It’s been almost a month since I last mentioned my novel. I wish I could say that it’s because I’ve been too busy writing it. Sadly, no.<\/p>\n
I have been thinking about the story, though, and last night I decided to read through the rough draft. I’d had some time away from it, and that gave me a fresh perspective.<\/p>\n
My first impression was amazement. I couldn’t believe how much I’d written. Though 17,000 words wasn’t enough to get me even close to the NaNoWriMo finish line<\/a>, it’s a lot of text.<\/p>\n I have to admit that my story has some glaring flaws. It’s far from consistent. Certain characters are mentioned once, never to reappear. Others get name changes mid-story. One even dies twice but is miraculously still around later. That’s the consequence of writing when you don’t know where the story is going.<\/p>\n But there are some good things in there, too. I found individual paragraphs that I loved, characters that I wanted to know better, and themes that I wanted to develop more. I’m surprised to say this, but I think it would be worth finishing.<\/p>\n I don’t want to make any promises about writing. I’m afraid I won’t keep them. I want to use weak words, like “hope,” “want,” and “try,” that don’t require anything from me.<\/p>\n Those words just aren’t good enough anymore. So I’m going to say it, and I mean it:<\/p>\n I will finish my novel this year.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It’s been almost a month since I last mentioned my novel. I wish I could say that it’s because I’ve been too busy writing it. Sadly, no. I have been thinking about the story, though, and last night I decided … Continue reading