Wednesday 2 December 2015

(vol 2) Chapter 47: “NaNoWriMo - Serving up a draft”

2015 WORD COUNT=                        71950

2015 NaNo WORD COUNT=               51113

2015 TOTAL WORD COUNT =           122185


I’m going to get this out of the way at the very beginning; I made it across the 50,000 word finishing line. I’m a winner!

It was a tough month, I won’t deny it. Much harder than 2013 or 2014 were. I never thought I wouldn’t make it, but part of me knows I could have done it sooner.

But, win I did. And now I have two more first draft Chris And Mike novellas in the bag. The plan was always to finish the first three (the first being July’s CHRIS AND MIKE vs THE RISING DEAD for CampNaNo) and then edit them together, allowing me to lay little titbits throughout, linking the tales together. The three novellas make up the origin story and show how Chris and Mike get together in the first place and what leads them setting up their monster hunting business.
  

 DAY TWENTY-SIX – 1850 words

After ending the previous day bringing in a new character in the form of a four story tall demon (the books big bad), I booted up the laptop today realising I need to do something with him. So I started today making him fiercer. I then realised that Chris and Mike were ill-equipped to deal with him and also had no clue who he even was. So I ended up creating a new character, a figure of good, the opposite of the demon in many ways. And with this character came back-story, conflict, and the purpose of the book. It all suddenly clicked and I had my ending. It felt good.


DAY TWENTY-SEVEN – 2584 words

Another Friday meant another early start commute into work with my laptop in tow. I took that extra hour and wrote the beginning of the end as the heroes head on to the treasure they’ve been after since the start. I also chucked in a little more banter between Chris and Mike, because I like these two best when they don’t see eye-to-eye.

I got some more words down at lunch, bringing the demon back in a big way as well as finally revealing the temple from the title. A big fight is building, and our heroes don’t looked matched for it. And then the worst thing happens; a hero falls.

DAY TWENTY-EIGHT – 1861 words

The pause before the final fight. Two characters trapped inside the temple, danger all around. This is where the real backstory comes out as the history of the temple is revealed, and the link from the two mythical figures who have been duking it out for centuries is discovered. Is there really no hope? Are our characters doomed? Is the world as we know it over?


DAY TWENTY-NINE – 3014 words

This was it in more ways than one. The end of the story would play out today and I was planning on using the epic finale to get me over that finish line.

A secret now revealed, the only weapon to defeat the demon finally in hand, and a hero fighting against the darkness. This chapter has it all.

The wife was so helpful this day, taking my son out twice, and giving me the opportunity to get my NaNoWriMo 2015 win with my second highest word count of this November.

If you take part in NaNoWriMo then you’ll know what it feels like when you see your word count cross 50,000. A great weight is lifted, and the absolute relief of making it makes you want to cry and smile at the same time. All the low word counts, the moments of writers block, all get forgotten about as it all feels totally worth it

DAY THIRTY – 878 words

I didn’t need to write today, but I had the beginning of the prologue in my head and wanted to get it down. Although the novellas are primarily stand alone, I am linking things through them, and this final chapter ties up not just the third novella, but the whole origin trilogy.
  
  
And that’s it. No more NaNoWriMo updates for the year. Normal service (whatever that was) will resume next week, with a look at the current FlashDog anthology project, followed the week after with a goodbye to Flash! Friday (expect a side order of tears with that one).

Before I go, a big thank you to the wife. Having to deal with a constantly distracted husband who spurts out random word goals on a daily basis, while talking about people who aren’t real (to her) fighting monsters and saving the world, probably isn’t easy. Not only that, but towards the end of the month she makes an extra effort to remove our son from under my feet and give me peace and quiet, and space to write (wish my neighbour was as courteous). I couldn’t do NaNoWriMo without her.

Also a big thank you to those of you that supported me, that tweeted words of encouragement, that shared your own NaNo highs and lows (you know who you are). 2015 was the first time I really felt like I was writing in a group, and being a FlashDog played a big part of that. A massive congratulations to my fellow writing buddies. A lot of success stories this year, from the last minute finishes, to the super impressive (and double the necessary) word counts. You worked your butts off and now there are even more cool stories in the world.

Now I’m off to not write. Maybe I’ll play some Fallout, take a walk around the always dangerous Wasteland.

See you in seven.

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