NaNo in 1 Week? Holy Mackeral!

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!

Day Three!

Well, I'm over 13k in my word count now. It feels OK, but not as epic as last month. I think I went somewhere around 18k by this time in October. Still, I'm on pace for, well, let's see...

A 50k completion around the 11th and a total word count topping at over 125k. That makes me feel much better. Shoot, if I can overachieve by that much I'll be ecstatic. I really had to muscle through my first novel's last ten thousand words or so. Its a good feeling to have one novel under my belt. This badass novelist just has to replicate the results +2 or 3 points.

Even if I only meet my goal of 60,000 by the 30th I'll be happy. That's +8k my final total for "Fool's Gold." In fact, at this pace I may end up doing a second book this month after all. I said I'd spend the end of the month editing and rewriting Fool's Gold...but I don't know. People are pushing me in the Overachiever's threads on the NaNo site.

In any case, I am still having fun writing this SciFi book. The Captain is a crossdesser after he snapped and went bonkers. The female main character is kickass, and the Russo-American Pirate speak is really working. Haha.

Writer's Tip: If writing about pirates or those that speak like pirates Alestorm or other Pirate metal really helps.

In any case, good luck to all the WriMos! Keep it up comrades!

NaNoWriMo!!!

OK folks, we're just over a day away from November 1st now. That means that we all need to polish off our prep work, get some good rest, and eat hearty! Here there be monsters! Abandon all hope ye who enter here. Still, chins up, dead men tell no tales!

Sorry, I think SpaceEx patois is bleeding into my everyday writing. Since I switched to SciFi I developed the cultures of 50 years from now. SpaceEx are cosmic sailors stationed on spacecraft and satellites. Their dialect is a cross between Russian, English, Victorian "pirate" speak, and tiny bits of Japanese. So, in prepping I've had a hearty dose of pirate lingo me buckos!

In any event, I'm looking forward to the joy and the agony of writing a novel in under 30 days once more. I plan to take a more sane pace this time, but who knows how that'll work out. Any WriMos reading this? If so drop me a line! I'm Lykeios on the NaNoWriMo site if you prefer there.

I wish you all a wonderful Hallowe'en and happy writing! Good luck to ya!