Goal 1: Incomplete

My first goal of the year was to edit "California Mermaid" and submit it to a contest on March 15, 2013.

I did not complete this goal :(

I did make some headway on the novel, though. Summer project, perhaps? I would love to actually edit a novel, ha! That would be nice.

How are your 2013 goals coming along?

2013 Goals

I can't believe it's February 1st and I am just now posting my 2013 goals! Oh, well. It's never too late to get started (:

1) Edit "California Mermaid" by March 15 and submit to WWC for their Starbright Novel Writing Contest. This is a huge goal and would be a big accomplishment. I am mostly trying to submit a novel not so much to win, but to receive 3 judges comments back. How awesome would that be?

2) Spend March 16-March 31 in preparation for Script Frenzy. You know that NaNoWriMo thing I do every year? Well, this is the script version. The goal is to write a 100 page script or screenplay in April. I tried it (for about a day) back in 2009. This will be my first year to really be committed and give it a go.

3) Participate in and win Script Frenzy 2013. This is going to be fun!

4) Submit 6 works (or more) to publications and/or contests this year. This is a few less than my goal last year (which I think was 12) but it's reasonable and still productive. You can't win if you don't play! 

5) Participate in and win NaNoWriMo 2013. This will be year number 5. *So excited!*

These are huge goals and accomplishing them all would be incredible! 

Thank you, family and friends, for all the support and love y'all  continue to give me. I hope all of you reach your 2013 goals as well! 

My Writing History

I would have to say fourth grade really got me going with my love for writing. I wrote as much fiction as I could that year even if the assignment was calling for a non-fiction piece. For example, we were supposed to write a story about our hero so I started creating this elaborate story about how my dog saved my life... My teacher made me re-do the assignment and write about a real person so that didn't work out to well. But there were many other times that we could write fiction that year so I got my fair share of creative writing in. The next year my English teacher barely had us write at all so my love for writing died down until about seventh grade. I took a writing class that year where about half of all of our writing was fictional. 

In the spring semester of my eighth grade year, I started writing my first novel via long hand in a purple notebook. Once into the story a bit, I began typing it up and would continue to add to it long hand in the car. After about 15,000 words, though, I gave up. It is still an unfinished work that I don't know if I will ever get back to. The reason I gave up on it is simply because of my inconsistent writing schedule (or lack thereof). I would work on my novel several days in a row and then go a month or two without working on it at all.

Later, I thought about doing NaNoWriMo in 2008 with a different story than the one I had started in January of that year but I didn't write more than 1,000 words and gave up on that story too. I didn't actually finish a book until August Novel Writing Month (AugNoWriMo) in 2009 (over a year and a half after I first started trying to write novels) and even that book was only 13,000 words long. It felt good at the time, though, because it was my first completed novel. A few months later, in November of 2009, I competed in and won NaNoWriMo and then had a 50,000 word novel under my belt. I did that again in June of 2010 and was up to three novels.

Writing my two 50,000 words novels made me so happy and made me feel like I was a writer. Now if I sent them to a publisher in current form, the publisher would role on the floor with laughter. But it was fun, exciting, and educational. And now I have three completed novels because of three month-long challenges. Now I'm working on my fourth novel. But one of my 2011 goals is to edit one of my NaNoWriMo novels, Shiloh's Children. I haven't actually started editing yet but it is on my mind often and I will get to work on it soon.

NaNoWriMo Days 22, 23, & 24

I hit the 40,000 word mark today!!! Yay!! The only problem is that I have about five-six more weeks of story to get through (which includes the big climax scenes) and not that much time to do it (less than a week). I am keeping at it though and I feel very confident that I will make it to 50k. :D

Family comes tomorrow which should be a fun time but also difficult to write.

NaNoWriMo Days 18, 19, 20, & 21

Well, this post is about multiple things. First, the writing. Well, I haven't posted at all these past few days because I have stayed on top of my word count. Today I passed the 35k mark!! However, the story is kind of, well, just ok. I am having trouble figuring out how to speed things up and get closer to the climax which should be happening in the next week.

