The House on Amber Road, Day One, 201 Questions

It's the first day of NaNoWriMO and I am pumped!

This year is the most exciting year yet as I venture to write a novel that I've actually planned.

The first year, I wrote by the seat of my pants, just sort of making things up as I went along. That method caused me to constantly back track into the story to make sure I wasn't saying something that contradicted something I'd said earlier or having characters do things that didn't make any sense based on their back story. It was very unorganized and sort of haphazard - HAH - Sort of how I write my blog.

The second year, I had a general plot line in my head, but not well planned out enough because it got totally derailed when I went into labor.

This year, I've been sketching ideas, taking notes, and drawing character sketches for awhile now. If you are wondering if that is cheating, it's not. These are all well within the NaNoWriMo Rules.

But, I sat down this evening to write and all I had to do was lay out my notes and look at the first item in my outline and then write out that portion of the story. Easy-peasy! Well, at least way easier than the last two years.

So, where are we at the end of day one?
Well, Agatha Briggs has been asked by her teenage daughter to answer 201 questions about herself. Events in Agatha's current life collide with the memories that are triggered by these questions. Agatha struggles to complete the task in time for her daughter's English assignment. Some of the questions are hard to answer, not because she can't remember, but because the memories are painful and she doesn't want to share this pain with her daughter. She must choose her words very carefully.

That's one Bad Kat

It is November 1st and NaNoWriMo has officially begun at our house. We didn't stay up and start at midnight, although I was tempted to. But, we went to chapel, completed our morning chores, finished our math and history, and then warmed up leftover lasagna for lunch and we are getting started on our family Novel Writing project.

I am using a text called Written & Illustrated by...

The first step is to create a publishing company. Now, this is easier than you might think because children are good at brainstorming.

However, it is also quite difficult for the following reasons:

1. Boys like to come up with names that are offensive. One suggestion for our publishing company was "Books of Poop" I used my ultimate authority to rule that one out even though it got a majority vote.

2. Many names that seem like a good idea, like "Johnson Publishing House" from our last name, are already taken. We did not want to misrepresent ourselves by using the name of an already existing publishing company.

3. Getting five kids to agree on a name unanimously is just plain challenging.

But, it's just past noon and we have done it... We have named our publishing company.
So, may I present.... (drumroll please) the publishing company created by the Johnson family for the sole purpose of publishing our own written and illustrated creations...

Bad Kat Publishing Co.

Gearing up for NaNoWriMo 2013 "The House on Amber Road"

National Novel Writing Month begins in ten hours...

I have my outline ready and I'm convinced this will be my best year yet. So good, in fact, that I have decided that this years story will NOT be posted on the blog. Seems backwards, doesn't it?

Well, this year, I've decided to write a story that has been brewing in my mind for many years. I have a box full of notes, character sketches and now a basically fully fleshed-out outline. I am so excited about the possibilities of this tale that I am planning to publish it. (Wish me luck, this is a scary proposition)

I have taken on no paying customers this year.

My writing be interrupted by the birth of a baby.

So, this is the year that I have no excuses. I get to devote the hours to my novel. For those of you who are disappointed that the full novel will not be available here this year... I know some of you have been waiting all year for a sequel to last years romance... I'll be posting hints and teasers, and maybe even some sample chapters instead.

Look for posts that have the title "The House on Amber Road"