Sunday, November 30, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 30

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 5468
Total words: 50011
What I hate about my writing: Cannot estimate any word count scenerios!
The Good: *Gigglesnort* I swear to all the gods, Sparks’s name for his bike was inspired by his line in Reunions when Throttle grabs him. Which would be why it just dawned on me while checking my spelling that father and son have both equated motorcycles with horses.

But I FINSIHED! After five hours and thirty minutes of writing time, I finally got enough words to submit it to NaNo. NaNo’s word count agreed with me and I WON!
The Bad: I stopped where I had always envisioned the ending scene, well ending. So I ended up stretching out the scene with better banter between Sparks and Modo and giving Charley and Throttle an exit that matched their earlier conversation on the maturity levels of the rest of the family.

And I still didn’t have enough. I went back up and added some of the lyrics from “Children of the Grave” to Throttle’s flashback scene. That didn’t add enough words. Then I ended up going back to the beginning and started adding words and checking once I reached the end of the scene. Okay, you want to know a great way to irritate yourself? Work and work and work on a scene, and then do a word count to discover you only added fifty words. In hour five, I was getting really panicked and was never more relived when I saw my word count finally get to 50021. NaNo word count came back with 50011 and since I knew I had a lot of the HTML tags and editing notes to yank out, I went with the lesser number as my official number.
Fave Charley line: “We can take our time on the whole kids issue. After all, we need to raise the four we got already first.”
Fave Throttle line: . “I can’t rebutt that argument on the grounds that Modo will kill me for corrupting his son. So I think we should go.”
Fave Vinnie line: “Big Fella, Tala knows where Sparks is and she’s pissed you didn’t let her talk. And then she got repissed at me because I didn’t let her talk last night with the CB.”
Fave Modo line: “You wanna make it thirty? Keep talkin’.”
Fave Sparks line: “Cavalry, much better choice. ‘Cause knowing my Dad and his bros, that’s what we’re going to end up being.”
Fave Tala line: “Vinnie went to see if the Thunderpipe had anything good. He didn’t define what good he was looking for.”
What I'm looking forward to: Not having to write this story anymore.
What I'm not looking forward to: Editing. I don’t even want to think about editing yet.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 29

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 1659
Total words: 44543
What I hate about my writing: Having to go back and work in the lyrics I must have. The lyrics that nearly made me stop my car and transcribe them from the car radio when this scene crashed into my head.
The Good: Finished Charley and Throttle’s reconcillation scene and have jumped into Sparks’s head feet first. And being in Sparks’s head is a welcome moment of humor.
The Bad: Being in Sparks’s head also has mucho techno-babble. I hope that doesn’t turn the readers off.
Fave Charley line: “Throttle, I love you, but if you stop and leave….”
Fave Throttle line: “How did I manage to find the only three people in the galaxy crazy enough not to fear Eroite.”
Fave Sparks line: But one did not become a Biker Mouse by following what made sense.
What I'm looking forward to: Sparks and his bike interacting.
What I'm not looking forward to: ONE DAY LEFT! 5465 WORDS LEFT TO WRITE! *Home Alone aftershave scream*

Friday, November 28, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 28

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 3941
Total words: 42884
What I hate about my writing: I write faster in long-hand. What the hell is up with that?
The Good: I made it through the flashback. Oy, I made it through that flashback. And I realized that I had number the scenes wrong when creating the Master Story Summary, so I actually have thirty-five scenes in total.
The Bad: I have four and a half scenes left to write. And I need 7124 words to make the NaNo word count.
Fave Charley line: “Vinnie and Modo fight for you because they love you. Same as me. Throttle, you said we’re your family and we’re alive. We are never going quietly into the night. Nothing in the universe is going to take us from your side. Your family are survivors.”
Fave Throttle line: “Don’t ever say that. The only thing that keeps Vinnie and Modo safe is they don’t share my blood.”
What I'm looking forward to: Sparks getting his bike.
What I'm not looking forward to: Everything on my plate right now. *Pulls hair.*

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 27

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 821
Total words: 38943
What I hate about my writing: When the dialogue isn’t tumbling out of my head like it normally does, it feels like I have to pull out my own teeth. And since my parents were amatuer dentists when I was little, I KNOW what that feels like.
The Good: The scene is chugging along.
The Bad: Trying to get Throttle to the point where he can share his history with Charley.
Fave Charley line: “We watch each other’s back. I knew you’d save me like you always do. And I couldn’t let you face him alone.”
Fave Throttle line: “I’m used to just saying I’m an alenish and my parents were killed with Eroite and watch people scrambled over themselves to get away from me.”
What I'm looking forward to: Sparks getting his bike.
What I'm not looking forward to: Throttle’s flashback.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 26

