Some more observations...

I feel I should make just a few more observations about this novel writing thing before NaNoWriMo is over. (Which is in less than five days, people!)

I'm on track with my word count - 41500 words or thereabouts - but I'm afraid my story is going to be over in the next 5k. It's a tight plot, and there's not a lot of room for goofing off. So somehow I have to stretch 5k to 8.5k. This is going to require every adjective I know!

I like working at the university library computers. The keyboards have nice thick keys, not like these skinny flat things on the laptop. You can literally feel yourself pounding away at the story. Plus, libraries are generally good work environments, I find, and they make a change. That's such a great way to get writing, is to go somewhere new. You're coming at the story from a new angle. Love it.

The action of the story is largely humourous and Lord, it's funny in my head, but I don't know how much of that is making it on to the page. Picture this: you're shuffling a dead body through a tiny gap of window in the middle of the night, trying not to make any noise, and its arm falls off. Oh. Crap. But are you laughing? I'm laughing so hard I'm crying - on the inside.

To boost my word count without progressing the story, I added an introduction. It shouldn't be there, it doesn't add to the story as a whole, it's not really even in the same style, but it was a pleasure to write.

Hi. My name is Mark. I’m the narrator of this story. It’s not really my story – it’s Ledger’s – but he's dead, so he’s not in any position to be the narrator. Oh! Did I just spoil the ending? Well, it’s true, Ledger dies. But we all knew it was going to happen, it wasn’t like a big surprise. That’s not what the story is about. Just so you know. So don’t go getting all attached to Ledger, okay? BECAUSE HE DIES.

(So we're clear - Ledger is NOT Heath Ledger. There was maybe some unconscious inspiration going on in the choice of the name, I don't know.)

I think that's all for today, folks. Or Self. Either way.

Thoughts for Sunday

So I've been thinking about how I just finished a 4k essay for uni. There wasn't "actually" a word limit on it, but I guess the lecturer was expecting more like 3k, so... I've never over-written in my life (until now), I was always the one asking how I could POSSIBLY write 1500 for a lab report, that is INSANELY too many words. And this time I've had to CUT STUFF OUT., i.e. EDIT. Seriously.

I don't like the principle of editing. It's like choosing between your children, I mean, it's fascist. Okay, so maybe this paragraph is a bit fat and ugly, and doesn't do much for the essay overall, but who am I to say the paragraph is unworthy because of it? You know? In AmyLand, there is equal opportunity for all paragraphs, regardless of shape, size, beauty, and functional worth. In the Real World, those paragraphs that don't make the grade, don't make the final cut.

Ah, but Nanowrimo... Nanowrimo is awholenother writing game. Here, words - any and every - are inherently valuable because they exist. Doesn't matter if they're not perfect, or beautiful, or functional, or well-structured. They aren't loved because they're worthy, they're worthy because they're loved.

My novel is off to a great start - 5000 words this weekend. And I love each and every one of them.

:D