I am proud to announce that I did not complete NaNoWriMo. I made a valiant effort, I wrote a lot of drivel, and did not complete my story, but man, did I plough my way through some serious content. I’m glad for it.
Most of my writing happening in the first half of the month – I was actually ahead. But then, something happened – I got to place in my story that felt like a natural breaking point. I finished the first act, and from there, I just needed to let it simmer. I spent around 30,000 words on what is essentially a prologue. I’ve been writing up a lot of ideas since then, but no real scenes or narration for the novel, just plot ideas and summaries, and general rethinking.
I’ve learned that stories come in phases, and that I work best when I follow those phases, not when I try to force my way through. I’ve also learned that when it comes to writing, I’m not a project monogamist. When other projects present themselves, I feel better when I grab them by the horns. Optimizing is great for some people, but not me. If I try to plan and prioritize, I just end up doing nothing.
I’m going to keep working on this piece, but I’m also going to wait for inspiration to hit. It will – just as soon as I start focusing on something else.