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 1723
Total words: 38122
What I hate about my writing: Worrying that the scene isn’t emotional enough. Or that it’s drifting into melodrama.
The Good: I’ve made it to the reconcillation scene.
The Bad: Crap. Undressing descriptions are less boring when you put them in an erotic scene. The characters aren’t in the mood yet and I still have to describe it.
Fave Charley line: “I hope you have finally found peace.”
Fave Throttle line: “Did Turbo hurt you any other way?”
Fave Vinnie line: “Throttle can smack me for this later, but good riddance.”
Fave Modo line: “It’s okay; we’re bros.”
Fave Sparks line: “Here our road splits. Speed be with you for the rest of your journey.”
Fave Tala line: “I got it from a book.”
What I'm looking forward to: Sparks getting his bike.
What I'm not looking forward to: Throttle’s flashback.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 25

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 998
Total words: 36399
What I hate about my writing: Slowly getting back on track when I can’t afford it.
The Good: I wrote today.
The Bad: However, I’m still behind.
Fave Charley line: “We can’t let him do this alone.”
Fave Throttle line: “I don’t know. I can’t just dump him. That’s not right or safe.”
Fave Vinnie line: “Charley, sit on him. And if that doesn’t work, Tala will stun your tail.”
Fave Modo line: “Bro, don’t screw this up for yerself. He ain’t worth it.”
Fave Tala line: “Okay fuzzy boys, how do you wanna work this?”
What I'm looking forward to: Throttle and Charley’s reconcillation.
What I'm not looking forward to: Getting emotional at the funeral.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 24

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 0
Total words: 35401
What I hate about my writing: Writing nothing. I don’t know what happened today, I just couldn’t write anything.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 23

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 35401
Total words: 1963
What I hate about my writing: Great daily word count and I’m still not caught up.
Fave Charley line: “Moon and Earth made circles.”
Fave Throttle line: That sounds like a great idea. Let’s put more population in danger.”
Fave Vinnie line: “See the sling? Fashion statement it is not.”
Fave Modo line: “Yeah, Charley, that would be crashing.”
Fave Sparks line: “You told me to watch him. Do you know how hard it was to get on this bike?”
Fave Tala line: “Boy, Sparks you did make the right call to leave.”
What I'm looking forward to: Charley and Throttle’s reconcillation.
What I'm not looking forward to: The funeral scene.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 22

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 1215
Total words: 33438
The Good: Working in thirty minute chunks works out better for writing.
The Bad: I needed more words.
Fave Turbo line: “Looks like fighting Plutarkians didn’t teach you all the tricks.”
Fave Throttle line: “You’re never destroying my family again!”
Fave Modo line: “I think we should run tests. That thing is a spaceship magnet.”
Fave Tala line: “And I thought Carbine was just being petty when she said you three were a menace to space flight.”
What I'm looking forward to: Rescuing Charley from the crashed spaceship.
What I'm not looking forward to: Rescuing Throttle from the crashed spaceship.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 21

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 449
Total words: 32223
What I hate about my writing: I don’t remember fighting scenes being this hard to write when I played acted them out on the trampoline.
The Good: I started the fight scene.
The Bad: I don’t feel like it’s passionate or dangerous enough.
Fave Turbo line: “You know I’m not going to stop coming after you, Throttle. You know I will kill that beautiful bitch of yours.”
Fave Throttle line: “I don’t think I was ever your baby brother, Turbo. Maybe things would have been different if you had let me be.”
What I'm looking forward to: Finishing the Throttle and Turbo fight scene.
What I'm not looking forward to: Playing catchup on the words.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 20

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 1095
Total words: 31774
What I hate about my writing: Today, about average.
The Good: Tala and Sparks know a little bit more of what is going on. And Vinnie is fixed up.
The Bad: I hope the readers don’t get upset with the explanation twice.
Fave Modo line: “It’s more fun this way?”
Fave Sparks line: “Watch Vinnie do what? Whip my tail when the sedative wears off and he thinks he’s in Karbunkle’s lab again?”
Fave Tala line: “Details, details. Speaking of, it’s time we had some.”
What I'm looking forward to: Throttle and Turbo’s fight.
What I'm not looking forward to: I tested the Word Count Validator and lost eight words. So now I have to make sure I have over 50,000 to be sure I have the 50,000 words.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 19

