November | 2011 |

Archive for November 2011

NaNoWriMo & the Zombie Apocalypse

November 16, 2011 | Author admin

The world as you know it has been destroyed after the NaNoWriMo virus infected billions worldwide and turned them into zombies. Few remain alive and have to constantly fight for their lives. Wonder where I’m going with this? If you’re currently participating in NaNoWriMo, it should sound familiar. Think about it . . .

For those out there who are like me, I constantly wonder how drastic my life would change if some apocalyptic event happened. I wonder and worry about it so often that I’m actually prepared for it. I mean I’m really prepared, which brings me back to NaNoWriMo. For eleven months out of the year, writers and literary types around the world prepare for NaNo. This preparation is what might decide your fate during the grueling 30 day battle to reach the goal of 50k words. Now that I’ve hit the midway point, I finally see the error in my ways for not preparing more for NaNo this year. If this were the zombie apocalypse, I’d be of the walking dead variety. Hey, it’s my own fault. So, now that I’ve realized how idiotic it was for me to vacation in October instead of getting my stuff together, I have made a short list (in no particular order) of ways you can avoid becoming a NaNoZombie.

1. Substance & a Source of Water. When faced with the world ending, I mean NaNoWriMo, you must gather substance and water for your novel. Research, character sheets, timelines, outlines, world building, etc. might be a part of the gathering you must do. During the zombie apocalypse, you will be cut off from your normal “food” supply due to the overwhelming number of zombies. Or in NaNo’s case, it’s best to have your substance gathering already taken care of so you’ll be able to survive the 30 day writingpalooza. In essence, if you lack initiative before NaNo, you might become a NaNoZombie and fall behind on the daily word count because research was not done beforehand.

2. Guns & Ammunition. Maybe a Flamethrower. Plot, that pesky beast, will make or break your novel. This is where the guns and ammunition work the best. When it comes to the zombie apocalypse, this is crucial for one’s survival against others who might try to steal the very things that are keeping you alive. Same goes for your novel, NaNoMites. If you don’t have a way to keep the plot moving, you might fall behind because of this speed bump. And then . . . you’re a NaNoZombie. If you finds yourself in this situation, it’s okay to use the trusty flamethrower against the possibility of being infected by other zombies. Throwing in a new conflict might be exactly what you need to get back on track.

3. Gas or an Alternative Energy Source. All the planning in the world will be useless if you don’t find a way to reenergize. As the days pass, you might grow tired and lax in your writing goals for NaNo. If this were the zombie apocalypse, this type of attitude would be the leak in the dam. And then . . . you’re a zombie. Taking breaks, getting sleep (one of my personal downfalls), and finding new ways to feed your muse is essential in survival. Go for a walk, watch a movie, listen to music, read a book, go out with friends, travel. Plug in your muse and recharge her or be prepared to turn into a NaNoZombie. I warned you.

4. Community & Communication. A sense of community can teach one to learn from others while sharing one’s own talents. Writing a novel, or surviving the zombie apocalypse, will be easier when people come together to share their knowledge. What works or doesn’t. Failures vs. accomplishments and how one achieved their goals. Keeping in communication with the writing—or survival—community can help you endure so you don’t become—you guessed it—a NaNoZombie.

5. An Escape Plan. If one day the zombies overwhelm you, it is prudent to have an escape plan for your own survival. No plan is full proof, trust me. Same goes for one’s plot. When the waters get rough, you should have a backup plan: another plot idea to add later if necessary, a character who can spice up your novel, or a new scene. And now your characters are space monkeys. Or they’re suddenly in Australia, hanging with the kangaroos. How about an alien-infected meteor crashing to Earth?

Now that you’ve been informed of what it takes to survive, go out there, my NaNoMites, and take on the world. Start fighting off those NaNoZombies one at a time.

And now an unedited, typo-friendly excerpt from my NaNoWriMo piece called Forsaken Harbor. . . .

Julian doesn’t look at her as he shakes his head in exasperation. They are getting nowhere with each other. “Forget about it.” He starts the hovercar.

Being stubborn, Summer opens her door and slides out before they hover. “I’m not going until you answer my question.”

The hovercar turns off again, and Julian steps out. He places both arms flat on the hood, staring at her in aggravation. “Answer mine first,” he demands.

They have a standoff with their eyes. Summer is the first to break the tension. “My answer is: I don’t know.” The last three words are said distinctly.

“That’s my answer too, then,” he snaps, his words almost a growl.

The thrill of the argument causes Summer to take it a step further; she’s never truly argued with anyone before. Not like this. She likes it. “You know what? I thought you were different, Julian, but I was wrong. You’re just like the rest of them.”

