Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 30

31855 / 50000 words. 64% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 73,743
New Words: 1861
Total words for the first draft: 75,604
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 31,855
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: I finished Robert’s dream sequence and his real conversation with Peggy’s ghost inside of it. Then I started Jane’s scene of trying to talk sense into Peg on the topic of the teenager being Strix and that got interrupted by David. And then I ran out of NaNo time.
Fave line: “And he wanted my mother to be around to do. We should all know we never get what we want. So sorry not sorry, Aunt Jane, I’m not stopping. Someone is chopping up prostitutes and I promised to find out who.”
What Else I Accomplished Today: I found old Discipline Under Fire My Year In Fic posts that will be useful for the number crunching I need to do in December. I also got my Sprouts run completed.
What I'm looking forward to: The final results. I didn’t make it all the way to 50,000 words in a month but holy moldy, that’s my best NaNo month since I won it back in 2008! And it is the most words added to THIS NOVEL in years. I only missed one day of writing! The official website won’t support that because I forgot to update one day early on. But bring on confetti!
What I'm not looking forward to: Going to the DMV tomorrow.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 29

29752 / 50000 words. 60% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 73,057
New Words: 686
Total words for the first draft: 73,743
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 29,752
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: And poke, poke, poke dragging on the Sagara p.o.v. scene because I’m not happier with an earlier scene and haven’t mastered the skill of writing as if I have already fixed the scene. So finding a new scene and see if I can make some damn words now. Still don’t know what Raven and Ferris have been doing after they couldn’t find Alexander and warn him about Sagara, so I skipped that place holder. Maybe have them go investigate Ladiespoint where Strix was injured, but I think that could get them meeting Peg or Alexander too soon. I ended up on Robert’s dream sequence while he is healing and it has turned into a ball with his dead that Peggy’s ghost will interrupt to give him some boots to the head, but only after he gets some prophecies from Matt Roger.
Fave line: He turned to offer, but it didn’t leave his mouth as he gazed upon Matt Roger lifting a champagne flute to his mouth and taking a sip. “Still don’t have a taste for this dry stuff,” the dead detective said. “But I see you really don’t have space to set up a bartender in here with this crowd. Peggy did promise me I could have an Old Fashion at this affair.”
What Else I Accomplished Today: Getting really annoyed with Texas tolls system and Louisiana DMV. So I got another toll invoice from around Austin. So bully on for this license plate that looks like mine possibly on the same Dodge Stratus that I used to own for driving in the same places as I would except I know better than to get on Texas toll roads in Houston and Austin if I had gone to Texas at all in 2023. Which I have not.

Anyways, it did remind me to call again and see what they needed. That part went smoothly and the other agency sending me an invoice actually sent a second page of what to do if you get an invoice for a car you don’t own. So then I go to Louisiana’s DMV page, select that I want a notice of vehicle transfer, and then get an error because they want a registration expiration date which I don’t have because I traded this car in back in 2018. So call the phone number given on the website for if you’re having problems, and their computer hung up on me “due to high call volume.” So now I have to go back to the DMV on Friday and see now that I’m armed with what the stupid form is called if I can get it in person. Which is what I should’ve been given back when I went in about it the first time but got sent to the dealer instead.
What I'm looking forward to: Hey Matt is offering cryptic statements about Peg dancing with the devil, Alexander. And she really needs to meet a nice boy like his nephew. Okay I am totally using that tomorrow.
What I'm not looking forward to: Going to the DMV on Friday. At least I won’t have this story results looming over my head because Friday is December 1st.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 28

28444 / 50000 words. 57% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 72,599
New Words: 458
Total words for the first draft: 73,057
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 28,444
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Finished Peg and Peggy’s conversation and closed out that scene. Started the next Sagara’s viewpoint scene. And kept forgetting to use my focus music.
Fave line: It was a pitiful distance that would only be covered in a few strides and didn’t leave enough room for groveling.
What Else I Accomplished Today: I cooked bacon and rice when I got home so food for tomorrow is set up.
What I'm looking forward to: A better writing day tomorrow.
What I'm not looking forward to: Everything else on the list. Has anyone seen my list?

