We are PAST halfway through NaNoWriMo!!! And it is time for me to once again throw out a sleep-deprived, over-caffeinated writing update your way. Woot, woot!

This week I’m participating in my own Know the Novel linkup, of which you can find HERE! And join yourself! It will be open for all the rest of the month, and I’d love for you to hop in on the fun.

Before I get to answering the questions I must first flail a little bit. Because as of November 13th…

I WON MY TENTH NANO IN A ROW!!!

Last Wednesday I hit 50k words on my novel and I MAY BE A TAD EXCITED. (Of course I probably would have made it to 50k on the 12th if Disney+ had not launched that day and I got distracted. *cough, cough, cough*) This is actually the third year in a row I hit 50k on the 13th. I’m not sure if I should be worried about that…

BUT my Perfectionist Self can die happy now knowing I did and won 10 NaNos in a row. While my Responsible Self is questioning my sanity and wondering why on earth I do these things to myself, but I don’t talk to her much.

Unfortunately, the 50k mark was really only the halfway point to my novel (or…what I hope is the halfway point. This better not get longer than 100k >.>). Annnnd since, like I said, Responsible Me and I don’t talk a lot, I’m choosing to keep on going until this book is finished! I’d love to hit 100k by the end of the month, but I don’t know if that’s happening and I’m not too worried about it. The goal now is to just FINISH THE BOOK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE whatever that looks like. So yep! I shall continue to be writing like a mad octopus for all the rest of November! *casually buys all the coffee in the world*

ANYWHO. Enough capslock and screaming. Let’s get to the Know the Novel questions! (So I can probably do more capslock and screaming.)

Join the linkup!

WITHIN THE WRITING OF

THE TIMEKEEPER & THE LIBRARIAN

1.) How’s the writing going overall?

FABULOUSLY. Like…this is proving to be a particularly smooth, enjoyable NaNo and it makes me SO HAPPY. Yes, I will be thrilled once I’m done (and can like sleep again). But at the same time I adore this story SO SO MUCH. I haven’t had too many days where I’d rather herd a school of mutant piranhas (wut?) than write. (Let’s be real. We all have those writing days.) Usually once I get settled into the story each day, I immensely enjoy myself.

There’s also been no life disasters and just ??? I feel like there’s always something going on, especially during NaNo for some reason. (Last NaNo the coffee pot broke the first week, we got in the crossfires of a car wreck, and my car died on me while I was waiting in line at McDonald’s, just to give you an example of my life…) So far this month, there’s been nothing really noteworthy. It’s been…quiet. And you don’t hear me complainin’! We’ll see how this next half of NaNo goes…

But, seriously, overall? It’s been SUCH a fun, cozy NaNo of just WRITING. I am a happy (if not utterly mad and sleep-deprived) bean!

Actually me.

2.) What’s been the most fun aspect about writing this novel so far?

…Everything?

REALLY THOUGH. I’m adoring so much in this ridiculous story.

I love the whimsical world and how it’s a mix of fantasy and steampunk with its own set of rules. It will need some, erm, fleshing and smoothing out come edits ‘cause I keep throwing in random things with next to no basis. But for right now it’s been thrilling just exploring it. I feel like Lucy exploring Narnia for the first time. I seriously never know what I’ll find next. It’s been entertaining, that’s for sure!

I love the whole concept of how time works. It’s literally connected to a giant clock tower thing and the Timekeeper has to maintain the Clock or, well, all of time will collapse. I’m such a sucker for timey-wimey things and whew. This one has put a whole lotta wimey-ness in time. Though it’s not a time travel story, it still involves a lot of time bending types of things and is both delighting me and hurting my brain. But I love those types of stories, SO. Let the headaches commence!

