NaNoWriMo Eve

I thought last year was rough, this year is looking harder. I took a week last year to move my mother-in-law from Chicago to Atlanta. This year my work is moving to another building to start the month. It's not just my office, since I am part of the computer support. Fifty faculty and 200 grad students have to be moved and their computers networked. Then, a week after that, I am going on vacation - a week long backpacking trip in the Nantahala Mountains of North Carolina, assuming that the work move goes well.

I'm not too worried about the plot. The characters are all strong and diverse - I think I will let them go and see where it ends up. I know the climax points that I will work toward - how I will get there is still undecided.

There are two plot "times". Half of the novel occurs in the contemporary period - or actually the 1970s. The other half occurs in the 1930s to 1950s. They are not told one after the other, but interspersed. I start with the 1970s, then skip to 1930s, then back, etc.

I also alternate the viewpoints of the characters. Joey Womack, Edgar Stokes aka Emmett Smith, Beth Womack Britt, Nathaniel Womack, Cleve Britt, Debby Womack.

Joey Womack is the principal character, and the contemporary plot line follows him as his parents pass away, he puzzles out his parent's relationship with Edgar/Emmett, and locates his grandfather Cleve Britt. Debby is his sister, and Joey tries to protect her through the entire novel.

Tomorrow I begin!

NaNoWriMo Approaches

National Novel Writing Month begins November 1st. I completed it last year - my novel Please Release Me was a NaNo novel. Some may say it's crazy to write 50k words in a month - they may be right.

I had several distractions last year, not the least of which was the trip to Chicago to bring back the MIL. This year I have to change buildings at work Nov 3rd and 4th (and probably the 5th and 6th). I'm also planning a week-long backpacking trip starting the 12th, but I plan to take a pad and paper (and plenty of batteries for my headlamp!).

What will I write about? I am determined not to use any MacGuffins, science crutches, or surreal episodes. I plan to be true to my natural tendencies and write a Southern Gothic, a grit-lit, focusing on the characters and a plot of family secrets, pride, revenge, and murder.

I have installed a graphic in the sidebar that I will keep updated with my wordcount. Hopefully that will be an incentive to finish!