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 27

27926 / 50000 words. 56% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 71,746
New Words: 853
Total words for the first draft: 72,599
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 27,926
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Got into another conversation with Peg and her mother’s ghost over how patrol went. I guess Robert may have to play the heavy that their daughter thinks she needs to be a superhero too.
Fave line: Peggy’s ghost smirked at her as she sat on the side of the sofa closest to the bed. “It is May. No where close to Halloween. So the only reason for you to be dressed as Strix was to go into the city as Strix. How did it go?”
What Else I Accomplished Today: Doctor’s visit accomplished, so drugs should be handled for at least six months. And now I know it’s six months time frame. Also made it into paying job, which then proceeded to give me grief by uninstalling a necessary program. I’m still not sure if that will work tomorrow.
What I'm looking forward to: Payday this week!
What I'm not looking forward to: Scrimping until payday.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 26

26889 / 50000 words. 54% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 71,447
New Words: 299
Total words for the first draft: 71,746
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 26,889
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: I missed yesterday with packing up to go home and then driving home. My brain just shut off by the time we got home. So today is not a make-up day (we aren’t doing those in Rachael’s group) but a resuming day. And then I couldn’t resume. I added some narrative in David’s scene that he saw the female Strix and got Peg home and put Jane to bed. And then I got distracted, so I’m in the middle of a scene for tomorrow?
Fave line: He didn’t want to spend his entire lunch period speculating who would put on Strix’s outfit and how she had known to knock the suspect out or if he had really seen her.
What Else I Accomplished Today: Unpacked my suitcase, cooked food, emptied the sink of dirty dishes, and loved on my void babies.
What I'm looking forward to: Having a bit more of a normal routine.
What I'm not looking forward to: Everything I still have stacked up to do.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 24

26394 / 50000 words. 53% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 70,076
New Words: 1371
Total words for the first draft: 71,447
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 26,394
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Today was a very distracted day. My sister took pity on me and left alone so I could make words. I finished Peg fighting with Kaveh and his group, and Alexander scene, started and finished David’s scene finding out about the riot guns and buying two of them.
Fave line: The man in armor straightened up with a pointed stick extending from his fist. “Anybody else got fangs?”
What Else I Accomplished Today: I made friends with all my sister’s cats today.
What I'm looking forward to: Getting back home to my void babies.
What I'm not looking forward to: Saturday is a Game Day in Baton Rouge? LSU has a home game? Yup, we’re driving home through Mississippi then.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 23

24875 / 50000 words. 50% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 68,409
New Words: 1667
Total words for the first draft: 70,076
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 24,875
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Finished up Peg and Jessie’s scene. Started and finished Alexander’s scene seeing Peg. Started Alexander picking the fight with Peg scene that just got interrupted by who from Sagara’s group? Will have to figure that out tomorrow.
Fave line: Son of a bitch, that bastard is not only alive and well, but so well to be running around here taunting people that he was alive?
What Else I Accomplished Today: It was Turkey Day, so ate and had obligatory family time. Also played BeatSaber for the first time.
What I'm looking forward to: Updating everywhere I have to update and writing more fights.
What I'm not looking forward to: Driving back home on Saturday.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 22

22902 / 50000 words. 46% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 68,305 New Words: 104
Total words for the first draft: 68,409
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 22,902
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Fifteen minutes on the text before I had to finish up house chores and drive to my sister’s house for Thanksgiving.
Fave line: “Maybe you can actually do something. Girls and guys who work the streets have been disappearing. And then body parts have been showing up. So far, only Ashley got named, Ashley Tang. Maybe she’s the only one with all her parts in the morgue.”
What Else I Accomplished Today: Today is a travel day. I got the house set up for being gone three days-ish, then drove for six hours and forty-five minutes with a few stops along the way. There was no more writing after I was able to stop.
What I'm looking forward to: Not being in the car.
What I'm not looking forward to: Having to drive again on Saturday.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 21

