So looking at my historic info, every other year I have been behind pretty much until the last week. Close, but still behind.
I think my smallest overage this time around was 600 words.
Now, I have to admit: it’s a bigger story. And I bet I’m further behind story-wise than I am usually.
But it’s still a Big Deal.
This would be my fourth NaNo (fifth if you include Camp) since the first time I won.
Usually I struggle to get a thousand words in a little over an hour.
My first session, on November 1, I got 1667 words (exactly!) in 50 minutes.
I’m stunned.
Granted, practice helps. I’ve spent a lot of time over the past 4-5 years working through techniques and tactics and learning how I write.
But the most hopeful thing, to me, is that I’m not bored. A lot of times if I reach a certain low level of mastery or understanding of a topic or field, then I just… stop. I’m just not interested in it anymore. It gets boring. I am done with what I came to see.
Here, it feels like I still have a long ways to go before I get bored. And I really, really like that.
The current novel is the sequel to the Perdita story. I am hoping I can get this one to the 75-85k word range. If I can do that during Nano, that would be even better.
If I work out the next step, I should get another writing session or two in today–which will get me to 10k in the first weekend. That’s… never something I expected to happen.
I don’t think I’ve ever hit 1667 exactly on day 1 before.
Great website of historic photos. Via Dan.
This was my writing week off for 2013.
I’m currently running Perdita through my writing group, and I have one set of notes from a beta reader.
I’ve started the second book in the fantasy series. I’m trying a new method if drafting–a bit more planning than I usually do. So far it seems to be working without me feeling that it sucks the interest or creativity out of what I do.
“But there is an end to everything, even tears.” -Clara Longworth de Chambrun in Charles Glass’s Americans in Paris, p. 43.
So I’ve split chapter five into two because of all the rewriting I’ve done to change the lead up to the ships. At this point I’m back closer to editing rather than writing new scenes or cutting 90% of what I have. Less than 20k words to go. I’ve done the hardest parts.
But I’m feeling stuck at the start of six. Did I get lost in the rewrite? Have my characters become different people? I’m not sure.
As I logged all of my early NaNoWriMos to help me figure out what my process is, I probably should do that with the editing too.
The first draft of chapter one is done. Fairly happy with it, although I suspect there will be some issues with POV although I revised it.
Problem: Astrology.
It’s pretty clear to me that the world needs an astrology system that’s fairly integrated into their worldview.
Now–there’s a point in the story where there’s a bit of a deus ex machina–at the beginning, to set the story in motion. I could use a star chart as a more logical departure.
I’m not sure though–will this unnecessarily complicate the story? (probably not) Is it helpful? (unclear) Is my resistance mainly due to lazyness? (likely)
Sure, I can just add in some language here and there and explore the system in full in a later novella (which was kind of my original plan). But does that make the system part of their lives? It really should be….