Welcome back to another installment of Beautiful Books, a series hosted by Paper Fury where I get two birds in one stone by writing a blog post about my ongoing NaNoWriMo novel :)
Overall, how is your mental state, and how is your novel going?
1. I'm a little stressed. This is my first NaNo where I'm also trying to blog consistently. Every time I write on my blog I'm imaging my NaNo word count not moving. However I don't want this blog to dwindle and disappear this month! It's all about juggling. Good thing I'm good at juggling.
What’s your first sentence (or paragraph)?
2. Yikes. Okay. So my novel is by no means beautiful. It's a hot mess but it exists and that's what important. Without further stalling here's my first paragraph:
"It was two AM when Rachael cast her spell. The darkest hour of the night, with the promise of dawn years away. It is the time when the most desperate try their most foolish options. And for all her logic, for all her education, for all her training, Rachael was no different."
Who’s your current favourite character in your novel?
3. Right now I'm a little sparse of characters. Rachel just disappeared and my main character (who is still unnamed?? suggestions for female names??) is kind of on her own.
What do you love about your novel so far?
4. I love that things are happening. This is a plot I've been dreaming of for years. I've written the very beginning and loved every sentence and paragraph-- but it was slow going and would never get where it needed to go. I love that the plot is actually advancing, even if it isn't beautiful (yet).
Have you made any hilarious typos or other mistakes?
5. "Darkness was seeping through the kitten windows."
...I'll just leave that there.
What is your favourite to write: beginning, middle, or end — and why?
6. I typically write in order, especially when my plots aren't really fleshed out. Last year was the first year I would skip scenes if I didn't feel like writing them, and flip to later ones. This year that probably won't happen, since I don't really know what's going to take place later on....
What are your writing habits? Is there a specific snack you eat? Do you listen to music? What time of day do you write best? Feel free to show us a picture of your writing space!
7. I write on my lunch break at work, after work, while the TV is on, while music is on, at coffee shops. I don't really have a routine (maybe that's a problem). What I will say is having the TV is always a bad idea, but I do like writing to classical music. The lyrics can't be too pronounced or I won't be able to write.
Also I've written out on my balcony a total of one time (it's so cold outside!) but I thought the picture was pretty so there you go :)
How private are you about your novel while you’re writing? Do you need a cheer squad or do you work alone (like, ahem, Batman)?
8. I've always written alone, because I've never had friends who liked writing/did NaNo. Last year was the first time I convinced a friend to try NaNo with me. We've written together a couple times-- it's really helpful to be able to ask someone for help when you can't think of that perfect word or when your plot doesn't make sense.
What keeps you writing even when it’s hard?
9. Competition with myself. I'm a really competitive person and having a word count I have to meet works wonders. I love the little graphic on the author page-- I write just to increase that bar. Like seriously. I'll write 100 words and then go update my word count. It's absurd.
What are your top 3 pieces of writing advice?
10. Write until things make sense. WRITE. Also-- this one is directed at me-- advance the plot you silly person. Don't be so afraid of running out of plot to write. ADVANCE THE PLOT. *ahem* moving on...
What about you? How is your writing going? Do you also secretly hate parts of what you've written? Let me know!