22798 / 50000 words. 46% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 67,191
New Words: 1114
Total words for the first draft: 68,305
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 22,798
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Finished up Peg’s scene with the body parts and unnamed Collin with her seeing Erikson and David arrive on the scene. Got pretty far in the next scene where Peg interrupts a kidnapping of a prostitute and will learn about the ones going missing and ending up dead.
Fave line: “A whore into roleplaying? Should have picked a costume that shows your tits.”
What Else I Accomplished Today: I should have known not looking at my planner Sunday while planning things would screw me up. I forgot my doctor’s appointment that was on Monday, and they called me about it today. So I got a new appointment which means burning more leave. After taking Mom to her two stops in town, I finished nine items on my list of twenty-two items to do today. I finally took seven items off that have to wait until Wednesday morning before we leave and seven items have to wait until I get back.
What I'm looking forward to: Getting out of the house for a few days.
What I'm not looking forward to: All the driving to the location tomorrow with my parents.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 20

21440 / 50000 words. 43% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 66,024
New Words: 1167
Total words for the first draft: 67,191
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 21,440
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Started a scene with Alexander and the words just would not come. I babbled on the page how the words were not coming. After ninety minutes of fighting with it, I switched to Peg stumbling upon crime and dealing with it and that scene flowed.
Fave line: “I wasn’t trying to kill you, but.” She looked into the van and saw a pile of lumpy garbage bags and smelled rotting meat. “Yeah, you totally had something to do with a murdered person here so good if I gave you brain damage!”
What Else I Accomplished Today: Laundry completely done, kitchen dishes are at need to unload the clean ones out of the dishwasher but everything else is done, sorted through the office for 45 minutes and accomplished nothing with it. I really thought I’d get more fiction writing done, but the current state of everything else I have to do means I’m pretty wiped by the end the chore block.
What I'm looking forward to: Having everything done and then I can relax. What the hell is relaxing? I have been taking my breaks during the sprints but when I’m sitting right next to what I didn’t accomplish, it’s hard to feel like I will ever finish so why did I reward myself with breaks?

Breaks equal to three hours plus however long it takes me to eat. That is five hours for everything on the list. Yes, NaNo is getting three of those hours because I committed to it this year and I am making progress on the project that has been stalled for years and I’m loathe to give it up, especially when writing is my sanity keeper. And giving it up won’t get the chores I hate done any faster. So yes, tomorrow will still have breaks.

What I’m going to do before going to bed is download the vague must do X, must do Y, must do Z, etc. onto paper where I can truly see what has to happen around making words tomorrow.
What I'm not looking forward to: The reason why this office reset is on my list is that I have buried paperwork and phone calls I need to do in my stacks and now the stacks have reached “oh hell where did I put X?” But I only have Tuesday to find them and deal with them and I’m running out of Tuesday already? Mom needs a trip to town, I also need to pack (some of that is hiding in the stacks too). So yeah, steady wincing think about this now. Also, I think I need to box books I don’t have shelf space for into banker boxes and stack those in a messy corner of the office. That will look more contained and that should help on visual stress. It also comes AFTER dealing with the desktop pile that I’m nearly convinced has the paperwork I need to deal with in it.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 19

19749 / 50000 words. 39% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 65,384
New Words: 720
Total words for the first draft: 66,024
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 19,749
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Got Jane’s reaction to Peg’s plan of becoming Strix while Robert recovers. Also wrapped up Raven and Ferris’ scene, but I think they need something else to do overnight. Haven’t figured out what yet. Raven’s schedule was easier before an SUV rammed through the morgue.
Fave line: Jane inhaled deeply and did not scream. She was proud of herself for not screaming. “There is another set of vampires… invading for lack of a better word. They want you, and you want to go prancing into the city so they can get you!”
What Else I Accomplished Today: The kitchen is almost in a state of uncluttered. The office is not much better, since the time I had for it got spent on a cell phone activation. Then I had company over for a few hours at lunch, and was wiped from wanting to do anything else today.
What I'm looking forward to: I took the whole week of Thanksgiving off and we don’t leave until Wednesday. I’m going to keep my usual sleep schedule and block time starting at whenever I am dressed after 4 a.m. tomorrow.
What I'm not looking forward to: Mostly the house chores I haven’t made dents in yet: the office, laundry, whatever is on the list I can’t think of right now.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 18