DUF: Metrics Turbo 19
11/19/2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 44
Total words: 30679
What I hate about my writing: I only got 44 new words today.
The Good:
The Bad: This is my worst day of writing.
What I'm looking forward to: Turbo and Throttle’s fight.
What I'm not looking forward to: Turbo and Throttle’s fight.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 18

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 2371
Total words: 30635
What I hate about my writing: Catching up.
The Good: The new words wrote in one hour and thirty minutes finally got me caught up to the minimum.
The Bad: I’m not considering anything bad right now.
Fave Charley line: “This is a serious design flaw!”
Fave Turbo line: “Scream for Throttle to save you.”
Fave Throttle line: “I’d rather skip getting shot back down on Earth again.”
Fave Vinnie line: “’Cause Karbunkle’s never fucking with me ever again!”
Fave Modo line: “Don’t you have homework?”
Fave Sparks line: “It didn’t sound like Vinnie was here with the rest of us.”
Fave Tala line: “How? By bleeding on Turbo?”
What I'm looking forward to: The fight scene between Throttle and Turbo.
What I'm not looking forward to: Having to describe a crashed spaceship.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 17

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 1377
Total words: 28264
What I hate about my writing:
The Good: It took 27,547 words to finish twenty-three scenes. Do I have enough scenes for the 22,453 words I need to write?
The Bad: It took 27,547 words to finish twenty-three scenes and I only have thirty-three total. TEN LEFT!
Fave Charley line: “Typical. You give a shit about breaking the rules over murdering someone, but you do break the rules to spare your knees.”
Fave Turbo line: “No one escapes the laws of war, bloodshed, and Eroite. Not my mother, not you, not me.”
Fave Throttle line: “And it’s time you had that peace, Turbo.”
Fave Vinnie line: “It’s only a flesh wound, bro. ‘Sides, you got distracted by Charley.”
Fave Modo line: “He fooled us too, Charley-ma’am.”
What I'm looking forward to: The fight scene between Throttle and Turbo.
What I'm not looking forward to: The fight scene between Throttle and Turbo.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 16

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 1706
Total words: 26887
What I hate about my writing: Trying to work out which is better: taking all day to reach two hours of writing time because I get up and work on some other chore for fifteen minutes.
The Good: I think I’m finally getting caught up. It only took an hour and forty-five minutes to get enough words.
The Bad: I need to see if I can work in thirty minute chunks on the weekend.
Fave Charley line: “In your dreams, asshole. Slobber the Mutt didn’t get me into a Slave Leia costume and you won’t either!”
Fave Turbo line: “For not being able to perform Eroite on Throttle. Did you think his death saved your hide?”
What I'm looking forward to: Finishing the scene between Charley and Turbo and reveal that Throttle is still alive to the characters. The reader already knows.
What I'm not looking forward to: Twelve scenes left to write. Hope I can make them good.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 15

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 1844
Total words: 25181
What I hate about my writing: ADD really acts up during the weekend. Maybe it’s the changing weather, maybe it’s too many home improvement shows, but I really want to redo the house more and keep getting these great ideas that I must measure out. Makes it really hard to sit and write!
The Good: Well, I’m finally up to my damsel in distress scenes right before big battle climax scenes.
The Bad: Because my sleep schedule got butchered, I spent more of the morning in bed than actually doing stuff. So despite bringing the marathon tracker back on track for November 30th deadline, I can’t go see Bond until I get the oher projects done. Hopefully tomorrow night.
Fave Vinnie line: “Do not joke about that. Never again. And never to Throttle.”
Fave Modo line: “Show some respect.”
Fave Throttle line: “Keep my helmet on the next time I try that.”
Fave Sparks line: “He just said to stay safe. I think I’m a lot safer with you than here. What if that Turbo guy decides he needs a new hostage? Plus I know where they went to see him.”
Fave Tala line: “Boys, really, check for a pulse before planning the funeral.”
What I'm looking forward to: Seeing if devoting two hours to writing will keep me on target with minimumal fuss.
What I'm not looking forward to: Oh frell, I need a really cool ass line for Throttle in the next scene and I haven’t already come up with something. Gah, I like it better when I’ve already thought of the grand entrance.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 14

