Friday, August 18, 2006

Non-NaNo writing

Well, it's official. I'm working on a new novel.

I cracked the 10,000 word mark on the "Insomnia" book last night so I guess, even after the bumpy start, and my general unwillingness to follow through on the commitment necessary in crafting a 50-100,000 word project, this currently untitled novel is my current, full-ish-time project.

It's actually gone intensely well the last few days. I probably did 3 or 4,000 words last night, easily more than twice my regular daily output during NaNo. Which means I'm probably going to take a break tonight, because I really don't want to burn out on this book so early on.

I'm beginning to get a little concerned about my structural plans, how that will effect length, and how that will effect the whole narrative.

Breaking each chapter into each individual day seemed like a really smart way to break up a story that wasn't going to have any sort of normal breaking points (because he's not sleeping, and so his whole experience just turns into one, nightmarishly long day). But I'm beginning to detect a few problems with the chapter=day approach.

First, In order to cover enough territory to make certain plot points believable, I'm going to have to cram a lot of stuff into each day, which will make for some awfully long chapters.

If I don't go that route, I'm not sure ten days is enough to pull it all off, but I can't push his insomnia too far past the generally accepted record (which is, in fact, ten days) with risking disbelief in the part of the reader.

I might be panicking over nothing at all. It might all just work out smoothly and naturally. Here's hoping it will.

ADDENDUM: I was going to mention what this noveling during the non-November months was going to do for my National Novel Writing output this year, because I fear I won't be doing it. This current book will either still be in progress, and I won't want to put it on hold for 30 days just to work on something completely unrelated, or else it'll be done and I'll be too creatively burned out to start on something new so soon afterwards.

So, if either of those things happen, I was thinking of using national novel writing month as an excuse to start editing my last finished novel (the one started during the 2004 NaNo). Treat it as national novel-editing month. Because it does need the editing work if anything's ever going to happen with it, and I really would like to see something happen with it.

Which seems to make this the appropriate time to send subtle hints to my lovely and talented volunteer-editor to try to get her editing work done by November first, so I can start looking at pages to rewrite, rework, or just throw the heck out.

Hint, hint.

4 comments:

elise_on_life said...

(SO subtle!)

elise_on_life said...

Well, I have a couple chapters done, and I will definitely aim to have the whole thing done by Nov.

Todd said...

Subtlety's not exactly a strong point, as I'm sure you're aware. Though, in all seriousness, no stress about having it done or not, as long as you're willing to give up what you *have* done by November, even if you're not finished the whole thing. I'm not sure I'd be able to get the whole thing edited that month anyway. But it seems like a good excuse to at least get started on it.

Todd said...

And what, no congratulations for my announcement that I'm officially working on a new book?