So, I’ve decided to take the challenge this year, drafting a literary novel with the working title ‘Getting to the Truth’.
Do I have the stamina? Do I have the speed? Do I have the inspiration?
There’s only one way to find out…
NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo – The Dove on the Pergola
NaNoWriMo
For those of you who haven’t come across this before, “NaNoWriMo” is the (rather ugly) contraction of National Novel Writing Month, which is the (slightly misleading) title of an international writing event. The idea of the event is that you write a novel during the month of November. To qualify as a winner, you have to complete 50,000 words in 30 days. And that’s tough.
Now, in my writing CV I can claim to have completed 2 novels and half-completed a third. Additionally, at the end of October I had the plot and some reasonable research for a fourth. I was struggling, though, getting bogged down in the detail. I was also spending much writing time and creative effort on writing flash fiction, which is fun, but if that’s all you do it’s like trying to survive solely on candy.
So I thought I’d give NaNoWriMo my best shot.
The first thing I realised was that I had to write the novel. The words had to go into the text. If I didn’t average 1670 words each and every day, I wasn’t going to succeed.
What did this mean in practice?
It meant:
- Stop plotting – you’ve got word count to meet.
- Stop researching – you’ve got word count to meet. (Hack for this – put in a provisional word/phrase in red, so that it’s easy to check in a subsequent edit of the draft)
- Strictly limited time for editing.
Forcing myself to stick to this was really difficult, especially restraining my urge to edit!
What do I have at the end? 16 chapters – 53,000 words – of a rather badly written novel, “The Dove on the Pergola”.
Would I have this without NaNoWriMo? Definitely not. Would I have even one well-written chapter? Almost certainly not.
So, what would I have?
A lot of detailed notes and a maze of plotting getting in the way of writing…
And, to my surprise, the simple act of writing has clarified the plot and grown the characters. So, as well as 16 chapters written, I have a pretty clear idea of what I need to write to complete the novel.
I’m going to continue with similar intensity until the first draft of the novel is complete (going to allow myself Sundays off, though). Then I’m going to leave the manuscript for a short time while I work out a plan to edit it, a plan which will set targets for achievement that will limit the time I spend editing. (NaNoWriMo have an editing programme in the New Year, I believe, and I’m going to check it out).
Then I’m going to edit the manuscript, sticking to those targets, until I have a completely edited text. At that point, and not before, I shall print out the novel, and invite my trusted reader to give me her honest and unvarnished opinion… (Judgement Day!)
Was I a winner? Yes, I was – but the big win is having completed those precious 16 chapters that are going to be the basis of my novel. And maybe an even bigger win is that I now have a better understanding of how I need to work in future.
So thank you to the genius who came up with NaNoWriMo!
And a special thank you to Gabi, for being my writing buddy during the month. Those emails gave a precious extra boost to morale when it could have flagged!
It was a great and productive experience!
At First Sight – Part 4
As I’m participating in NaNoWriMo this year I have no time to write original material for my blog. Instead, I’m reblogging a serial that I first published in 2017. I hope you enjoy it!
What do you do when you first meet your true love the day before she flies back to Australia? For Jon, the answer was simple; you follow her as soon as possible. One small problem – PhD students like Jon have very little money. For Vikki, his beloved, the answer was more difficult; handsome, clever, surf-hero Dan has carried a torch for her for years…
Jon rang his mum and chatted; about his work, her work, and the latest news from his dad’s parish; before raising the subject that was uppermost in his thoughts.
“Mum, I need to borrow some money. It’s rather a lot, I’m afraid.”
Carolyn Hall thought for a moment. It wasn’t like Jon to ask for money. He’d managed on his own since his first term at university.
“How much do you need, love?”
“About two thousand pounds, I’m afraid.”
“You’re not in any trouble, are you?”
“No, and I should be able to pay you back quite soon; within about six months, I think.”
“I’ll have to talk to Dad first.” She hesitated for a moment, and then added, “I know it’s none of my business, but Dad will want to know why you need it.”
She waited for the explosion. Jon had always made it very clear that he needed to be independent; that he was going to live his life without interference from his parents. She sighed. It must be difficult for him, being James’s son.
“It’s a bit tricky. And it sounds as though I’m going bonkers. All I can say is that it’s very real to me. I’ve met this girl.”
“Oh, Jon, I am pleased for you!”
“The trouble is, she lives in Australia. I met her just before she went home, and now she’s there and I’m here.”
“What’s her name? What’s she like?”
“Vikki; that’s with two kays and an i. She’s beautiful, Mum, just beautiful. And clever; she’s just finished a master’s degree in education at Cambridge. I knew the instant I saw her that she was the right girl…” His voice trailed away as he relived the moment.
“Oh, Jon, you’ve got it bad, haven’t you?”
Jon tensed, and then relaxed. He laughed.
“Yes, I suppose I have! But that doesn’t make the feeling less real, you know?”
