NaNoWriMo Week Three: Explosions, Frozen Fingers, and Christmas Decorations



WE. ARE. ON. WEEK. FOUR. OF. NANOWRIMO.

WEEK FOUR.

AND ONLY 10 DAYS LEFT.

WE’RE LITERALLY NEARING THE END OF THE MONTH PEOPLE.

It’s a little shocking, to be honest. Didn’t this month just start???? HOW ARE WE PAST THE HALFWAY POINT?

I had an absolutely fantastic Week Three myself! Both on the writing front and with lifely things. *le gasp* Am I saying I actually did LIFE stuff this week? That happens during NaNoWriMo?? Bwahaha! Of course not. What an absurd thought. I just happened to glance over the top of my screen and accidentally take note of the real world for half a second. Scariest half second of my life. (Okay, okay, yes, I did step away from my novel a couple of times this week, but we’re getting to that.)
 
WEEK THREE HIGHLIGHTS 

WRITERLY-NESS

I passed the halfway mark of my novel.
This is both something to jump up and down and scream excitedly over AND something that makes me want to curl under my bed and cry for a million years. Becaaause, I hit the halfway mark of my novel at 76k words. Which means…I have around 76k more words to write before this monstrosity is finished. *diiiies*

BUT. Currently I’m at 91k words, and so far I’ve managed to write around 30k every week. So I think I can finish this within the next few weeks. …If I survive that long. 30k a week is no joke. Z_Z I’m noticing my enthusiasm to go write has been fading, but once I do start writing I enjoy myself. I’m just kinda ready to, well, start living again and enjoy the Christmas holiday. But I’ve been working on this series every NaNo for SEVEN YEARS. I think I can give it a few more weeks. And then I’ll be DONE. FOREVERRRR. (Let’s just pretend rewrites don’t exist for now, okay???) I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…

Fortunately, like I said, I enjoy myself for the most part once I do start writing those words. This book is seriously the MOST. FUN. THING.

This week’s writing sessions included…
 

  • Bryth single-handedly killing three bad guys. I haven’t written a fight scene with Bryth in a long time, and I was just sitting there cackling to myself as I remembered what a deadly force she is. (I’m perfectly normal, I promise.) (Actually that’s a total lie. I’m a writer. “Normal” doesn’t come with the title.)

 

  • Airen and Eryth doing a rescue mission together. Airen and Eryth together. AIREN AND ERYTH!!!!! Only my favorite ship out of my all characters. *coughity cough cough* Okay, technically last week was when a ton of the Airen and Eryth things took place like…THEIR REUNION. Since they haven’t been together since the beginning of BOOK ONE. I’ve only been waiting for this reunion for 7 years. Let’s just ignore the fact that they’re not an official “couple” yet. Psssh, details.

 

  • There may also be a slight love triangle that played a part during this week’s writing. Oops? It’s only slight. And I think this is my first love triangle to ever write…? *actually likes love triangles*

 

  • Not just one humongous battle but TWO. Whyyy??? I AM NOT GOOD AT BATTLE SCENES. Do I look like I know how to fight? That I have any knowledge at all how to maneuver around entire armies??? NO. And yet I do it all. the. time. I should count one day how many fight scenes have occurred in this series. I honestly bet it’s nearing 100. Just…so many fights! And this week I had entire, ridiculously large battles going as full KINGDOMS were trying to be freed and just… *collapses* Battle scenes overwhelm me because I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M DOING. (Let’s not talk about how the whole climax will be one enormous battle scene with, like, the whole WORLD fighting. *dies*) Okay, actually, these battles weren’t too hard, and sometimes I do have fun with them. I put on fast paced, epic, ear-bleeding music and just type probably utter nonsense (because, again, I don’t know how to fight), BUT IT IS EPIC NONSENSE SO THERE.

 

  • EXPLOSIONS. Well I did say there were battles, now didn’t I? What good is a battle without EXPLOSIONS??? Never mind this is a medieval fantasy novel. I will still find ways to explode things. *cackles*

 

  • Reunions. So. Many Reunions. ALL THE REUNIONS. Okay, okay, not all of them. BUT A LOT. In fact, I’m rapidly nearing the section of the book where alllll meh babies FINALLY get together. I’ve got most of them in one place. IT ONLY TOOK 7 BOOKS. But I’ve done it! Just a few more and then they can have a big ol’ party before the world ends.