18784 / 50000 words. 38% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 64,550
New Words: 754
Total words for the first draft: 65,384
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 18,784
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Ferris talked to a cop that is not David and I have no idea what they are going to be doing for the rest of the night. Maybe they’ll go buy more stakes.
Fave line: “Don’t you have some kind of radar to pick up dhampirs?”
What Else I Accomplished Today: All of my out of the house errands, but it wiped me from doing just about anything else. Plus family drama hit both times I set the timers to write and I don’t see how I can compensate for unplanned events like that.
What I'm looking forward to: Starting over tomorrow and getting more things done.
What I'm not looking forward to: The chores I have to do plus more words.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 17

17906 / 50000 words. 36% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 62,919
New Words: 1632
Total words for the first draft: 64,550
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 17,906
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS! LOOK AT THEM!

Snoopy Happy Dance GIFfrom Snoopy GIFs

So how I planned my day that has so many things that have to get done today? I decided to chunk it. Since the Laziness Does Not Exist notes I have been rereading reminded me that humans really can’t concentrate for longer than three to four hours at one task, I decided to put three hours on writing on then three hours on chores, divided into 45/15s and taking a 15 minute break after every 45 minutes. With this metrics post and some background notes I added to those sections, today is the first day I have made over the 1667 daily goal since Nov. 4th. And I’m not exhausted or defeated by the results. I may end up writing again after four hours on the chores.
Fave line: Do you really think my brown ass will get the time of day at some white mansion? I’m supposed to be Whoopi from Ghost? ‘You’re in danger, girl.’ That didn’t work in that movie either!
What Else I Accomplished Today: I still have to put my chores time in, but I am feeling pumped to go do that!
What I'm looking forward to: The rest of the day!
What I'm not looking forward to: Talking to Mom about medical stuff. That I’m hoping is her medical stuff and that she didn’t decide to suddenly helicopter my medical stuff, but I honestly don’t know what to expect.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 16

15886 / 50000 words. 32% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 62,355
New Words: 563
Total words for the first draft: 62,919
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 15,886
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Getting a chunk of the good guys all on the same page. Ferris gives the backstory of him and Sophia. This might work better as a flashback scene; I’m undecided about that right now.
Fave line: His loyalty gives him some extreme ideas, like I was and continue to be unworthy of the gift of Sagara’s powers, so he decided back then to suck it out of me. Has been around since before Persia went Islamic and didn’t remember that draining a drujs is how you trigger the transformation.
What Else I Accomplished Today: My massage and chiropractor appointment, shopping at Sprouts, shopping at PetSmart, picking up curbside from WalMart, getting the litter shipped to me since they never have it inside the store, and shopping at Family Dollar.
What I'm looking forward to: Bedtime.
What I'm not looking forward to: The rest of the list of errands and housework to complete before leaving for Thanksgiving.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 15

15139 / 50000 words. 30% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 61,734
New Words: 621
Total words for the first draft: 62,355
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 15,139
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Skipped a scene with Peg that would be nothing but active introspection on her part since I’m kind of introspected out of by today and started David, Raven, and Ferris conference scene instead.
Fave line: “We only have an hour before he has to go and we need to know what the hell happened last night, so get your bony ass out of my bed already!”
What Else I Accomplished Today: Started off with a bit of introspection this morning in the lastEUfans Slack. I had made an observation last night that has been lingering in my mind that I was doing good reaching my daily word count goal of 600, but less well hitting the 1667 NaNo daily word goal and went to bed. Which got me honest push back that the NaNo’s word goal “is intense by design. I’m not sure how people do it while still doing life at all.” (I honestly think they dump the life aspects on partners or other family members or roommates or they are much better at the word vomit than I am.) That push back triggered some unpacking for me, which is going here so I will do math in December to smack my expectations with evidence.

I’ve had 600 words as a daily goal for years because I’m equally confident that I can write that in an hour and if I don’t, it’s not because of other things getting in the way, the only reason that I can fail at such an easy attainable goal that only takes an hour is because I am lazy and undisciplined, and will never be a published author because I am lazy and undisciplined.

This is not new territory. The writing blog I started back in 2004 is titled Discipline Under Fire, because OBVIOUSLY my willpower and dedication and discipline to stick to my desires was sorely lacking and needed a bit of public accountability.

