PNDS: Post NaNoWriMo Depression Syndrome

Yeah, I made that up. But, here's the thing, maybe it should be a real thing. Every time I finish a story, particularly for NaNoWriMo, there's this huge surge of euphoric accomplishment. Yay, I did it! Look, I made it!

And then PNDS hits. A void has formed where once the story lived, not just were the story held my attention, but where it lived. The characters, the setting, the trials, now nothing but a vacuum in my heart. I miss them, and I find myself trying to fill that space with other things: trying to read all the books I set aside, writing blog posts (or mostly just looking at a blank page trying to recapture the magic that created an entire novel, and failing), watching movies.  Anything to fill that void.

The effect seems worse after NaNoWriMo, probably because of the tight deadline, the all consuming trial of compressing what normally takes months into just days. The creative abandon, the rush of seeing a story come to life so quickly. So much energy put in, and then it's just gone. The energy is still there, the urge to write, but the story is finished.

It's odd and pervasive. How can finishing a story be such a downer? And really, the only thing I can do about it, the only thing that really works, is to start another. Maybe that's why I have a backlog of drafts that need editing. Editing is great, but it's not the same as writing. It doesn't fill that void.

Luckily, though, the effect seems short lived. The result is another story started or long put off editing kicked into overdrive. I just have to push through a rough week or so after the story wraps while I ask myself, "What now?"

So, I'm curious. How do you feel after finishing a story, or any big project, really? Let me know in the comments.

Woot, 2014 NaNoWriMo Target Hit!

I am thrilled, to say the least. Finished with eight days to spare and two thousand more words than I'd estimated. Whew!  Now, to rest for a little while and think up an nice ending for the story. Final battle and narrow escape, all good. Now to draw the conclusion.

No idea when I'll publish this...

Martial Arts Fantasy Review: Clash of the Clans: Shinobi 7 Companion Book #1 by L. Benitez

Clash of the Clans: Shinobi 7 Companion Book #1 by L. Benitez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lighthearted and funny...Highly recommended

This companion story for Shinobi 7 is a quick jump over to an alternate timeline where war never erupts, but Sector 7 still forms and the characters are essentially the same. With the war out of the picture, the story focuses on another kind of conflict, a tournament of the clans. Having read Shinobi 7, I loved being back in the world and experiencing it in such a purely enjoyable fashion.

As someone who practices Karate, I found both the tournament and the crazy way things play out delightful. Not only is the event entertaining, it's also a rather accurate representation of a martial arts tournament. I also enjoyed picking out the Japanese terms that are worked into the story. There's just enough context to make them easy to work out, but not enough to make them seem instructional.

As for the characters, I love, absolutely love, Luna. So cute and hyper, her childish logic is infallible even under the stern watch of the judges. And Kuroi, as gruff as ever, yet still facing a challenge that makes him doubt himself. These two are my favorite, but each point of view is interesting. I also liked some of the main villains of Shinobi 7 make an appearance as judges.

I honestly can't think of anything I didn't like, though I did wonder what might have motivated everyone to join the Kitsune Clan without the tragedies spawned by the war. Some of it matches up to Shinobi 7, but the split in the timeline is mostly vague. Still, I didn't worry much about it. In fact, as a standalone, the back story is fine.

Overall, I loved this story. The characters are wonderful and the story kept me smiling and, at times, outright laughing. I so wish I could write about my favorite part, but that would spoil it. I highly recommend Clash of the Clans to anyone who likes martial arts, youthful exuberance, and a bit of fantasy. This is a quick read and won't spoil Shinobi 7 if you haven't read it yet.

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.


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Political Thriller Review: The Zero Game by Brad Meltzer

The Zero Game by Brad Meltzer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Zero Game is an action-packed, yet disturbing, political thriller. Matthew and Harris have been playing a game, one that seems harmless. Place your bids, sneak a bit of trivial legislation onto a bill, and collect your winnings. A victimless crime, until one of the players ends up dead. Soon one of the players finds himself playing a new game. One of life and death.