 

  • Did I mention reunions? I feel like it deserved a second point. I LOVE REUNIONS OKAY. That’s the biggest reason this book is so FUN. I’ve never had all these characters working together so much, and it’s a chaotic, amazing mess. Literally, for a couple of scenes I had to make a list of who all was there because I couldn’t keep up with everyone. o.O IT IS BEAUTIFUL AND ABSURD AND I LOVE IT.

 

  • Also three semi-major deaths happened. Huh? What? I said nothing!

 

  • Character developmeeeent! Quite a few of my babies had some major breakthroughs this week and I AM SO PROUD. :’)

 

  • I also had a certain one of my ships sail away happily into the sunset this week. (No, it wasn’t Airen and Eryth.)

So as you can see, it was a very productive week.
 

LIFELY THINGS

Like I said, I actually acknowledged the real world a teensy itty bit this week. But it was for a good cause! Because…

We decorated the house for CHRISTMAS!!! Only one of my favorite things to do ever. Is there anything happier than putting on the Christmas music and decking the house out in all the festive, wonderful thiiings. I THINK NOT.



I LOVE CHRISTMAS AND I AM NOT ASHAMED.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been really feeling the Christmas spirit because the weather hasn’t been cooperating. It’s a little hard to bellow out the Christmas tunes while you’re MELTING. Buuut apparently the weather finally remembered what season it was (perhaps it’s doing NaNo too and got distracted writing…?) and this weekend was COLD. Like, I got freeze warning alerts on my phone kind of cold. I COULDN’T BE HAPPIER. Cold weather is my faaaave! It finally feels like the proper holiday season. Excuse me while I go put on my boots and scarves and blast the Christmas music and eat all the cookies and hug a Christmas tree because THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS HEERE. Not that I’m excited or anything.
 

LESSONS FROM THE WEEK

The cold is perfect initiative to write fast. Oh yes, I’ve come up with a solid new way to get those words out quickly. Go outside and don’t allow yourself to return to the warm indoors until you’ve met a certain wordcount. Then type as fast as you can before you freeze and die. Genius! BONUS POINTS: Meet your word goal before your fingers go numb and chip off.

So maaaybe I’ve been writing out in the freezing cold this week. Do I regret it? Neverrrr! I am the ICE QUEEN. (The cold doesn’t effect your brain, does it? Naaah!)

Ooookay, so I did actually learn something useful this week.

Near the end of the week, my creative barrels were getting dry. My writing was bland and I had to painstakingly force out every. single. word. I had been writing so MUCH every day, and was getting really tired. But I told myself I had to keep going, I had to keep writing. This book is gonna be LONG. I have to write and write and write if I ever hope to get to the end. No matter what.



Then Friday came and I had to go to work, which forced me to stop writing for a little while. Work was slow that day, giving me some relaxing time, I even got to read a little (something I really haven’t done since NaNo started… o.o). After work, I got myself a vanilla latte at McDonald’s (#obsessed) and dove back into my novel.

Suddenly, the words flowed without any effort, and they came (I think) in much more quality than I had been producing. That evening, I easily finished up a chapter, and the next day I wrote a whole 6k words without any trouble. While any other day I write 6k, I have to really push myself to get in that many words, and am dead by the end of it.

That’s when I realized: TAKING BREAKS IS A GOOD THING. A necessary thing. You only have so much creative energy before it’s completely run out. If you keep pushing yourself, all you’re doing is scraping at the bottom of the barrel which is slow, tedious work. The best way to refuel those juices is to put a little distance from yourself and your novel (or whatever your creative pursuit may be). Read a book, watch your favorite show, take a walk, go shopping with friends—just step away for a while. When you come back, you’ll be shocked at how reenergized and inspired you feel. Now, I understand it is hard stepping away to do something else when you could be using that time to write. But, in the end, you may find you write faster once you’ve refilled yourself, meaning you didn’t waste any time at all.

And yes, I realize this is something we hear all the time, and something I know, but experiencing it this week reminded me of how true it is.

