I’ve been suspiciously quiet about how this year’s National Novel Writing Month effort because, well, I’ve been I’ve been writing just about every second I’m not working.
So let’s let numbers do the talking, shall we.
The little guy is not so much reflective of the fact that I want to shoot my novel but rather of the fact that my characters keep shooting each other. It also shows that I have been writing “under the gun” as it were, trying to get as far ahead as possible.
I had no idea I was a quarter of the way through until I posted that little guy so that was a fun thing to learn.
Some other thoughts:
- This book has the most ridiculous setting ever. It basically needs one of these maps that you find in the beginning of fantasy novels which is hilarious because the entire thing takes place at a summer camp. I have been laughing at myself while writing knowing I’m going to have to change/fix it later but, at the moment, it is the world’s most complicatedly laid out summer camp EVER!
- I know very little about guns.
- I have reached the point where I feel like the worst writer ever and want to give up twice already and have forced myself to move on and it’s gotten better. I am only telling you this in case you are in the same boat.
- I have really been enjoying the support group/competition of my aunt and cousin writing along with me. That has been a ton of fun having other people beyond the forums and online to chat about the process with and I also am extremely proud of both of them for sticking with it as they are both first timers.
My original plan was to get very far ahead with NaNo so that I could work more the second half of the month but I don’t think that is going to work as I really have a ton of work to do so, whatever, I will do them both at the same time and I got a nice cushion of ahead-ness under my belt either way.
So, for my fellow NaNo-ers, how’s yours going?

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Hillary DePiano is a playwright, fiction and non-fiction writer who loves writing of all kinds except for writing bios like this.




I'm very excited. I just finished my plot, character and conflict outlines so I can continue working on the actual story now. I'm hoping it will basically write itself now. ๐
On track (6756), but boy was last night a snore. I think I have to make something happen. Something hurty.
Arielle, if only they would write themselves!!!
Mary, I'm with you, getting bored because I have a huge section of exposition coming up next, not looking forward to plodding through that for sure!
not very good at the moment.. work has really got in the way the last couple of days. but I am gearing myself for a couple of hours now… so on my marks, get set…. GO….