accomplishing numbers 1 – 4 on the list consistently, so there’s hope for the rest of it.

Walk 5 miles from 5-6:30 a.m. Do stretches, yoga and/or wgts 6:30-7.
Coffee on, BF in oven then quick shower, be at desk by 8. (I did it when I had a ‘real’ job’, no reason I can’t do it now.)
Write Blog and schedule for posting at 7pm daily (note: I’m writing as many as I can in advance and programming them to post in a timely manner)
Write 1668 words a day or more on my NaNoWriMo Novel.
Finish Drawings for children’s book that is already written.
Peruse markets for essays.
Query w/Food Tips – various magazine. (I’m a serious cook; I have a jillion tips, but I’ve only sent out 1 to Cuisineathome.com although the list is extensive.)
Finish Website – It still sits as the starter page.
Bank 30 days’ worth of tweets.

There are more I haven’t done, but I won’t bore you nor flagellate myself anymore than I already have. You get the point. Procrastination, is my middle name.

Oh, yeh Scarlett had nothing on me. “…I’ll think about it tomorrow… I’ve squandered too many today’s with that line.

I’’ve been spending time like so much loose change, and I’m trying to stop.

Day 5 NaNoWriMo & NaBloPoMo

05 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

by Perle Champion in Freelance Writing, NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, Wadenhoe House

Day 5 of NaNoWriMo/ NaBloPoMo and I was behind by 1000 words yesterday but made it up today plus a few (wordcount 8664), on track for Blog Posts (5 for 5).

Although I’m on track as of yesterday through day today (day 5), I need to keep banking extra words for those days during the coming holiday parties when I won’t be able to manage many words at all.

It was a long time ago and perhaps the life of a Brat took me so many places that while some memories burn bright, others are so dim as to be non-existent, less than the mists that shrouded the woods at the edge of the Wadenhoe estate many days and made of it a titillating place for me to explore. Perusing the pictures stirs the memory but my NaNo Novel is based part in truth as seen by my 6-year-old self, stories of recollection from my mom and dad and my own imaginings – hence Novel not Memoir.

I still don’t have a good feel for my POV, but I’m letting the story take me where it will for now. Write in haste, edit at leisure, and even the title doesn’t quite feel right.

Excerpt – Chapter One

We arrived after dark. I felt like we were in a scary movie. This huge castle loomed in the night and the fog rolled along the ground all around us as we got out of the cab. Daddy, ever the practical joker, pointed at the head carved above the entrance and said, “That is the ghost of Wadenhoe.” Mother told him to cut it out – I had to pee too bad to be scared.

A maid opened the door and showed us up the stairs to our flat (English for apartment); told us what time breakfast was served in the kitchen and left.

There were some white bread sandwiches on the coffee table. They were butter with cucumber and butter with ham; cut into fours with the crusts neatly trimmed away; and neatly stacked on a beautiful old plate.

We devoured them all, and Mom put us too bed. I could hardly sleep, and when she left the room, I crept to the window to look out. As I look back on that night, I know now why I liked that shot in the first Harry Potter film so much – the one where he sits looking out the frosted window of his new home high in the castle.

The next morning I was ready to go before anyone and waiting impatiently at the door. We went down the rickety stairs to the better stairs and found our way to the kitchen, where the maids were scurrying around the long table delivering breakfast to our house mates.

At that time Wadenhoe House was managed by Mrs. Boothroyd (Mrs. B) and with two exceptions, all the rooms and suites were let out to Air Force families. The exceptions were a two men, one from Scotland, one from Poland. They were always referred to as the Scot and the Pole – I never knew their names. The Scot, when in his cups, would change into kilts and march down the main staircase serenading the whole house with his bagpipes whether they liked it or not. The Pole was quiet, but with a ready smile, and always had a book in his hand.

Mrs. B introduced us around the breakfast table, and asked how we liked our eggs. I watched as the cook cracked these huge eggs into a bowl, added milk and beat them with a fork. She put them into the large iron pan on the old wood burning stove that occupied half the wall at the end of the kitchen.

Later when Mom found out they were goose eggs, she never ate them again.

Day 4 NaNoWriMo & NaBloPoMo

04 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

by Perle Champion in Blogging, NaNoWriMo, Wadenhoe House, Writing

Day 4 of NaNoWriMo/ NaBloPoMo and I was behind by 1000 words yesterday but made it up today plus a few (county 8664), on track for Blog Posts (4 for 4).

I spent part of my morning transcribing about 1000 words from my spiral notebook, but I’m falling behind, so have to get cranking to stay on track.

As I’ve said before, I’m most comfortable and even more creative when I write with a pen on a pad. My favorite size is approximately 5×8, as it fits in my smallest Coach purse.

I journal daily, but this time of year I carry a second notebook that is dedicated to my NaNo Novel. I did the math and @ approximately 7 words a line, 25 lines and 80 pages front and back, I can get 28000 words in one notebook, which is a little more than half the objective wordcount for NaNo. I’ll blow through 2 notebooks

They’re available at the big supply stores. And although I prefer the classy Mead Cambridge below, Walmart has some smaller cheaper brightly covered ones that I use for my daily ToDo List that stays on my desk and other small projects.

If you’re an internet shopper, you can order from Amazon.

Day 3 NaNoWriMo & NaBloPoMo

03 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

by Perle Champion in NaNoWriMo

…Sunday. That’s my fun day. My I don’t have to run day…

I love Sundays. I rise at my leisure and my leisure is usually 6 or 7 on Sunday instead of 5. The kitchen is my first destination and second to putting on the coffee is to give Jazmine her once weekly Fancy Feast – the rest of the week she eats kibble. How she knows it’s Sunday, I have no idea, but know she does.

I tune the small TV in the corner to the today Show to be followed by CBS Sunday Morning, and sit to sort my Sunday Paper which I usually buy Saturday on the way home from wherever I am. The coupons and ads are on top, followed by the funnies, Parade and lifestyle. Sports, real estate and classifieds are discarded to the recycle box immediately.

Coffee, hot and black, frittata in the oven, toast slithered in butter and paces hot sauce my only condiment.

I’ve only written about 1000 to 1200 words by hand in my notebook today on my NaNo novel. Tomorrow is Monday, a fast day. I’ll walk to Starbucks and put in some real time then come back home and transcribe it all. I’ll be back on track by day’s end.