Today’s Nano stats:
Words Written: 2,001
Total Word Count: 5,196 words
Less than yesterday’s turn out, but I’m far prouder of these words. I actually took the time during my break at work to write and got about 600 words. The rest finished off the initial scene I’ve been trying to salvage. The midnight write-in was somewhat detrimental to my narrative flow in that it was basically 2,300 words of nonsensical babble. But that’s what rewrites are for, right?
Anyway, the story is progressing rather well. Slower than I’d expected — mostly due to the aforementioned babble — and I find myself wanting to rush myself along rather than let myself take the time for it to flow out of me. Usually I take this as a cue to take a break from that scene and write a different part of the story, but as this particular scene was recounting my announcement to my family of a desire to get a guide dog I felt a personal need to get through it. I think this is because in many ways that scene had the most potential to turn into a similar emotional event as writing The Novel of Angst and I didn’t want to give myself the oppotunity to turn it into that. For me, this project isn’t about that, it’s about the uplifting moments and life-altering realizations that have come from that decision to get a guide dog and my experiences with these wonderful canines.
So, all in all, I’m very pleased with my turn out today.
Relatedly, Justine Larbalestier has a blog post up offering some very good Nano advice about the (always awful) first (er, zero) draft. Applicable for all writers, whether you’re doing Nano or not.
