NaNoWriMo Madness

Recently I read somewhere that 2008 will be NaNoWriMo's 10th anniversary. For those not in the know, NaNoWriMo is 'net speak for "National Novel Writing Month." Basically you try to write a 50,000 word novel in one month's time, beginning November 1st and (hopefully) ending November 30th.

Though I had heard of NaNoWriMo before, last year was my first attempt at it. I succeeded, much to my own surprise, and had a lot of fun in the process. This year I couldn't afford to take a whole month off my writing schedule to work on a new novel (I have a short story series slated for release next year and wanted to get as much of that out of the way as I could), so I decided to focus on writing 50k worth of the interrelated stories for my series.

The one question I get a lot when I mention NaNoWriMo is, what do you win? The short answer of it ~ nothing. Not a damn thing. But I gain the knowledge that I can write 50k in one month's time, that I have the drive, determination, and discipline to do so, particularly during a month as hectic (at least here in the USA) as November.

As of today, I'm just over 11,500 words. I finished one short story in four days and am nearing completion on the second. My goal is a total of 7-8 short stories roughly 6,000 to 7,000 words in length. This should give me the 50k mark to "win" NaNoWriMo again this year.

Since this is my first post to the "Slash & Burn" blog (thank you, guys, for having me!), here is an excerpt that I wrote this morning (unedited, so go easy on me). For those new to the characters, Vic gains a variety super powers from his lover Matt during sex. Their position during the deed determine what power he gets. This story is part of an upcoming series entitled The Positions of Love, to be published by Amber Allure. Book one will be released in December.

In the excerpt below, Vic and Matt are leaving an expensive steakhouse late at night on Valentine's Day. Their friskiness before dinner has given Vic pyrotechnic abilities ... in effect, he can conjure fireworks from his fingertips. They're leaving the restaurant and are in the parking lot heading for their car ...

"I want to see the sparks again," Matt muttered.

Vic's arm slid around his waist to hug him tight. "Oh, sparks will fly tonight," he promised, nuzzling against Matt's black curls.

His lover snickered. At Vic's car, Matt turned to lean back against the passenger side door before Vic could open it for him. Grabbing Vic's lapels with both hands, Matt pulled him down for a warm, wet kiss. Their bodies meshed together against the cold metal door, and Vic had to place his hands against the icy window to keep from falling into Matt. His lover's breath was combustible, his kiss alcoholic. Thrusting his hips into Vic's, Matt licked the roof of Vic's mouth as if dinner hadn't been enough to satisfy his hunger. "Love me," he murmured against Vic's lips. "Right here."

It was so hard to say no. "Soon," Vic tried -- the key in his hand scraped along the side of his car door, seeking the lock.

When it slid into place, Vic gave into Matt's kiss, forgetting the key and the restaurant and whoever might be watching them in the darkened parking lot. A shower of sparks shot from Vic's hands, warming the night around them. Matt's tongue and lips only fueled the electricity in Vic's system, cranking it up notch after notch until all Vic heard was the sizzle erupting from his fingers. He smelled burning metal and singed fabric, and could feel the sparkling tingle like waves of electrical current washing over him, bursting from his extremities. His fingers were full of power, his feet tickled with it, even his dick danced in his briefs, spurred by Matt's kiss, his hands, his own sheathed erection pressing into Vic's crotch. Like Frankenstein's monster, every inch of Vic came alive at his lover's touch.

After an eternity, Matt released him with a breathless giggle. "Talk about sparks," he murmured, wiping his lower lip with one finger. "Open the door for me?"

Vic moved to comply, only to find the key soldered into the lock. The metal had melted together during the heat of their kiss. Stepping away from the car, Vic looked at his hands and for the first time saw blackened nails, reddened skin. The cuffs of his blazer and the shirt beneath it were singed and fraying, some threads still smoldering. Vic glanced at his feet and saw the nail of one big toe winking up at him through the top of his charred shoe.

Matt started to laugh.

"Cute," Vic grumbled. "This was my best suit."

"Look at this," his lover said, poking at Vic's crotch.

Matt's fingers wiggled into Vic's groin, and he caught the hand before it could go any farther. "That's what got me so heated up in the first place."

"No," Matt told him. "Look."

Vic glanced down and groaned as he turned his back to the restaurant. A neat little hole the size of a cigarette burn had been seared into the crotch of his pants to the right of his zipper. Vic could see the pink tip of his cock through the hole, and Matt seemed unable to keep from touching it. His forefinger worked its way into the hole, rubbing over Vic's dick, tearing the fabric more. "Hey Sparky," Matt purred, leaning against Vic as his hands rubbed at his lover's crotch. "Got a light?"

For more Vic & Matt, please visit my website. Two e-books in a related series, The Powers of Love, are now available.