Just a quick update on my NaNoWriMo project. Over the weekend I reached 30k words, which was my goal. I’m pleased with how it’s going, but, of course, NaNo is about just getting it down on paper (or on the computer).
Some things going well:
- I’ve written something for every scene in the story. Sometimes it’s scraps of a conversation, or just a description of a setting, or the entire scene.
- Some of the characters are cracking me up. My protagonist has a cook/housekeeper who is sassy and stealing the scenes.
- I’m able to get about 400 words in a 20 minute sprint. That really adds up. I’ve been doing mostly writing sprints interspersed with exercise, housework, reading or even watching television
Some things to improve upon:
- Most of my characters have their ‘voice’ down, but my main character needs work. I like how his story arc is going , but I wish I had done a voice journal for him (as recommended by James Scott Bell in his book The Art of War for Writers) during Preptober. Next time I do NaNo, I’ll do voice journals for my characters.
- I didn’t really think out my antagonist enough, but it’s an easy fix. I will need to rewrite the scene where he first encounters my protagonist and give him a much different personality to fit the plot.
These things that need improving are minor and are a great example of how fun NaNo can be. It’s about exploring your story, making mistakes … well, making a mess.
Andrew M. Friday 