Getting Old Sux

It's November - can you believe I'm wasting words on blogging? Yea, me either, but here I am.

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Remember when staying up all night was just one of those things that happened occasionally because you were having a good time, needed to cram, or just got caught up in a good book and forgot about the time?

I do.

I've also decided that one of the definite, confirmed signs that I'm getting old is the fact that in order to stay up all night now, I have to plan ahead. I have to pack snacks and caffeine and my meds to take in the morning. I have to arrange for amusement for the kids. Staying up all night with friends is very nearly more chore than fun, but once a year, I can manage it.

Maybe.

After last night (and staggering home and to bed at 8am!) I'm convinced I'll never do another 12-hour write-in, but by next year I'll probably change my mind.

I got a little over 5000 words written between 8pm (I was late to the write-in, go figure?!?) and 7am. Nice, but only about half what I wanted to accomplish. At least 20% of it is so bad that even as I updated my word count I knew I would be cutting it later, or, as I declaimed in the small hours of the night, more than a little high on cappucino and gummy bears - "Type it all, you can always fix it in post!"

With that thought in mind, here are a few of my novel experiences from week one 2008:

--my MC's bff changed names twice, since I start a new doc each writing session to keep me from editing old stuff and I could never remember the damn name (it's Jenn, btw... or was it Jane..?)

--I knew the MC was going to get married at some point in the story. I did NOT know "the man" would show up the first week til the phone rang on day 2, the MC answered, and "her face lit up". I sat back in my chair, stunned. It's a man. OMG, it's him, THE man. WTF is he doing here already?

I tried to explain this event to my husband and he looked at me blankly then said, trying to be helpful, "But hon, you're the one writing the story." Yea, well, sometimes these things write themselves...

--I discovered I don't like writing about growing a relationship. I had about 5 moments I wanted to write about between first date and honeymoon, that's it. If I run out of ideas and my word count is low I may fill in the blanks, but it just doesn't interest me. The honeymoon only got two sentences.

--Trying to write emotionally wrenching scenes at 4am just doesn't work. Don't try this at home kids. Really.

Okay, that's it. I gotta go make dessert for J and her sleepover friend and figure out how I'm gonna deco a box for CRRE in only 2 days...