I have a funny Nanowrimo story to share.
Today I was ready to finish my novel. I had only one scene left, an epilogue set a couple of years after the main conclusion of the novel. It was pretty clear cut in my head and I wasn't going to have any trouble getting it down.
So today I locked myself in my spare bedroom with my novel and my trusty Pilot Vanishing Point fountain pen. I scribbled away and presto! I was done! I had 50,200 words down. 252 pages of my custom 270 page leatherbound Moleskine. Seven Swords, the story I've had banging around in my head for a year, is now complete.
I stood up, grabbed up the afghan I had on my chair for my chilly evening and morning writing sessions, spun around, and BAM. I pulled down an entire shelf of stuff off of a nearby book case. I heard glass break. I saw a horrifying splatter. I saw my favorite writing instruments and little pewter figures and candle sticks thrown about as if the Old One himself had screamed and sent the world reeling.
Among the damage was my Pelikan M-1000 fountain pen, a $600 list fountain pen I had bought from Malaysia for $300. It had snapped in half and sent its entire barrel of ink onto my carpet. I'm pretty picky about my ink, I use Noodler's black fountain pen ink which is permanent and waterproof on paper...and on carpet.
So within a 30 second time period I had broken my favorite $300 fountain pen, spilled black ink onto my carpet, and finished my first novel, The Seven Swords.
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50,109 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2007 - 15 28
Wow -- ! You'll never forget your first nano. Your carpet won't let you! Congratulations on a dramatic finish!
52,270 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2007 - 15 31
Congratulations.
I hope you at least had the presence of mind to shout "Ta-daa!!!".
61,193 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2007 - 15 31
Yeah, congrats on locking this first NaNo into your memory and your carpet.
On the bright side, you didn't spill it all over your novel. At first, I thought you were going to say that the ink ruined your entire story...that would have been sad. D=
70,609 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2007 - 15 42
I completely sympathize! I had planned on ten novelling projects this month, but one wrote itself into another. This worked out for the best because I kept up the pace as if I was writing all ten, then a bout of insomnia pushed me further ahead. I finished mine last week and, as you say... disaster.
I was in a car accident, broke my left hand in several places and had to have surgery. As I type this, it isn't true typing...hunt and peck. I'm glad I finished early because hunt and peck for my goal of 15,300 words daily would not have been fun!
50,068 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2007 - 15 52
The poor pen :'(
At least it had it's crowning achievement complete before it died .
You should add a dedicatory note to your book , for your pen.
50,200 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2007 - 16 00
Yeah, that'll be the line for the inner back cover - a picture of the pen will be saying, "I've written my last and can die happy now," as the contents of the falling shelf crash down on its head.
Talk about a fighting finish. I hope you weren't hurt (and congratulations).
Becky
----------The most glorious moments in your life are not the so-called days of success, but rather those days when out of dejection and despair you feel rise in you a challenge to life, and the promise of future accomplishments.
-Gustave Flaubert
50,079 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2007 - 16 35
Buy a rug, save up for a pen
and celebrate your novel.
All creations involve a little pain.
Congrats on your novel.
Tirzah
200,325 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2007 - 16 38
Whoa, I can not say that either of my two previous NaNos went down like that... I'm almost jealous. I'm so sorry for the pen but congrats anyway on finishing your novel. At least this will be a NaNo that you will not forget ^^;;
8,054 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2007 - 17 30
I think the rug should stay.. It will be a sweet reminder. And maybe it looks good and original who knows? :)
I never get how people spend 300 on a pen (no offense). I like writing with pens- actually I used to, now I'm too used to writing on my computer, which saves me the energy from typing again to the computer from the manuscript- but I never thought about getting a pen that expensive. Can you explain? :) Really, no offense, I'm curious, I'm about the only person that feels this way.
I also thought that the ink would be all over your novel, and I think that you are very very very lucky that didn't happen.
30,713 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2007 - 17 43
I thought you were going to say that you accidentally deleted your entire novel and couldn't get it back.
----------But wow.
And yeah, this is so going to be a novel you're not going to forget.
You'll be able to tell your kids and grandkids the story Seven Swords Or The Day My Beloved, Expensive, Permanent, Waterproof Pen Broke And Ruined My Carpet.
Procrastinators Unite! ...Tomorrow.
NaNo '07 - 30,713 words
51,605 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2007 - 18 41
I also thought that you were going to say something about losing your novel. Thank goodness it's OK!! The other things (expensive though they are) can be replaced.
I've had some very memorable incidents such as BOTH of my laptops picture disappearing (and one laptop had 3 days worth of book that I had been too lazy to email to myself) and I had to send them in for repair and buy a new desktop computer. (What a shame!! LOL) I was afraid that I'd lose those days because I couldn't back up the hard disk.
However, all is well. I now have THREE working computers.
The other thing I did was purely stupid. At the end of Friday when I went to save my ms, it asked me if I wanted to replace the earlier edition and I hit 'no' and there went all of the days words. Lost.
Ah, well, live and learn.
50,009 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2007 - 18 57
Well, now you know where the dedication, and special thanks goes.. ^^
Fate's way of ending it with a bang, I guess. =P
50,001 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2007 - 19 03
Congratulations! That sounds like a great scene for your next one, or the one after. I'm surveying my surroundings and considering "author-proofing" now ; )
91,288 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2007 - 19 12
Oooh, BRUTAL! My sympathies.
----------A lot of carpets are made of synthetics, and the Noodler's bonds with cellulose, so you might be able to get at least some of it out. Good luck!
I've heard that Richard Binder can do some pretty impressive pen repairs. I'm not sure if that would be in his capabilities or not, but you might drop him a line and see. If he can, it's likely to be cheaper than a replacement.
"Write from the soul, not from some notion about what you think the marketplace wants. The market is fickle; the soul is eternal." -Jeffery A. Carver
50,022 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2007 - 19 30
Try buying a bottle of hairspray and pour it on the ink. Then take good old soap and water and scrub. Hairspray gets ink stains out of clothing it may work on carpet.
And congrats on a big bang of an ending on your first nano.
----------Yes sir, my sense of humor is quite warped. Thanks for noticing. . .
63,179 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2007 - 20 35
Ooh, that sucks. I think your carpet is a Mary Sue. She's looking for sympathy from the reader after getting raped by ink. That sucks about your pen though. but congrats on your novel! :D You'll never forget it. :)
----------Word of the Year:
cypridophobia, n
The fear of prostitutes
Practical application: James was, sadly, still unexperienced in the arts of love due to his repugnant odor and his intense cypridophobia.