1,681. What I would have needed in a normal day. About 200 some better than I need for this little experiment.
I’ll take it.
Category: Fiction
Second Chance – 02
992 words isn’t what I call a banner day, but this restart doesn’t begin at zero. Not sure what the actual necessary number of words I need to hit is.
Might have to look into that.
The writing went well. I have stuff that needs reworking, but that’s for tomorrow.
I should also point out that I now believe I know who the killer is. Which is good for a murder mystery type thing like I’m writing. Fortunately the killer is different in this draft than the last. That was one part of the first run that I didn’t quite get behind.
Hopefully tomorrow will run smoother.
Second Chance – 01
As one will infer, NaNoWriMo was not a great success this year.
In fact, it was a catastrophic failure, as I didn’t reach even the quarter way mark.
To put it in better perspective, I’ve failed at least five years of NaNoWriMo in recent memory. Last year was the outlier.
And what an outlier it was. Actual finished novel.
So what went wrong?
I shouldn’t have tried rewriting last year’s draft. Maybe.
Last year I was just struggling to finish. This year I was struggling to finish and do it right.
And this has proven to be more remake than rewrite. I added a major character and his presence changes things. For the better, I believe.
Anyways, what do I do now?
Reset the clock.
I’m writing a novel this month. Same one I’ve been working on since the start of November.
The NaNoWriMo site allows a certain leeway. You pick the dates, it keeps track of them.
Thus I’ve picked the end of December. I’ve put in what I have as the current count for today and am moving ahead with the business.
Why? Not continuing isn’t a choice. I like this novel and want to see it finished.
I’m using the tools given to me as an incentive. Giving me a goal every day to move one step closer to finishing.
What happens if I fail again? I reset the clock and go again. I lose no money doing this, any more than I gain money in finishing.
The important part, as always, is finishing.
Now, below is where I stand as of today, December 1, 2024. Actually I’m in better standing than this. I have some more writing from November that I think I can salvage. That doesn’t matter right now. What matters is pushing on.
NaNoWriMo Day 2
So. 1,503 words.
On the plus side, that was how much I wrote.
On the minus, I dumped everything I wrote yesterday. So now I’m really behind.
This is not uncommon for me. Hopefully I will keep today’s and start making progress.
NaNoWriMo 2024
Well the Month of Horror was a bust, now wasn’t it? Got sick, missed a few days, and never went back.
Oops.
Anyways.
Here we go again. Last year I won in every way possible. This year I hope to do better. Technically it’s a rewrite last year’s novel, but it’s a “reimagining.” I have a new character helping the protagonist out and some of the old ones are going the way of the dodo. Plus I have a better grasp of what I want to say. It’ll be less scattershot and all in all improved.
I’m at 1,561 words, which is a bad start. Still, I’ve come from behind before, and this isn’t that far behind the intended 1667 words.
Here’s hoping.
[WRITING] The Second Novel – Day 3
You might not notice, but the bar has dropped a bit.
Not sure if that’s an actual or I botched recording yesterday’s score.
But! I am writing. I am progressing. And I hope to write something other than the first chapter in the near future.
[WRITING] The Second Novel – Day Two
It’s much worse than the graph lets on. I’m rewriting the opening. Some of the stuff I have now is bound to be tossed.
Early days, and, to be frank, typical. Only plus is that when I worked at Walmart I never came home and wrote. These days, it’s easier.
Finishing the first novel might have helped with that.
Anyways, the goal is finishing Novel #2. The deadline is only there to push me down the path. I should be able to catch up Monday and Tuesday. If not, Wednesday and Thursday are my weekend. Should be able to catch up there.
All this aside, I’m happier tonight than last night, and that’s what counts.
I keep saying to myself.
[WRITING] The Second Novel – Day One
Okay, so apparently NaNoWriMo’s site now lets you track your book whenever you want to do it. Just put in a couple dates and make sure you record your count each day. That’s it.
So today after work I started the Second Novel. Had an outline started up for it and everything. Thought it go smooth.
It did not.
I needed 1613 words. I got 905.
That ain’t good.
Anyways, it’s a start. Hopefully tomorrow will go better.
As an extra bonus, here’s a scene made by one of those AI image creator sites that might give you a slight feel for where I’m going.
Though, honestly? This scene doesn’t happen in the story. At least I don’t think it does. It’s just to give an idea, a sort of feeling, of what I want.
[FICTION] Whisper
Originally published here on May 22, 2018. This version is slightly modified to improve effect.
Fredric Brown did a lot of stories entirely too short for their own good that never the less pack a punch. He’s credited with “The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door…” Which he attached to a longer work called, unsurprisingly, Knock.
This is a long winded way of saying that there’s probably a longer story just waiting to spring from this little one. Until I think of it (assuming I do) I think it stands well on it’s own.
Whenever I even whisper her name, wherever I am, wherever he is, he hears me.
Ever since, I do it as often as I please.
Just because I can.
[NANOWRIMO] Almost Half a Ream
So last week I did something I’ve never done before. Two somethings, actually. I finished writing a novel and I printed that novel up.
52,400 words. 241 pages (more or less) of double spaced prose. 48.2% of a ream of paper.
I’m working on a second novel now. I can’t honestly say it’s going as well as the first, but I’m still plugging.
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