writing

Note: Don’t forget all comments left on ANY post between November, 4th and November 30, 2010 will count as one entry into the Wii should be friends giveaway.

If you follow me on facebook or twitter you’ll know that I am writing a book. Actually, I am participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Basically, the goal is to write a 50,000 word novel (more of a novella really) in thirty days (or 1667 words per day).

I took on the challenge last year and won (finished the challenge). I was thrilled … I wrote a book. A book that exactly ZERO humans were permitted to read (not even Mr. MK). I didn’t even read it over in it’s entirety when it was finished. I saved the folder on my laptop and forgot about, until Monday morning when I wanted to give it a quick read so I could write a sequel. You see I’d created two characters who could star in my next book (HA). It was then I realized that my final copy wasn’t on my desktop, but on my old laptop, whose hard-drive is frazzled. I still have the first 35000+ words, but lost the the last 22000+.

It really it shouldn’t matter. I obviously hadn’t intended to show it to anyone, however, I realized that my proof was gone. That’s when I realized that I should have let some one read it. I was a BIG CHICKEN!

So tonight I share with you all –> Chapter One of my second book. Please, please remember that I am not a professional novelist. This is intended to be an easy read romance. Due to time constraints (50000+ words in 30 days) I am not proof reading (until it’s done). There will be errors in grammar and punctuation. I spell in Canadian/British English, not American (most of the time). I am creating the plot as I go along (I decided not to revive the characters from Book 1). I’d love feedback, but please don’t be too hard on me.

***
Chapter 1

Bridget strode briskly, even boldly down the street, humming not all that quietly to herself as she made her way home. It was a Friday afternoon after all, and even the self-employed deserved an evening off. She marvelled at the fall colours. She loved her older neighbourhood, with its narrow tree –lined streets. Its unconventional mix of old and new, it was a neighbourhood in transition. It definitely felt like home. It irked her mother to no end that she’d chosen to use the inheritance from her Grandmother to buy, “that dilapidated old rattle-trap!”

However, if it were up to her mother she’d still be living at home, or in the horrible black and white, uber-modern penthouse apartment her mother had tried to bribe her with after she’d graduated from university. She just couldn’t understand that Bridget wanted to make her own way. She was nearly thirty after all.

She’d fallen in love with the old house the moment the real-estate agent had pulled the car up front. It was a three-storey turn of the century brick Victorian. It was definitely in need of some TLC, but her inheritance hadn’t been quite that large. Bridget had spent the last two years working painstakingly on the first floor. She managed to keep the early 20th century charm and detail, and at the same time had modernized the kitchens and bathrooms ***HOUSE DESCRIPTION HERE. She had just enough living space on the main floor, but was looking forward to getting to work on the second floor and the master bedroom.

She sighed, as anxious as she was to get started, she didn’t want to go into debt for renovations and the quality craftsmanship required to do these sorts of renovations didn’t come cheaply. Of course she did as much of the work as she could on her own, but she was no carpenter and most of the jobs required a professional.

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