NaNoWriMo 2021 Week 1
This is the first year I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo, and I wish I had started sooner. The support from other writers, the drive to reach the 50k goal, and the prospects of seeing a project through to publication are intoxicating.
Here’s how my first week went.
Day 1, Monday, November 1, 2021
I started my NaNoWriMo journey with a two-hour stream on twitch and had a whole eight people watch me. A personal best. I managed to complete 2,570 words and finish the first chapter of The Girl with the Demon Spider.
Day 2, Tuesday, November 2, 2021
The stream went more smoothly today. At least, I think it did. I spoke more about the story and how it was progressing. I managed to rope ten viewers into watching me chatter on about synonyms, establishing your main character, Mahogany’s status quo, and story beats. Plus, world-building, character development, and unique voices. Fun times in Nerdville. By the end of the day, I have logged another 2,470 words bringing my total to 4,962.
Day 3, Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Today was amazing! I pounded out 2,254 words in two hours! This brings my total so far to 7,226 words. Even the Twitch stream went swimmingly. I got my first non-family member follower. What what! This is the part of the story where our sleuth enters a new world. In The Girl with the Demon Spider, that world is one of crime-solving and breaking and entering. I also introduced a new character. Evelina is a fairy who worked at Hot Brews, the cafe across the street from the police station that Mahogany must break into to retrieve the murder weapon that is also a magical object.
Day 4, Thursday, November 4, 2021
2,474 words competed today! Chapter four is drafted. Additionally, two more people followed me on twitch bringing the total to six, only half of which are friends and family. The other three are strangers. Woot!
Today I continued to develop our characters. Mahogany, the MC, is somber and doesn’t smile a lot. Guy the ghost is talkative and chipper. Magdala is mysterious and a little aloof. She cares deeply about Mahogany but doesn’t show it in traditional ways.
Day 5, Friday, November 4, 2021
The 1,086 words I got down today were less than I had wanted, but Fridays are busy, so just getting something down better than nothing. I worked n the first half of chapter five, which introduces the Pandemonium museum and Agalia, the curator. We also get to meet the new Pandemonium homicide detective, Teresa Sawyer who has just transferred up from Southern California.
Day 6, Saturday, November 5, 2021
With less distraction today, I was able to complete the first draft of chapter five. The second half of the chapter introduces the subplot of Tony who will be Mahogany’s love interest, but they won’t get together yet. That will come much later in the series. Today I rounded out my word count by adding 1500 words.
Day 7, Sunday, November 6, 2021
A measly 100 words today, but I ran around all day with the kiddo. I’m still ahead of the NaNoWriMo minimum of 11k per week with 12, 212 words. LEt’s see that I can manage in NaNoWriMo week two.
