Know the Novel Part Two: Within the WIP

What's this? Two posts in a week? Yes, I'm sorry for spamming y'all, but I wanted to get this post in before I left.

Anyway, it's time for the second installment of the Know the Novel linkup, hosted by Christine. If you haven't yet heard about this amazing linkup, head over to this post and you can read all about it.

This month is all about how the writing is going overall. So let's get into it, shall we?

~1. How’s the writing going overall?~

It's going pretty well. Had a bit of a rocky start because I was gone most of the first day, but I found my typing fingers after a few days and really started pounding away.

Most days during the first week, I got around 2500 a day, which is pretty good. But then I had a few days where I couldn't write/had technical difficulties (including my laptop shutting down and erasing 2000 words that I wrote that day) and I got a tad behind.

This week, I've worked to get in around 7000 a day because I'm going to be gone for over a week and I don't plan on writing while I'm gone, so I have to make up the word count somewhere. I'd rather get it up while I'm still fresh and not stressing about the finishline.

As far as the story goes, I've enjoyed it so far. I was a little worried because I haven't visualized it as much as I would have liked, but it hasn't really been a problem. I am starting to get a little tired, though. I think having a nice long break will be good, then I'll pound out the last little bit. 

~2. What’s been the most fun aspect about writing this novel so far?~

I'm having fun tying all of the things that happen in Simon Says into this book without it being too heavy handed. That's been a fun challenge.

~3. What do you think of your characters at this point? Who’s your favorite to write about?~

Seeing as I knew next to nothing about them beforehand, I'm really enjoying them! D'Jax is such a loving, dad-like character who I adore. Mari is such a happy ball of energy. Abuela is such an honest character and I love her. 

My favorite is Vic. He's a recurring character from Simon Says and is just an awesome guy.

~4. Has your novel surprised you in any way?~

There were a few things that popped up within the first few chapters that I hadn't expected. I can't give one of them away because of *spoilers*, but it's rather interesting, to say the least, and has a lot of ways it shows up throughout the book. 

But one thing that surprised me was that Mari is actually older than I originally expected. I thought she was in her early teens, but she actually is in her mid-twenties. I actually like how it's turning out now because it adds another layer of interest. 

~5. Have you come across any problem areas?~

I'm almost entirely winging the whole suspense part. I've never written one before and I'm going off of only the things I know from crime shows. 

Will it be a complete disaster? Stay tuned. 

~6. What’s been your biggest victory with writing this novel at this point?~

Well, I managed to truck through a bout of allergies that decided to make an appearance early this month and hasn't gone away yet. I alternate between coughing up a lung and typing madly.

Fun times. 

~7. If you were transported into your novel and became any one of the characters, which one do you think you’d be? Would you take any different actions than they have?~

I'm not sure if this means the character I'm most like or the character I'd like to be. 

I'm going to go with the one I'm most like, which I feel like would be Vio. While not everything is the same, there are some similarities. I would like to think I wouldn't work for the government, though. But it's hard to be certain if I'm not actually in her shoes. 

~8. Give us the first sentence or paragraph then 2 (or 3!) more favorite snippets!~

“Ms. Bienes, would you care to comment on the outcome of the trial today?”

“Counselor, what does today’s trial mean for future trials?”

“Should citizens be concerned for the future of their children in light of today’s events?”

“Would you say justice served today?”

I half-ran, half-tripped down the front steps of the courthouse. Pax Custos surrounded me, keeping the reporters armed with microphones and cameras just out of reach. 

I really didn't care to comment. 

~~~

Law was a constant. Unbending. Trustworthy. I would never consider it being wrong. Humans, on the other hand, were constantly in flux and unpredictable. They needed to be kept in check. The law did that. 

~~~

Right at the top, just underneath Judge Allistair’s name, was my name in blood red. “It’s a hit list,” I whispered. 

~9. Share an interesting tidbit about the writing process so far! (For example: Have you made any hilarious typos? Derailed from your outline? Killed off a character? Changed projects entirely? Anything you want to share!)~

I've been strangely motivated, even with all of the long days of typing and being over halfway done with my novel. I haven't hit a wall yet, which has been so nice!

~10. Take us on a tour of what a normal writing day for this novel looks like. Where do you write? What time of day? Alone or with others? Is a lot of coffee (or some other drink) consumed? Do you light candles? Play music? Get distracted by social media (*cough, cough*)? Tell all!~

My writing day isn't all that fancy. It's pretty much the same thing I always do, except this time I'm drafting instead of editing. It's nice because I'm already in the habit, so it's less stressful for me to find the time.

I get up

Do my morning routine

Get to my office (the commute is agonizing. I have to go alllll the way upstairs)

Answer emails

Get down to writing between 9-9:30 and go until I've reached my goal for the day, breaking of course for bathroom breaks, lunch, and getting more fluids. My best time for writing is in the morning. Anything after lunchtime is a struggle.

I've been using the LotR word crawl that I found on the forums years ago. I pull it out for NaNo every year, but I've never made it to the end. I'm really hoping I do this time around. But anyway, it's super helpful and fun to use. It's gives me loads of different goals and challenges, so I'm never stuck in a rut of the same process every day. I don't know if they still have it in the forums, but I did copy it into a Word Doc if anyone wants it. 

I always make sure I have my water nearby and I keep hydrating all day. Around 10, I go make my second cup of coffee for the day. That gets me through the last little bit. Sometimes, if I'm really desperate, I'll get a third cup. But I have to be really dragging for that. 

Music is a must, if only to have headphones on so people realize I'm busy. What I listen to varies from day to day. Some days I'm able to listen to full-on lyrical music. Others I can only listen to the Deep Focus playlist on Spotify. And then there's everything in between. Just depends on how my brain's feeling that day. 

My distraction is my beloved furbaby, Dustfinger. He always seems to think that my writing time is the perfect time for pets, so he jumps on my lap and demands attention. It has a 100% success rate.

So there you have it! Just a brief look into my life these days. Again, I'm going to be gone and I won't be able to respond to comments until I get back.

Love you all and I hope NaNo's going well for any who are participating!! Let me know how it's going down in the comments!