My first attempt at NaNoWriMo is going well. As of last night, my total word count is 35,052 which
puts me a couple of days ahead of schedule. So far, I haven't had any trouble with writers block, or any
trouble motivating myself to write. If anything the opposite is true. I have to get up, and do other
things, otherwise I might write all day.
I can't let other things go by the wayside.
I also have trouble with what I call the idea dust bunnies. I came up with the name after learning about
plot bunnies at the NaNoWriMo Kick-Off Party at the public library.
Idea dust bunnies are ideas that
come to you as you work on a project, but you don't have a place yet to fit them in. So they pile up,
like the literal dust bunnies under your bed. There kind of annoying because I want to use them, but I
just don't know when or how I will.
One of those ideas is a flower I came up with, it's called a Skull Blossom. When it closes up at night it
looks like a human skull. I thought it was a good idea, but really didn't have a use for it in the novel.
So one day I just started writing a section with a herbalist tending to his garden, and one of the things
he does is cut off some of the Skull Blossoms to use as a healing herb. Then he sat and watched as they
closed up for the night. The bonus of writing the section is that I also came up with a new, quirky
character. One idea leads to another, and another... an idea cascade, or I guess an idea avalanche.
I had told one of the other writers at a Write In about the idea, and she thought it was cool. So the next
Saturday at the Mid-Way Party,she asked me if she could use it in a book she is writing. Of course I
said it was okay, and she wrote my full name down. So I will get credit for the idea. I really like the
idea of Skull Blossoms being in more than one book.
So far NaNoWriMo has been a great experience. It's been really motivating going to the Write Ins,
updating my word count on the website, and just meeting other writers. In fact I've gotten so many
other things done since I started the novel. I don't sit around watching a lot of television. I'm getting
things done! The sad thing it only lasts for the month, so I will probably look for a writers group to get
involved in.
Once I finish the first draft, I'm not sure what I will do with the book. I thought about self publishing,
probably first in an eBook format, but that's still a ways off. If I can find a publisher great if not, it's
not that big a deal. I'm basically writing something I would want to read. That's probably why it's been
so easy. The first draft is going to need some polishing, and I will need to make it longer. 50,000
words is a short novel.
On a side note, I finally came up with a somewhat better title:
The Mozaic - Shattering the Veil.
Well, that's all for now. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.
