There's something about November. It used to be my least favorite month. It still is, but since I discovered National Novel Writing Month in 2007, at least I have a way to combat the pre-winter doldrums.
I almost wasn't going to participate this year, but after finishing the second half re-write of Win or Go Home I decided to let the book rest for a month and work on a sequel. Not a true sequel, just book two of the series I hope to sell to an agent and later a publisher. A man's reach should exceed his grasp, right?
Several months ago I wrote a few pages as an exercise in creating a strong hook. I had some opening lines and nothing else. I used it as a springboard to launch Winner Takes All. So far I have completed 34,300 words out of the 50,000 needed to "win" NaNoWriMo. I'm on pace to do that by November 22nd. With any kind of inspiration I might be able to knock off the first draft by the end of the month. That would be 75,000 words, maybe more.
One thing I am doing differently this time is writing short chapter summaries as a way to keep track of the plot and avoid continuity errors and plot holes. I am not the kind of writer who can create an outline and stick to it. I tried it this time and deviated almost immediately. I like for the characters to drive the story and for my imagination to be able to jump in and send the plot in a new direction. I figure I can use the summary as a way to produce a synopsis later on when it's time to go to market. I think Winner Takes All is a better story than Win or Go Home. If I don't get any takers for WOGH, I will self publish it and try to sell WTA.
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