NaNo Day 6,7

Another one bites the dust!

Since I have the day off from the Evil Day Job today, I stayed up late last night until I finished the short novella.  Yes, you read that right.  NaNoWriMo has helped me finish TWO projects.  Could I have finished them without NaNoWriMo?  Of course.  But the pressure and challenge of this month gave me the extra push that I needed in order to finish Vicki.  She’s been the albatross about my neck since March or so.  Now she’s done, the short novella is done, and I’m free to start one of two brand-new projects.

I’m spending the day plotting a post-apoc, working title Miseryland.  I don’t know how much wordage I’ll get, but I’m writing up an outline in Scrivener.  Of course I have another short — the Gregar prequel — I could also work on if I get desperate for words.  Right now, I’m ahead.  Taking the time to plot a bit will only help me come up with a working, usable project.

NaNoWriMo total as of last night:  20,173

Last snippet of Golden:

As beautiful as the most delicate orchid, Empress Lei lay back onto the Emperor’s bed, her gaze studiously locked on the ornate ceiling and drapery above.  Fine silvery lines traced over her stomach, bearing testament to the son she’d delivered, but otherwise, not a single flaw marked her body.  The stories of her bathing in milk and honey to keep her skin’s youthful glow must surely be correct.

Naked as her, he stretched out at her side so he could look across her at me.  His hand was dark against her skin.  I knew how rough he could be, the hidden power in those cruel fingers that could make me squirm in pain or scream in bliss.  Yet he touched her lightly, as though truly afraid that she might break.

A tiny piece of my heart cracked off and crumbled to dust as I watched him touch her.