Hello! I hope you are all enjoying a lovely March.
Since my last post, I managed to draft book 6 (my NaNo project for Nov 2019), and I have been slowly working on revising book 1 for my beta readers. In the post-NaNo time, I have also been trying to read a bit more. I think I’m currently on my 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th books of the year (currently Aerie by Mercedes Lackey, Dracula by Bram Stoker, The ABC Muders by Agatha Christie, and Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott).
However, my reading has slowed down a bit in the last couple weeks due to my current goal. In the hope of writing more than I did last year, I am trying to write additional books outside of the three NaNo events (NaNo proper in Novemver, and two Camp NaNo sessions in April and July). As part of trying to reach that goal, I am currently drafting book 7. I’m about 6000 words in, and with a little bit of luck, I should be able to finish it in the next three weeks.
Just in time to start book 8 for Camp on 1 April!
It is something of a tight schedule, especially since without the set deadline provided by the NaNo events, I am relying on myself to set (and maintain) the deadline. So far, that hasn’t exactly worked… the original deadline was supposed to be a couple weeks ago. This is something of a new process for me, though.
In 2018, I plotted and wrote one book… the first draft of book 3. That was during NaNo, and that was it. In 2019, I plotted and wrote three books (books 4, 5, and 6), as well as loosely plotting books 7, 8, and 9. That was a huge jump in my productivity… and true to my Slytherin ambition, my plan for 2020 is even bigger: draft books 7, 8, and 9, as well as plot and draft books 10, 11, and 12.
I’m not sure how well drafting 6 books in a year will work, particularly with a day job, but I figure I have nothing to lose from trying. And hey, if I do manage to complete book 12 this year, that will mean I have first drafts for the entire current series. That gets me excited for what is to come. I have several additional series in various stages of planning, which I am eager to be working on, but I owe it to my first series to at least get that down on paper first.
I’ve also collected a fantastic group of writers over the past nine months (actually preparations for Camp NaNo in July 2019, based on their Cabin setup), and we’ve been able to support each other through the trials that doing a NaNo-style draft (50,000 words in 30 days) provides. This will be the third event with that kind of community… and that has really changed NaNo from a solo event for me to one that has led to some fantastic friends from all around the world.
So, three weeks to go until Camp starts, and lots of stuff to do before then. ^_^
Thanks for reading! Are any of you doing Camp NaNo this year? What kinds of projects are you planning (writing or otherwise)? If you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you below!
~ Theresa
You may unsubscribe at any time.