Nano 2010!

I usually get it together to say something about Nanowrimo long before this, but the first week has been hectic. That said, I did get in 8066 words the first 5 days making me only about 300 words short of the 1666 daily word average. Too many numbers?

Let me back up.

Nanowrimo, referred to as Nano by many, is held each November. The goal is 50,000 words in thirty days. If you break it down into a daily average it's about 1666 words per day. I've found if I make the average I finish right on time at the end of the month. Most years I've gone beyond and every year I've done it a few months later the book is contracted. I find just telling the story that wants to be told works best. If you stop to edit, double check names, eye colors, research the best restaurant in Petaluma, you get bogged down with minutae that you do need to deal with, but unless you are fortunate enough to write 8 hours a day like a regular job, you may be crunched at the end.

This year I'm writing two novellas. I have contracts for The World and the Devil with eXtasy and it's the perfect time to write them. First up is The World. I was kind of struggling with it. It's a romance but I just wasn't able to get the feel for a lot of romance for a woman who just gave birth to twins via C-section. Somehow a candlelit dinner with hubby and a romantic evening with dining and dancing, soft kisses and moonlight leading up to some fabulous sex, isn't high on the new-mom list.

I needed to get to romance, you know?

Inspiration comes to us in myriad ways. The romance for this book came to me in the form of one of my favorite co-workers. He's such an awesome guy. A true friend. Caring, compassionate and a privilege to know. Without giving away a part of the story which I am thoroughly immersed in now, I now have a cop who's going to save someone from herself and a very bad man. It's a totally awesome feeling when a story clicks.