NaNoWriMo 2005, Day 6
One of my 43 Things this year is to write a novel, which I’m doing during November’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Since I’m taking a break from writing my novel to write this post (relaxing break, eh?), I’ll keep my update short.
It’s going really well overall—I’m only about 350 words short of where I should be for today, and I plan to more than make up for that before I go to bed tonight. At this point, I can’t imagine a better way to write one’s first novel. I’m learning a ton as I go—things like, that I really should have done more thinking about my characters before I started, that I need to get better organized so Rod doesn’t turn into Rob some scenes, and that writing is extremely time-consuming.
All that said, I love the creative juices that are flowing. My plot’s twisting, my characters are evolving. If my mystery has false clues, it’s because the murderer has changed at least 2 times (and may change 2 more by the time I finish). I get new plot ideas while I’m running, while I’m showering, and while I’m asleep. I’m loving the whole idea of giving my creative self free reign.
Two pieces of advice for any future NaNoWriMo’s out there. First, buy No Plot, No Problem. It’s a great guidebook for the experience. Second, don’t get behind on the word count. It’s hell catching up!
