Tuesday, November 10, 2009

As We Hit Week Two

Today's count: 2515
Total: 20, 568


I ran into a physical barrier.  On Sunday, I really trashed my back.  Yesteday, I was in fairly significant pain with spasms every time I moved.  Not a good thing, especially for writing!  I got barely over the minimum 1667 words done.  I wanted to get at least that, because I don't want to lose the little bit I am ahead of the curve.

Today was better.  Pain more manageable and spasms gone.  Still not great, but getting better. 

As for the writing, it was a good day.  I got a lot written.  I put in some backstory, and introduced another character.  Last night, I got hit with a surprise in the plot, even to me.  The restaurant that the murder victim owns caught on fire.  Don't know where that came from, but it made a nice action scene in there. 

The thing is, while I liked the idea of another bit of action, it kind of scares me at the same time.  I mean, stuff has to happen.  Too much time spent with just talk, talk, talk would make a boring story.  But, when random stuff happens that I didn't expect/plan for, it always makes me wonder if any of what I've written makes any sort of sense.  At the same time, I know that I have a decent story, and I had the basic plot structure worked out before I started.   I haven't strayed from that, so the main story should be fine.  I have not gone back and reread it as a whole.  No time for that, really, if I'm going to get done by the end of the month. 

And first drafts are often a bit, shall we say, messy.  I know there will be lots of stuff to clean up.  Plot points needing expanding, scenes connected, details added in.  Not to mention cleaning up the spelling (hopefully not much of that), grammar and punctuation.  But all of that is the realm of first edit.

If there is one thing NaNoWriMo can teach you, it is the value of just sitting down and writing the story.  Because you can get so wrapped up in making it perfect from the start, that you never get anywhere.  Believe me, I know.  I've been there.  So, onward to 50,000.  Clean-up later.

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