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 2283
Total words: 23337
What I hate about my writing: That I’ve just told myself no James Bond until the marathon tracker says I will finish on November 30th. That I can’t get my ass to bed on time in order to be well rested to make the morning work count.
The Good: Finished Modo’s flashback scene and at 3177 words, it is the longest flashback so far. There’s still a pretty important flashback left for Throttle, but I don’t think it will be this long. And I cannot resist even a seventeen-year-old Modo razzing cops with lawyer techniques he has picked up from television. This scene is pretty important in my slant on the Biker Mice, illustrating their first step from friends to bros.
The Bad: Having to piecemeal my writing time throughout the day in order to make the word count. I am determined to stop making up lost time and get back on the even keel of writing because I need free time to work on other projects.
Fave Vinnie line: “Yeah, well, I think Mom missed the opportunity to put me in therapy.”
Fave Modo line: “Gosh, I’d hate to have your name in the paper for arrestin’ a group of kids that rescued their friends, especially when all they want is a medic for their friend who was kidnapped and beaten.”
Fave Throttle line: “But you didn’t say anything ‘bout turning off your recording.”
Fave Charley line: “You threatened my life and Throttle’s, kidnapped me, tied me up on top of a cold-ass building without my jacket, and now you want to make small talk?”
Fave Turbo line: “You always did like to make a splashy entrance, baby brother. Some things never change.”
Fave Limburger line: “At this point, I’m happy with a corpse.”
What I'm looking forward to: Seeing how long it takes readers to catch on over the detail with the eyes. I’m planning for Turbo to spell it out for the really slow ones, but it would be nice to see if anyone picks up on it before that point.
What I'm not looking forward to: Finding out how long it will take me to make word count tomorrow when I haven’t gotten the sleep schedule adjusted yet.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 13

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 4726
Total words: 21054
What I hate about my writing: Nothing with the writing today, but damn my head hurts from lack of sleep.
The Good: I got a full hour of writing in the morning. That has been really hard to squeeze in lately. Hopefully this is the start of something good in that regard. PLUS, I also got past Vinnie’s flashback scene that was already written. Tying together really tightly, if I do say so myself. And I went back and added in the missing Turbo flashback, it’s been a really productive morning.
The Bad: Late bed time last night and I hope it doesn’t copy over to tonight. I need to crawl into bed as soon as it is dark enough to sleep. Lack of sleep is not due to NaNo, but it is making it hard to concentrate on anything else plus NaNo.
Fave Vinnie line: “Big Fella, come in! It’s DEFCON negative twelve!”
Fave Modo line: “This fight doesn’t have anything to do with us. Me and Vinnie are in for Throttle. ‘Cause bros are one of the three things in the universe you can count on.” (My first draft of this line wasn’t nearly as good. I’m SO glad my brain kicked in the quote that I have only heard a zillion times as I have listened to the fanmix soundtrack.)
Fave Sparks line: “Glad to know being the smallest mouse has an advantage.”
Fave Throttle line: “Didn’t fill in that blank, no.”
Fave Roddie line: “Well, why did you take it apart on the street? That’s just stupid.”
What I'm looking forward to: Adding a new song to my soundtrack for the story: “Jump” by Van Halen. It’s not a quoted one, just mentioned in passing for description, but I started adding songs like that to the fanmixes. What’s really sad is how many of the Billboard number ones I know well enough to sing them just by seeing the title listed and how few of them are actually songs the fuzzy boys would listen to on purpose.

Proto-Biker Mice! I’m finally up to Modo’s flashback scene of the first time the Biker Mice have to save the day. *Snicker. * Okay now I have the scene in my head that has absolutely nothing to do with the story, so you get it here.
Stoker reads the newspaper report about this rescue as he’s waiting to get called up for the Twelve-Mile Crater Jump. He chuckles, “Those kids are going to be the ones to look out for on the circuits in a few years.” He puts the paper aside as the signal for the competition goes off.
Well, the joke’s on Stoker. In two years, he forms the Freedom Fighters to fight the Plutarkians and a year after that, those kids are taking his orders.
What I'm not looking forward to: My brain has gotten ahead of me again. Since I was dealing with Sparks and Modo, it was real easy for my brain to slip into the next scene from Sparks’s POV where he and Tala team up to find out what the hell is going on. I have four scenes between where I am and that point. There’s no reason why I have to write linearly, but I generally find it easier.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 12

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 996
Total words: 16328
What I hate about my writing: Only had fifteen minutes, but wow, what a word count for fifteen minutes.
The Good: The thing I like about being on a write on one project everyday plan is always knowing what to number the metrics post thanks to the date.
The Bad: Losing time that I could spend writing on another real life project. But that should end tomorrow!
Fave Throttle line: “This has nothing to do with Limburger, and he is not going to kill anyone else I care about. He will not have a shot at you, and I don’t even like you all that much.”
Fave Tala line: “I can honestly say you guys never bring me any boring jobs.”
What I'm looking forward to: SLEEP! NEED SLEEP!
What I'm not looking forward to: If I have more days with this few of time to type, I’ll have no shot at completion. However, I did get a lot written out in longhand, so maybe I can actually get on track with the word count by the weekend.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 11