I must say I really liked this book. I found the pace quick and the story intriguing. Twists and surprises, chases and narrow escapes, all move the story forward and keep the reader engaged. I also enjoyed learning about day to day life in the government. The author has definitely done his homework.

I also liked that the story isn't burdened with an unnecessary love connection. The main character and the young page who finds herself on the run with him are focused on surviving. All in all, the relationship between them is realistic for the situation they find themselves in. The story is good enough on its own merits without cluttering it with romance.

I'm not one to seek out political thrillers, preferring fantasy, sci-fi or the occasional dystopian. But, this was a present from my dad. He's been telling me about it for some time, wanting to talk about it but not wanting to spoil it. I look forward to a long spoiler-filled discussion with him the next time we talk.

I highly recommend The Zero Game to fans of political thrillers. It's well-written, insightful and exciting.


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NaNoWriMo Status Update: Great Progress, Still Stressed

This year is the first time I've actually started my NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) novel on November 1st, and I'm hoping to finish early.  I base this on the fact that I've managed to finish on time the last two years, while starting late.

So, how am I doing? Pretty good, just about exactly on target for the challenge, but then again, my target is to finish early.  I've figured out that based on my formatting, I need 60 pages of rough draft to hit 50k words. I'm at 18 right now. I want to finish about 20k per weekend.

That means I just need to knock out 2 pages today, right? Wrong. Why? Because now that I'm going, I don't just want to finish early, I want to finish way early. Le sigh.

So, status. I'm at 15239 words of 50k. I'm on target to complete right on the 30th and pretty close to my side goal of finishing early if I knock out a couple more pages today. And, I'm stressing because I want to see if I can round this weekend off to 20k words or more (that would be 10k words today).

Hmm, why can't I be this motivated when I write books any other time of the year? Don't know, but despite the stress, I dig the game. I guess that's why I keep coming back for more.


So, who else is playing along with NaNoWriMo this year? What are your goals? How are you doing? And, most importantly, are you having fun?

Epic Fantasy Review: A Crown of Swords (The Wheel of Time #7) by Robert Jordan

A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A quick read, compared to some of the others in the series. I think it's still in the realm of the middle books where folks tend to lose interest in the series and stop reading, but I had no such trouble. Much of the action in this book occurs in Cairhien and Ebou Dar, following the divergent paths of Rand, Min, Nynaeve, Elayne and Avienda.

As always, my favorite character is Matt, mostly because he's the wild card. I also like that he finds himself both the victim and master of chance. It works out in interesting ways. Fate is fickle when Matt's around, and the swings are often surprising. My second favorite character in this book is Nynaeve. She is a complex woman, both mature and petty, strong and vulnerable, and I always enjoy getting glimpses into her head and watching her through the eyes of her closest companions. This book provides an important stepping stone in her growth and development.

The bad guys are also cool, and a new one seems to have entered the mix. A bad guy worse than the Forsaken. It makes for a good story, but then again, another character? It's one of the infuriating things about the Wheel of Time books. More characters than you can absorb and remember in one reading.

Rand on the other hand is less likeable in this one. He's uber mistrustful, arrogant, and careless. Just not all that nice of a guy, which is a shame because he started off as my favorite in the early books and the overarching plot hinges on him. Still, he's not completely lost. There are glimmers, but they are being buried by his growing madness, and it isn't pretty while that's going down.

Overall, I love the series and this book ranks high for me. Not as high as The Eye of the World (#1 and always my favorite), but good. I recommend this book to fans of epic fantasy, but I caution, as always, that if you didn't like the first few books in the series, you probably won't find this one any more likable. People tend to gather in the extremes for these books, and having read them over and over again, I fall into the pile of those who love it.

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NaNoWriMo 2014: Avalee and the Dragon

An idea has hatched.

My NaNoWriMo story this year will be called Avalee and the Dragon. Here's a short description.

Avalee's village is peaceful and safe, a great place to live, but the long shadow of Dragon's Mount is a constant reminder of the price the villagers must pay every ten years.

I have a ton of ideas floating around for this one, but I think I can get 50k words out of it and have fun doing so.

Wish me luck!