I like to think I have mellowed out on myself in the nearly twenty years since that. Reading Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price Ph.D. helped but I think I may have to have it handy for a reread in December when I confront myself with math evidence with all the word count tracking spreadsheets I keep. Because I honestly typed: “Most days I can move through (meaning writing and being happy with the words I achieved) without waking up that brain weasel (having my jerkbrain scream abuse at myself because I’m a failure that so clearly deserve abuse);” the utter honesty at 4:30 a.m. when I should be getting dressed. The brain weasel is sleeping. It is not dead, it hasn’t moved out, it’s just having a nap to get ready to tear into me again.

Back on why I need math evidence topic. The weasel is sleeping but my unrealistic expectation that I can obviously write 600 words in an hour is getting the equivalent of a finger flick to the forehead because I am putting in a rough average of at least two hours a day to just Strix: Forget the Sun and its metrics for NaNo but not getting much higher than 600 words a day. What I can actually write in an hour and plans to strengthen that muscle has to wait until December when I have time to pull out spreadsheets and crunch.

But I honestly have more unpacking to do on this whole thing because I have buried that it was a thing. At this point of my day, it’s becoming a procrastination tactic to avoid the fiction writing. Don’t worry, these words get counted toward my NaNo goals too. I should’ve made a category for that but forgot to back on November 1st, but they go on the spreadsheet and get counted under the Cumulative NaNo total.

Where I am leaving this whole messy thing right now: this is Day 15 and I haven’t tossed Strix: Forget the Sun aside as unwritable for another year has made this NaNo a success. I have already made more words this year than I made in NaNo 2019 (3780 words) or in Camp NaNo 2021 (13,317 words).
What I'm looking forward to: I have a massage tomorrow. And then my weekend plus a vacation with Thanksgiving.
What I'm not looking forward to: Travel with my parents to see my sister for Thanksgiving. Very, very unsure how it’s going to go.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 14

13733 / 50000 words. 27% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 61,042
New Words: 692
Total words for the first draft: 61,734
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 13,733
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Have just about wrapped up Sally seeing her mother’s reaction to Deats’ reported death.
Fave line: She had expected the newspapers to have a story on it yesterday, but hadn’t had a chance to look for it, what with getting yelled at and grounded from almost everything fun. Her parents really didn’t need to know about the witnessing a crime, just like they didn’t need to know about getting kidnapped either.
What Else I Accomplished Today: I successfully avoided the accidents on the interstate and got to work only 7 minutes late.
What I'm looking forward to: Supposed to go to a Peg scene next. Don’t remember what Peg is supposed to be doing next.
What I'm not looking forward to: Tomorrow is the worst day to have no money, just the worst. Because I get paid on Thursday but have to get through Wednesday with no money.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 13

12783 / 50000 words. 26% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 60,413
New Words: 629
Total words for the first draft: 61,042
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 12,783
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Finished up Alexander and Ywla’s conversation and broke the white page on Sally’s morning after all the shit that has gone down. Also a note to future writing self, I am in favor of sprinkling in foreign language as appropriate. How about in future projects we make them ALL modern languages? No more ancients still using the language they grew up with that is Old Norse and older for me in the now.
Fave line: “You fool of a sonr af einn blóðdrekkr. You murdered your dhǵhemon parent with your first breath. And you just killed my bródir.”
What Else I Accomplished Today: Drank all my water! Made it safely to and from the paying job on very slick roads (and it was so dark and the lights so glare-y; I missed my anti-glare driving glasses).
What I'm looking forward to: A new scene with hopefully lots of words.
What I'm not looking forward to: More driving in the rain. I’m happy we are getting slow, steady drizzle level of rain because my state is under extreme drought and has been for months, so this type of rain will soak in. But slick streets driving ugh!

