NaNoWriMo: November 8 Update

Words Written Last Night: 1,770
Total Words Written: 12,664
Percent of Final Goal: 25%

Notes: You know how long it takes to write 1,666 words? Apparently, not all that long.

I spend about an hour and a half to two hours writing a night, but a good portion of that time is actually me standing up from the computer, walking out into the common room, and telling my roommate that I wrote another hundred words before telling him the latest cool thought I had about math.

Actually, that’s not quite true. He’s the one who tells ME about math.

Still, I find that the writing goes a little easier when I take small breaks in the middle – provided I’ve put in the effort to do some quality writing in the first place. I write a couple hundred words, go read a few comic strips (I’m working my way through the complete Calvin and Hobbes again) or a chapter from my book (currently reading Jerry Spinelli’s Loser), and then come back to the writing with a mostly fresh mind.

Not planning out the plot ahead of time is providing some interesting challenges. Right now, the novel feels more like an extended outline in development than a coherent narrative, but it’s providing me with some interesting choices. I’ve got a scene on the slate now that I had never intended to write – Wendy in her classes at school. Suddenly, there’s a whole new avenue that’s just opened up for new characters, conflicts, and settings.

In revision, I’m going to have to decide between turning the story into a psychological thriller or a regular YA novel. I’m not sure which way it’ll swing in the end.