NaNoWriMo Update #2

I made it through one week of NaNoWriMo! I’m currently at 13,457 words, which is right where I should be if I’m writing an average of 1,667 words a day.

I’ll admit: I didn’t write everyday, and I kind of hated having to have a “make-up” day. 1,667 words might not seem like a lot, but skip one day? Or maybe even two? And it adds up quickly. I hope that going forward I can keep this same momentum; I expect to have “off” days and days when I just can’t bring myself to write at all, but I also expect to have days where all I want to do is write and find out what happens next.

I’m also working through my outline at a steady pace, which is encouraging. I made notecards for each scene, and I’ve been working through about one scene each day. I had a little more than 30 cards to start with, but I’ve already thrown some out because they just don’t fit anymore. I’d love to finish NaNo with a complete draft, beginning to end, so part of my challenge is to make sure I’m always moving forward with the plot and not getting carried away with certain scenes.

It’s hard not to get carried away though… I love my characters so much, and I find out more about them the more I write. Here’s another little scene for you!

I thought it would be awkward – just the two of us, riding home, him coming down from the high of winning and me freaking out at the knowledge that he might actually like me. But it’s not. He turns on the radio, classic rock, and rolls the window down slightly to air out the car and let a little crisp fall in.

“Thanks again for coming,” he says, turning to smile at me.

“It was fun. I’ve never really liked watching sports before, but I might be changing my mind.” I absentmindedly twirl a strand of hair between my fingers until I realize I’m doing it.

“Did you never play sports as a kid?” he asks.

“No,” I answer. “I was more of a crafty kid. Drawing maps of made-up places and making stuff out of raw macaroni.”

He laughs. “If only you had moved here thirteen years earlier. I could have used a little arts and crafts in my formative years.”

“It’s never too late,” I joke. “There’s no shortage of macaroni in the world.”

“Although you’d have to stop me from eating all of it,” he jokes back.

“Like I said, no shortage. Enough for crafting and eating. Maybe even jewelry making. Don’t limit yourself.”

He looks over at me and the look in his eyes causes my heart to stop. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt this, ever had someone look at me like this. I’ve had a lot of moments in my life where things felt out of control, where I felt like everything was falling apart. But this look, on his face, makes everything feel okay.

Thanks for reading! I honestly think that I might have quit if it weren’t for each of you reading, keeping me accountable, and encouraging me to continue writing and sharing my work.

XOXO

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