I suppose I’ve reached a milestone today by making it to 10,000 on my word count and just a little beyond. It’s day 5 of NaNoWriMo.
My daily quota averages at about 2,200 words right now. I aim for a minimum of 2,000. Why just write 1,667, if you can write more?
The story is progressing nicely, I find. Since those doubts I uttered on day 1, I’ve not fallen back into such thinking. It would be, quite obviously, counterproductive.
I’ve read today’s pep talk and felt confirmed once more. I didn’t need it, I was just curious. And it helped, which is always a bonus.
This daily writing feels really good, I have to confess. Not just writing the blog of the day, but actually continuing with the story I am working on. Getting to know my characters better, delving deeper, exploring new avenues, taking turns as things progress, meeting more characters.
I have never written like this. All prior writing was but an exercise. I juggled ideas, jostled characters around on the page, experimented. There are things worth continuing with. But sitting down every single day to continue yesterday’s work is new.
And when I am finished for the day, I always stop at a point I can continue from. I don’t stop, because I’m stuck or have run out of ideas. I stop even though I know precisely how to continue. That way I can pick up right away when I start again tomorrow, not having to worry about the time I might spend to figure out what’s next. Or, even worse, not knowing what comes next at all.
I know that this novel will be longer than 50,000 words. I know I will finish it, come what may. Even if it never gets published, which isn’t even the aim here, it will be finished.
There are precisely two people that I would like to read the first draft. Both of you will likely be reading this. I trust your opinion and I am not looking for validation, but for the honest truth, plot holes, inconsistencies and plain old mistakes of whatever shape or colour.
I know there might be others, who would want to read what I’ve written. Maybe later.
Whatever the 30th of November will bring this year, at least I will have tried. And if nothing else comes of it, I will have learned something about writing and maybe about myself.
For all of you, who are participating as well: thanks for stopping by.
Now off you go and write.
2clouds 