Here it is, day 18 of the NaNo challenge and I’m slightly ahead of the game. I have 30792 words written so far when if I’d put in the minimum 1,667 words per a day, I’d only be at the 30006 word mark. What a strange, long learning process it’s been.

Last year, I had drawn up a “plan” on paper. I had divided a page into ten scenes I wanted to cover and attached other information that seemed relevant when I thought it was and that piece of paper helped greatly.

This year, I am flying blind. I started with two main characters, a setting and a basic concept which formed while I was engaged in last year’s challenge. I told those characters that I’d work with them later. Throughout the year, they have visited. I listened to them. Now that I’m writing about them, I find they have far more depth than I ever imagined.

Do I like where this story is going? Do I like it at all? I think that it has the bones of a pretty good novel, but it needs re-writing. Thank goodness I don’t have to think about revisions for at least 12 more days! One character has gone from female to male and back again a few times. Supporting characters I thought were vital to the story, I see aren’t even necessary. I may change my mind when I get farther along, but right now, I have to tell you, this is turning into a novel unlike the one I imagined I’d write.

Each morning, before I begin, I read most of the words from the day before and lately it’s felt like a fancy tickle of a great story to be. Who knows? I may never get to the editing of it, but perhaps I will. Naysayers be damned, right AvA? 😉