NaNoWriMo 2016, Day 17

Well, it turns out Plan B was the superior plan all along! (Plan B being the plan to continue writing a project I'd already started if Plan A, the new project, failed miserably, which it did).

I've written nearly 13,000 words of Plan B over the last THREE DAYS, which is the most I've written in the shortest period of time all month. I'm now nearing 30,000 words, and I'm back on track! The NaNoWriMo is projecting that, at the rate I've gone, I will finish by November 30. Hurraaaaaaaaay!

I won't say what Plan B is yet, except to say that it's one of the ideas I've shared on this blog before. I think I've even shared an excerpt. With any luck, it should be done or very close to done by the time I finished NaNoWriMo. So, let's hope I keep on track! Very optimistic. :)

NaNoWriMo 2016, Day 14

So, a crossroads has presented it before me.

As you may know, I hit the ground running this NaNoWriMo. I hit 10,000 words in the first 3 days and remained ahead of the deadline for the first week. But now I've run out of steam, and I can't seem to push past 15,000. I'm far behind the expected number of words at this point.

I don't necessarily think I am lazy, although it is true that I will often bail on novel ideas when they get tough. In "Delusions", the story that I am working on now, I made a loose outline, I made in-depth character descriptions, I did all the prep possible ... I just didn't factor in one thing: my main character is boring as hell, and I've been hating him more and more the more I write ... or try to write.

It's going to take a lot to get me out of this gridlock. It's not writer's block. It's the fact that I've become totally disillusioned with what I'm trying to write. Thankfully, though, I have a contingency plan ...

I have a work-in-progress that's been going on for years, which is currently about 70,000 words long. It will probably take another 35,000 words before it's finished, which is the exact amount I need to finish NaNoWriMo. Should I go finish this novel, which I already love, or go at a snail's pace with this idea I now - if not hate, need to give a complete makeover - at the risk of my sanity? I feel like I have to love something to write it with any kind of skill or passion, or is that just quitter's talk?

I'm too busy today to write anything, but I will update the blog in a couple of days to see where I go.

NaNoWriMo 2016, Day 7

I haven't updated my blog at all over the weekend, mainly because of the shame! Today was alright, but from Friday to Sunday I barely scraped 2000 words. Not great progress! But thankfully writing 10,000 in the first 3 days was enough that I'm still ahead. I just need to be very diligent this week!

As I have assignments due in the next couple weeks, I don't think I'll be quite as prolific as last week, but my personal aim by this weekend is still 25,000. After the 14th I will have enough free time to bang out the second half of my novel, hopefully in under a week, so that if a catastrophe happens I have a week of grace.

That's the plan anyway!

Hope anyone who reads (again, why?) is also semi-enjoying their Monday.

NaNoWriMo 2016, Day 3

I have one word: Exhausted! Today I hit the 10,000 word mark, in just the third day, and writer's fatigue is hitting me. The first act / third chapter of my novel had the laziest energy imaginable, so I think I need to rest up this evening and put my feet up. I've done enough for the day!

Looking back on Act One (which is writers' lingo for the part of the novel where the stage has been set and the hero is ready to go off on their journey), I think I've done well enough, although I already have notes about how I can improve it. That can wait til I finish the rest though! I've done the calculations and I'm predicting this novel will have to be at least 60,000 words to be a fully fleshed-out work, so even if I win NaNoWriMo, I might still have an incomplete novel! Oh well.

I will make this blog short because my fingers are hurting. The NaNoWriMo website is telling me that if I keep up this rate, I'll be finished with my novel by the middle of the month. Seeing as I have two assignments due in the next couple weeks, I doubt this will happen, but it's still pretty amazing. I'm such a terrible procrastinator most of the time, I can't believe I've already written so much!

Thanks to my family and friends who are being really supportive right now. It can be hard for people to take writers seriously, but I'm glad the people in my life respect how passionate I am about this, even if it means they have to listen to me rambling about my outline for hours!

NaNoWriMo 2016, Day 2

The honeymoon phase is still upon me!

Last night, without even scheduling writing time, I somehow wrote 2000 words in under 2 hours, hitting the 5000 word mark. Unfortunately it meant I was a bit tired to get out of bed as early this morning, but I managed to fit in another 2000 words before going to work at 2. Even if I don't do any words tomorrow (which I will, I promise), I'm still really proud of how I'm going. I'm 7000 words in!

At this point I'm basically just raving about NaNoWriMo to anyone who will listen. I've written more words of a novel in the last two days than I have in the last year! The sense of accomplishment at the end of each hurdle is an amazing feeling. Anyone even vaguely interested in writing a novel should do this! Now! (Well, not now, it's a bit late unless you're that spontaneous, but definitely next year!)

The motivating power of deadlines and specific goals is undeniable. For someone like me who has lots of ideas but a problem with actually creating some output (the storage space in my computer is mostly filled with attempted drafts and outlines, going back as far as when I was 10), NaNoWriMo is an absolute godsend. ALL HAIL NANOWRIMO.

So that's me done for the day! Although I'd like to fit in another 1000 before bed.

Happy November 2!!!

NaNoWriMo 2016, Day 1

Yes, it has been a while since I showed up here! The reason: my writing "career" has been pretty stagnant for the last year. But now, I'm doing National Novel Writing Month and it's going well so far, though I know I might probably die by November 30th!

I'm going to try to update this blog as much as I can this month, just to check in on my progress. I will try to write one of these every time I enter my word count into the NaNoWriMo site. If my thoughts and feelings interest other people, then great! But why?

So here is Day 1!

So far I have written 3055 words, which is nearly double the daily aim, so go me! I was terrified before I started this morning. It took me ages to get out of bed. But once I got past that first page, that first, agonising page, the ideas just started flowing and 3 hours later I have 5 and a bit pages of solid text.

It really helps that I made a detailed outline first, and while I haven't stuck to it completely even with the first chapter (I like to go where the writing takes me), it's a really useful guideline I've made for myself. I would encourage anyone else doing NaNoWriMo to outline first in October. It's really saved a lot of hmms and hahs at the outset. I know exactly where my characters are going and what they'll be doing by the end of Act One, and it's a great feeling. I can't wait to come home after work tonight and mash in some more words!

Oh, and I almost forgot to post a picture of my cover! Still not releasing info on the premise, but this should be a good hint... and no, it's not a period piece...