First off, yes. I won NaNoWriMo again this year. It’s a great way to get me focused and writing hard. More about that shortly…but THIS first:
I’ve already announced this on Facebook, but my blog is my headquarters…so here’s the main announcement.
I have this weird and wacky BUT COOL idea…and it has to do with Nicki Sosebee. The next Nicki book (Lies) is begging to be written (and I plan to write it as soon as I’m done with Bullet #6: Locked and Loaded…which should happen later today—the last Bullet book, by the way), but I want to make it fun and a big huge deal!
I’m going to have a writing marathon. Yeah, a MARATHON and, yes, just me. I recently read a book [How to Write a Novella in 24 Hours (and Other Questionable and Possibly Insane Advice on Creativity for Writers) by Andrew Mayne] about writing in which the author suggests challenging oneself to a writing marathon–not like NaNoWriMo, where you pick at your novel a little each day until, after a month, you have 50,000+ words (and possibly a whole story). Nope. He’s talking full-on haul ass. Nowadays, I’m constantly short on time and cannot literally write a novella in a day’s time, but my writing needs a kick in the rear, and I love this idea enough to put my own spin on it. So here’s what I’m thinking…
This coming Friday (12/4/15) through the following Monday (12/7/15), I have five to eight hours each day free (give or take, depending upon what I have going on). If I write at full-on “haul ass” speed, I could conceivably write the next Nicki novel–from start to finish–in those four days. I thought making it public could be a lot of fun…so I will post a daily update on my blog and several daily updates on my FB page and Twitter feed starting Friday…including posting teasers, Nicki trivia, and end-of-day word counts. I’ll have to do some prep (like setting “mileposts”–which is as close to plotting as I ever get–re-reading some key Nicki scenes, and doing a little research) beforehand, but I think it could be fun.
So let’s talk about what a novel is. Mayne himself points out that a novella is a short novel, but I want and need and have enough material for an entire story. That means this book will clock in at 40,000 words or more. The question is…can I do it in four days? Or at least get close? We’ll find out! Please run with me, keeping your eyes peeled for my daily recap here!
P.S. I now know for certain that the Nicki Sosebee series will have four more books for a total of thirteen…and I’m hoping to publish them all in 2016. Cross your fingers. Nicki fans are long overdue!
Leave a Reply