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 1750
Total words: 15332
What I hate about my writing: I slept right through my alarms. Okay, I guess I really needed the sleep, but not part of the plan today.
The Good: I got heaps of writing done in three hours, broken into fifteen-minute chunks.
The Bad: Three non-continuous hours of writing could have been more if I hadn’t gotten distracted in the middle of the day with a nifty home improvement idea that required measuring and researching. But let’s hear it for cool way to incorporate my old dresser—and old as in it was part of my great-grandmother’s bedroom set—into the bathroom so I don’t have to get rid of it!
Fave Throttle line: “Do I need to have a talk with Vincent on how he should treat my little sis-cuz?”
Fave Roddie line: “I didn’t think the bonehead could be that brave.”
Fave Tala line: “I’ve never had to put a near-death experience on the table before.”
What I'm looking forward to: The rest of Vinnie’s scene that surrounds the flashback.
What I'm not looking forward to: Now I’m having worries that I’m being to Tarintino with the flashbacks. Who is having what flashbacks are not happening in order. :P Great, now I just realized I need to go back and add in a flashback to Turbo’s introduction. The deal is having two events in the past to flashback to: the Biker Mice’s first rescue in 1984 and what happened to Throttle’s parents in 1974 (yes, I use Earth years to make the math easier and yes, I do know that a Martian year has more days than an Earth year but see the earlier point of making the math easy). But the flashbacks are moving backwards through the events, because different portions of the event is impressed into different characters.

What was kind of head scratching about the last flashback I wrote showing the fourteen-year-old Throttle and his Uncle Cutlass is I gave Uncle Cutlass a lot of the cool lines I would have LOVED to have give Tamara, but she could have never given them to Throttle. (I like to think she would have if she had lived.) Hell, Cutlass even got a line from the Evil Jack series, what Throttle tells Hannah when she complains something isn’t fair. Divergent timelines are so much fun, n’est pas?

Monday, November 10, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 10

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

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Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 677
Total words: 13582
What I hate about my writing: Needing a recharge day.
The Good: The plot is moving along. I’m up to the flashback scene starring Throttle and Roddie, and will eventually reveal Uncle Cutlass.
The Bad: I don’t know if it was because today was a Monday or what, but I ended up spending most of my time on another project instead of this one.
Fave Turbo line: “Sandblasted woman! These could be your last words.”
Fave Charley line: “By the time I’m through stomping your ass, you’re going to wish Throttle got to you first!”
What I'm looking forward to: Tomorrow is Veteran’s Day and I don’t have to go to the paying job! So I can get up at my usual time and write until I’m all caught up, and if I keep the TV off it shouldn’t take me all day to get there.
What I'm not looking forward to: Everything else I need to do. Good news is the office rearranging worked, don’t feel clausterphobic in here any more.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 9

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 2178
Total words: 12905
What I hate about my writing: Can’t regulate the throttle on my brain. Either it’s a speed demon or choked off.
The Good: Woot! Finished Charley and Turbo’s meeting. I don’t think he’s quite crazy enough. But if I don’t ratchet up the scary in later scenes with him, I’ll come back and add more in.
The Bad: I KNEW Direct TV for me would be a BAD idea. I told everyone it was a bad idea. So why did I come home Friday to find it installed in my house? Because my father and uncle are very generous people and don’t understand how I live without current TV programming. (It’s called waiting for DVDs for what I must see.) *Headdesk repeatedly. * Yes, I did get a shitload of words done today but that was because all I did was type during commercials. *Headdesk. * Didn’t finish anything else.
Fave Turbo line: “He probably hoped I was dead. He was always selfish like that.”
Fave Charley line: “But the Plutarkians haven’t killed him, all the supervillains Limburger has hired haven’t killed him, a crazy bigot mouse didn’t kill either of us, and neither did my crazy stalker. You don’t stand a chance in hell.”
What I'm looking forward to: Flashback scene of Throttle and Roddie’s childhood on Mars.
What I'm not looking forward to: More stupid word count pressure. I’m trying not to let it overwhelm me, but I have other stuff I have to do (and it’s not the checkbook THAT’s up-to-date at least) and I can’t get started on it because I need to get more words. And having to figure out how to ignore TV again.

