It’s halfway through November, and you know what that means…. National Novel Writing Month is already half over.
I could spend some time talking about the drama/horribleness on the Young Writers forum, but I won’t, because a) we presumably all agree that sexual exploitation of minors is horrible, b) these authority figures need to be removed from their positions immediately, and c) this is triggering content.
Suffice to say that you can still participate in NaNo even if you don’t participate in the forums.
In fact, I bet a lot of people following this substack are fellow NaNo writers! If you are, ping down below and share your username.
I’d also love to hear what your book is about, if you’re willing to share!
NaNo has been going a bit slowly for me. The goal is 50,000 words in a month, and I…am not near that number. About three days behind, in fact. Which I guess now that I type it isn’t so bad? Feels bad, though. Maybe because I spent two days on writing retreat and am still behind my usual productivity for the month.
I’ve been working on untitled piano book (current potential titles: The Love Variations; Variations on the Word Love; idk guys I hate titling books and this one probably won’t get a title until like 9 months before pub because I’m the worst).
This is the one that’s about rival piano students falling in love as they prep for a major international competition and deal with burnout, mental health issues, disability, and grief.
It’s also my first het book which is freaking wild. (To be clear: the characters are not straight. Just the main pairing.)
In honor of the NaNo halfway mark, I’m opening up the floor for all your burning NaNo or general writing questions.
The comments are only open for paid subscribers on this post, but you should definitely hit that subscribe button if you want more of this stuff (and/or access to my paid excerpt down below). I believe Substack offers a 7 day free trial.
Some stuff you can ask me:
Tips on plotting and character dev
Character name ideas
Plot questions
Comp title questions
Research questions
Idk whatever else!
Throw ‘em down below and I’ll do what I can.
Meanwhile…paid subscribers, keep reading for a sneak peek of said untitled piano book.