My Nano manuscript Off the Grid's finally done

By Kristen Howe

@KristenH (33591)

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

July 31, 2016 4:16pm CST

Just now, I finally finished my Nano manuscript, Off the Grid, that I told you about last fall. Nine months later, I wrapped it up and finished it with a happy ending. Though it's at 445, 397 words and 36 chapters, I won't start massive edits until November (after I finish edits in Diplomatic Immunity this fall), it's going to be brutal to cut 345 K words for the next couple of months. I might put it into 3 books if I have to. Right now, I'm going to rest and celebrate this endeavor with ice cream tonight! I'll also be doing edits on my other manuscripts in the meantime, while I wait to hear from Pitch Wars results this month after I submit on Wednesday. I'll do another edit cave report real soon.

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10 responses

Arthur Chappell

@arthurchappell (44941)

• Preston, England

1 Aug 16

great achievement - the ice cream sounds well deserved - enjoy

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Arthur Chappell

@arthurchappell (44941)

• Preston, England

1 Aug 16

@KristenH great excuse both for the edits and the chocolates

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@KristenH (33591)

• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

1 Aug 16

@arthurchappell Yes. Chocolate ice cream, chocolate milk, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, etc.

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@KristenH (33591)

• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

1 Aug 16

Thanks Arthur. I'm going to need a ton of chocolate for edits.

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@Jessicalynnt (50523)

• Centralia, Missouri

1 Aug 16

I am impressed with your progress!

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@KristenH (33591)

• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

1 Aug 16

Thanks!

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@marsha32 (6631)

• United States

1 Aug 16

I'm assuming it will be a book about living off the grid? Sounds interesting for sure and with that many words, pretty extensive too.

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@KristenH (33591)

• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

1 Aug 16

Not exactly. It's about a cult that's off the grid on the map. And a kidnapping plot. All fiction.

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@shaggin (74988)

• United States

6 Aug 16

36 chapters doesn't sounds like a nano

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@shaggin (74988)

• United States

7 Aug 16

@KristenH No I am not a writer a nano geocache is very very small so I assume a nano book would be very short as well. This really is the first I've heard of this would you care to give me more details?

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@KristenH (33591)

• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

7 Aug 16

@shaggin Nano stands for National Novel Writing Month in November. Not that kind of nano as in computer bytes. Sure. What do you want to know?

@KristenH (33591)

• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

6 Aug 16

46 not 36. I do average 22-50 chapters for my Nano mss every year. Each chapter has 2 scenes. Have you done Nano?

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (323168)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

3 Aug 16

Congratulations! That's a huge book. How many pages did it turn out to be? I hope you do well with Pitch Wars.

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@KristenH (33591)

• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

7 Aug 16

@just4him Yep. Send chocolate over my way in 3.5 months.

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@KristenH (33591)

• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

4 Aug 16

Thanks Valerie. I'm waiting to hear about requests next week. As for pages, I don't know. I had trouble with Scrivener loading the amount. I'll get back to you on that. Yeah it is. I might have to get it down to 500 pages.

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (323168)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

6 Aug 16

@KristenH That's going to be a lot of cutting and editing.

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@acelawrites (19272)

• Philippines

31 Jul 16

You are doing great in your writing works! Really calls for celebration.

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@KristenH (33591)

• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

1 Aug 16

Thanks so much! I just need to do well in my editing next!

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@kaka135 (14994)

• Malaysia

3 Aug 16

Wow! That's really a big achievement, you can demand for more than just an ice cream, though I think ice cream is nice too! Perhaps add a piece of cake too.

Have a good rest soon.

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@KristenH (33591)

• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

3 Aug 16

Thanks. I'll do have leftover orange creamsicle cake I might finish this week. I'll be napping lots between now and then.

@jstory07 (148731)

• Roseburg, Oregon

2 Aug 16

Since you are finished you deserve a really nice treat.

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@KristenH (33591)

• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

3 Aug 16

I do. My head feels lighter without having to dream new scenes.

@sol_cee (38669)

• Philippines

4 Aug 16

Prolific writer you are. Don't you get confused with the characters from each story?

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@sol_cee (38669)

• Philippines

5 Aug 16

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@KristenH (33591)

• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

6 Aug 16

@KristenH (33591)

• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

5 Aug 16

Nope. I dream them. No confusion.

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@shshiju (10342)

• Cochin, India

5 Aug 16

Congrats for your manuscript kristen. That is really a good work

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@KristenH (33591)

• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

5 Aug 16

Thanks. The hard work could come with 7 months of edits starting this fall.

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@KristenH (33591)

• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

6 Aug 16

@shshiju Thanks. I won't edit until late October at the latest/early November. I'm editing my newest ms right now with 2nd pass.

@shshiju (10342)

• Cochin, India

6 Aug 16

@KristenH That's great. count down starts....

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