LOTS GOING ON!

OK, it has been a crazy ten days.  Lots going on.  Lots to report.

First, NaNoWriMo.  I have been doing really good.  I am totally off track to finish the month with 50,000 words, but I have written over 12,000 words in the past 11 days.  To me that is something to be very proud of.  It is SO FREAKING EXCITING to see my novel growing by chapters ever few days.  It is truly an indescribable feeling.  Such a shame too.  My book is alive in a sense.  My people — or characters if you prefer—are breathing life into the story.  They are so interesting.  They do things that I really wouldn't expect so often.  yeah, I know i am the author.  But, I am telling you that they just do their own things.  It is increadible.

For example: I was working on a scene with my main character.  I was certain how it was going to end up.  I was working toward it and he made some really different choices.  They were characteristic of him, I realized as I was watching the scene unfold, but they surprised me.  By the end of the scene it had come to a resolution similar to the one that I had anticipated but SO MUCH BETTER.  There was so much more depth to the scene because of the choices that my my protagonist had made.  It was ten times more heart-wrenching.

Now, moving on.  Yes I hear the groaning demands from you.  You want to read the heart-wrenching scene.  Well, it is over 9,000 words.  Far too long to post on this little blog.  Besides, you don't want to mess everything up for yourselves.  :)

Last week I had the honor of meeting one of my writing heroes.  Brandon Sanderson few into Dayton to do a book signing.  My wife and I drove down and had a wonderful time.  Brandon, whose podcast I have listened too, has been one of the big inspirations to me in this novel writing venture that I have embraced.  It told him so.  Then my wife told him what a fan I was and how I listened to all his podcasts.  And I was trying so hard NOT to look like the leader of his fan club.  You got to stay professional at these types of things you know.  Brandon actually made a podcast devoted to how one should act around authors that they love (this is in the context of the fan being an aspiring author who is trying to break into the business).  Authors do appreciate fans, but when everyone is saying that they are "your biggest fan" it kind of gets lost in the mix.  However, Brandon seemed to really appreciate what my wife said and we chatted for a few minutes after he signed my book.  I told him that I was well into my novel and that he was one of my main inspirations.  He looked really pleased and encouraged me.  Even said he hoped that someday he would be standing in line to get me to sign his  copy of my book.  He was really a neat guy to meet and visit with.

I think he knew that I was being a responsible fan (if such a thing exists) and appreciated it.  Anyway, here is a pic of me and one of my heroes.  Enjoy!












Lastly, here is a check in.  My current word count is 33,464 words.  WOW!  I passed 30,000 words last weekend and I have been pretty extatic about it inside.  I try not to let it show too much, but it is a real accomplisment in my own estimation.  I doubt that anyone who has not sat down to write a long piece of fiction can understand what 30,000 words feels like, or means.  It has been a LOT of work.  But it is totally worth the effort.

So, go write your own story.  Nobody but you can write your story, whatever it is.  It is a personal journey where you learn so much about life and discover a lot about yourself in the process.  If I never publish this work, it will still be so worth the time and sacrifice and struggle that I have put into it.

Thanks for visiting.
Ammon