On November 30, 2009 sometime around 3pm EST, I was declared a NaNoWriMo winner. However, it’s a Pyrrhic victory in some ways.
I did not finish this novel. It was well mapped out, but as I wrote, new scenes kept popping into my head. Looking over the mind map on my NaNo board, only about half of those little bubbles (which are scenes) have been completed. But for now, I’m going to set aside this work and let it marinate a while because something else happened during NaNoWriMo.
My mind kept floating back to another WIP. It’s been a work in progress for a long time and the characters have grown on me. In fact, they’ve become my imaginary friends (and some enemies). And during NaNo, they all started screaming so loud and talking about all the things they’ve been through and begged me to write about it.
Finally, I broke down. I took a day, sat down, and wrote the MC’s introduction. The one that he’s been pleading with me to write since I first conceived of him. That very introduction was then entered in the Young Adult Novel Discovery Contest. Here’s to crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.
In the meantime, I’ll continue moving forward with it until the vicious roar of their voices settles back into a soft lull.
# Kelly wrote on December 28, 2009 at 1:57 am:
Congrats on finishing your NaNo draft this year even with that other WIP calling your name.
Do you know when they’ll announce the results of the contest?
# Ann-Kat wrote on December 28, 2009 at 2:44 am:
Thanks Kelly. I believe they’re going to announce the results some time in early February.
# Kelly wrote on December 28, 2009 at 7:47 am:
Oh, cool! Not too far away. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you.