NaNoWriMo Update: Week One

Hey there!

The featured image has a quick excerpt from Silhouettes of Red. Please read at your own risk. (:

As promised, here is my weekly update with a citation. My week was exciting, to say the least. It’s my second year participating, and I noticed that my excitement/commitment levels were different this year. I struggled with staying active in the write-in’s that NaNo holds each week, I struggled to write extra (which I had no problem with last year), and I struggled with finding my ‘why’ for this story.

Let me back up a bit… I’m writing a novel which features Edgar Bates. He is a serial killer who has an obsession with blood. It was a story that found me on my way home one day. Thus, here we are.

Now, I’ve had a lot of feedback about what I’m writing. 75% of the feedback has been negative. People don’t understand why I would want to write about a serial killer. The other 25% are thrilled to see what I come up with and love my current concept. Unfortunately, the ones who I’ve heard from the most are pesky Nay-Sayers. I really have upset quite a few people with my novel.

With all of that in mind, it’s hard to write something that people don’t believe in. On the other hand, it ignited a fiery passion for me to write it, in spite of them and show them that it isn’t quite what they think.

Thank you, stubborn self. (;

I realized that planning/plotting is not my thing for every novel that I write. It has a tendency to hinder my creativity or place pressure on me to write something. That limits me from completing chapters and moving the story forward and ends up giving me distractions/blocks to turn to.

I have managed to keep up with the word counts. I currently have 11,717 words. Now, that makes me behind for today, November 8th. My goal, after I finish this, is to write my 1,667 words and catch back up. Throughout the week, I overcame the negative thoughts/feedback of others and completed my word count goals. I also figured out some vital information about Edgar.

*Mini Spoiler*
Readers are either going to hate him or love him. He has a kind heart toward his nephew Malcolm, but also an undesirable need to torture (and eventually murder) women. Caution: Character may give you mixed feelings.

Well, that’s my update. It’s a jumble of thoughts that are rolling through my mind. I apologize for the random nature of it, but that’s what I’ve got for you. We’re starting week two, and I’m honestly excited to see where Edgar takes me on this journey to tell his story. I hope that your first week was successful!

Leave a comment on how you deal with Nay-Sayers. If you’re participating in NaNoWriMo, describe what you’re writing about! Oh, and please try to remember, it’s only a first draft. (;

Until next week,
— Shay <3