Saturday, November 08, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 8

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 680
Total words: 10727
What I hate about my writing: Being stuck on Mars when no one else is.
The Good: Introduced a friend to Biker Mice From Mars because she didn’t understand when I said I was distracted because I was on Mars still.
The Bad: Being hostess to said friend eating into my writing time. Tamara’s pithy cool line became a cool speech. I hope readers will pick up exactly what qualities Throttle gets from his parents and I hope it surprises a few of them. Then maybe not; look at who he has dated.
Fave Tamara line: “Did an asshole forget to evolve and spawn you?”
Fave Charley line: “Not behind your father’s back if he said you’re not old enough.”
Fave Sparks line: “Could you at least not tell Throttle it’s sixteen here? He’ll probably convince Dad I have to wait seven years instead of five.”
What I'm looking forward to: Getting back on target.
What I'm not looking forward to: Stupid word count pressure.

Friday, November 07, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 7

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 1080
Total words: 10047
What I hate about my writing: Brakes.
The Good: Just figured out how to get Vinnie into a later scene because my bad guy needed more to do. I still don’t understand why people say outlining takes all the spontaneous creation away from writing.
The Bad: I’m having to fight my brain for every word today. I completed an hour of writing, but I’m no where close to my necessary word count. But I think I have figured out why I am more awake at home than I am at work. I get up and move at home!
Fave Turbo line: The tide was turning in the skirmish between Limburger’s goons and the Biker Mice. He snorted at how now he was referring to their little club the same way.
What I'm looking forward to: Charley meeting Turbo.
What I'm not looking forward to: Progress staying at a screeching halt. Why? I need a cool line for Tamara to say, something akin to “I regret I have one life to give to my country” but also ties back into something that could be considered a catch phrase of Throttle’s. And the movie playing in my head stopped and the projection light has melted the film. The problem being is it can’t be too poetic because she’s a biker, but it must still have resonance. Because damnit, it’s important! I’m on notebook notes so I can pause to think about it.

Well, research did not help. Crap. I still haven’t thought of anything. Crap. Expanded it out to a speech and it probably won’t tie back to something Throttle says. Crap. I do not want to have to come back to it in edits.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 6

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 1096
Total words: 8967
What I hate about my writing: Being under word count pressure because I was stupid.
The Good: I got the full hour minimum under my belt today.
The Bad: Because of yesterday, I still have 1411 words that I must do today to be on track.
Fave Charley line: “Stop that. Your hard head will dent it.”
What I'm looking forward to: Getting on track and starting the next scene. I’ll be that much closer to Turbo and Charley meeting.
What I'm not looking forward to: Finding my fears to be true, I don’t have enough story for 50,000 words. Trying to bring this spat scene to a closure but one that doesn’t give closure to the characters and their fight. Charley needs to be conflicted of what she believes Throttle feels. Deep down she knows the truth and just how much he loves her, but the insecurity will be useful.

Okay, it actually seems like I have transitioned past this fear pretty well. Only it sucked that budget crunching ate so much time today, and I still have to finish it at home because I left important paperwork pertaining to it there (like the electric bill, phone bill, etc.).

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 5

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 338
Total words: 7871
What I hate about my writing: Trying to work with no real sleep. I finally went to bed after I listened to McCain’s concession speech. I had to hear that or an acceptance speech before I truly believed it. Then my alarm goes off at 2 a.m. and Obama’s acceptance speech is being given. Wow, he really wanted to make sure all the results were in. And I’m glad I’m not in Chicago right now. *Snort Okay, I found out much later in the day, it was a repeat and he gave the acceptance speech at 11 p.m.
The Good: I got thirty minutes in.
The Bad: I got thirty minutes in.
What I'm looking forward to: My full writing hour.
What I'm not looking forward to: Getting back on the word count I should be on.

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 4

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 1819
Total words: 7533
What I hate about my writing: No issue today except I wish my brain would work faster with a keyboard. It doesn’t seem like I have to stop as much with a pen. I’m sure I do, but I’m used to typing something already completed, no waiting for the brain to come up with the next sentence.
The Good: Meeting of the bad guys is finished. Did you know that Limburger figured Tala out? The Limburger crew is fun in their incompetence, but some times, I think that weakened their effectiveness as bad guys. I like to add in the menace again.
The Bad: Time to get the plot into motion. I hope it goes naturally and doesn’t feel like I’m jerking the characters into place.
Fave Modo line: “Cheese, bro, and I thought Vinnie had a talent. No wonder you two kept acting weird.”
Fave Limburger line: If those rampaging rodents really wanted to get rid of him, all they had to do was stop blowing up his skyscraper. The Council would replace him with someone else who could meet quotas.
Fave Turbo line: “My, my, how they have gotten under your scales. Believe me, I have experienced their antics first-hand too.”
What I'm looking forward to: Charley meeting Turbo scene. Three scenes away.
What I'm not looking forward to: Charley and Throttle’s starting to fix things scene. The scene I’m on. I have funny things in mind, mainly to torture Throttle, and I hope they work.

