Week 3 of NaNoWriMo is behind me and it was another exciting week full of surprises.
Excitement and surprise mostly came from the fact that I hit my 50k word goal on the 19th, eleven days ahead of schedule. I had kind of predicted that I might finish early–around the 20th–due to the average word count I was managing. However, even I felt that was a little too optimistic.
And here we are, right?
On November 19th, in the wee hours of the morning, my NaNoWriMo came to an end when I hit my goal.
Or did it?
When I wrote the last word of the chapter I was on, around 3am on the morning of the 19th, I was at 50,102 words. Updating my word count on the NaNo site made that sink in and I was left with a question.
What now?
Should I keep working on POSSIBLY, TEXAS through the month of November and see how much I can get done? After 19 days and 50k+ words, I’m roughly a third of the way through the first draft. Or, as my outline has it laid out, I have finished Act I of the book.
Could I possibly complete ACT II before November is over? That would only leave ACT III to be finished at a later time.
Or should I set it aside and move on to other projects that need my attention?
It’s a very tough decision to make. I’ve been having a lot of fun writing POSSIBLY, TEXAS. My imagination and passion are ignited and I just want to write until I can’t write anymore. However, I want to be careful with this book because it feels very special to me.
Furthermore, one of the last scenes I wrote for ACT I was deeply unsettling to me. I’ve written some very personal things. I’ve written about disturbing subjects. But this scene in particular was one that moved me in ways I never would have expected…until I wrote it. I’m not ashamed to admit this–because it’s not about me thinking my writing is amazing–but when I finished the scene, tears were rolling down my cheeks and my vision was too blurry to see the computer sceen. It was very unsettling to me and for about twenty minutes, I wondered if I could finish writing the book at all.
So, I considered setting the book aside and moving on to something else for now. Give my brain a rest.
I considered that maybe, since there are 3 acts to the book, maybe I’ll write Act I during NaNo 2020, Act II during NaNo 2021, and Act III during NaNo 2022. Then POSSIBLY, TEXAS could be published in 2023.
That didn’t feel right either.
So…I’ve decided to just write more on the manuscript when I have time for the rest of the month. Then I’ll make a decision about the rest of the book. I’ll update NaNoWriMo’s site on November 30th with my final word count. That’s the best decision I can make for now.
What’s 10 more days of writing before I decide the fate of this manuscript, right?
In the meantime, how about a chapter title listing for ACT I?
Two-Mile Trail
A Starry Night
The Mystery of Shirlene
The Grieving Woman
My Friend, The Moon
They’re Artists, Not Government Agents
The Rainbow Walkway
The Boy from the Barn
Mystic Molly
A Hole in the Sky
An Invitation
God Is a Woman
Blooming Takes Time
Rue for You and Rue for Me
I’ll have more news next Tuesday, I’m sure.
And since we might not “speak” again until after – Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American readers. I hope your day is filled with good food, love, laughter–and responsible celebrating. Wear your masks, wash your hands, and try to celebrate with only the people in your household. Zoom and Skype are wonderful inventions.
Tremendous Love & Thanks,
Chase
Chase Connor Books 