11.7.13

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Whoo-hoo, 4K today!  That's a good jumpstart on catching up on NaNoWriMo. Now I'm only 7K behind. Tomorrow I'll go at it again - a group of us who are doing NaNo together did a writing sprint day, shooting for 10K words today. It is more fun when you have accountability and cheerleading, for sure.

I've done 10K days several times before, and it is an absolute blast. Once you've written 10K in a day, you feel a bit like a slacker when you only lay down 1K. I feel a bit like a slacker today too, truth be told, because I really wanted to slam dunk this one. But I wasn't able to prepare quite how I liked, and I am taking rather hefty muscle relaxants for the old trick back, and there are MINIONS underfoot (and on lap, shoulder, chest, chair, pillow, windowsill -- wash, rinse repeat) so I guess I'll cut myself some slack. 

And I have an outline for this book - or the bones of one. Here's the problem with outlining. You have a general idea of where the story goes: the high points, the main plot, the villains. But that only covers the top line. There's still a huge amount of work in between the stated variables that needs to build, one scene at a time, one character at a time. I never know everything about my characters until I start writing them, allowing them to come to life as I get to know them, sort of like the reader does, if I've done my job properly.

Which is why I hate outlining, because I have to force the story in certain directions instead of just letting it do its thing.  So 10K days are good for filling in the gaps, so to speak, by turning off the internal editor and just going for it. You can't edit a blank page, right?

The minions are learning how to jump, which has been very amusing. Jordan has a new nickname - Air Jordan, because she can spring into the air three, four feet high, and jump up on beds and chairs with ease. Jameson is smaller than her sister, and has a harder time, so she had several false starts trying to get into my lap today. But she got it, in the end. I've allowed them out into the upstairs, so hopefully by the weekend it will be time to let them conquer the whole house.  

Sweet kitten-breath dreams!

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J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.