Optimistic to the point of foolishness

This was me towards the end of November. November of all months. National Novel writing month. 3 weeks in and with just under 20,000 words to go until the 50,000 word target I hit a wall. Hard. I’d been ill for the whole of the month which wasn't helping as after full days at work, cooking tea, washing and cleaning I was far too exhausted to write. This was maybe my first mistake, because perhaps the writing would've relaxed me. Maybe it wouldn't have but I know this for sure; stopping was a huge mistake. So here I want to tell you how I eventually pushed through this block, so that if you’re struggling too then this may just help.

I didn't write throughout December either and only when January hit and my news resolution to pull myself together kicked in did I try again. As you saw above, I was 30,000 words into my novel, which is not to be sniffed at. And while chunks of it were strained efforts to keep my story going there were parts I was proud of. The first 3 chapters at least. And characters that I couldn't give up on. So here’s what I did. I went back to plotting. I’d plotted before writing, but something was missing. There were characters who had no depth, plot twists that weren't even twists and no clear ending in site.  I began with my characters. I took them all, and I mean ALL of them, even the passers-by, the man with one sentence, the dog walker, and I re-discovered them. I wrote pages on some and paragraphs on others. I gave them lives, friends, motives. It helped loads because now I knew where ALL the characters were heading, what they ALL wanted to do.

2015 will be my first year taking part in National Novel Writing Month. I’m nervous and excited about the commitment to write 50,000 words in one month. The most I’ve ever done is 30,000. But I’m determined to fit it in, although this is a busy month for me with work and my personal life.

Here’s a few ways I’ve prepared.

First things first, I set up a writing room. This feels so amazing! To have a space where I can lock myself away from the bustle of the house. Already this room has had an impact on the time I spend writing and I feel confident that it’ll help me get through NaNo! Do you have a writing space?

Secondly I spent a lot of time where my novel is going to be set; London! I don’t live here so it’s been coach journeys and applying everything to my visual memory so I can write about it even when I’m not here.

And I spent most of that time in Battersea Park, where I’d never been before, but where I knew my story began. 

There’s nothing quite like skulking around London parks trying to find the perfect murder scene!

Plotting for me is always the hardest, so I use a plot table to try and piece my story together, one by one. 

This is the format I try to use. Filling in a brief idea of what happens occasionally more detailed if there are certain parts of conversations I want to use already forming.

...is anyone else doing this?

I used to do this a lot, constantly switching from novel to novel because I had so many ideas.

I still have a lot of ideas but recently I've been far more disciplined. I finished my novel and pushed my way through a second draft. I’m now near the end of my third draft and I’ve given in and begun writing a new novel; the idea was too exciting to resist!

HOWEVER; I’m being smart about it. When I sit down for my writing time I split my time in half.  And I tell myself that if I spend the first half un-distractedly working on my 3rd draft of Novel 1 then I’m allowed to spend the second half on Novel 2. It’s working so far.