I think I may have found my rhythm in the morning. For starters, I stopped doing the yoga DVD until I get stronger. So I’m doing leg raises, ab crunches, shoulder exercises to strengthen my left shoulder, and push-ups. I wrote for thirty minutes, stopped to do the workout, and wrote again for another thirty minutes.

Music helped to. My usual morning routine is to have talk radio on in the morning. Well, it splits the concentration when I’m trying to compose. I turned it off in the office and turned on the fanmix folder as it stands now, and the story moved better. Or it could be I just have too much fun writing Limburger. I’m going to keep experimenting with it.

Though it’s kind of sad that I do like writing Limburger, but I don’t really use him much as a villain. Seven out of twenty-five stories where he actually figures into the main plot as the guy to defeat. He shows up more than that but like he does in Turbo, comedic relief and part of the universe.

Now I’m off the computer for a while as I rearrange the office slightly and finish October’s budget review. Maybe since I’ve been in Chicago for four days I can figure out where the numbers have gone screwy.

Monday, November 03, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 3

Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 1813
Total words: 5714
What I hate about my writing: I can’t seem to write fast enough.
The Good: I finished Scene #4 in long-hand, because it is easier to write on paper while handling the checks on the paying job.
The Bad: Two hours of typing time to get 1813 words. That equals 906 words an hour. And that wouldn’t be that good if I didn’t already have Modo and Throttle’s scene finished on paper. I’m all anxious about Charley and Throttle’s spat in Scene #3. It just doesn’t feel very organic. I’m not going to fret over it now, just noting that I might need to go back in editing and tweak it. The improv exercise of conflicting motivations might be useful for that scene. Now if I could only remember what book I read it in.
Fave Throttle line: “What does baseball have to do with this?”
Fave Modo line: “This will probably take jewelry to make up for. Though Charley isn’t much for jewelry; maybe you should buy her that air compressor she’s been eyeing.”
What I'm looking forward to: Finishing typing what I have written. And doing a scene from Limburger’s POV. I reread Shatter Your Illusions to have a scene fresh in my mind when Modo refers back to it, and I really enjoyed all the asides I wrote from Limburger’s POV during the first fight.
What I'm not looking forward to: I need to ramp up my fight scenes, especially with the battle bikes. After rereading Shatter Your Illusions, I think I’ve let my descriptive narrative coast by lately.

And I keep writing until I reach 1700 words a day or more. I liked it better trying to keep it to two scenes a day, but as I discovered last night, I'm not at my writing best by the time I return home. When you don't remember why you set a timer and what to do when it goes off, it's time for bed. Plus I need a cutoff to say "that's great for today, now go do something else like your budget."

I didn't want to write any of the manuscript for Turbo in long-hand so I could discover how fast I can compose on the computer. But I found out at the paying job, it is quicker to jot down a sentence in the notebook while waiting for the computer program to finish its process, rather than pulling up Word and timing myself. Timing myself because I am tracking how many writing hours I spend writing Turbo, a factor of how fast I can compose on the computer and how much time I need to carve out of my day for my writing time. If I only have an hour a day available, I need to scale back my word count expectations. If I have to reach this amount of words for a deadline, I need to set aside this much time. Right now, I have no clue what my baseline is for any of it, which make me create unrealistic expectations. Luckily, I really don't have to do any calculations for this because the Excel marathon tracker does it already. :D I just have to fill out. But it's easier to time myself with the stopwatch at work if I just do it while at lunch.

It would all be easier if my brain didn't run away with the scenes faster than I can keep up. I kept coming up with great stuff for Modo and Throttle to say, and then got scared I would forget it. *Shrug* Still debating how to handle my days off and weekends. Writing extra is good, but so would be finishing other projects. Well, tomorrow depends on how long I spend in line to vote and how long I spend at school.

