NaNoWriMo day 28 – When sub-plots go rogue…

I am pleased to report I am currently on 45,627 words with 2 days to go, and am inching closer and closer to the target.  My absolute minimum this year was 45,000 so to have passed that feels very good!

My problem now is one of storyline.  As I’ve said before, random things have appeared in my story, and been quickly incorporated.  However, I have noticed that there are several little wiggly sub-plot strands that are popping up and trying to escape as I get toward the last day of NaNoWriMo.  So today I spent much of my time trying to wrestle the rogue strands into order.

I knew the shape I wanted this story to take when I started, and I had a plan that, although not overly structured, explored the main things that would happen in each chapter.  But I keep adding bits.  A sketch of a future event here, a vision there; I have no problem with the new bits longer term, but I don’t want to worry about them now!  It all flows when I’m writing it but it’s not in the plan and therefore not part of the story arc.

I said right at the start of NaNo that word count doesn’t equal quality, and it’s true.  I have tried to get back to the plan but I’m sure I’ll have to correct some sections in December when – if I’m being honest – I’d rather be preparing for Christmas and munching my way through family sized boxes of chocolates!

The worst thing is that I’m only on chapter 5 of 8 – so I probably have another 30,000 words to go before I can even start re-reading.  And, before I do all this, I have to do my next edit on the first novel and finish the wedding poem.

I am looking forward to 1 December because honestly, I don’t think this way of working is necessarily the best way for me (I’d rather fix things as I go than in the editing which as you know I dislike.  Intensely!) but I’m glad I’ve given it another go to prove to myself I can write this much in a month, and I can make up for lost time.

And of course getting to 50,000 words means I can have my party!

Happy writing,

EJ

🙂