Category: NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo – Day 15 – Half way there

Yes, 15 days down and 15 days to go.

At this point my hand is starting to cramp from the toils of writing, yes, I’m one of those writers who often puts words to paper longhand.

Two weeks is a long time, but I think this sort of exercise is what’s needed if you want to write a novel every year, though this one is going to come out with more than 50,000 words.

I think there are about three more chapters to go to end part two, then I can get onto the big finale in part three.

It has turned out to be a bigger project than I originally thought, and I didn’t think I could stretch it to 50,000 words.  Now, I’m hoping to keep it to about 60,000.

Still, no need to get ahead of myself.  Murphy’s law may yet rear its ugly head.

NaNoWriMo – Day 14 – I’m ahead of target so time for revision

Whenever I’m writing, especially when I’m working to a plan, things never quite go the way I’d originally envisaged.

You get so far, and an idea pops into your head, and then, thinking it will work well, often it requires a little extra in previously written work.

Of course, when also writing to a time constraint, that’s not always possible, so your desk, computer keyboard or monitor becomes a repository for endless yellow post-it notes reminding you of the plot holes to be fixed.

I have time, and today I will be fixing them.

I also suspect this might make my word count for the project exceed the required 50,000.

We shall see!

NaNoWriMo – Day 13 – It’s that unlucky number

Hopefully, it won’t hex my writing.

It’s day 13 and I’m over half way in that devil on the shoulder word count, 27, 275 words to be exact.

That is in Microsoft Word is not playing ‘Friday the Thirteenth’ tricks on me.  Good thing it’s not Friday.

Part 2 is proceeding as expected with no surprises, and the characters are behaving themselves, well, in the writing sense.

I’ve found that I now need to write another chapter, before the end of the first part, to help explain, later on, some of the plot nuances.  This sort of issue often arises for me when getting to a particular point in a later section, I realize the reader needs a pointer or a nuance earlier on so that the revelation makes sense, not come out of left field.

Sorry, I have to get back to work, I don’t know where the time goes.

NaNoWriMo – Day 12 – I’m heading into uncharted territory

It could equally describe a place or my emotions, though in this case, it is the emotional side.

I’m taking on the persona of the main character, and try to sort through the emotions of, firstly wondering what it might be like to want the unobtainable, and secondly, what it might be like if circumstances, albeit unfortunate, bring you together.

Yes, it’s the girl.  You know how the standard love story goes, boy meets girl, boy loses the girl, boy somehow manages to save the day and win her back.  That’s the male side, for women it might be the other way around.

However, sometimes the unobtainable is that for a reason.  We shall see how this turns out.

On a more interesting note, I have hit the halfway mark for the number of words, 25,118.

I’d like to say it’s all downhill from here, but that’s never the case, is it?

NaNoWriMo – Day 11 – Some characters deserve more

I’ve decided to give a character that was meant to be only in the periphery, a larger role.

Characters seem to do that, demanding more from what was essentially a bit part.

But, not only in extending this part, the will be a little subplot that I didn’t initially consider but now will seamlessly fit in, and add some more meaning to what eventually happens.

Another hole, it seems, is plugged.

Oddly enough it’s a few idioms that were running around in my head that brought this on.

 

Take at face value

Never judge a book by its cover

A wolf in sheep’s clothing

And, of course, in business to succeed you have to be ruthless.

NaNoWriMo – Day 10 – I’m getting behind

Not only does the reality of life get in the way of writing, so does plot holes, and I guess this is why, in this sort of writing situation, it doesn’t pay to go back and read over some of what’s written.

I did.

And now wish I hadn’t.

The purpose of the exercise it to move forward, and I’m trying to, but the fact is, my subconscious was working overnight and pointed out a problem.

Why couldn’t I just wake up and imagine I was a No 1 bestselling author?

I tried to leave it along, but it wasn’t going to happen.  I had to fix it before going on.

It added a few hundred words, well below quota, so now it’s burning the midnight oil yet again.

NaNoWriMo – Day 9 – Real life impinges on my writing time

Today is the day I pick up the grandchildren from school, cook dinner, then take them home.

How does this affect the writing time, you ask.

It doesn’t help if you were up till 2:31 am the same morning and sleep in till after 10.

Still time before leaving at 2:30 pm to go to the school, you say.

Wrong.

Food to prepare, a potato bake, simple to make, but it takes time to prepare, and cook.

Chicken schnitzels, cut the chicken, and crumb it, simple, but takes time.

Before you know it, it’s time to go, and the potato bake has been in for an hour so far.

Oh, and one child requires handmade chips, not the bought kind, and neither like store bought schnitzels, so everything is handmade.

By the time the kids are back home, I’ve got the coffee from a drive-through cafe, it’s after 7:00 pm.

By the time I get to the computer to start, it’s after 11:00 pm

Tired.

Mind is a blank.

Just write

Two and a half hours later, 1,697 words.  Gibberish it might be, but it’s done.

Thank God tomorrow is a Saturday

Or not.

It’smind-numbingg shopping day!

NaNoWriMo – Day 8 – heading into the second week

The statistics are telling the story, in one sense.

After 8 days, 16,685 words, an average of 1,853 words a day, an average of 1,515 words a day to meet the 50,000-word target, and to do that I will be finished by Nov 27.

Of course, that would be true, but who writes a novel that is exactly 50,000 words?

It would be novel (pardon the pun) if you could do just that, it’s worth a moments thought before discarding.

The words are finding themselves being grouped into chapters, and the story is taking shape with the first section almost done.

Day 8 has seen the starting of the second section, and all I can say about the theme is be careful what you wish for!

NaNoWriMo – Day 7 – A week is a long time in…

As the title, it is usually said that a week is a long time in politics.

And has it what.  I think a lot of people have discovered the power of their one vote!

But we’re not here to discuss politics, that’s boring stuff, we’re here to revel in the fact seven days have passed, and I’m still on track.

I know, I know, don’t start blowing your trumpet too soon, a lot can still go to hell in a handbasket from here, but at the moment I’m being optimistic.

I’ve written the chapter that was missing, and this, of course, had opened up another hole where I’ll need to add another chapter, but that’s under control.

For now.

But, the big news…

I’ve decided to break the book into three parts,

The reluctant friend

A friend in need

A friend avenged

These might change, but so far, so good.

NaNoWriMo – Day 6 – A new twist, when not distracted

You see, this commitment to writing so many words a day becomes a little like a pressure cooker.

Having a plan is one thing, writing to it is another, but to keep going, now, there’s the thing.

Like this morning, sitting in front of the computer, knowing only five minutes before sitting down what I wanted to write about.  A new twist in the tale.

Then the phone rings.

Up from the table, over to the phone, answer it.

A nuisance call, someone saying I had an accident when I didn’t, a new group of scammers trying to leverage money out of you.  On top of the telecommunication scammers, and the endless charities looking for donations.

Distractions.

I sit down again, but my mind has switched off.

The words are gone.

Breakfast is looking good.