I got just over 28,000 words. If I hadn’t been aiming for 50,000 then I would have called that a good month, but I fell off the writing wagon. I spent exactly one minute on self pity, then I let that go, because despite the fact that I didn’t hit my goal I still got a lot out of that month.

What’s more, as a result November and NanoWriMo are going like you wouldn’t believe. I’ve averaged 2,022 words per day and I don’t think things would be going nearly as well. Of course not all of Novembers current happiness is down to my abject failure in October. I’ve also got a few other bloggers to thank for actually getting my act together.

First up, Carrie Heim Binas has an excellent writing advice blog. If you’re doing NanoWriMo, then you owe it to yourself to go and check out Heim Binas Fiction.

You probably all know Mur Lafferty of I Should Be Writing, but if you don’t and you need a kick in the pants to inspire you, an intelligent mind to advise you or some of the best interviews available online to keep you interested in writing then I Should Be Writing is the place to go.

Want to know just how good a podcasted novel can be, then go check out JC Hutchins’ website and join the clone army. His novel 7th Son: Descent has just gone into print, and it’s beyond good. If you go to the site, you can listen to the whole thing for free. While you’re there check out Project 777 for a good cause that gets you goodies while you’re at it.

I need to get back to work, but if you’re floundering on your novel, or you just want to see some damn good blogs, go check out the authors above, you won’t be sorry.

Right now I’m sitting right on 22,000 words for the month. I’m planning a fairly epic writing day tomorrow to catch up to my target and then keep on going. In that 22,000 I’m counting almost 16,000 words that I wrote…. and then deleted because they were in fact, very bad. I do still have them on my hard drive, but they sit in the darkness alone and unloved.

The write is actually going very well though. I’m doing horrible, terrible things to my main character and that’s the way it should be. If your main character isn’t suffering in some way then you may need to make them suffer more. A great writing quote from screenwriter Martin Roth: “Chase your characters up a tree and throw rocks at him, to see how he responds.”

It’s a great quote and god advice, but personally I recommend also setting the tree on fire.

Not only should your main character be the person with the most to lose, he should also be suffering to keep it. That’s what grabs my interest as a reader, I want to know just how much your protagonist is prepared to give to keep what he loves. Grim anti hero’s with nothing to lose are fine, but they;re only interesting when they are threatened with pain and loss. No one cares about the emotionless killing machine, they can make a good villain (although they’re even better when the villain too has something to lose) but in the end your audience must root for your character to win, you first have to have something to lose.

This turned into a much bigger post than I was intending. Perhaps I need more beer….

Carrie Heim Binas, author of one of my favorite blogs Heim Binas Fiction, saw fit to give me a Superior Scribbler award.

That’s made my whole day, thanks Carrie!

There are some rules to getting one of these…

1. Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.
2. Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.
3. Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.
4. Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit This Post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we’ll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!
5. Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

Now, time to give some deserving others the award:

Skyla Dawn Cameron: Author, publishing ninja and the creator of “How NOT To Be A Douchebag Writer 101″

Mur Lafferty: If you aren’t reading “I Should Be Writing”…you should be. This site is the ultimate writing inspiration blog. Plus you can pick up some of Mur’s writing for free. What are you still doing here?

Pip Ballantine: Fellow Kiwi, writer and podcaster. Pip is the obscenely talented writer of Weather Child and Chasing The Bard (among many other things).

Andy Shackcloth: Not only does Andy give out great advice himself, he trawls the web to bring you the best writing advice from all over.

Girls With Slingshots by Danielle Corsetto Not a writing blog, but a webcomic. It’s not really work safe, but you should go anyway to see some of the best art AND writing on the web. Concise, clever and hilarious.

The story that’s on there at the moment, Jack’s Echo (nothing to do with my last name, it just happens to be the main characters first name), was written for a one day story competition with a 1500 word limit. We had to include four random elements given to us on the day. I got mine in early, only to realize I’d missed one of the fairly vital instructions on the entry form.

Let this be a lesson to everyone, don’t spend six hours writing and two seconds reading the entry form.

I really hope you all enjoy what I’ve written, please feel free to leave your comments here or on the free chapters page.

So here it is. First, finish the first five chapters of The Shadow Library by the end of the month. Where I am that’s another three days. Unlikely at best.

Step two? Finish another 50,000 words and hopefully the novel in the month of July, my own premature nanowrimo. Why not wait until November when nanowrimo is in full swing anyway? Partly because I’d like to do nanowrimo as its own project, and because I’m horrifically impatient (a bad combination with procrastination) and want to get the story in my head onto paper.

In my favor is my high caffeine tolerance, a good story plan and an understanding (if dubious) girlfriend.

I’ll keep you posted.

I’m finalising the very last bits of Chapter two ready to go up on Monday for you all right now, then going for epic lunch with a super creative friend who’s very kindly doing some artwork for me as an add on for The Shadow Library.

I’m also getting an advertisement for this blog to put up once the first six chapters are ready to read. I’m also sorting out some podcasting gear so I get up audio recordings of The Black Library.

It’s been a busy day.

Not one heck of a lot of writing today, at least not on the main book. I did some character bios, some back story and I even helped a friend with his book’s character bios, although I mostly listened and wished I’d come up with the ideas he was having.

I found another New Zealand based podcaster/blogger/writer hybrid, Phillipa Ballantine, who can be found on her blogpjballantine.com. I fully recommend picking up her book Chasing The Bard. I’m only part of the way through, but damn, thats some good writing.

She also does excellent interviews, so if you get a chance give her a click.

Update: Technorati have asked me to enter this here code xj6gafmr4s to claim my place among their blogs. Don’t worry it’ll be gone soon.

I’m staying open to suggestions at this stage, so if you have any thoughts or comments, leave them here.

Now, for a happy dance.

Andrew