Day 15
Word Count: the same
Day 16
Word Count: the same
Day 17
Word Count: 17, 023 (up 824)
Day 18
Word Count: 17, 147 (up 1436)
Day 19
Word Count: 17,847 (up 700)
Day 20 – 21
Word Count: 17, 847
Day 22
Total: 18, 586 (up 1439)
Okay, so I can’t believe that it’s already November 22. Where did the month go?! This past week went by so fast! I wrote in the in-betweens. It was a week of tire switches and oil changes, of doctor’s appointments and busy work days. On Thursday evening, I was given an award from the University of Windsor and I spent the day getting my hair done and getting all dolled up for the event. I squeezed out a poem that I would later read at the event as my speech (more on this in another post! poem included!). Friday was a PA Day which meant the kids were home (so I was ‘mom’-ing) and my mentoring meeting was pushed to Friday morning. Friday evening I had dinner with a friend I hadn’t seen in way toooo long and we ate and talked and laughed for three hours! It was amazing.
As far as writing is going, I’m still writing a whackload of words a day – it’s just that some are not for my novel. Gah. When I work on my novel though, it’s been really great. I’ve only had one day when I felt like I wasn’t sure what to write. I know why this happened – it’s because I wrote myself into a corner – and it shifted the plot too close to the end. So I let it sit. Then deleted a bit. And waited a bit more. Being busy in the rest of my life helps. It gives my story mind a break, and then I get excited about sitting down to write when the moments open up. The next time I sat down to write – it was smooth sailing again.
I’ve been writing between 4-5pm, after I pick the kids up from school, and then before bed between 9-11pm. Saturday night I wrote for just over an hour between 9 and 10pm and I could barely keep up with the words pouring out of my head through my fingertips.
Overall, in my writing life, I feel like I’m saying yes to too many things that aren’t my novel (!), and yet, I’m getting joy from these things as well. What happens though, is that when I sit down to write – I’m on it.
Since I’ve been working on Hangman (my novel – that’s the title) for two years, I actually have more words than what’s showing in my NaNoWriMo total because I’m only counting what I’ve written this month.
My total word count overall is: 57, 636 (Can I get a ‘heck ya’ up in here?!)
I’m close to the end. Will likely come in just over 60k – and then through the editing process gain more. I’m looking forward to editing. As I’m writing I know where I have to go back and fix things. I’ve got my editors and readers ready to read. Then it’s more revisions and edits. My goal is to have it agent-ready by mid-December. If I keep working this hard – and harder – I will reach this goal.
Phew. Now that I wrote all this and shared it – it makes it even more real! Yikes.
Off to shop with the kids…Back to the words later.
How’s your writing going these days?
VANESSA SHIELDS, writer 
In a word, my dear, unevenly. I too am close to the end of my manuscript. I keep saying maybe a half dozen more poems to go, and I even know what they “should be” about. But then one pops up that has nothing to do with the ending and I’m left wondering just how many ARE left. As long as they keep coming. You have inspired me to dedicate more time to my writing, for which I thank you, but it will have to be a regular block of time. I’m not very adept at writing “in between” like you. a skill I very much admire. 🙂
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I hear you. I can feel the end…and yet when I write more still flows out of me. At this point, I’m driven by the characters. They’ll tell me when they’re done. I’m at their command!
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