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 12

12012 / 50000 words. 24% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 59,788
New Words: 625
Total words for the first draft: 60,413
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 12,012
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Alexander killed Jirair and is confronting Ywla. I really expected to have more words for the time I have put in this weekend, but focus wasn’t happening today.
Fave line: “Shit.” The non-existent skirt didn’t hinder the woman from scrambling up to standing on her platform heels. “She’s with that freaky biter.”
What Else I Accomplished Today: I poked at the dishes (meaning that yes, I washed, but still have them left to wash. Though I have finally gotten to pans and pots.) The towels got folded and put away. I seem to have a problem with finishing tasks no matter if they are chores or words.
What I'm looking forward to: Figuring out how to make my focus on the store. Maybe I need to add meditation time.
What I'm not looking forward to: Going to work tomorrow.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 11

11220 / 50000 words. 22% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 59,054
New Words: 734
Total words for the first draft: 59,788
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 11,220
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Finished David scene investigating the fight between Alexander and Strix. Started Alexander’s next scene after he fled the scene of that very public fight.
Fave line: Were vampires telepathic? Because that murdering asshole didn’t have pockets for a cell phone in that skin tight leotard he wore.
What Else I Accomplished Today: For the day that was going to be me focusing on just NaNo words, dishes, and laundry, I had two major detours that lasted hours. But kitchen is looking better while I still have dishes left. Laundry is mostly done, except towels in the dryer after dark. I got a recipe added to my Scrivener Cookbook project. And consolidated family travel plans for Thanksgiving.
What I'm looking forward to: Not having any other major distractions out of the house tomorrow. I would like to have a crazy level of words done to carry me into next week and the holiday season.
What I'm not looking forward to: My plan not coming true tomorrow.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 10

9639 / 50000 words. 19% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 58,320
New Words: 734
Total words for the first draft: 59,054
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 9639
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: I think I almost have this investigation scene wrapped up.
Fave line: “I really thought your whole family needed to be on the force for you to be a legacy. Like on Blue Bloods. Or at least your dad, not your uncle.”
What Else I Accomplished Today: Dental cleaning. I think I have straightened out most of my refills and should get the ones I’m out of tomorrow. And the kitchen is looking so much better, even if I lost a lot of oomph when in order to run the dishwasher I had to rake under it, the stove, and a set of shelves to find where my void babies had hidden the faucet adapter for it. I successfully found it (and if my house burns down, something they stuffed under the stove could be a culprit) under the shelves, but I should have took a nap to get second wind back. I did eventually recover and did another writing session after that. And discovered that the focus music really does help. I had kept listening to my podcast episodes without thinking about changing what was going in my ears for the first two writing sessions. After I broke down the two experiences, I discovered I was writing 6 words a minute with the focus music playing and only 4 words a minute with the podcasts.
What I'm looking forward to: Definitely caring forward with turning on focus music for the writing for the rest of the month. Also going to keep the to do list and timer list so small. Just bouncing between writing and dishes and laundry. Though laundry really doesn’t work with the timer.
What I'm not looking forward to: Interruptions. There are bound to be some.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 09

8587 / 50000 words. 17% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 57,614
New Words: 706
Total words for the first draft: 58,320
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 8587
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Finished Peg and Peggy’s little chat and got the poor kid to bed. Decided to stay with the protagonists and started David’s scene of the aftermath of the fight.
Fave line: “Little hot piece of ass could knock me to the ground and straddle me too as long as she didn’t bust a pipe over my head.”
What Else I Accomplished Today: Success! I managed to early vote so that is officially off the list. Now trying set up two laptops to do the Zoom writing thing! This would be much simpler if both programs were on the same laptop. And got in at the tail end of the Zoom writing time. Need to pay closer attention to the times for it.
What I'm looking forward to: Tomorrow I have to go to the dentist. Other than that, I think I can spend the day bouncing between the kitchen and words.
What I'm not looking forward to: I inadvertently made myself busy tonight? I planned on early voting before going home to write and clean kitchen. I completely forgot about the Zoom meeting with Rachael’s writing group for this year’s NaNo. I want to do it all so I don’t have to leave the house Saturday to go vote. And since I got that done, I don’t have to leave the house on Saturday.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 08

7629 / 50000 words. 15% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 57,152
New Words: 462
Total words for the first draft: 57,614
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 7629
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: I got Peg and Ghost Peggy talking.
Fave line: “It’s a good story and it’s old. That’s how you get your father to accept things. Make them antiques.”
What Else I Accomplished Today: Finished researching the ballot so I can early vote. Had no errands today to run so came straight home and took out trash and chipped away at the kitchen reset. I have one side of the sink free to use.
What I'm looking forward to: Finishing up the scene with these characters and going back to pick up another set.
What I'm not looking forward to: Trying to balance writing with the house chores.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 07

