Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Writing Life: The NaNoWriMo Novel Progress

I'm still working on my National Novel Writing month novel. I'm up to about 59,000 words and first draft still isn't finished. I just completed the most harrowing section of the story this evening at my writing group and am going back to my two characters who fell off the balcony overlooking Battery Park in the Financial District in NYC. I'll finally find out what happens next with them.

As for the harrowing section, I've been dragging my feet and resisting this part because it's so intense. I thought I would feel a little better, even lighter, after getting through this section but now I have a new problem: my character is in the very worst kind of personal Hell and I don't know how to get him out, or even if he's going to get out. It's an emotionally tiring problem to carry around so I need to get through this part pretty quickly.

I'm working on what I'd consider the last quarter of the novel but it's probably the most difficult. After this first draft is finished I'll put it away for a while and work on my other novel, the historical mystery.

There were only three of us at my writing group this evening but we had a wonderful discussion about writing and the creative process. We talked about the importance of getting out and about and letting yourself "wander" whether physically wandering or internet wandering or mentally wandering as a way to make interesting connections that inspire your work. We also talked about how the creative process seems to come through you, that it seems to be coming from somewhere other than yourself. I've already written about these ideas in my Beginning Tips for Writers posts but it was fun to hear my fellow writers' ideas on these subjects.

Christ, I'm tired. I was supposed to do some more organizing this evening but I think I'm going to watch "Sherlock" instead. I need a break tonight.

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