NANOWRIMO 2021
WHAT IS NANOWRIMO?
National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is an annual challenge to write fifty thousand words—basically a short book—in the month of November. Between moving to a new state, starting a new job, and learning how to adult for real (monthly rent, yay!), I've chosen to not participate this year. However, I'm still making a commitment to write every day this month. I'll be posting weekly progress updates on Facebook and Instagram (links in header and footer). As always, my progress with everything I'm working on is on the Works-In-Progress page of my website (link above), but this month, I'll also be tracking my progress here. Every day, I'll add to the calendar to tell you how much I wrote and which work in progress I worked on. Updates will most likely be added at night, since that's when I tend to write. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram to follow my progress this month. If you're a writer too, what are you doing for NaNoWriMo this year?
Total Words Written:
22,998
Monday, November 1
Manuscript: Nikos
Words Written: 387
Other Tasks: Research for Nikos
Notes: Next up is the beginning of a character interaction I've been imagining for days!
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Thursday, November 4
Manuscript: Nikos
Words Written: 1260
Other Tasks: Making playlists for Heart of Darkness
Notes: Not as painful a scene today, but we're not at rock bottom yet. That'll probably come tomorrow.
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Sunday, November 7
Manuscript: Heart of Darkness flash fiction
Words Written: 946
Other Tasks: Finishing Next Gen bonus art, bowling research for today's scene
Notes: More of the flash fiction story I was working on yesterday!
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Wednesday, November 10
Manuscript: post-Metavallo flash fic
Words Written: 838
Other Tasks: none
Notes: I spent the whole day packing. Around 11 pm, I finally got to writing, but I didn't want to get my computer out, so I used my phone to write a scene I've been imagining for a while.
Saturday, November 13
Manuscript: post-Metavallo flash fic
Words Written: 715
Other Tasks: research for this story
Notes: Today's weird research questions include: Are lion claws retractable? And how tall is the average human head?
Tuesday, November 16
Manuscript: post-Metavallo flash fic
Words Written: 684
Other Tasks: none
Notes: I stayed up way too late to get this much written but it was worth it. I've imagined scenes WAY past this!
Friday, November 19
Manuscript: post-Metavallo flash fic
Words Written: 321
Other Tasks: Designing an alien alphabet for Nikos
Notes: The letterforms of this alphabet were inspired by the pattern on a vase I saw at Ashley Homestore!
Monday, November 22
Manuscript: Heart of Darkness flash fiction
Words Written: 1112
Other Tasks: continuing the alien alphabet for Nikos
Notes: co-written by Chloe. We thoroughly confused this scene's perspective character!
Thursday, November 25
Manuscript: Heart of Darkness flash fic
Words Written: 602
Other Tasks: minor Anathema revisions, cover art for another H.o.D. short fiction.
Notes: The only reason I didn't work on Nikos today is because my reading of Anathema ended so late.
Sunday, November 28
Manuscript: Metavallo
Words Written: 1354
Other Tasks: none
Notes: This is what I should've been working on this month. It's not as high priority as the crossover, but it is a higher priority than Nikos.
Tuesday, November 2
Manuscript: Nikos
Words Written: 1539
Other Tasks: None
Notes: Just passed 20,000 words! Next milestone is 25,000, and I think I'm going to reach it!
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Friday, November 5
Manuscript: Mega-Crossover (placeholder title, Heart of Darkness 2)
Words Written: 1435
Other Tasks: None
Notes: At least one part my sister and I wrote probably could have been serious, but no. Whatever we write together, we end up laughing. A lot.
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Monday, November 8
Manuscript: Nikos
Words Written: 300
Other Tasks: character development for new wait list concept Merged
Notes: I'm so excited about Merged! I don't know the final title yet, but this is looking more like fantasy than sci-fi.
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Thursday, November 11
Manuscript: post-Metavallo flash fic
Words Written: 506
Other Tasks: none
Notes: Since I spent the whole day in a car, I continued this flash fic. I know, Metavallo isn't done yet, so why write what happens after? But I knew when I started Metavallo how it would end.
