nanowrimo 2008: the denouement
i crossed the 50k mark with about 20 minutes to spare before dinner was served on thanksgiving day. i hadn’t intended to write, but there was a lull in the morning and i needed some decompression time (large groups of family in a house that’s not my own makes me a bit skittish if i don’t give myself time outs periodically). i got so close, with one major scene left (i’d already accepted the fact that i wasn’t going to reach the epilogue) that i just plowed through until it was over. it was tough. i stopped every few sentences to see how close i was.
what a difference 2 years makes. in 2006 i was writing up to the last minute, in a panic about finishing. i remember spending almost 5 or 6 hours a day most days and barely hitting 2000 words. i even employed alcohol on occasion to try and get my brain the right groove. this year, i devoted maybe 3-4 hours a day and easily hit 2000 or 2500 when i did. sure, there were some hiccoughs, but it was just so much easier this trip.
why?
i think it largely boils down to having done it before. the story was no more or less clearer or “easier” to write this time. the outline was a bit more robust, but the outline and the story don’t line up all that well for it to have made such a difference. i think knowing that i’d done it before, coupled with knowing better what to expect gave me an edge. i also think i’m a better writer now than then. i haven’t done much in the way of reading or writing (mostly baby having), but i feel like something has changed. it might have just been that creative writing class i took in april/may.
so now what?
well, i’m still interested in telling these people’s stories and i haven’t written much in the last couple of days (i haven’t cracked the story since i finished), and i’m itching to keep this up. if only i found an engaging exercise or healthy eating challenge (key word: engaging – i know there are plenty out there), i could affect some serious change in my life.
my next step is basically to take a more analytical look at the novel and see where my gaps are. once i do that, i’ll be able to see if it’s worth fleshing out, and if so, come up with a schedule to keep it up. if i keep this up, i’ll probably gather the courage to let one or two of some fair and impartial (but gentle and supportive) friends take a look. then portfolio-ize it to shop it around to publishers and get to work on book 2.
how crazy would that be?
Comments