IT IS FINISHED

HI GUYS MY NAME IS ASHLEY AND I JUST FINISHED NANOWRIMO.

 So, my story ended up being exactly 24,922 words long.  Very tiny, I know.  But as I have a habit of writing brief stories, that is as long as the story would go.  I even stretched it out about 5K by doing something crazy.  But I couldn't stretch it any longer, and since I am part of the Young Writers Program, I can choose the word count I want.  :) 
 Anyway, so I'm done.  WOW.  It's been incredible.  I am definitely doing it again next year!  I had trouble at times and at one point I was 4K behind, but as the NaNoWriMo contract says I have bragging rights, let me say that the day I woke up 4K behind, I went to bed a couple hundred over my all-caught-up word count.  Uh huh, that's right.  Hopefully in December when I go through it all, I do not find that all the stuff I wrote was junk. o_O

NaNoWriMo Is Nearly Upon Us!

Alright, so I don't know about you guys, but I am super stoked for NaNoWriMo.  I have been brainstorming, writing, scribbling, notetaking, and otherwise preparing like a maniac.  With the start-up of school, it has gotten a little harder to find the time, but I hope I will persevere, for November is swiftly approaching.  
[I would also like to add that my birthday is coming up, too....]

So, during November I most likely won't post anything.  At all.  And if I do, it is probably something very incredible that I really wanted to tell you guys about.  Which I hope something like that happens - a bizarre dream that gave me a brilliant idea, maybe? *crosses fingers*

Anyway, I have tweaked and polished my story, affectionately nicknamed "The {Good} Stepmother".  ( see "The {Evil} Stepdaughter" and "NaNoWriMo!" )  It was previously titled "The {Evil} Stepdaughter", by the way.  

To do:

• I need a name for Morgan, my MC (main character)'s love interest.  I currently call him LI (for Love Interest, of course).  See my "NaNoWriMo!" post for information on him.
•   I need a better name for Snow White's father, who I have dubbed Lee because it was the first random name that came to mind.
•  A new, neutral character is "The Witch".  She proves herself both an antagonist and a helpful supporting character during Morgan's adventures.  The actual story doesn't reveal her name, and I have yet to think of it.

Developments:

• I think I have decided on dwarf names: Gretten, Nyse, Sove, Minsten, Likkelig, Lege, and Blyg.  Trust me, I have a very plausible explanation for these ridiculous names, but a magician never reveals her secret - nor does an author.
• New character: Prince Beau.  I positively hate that name but it fits this spoiled Prince Charming very well.
• New character: Meridath.  A gorgeous farm girl, she was once a maidservant of Snow White's but was dismissed because she was too spirited and Snow was just a little jealous of her beauty.  She has three big brothers and her two parents living with her: Frederick, the ill old father who rarely stirs from his chair; Jayla, the strong, firm mother who holds the family together; Ethan, the oldest son and also a disgrace to the family name with his rowdiness and drinking; Malik, the quiet, thoughtful, and brainy son; and Daniel, the warm-hearted, gallant youngest brother who is the closest to Meri.
• Revenge on a stepmother isn't the only thing Snow White wants.  A powerful, mysterious jewel called "Malificent's Stone" plays a key part in this tale.

Certainly there is more, but why would you even read my book if you knew all about it?  I'm very excited to write this.  Very excited indeed.  Give me a shout if you think of possible names for my nameless characters; help is always welcome.  If your name wins, you get a free tshirt!  No, not really.  Sorry to dash your hopes.

A full post about Meridath is coming up!

 God natt og gode drømmer,
-Ashley

NaNoWriMo!

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month.

 NaNoWriMo is an event, officially taking place in November every year, in which an average of 300,000 writers from around the world take it upon themselves to write 50,000 words in 30 days.  The purpose of this insane enterprise is to just WRITE.  No editing is allowed; in fact, in the workbooks provided for elementary through high school writers on the NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program website, you must push a button and vacuum your inner editor right out of your head and into a little room where he/she waits for you to finish your book so it can be edited.  

I decided to participate in NaNoWriMo this year!  All you need for it is a notebook and pen, or a computer and fingers to type with.  To connect with other writers and set a goal, you could go to one of two websites: Nanowrimo.org, the official site, or ywp.nanowrimo.org, the young writers program which provides workbooks and also lets you set your own goal instead of the standard 50,000 words.
       So guess what story I'm writing for NaNo?  My {Good} Stepmother story!  Haven't exactly decided what I'm going to call it.  But I have worked out quite a bit concerning the plot and characters, thanks to the surprisingly helpful workbooks.  I say surprising because I usually don't get anything out of such things, but this one has been indispensable.  Half of it is preparing for November; the other half coaches you through as you write like a mad man/woman.  I have to admit that I'm awfully excited for November as well as dreading it simply because it is the threshold of winter!

So.  I'm going to do a couple short character bios for my NaNoWriMo book. If you've read my previous post about this book, The Evil Stepdaughter, you will find I have made some changes here.  Don't be confused; they were deliberate changes to fit the rest of the story. :)

Morgan
 Morgan is a plain and tall 18 year old with remarkable maturity and clear-headedness, but perhaps not enough humility.  She was shortly engaged to a soldier currently and unofficially nicknamed Terry, but a deal between her father and the King crushed all her hopes.  She was married off to the scruffy old man and forced to become stepmother to the bratty Snow White, who appears to everyone but Morgan as an angelic, victimized child who lost her mother at an early age.  Morgan is able to use magic, but only a little; she prefers instead to use earthly resources that may appear magical to peasants.  Snow White accuses her so often of witchcraft that she became extremely sensitive to any mention of her skill.

"Terry"
Terry is probably not going to be his name, but it is one that I had to stick on him for the moment.
Not-as-tall-as-Morgan, impetuous, and good-natured, Terry is blonde-haired and handsome.  He also has a sometimes unbearable case of cockiness.  But he has a good heart and loves Morgan ardently (thank you, Mr. Darcy, for that beautiful word) even after they are forced apart.  His hot temper is not infrequently unleashed, especially when he hears someone compare Snow White's ravishing beauty to Morgan's "plain, forgettable face".  

NaNoWriMo is going to be a remarkable experience and I can't wait to share my progress with you guys. 
-Ashley