That's right folks. I did it. I'm a winner in the NanoWrimo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge, which means completed an entire first draft of a novel in 30 days. I lost a few things along the way, including attendace of a few classes, the ability to use correct punctuation, and the use of both my typing hands.
I'm not joking about the use of my hands. In the second week of the challenge, I noticed both of my wrists started to ache. By the third week, it turned towards searing pain. A million years ago I bought dictations software thinking that it would increase the speed of my writing and I would dictate paroles of wisdom. As you can see by the use of the word paroles instead of pearls ( which by the way I had to type in with my sore wrists so that the computer wouldn't type paroles again) that much of my time was spent screaming into a microphone and crying.
Add to that I named my main character Elaine which often is interpreted as a lame, Alain, and my favorite "a lane," buy my Macspeech Dictate software, and you can see how many hours of fun were had. Yes, I could have named my character Betty. But I was insane and angry.
Many of my friends had assumed that I would naturally meet this challenge, but unlike you folks who've seen this completely neglected blog with many a challenge announced and yet very few completed, they have some sort of misplaced sense of optimism regarding me and my ability to complete things.
But this time, I prevailed. I'm currently procrastinating writing the first half of my second act of my screenplay that is due to be read by a group of actors in my screenwriting group tomorrow at 7 PM. I only have 20 pages more to write, and a mom to pick up at the airport in LAX at 2 PM. My screenwriting group is naturally located close to where I live, here in Sherman Oaks, so I'm sure that I won't be sleeping and that I'll be in a panic at the copy place and highlighting the actor's scripts while sitting in the Tom Bradley International terminal waiting for Mom to get out of customs. That's just how I roll.
I better get to work, but first let me take of few celebratory spoonfuls of this pint of triple espresso gelato. Out of all the words that this software reads without a hitch, it's the phrase triple espresso gelato. Go figure.
The novel will be available for download in the new year on my new site ReadMyStoriesOnline.com . In the meantime you can read several of my typo ridden short stories and essays they are. I'm trying to say there, but close enough.
Congratulations to everyone on their success during national novel writing month. Good luck and good editing!
P.S.You have no idea how many times I had to say "scratch that" or "forget that" in the last month and even on this post. But still, hats off to you MacSpeech Dictate. I couldn't have done it without you.
P.S.S. I also gained a few things mainly, 7 lbs, and a new infatuation with the McDonald's McRib sandwich. They're back!
Recent Comments