Sunday, November 14
Manuscript: Heart of Darkness flash fiction
Words Written: 375
Other Tasks: none
Notes: The MC of Merged is official. I've started imagining him (them? ðŸ¤) meeting my other characters!
Wednesday, November 17
Manuscript: post-Metavallo flash fic
Words Written: 272
Other Tasks: none
Notes: I'll try to get back to actual book manuscripts tomorrow, but no promises! I have so many ideas for this!
Saturday, November 20
Manuscript: post-Metavallo flash fic
Words Written: 600
Other Tasks: None
Notes: I keep meaning to get back to working on that alien language, but I keep running out of time in the day!
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Tuesday, November 23
Manuscript: Nikos
Words Written: 391
Other Tasks: finishing the alien alphabet for Nikos
Notes: Instead of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, you could say I can see the pitch black at the bottom of the hole. Rock bottom scene ahead!
Friday, November 26
Manuscript: Nikos
Words Written: 1280
Other Tasks: Alien language additions to Anathema
Notes: There's a certain character interaction I've been imagining for weeks. I finally wrote it, but now I have no specific scene ideas until the end.
Monday, November 29
Manuscript: post-Metavallo flash fic
Words Written: 561
Other Tasks: Possible Metavallo sequel
concept and characters? 🤔
Notes: I know, I should've been working on Metavallo itself. But I'm currently in an 'ideas desert.'
Wednesday, November 3
Manuscript: Nikos
Words Written: 992
Other Tasks: Bonus art for Next Gen
Notes: This scene hurt. It really hurt. Unfortunately, we're at the point in the story where things are getting worse before they can get better.
Saturday, November 6
Manuscript: Heart of Darkness flash fiction
Words Written: 1386
Other Tasks: None
Notes: This is one of a series of flash fiction scenes I've been imagining for months! Though it technically takes place during Next Gen, it'll be released as a separate story.
Tuesday, November 9
Manuscript: Heart of Darkness flash fiction
Words Written: 841
Other Tasks: Next Gen continuity fixes, Merged plot development
Notes: Merged is officially at the top of my "next to write" list. I am obsessed with this story!
Friday, November 12
Manuscript: post-Metavallo flash fic
Words Written: 154
Other Tasks: none
Notes: Word of the day: ugh. Driving, boxes, furniture, stairs. Broken water pipe. So not much writing, just lots of imagining. And walking. Also, this is officially too long to be flash fiction.
Monday, November 15
Manuscript: post-Metavallo flash fic
Words Written: 615
Other Tasks: none
Notes: I love this story. It's about one of my all-time favorite characters. He's very different, and you get to see him from other people's perspectives!
Thursday, November 18
Manuscript: Heart of Darkness flash fiction
Words Written: 407
Other Tasks: none
Notes: Man, I want to work on Merged. But I need Gateway beta readers first!
Sunday, November 21
Manuscript: Heart of Darkness flash fiction
Words Written: 377
Other Tasks: continuing the alien alphabet for Nikos
Notes: Tonight's scene was co-written by my sister, Chloe.
Wednesday, November 24
Manuscript: Nikos
Words Written: 965
Other Tasks: writing in that alien alphabet I made for Nikos
Notes: Rock bottom has been reached. 😠Why did it have to happen like this? I know it was my idea, but why did I do that?
Saturday, November 27
Manuscript: Mega-Crossover
Words Written: 1464
Other Tasks: none
Notes: Al got pissed. Then ashamed. Now he's all nervous because he's meeting someone he's a big fan of, but that person's success inspired Al to do something really stupid, so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Tuesday, November 30
Manuscript: Nikos
Words Written: 694
Other Tasks: none
Notes: I wrote part of the ending scene, the part that comes after the big conflict is wrapped up. That's the only scene I have ideas for right now!