What else is this post about? Well, today we are putting up Christmas decorations. Yes, I know, Thanksgiving hasn't happened yet. We normally put up decorations the day after Thanksgiving. This year we decided to do it a little early. Family is coming for Thanksgiving and they never get to see our Christmas stuff so that is another reason we are doing it now. I am taking a little break, though,to blog :D

Next, I am proud to announce that Collen (my little sister) sang the National Anthem with about 40 other kids tonight at the Spurs game!! :D

Lastly, who is actually looking at this blog? I am starting to wonder...

NaNoWriMo Days 16 & 17

Well, day 16 was all good and normal. I woke up early and got to my word count :)

This morning I was writing and I got kind of board. I had been typing slowly for the past 1,000 words and I still needed about 300 more words. So, what did I do? I finally let my MC, Nerin, kiss the human, Richard, whom she has wondered if she really loved. It was definitely an exciting moment for me :D My story is moving along. Only 22,000 more words.

NaNoWriMo Days 11, 12, 13, 14, & 15

Well, things have been going well these past five days. I managed to write and stay on track from the 11-13th. On the 14th I didn't end up writing at all. :( We had a debate Round Robin that kept me busy from 5am to 9pm. I was just to tired too write when I got home. So, what did I do today? Well, this morning I wrote 2,000 words before church and then I came home and wrote another 1,300 words. I am now proud to say that I am half way through the month and I have passed the half way mark of 25,000 words :D As for my story, it's still going pretty well. I am enjoying the characters and the plot seems to be doing well. All in all, I am very happy of what I have done so far this month.

NaNoWriMo Day 10

Well, it is mid-afternoon on Day 10 and I have reached 17,000 words which is above the daily quota :D Kelsey has helped me try to figure out some plot twists and things to throw in so that I can add words, make it more interesting, and of course not get to board with it.

I used Write or Die again today and wrote 830 words in about 20 minutes. I think Write or Die is a super helpful tool! I know I keep talking about it but it really works for me.

So, here is an excerpt and a synopsis of my novel taken from the first chapter with [brackets added] one time for clarification. This is the same excerpt that I have on my NaNoWriMo page.


Synopsis: Mermaid

Nerin is a mermaid with a horrible life. She has no father, a depressed mother, and an annoying/emotional older brother. After running away from her wedding to a merman named Merrick, her mother only gives her 2 years to find another husband. However, love doesn't come to Nerin right away. A year later, she is still single with no prospective husband in sight. Will she find love in the ocean? Or will she find true love somewhere else?

Excerpt: Mermaid

Merrick stood there, looking quite conceited. I thought he was supposed to look happy on his wedding day but his mouth formed a look of satisfaction for oneself. Oh his smugness. I can hardly stand it now. How can I stand to spend the next eighty-one years of my life with him?

The wedding coordinator started. “Merrick of Delta Marisol, do you take Nerin, also of Delta Marisol, to be your wife until you both depart this form and again become foam of the sea?”

“Yes,” Merrick said.

“And do you, Nerin of Delta Marisol, take Merrick, also of Delta Marisol, to be your husband until you both depart this form and again become foam of the sea?”

I stood there, and blinked. How could I? I was leaving one miserable home for yet another. I was leaving my crazy Mother and emotional brother for the smug Merrick. How could I do that?

“No,” I whispered.

“Speak up,” the wedding coordinator whispered to me. I must have said it softer than I had thought.

“No,” I said louder, much louder. “I will not take Merrick to be my husband,” I said to the coordinator. “I am sorry,” I turned to Merrick, “but I really do not think we are supposed to be together. I hope you find the one you are supposed to be with and that you live a happy life together,”

Merrick’s look of satisfaction for himself turned into shock. I left as fast as I could back down the aisle I had come from and went straight to my small dressing room, locking the door. I hadn’t even looked at my Mother’s face. I am sure it was a look of horror.

It wasn’t two seconds before my Mother came to the door. “Open up, Nerin!” she shouted, “You must marry him,” she insisted.

