One week down, three more to go! How are you?
The first week of NaNoWriMo is always a little more about confusion, inspiration and problem-solving than anything else, at least for me. As soon as I sit down and start to write, the characters start doing things I hadn’t quite expected, or turning into people I didn’t quite know. That’s why I haven’t done a lot of pre-planning and outlining in the past. It seems to work out all right if I don’t learn who my characters really are until I start to write. The characters seem to know enough about themselves to help me along if I just listen to them.
Word count so far:
I’m at 14,509 words as I write this blog. I’m hoping to add at least another 2000 words tonight (Thursday the 7th). Hopefully by this Sunday (November 10) I’ll be around 22,000 words. To put that rate of production in perspective, James Patterson wrote an encouraging piece for NaNoWriMo this year in which he noted that what we do for NaNo in November is what he does year round. It’s not easy to do, but it can be done.
When/Where have you found yourself writing the most this week?
This week I’ve been doing a lot of my writing propped up in bed! That’s not really my favourite place to write, but I caught one of the many nasty bugs/viruses that seem to be going around. My favourite places include the coffee shop of the local book store and my own study, where the coffee pot is within reach and all my reference books are no more than two steps away.
From your introductory blog, you seemed to have a pretty clear idea about the story you’re working towards. How’s it all going so far?
The writing voyage is going pretty well. The first 10-12 thousand words dealt with getting the Grissom, a converted Ohio-class SSBN, ready to go into space. This also sets up the conflict for the main characters. The fun thing about a first draft for me is that, as the story acquires flesh and bone, it also acquires something of a will of its own; sometimes I think I’m just sort of the midwife (and not always a particularly good one!) Some of the problems that cropped up dealt with submarines (I know a lot more about airplanes than ships), so I’ve had to do some extra research. One of my strengths/weaknesses is that I enjoy doing research! For me that means resisting the temptation to chase down fascinating little narrative pathways that new research can present. When I first started writing that was one of my worst habits, and it led to many fascinating but useless ideas resulting in a story that went nowhere. Resisting that temptation is one of the most useful things I’ve learned doing NaNoWriMo. If I know I have a deadline, I can focus on the main story and the idea that it has to have a beginning, a middle and an end. The funny thing about those little byways is that when I go back to look at the story in second draft they’re still there – IF I want them. Odd how many of them turn out to be dead ends once you have a first draft in your hands, though!
Talk to us about Colonel James T. “Stroker” Davis, your main character:
I think I may have three main characters instead of two. Colonel James T. “Stroker” Davis presents a real problem as a character. Stroker is commanding officer of the Grissom, and part of his conflict is the difference in command styles between Air Force and Navy. Command of a wing or a squadron is similar to but ultimately different from command of a ship. Stroker has to learn the difference being captain of a ship makes. I’ve never been in the Navy but fans of Nicholas Monsarrat, C.S. Forester and Patrick O’Brian (three of my favourite authors) will understand this difference. The other two main characters are Moira MacRae, captain, USAF, and Bill Donovan, a US Navy Master Chief. Both of these characters grow in ways neither of them (or myself, some ways, but I’m just the writer) expect when the story begins. Donovan I thought of as a minor character until I started writing and understood the influence he would have on both MacRae and Davis. Donovan, then, will probably end up as a major character.
This week’s biggest challenge:
There have been several major challenges this week, but the primary challenge involves just getting the story off the ground! The first sentence of the first paragraph of the first page is crafted from an undefined but effectively unlimited number of possible beginnings. Once that first paragraph is written it gets a lot easier. Same goes for introducing the main characters; once their initial scenes are written I know a lot more about them and writing about them becomes easier. Other and not inconsiderable challenges include knowing when research is useful and when you’re researching just to avoid writing. C.S. Forester once wrote that he couldn’t write unless he had a minimum of distractions, preferably nothing more than a blank desk against a blank wall with no windows in sight. I write on a laptop with Internet access, so “minimum distractions” involves an act of will rather than selection of an environment! Oh, and a not-inconsiderable challenge is keeping our new kitten off my keyboard. She constantly wants to add words I’ve never seen before, like “uuuuuuuuudddddddk’l;’asdkkk.”
Hopes for next week:
Over the next week I hope to be somewhere between 25 and 30 thousand words. The word count is less significant than where that puts me in the story. Right now, the Grissom has just made it into orbit for the first time. Next I have to set in motion a series of events leading up to the first major crisis of the story, which should occur at or just before the midpoint of the story, which occurs somewhere in the word count above.
NaNo in a nutshell (week one):
To sum it up, this first week I’ve maintained a consistent writing schedule and word count despite some minor problems. That’s good from the NaNo contestant POV. From the writer’s POV, the word count is great but much better is that the story is coming together in something close to its final form in my mind. To me that’s a good first week.
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Hi, Tom. I'm a big fan of not planning too much, just allowing characters to do their own thing and letting them – and the story – evolve naturally. It's so exciting when a new slant presents itself and I think it takes as much discipline to abandon a plan and go with the flow as it does to make a plan and stick with it. You're doing really well! I hope you'll be giving the kitten a mention in the acknowledgements!
Hey, Tom! I find getting into the swing is hardest too - then once you're started it's a lot easier. And it's great to feel the story coming under control!
I sympathise with the love of research - there's a temptation to carry on and on, always thinking you'll find something better or more perfect for the story.
If I were you, I'd use placeholders for any research gaps while you're in this writing phase. You can always go back and fill them later, but you won't waste time on fascinating stuff you don't need.
And when you're editing, keep your outtakes. They'll be brilliant as backup material for the novel's website.
Tom, I wish you and the rest taking part in, NaNoWriMo the very best of British. I know what it's like, being under the cosh!