Hillside the Novel, as it is called in my Word document, is 50,118 words long. That will certainly change as I combine, delete and add more to it over the next months/years. I have a 3 inch notebook full of chapters, history, character sketches, pictures, and landscape and garden information. It was amazing how much research I had to do to include things like seeing eye dogs, retinitis pigmentosa, gypsy history, spells and charms, antique pendants and rings, University of Connecticut Landscape and Design program, Farmington Connecticut, Miss Porters School for girls, Careers in Landscape and Design, pictures of what I thought my characters would look like, plants and animals of Connecticut, 55 Ford Pickups, how to build a Gazebo (my builder/car buff husband helped with the last two), and most of all the awesome HillStead Museum in Farmington Connecticut. My story takes place at the site of a Manor House turned Museum over 100 years ago and HillStead is my inspiration. I used information and pictures from their website http://www.hillstead.org/ to create my fictitional Hillside Museum. It's a beautiful place that I hope to visit one day.
This month was an amazing experience, one that I will most likely attempt again. Thanks to all my blog buddies for their encouragement and support. I truely appreciate your friendship.
'Twas amazing alright. Without the motivation of NaNoWriMo, we'd never have cranked out the quantity of creativity and written words we accumulated this past month. As crazy as the challenge is, it works.
ReplyDeleteWe have rough drafts and they're a helluva seed to water, weed and work with.
You rock,
Shaddy
Atta girl, Parrot Writes. Pablo says, "hello?"
ReplyDeleteWay to go!! It was awesome, huh? Thanks for being an awesome traveling companion on this journey.
ReplyDeleteYa'll rock.
Oh, I meant to add that I like your new blog look!
ReplyDeleteIt's just so much fun and so frustrating at the same time. :) I'm not posting my word count until the last minute. I still need to come up with a fabulous ending. :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your win! Thanks for sharing the ride with me!
Nice new look too!
Hi Shaddy, Natasha, Gully, and Dayner Thank you for your rousing accolades! I tried not to look at my story today, but took a peek, then set it aside for sure until January. Yah, I can see it will be a lot of work to wrestle it to a passable story. I wouldn't and couldn't have done NaNo without you all. THANK YOU!!
ReplyDeletePS To Pablo "Let's do crackers?"
Yeah you did it! Great job. :-)
ReplyDeleteI am sooooo proud of you Linda Girl!! It does not surprise me in the least that you are the winner! You are a very focused and disciplined writer and most of all...you have the desire and drive. I love that about you! You have truly inspired me to pick up my pen again and start working on my story board! Thank you for that! (-: Love you! me, Paula..
ReplyDelete