NaNoWriMo – Week 2

Two weeks of writing! Phew! To be honest, I’m a little surprised I’ve made it this far. I’m behind on the daily word count but I’m still going. Right now I’m 23,603 words and if I was on pace with the 1,666 words a day, I should be at 26,65. So I’m 3,000 words behind. Yikes.

I don’t have that much of an update on the process other than to say it’s really, really hard. Not just to get in the words every day, but to try and create something that is good. I was thinking earlier about what I could say is hard about writing: setting, plot, dialogue, characterization, voice. What to choose? Then I realized it’s all really hard. I’m struggling with dialogue because how do you write like people talk? People sound ridiculous when talking so you may want to clean it up a bit, but not too much because then it’s inauthentic! Plus, my characters spend a lot of time in their own heads, how do I get them to talk to each other? I mean, I realize I’m in control of them but sometimes it doesn’t seem that way. They can be a bit uncooperative.

Again, I will say that outlining a plot would have been helpful for me. Maybe next year. I often find myself sitting in front of the computer thinking, Uggghhhh, what should happen next? Blerg.

I really do think, “blerg,” quite a lot.

And yes, I promised you a Leviathan review, so here’s a quick one: In the alternate, steampunk-y past Archduke Franz Ferdinand is still assassinated by the Serbs (Yay! I mean, sorry!) which starts World War One. Here’s the change, in this world the Germans and Austrians have made elaborate walking war machines (think AT-ATs powered by steam) and go by the often pejorative term of “Clanker” and the British, French, and Russians have messed with biology and genetics, becoming “Darwinists” and creating new hybrid beasties. Alek, the heir to the throne of the Austrian/Holy Roman Empire is on the run, and Deryn, is a girl who disguised herself as a boy to join to British Air Service where she flies around in an airship that’s actually a rather large whale. Will they meet up? Perhaps fall in love and save the world? I don’t know yet, it’s only the first book.

Other than waiting for the whale to ask if the ground was going to be it’s friend as it was falling out of the sky, and then being disappointed when that didn’t happen (the whale fell from the sky, but it didn’t say anything about; the bowl of petunias was not present either), it was a good, fun, exciting book. It was a good intro to the genres of steampunk and alternate history for me since I hadn’t read either yet.

Next up, The Raven Boys, because I liked Stiefvater’s The Scorpio Races, and my friend Amy said it was good. She was good taste. Though, I must say that Maggie Stiefvater is 5 years older than me and she’s already written seven books, and I think all of them have gone on the NYT Bestseller List, which makes me want to kick her. (JK, Maggie! You can be best friends with me and Libba Bray if you want).

Also, I’m listening to American Gods on audio. I’ve read it before but wanted to listen to it. It’s just as good the second time through! Read it!

Ok, back to the writing desk for me. Until next week, Dear Readers.