NaNoWriMo Week 3 Check In & 2011 Excerpt

Hello Chickens Turkeys!

We’re well over 2/3 done with that NaNoWriMo Beast. Are you still alive? If you need some advice to keep rolling, I’ve got  a few words for you: keep that butt in the chair! It might be sore, but you can do it! Some fools are already done and bragging about it. If they weren’t so amazeballs I’d hate them.

I am. I’ve barely eeked out 33k, but I’m counting on my household to fall into a turkey coma tomorrow so that I can pound out a sh*tload more words.

And since I promised to share the opening of my Year 3 NaNoWriMo story with you (and because I love to humiliate myself), this is my YA project known as “This Doesn’t Deserve a Title Because it is Really Sh*tty and No One in Their Right Mind Will Ever Read This.” Catchy, huh? And those 21 words counted toward last years 50k.

Last year’s novel wasn’t a complete waste. I found a few salvageable bits and it gave me an idea for my current WIP which is a Death Row Road Trip Romance and unlike anything I’ve ever written.

“TDDaTBiiRSaNOiTRMWERT” is a contemporary YA about a teenager who hides her poverty from her rich boyfriend. It’s pretty much a ripoff of Pretty in Pink, only there’s an epileptic dog.

CHAPTER 1

Libby was not technically a thief. Stealing toilet paper from the bathroom in the teacher’s lounge wasn’t a crime if you were so broke you couldn’t afford to shell out two bucks for a four pack of single-ply tissue. The warning bell rang and Libby hurriedly stuffed two rolls of double-ply–the teachers at Orange High School had very high standards for toilet paper—into her worn black backpack. Ordinarily she would have just pilfered the paper from a student bathroom, but Orange High used the jumbo rolls that were locked in cases on the sides of bathroom stalls. It was impossible to steal those- they didn’t fit in a bag. Libby hadn’t even zipped up the bag yet when the door to the faculty bathroom swung open revealing Vice Principal Morris.

“Ms. Carter, is it? What are you doing in the faculty lounge?” The bell rang again and the vice principal continued, “Why aren’t you in 6^th period?”

Libby was frozen in fear. What was she supposed to say? She couldn’t tell Morris the truth. The wicker basket on the counter next to the sink gave her an idea. “The girl’s bathroom in C-wing was out of tampons and this was the closest bathroom. I’m sorry, but it was an emergency.” She gestured toward the back of her denim skirt. Period troubles always worked on male teachers. Pulling it on a female administrator was a risk Libby had no choice but to take.

Vice Principal Morris scowled, revealing even more frown lines on her weathered face. She didn’t trust Libby Carter. In her experience, students who transferred mid-year were always trouble, regardless of the reason for transfer. “You could have visited the school nurse. I’m sure she could have given you the feminine products you needed. Instead you trespassed in the teacher’s lounge and as the bell we just heard indicates, you are late to class. Come with me, now, young lady. I’ll give you a late pass to show your teacher as well as your ticket to detention today.”

Libby started to move toward the door but the toe of one of her black army boots connected with the large metal garbage can and Libby lurched forward causing her backpack to fall from her hands. One of the rolls of toilet paper spilled out of the bag and landed in front of Morse’s black patent leather heels.

“Theft, too, Ms. Carter? That’s detention through the week. It would appear that you are starting your school year at Orange High on the wrong foot. Your first day here and already you’ve racked up a detention.”  The vice principal reached down and picked up the roll of paper and tossed it into the trash can and turned to leave. She hadn’t spotted the second roll nestled in with Libby’s Chemistry textbook.

Come back next week to see the start of this year’s craptastic NaNoWriMo work of art! Also, tell me how NaNoWriMo is going for you.