I also just love how fun and quirky the whole story is. Though, yes, the plot is getting pretty complex and there is certainly a fair share of Feels, it’s still just a FUN book to write. It has a much more lighthearted, whimsical feel than, like, any of my other books. And though darker books are totally my jam, diverting from that for a bit has been very enjoyable. (Although I just threw in some creepy shadow monsters that are terrorizing the world so how lighthearted is this really? When I say “lighthearted”, I mean lighthearted for me. *sheepish grin*)

Although, really, one of my top favorite things is just the whole plot concept. It occurred to me the other day that this book is Howl’s Moving Castle meets Doctor Who meets Kingdom Hearts (a video game series, if you’re not familiar with the title) which are three of my favorite things on the planet ever, ever, ever. And also three very different things and just like what even is this book??? WHO CAN KNOW. But I am lovin’ in!

I feel like I used this gif in one of my NaNo posts last year. It truly is a perfect representative of all my NaNos.

Buuuut let’s be real. My true favorite aspect is the…. *pause for dramatic effect even though you probably know the answer* CHARACTERS! Which brings us right to the next question.

3.) What do you think of your characters at this point? Who’s your favorite to write about?

THESE BEANS.

Everly is just stumbling around having no clue what’s going on and when the world is basically ending she refuses to acknowledge it until she’s had a cup of tea.

Luka is Doing His Best even though he gets distracted a lot. And when he accidentally knocked over one of the villains he apologized and helped the man up, fully knowing this was his enemy.

They are dorks. And I adore them. Also I CAN’T CHOOSE A FAVORITE. I love them individually, but then TOGETHER. AWK. *clutches heart* I honestly didn’t expect their friendship to progress so fast. Well, Luka is an actual puppy and make friends with anyone. But Everly is a bit more closed off, so her quick acceptance of this ridiculous boy was surprising but adorable. I mean, she still definitely asks “why me?” every time Luka does…anything, BUT STILL.

Then there are the villains who have proven fascinating and complicated and all so different and wow. This villain group has been something. We’ve got the debonair gentleman, the graceful lady, the prickly woman, the bubbly girl, and the carefree guy, and they are quite the group. I’m having such fun with them! *cackles*

BASICALLY I LOVE ALL THESE CHARACTERS THE END.

I will say, due to pantsing I think some of the characters’ motivations will have to be strengthened during revisions. At the same time, I’ve also discovered so many things about them all that were a complete surprise and it’s been a blast having all these unexpected things thrown at me.

Oh, look. I just segued right into the next question again!

4.) Has your novel surprised you in any way?

Has my novel not surprised me in any way??? Since I am totally pantsing this, it’s just been one unexpected event after the next. Especially now that I’m on the second half of the book. I had some vague ideas of things for the beginning but now? I GOT NUTHIN. It’s 100% making it up as I go and, though it is a little scary not having any form of a plan, it’s also thrilling getting up each morning and not knowing where my novel will take me that day.

The biggest surprises have come from the villains. My original plans for them EXPLODED into some convoluted nonsense that I literally had to get my sister to help me sort out because like what even are they doing??? And then once I thought I had a handle on their backstories/goals, everything exploded again. And now it’s just this constant stream of mini explosions and new revelations and I don’t even know.

I…I kind of love it. XD This “simple, fun” story I planned to write for NaNo has turned into…something. “Simple” definitely isn’t the right word anymore. Buuut I love convoluted plots so BRING IT ON. (Even if it’s proving difficult trying to figure out how to sort this mess out…)

So, um, yeah. I feel like I rarely go a day without getting struck with some new revelation. IT. IS. SOMETHING.

Me during all my writing sessions.

5.) Have you come across any problem areas?

Eheheheheh. Not only is this a NaNo novel, but a PANTSED NaNo novel—two things that make for some pretty disastrous first drafts. My writing is a mess, the characters’ motivations need to be weaved in more, there definitely needs to be more foreshadowing (it’s hard to foreshadow things when you’re as confused as the characters), and there are probably enough holes in the plot that would put donuts to shame.

And yet?

I’m still loving it. A lot of first drafts I write make the idea of herding mutant piranhas sound way more fun than editing. But this one I think has potential. It’s one I actually look forward to editing??? It’s so fun discovering the story, and I think it’ll be just as fun turning this fiery nonsense into more organized nonsense. ;D

So yeah. I think the biggest “problem” has just been the mess that comes with pantsing, but I still don’t regret not making an outline. I’m really excited about how this plot has shaped up, and I can’t wait to see how it concludes!

