Category: Novel News

The Final Sprint

I have literally just written the ending to my second novel.  I have finished the story 3,632 words shy of the 50k finish line for NaNoWriMo.  Presently I feel pretty pleased with how it went, whether that will fade with time I don’t know.

My biggest fear at the end of this project was whether I have the ability to do my characters justice.  About one month of writing about these people and thinking about them they feel as if they are companions of mine.  For a few days I have been carrying an awful sense of melancholy, knowing that I was soon to see the end of their evolution.  Now I have I am both saddened and  energised by the fact that the journey is over.

I know it is going to be hard to stay focused and find these last 3,632 words before I have had a chance to read through the whole story.  I am certain I will feel, at least in the beginning that anything I add will just be filler to pass the finish line.  Nevertheless I started this journey and I fully intend on finishing it.

It’s too soon to give a considered opinion on the NaNoWriMo experience.  What I will say is that I have enjoyed it immensely, which in my opinion is the most important thing.  At best I haven’t written a second novel which could one day be polished into something interesting.  At worst I have learnt that I do possess the discipline required to achieve my goals.

40k Day Tomorrow

It’s hard to believe that for some time I fell behind schedule with my novel.  Part of me was considering jacking it in, as  I had absolutely lost faith.  For the  last 15-20k I have been feeling like it was impossible, that my story would never stretch.  Today I have stopped on 38k, confidence that my 2k a day system will finally catch me back up.  Today was my fastest yet.  I can finally see the finish line and my compulsive nature is now in fifth gear.  I don’t want to go to work, I don’t want to sleep, I don’t want to eat, I just want to write.  I have to force myself to break my cycle.  I love this feeling.  And it only gets stronger between now and the end of a project.

One thing which I have enjoyed is watching the story evolve.  At the beginning I had a clear plan on the subjects I wanted to touch on, but no plan of how to approach them.  The fact that you have only 30 days to complete the story means that you cannot stop when your plot hits a pothole.  Whereas with my first novel I would take a few days off to get some distance from the story to think about how to get around a ‘plothole’, now I just have to push on.  It’s hard sometimes, however I am enjoying the fact that it feels like a somewhat more natural evolution.  Whether I will feel that way when I read the entire project I don’t know.

Initially I wanted to write a slightly fun novel about a man, religion and ninjas.  The plot does contain elements of all three, however somethings have taken back seat, whilst others have emerged.  Now I feel as if the story is more focused on the powers of grief, belief and human nature.  With some religious commentary, and a ninja.  I have started to read the first part of the novel and have been pleasantly surprised so far.

In the meantime I still have submitted my first novel to my next target as my attention is completely fixated on my NaNoWriMo project.  I will try to find time, alas I can’t see it happening before I write my 50,000th word.  In the meantime I will try to post something on Sunday about being old and miserable.

The Last Lap

Apologies for my inactivity, however I have been finding it really quite difficult to find the time to post.  For now I shall post a brief update and optimistically finish a longer post in the next few days.

Regarding my first novel, I have decided to keep submitting it in the hope that I can find someone interested.  I have chosen my next target and whenever I find some time I will finally send it.  If/when I receive my next rejection I will look at redrafting it.

On the NaNoWriMo front I have fallen behind schedule slightly.  I have passed 32,000 words and may potentially make 37-40k before I have to start adding scenes.  I feel that I have lost the pacing of the story which is a shame.   The deadline is looming large on the horizon, and honestly I am starting to feel the pressure.  The idea of writing 18,000 words in 11 days is a terrifying prospect.  With my better half going away for the week, I shall try doubling my output between now and next Saturday.

In previous updates I have mentioned a few words which have been pleasant surprises to me, this time I want to leave you with a sentence which makes unusual use of one of those type of words.  I am undecided as to wherever it works, none the less it’s one of my two favorite sentences from my new novel.

‘Fate, chance, lady luck or whatever label you wish to attach to whatever it is that brings such dishevelment to a man’s life can conspire to be an angel at the best of times and an absolute bastard at the worst.’

Rejections Are Like Buses

I spent most of yesterday feeling pretty sorry for myself.  After spending a great deal of time beavering away on my novel, all I had to show from 3 submissions was 1 rejection which informed me that my submission was not suitable.  Inevitably I spent the vast majority of the day desperately over analysing the curt response which I had received.  The only conclusion which I could arrive at was that it was clear that my novel is rubbish.

By the time I returned home, thoroughly defeated and deflated, I was able to put my feelings to the back of my mind.  From time to time cooking is massively therapeutic to me and I soon found myself suitably sedated by the waft of my Jack Daniels glaze drifting up from the pieces of deceased bovine which sat in my griddle pan.  I sat myself down in front of my laptop, glass of red wine one side, my steak sandwich the other and instantly noticed that I had mail.  When I opened it I was stunned to find my 2nd rejection of the day.

The reason I am rambling slightly and providing far too many details is to try to get my point across.  I had managed to find an inner calm which would have made the buddha jealous.  I felt nothing,  I found myself grinning like an idiot, yet expecting the worse.  It was one of those moments where you can only laugh at what a son of bitch life can be sometimes.

When I read the email I was stunned.  Indeed it was a rejection, and it made me smile.  The reason was that it was something more than a generic thanks but no thanks.  It was personalised, it was encouraging and most importantly of all it felt honest.  Whether it was or not I shall never know as I don’t expect that I will ever meet the person behind it.

As the owner of an exceedingly obsessive mind I cannot pretend I haven’t combed over every word trying to find meaning where there is none.  What makes it ever harder is that I am a natural pessimist.  Despite that, the 2nd rejection has somewhat calmed me.  An experience is the sum total of what a person takes from it.  I am trying to take it at face value.

I will continue with my plan and I will send it to the next agency on my list.  In the meantime I shall finish my current project.  When I started the submission process I promised to give it 18 months.  It’s only been 3.  I am sure I will be just fine.  If only I could borrow the buddha’s patience for a little while.

Living Up To The Name

This post was written early yesterday afternoon.  I didn’t post it yesterday as when I returned home I had yet another rejection waiting for me which has since changed my thinking slightly.  I shall explain everything in my next post.

It gives me great pleasure to announce that I am now officially a literary failure.  This morning I received my first rejection on the grounds that my material wasn’t suitable for the agency in question.

Since I first submitted my manuscript I have been filled with apprehension regarding how exactly I would feel upon receiving my first rejection.  Honestly its a peculiar mixture.  On one hand I appreciate the fact that someone somewhere read my submission despite the fact they clearly didn’t like it.  The other part of me is disappointed and being somewhat of a drama queen by telling me that I am wasting my time and that I should try my hand at something achievable like alcoholism.

The fact is that it is at least forcing me to contemplate my next step.  Right now I don’t know whether to push on with my original plan, rewrite or burn my manuscript and resolve myself to join the faceless brigade of those who are merely waiting to die.  At least in the short-term my commitment to NaNoWriMo means that my hands are tied until the end of the month.

A man’s true character can be recognised when you observe him in the face of rejection, when no hope of salvation or redemption is in plain sight.  Those who flee we deem cowards, those who remain steadfast in their convictions, we brand crazy.  I suspect I am a little of both.