So, my SciFi novel is completed. I finished on Day 7 with just over 67,000 words. Despite the astonishing achievement that represents for myself, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed. I really wanted to hang on for at least 75k or 100, but the story just decided it was over. So, we'll see what happens in the rewrite. Its possible I might add entire chapters/sections.
Once I finished my novel I hit the "week 2 blahs" pretty hard. Trying to stretch my novel to 75,000 when it just wasn't going to make it really took a lot out of me. In fact, I sort of hit a mini-depression sort of feeling for a few days. However, I decided (with the invaluable encouragement and support of my fellow Over Achiever WriMo's) to move on to another story. So, after completing a short fanfiction Harry Potter crossover with Alice in Wonderland, I decided to start working on the sequel of my first novel.
At this point I'm at just over 15k for that novel and the story is just now really starting to unfold in my mind. I do not outline, so up until this point I only had vague ideas about where I wanted things to go. Now, however, I'm considering simply tacking on this "novel" as a second part of the first book and making it all one big piece. Something like Tolkien's 6 books in 3 novels scheme might suit this book. I'm not sure whether there will be a third portion, or if the story will be all over at the end of this one, but I can't wait to find out.
It's funny how readily my mind slipped back into the world of that series, though. The only difficulty I had at the beginning really was the normal "pantsing" problem of getting into the character's voice and getting the story to flow. Now, though, things are coming along just fine.
With a total word count quickly approaching 90k I am impressed by my own fortitude. I expected to burnout sometime last week, but somehow I managed to push through week 2 and now I'm looking at week 3 with no intentions of slowing.
Shout out to all my Over Achiever friends! Write all the words!
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