This was my 2nd NaNoWriMo and my 2nd failed attempt. In reality it was a moment of bravado that launched me into signing up. I was toying with the idea on the first of the month and suddenly I was writing a blog for the country’s biggest newspaper, which got a fair share of publicity.
My downfall was my lack of planning and my growing affection for the project. 50,000 words is just a number on a page, divide it up and suddenly it’s very doable. I have memories of writing dissertations and theses where I could churn out thousands of words in all night stints, but writing researched information is so very different from digging into the imagination and creating something new.
I finally accepted I was screwed when I planned out the chapter list for the novel. When I plotted out the middle and the end, I realised that not only was I happy with the lack of filler, but I was also way way way off my target. So yes, yet again another failure, but I’m determined not to allow this to slide into the background like “The Tale of the Clee.” Louizel has a big adventure ahead of her, especially since this book may have turned into at least a two-book adventure. Yes, in the brainstorming I came up with enough content to make a series. Funny, a month ago it was just a title with some alliteration, and now it’s a big developing world with inhabitants with their stories.
I know I’ve been really bad at updating this blog, in fact I’ve been really bad at this whole writing lark. I spent most of last year writing and creating the interactive werewolf novel (that’s referenced below,) then I spent this year working hard on narrative for a games company I co-founded, but that’s all behind me. Quite recently my eyes have been re-opened to the joys of writing and publishing, so expect me to get back to this with a passion.
First on the list: A rewrite of the first “Diary of the Wolf” book. It had its fans, but when I read back on it I’m unhappy, so I’m going through the whole book and changing things up. Don’t worry, the characters will all be the same and the plot will stay true, but there will be some additions and less subtractions. Expect plenty of free copies floating about if updating services aren’t available on your device.
Frank Whelan Writes 