Julian looks as though he’s been slapped. “Am not!”

“Yes, you are,” Summer retorts. She tries not to smile at the exhilaration coursing through her body. “I survived years of torture.” She holds her arms out. “Everyone thinks I’m so fragile and need to be protected. They’re wrong.”

“You are fragile, and you do need to be protected,” he says, pushing off the car.

“See? Just like everyone else.”

He circles around the car. “I’m not like them,” he says through gritted teeth.

“Then quit keeping secrets from me because you’re afraid of my reaction!” The last bit is shouted. Wind swirls through the wheat as if growing agitated over their argument.

“That’s not why,” he yells back. “I’m not afraid of your reaction, Summer. I just don’t want to tell you. I want to keep you innocent for as long as I can. If you knew the horrors of that place . . . It’s not that I don’t think you can handle it. Okay? It’s like remembering the moments before hearing about a tragedy and wishing it took just a little bit longer for you to hear about it. It doesn’t change the truth or make it better, but to have those tragedy-free moments again seems like the best thing in the entire world. I want those moments for you, Summer. I wish I could keep you in this bubble where the horrors of the world can’t touch you, but I can’t. So please forgive me for not telling you why we need to go there. Let me give you those moments.” Now Julian is in front of her, and he’s slightly out of breath from his speech.

She doesn’t feel like arguing anymore. Actually, she doesn’t feel like saying anything at all. She nods slowly, and then she walks past him to get back in the hovercar. Before she can take three steps, Julian’s grabbing her arm and pulling her to a stop. She glances at him questioningly. His eyebrows are furrowed, and he appears to be upset.

“What am I to you?” he whispers.

Cue evil laughter. Hope you enjoyed the sneak peek into my newest novel! Until next time, NaNoZomies!

Posted in Author Drabble, Excerpts, Forsaken Harbor, NaNoWriMo, Quotes, Summer Chronicles |

Tags: apocalypse, dystopian, Forsaken Harbor, Laura Kreitzer, NaNoWriMo, nanozombies, Summer Chronicles, zombie apocalypse, Zombies |

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NaNoWriMo Blues

November 7, 2011 | Author admin

To be frank, I think the universe hates me on some cosmic level. I’ve accomplished so many things in my life, but every milestone I pass and every great achievement I reach, something dreadful happens. Don’t worry, I’ll get to the NaNoWriMo stuff in a minute. Don’t be pushy. So on top of my apocalyptically bad year, I’ve also had a lot of success. For some reason, I sometimes focus so much on the crap that I completely miss out on all the things totally rockin’ in my life. For me? So much death and destruction (literally) has smacked me so absolutely stupid I forgot to (how cliché is this?) look at the bright side. So that’s what I’ll be covering today for NaNoWriMo, on top of pulling yourself out of your black hole.

It’s day seven, the dreadful week one marker. Have you reached your word goal of 11,669 words? Yeah. I hate that number too. Luckily I have reached it, but only barely. Since day one I have been behind. I am not proud of this fact. Last year I rocked NaNo by starting day one off with 10k words and finishing the month at 79k. It wasn’t until last night that I forced myself to write until my eyeballs fell out of their sockets. 8k words later . . . you get the point. Super glue works wonders. Okay, okay. Back to the point.

NaNoWriMo blues hit us all. It’s an epidemic amongst Wrimos across the world. First it starts with, “I got behind.” Then you move up to, “I had a lot going on.” By day seven, you’re excuses have turned catastrophically lame. “I won’t ever catch up, so why should I try?” “I have nothing to write.” “I’m stuck on ___ scene!” If you are one of these people making up excuses, I am sending you a virtual slap across your virtual face. And you’re welcome. Glad to have you back in NaNoWorld, where writers do crazy things like sprint-writing and attempting a 50k novel in one month.

I’m not much into the pep-talk bizz (as you can read), but I do know one thing about deciding to write during NaNo and then failing miserably (or a few things, depending on who you’re talking to): there is no excuse. Okay, sometimes there is, but the above excuses DO NOT COUNT. Don’t even try them on me. So, for you Wrimos singing the blues, I have come up with a list of websites and ideas to pull you out of your writing funk (and to help you continue to excel if you’re on schedule).

1. Do a writing sprint or join a word war.

2. Go crazy; write out of order! If you think you can handle it, write your entire novel backwards. That might help you move your novel . . . along.

3. Go to the writer’s adoption place. Yes, it actually exists. Adopt ideas, characters, plots, etc.

4. Sign up to get your daily WitFit from Fictionista Workshop. Tons of ideas on the website, including their “plot generator.”