6803 / 50000 words. 14% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 56,724
New Words: 428
Total words for the first draft: 57,152
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 6803
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: I managed that many words with so much exhausted brain! I didn’t end up in bed on time and then Binx woke me up starting at some point after 1 a.m. constantly. So when I say exhausted brain, I mean it. I didn’t write this metrics post on the day of because I got home, changed clothes, took meds, crawled into bed, and had the lights out by 7 p.m.
Fave line: “Don’t beat yourself up.”
What Else I Accomplished Today: I tried on the new pants I found at Sam’s Club, and holy shit, what was labeled as size 12s FIT! So I did manage after work to swing back to the store and return the ones that are too large. That could’ve gone better because I didn’t bring the card that is saved in the app, I got a gift card of the funds. Which I will spend on gas but I was counting on it going back into the checking account it came out of. And I made it home with exhausted brain without wrecking the car.
What I'm looking forward to: Today’s writing sessions with a working brain!
What I'm not looking forward to: Cleaning the house.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 06

6375 / 50000 words. 13% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 56,169
New Words: 555
Total words for the first draft: 56,724
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 6375
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Not to terrible much. I started a new scene of Peg and Jane bringing Robert home and then the logistics of getting him out of the garage and to his bedroom took over and then I realized I needed to pin down the garage for me. And then I found out that the collection of Stan Hywet Hall photos I have in the Scrivener Project was too large to link together so they needed better organization, so I started that. And then I got curious about the bathroom layout between Jane and Peg’s rooms, but that search while eating led me to another set of floor plans that showed how the service driveway connected to a laundry yard/service area connects to the service areas of Stan Hywet! Saved those floor plans, and I need to find the ones I have written on to update and scan again. Long way around to say, that when Peg and Robert got married seventeen years prior to this novel, she didn’t want to hike to the carriage house for her car. So Robert had a garage built in the cleared space that was that service yard and changed its door into the house, which was probably a task area for cooking or cleaning in the olden days, into a mudroom transition space. So tomorrow when Robert gets out of the car, it won’t be an arduous trek up a lot of steps into the house as well.
Fave line: She clenched her teeth hard on a scream. A bad guy knew more about her family than she did!
What Else I Accomplished Today: I went to Sam’s Club for cat treats and found potential new work pants. I still have to try on and see if they fit.
What I'm looking forward to: Getting the description stuff finished so I can move onto ghost-mom and daughter bonding time. Or what the police do when they arrive late at the scene of the fight. Or who Alexander runs into next.
What I'm not looking forward to: Finishing the organization I started.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 05

5445 / 50000 words. 11% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 55,490
New Words: 679
Total words for the first draft: 56,169
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 5445
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Peg got Jane to help her rescue Strix from Alexander. Haven’t found the transition yet.
Fave line: “Stay down, asshole!” She raised the bazooka over her head and smashed it on his armored head.
What Else I Accomplished Today: I cooked two Greek recipes that need a lot of tweaking to not be soupy messes. I don’t know why they’re so soupy. I did manage to get the bedroom rest and vacuumed, and reset the bathroom.
What I'm looking forward to: Hopefully getting the house mostly clean so I don’t have to bounce so hard between chores and writing. Because I want to make more words now!
What I'm not looking forward to: The hours the kitchen reset will take me all week long. It’s so bad. So very bad.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 04

4608 / 50000 words. 9% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 53,885
New Words: 1605
Total words for the first draft: 55,490
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 4608
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today:
Fave line: “Your abilities?” Peg took another step back and bumped into the desk with her butt and took a hard look at the ghost in front of her.
What Else I Accomplished Today: Today I divided up into a two hour chucks: 45 minutes for writing, 15 minutes game break, 30 minutes for chores, 30 minutes game break. The writing sprints were excellent. I almost got all the laundry done and tried to clean my window AC unit. There is still water on the inside coils and it shouldn’t be there, so I’m unsure of how to fix it.
What I'm looking forward to: The end of Daylight Savings Time!
What I'm not looking forward to: The biggest problem is my list of chores needing to be done is longer than the time I have to work on them, even without NaNo. Sunday I might need to give myself two 30 minute chore sessions.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 03