Unfortunately, I never learn my lesson and will probably once again pour myself out to the bottom of the barrel, and refuse to take breaks because I MUST. FINISH. THIS. NOVEL. But I’m not anything if I’m not a useful role model of what not to do. You’re welcome.
 

CONCLUSION…

I had a very good Week Three of NaNo! And I also write the most absurd, unorganized posts during NaNo. I really don’t know what this is, guys. I promise, once I’ve finished this monstrosity of a novel the blog will return to actual subjects and not just what it looks like in the inside of my brain (as in: a thousand different thoughts with sooo many caps and question marks).

Who am I kidding? My blog is always full of rambling chaos. (Just maybe a liiittle less during non-NaNo months? Yes? Anybody???)

I hope everybody has an amazing Thanksgiving week! And to my non-American friends, I hope you have an amazing week period! I hope you all do! JUST BE THE AMAZING PEOPLE YOU ARE.



How did your NaNo Week Three go???? What is something exciting that happened during your writing session this week? (Did you kill any of your characters?) Is anyone else already pulling out the Christmas decorations? (DO NOT BE ASHAMED.) And, just for fun, what’s your favorite Thanksgiving dish? (I’m allll about that dressing.)

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Kayla Marie
November 21, 2016 8:29 PM

Asdffghklkjhg!!! I loved this post, Christine! So fun!

By the way, I loooove your NaNo posts, so DON'T APOLOGIZE, YOING LADY!

It's a family rule that we don't break out the Christmas stuuf til the day after Thanksgiving, so… Looking forward to November 25!!! CHRISTMAS IS THE BEST THING EVER ASDGHKKJGFDSDFH!!!! DECORATING, COOKING, MUSIC!!!! I lobe it, okay???? Okay.

Also congrats on the 91k!!! You are the awesome!

I'm now writing more… I've started another novel! Because apparently I felt left out or something??? I'm taking it really easy, but I thought, hey, why not? I've forced myself to focus on one novel for six years because I wanted to finish and not get sidetracked. Now that I'm done… I'm free to pursue new projects! Huzzah!

Also combatting the annual cold… Gross.

Kayla Marie
November 23, 2016 4:18 AM
Reply to  Kayla Marie

No! I mean, if I wasn't doing NaNo, maybe (probably not!)???? I do know that my last two years of blogging, November was like one big "WHAAAAA????" for me because I wasn't doing NaNo and that's all anyone wanted to talk about! And now I'm contributing to that… HA!

Girls are notoriously overzealous about the holidays, don't worry! As I am the last girl standing at my house, I try extra hard to force the guys into Christmas spirit!

Fine, fine! YOU ARE THE CRAZY! Happy now???

Yes, no, maybe???? It's supposedly a genderswapped Pride and Prejudice retelling set in modern-day highschool… The only problem is that I DESPISE WRITING CONTEMPORARY, SO. It's a bit of an issue.

Aw, thanks! Feeling much better today!

Kayla Marie
November 24, 2016 12:09 AM
Reply to  Kayla Marie

Heh. Well. Trying to be one of you, anyway! 😉

It's a good name for you! Actually a good name for all of us??? We could collectively be called The Crazy??? Or… The Tribe of Crazy???

Ugh. I feel so cramped by "real life" – gimme fantasy over this aaaany day!

I have a million other ideas (Beauty and the Beast steampunk retelling set in London, Peter Pan retelling called Just Peter, a superhero story, among other things…) so I may just bounce around between them??? We'll see what happens!

Kayla Marie
November 26, 2016 4:18 AM
Reply to  Kayla Marie

YASSSSS! We are aaaaall The Tribe of Crazy! You can be our president. 😉

Exactly!

Well, thank you! Oddly enough, all those ideas are ones I came up with myself, but normally my little brother comes up with my best story ideas. 🙂

Blue
November 21, 2016 9:54 PM

Looks like an epic week! What with reunions and 'splosions and death….wait, death!?

Without NaNo to give me that boost, my writing week consisted of only one day. But it was a productive day, with space-police butting heads in one story, a failed theft in another story, and plans to evade air pirates in yet another story. No 'splosions yet.

Your decorations are lovely! ….I haven't even thought about mine yet.