6.) What’s been your biggest victory with writing this novel at this point?

Hitting 50k!!! Definitely excited about that.

I’m also glad I’m able to mostly keep up with the pace I usually do during NaNo, despite not having a detailed outline like all the previous years. Some days writing has gone slower as I try to sort things out. But I’m still getting words down and making progress on the story, which is such a relief.

We’ll see how it goes for the rest of the book. XD

JUST KIDDING. I am a complete and utter disaster someone help me please.

7.) If you were transported into your novel and became any one of the characters, which one do you think you’d be? Would you take any different actions than they have?

I honestly relate very little to the main characters. I basically never base characters off of myself, it’s kind of hilarious. Not that I actually have any control of who my characters are. They just kinda…appear.

I do have some similar aspects from these characters though. I can relate to Everly’s love for books, tea, and cute animals. As well as her constant confusion. XD And Luka trying his best but getting distracted it totally me. Although he’s also super handy when it comes to building and fixing things which is NOT me. So…let’s go with Everly.

If I were Everly I’d…probably do about the same as she does and just stumble around confused and looking for books. I mean, that’s basically my life already.

8.) Give us the first sentence or paragraph then 2 (or 3!) more favorite snippets!

Beginning:

Despite the glow of clear skies beaming through the opened window and the deliciously warm air, Everly Maleck had one terrible problem: she kept being interrupted from reading.

Now, normally, she was quite happy to help all the library patrons. It was her job, and providing people with new reading material brought a happiness that few other activities could boast. But on this particular late spring afternoon, the heroine within her book was in a predicament almost as grave as interrupted reading. Poor Adeline just witnessed the man she loved tied up and pushed out of a train. Adeline was bound as well, with three brutes guarding her. Everly couldn’t imagine how Adeline was going to get out of the situation. She clutched the book tight, pulling it up to her nose.

Wait. Adeline was scooting toward the potion bag and—

“Miss?”

Everly squeaked and snapped her head up. A horrified set of wide blue eyes stared at her from over the desk.

“I… I just wanted to check this out.” The little boy pushed a rather hefty blue book toward her, his head barely reaching the top of the counter.

Everly didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh. Choosing neither, she closed her book and took his. “The Adventures of Gregory McCullough and His Dreaded Crew,” she read the title out loud, and this time a laugh did slip out. “This is quite a large book. Are you sure you don’t want something a little more…condensed?”

The horror in the boy’s eyes shifted to awe. He shook his head vehemently, grinning from ear to ear. “I want to learn all I can about pirates, then I can become one!”

She blinked at the boy for several seconds, at his hopeful little face, his eyes glimmering with dreams.

Ah, to be young and have dreams again.

She started at the thought. You’re nineteen, Everly. Not an old hag.

He took a step back and spread out his arms. “Welcome to the time domain, the place in between the universe, where all time flows. My home.”

She stared at him. And then the ocean. The clock tower. Back to him.

“So, um.” His arms slowly drooped back to his sides. “What do you think?”

“I think that I… What I think is… Do you have a kitchen?”

He paused, brow creased in confusion. But in a heartbeat his smile returned. “Of course! Which one would you like to see?”

“What do you mean which one?”

“Which of the three kitchens?”

“Three kitchens? What could you possibly need three kitchens for?”

“One for breakfast, one for lunch, and one for supper of course,” he said, as if that were the most natural thing in the world.

That headache in the back of her skull was threatening to return. She made toward the clock tower, walking along the stone path that wound through the garden. “Please tell me one of these three kitchens has tea.”

After one more second of staring, Luka turned on his heel and made for the elevator.

The man’s footsteps echoed behind. “Where are you going?”

“The breakfast kitchen.”

“The breakfast kitchen?”

“That’s where the tea is.” He pressed the button to open the elevator door and turned back to face the man. “Everly would need tea before getting explanations, and, you know, I think right now some tea is a brilliant idea. But then I want to know exactly who you are, um.” He squinted. “Basil?”

