Tag: challenge

NaNoWriMo – onward and upward

Chris Hall8 Comments

nanowrimo 2018

Week 2

This morning, having once again had a terrible Thursday – not even one paragraph completed – I was feeling discouraged. The whole day before me and I just couldn’t get going. Maybe I’d put my characters through too much in the last couple of chapters? Charred bodies? Too gruesome for a middle grade story?

Leave it. Move on. I can always tone it down later.

Then after doing a spot of ‘real work’ up they popped, ready to go. Now Chapter 10 is all finished and I’m pretty much on track for my 30,000 word target for the month – 14,290 to be precise – and they’re ‘all good’ words (I think).

So, onward and upward to fellow ‘NaNo’s next week, and to everyone else busy toiling at the keyboard!

NaNoWriMo – update

Chris Hall6 Comments

nanowrimo 2018

The first week is almost over. Well, it’s been a week and a day, strictly speaking, but since my Thursdays have been too chock-full of ‘other stuff’, I’m not counting them (or on them).

I am enjoying it. I’m having fun. Maybe not getting quite the word count… but I have (mostly) finished my first five chapters. I’ve allowed myself to miss bits out: not worry about names, or particular locations. I’ve left notes to myself to look up this and fill in that. It’s working, at least in the context of my own particular goal for a short novel for children.

Oh, and the planning has mostly gone out the window. I’ve discovered I can’t write that way. Although I do still have the end written. It might change , I’ll have to see what my characters do. And I’m loving them!

So, my writerly friends out there who are busy with this little adventure too: may your words flow fluently, your plots thicken seamlessly and your characters give you joy! (Was that too many adverbs??).

On with the journey…

The Clock’s Ticking!

Chris Hall15 Comments
the clock is ticking lunasonline Photo by Jordan Benton from Pexels
Photo by Jordan Benton from Pexels

Just to let you know that I won’t be around quite so much for the next 6 weeks. It’s nothing bad.

I promised myself at the beginning of March that I would finish the draft of my new novel by the end of October (this year), and then do something I’ve never done before, and which I’ve wanted to do for almost 10 years: NaNoWriMo.

2018 is the year.
It’s going to be a challenge because I’m going to have to plan this properly.
Starting…now! Well, soon.

I’ll be popping up for air to see what everyone’s up to, but if I don’t interact with you much, you’ll know it’s going well. If I do start wittering on it will mean I’m prevaricating which will not be so good. You might even find me crying in a corner of Twitter.

But let’s be positive. I’m going to get it done.

Wish me luck!