It’s November 30th, aka the day of reckoning in the world of NaNoWriMo.
I’ve not “won”. I did write a total of just over 25k words, which was my minimum target, and I almost achieved my bigger target of writing every day (total of 3 days over the month with no new words added: 1 due to family day out, 1 due to reading for research, and 1 due to not being able to put down Alyssa Cole’s An Extraordinary Union).
Among those 25k words I’ve got enough to pull apart & create a decent start / first 1/3 of a book, and I’ve got a much clearer idea now of what else I need to develop & plan to end up with a complete story.
I also had a bit of a breakthrough in realising why there’s a certain point in some stories which makes me grind to a halt. It’s down to the type of conflict the stories require, and the issue is rooted in my past.
Basically, I’ve got a bit of a mental block over writing bullying behaviour. So at least now I’ve figured it out, I can start working out how to unpick it & work around – or through – the blockage. I’ve got at least one writing book which looks at writing villains which, although not as useful as I’d initially hoped, is probably worth finishing. I’ll also look through my other books to see if there’s useful exercises in them. And of course, I’ll be keeping an eye out for any affordable workshops looking at this kind of issue, because I learn this sort of thing best through pulling stuff apart with an expert.
It’s been an interesting month. The story didn’t take anywhere near the route I thought it might, and I’ve been learning about all sorts of things from 1960s commercial air routes to the history of Huddersfield’s woollen industry… Lots more still to learn, as always!
How was your November?