NaNoWriMo 2020, Week 2 Is Underway

On Sunday, November 8, I hit 30,000 words!

The NaNoWriMo pace for that period is 13,336 words, and my personal pace of 2,000 words/day is 16,000. So I have blown past my goals. I have never written 30,000 words in a month, let alone in eight days.

And I’ve been amazed at how much fun I’m having writing this new book. My outline is really serving me in good stead.

I know what I’m writing is a first draft. What I’ve written is ugly in parts. There are holes in my research and gaps in descriptions and characters that I will have to fill in. I’m skipping a lot of historical detail that I’ll need to include in the final product.

The pacing of the overall novel isn’t right. The major turning points aren’t placed in quite the right places, so when I go back to edit, I’ll need to tighten some sections and develop other parts more fully. Some scenes are too long, and others are too short.

But I’m also happy that the overall length of the book is turning out to be about as I anticipated based on my outline. As I’m expanding my outline into chapters and scenes, it looks like the total draft will be between 100,000 and 120,000 words, which is right where my other books have been.

I doubt I will continue to write at this rapid pace as NaNoWriMo continues. I can feel my stamina sagging, and I’m about to move into the portion of the book tied closely to history. Those scenes will most likely go more slowly.

But I now feel comfortable that I can reach the goal of 50,000 words in the month. God willing, and the creek don’t rise, as my 19th-century characters would say.

Then I will just have to complete the draft. If not in November, then in the months beyond.

I’m doing great! I just need to keep going.