Nanowrimo Week 2: The Story and the Word Count

 I've wrote almost 13,000 words in seven days.

But in week 2, I wrote nearly nothing.

Of course, life gets in our way. This time, I think I got in my own way. I wrote myself a cryptic note and I couldn't figure it out. I spent most of the week staring at "Write biker scene before dress scene". Here's a hint as to why that's confusing: my whole book is about bikers.

Eventually I gave up and wrote another scene which I like and which was true to the story. Maybe I'll remember what that scene was during editing. That's clarity I wish I had earlier this week. I was speaking with my friend Dyane Forde at some point about being a perfectionist. We both admit to this. 

I mentioned how I know that, in terms of speed and progress, editing is something best done when the draft is complete. For me, though, it's just impossible to press forward if I think something is badly written. I feel like everything following is also badly written or, if what follows is better written, the badly written work is still staining it. It's a lot like shitting your pants and trying to continue as if nothing happened. You just have to go home and clean up.

This book is short. I think I can still finish in the next 2 weeks. I hope that because it's short, this will be my only stumble. Now I face a different problem. Finish the story in time. 

I originally plotted the book into Year One and Year Two. And things seemed to be going great. But now, there seems to be so much missing. I mean exactly that, missing. The more I write, the more I feel like these pieces should be there. I'm actually surprised at how much I've written and what I've written. My main character is becoming ruthless and very violent. Every page I write is a surprise for me right now. 

  
I'm at the middle of the book, leading up the climax of the story. This is the part that's always most difficult for me. I am good at world building, introducing characters and getting them into trouble. I also feel like I'm even good at endings. But the middle, the pacing is the most terrifying and the most difficult. Quite frankly, I'm scared.

Added to the challenge is I want to see if I can STILL finish by the 22nd. Right before thanksgiving. And I would LOVE to spend the holiday editing. So, let's see how this week goes. See y'all sunday!

Finish Line

Today, I'll be writing the 19th chapter of my book. That's exciting in itself to some extent but what is most exciting for me is that I haven't stopped.

For the people who know me and read my work, I give up on projects frequently. I fail to outline and get stuck. I lose my momentum and stop. I realize the characters suck or the plot is derivative and I toss the manuscript.

But not this time. This time I see the finish line in sight and I'm headed straight toward it.

This is Usain Bolt. I am the him of writing.

I've been averaging about 10k words a month and it feels really good. But what is different this time around?

Well for one thing, I had a clear goal in mind when I began this project: Stomp the Fantasy Stereotypes. 

That goal allowed me to write a detailed outline starting first with the races of the world and then the history and finally places. Most of the outline won't go in the story but at least the place was real and different to me. Then I picked an interaction between two races to create my plot:  The Synn kidnap human women to use as surrogates. And HoSG was born.

It happened just like this, pretty much.

Now, I'm almost 3/4ths of the way finished. I'm not meeting the deadline I aimed for, which was last week, because I grossly underestimated the work that goes into producing something good. (I'll admit my other projects had huge flaws in them that I was too blinded (by the love of the game) to notice).

But I still count this as progress because I haven't stopped. I have no intention of stopping because the book hasn't given me a reason to stop. There is no lag. For once in my life there is no lag.

My high school art teacher once told me the middle of the painting is the hardest. She wasn't lying. I cried into my oil paint. Painting isn't my strong suit, granted, but the same goes for writing. The middle of the book is the worst for me. But I got through it this time and suddenly the end is completely in sight. Here's some more Usain for y'all.

 Prancing right over that muh fucker!

This moment came after tons of bad projects, some completed, some not. This came after over 100 query letter submissions, some acknowledged most not. This came after two full manuscript requests, none accepted.

And every failure has led to some sort of improvement. Improvement is progress. Progress gets you to the finish line.