NaNoWriMo2020 - What I Wrote and How It Went

  It's December 1st, everyone! I've been completely MIA over November, due to not only a hectic personal schedule, but the event writers everywhere both love and hate - NANOWRIMO! 

  National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo for short) is a worldwide writing event taking place every year throughout the month of November, where participants are challenged to write 50,000 words (the length of the novel) in the span of 30 days. This year was not my first year joining in, but it was my first time participating through the actual NaNo website. So today I thought I'd catch you all up on the story I've been working on this month, and how the experience went for me!

  First things first, I've kept most everyone in the dark about my project, so what exactly was I working on this year?

  DON'T INSULT THE WITCH

YA Fantasy // Standalone

“It’s bad luck, to have a witch ask for you by name.” 

Peter Carver seems to be an ordinary citizen of the ordinary village of Merit. However, both he and the town have secrets. Merit has a witch wandering the nearby woods, and Peter himself has no memory of his life before five years ago, when he first arrived in Merit.

Though the witch is shunned by the citizens of Merit, the villagers know that they can go to her for potions, for apocatheries, and sometimes for even more. But when the witch approaches Peter, offering him a deal of her own accord, Peter is forced to choose. Continue his ordinary life in Merit, his past a mystery, or, accompany the witch on a mysterious quest, and she will return the memories he lost five years ago.

Exciting, eh? ;) This is a relatively new idea to me, and I was pretty interested in discovering more about the characters, the world, and who Peter Carver really was before losing his memories. So this year, I attempted to answer those questions by writing! Though I had a very bare outline going in, I was definitely hit with twists, turns, and surprises as I went - and I'm still not finished, so there can certainly be more to come!

What inspired Don't Insult the Witch?

I saw a writing prompt on tumblr a few years back. I can't actually reveal it all due to spoilers, but the basic premise of a witch approaching a villager with an offer to restore their lost memories in exchange for their help on a quest is the gist of it.

Who is/are the MC(s)?

Peter Carver is the main character, and he is a villager from Merit, who has been living in the company of his blacksmith friend, Seth. Five years ago, he arrived in the village with no memory of who he was or where he'd come from, and only the clothes on his back. Since coming to Merit, Peter has taken up a job as a farmhand but feels increasingly distanced from Seth, who is ready to get married and start his own family.

The witch, Dinah, is the second main character, though she has no POV in the book. Peter knows very little about her, other than suspicious stories from friends and neighbors. He has never seen her in person, not until she comes looking for him.

What is the target audience for this story?

I was aiming for YA as I was writing, so I could include some darker, more violent aspects, lol.

What is the opening sentence?

  "The day the witch came into town, Peter Carver was not at home."

  These were the first words that came into my head while settling in to write, and I'm hoping they do well to set the scene for the novel!

What do I think of the characters and who is my favorite to write about?

I have really quite enjoyed getting to know both Peter and Dinah. Peter is very lost, uncertain, and lonely in the world, feeling empty without any tethering identity. And Dinah, though a very powerful witch who seems as cold as ice on the surface has skeletons in her closet, haunting her every action, pushing her, and a somewhat unwilling Peter, along on their quest.

I'm only writing from Peter's POV, so I do enjoy the chance to dig deeper into identity, memory, and what makes us who we are. But I also love Dinah, and the irony of being so talented and indomitable, but struggling with a sense of not being good enough, of not doing enough, of feeling outcast. Angsty themes, yes, but ones I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring.

What are my plans with this story?

Well, first I need to finish it up! I am mere chapters away from the climax and from there it's just a matter of wrapping it up. Once I'm finished? Well, editing of course, and the whole road to making it the best possible story it can be! I'd love to publish this one someday. I really think people will enjoy it a lot. When that will be? Who knows! My best case scenario would be in a year or two, but I have so many projects and plot bunnies and plans, both in writing and in my personal life - so who knows what will come in 2021 and beyond?

What was my NaNo writing process? And did I win?

 

  I started off with the simple aim of meeting the daily goal needed to hit 50k, which is about 1600. I was doing great with that for the first half of the month! Unfortunately, due to a new job requiring me to get up at 5am and not get home til 5pm, I was quite derailed. I work best in the morning, but couldn't bring myself to get up any earlier than 5, so I definitely faltered, and no, I did not hit 50k. 

  HOWEVER. I surpassed the half-way point, making it to almost 35,000 words! And honestly, I'm pretty proud of that. Sure, it would have been great to win, and of course that was the aim, but ultimately 35k is far better than 0, and when I was meeting the daily count and in the thick of it, I actually found it quite easy! Next year I will try again with even more fervor, and will definitely NOT be working a job that gets me out of bed at 5 (fingers crossed). 

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What I'm Writing for #NaNoWriMo2019

LET'S TALK. 

Did you participate in NaNo this year? What did you write about? Did you meet your goals? Are you happy with the outcome? How was your November? Let me know in the comments below!