“Or what? Surely you will take me back into your home, Mother. I am sorry but I just can’t marry him,”

“Why not?” she asked.

“Surely you can see why. He’s so arrogant,” I said, the truth coming out.

“You are so ungrateful! You get out here, you are getting married,”

“Leave me alone, Mother,” I begged, “Just leave me alone.”

She began on another rampage, which I ignored. Meanwhile, Amaya [my best friend] came around the building and tapped on my window. I unlocked it and let her in. I put my finger up to my mouth, signaling her to be quite. She nodded and we sat down and I started softly crying into her chest. She patted my head and stroked my back as my Mother continued on her escapade.

“Fine,” my Mother at last began to wrap things up. “If you don’t want to marry him, then you will have to find another husband, and soon. I am giving you two years. And that’s being generous,” she said, as if she was doing me a favor, and then she left.



Please tell me what ya think! Thanks :)

Later edit in March 2010: I have edited this first chapter a lot since then so don't hold this terrible writing against me, lol. You have to write fast during NaNoWriMo if you want to survive! :)

NaNoWriNo Days 8 & 9

Yesterday, Day 8, I managed to get to my quota but I didn't get ahead at all (I don't count 250 words as being ahead). And on Day 8 I managed to add my first cheat which was a 382 word poem. Everyone together now: ewwwwwwwww - bad Mary Kate. Me: Yes, I know, and I am sorry :( But it was the only way! Everyone else: Suuuuure it was.

Today, Day 9, was very productive. I got the 15k mark (today's quota) before 7am. I wrote about 1,000 words in like 22 minutes with Write or Die (it says 28 minutes because I paused it and took a break but it still counts the pause minutes in the total):



Yup... I am doing well. However, I do need to get ahead eventually because I am going on a weekend retreat in a few weekends. No electronics allowed :( We shall see how that goes for my word count.

NaNoWriMo Days 5, 6, & 7

Well, on Day 5 I woke up early like I normally do and only wrote about 300 words in 45 minutes - not good! So I used Write or Die to catch up. On Day 6 (yesterday) I passed the 10k mark and my mermaid, Nerin, met the human, Richard. Finally!! So far, that was worth getting up early to write. Today, I am just a few hundred words from my goal and I passed the 11k mark. I am hoping to get ahead tonight and tomorrow. :D Just 39,000 words to go...

NaNoWriMo Day 4

Well, the sun is coming up and I have already reached today's word count: 6,667 words. I have actually just barely passed that with a total of 6,811 words. How did I manage that in only 45 minutes? I was able to use a really cool program called Write or Die and it helped me finish up my writing session this morning. Here's a badge from their site:



It doesn't seem like 700 is that many words (and it really isn't compared to a novel) but I knew that I had to get them written this morning before 7 in order to stay on track. And I did it! I literally finished at 6:59. :D

NaNoWriMo Day 3

Yes, it is nearly the end of day 3. Right now I am supposed to have 5,000 words written. I have written 5,681 words! I am really glad I am making the minimum and I think my story is coming along well too. I will try to post an excerpt this week or next. :)

NaNoWriMo Day 2

Here is a link to my NaNoWriMo account: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/308609

Check it out to track my daily word count :)

So far in Day 2 I am ahead in word count! I am got up at 6 this morning to write for an hour and I plan on waking up at 6 almost every morning to write.

NaNoWriMo Day 1

So, today is the first day of NaNoWriMo. Mom took me to the San Antonio's first NaNoWriMo event this year at Jim's and we stayed until just after midnight. However, we didn't bring a laptop so we went home once everyone started writing. Once we got home about 12:20 am I started on my novel. I wrote about 900 words, went to bed, and then passed the 1,667 word mark before church. (The minimum word count per day is 1,667 words). Now I am about to take a break and get back to it. I want to get ahead now to make the rest of the month easier. :D

Here is a pic of me and San Antonio's ML Toggy (and yes, I am wearing a unicorn hat):