Hooray, NaNoWriMo has begun! As of right now I'm at 1218, which I wrote after midnight and before I went to bed. Even though I have a rough outline, I had no idea where to start, oddly enough. It's book 3 in a series but how to kick things off? So I decided to write the thoughts of one of my main characters, a character that was incredibly important in book 1 but didn't have his own POV. Hearing him assess where the story was so far was fascinating, because the seeds of all of the conflicts are right there.
What I realized was that he honestly doesn't understand why another character (the POV of book 2) has what we would call PTSD, as he himself went through hell and can manage just fine. What will be interesting is that I already know what is about to happen (and that his whole world is about to crash down around him) so he is about to get a rude awakening in how grief and trauma can destroy someone. 🫣
Anyway, that was my first 1200 words. I plan to do a bunch of writing today and have the first write-in that I am organizing this evening, so fingers crossed I might have a solid 3-5K for day one (which I will definitely need for padding later!)
I just KNEW you were going to get cracking at midnight! I don’t think I was still awake at your midnight as I was still recovering from trick or treating and foot pain, but you go, Jackie! I love that you were still unsure of where to begin. Isn’t that always the way?
I actually had to finish my Substack post so I didn't even get started on NaNo until around 1 am or so (maybe later by the time I got comfortable). I'm so glad I have a laptop because I wrote those first 1200 words in bed with my new Squishmallow as a pillow behind me (best 12 bucks I've ever spent at Costco!)
Which Squishmallow did you get?! I got my son a GroGu one a couple years ago and it is my go-to comfort space when I am called to Family Video Game Time!
Abdul. He’s an orange owl cat. I am rather amused because I had an orange tabby cat named Abdoool once. back in the late eighties/early 90s. I thought it would be hilarious to name a cat that (I have no idea why) and within days this pathetic little kitten showed up at my doorstep. So the name stuck.
A couple women asked me about it at Costco yesterday and asked what the age range was. For the first one I just said I have a friend with an 18-year-old who loves stuff like this, but for the second one, I actually admitted that I was buying it for myself. Because really, where are you going to find a pillow of that size that’s that soft and squishy and cute for $12? it’s literally the best pillow to support my back on the couch and in bed.
Hooray! Happy November 1st! I'm jumping in at ground zero in terms of words. Before heading to work today, I wrote the first sentence and logged in 319 words.
Ugh. This is such a beautiful moment! I love the starting a zero and breaking through moment! What a champ you are squeezing that in before you even left for work. That is huge! My motto is always “anything more than zero is a win,” so you STARTED your day with a huge win!!
I already had around 4k words already done, but I am starting at 0. 899 words over 1 hour. Started to tackle a personally hard section of some personal stuff I am bringing into the story. Was not easy but almost through it. Should finish that one by tonight.
Hooray, NaNoWriMo has begun! As of right now I'm at 1218, which I wrote after midnight and before I went to bed. Even though I have a rough outline, I had no idea where to start, oddly enough. It's book 3 in a series but how to kick things off? So I decided to write the thoughts of one of my main characters, a character that was incredibly important in book 1 but didn't have his own POV. Hearing him assess where the story was so far was fascinating, because the seeds of all of the conflicts are right there.
What I realized was that he honestly doesn't understand why another character (the POV of book 2) has what we would call PTSD, as he himself went through hell and can manage just fine. What will be interesting is that I already know what is about to happen (and that his whole world is about to crash down around him) so he is about to get a rude awakening in how grief and trauma can destroy someone. 🫣
Anyway, that was my first 1200 words. I plan to do a bunch of writing today and have the first write-in that I am organizing this evening, so fingers crossed I might have a solid 3-5K for day one (which I will definitely need for padding later!)
I just KNEW you were going to get cracking at midnight! I don’t think I was still awake at your midnight as I was still recovering from trick or treating and foot pain, but you go, Jackie! I love that you were still unsure of where to begin. Isn’t that always the way?
I actually had to finish my Substack post so I didn't even get started on NaNo until around 1 am or so (maybe later by the time I got comfortable). I'm so glad I have a laptop because I wrote those first 1200 words in bed with my new Squishmallow as a pillow behind me (best 12 bucks I've ever spent at Costco!)
Which Squishmallow did you get?! I got my son a GroGu one a couple years ago and it is my go-to comfort space when I am called to Family Video Game Time!
Abdul. He’s an orange owl cat. I am rather amused because I had an orange tabby cat named Abdoool once. back in the late eighties/early 90s. I thought it would be hilarious to name a cat that (I have no idea why) and within days this pathetic little kitten showed up at my doorstep. So the name stuck.
A couple women asked me about it at Costco yesterday and asked what the age range was. For the first one I just said I have a friend with an 18-year-old who loves stuff like this, but for the second one, I actually admitted that I was buying it for myself. Because really, where are you going to find a pillow of that size that’s that soft and squishy and cute for $12? it’s literally the best pillow to support my back on the couch and in bed.
Fascinating to get an inside look into your beginnings!
At first my brain transposed this to getting a look at my innards! 😂. I'm so glad that wasn't what you actually wrote!
I was hoping to make it tonight but can't. Next time!
Can’t wait!! Happy writing!
Hooray! Happy November 1st! I'm jumping in at ground zero in terms of words. Before heading to work today, I wrote the first sentence and logged in 319 words.
Ugh. This is such a beautiful moment! I love the starting a zero and breaking through moment! What a champ you are squeezing that in before you even left for work. That is huge! My motto is always “anything more than zero is a win,” so you STARTED your day with a huge win!!
No zero days! If you know the reddit post you know it. I often forget the wisdom in that and appreciate your reminder!
Love this idea.
I always try to pick a day (and it usually ends up being Wednesday because I love alliteration) to be my own personal weekly check in!
I already had around 4k words already done, but I am starting at 0. 899 words over 1 hour. Started to tackle a personally hard section of some personal stuff I am bringing into the story. Was not easy but almost through it. Should finish that one by tonight.