Nano and Our Characters

So who's doing Nano this year? Are you on goal? We should be about 3/4 through and getting ready to get into the stretch to finish our 50,000 words for Nano Wrimo 2010. To get myself in gear today I thought about what my characters would have to say about it or what kind of book they'd write for the month.

Ryan Michaels would write the premier thesis on explosions - the kind the bad guys make and the kind he feels emotionally when the love of his life, Kelly, is in his sights.

Melanie Hughes would use that magic portal in her house to go back in time to finish early by writing her daily words and then going back each day to add to them.

What would your characters say or do for nano?

Nano 2010!

So who else is writing this year?

I usually get it together to say something about Nanowrimo long before this, but the first week has been hectic. That said, I did get in 8066 words the first 5 days making me only about 300 words short of the 1666 daily word average. Too many numbers?


Let me back up.


Nanowrimo, referred to as Nano by many, is held each November. The goal is 50,000 words in thirty days. If you break it down into a daily average it's about 1666 words per day. I've found if I make the average I finish right on time at the end of the month. Most years I've gone beyond and every year I've done it a few months later the book is contracted. I find just telling the story that wants to be told works best. If you stop to edit, double check names, eye colors, research the best restaurant in Petaluma, you get bogged down with minutae that you do need to deal with, but unless you are fortunate enough to write 8 hours a day like a regular job, you may be crunched at the end.

I was kind of struggling with my book this year. It's a romance (or course) but I just wasn't able to get the feel for a lot of romance for a woman who just gave birth to twins via C-section. Somehow a candlelit dinner with hubby and a romantic evening with dining and dancing, soft kisses and moonlight leading up to some fabulous sex, isn't high on the new-mom list.


I needed to get to romance, you know?


Inspiration comes to us in myriad ways. The romance for this book came to me in the form of one of my favorite co-workers. He's such an awesome guy. A true friend. Caring, compassionate and a privilege to know. Without giving away a part of the story which I am thoroughly immersed in now, I now have a cop who's going to save someone from herself and a very bad man. It's a totally awesome feeling when a story clicks.