Becca and I are both still NaNoing, or, more accurately, still working on our NaNo novels. I am not writing 2,000 words a day.

We both met the 50,000-word goal on November 30th, and we both had a more-or-less complete story arc. But then we set a new goal of a complete draft, with plot holes filled and un-edited words somewhat edited, by the end of the year. That’s a lofty goal for me, but I’m going for it.

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I continue to write “long.” That’s so unusual for me that I’m not sure what to make of it. I’m excited to see how it all reads when I go through it on the next round.

During NaNo, I compared writing a story to chipping away at rock to make a sculpture. At the time, I felt like I was chipping bits away in order to see what story was hidden within. This writing-long business feels more like making the giant lump of granite from which the story will eventually be carved. Just as I did with the story, I started that comparison in the middle and find I have to back up.

So my goal is to have a whole hunk-o-granite by the end of the year. At that point, I’ll start chipping away to better define the story within.

How’s it going for you, Becca?