2820 / 50000 words. 6% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 53,375
New Words: 510
Total words for the first draft: 53,885
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 2820
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: I finished up the confrontation between Robert and Sagara, then returned back to what has turned into the Strix and Alexander fight scene. The Fave Line for this set of words took a long time to come up with.
Fave line: You parasitic antediluvian! What Else I Accomplished Today: So I didn’t start off the day with a writing sprint, which I missed later on in the day when the words were fighting me. Then I started the errands to solve Harris County flagging me for toll road usage. First stop was the DMV, which did confirm that the license plate flagged had been the one on the Dodge Stratus and I canceled it when I traded it on October 31, 2018. But they couldn’t print anything off to prove that. And since I had no paperwork that I can find, they sent me to Supreme Toyota.

I was a wee bit before 9am and when the finance department arrived, who would have the paperwork I needed. “Go sit in the waiting area and I’ll come get you when one comes in.” I very promptly got distracted by the mobile game and didn’t surface for air until after 10am. The finance department could at least give me the trade-in sales page, but I don’t know if that will work. I at least have the Dodge’s VIN so I can possibly get it from the DMV if the toll people don’t like that one.

Then Walmart didn’t have all the litter I bought curbside and that was an ordeal. Then the car decided I didn’t need neutral when I was in the car wash and that almost wrecked the system. And then I lost my shit that I had held onto with all the other setbacks. I went to lunch and then picked up recipe ingredients at Rouses.

Made it home and tried to work on words and chores with limited success on both. I did manage to rotate the mattress and make the bed in clean sheets and now getting all the words into NaNo tracking so tomorrow is a new day. What I'm looking forward to: Rachael says we have to word vomit. Stop trying to make a full coherent draft, that will come later. Make the words now. Looking forward to trying that out tomorrow.
What I'm not looking forward to: All the bleeding chores that must get done tomorrow along with words. And the void babies distracting my writing time.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 02

1867 / 50000 words. 4% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 52,427
New Words: 948
Total words for the first draft: 53,375
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 1867
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Had a bit of a muse brainwave in the car commuting to work this morning, so jumped back to Robert meeting Sagara. It is rough, but coming together nicely.
Fave line: “Charming image. Has anyone introduced you to bullets? Hurts like hell for us, but they can kill drujis. Have you calculated for that?”
What Else I Accomplished Today: Brain.FM focus music helped keep me on the novel. My not leaving it unless a paying job task needed doing until I reached 1667 words was less successful. I didn’t reach the daily goal despite 3.30 hours writing. I also arrived home too late to join Rachel Herron’s Zoom writing sprint meetup thing, but I got my massage and adjustment and necessary groceries at Sprouts.
What I'm looking forward to: Next Thursday’s Zoom, timing should be better on my end.
What I'm not looking forward to: Going to the DMV first thing tomorrow.

Strix: Forget the Sun NaNo 2023 Metrics 01

740 / 50000 words. 1% done!

METRICS Previous Word Count: 51,890
New Words: 537
Total words for the first draft: 52,427
NaNo 2023 Cumulative Word Count: 740
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Broke the blank page with Strix stopping a mugging and have second guessed every word or idea coming out of my head.
Fave line: A drunk patron, a man old enough to know better and did when sober, stumbled out of one bar’s side door into a littered alley.
What Else I Accomplished Today: Remember I am counting the words in the scenes I removed last year and metric posts in my daily words for NaNo.

Also what contributed to a low score today even with 2.5 hours of measured writing time:

• AC at work turned to heat and wouldn’t shut off. We were melting badly.
• I kept getting distracted by YouTube or other tabs instead of writing. Using writing then break wasn’t enough to stop this.

What I'm looking forward to: Changing up the writing routine again. I will use Brain.FM’s focus music and write until I get 1667 words or an hour before taking a break. What I'm not looking forward to: Trying to get all my words before leaving for my chiropractic appointment.