NaNoWriMo update
November 19, 2017
Day 19 of the NaNoWriMo challenge and it looks like I'm going to get there, hopefully a little ahead of time even. You can find me as MoniqueVMB on the NaNoWriMo site.
I changed the name of the novel once already and I'm still not completely sure about it, but I figure it's just a working title and it'll probably change again once I'm done. Especially since I now found that the story is not going to be finished in 50,000 words.
So far I did an outline and wrote the first 10 or so chapters. Expanded the rest of the outline, figured out who the characters are going to be and generally dug myself in deeper and deeper. To a point where I now find myself drawing maps and thinking about place names for the world.
One thing I learned from this exercise so far, is that writing begets writing... Once you start you automatically wind up going deeper and deeper into the story. Building layer upon layer. It's so much fun to see how one sentence can turn into this elaborate piece. It reminds me of painting, which, at least to me, works on this same principle.
At the end of October I set up my B6 with 3 notebooks, 1 Nano Insert, 1 courses and classes insert and one 100+ page writing insert.
By the 15th of November the writing insert was completely full and I had to add a fourth insert, 128 pages this time. The courses insert now has about 8 pages left, so I think I need to stop taking classes... and the Nano insert is being used as a random daily starter for me. To write all kinds of stuff, create maps and work out creatures and things. You can see it in the below picture, it's the first insert.
I write everything longhand and then get very angry with myself at night when I have to add it all to scrivener. Especially since I don't know how to type blind... so yeah, there is the downside of that.
On the other hand, I did try to type it directly, but my brain just doesn't work like that. I prefer creating a mess in my notebook. By writing with pen somehow the new words in my mind seem to form whilst I'm writing out the sentences. As if by some kind of magic the words keep on flowing. Something that doesn't happen when I'm typing.
Who knows I may learn to type blind one day and it won't be such a daunting task to type it all into Scrivener. For now I'm sticking to my trusty B6, do my writing while sitting on the couch and then, under protest, type it all in scrivener.
Meanwhile the book is slowly getting out of hand (again) and for now it looks like I'm writing a three piece epic fantasy novel. Which is why I decided to not fight this, just go with the flow and make sure I have part one ready by the end of this month. Since the reason for trying the planner approach was to have a complete book finished by the end of the month. A novel with a start middle and end.
So far however, it seems like that plan failed, well on the original outline that is, apparently there's just too much I want to tell.
For those of you who'd like to read a small part of what I've written so far, I'll post a tiny piece of the story below. I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think of it =)
Good luck with with writing in the last stretch for the month to all who are attempting it.
Have a wonderful week,
xoxo Monique
Excerpt from Blood of the Talan:
Not to far ahead the cold damp forest opened into an open space. Tiny compared to the towering trees around it. The sun played with the brightly colored flowers carpeting the open space.
When Dwyade reached the open spot he felt the sunshine hit his face. The smell of the flowers attacked his nose… They were tempting him to step further, to step into the sunshine, among the flowers. A soft wind caressed his neck and he realized that the deep darkness of the woods had chilled him to the bone. It send shivers down his spine.
He felt as if he was coming home after a long and tiresome journey. A bird sang somewhere among the trees. It was a soothing sound. He stepped further, deeper into the open space. He wanted to go there, all the way to the middle. Lay down among the inviting flowers, close his eyes and rest. Maybe even sleep a little. Suddenly he felt very tired.
The trees around the open space seemed to bend over to him. Closing him in, more and more. As if they were falling down while at the same time standing there tall and dark. Reaching for him in this tiny little sanctuary.
The smell around him was intoxicating. The flowers seemed to whisper to him, “come, lay your weary head down. Sleep and forget all your sorrows”. He could barely keep his eyes open. “Yes”, he thought, “Sleep, just a second, a minute maybe”.
“Yes”, the flowers beckoned. “Come and forget. Sleep and forget all…”.
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