Insert cliché re: repetition of identical action with differing expectations. “Winning” NaNoWriMo hasn’t been a challenge for me in a while. In the past two years I hit 50,000 words before Thanksgiving, so I could pay attention to family obligations without worrying about wordcount. When I decide to do a thing, it gets done. It does not always get done well, however. This year I doubled my pre-first-draft period of research, plotting, and writing short stories to get to know the characters and the environment. My hope is that this will result in a better first draft, so that I can add more polish during editing. This may even eliminate the month of despair I usually encounter in the spring, when I am overwhelmed and disgusted with all the work the thing needs.

I’m also planning on Camp NaNoWriMo in July, which means finishing this year’s project sometime around May. That definitely means skipping the month of despair. Hopefully I’ll have so much fun with this project that I’ll want to write the sequel right away! I already have an exciting idea for the next main plot and one subplot, and I’m very fond of the characters. The pre-novel short stories have been really helpful in that regard.

I’ve now got five short stories and two novels on submission. Lots of nibbles and useful personal rejections, but no bites. So I’m not just hoarding these little tales on my hard drive, if you’re wondering. And in the not-my-story department, if you like audio horror you have to check out Interference. So creepy!