5. If you’re falling behind because you are constantly talking trash about your writing, stop now. Make a list of ten things that you find good about your writing. Now watch the words flow.

6. Write something that won’t end up in your novel. Something off the wall could bring inspiration to your novel. Here are some examples: A) Have your characters argue over something completely ridiculous, like Red Bull vs. other energy drinks. B) Create lists for your book or characters or whatever. Doesn’t matter. You never know, you might need to know your MC’s top ten favorite TV shows. C) Decide what your characters would do in a life or death situation. Hunger Games, anyone?

7. Dare yourself to do something wild. Check out NaNoWriMo dares.

8. Find your region’s NaNo forum and hook up with local writers trying to reach the same goal.

9. Hop on Twitter and/or FB and message me (see links in left hand corner). I’ll cheer you on if I’m online. If not, search #NaNoWriMo on Twitter to find others like yourself struggling through the month of November.

10. GET OFF THE INTERNET. If you own a Mac, try the Self Control App.

Okay, here’s my NaNoWriMo excerpt of the week in Wrimo fashion with no edits and probably lots of typos. Enjoy!

Summer falls backward and slams into a flat surface with a resounding thud. The impact knocks the breath from her lungs and the senses from her brain. Everything becomes double. She stops traveling moments after she hits the ground, though it doesn’t stop her from seeing two of everything. Pebbles and dust rain down over her fish-out-of-water routine as she fights for breath. Her eyelids flutter, and her eyes water as the dust settles in them. She still can’t breath, and a panic attack the likes of which no one has ever seen is about to happen. Her arms won’t move, and the rest of her body is so bruised she doesn’t want to move. It is so dark. She opens her eyes. It is still dark enough to frighten her heart into skipping a few beats. After what feels like an eternity, she is able to gasp for air. The sound of her inhaling air is loud in her ears, startling her. A coughing fit ensues as she breathes in the dust, and that makes everything hurt even more. She groans and tries not to move until she can assess the damage. First she has to fix her vision. Crossing her eyes and blinking rapidly bring about no results, so she decides to keep her eyes closed for now.

The shock of something heavy landing next to Summer causes the ground to shake. Her eyes go wide as she turns her head to the side, but there is nothing there but a puff of dust barely noticeable in the darkness. She coughs again, wishing her arms would obey so she can hold her side. The sounds of fighting reverberate through the pit, fading the farther down it goes. Summer realizes for the first time that she’s alive and that she didn’t fall very far at all. If she had, she would be dead. From the sound of it, the pit is deeper than where she landed. She must have hit a ledge. Oh, great. Another ledge. She coughs an un-amused laugh, closing her eyes against the pain this causes.

“It’s not funny.”

The voice surprises and shocks Summer, making her jerk. Ouch. As soon as she opens her eyes, she starts laughing again. Uncontrollably. She’s hallucinating.

“It’s still not funny,” two Julians say, crossing their arms. They lean against the wall and slide to the ground beside her. Summer is still laughing and wincing in pain. She has completely lost it. For a moment, both Julians just stare at her with no expression, then they too start to join her laughter. Soon, all three of them are in hysterics, even though there truly is nothing funny about this at all.

No one comes to investigate where the laughter is coming from because the fight is still ongoing. When Summer starts to cough again, the non-humor of the moment fades. The Julians kneel over her, checking for damage and being all saviorly. Their presence calms her, and she hopes the hallucinations don’t go away.

“Where does it hurt?” both Julians ask.

“There are two of you,” Summer replies.

“So you hit your head?”

“I like two Julians,” Summer continues.

“How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Um.” She pauses. Squints. “Four? Five? You have to hold still so I can count.”

Both Julians sigh and lean back.

“Wait. Don’t go,” Summer says, voice less dreamy and more frightened. “I can’t move my arms.”

The Julians seem like they are merging as they hover over her again. “Can you feel your arms?” he asks.

“I don’t know.” For some reason this causes Summer to cry.

The merging Julians look worried. “Can you feel this?” they ask as they press against her right arm.

“I can only feel one of you,” she replies, crying all the harder. She closes her eyes, and tears trickle into her hair and ears.

“How about this?” There is pressure on her left arm, and she gasps in pain.

“I don’t want to feel that arm,” she says seriously, frowning. Julian lightly chuckles, though she doesn’t know why. When she opens her eyes, there is only one Julian. This scares her more than the initial fall did. This Julian might disappear like the other one, and right now she needs this hallucination to keep her sane. The irony isn’t lost on her, but who cares at this point?