NaNoWriMo Start of Week Three

I'm a couple days late on this because I spent the start of week three with my sister, writing in a coffee shop and binge-watching Gilmore Girls. Day well-spent.

In the spirit of NaNoWriMo, this post will be completely all-over-the-place. Here are observations from week two:

On day 10, I wrote a scene between friends that really moved me. Don't get me wrong--it probably sucked in all the technical ways because it's free-writing, but I was down-to-the-bone pleased with it. The scene is kind of nitty gritty. My characters have started taking real shape and acting like real people. They surprise me. And one of them likes to swear. I generally don't swear, by the way. I mean, I do sometimes when I'm driving and someone honks at me and freaks me out or when I'm feeling emotionally intense or when trying to make my husband laugh. But other than that, not really. My character does, though! And I started to feel kind of embarrassed, like, "When so and so reads this, they're going to be like, 'Jess has a secret potty mouth...tsk tsk.'" Well, sometimes. But this isn't me! Can I deny my character the way he talks?? It's so stifling to worry about this, so when I wrote the scene I didn't worry-I was true to the character and it felt awesome.

Now, in a Christan book, I get that unfortunately that's probably a no-no. But I don't think this will be a Christian book, and that's okay. It can honor God without that label and with the naughty words. And if people don't like it and they think less of me for it, that's their choice.

I RESPECT the heck out of James Dashner for his tough characters and their nitty gritty language without the swearing. He found a way to have them swear without swearing, which is mad genius. And it works. But it seems like my characters like the old fashioned kind, and I think I'm okay with it. :)

Also, my MC and her best friend (the potty mouth) like to say inappropriate things to each other. I have no part in this.

Last week, I said that I had my doubt about this book and it sucks and all that. Well, his week, I started to see how it could be awesome one day. There's diversity. Friendship. First-love. Teen angst. And there's a twist!

A sort of dark, psychological thriller-type twist. Which I LOVE and always want to write, but cant. Or I can't do it on purpose anyway. My ideas always start out as every-day stories. Stories about the people at their core. Quiet stories. My characters are funny and lighthearted. And then things change.

My characters do questionable things. They have secrets. They get dark. Twists happen on accident and shock me. It's the best. And it wouldn't happen if I didn't push through the suck and write anyway.

In week one I started writing out of order. I've continued that this week because it helps to write whatever scene I feel like writing instead of whichever one comes next. It's a happy, hot mess.

Writing with other people is more fun than writing alone, but only if the other people is just my sister. 

I've been a little wobbly this week when it comes to spitting out my target word count. As you'll see in the graph below. But I'm not too far behind, which is better than every other year I've done this.

Goal for week three:
Stay above that line every day. Even if it's just a smidge above.