It’s miserable wet and windy here today. Not the most inspiring of days to ramp up the motivational gears in readiness for NaNoWriMo or, as I like to call it, Operation Writing Overdrive.
If you’ve read my previous blog, you’ll know that I was in something of a dilemma as to what to do with the first draft of the novel I wrote in last year’s event, after taking a second look at it. I can now report that I’ve decided to split it. It’s a decision that’s left me with mixed feelings. Dread and excitement. Dread at the thought of untangling it all, and excitement at the prospect of creating another two books that I feel really passionate about.
In case you’re wondering, I haven’t just left last year’s draft to gather dust somewhere in the back corners of my laptop. Aside from concentrating on other projects, I’ve been doing a fair amount of research because some of the stories are set in the past. World War II and the proceeding decades, to be precise. It’s required a lot of reading and sifting of information but I’m sure what I’ve learned about those times will help to make the book more authentic.
So here I am, on this rainy afternoon in Birmingham, England, surrounded by research books; paper and electronic notes, and spreadsheets. Yes, spreadsheets. Definitely need the spreadsheets. No more crazy wordcounts for me, thank you. I have never been more ready to go. I even have a working title, ‘The Diaries of Miss Edith Pinsent.’
NaNoWriMo here I come.
PS: My first book, ‘The Three Things That Broke Netta Wilde,’ is about to enter the final and formal editing phase. Now that really is exciting.
Hazel Ward 