“Sage.”

“Right.” He stepped into the elevator.

Sage followed him in. “What’s your name, by the way?”

Luka shot him a grin. “You can call me Time.”

(Does like 75% of the book involve tea? Yes, yes it does.)

9.) Share an interesting tidbit about the writing process so far! (For example: Have you made any hilarious typos? Derailed from your outline? Killed off a character? Changed projects entirely? Anything you want to share!)

The typos have been ENDLESS. I keep finding the most bizarre mistakes. One time I had people “congratulate around the room” instead of congregate. I guess they were feeling really encouraging. XD

And that’s just one example. I don’t think I can write three sentences without spotting some nonsense. Like howwww did my fingers even type that? It’s been bad.

This also happened:

I’m just that good of a writer, guys. Pure poetry, I know.

Yeah, I’m not kidding when I said this draft is a trash fire. But it’s a FUN trash fire! At least for me…

10.) Take us on a tour of what a normal writing day for this novel looks like. Where do you write? What time of day? Alone or with others? Is a lot of coffee (or some other drink) consumed? Do you light candles? Play music? Get distracted by social media (*cough, cough*)? Tell all!

Oh goodness. I basically just write every free time I can snag. And sometimes when I don’t have free time but ignore responsibility and write anyway. (I told you Responsible Me and I aren’t really on speaking terms. Especially during NaNo.)

Most days I don’t really get started until after lunch. Then I just…write. The first 1k tends to be the hardest and slowest for me. Something about breaking 1k for the day makes all the rest flow a lot easier. I don’t know why that is, but when my day is slogging, I know all I have to do is get in the first 1k and then things will get easier. The first 1k can honestly take up to 2 hours to get out, then I can usually do 1k in an hour. I DON’T KNOW. It’s strange.

I usually write in my room or out on the porch if it’s a pretty day, and occasionally my sister and I go to the coffee shop. Much coffee and tea is consumed. Obvs.

Basically I just WRITE for as much of each day as I can and it’s probably not healthy at all. XD I do make a rule that I can’t write any time after midnight for two reasons. One, because I’m a perfectionist and if I update my wordcount on the NaNo site after midnight it’ll count as the next day’s words and that would drive me crazy. Two, because if I didn’t make some sort of limit I’d probably NEVER go to bed and, ya know, sleep is actually good, so. XD Of course, this means I’m usually rushing to get as many words in as I can right before midnight and then doing a bunch of other tasks after midnight, but YA KNOW. Whatever works.

Music definitely happens. I absolutely have to have music while I’m writing. The right song can instantly transport me in the scene. Silence is super distracting for some reason. I can’t really feel the scene unless I have appropriate music for it going. And this year’s playlist is one of my FAVORITES. I adore my Timekeeper playlist so, so much. Possibly my favorite I’ve ever made. I keep finding songs that work perfectly with the story and it just makes me happy.

I’ve honestly not gotten too distracted by social media this year. In fact, I keep meaning to add more updates on my Instagram stories and things, but then…don’t. Because WRITING.  I also keep taking like a week to respond to comments and things. SORRY, GUYS. I always so appreciate all the interactions and I hate taking forever to respond. But, well, WRITING. You’ll forgive me right? *puppy dog eyes*

Basically? My November has been WRITING WRITING WRITING and, like, I don’t remember much else. Who needs a life anyway? Everything’s fiiine.

And there we go! Way more information than you probably ever needed about my NaNo.

It’s been a fun one, guys, it really has. Pantsing for NaNo for the first time has come with its new set of challenges, but also a new set of awesomeness too. It’s been worth the tradeoff. I can’t wait to see where this last half of the book takes me!

Don’t forget you can answer all these questions and join the linkup yourself HERE!

LET’S TALK!

Can you believe we are OVER HALFWAY through November??? When did that happen? How was the first half of your November? How are all my fellow Wrimos surviving? Tell me a victory you’ve had with writing!