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Biker Mice From Mars: Turbo 2

BMFM: Wars Are Won: Turbo

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 2105
Total words: 3901
What I hate about my writing: Not with writing, but I’m pretty annoyed I couldn’t get up on time. Time change not working in my favor so far.
The Good: Turbo’s introduction scene is completed. If anything, his issues and personality quirks haven’t come out fully. I think I’ll save his hard-on for gore for a later scene.
The Bad: I was woefully under par on the word count when my first hour was finished. I went ahead and finished the scene in fifteen-minute chunks. That plus getting the lyrics I plan to quote got me 405 words over what I needed to do. Judging by what I’ve done so far, my scenes are running around 850 words and I need to complete two a day in order to keep the word count up. Because I’m now officially out of things to quote, unless I decide to add one more song in. :p
Fave Turbo line: Throttle had Tamara’s motor head all right; it would only be more obvious if they had moved into a Harley-Davidson dealership.
What I'm looking forward to: Charley and Throttle’s spat and his apology scene that comes after Modo knocks some emotional sense into him. Don’t understand the female species? Ask Modo for help, and if he can’t, you are really screwed!
What I'm not looking forward to: Getting up at 2 a.m. tomorrow, damn time change. And keeping Tamara’s identity a secret until the big reveal. It’s cool if a reader guesses before hand, but I really want the emotional wallop. Now I’m curious to see how many people remember the foreshadowing, past-shadowing comment Throttle told Charley in Let Us Give Thanks.

Is anyone else having issues trying to log into the official NaNo site and update their profile? For some reason I keep getting timed out and it takes forever to just get logged in, not even counting getting the site to go to where I need to update word count. Does it run better in IE or something? It’s powered by Drupal; crap, is it just that many people on it? Ah, found the notice on the main page, they hope to have it smoothed out completely by Monday.

Secondary head-scratching moment here: what the hell is up with me and crazy stalkers lately? Let Us Give Thanks and Turbo were planned in all the creepy glory back in 2000, but then I followed that with the Evil Jack series and Ichiro in Tin Man: Dragons and Ninjas. And there’s a thwarted rapist who gets a little obsessive in Tin Man and Pirates story that I started. Zy’s antagonist also obsessive, but not entirely his fault. Hell, even my bad guy in Strix is obsessive, but not in a sexual way thank the gods!

Hmm, I don’t think I’m getting away from it any time soon. Not counting the three listed above that I still have to finish, I still have two more stories to go in the Evil Jack series before Jack meets justice. Then the next story in the Wars Are Won series will feature Karbunkle that I should really consider using his POV for. At least I have thirteen to do in that series that should be more straight up fighting the Plutarkian adventures. But maybe I should expand into a different genre for at least one story, something that encourages different traits in the antagonists.

Saturday, November 01, 2008

BMFM: Turbo 1

BMFM: Wars Are Won: Turbo

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Metrics time now that I have actually started writing.

Metrics
Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won: Turbo

New words: 1796
Total words: 1796
What I hate about my writing: Actually, nothing today.
The Good: I made the word count on the first day, score! Finished the first scene and started on the second.
The Bad: 800 of those words were from the disclaimer and the already written flashback of Vinnie’s. I’m worried about my routine. Today, I spent an hour and fifteen minutes to get to the total, but I broke them into fifteen-minute chunks to not screw my hips and back up by sitting too long at the computer. Would I get done quicker without interrupting myself to stand up and do laundry? And I’m feeling ambivalent about the just completed first scene. Is it the proper place to start the story? Is everyone in character? Is it believable that Throttle and Charley haven’t been anything more than cuddling and kissing in the six months between stories?
Fave Modo line: “Whatever is in your head should just stay there. You let it out and they’re both gonna kill you.”
What I'm looking forward to: A closer to the reality routine I will have to work with tomorrow—i.e. getting up the same time I get up Monday through Friday—and fit in writing with the rest of my morning routine. Today has been an odd day.
What I'm not looking forward to: Getting up at 2 a.m. tomorrow, damn time change.

I feel so freaky about the whole butt in chair. I don’t want to be antsy if antsy is keeping me from getting the words out of my head. But at the same time, I don’t want to tie my body into knots that will need therapy to untie. So is it cheating and resistance if I put the timer on and go for fifteen minutes, then get up and put on a load of laundry or wash a sink of dishes before sitting down for fifteen minutes again? Especially when the chore doesn’t take fifteen minutes to finish?

My safest bet will be to start working out along with NaNo. Urgh, I didn’t want to be tracking that along with tracking words and money and housework. But the only effective way to make sure body is healthy is to use it. *Headdesk What good is winning NaNo if I spend December in traction?

2 am – 3 am = writing time
3 am – 4 am = exercise time
4 am – 5 am = getting dressed puttering around house time
5:30 am – 6 am = leave the house time (if I leave after 6 am I will be late for work)

Damn, this schedule scares me. Is it any surprise that all I want to do when I get home is eat and crawl into bed?

There are tricks I can start doing regularly to make my mornings run smoothly (packing lunch and setting out clothes the night before, etc.). The trick is remembering to do them each night before I go to bed.

Anyways, time to wrap up this post and finish everything else I have to finish for today.