Well, I was so worried and so afraid I would never make it to 50000 words from November 1 to November 30. I was so afraid I would never be able to finish what I started....
Here it is, still technically Saturday, November 14, for me, as I haven't gone to bed yet, and I am officially at: 48357 words.
If there is one thing we should all know by now, it's that 2000 words in one day is not a real issue for me.
Today, this morning, a very interesting thing happened. I sat down, thinking I was writing back story, more word padding, I will admit. What actually happened was: I rewrote the intro. I rewrote...so much.
Here's another midstream shift that has hit. Even though it coincides with a great deal of what I have already written...it is a completely different novel. It is absolutely not what I set out to write. Not before November. And certainly not since beginning the contest.
There are things inside me, quietly begging with all their might, to be allowed to come forth and show themselves.
Now, the original archetype of the story remains. You can't spend twenty plus years with the same characters and not know them inside and out. So when these changes of direction come in mid-stream, I can keep up and see which way the wind is blowing, even if the manner in which it all happens just completely baffles me.
This section, this direction, feels really really REALLY good to me. I am pushing, but not overly much. I am striving, without forcing. Heck, most of the time, I am trying to keep my fingers from catching on fire as the characters do all the work and I struggle to keep up with them.
I wrote 10674 words today. Today. In one day. Just one day. Not that I haven't before...but not like this...I wrote about four thousand words this morning, before my loving smurf of a son kicked me off of my computer--and sent emails no less! Sheesh! I did save my document before being thrown out of my room. I spent all day stewing. I didn't want to work on my netbook--I had 4000 words on the desktop and no way to switch them over from one to the other--without starting a fight with two young children...either of whom might have chewed my arm off today had I tried to touch anything that might have gotten them away from their games--they were learning to read, darn it. (starfall)
I worked all day. I had a really good day at work too. I worked on R's sock. I am six+ inches into it. Two more inches and I start turning the heel. This is the prototype, let's see what we need to adjust next time around, tester sock. I am really enjoying the snot out of this too.
I even had to place an order with knitpicks today--and I didn't even order any yarn!
I ordered more needles...and a couple books to even things up. One is a book we've wanted for awhile because we liked it when we borrowed it from the library--and the other is an interesting looking sock making book. Yes, I am officially addicted now and I am not even done with the first sock.
Both my kids are here, in case you missed that. Which means fun fun fun -- it never stops. :-) N tried to color raw eggs with blue food coloring. Which, btw, does come off little boys when the boy is soaked in warm bubbly water and scrubbed gently with olive oil soap. Although the soap does not wash off the ornery attitude, not at all.
And I wrote a total of 10674 words. With everything else that was going on. I stayed up after the kids went to bed and I wrote, knowing I have to get up in the morning, knowing I will have clients waiting, knowing R will be here first thing to play with us, knowing I have to get up and write some more tomorrow too. After my lead character wakes up as she went to bed and the writing stopped there....
If I wrote like that every day--and sometimes I do--I would have a whole entire rough draft done in five frakkin' days. Five.
I have a boyfriend who is threatening to make my life a living hell once Nano is over. He is determined I will edit and rewrite my book until it is the best I can make it. He is not going to stop until I submit my book to publishers and to whomever else it takes to get my book out there. He has my permission to threaten me in cases like this.
Do not underestimate what positive reinforcement from your partner can do for you. It's amazing.
Then again, he is seeing that himself, as I kinda egged him into buying that first real estate investment property. One property. Positive cash flow. Boom. Boom. Boom. He's not even done buying the first one and he has a second one in mind for the next one as soon as the first closes.....
He is stumbling a little over things internally, even though he has planned to do this for seven years, only because for the past five years he had someone with him who shot down each and every idea he had, because it made her uncomfortable, because she had no capacity to think outside the box, or outside of herself. Funny thing is--the very first property he is buying--positive cash flow from the closing date on. He has all the win/win scenario stuff on his side from the get go. She held him back from this. He could have quit his day job by now if not for her negativity.
There is a lot to be said for letting go of the negative influences in your life. Look at all the good things that have happened to him since he has.
Or all the things that have happened to me since I have.
I could be mean and show the flip side, but I don't have it in me right now.
I am returning to my regularly unscheduled nano update now.
I had an outline drawn up to follow the last idea when the novel jumped ship and swam catty-corner. This bare bones outline can still be used, once it's been heavily modified...since basically it's the same people, with the same story. But....it's completely different from what I planned to write. An utterly different view of the activities that go on...
What I am writing is ... the back story. The behind the scenes how did she reach this point stuff. Stuff that was to be hinted at from novel to novel...because this 'fair maiden' is a serial--I've known her for 20+ years--give me a break--I have more pieces of her life in my head than I do my own....which is not as bad as it would seem to most...
These are not the pieces I had planned to focus on, not in any novel really. Yet, this is the novel I am writing. This is the novel I will finish. This is the novel I will take my sandstone to and polish. This is the novel that will be published, first.
It's harsh. It's bare. It's brutal. And it is so bloody brilliant at times. I know where this stuff comes from. I know why it comes. Parts of it are going to be hard for some to swallow. I know if it continues to go the way I think it is, it's going to cause pain to those who think it is written for or about them, or things they have been involved in. But--it isn't about them. At all. It merely echoes those things--as this character has had all these experiences in place long before the people who will feel the reverberations ever entered my life.
I like this novel.
I like where it's going.
I understand why the shift, and I am good with it.
Although I am still quite surprised by the depth of it.
Here's to a beautiful rest of the month.
I shall continue to write after I reach 50000 words. Although then I may not really keep track of anything.
Once I reach the end, which I know will come after 50000 words, I will start into editing and rewriting. Whatever it takes.
I am so glad R is going to be riding me to publication.
This is the book that wants to be published first. For that I am both happy and surprised.
And if I finish one book, guess what that means....I can finish more....
One book...after another...and the cycle is begun....
Bless you, Chris Baty, and your wonderful contest. Thank you.
I have spent how many years saying I was planning to write, planning to be a writer.
I've been a writer now, for a couple of years, admittedly so. Thanks to you, I know I am a novelist as well.
A novelist.
Imagine that.
Me.
A real live novelist.
:-)
Waa hoo!!
I have to go find food before i can sleep --and I have to get up in a couple hours. The boy does not sleep in...no matter how much we wear him out....
Cheers!
