winds of change
I got to a stopping point in my writing today slightly before I got to the word count I wanted.
I could have pushed it, but I felt it needed to rest. The story is at a crucial juncture and, to tell you the truth, I am not quite sure what’s going to happen. If I had continued today, my fear is that I would have gone off on a tangent.
Sometimes in NaNoWriMo we have to just keep writing even though we know we don’t know where we’re going. I do it if I’m falling too far behind in the word count or if I am uninspired. But sometimes it’s okay to wait. I’m close to being on track with the word count and I am feeling inspired. With both of those things working for me, I’d rather let a little time pass and give it some unfocused, C-mindful simmering before I write what comes next.
That C-mind stuff is what happens in the shower or while chopping vegetables or taking a walk or even cleaning the house (not that any of us are getting that done this month, right?). It’s what happens when we’re into our novels enough that the characters and the situation are with us even when we aren’t directing our minds toward them. When we’re engaged in an activity that doesn’t require our full attention, our minds will sometimes drift across the landscape of story we’re working on and come up with the best ideas! It’s one of the most fun things about writing.
That’s what I’m hoping for tonight.
In the meantime, I took some photos. My camera has literally been on the shelf since I got back from Houston just before Halloween. This evening I heard the wind coming up and I looked outside. It was just before dusk and the cornstalks in the garden were doing fantastic things in the gusting wind. I got a new flash when I was in Houston and it is supposed to not only help me with the low light but also capturing motion. One of my frustrations is that I haven’t had time to learn to use it!
Happily, I took the time to get the camera and go outside. I got the shot above as well as some other blurry ones that I love. I still don’t know what I’m doing with the flash but that’s one of the great things about digital: you can see the mistakes you’ve made immediately. Instantaneous feedback! It felt good to shoot some photos, so much so that I’m vowing to take a few everyday through the rest of the month. It’s not as if it takes that much time and it feels great to *focus* on something other than writing. 
Sorry.
I also uploaded an excerpt to my nano profile page.
Comments
It’s interesting reading about the novel writing. I had always assumed that when people wrote a novel that they knew at the outset what would happen and it would just (I don’t mean “just” really) be a case of writing it down using the right words. But from what you say, you don’t actually know how your story is going to go, how it will end? Is that right? That actually sounds exciting. I still couldn’t take on a novel though - just too big an enterprise.
Nancy, thanks for dropping by my website. I am very excited about all the new people I’ve met and the sites of visited because of NaBloPoMo. I’m very glad I decided to do this. I am contemplating trying for a novel next year. I’m not very good at making up stories, so whatever I write will be taken from my experiences. I hope I can take that and turn it into novel form.
Hi Gina and Eve. So lovely to have your comments and *Hellos.
Gina, I know that some novelists have their story completely outlined and plotted beforehand, but from what I know, more do not. They usually, I assume, have more than I started with this month (no prep time!) but that doesn’t mean you have to know everything. In fact, some of us feel that knowing it all ahead of time just might make for a boring book. If the writer is surprised by what happens in the book, then the reader is certain to be as well! Why not try a short story? They’re easier to get published anyway. (Not that they are any easier to write, but at least the length is not so daunting.)
Eve, I encourage you to try this next year. My first nanonovel—while not autobiographical—took huge swathes of stuff from my childhood. Sometimes it feels like writing two truths to one lie until you find the story.
~Nancy
I really like the top photo. It is blurred but just clear enough you can recognize what it is.
I agree with your observations about the process of writing. I am plotting in the shower, in the car and before I fall asleep. Sometimes the inspiration I find is gone by the time I can get to my computer or a piece of paper and sometimes not.
I’m glad yours is going well. I’ll check out your nano site.
Post a comment