Despite my hesitations and the late start, I’ve decided to write a novel this month. So far, I’m elated and energized. I just hope I can keep it up!
To stay on track and write 50,000 words in 30 days, an average of 1,665 words should be written each day. I started a day late (almost two by the time I started writing). But in a mere 11 hours (5 of which were spent sleeping), I’ve cranked out 5,321 words. Not too shabby. I’m currently caught up and even a little bit ahead.
The year I finished NaNoWriMo, I kept a chart of each day’s progress. Looking it over last night, I saw that most days I exceeded my needed goal. This helped when later in the month I got sick or was too tired to write. I was able to not write a single word on eight different days and still finished the novel a day early. Granted, I think that novel is complete crap, but that’s not the point of this month-long exercise.
So, what’s my novel about, you ask? You would think that in 5,000 plus words I would know. I actually don’t. (Creator Chris Baty’s book No Plot? No Problem! explains why this is perfectly acceptable and even a little encouraged.) Multiple angles of how the story could go are still swimming through my mind. Right now it’s open and could go several ways. As I go about my day as usual, I’ll continue to think and brainstorm, even subconsciously. I’ll view each interaction with someone as a possible interaction between my characters. Every story I hear will sprout new ideas in my mind of what could happen in my novel. Anything is possible!
What I can share is that I have three main characters right now: Corrine, Zach, and Jude.* They’re all connected to each other but I won’t say how just yet.
As for this blog, I’ll try to keep everyone updated on how the novel is coming. I might even put in some excerpts, should I find them good enough for others to read. Any moral support you can give, like my wonderful aunt has already shown, I will take it! If you, too, are participating in NaNoWriMo, look me up on the website under sarcasm_inc in Indiana, USA.
*Jude had been Jodi but between that, Corrine, and a secondary character named Mary, I thought it might look like I have been watching a lot of reruns.**
**Which I have.