“I know, Jon, I know. That was how I felt about Dad when we first met. It’s worked for us so far! I still feel the same about him. But it wasn’t the way he fell in love with me, if you follow me?”
“Thank you, Mum. For telling me about you and Dad, I mean. Do you think it would be better for me to ring him and ask about a loan?”
“I think Dad would appreciate that, yes. Man to man, you know.”
“Okay, I’ll do that. Thanks for the advice.”
Vikki scooped up the letter from the mat, and raced to her room. The sun struck obliquely through the window, making the wall at her bedhead dazzlingly white. The petals of the posy on her dressing table glowed translucent in the reflected light.
Vikki looked at Jon’s handwriting, with its firm downstrokes, its well-formed letters, its fluidity. Her heart sang. His voice was vivid in her memory, and she imagined him sitting beside her on the bed reading the letter to her.
“Dear Vikki,
Thank you so much for writing. You made me really happy when I read that you had ‘danced with delight’ because I planned to visit!
You’re right; we don’t know each other very well. You say that matters to you, and that you guess it matters to me. Be reassured; it does. I want to know everything about you, the big things and the little things, the essential and the trivial. It will be such a joy learning about all these from you!
Or do you mean that you have doubts about whether what we felt that magical night will prove ephemeral? Is that why you say, “We mustn’t be carried away”?
Let me tell you how I feel. I love you. You have changed me. In the past, I’ve always thought carefully before doing anything, but you make me feel so certain that we belong together that I don’t need to think about it, I just know it.
I want you to know this, Vikki. The thing I want more than anything in the world is that you should be happy. If, in the future, my love for you becomes an obstacle to your happiness, I shall let you go. It would break my heart – I can hardly bear even thinking about it – but I would do it.
By the way, there is something more practical that I need to tell you. I had another run-in with Guy. He was after your address in Australia. I didn’t tell him, of course, but yesterday somebody broke into my flat. They didn’t take anything – and there was quite an expensive laptop on the desk in full view – so I suppose Guy might have been the burglar. Take care, my dearest.
I hope so much that I shall soon see you in Australia; I should be able to suggest some dates next time I write in a few days. How I wish I was with you now!
With all my love
Jon”
Vikki held the letter against her lips, smiling.
“Jonathan! This is an unexpected pleasure. How are you?”
“I’m fine, Dad. How are you? And the parish, of course?”
“We’re doing nicely, thank you. The occasional hiccup. If you want the latest news, the organist has just quit. I don’t suppose you want to hear about that, though?”
They chatted casually for a few minutes, until Jon said, “Actually, Dad, I had an ulterior motive in ringing you.”
“I thought you might have.”
Jon winced. That accomplished, cultured, know-it-all, self-satisfied tone of voice had haunted his childhood.
“Would you lend me two thousand pounds, please.”
There was a short silence. James Hall waited for the explanation to be offered. Jon struggled with his pride.
“I’m in love with a woman who lives in Australia. I need to go and see her.”
There was a longer silence.
“That’s a fair sum, Jon.”
“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think I needed it.”
“There may be a difference between what you think you need and what you actually need.”
Jon struggled to relax, to remain calm, to remain courteous. This constant assumption that he didn’t know what he was doing, that he would screw up if left to himself…
“Dad, if you hang on a minute, I’ll explain. I met Vikki the day before she was due to fly home. It was – astonishing – stunning. I just knew immediately that she’s the one. She seems to feel the same way. I want to go to Australia to confirm what we feel.
You may think it’s a gamble. Maybe you’re right. But it’s my gamble. Your money will be safe, whatever the outcome.”
“Oh, for goodness sake, Jonathan, it’s not the safety of my money that concerns me. It’s your future, your studies, putting all that at risk just because you’ve met an attractive girl who’s bowled you over. What about your studies, anyway?”
“My professor is happy. In fact, he’s asked me to go into the University of Melbourne to establish personal links with the staff there. It’s a great chance to network.”
“I just don’t want to see you hurt, Jon.”
“Not going to Australia and losing her would hurt me more than anything I can imagine.”
“Mm. Yes, I can see that might be so.”
Jon waited.
“All right. You may have the money. I’ll transfer it to your account this afternoon. Would you be happy to repay it in twelve months?”
“I’m taking on some more tutoring. Can I pay it back monthly over six months starting in October, please?”
“Yes, that’ll be okay. Take care of yourself, Jon. I’m proud of you, son. You’re growing up into a fine man.”
Jon almost dropped the phone. He stammered goodbye.
James Hall replaced his receiver. Two thousand pounds was almost his entire savings. He would just have to hope that there was no emergency in the next ten months.
After the call, Jon put his phone on the desk and stared out of the window.
Right. Time to check availability of those cheap flights he’d found!
If you’ve missed the earlier chapters, you can read them here
Short Story – At first sight – part III
Autumn Leaves 