Close, but no cigar yet

Chapter 27; 122K words and counting.

That means I've met my original total wordcount goal for Draft 1 (figuring lots will be cut during editing), without getting to the end of Draft 1 yet.

Closer, but lots still to do. Have run out of "pre-written" old Nano scenes to include, gotta make it all up from scratch from here on out. New scene bubbled up yesterday that I hadn't had planned, brings some useful clues to light. Not that my characters know what the significance is yet, but they will by the end. Somehow.

Have been writing at more-than-Nano pace the past few days, hands and brain and shoulders/neck are all tense and tired. Would love a day off from writing, but sisters are arriving a week from today.

Aaack!

Onward...

Getting my ducks in a row

Moving a pivotal scene closer to the end has solved a lot of problems.

Last night I was feeling anxious about the prospects of finishing a readable draft in next 10 days (i.e., before my sisters get here), but got some ducks in a row this morning. Time is still SHORT.

Business admin tasks must get some attention today (Q3 payroll filings are still on to-do list, want to get that crossed off). I'm not complaining. Beats the hell out of having a day job. Some essential errands must be done as well. Wednesday is farmer's market day in Hilo, and our fridge is as empty as it gets; the only fresh produce in the house is one brown banana and some wilted carrots. Time to go stock up on papayas and organic lettuce and whatever else looks good.

Then, gotta sit down and once more go over the 60-page section I've been working on the past few days. I've sliced and diced and shuffled so much to fix sequencing and timing problems, finally got to the point this morning that everything (chapters, scenes, paragraphs, notes to self) is (I hope) in the new correct order.

Now I need to go back and turn all those "notes to self" into the necessary new sentences, paragraphs, and segues that will hold the shuffled mess together into one string. And make sure I got the resequencing right.

I've got one more scene from last year's NaNo that is "pre-written" and will be tacked on after I add a few more scenes of new stuff.

Then, one big challenge to go: I still don't know how the villain finds out "they're on to me" and what actions he/she takes that will lead to the FINAL SHOWDOWN. I do have some good ideas for the confrontation, but they're all still in my head.

From there, it's all wrap-up.

Gee, put like that, it almost sounds like I'm near the end.

114K words and counting.

For the draft my sisters read I may add a page at the end of chapters (where necessary) with notes of info to be added: e.g., "Missing from this chapter, a short scene introducing the character of ALAN, and Granimi decides to shop for a condo."

Onward.

Plot Tangles

Crap. I've run into a problem.

I've been breezing along, cheerfully accumulating word count, inching closer to "the end" and, ouch. Just ran into a wall.

Or, more accurately, a plot tangle. I'm at the stage where my MC (and posse) are close to gathering together (more like stumbling over, most of the time) the various bits and pieces of clues that will point them to who done it. But I'm having a little trouble with the timing and sequence of information that leads to the aha moment and (simultaneously, if I manage to be clever enough to pull it off) reveals an interesting and significant subplot twist.

There's one tidbit that MC really should have on Sunday evening (in novel time), but as of now isn't going to have until next Tuesday. And then there's the info she uncovers on Sunday that would work better (in terms of other characters, scenes, etc) if it were delayed for a day or two.

You'd think I could just switch the two incidents, but no. It's not that easy.

So, I'm taking a day off (or several, hope it won't drag on too long) from word count accumulation for some plot detangling.

Best case scenario, I emerge from this with something resembling a scene outline for at least the next few days of novel time, which ought to (fingers crossed) speed up the race to "the end."

Wish me luck.

September Mission Accomplished

I’ve done it: I’ve met (and exceeded by a little) my goal of adding 1200 words a day to the draft-in-progress for the month of September.

As I keep chugging along I am trying to stay focused on slogging forward one scene at a time, being strict about writing chronologically from here to the end.

I'm closer. A lot closer. But not close enough yet.

If I stop to think that I have to get to "The End" before my sisters arrive to visit on 10/18, I'll panic. That’s two weeks plus a couple of days for frantic cleanup and a rough draft print-out.

I’m thinking of this draft as more "lacey and tangled" than “rough” (some parts of it are quite polished). There are lots of nice plot threads in there, but they meander around and get lost and then emerge elsewhere as a dangling thread, and there are loops of mystery stuff poking out here and there and everywhere, and threads that dive into the fun halfway through with no connection to what came before, and holes still. Too many holes. Most of them much smaller than previously, but they’re there.

Biggest hole remaining is that I have figured out how the good guys figure out "who done it," but not how the villain realizes “the jig's up.” Need something to happen to trigger the big showdown scene at the end. Have ideas for that one, but not how I'm gonna sew up the big gaping gap that comes before it on what passes for an outline around here.

Nice thing about working chronologically is I don't have to solve that plot problem today. "Buildup to the showdown" is still at least 3 or 4 days away in novel time. At the rate I’m going I won’t get to that scene before the beginning of next week at the earliest. Plenty of time for new ideas to pop up.

In the meantime, gonna go pre-wash latest fabric indulgence: didn’t buy much (had to reorder a trim fabric that I'd goofed and gotten the wrong color-way of). Have decided to consider all September fabric purchases a b'day gift to myself. Now majorly want to sew up at least one new thing to wear before my birthday, preferably two. Parcel of dress patterns arrived yesterday, must resist temptation for a few more hours.

Because these days noveling comes first. Today's goal: if I add 1600 more words I can do some sewing.