In about 2 weeks, I’ll be participating in NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month to the uninitiated. This is a global event where a bunch of crazies attempt to write an entire novel of about 50K words in a month. This isn’t my first rodeo, though. It’s my 2nd.
Last year, I wrote about 45K words of my historical fiction novel. Although I didn’t “win” NaNoWriMo, and even though my words are garbage (right now), I was immensely proud of having written every single day of November. However, I’m only a little more than halfway through my story. What can I do, my characters are very wordy!
So this year, I’m having a go at it again to write the 30K odd words that I need to finish my first draft. There are, however, more challenges this year. I now have a full time writing job, I still have two kids (ha!), and I’m recovering from the slipped disc in my neck which has made my right arm weak. I have to take frequent breaks from typing and be consistent with my physiotherapy exercises. And oh, I’m not a morning person (at all!) and most nights, I have to play dead next to my toddler until he’s asleep.
I was supposed to prep this month, but so far, Preptober has been a failure–I haven’t gotten anything done. Come November, this hardcore plotter will have to change gears and write like a pantser–find my way through the rest of the draft without a map. Maybe it’s meant to be this way?
I’ve always wanted to write this novel. It’s set in two places very close to my heart–my contemporary heroine lives in San Francisco (my adopted homeland) and my heroine in the past lives in Pune–where I was born and brought up.
I’m writing this post to manifest my novel into existence. Because if I post this, it will happen, right?
Please wish me luck, and if you see me loitering on social media, feel free to remind me that I should be writing.
And if you’re attempting NaNoWriMo too, come write with me. It’s always better when there’s company! I’m “mixedbag” on the NaNo site.