Jane Maree
November 21, 2016 10:38 PM

Somehow I just started freaking out when you said 'non-American friends' and I don't even know why. I feel like I've had a special mention. *flails*

I really got struck with taking writing breaks the day after hitting 50k when I just did nothing all day and it was so relaxing to put it all out of my mind and just breathe…it was wonderful.

I'm really excited about my novel at the moment because I'm getting really close to finishing. I've only got to join a few little scenes together and then I'm done! Eeek.

Jane Maree
November 25, 2016 1:17 AM
Reply to  Jane Maree

Aww *flails* THAT MAKES ME SO EXCITED. <3 <3 <3 It is so great that the internet is a thing. ^-^

Ellie
November 22, 2016 12:44 AM

YOU CAN DO IT. I BELIEVE IN YOU. Keep on writing until you've shown this novel who's boss!

BRYTH IS AMAZING AHHHH.

AIREN AND ERYTH. Eren? Airyth? Whatever they are, it's adorable.

E X P L O S I O N S. And battle scenes! Those are the best.

This week I may have planned one hugely heartbreaking death for later in my series…..oops?

Actually, two.

Actually, three.

Oops?

Dressing is my second-favorite, although I'd have to go with buttermilk biscuits as first choice.

Ellie| On the Other Side of Reality

Sophia White
November 22, 2016 3:42 PM

I'd cheer you on by saying you're so close to the end, but something tells me that isn't exactly true. . .
Well, this week I turned in the last of the four writing assignments that piled up on me so fast the last two weeks, so I'm done with them. Friday we had a blizzard and the Internet went out, so I had a mandatory break from school, which was lovely, because I was starting to get burned out and not making a lot of sense, which if you're writing papers for school is helpful. So instead of doing school, I read C. S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. The power went out in the afternoon, so I did quite a bit of reading by the light of candles and kerosene lamps (it gets dark quite soon after four o'clock here now). I'm on Thanksgiving break from now through Saturday, and the only writing work I plan to do is on my stories, no school. After that it's only two more weeks of class and finals, and we're done!
For Thanksgiving this year it's just my family, so the four of us aren't planning anything big — we're not even having a turkey. I think my favourite part is having cold sandwiches the next day with turkey and cranberry sauce (homemade).

Aimee Meester
November 23, 2016 1:39 AM

Yayyy for getting halfway through the novel! AND YAY FOR EXPLOSIONS BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE BEST MAN. I'm a little more than halfway through mine and I've killed multiple people, and also demons and ghosts in the swamp, because I CAN at this point. So I guess NaNo is going well????

– Aimee (To the Barricade!)

Victoria Grace Howell
November 23, 2016 9:45 PM

I'm so glad NaNo is going great! I can't believe you've written so much. Nooooo Christmas decorations to early. Not till after Thanksgiving for me. XD And yes I did kill one of my character actually. 😉

storitorigrace.blogspot.com

Tracey Dyck
November 28, 2016 3:38 AM

Sounds like an epic week of Nano! Airen and Eryth on a mission together (eeep!), battles left and right, developments, DEATH (I am worried and I don't even properly know your characters yet!)… You've been busy! And I see by your little Nano status box on the side that you're past 117k. o.o In 27 days. Do you have a smidge of fairy blood?

And Christmas! We haven't decorated yet, but I've been in a strangely early Christmas spirit this year. Must be all the holiday prep I've been helping out with at college, but I'm already listening to carols. I usually wait until December 1st, but apparently not this year!

That…is…a genius motivator to write faster. O.O Unfortunately, I think I would freeze all over if I tried that for even five minutes in a Canadian winter. XD (I mean a typical Canadian winter. This year it hasn't been too, too bad for cold yet.)

Yes, it's amazing what a good break can do for creativity and inspiration! I'm glad to hear you're still going strong! I myself haven't written in almost a week. I've been pleasure reading and studying instead (sometimes in that order… *guilty cough*). But hopefully after my exam tomorrow, I'll have headspace for writing again.

ONLY THREE DAYS LEFT OF NANO! YOU'VE GOT THIS, CHRISTINE! Even if you have to keep on writing to finish this novel in December, I know you can do it. ^____^

Skye Hoffert
December 4, 2016 3:57 AM

I wish I had your writing prowess, girl. You're inspirational.
*approves of the Christmas Decorating*