Treeland is Planted

That's right, I did it.

Three and a half pages deep, and Treeland is planted with its first plot. Now, I am an outliner. I also write quite a lot of description for my outlining. It's not just 'Character A goes to bar and meets Character B' as the chapter, but what really happens. I need to know what I want to go on, because it is much easier that way to keep track of what I want in the chapter.

I am still behind in the October Prep of NaNo that I am using, courtesy of Dawn Embers by two days, but I feel that I can pick it up quickly because I have worked with these characters before in an initial draft and plot that turned out not to be what I wanted. I know that I have left some plot points out, but for now, I am proud of myself. I know in the next few days I'm going to have to draft it again and expand and see what I really think of everything a few days after, but as long as I do not hate the plot suddenly during November, I am good. I am aiming to complete the novel in November, and I have a good feeling it will be going over 50K easily. But I would like to say that I finally have written a book, and that I did it in 30 days.

I am also doing it in secret. I have one writer friend who I am great friends with, and she does not know that I am doing Treeland now, as she's always been frustrated with me and not really being a true writer (since she has completed two novels already) and I would like to surprise her once I am done with it.

I think that would really be awesome. That is my goal.

New NaNo Idea -- Treeland

So, after attempting to make a plot for the short story, I decided to scrap the steampunk NaNo idea, as the plots were not doing it for me. It just didn't feel like they were good enough. My ideas usually come through some sort of idea or theme. Like time or dreams, for instance. So, I have fallen back onto one of my projects that will finally be pushed forward with NaNo to make a complete first draft. With that, I have figured out the plot, finally, to make some sort of complete sense. And I like it. And that is the most important thing. With this month of October getting ready to prep, and doing something on a day by day work schedule (once I catch up to today's date on that schedule), I believe I will have a fully fleshed out outline before I begin, and I believe that is just what I need.

I will name this NaNo novel "Treeland" here, to speak about how I am doing on it. Today, I am proud to have come up with a complete, basic outline. There are a few subplots that I have not worked into it yet, but perhaps they may not arise so quickly, and for now, I am liking the simplicity.

Time to Learn about Ships

I believe I have figured out, at least for the basics, what my NaNoWriMo novel may be about. For a class, I had to write my first full short story. I have named it "Atlantis and the Kraken." It is steampunk, and the first thing I realized was that I need to know a lot more about ships if I am going to write this steampunk novel.

But it was great to write something that I would not normally write about. I am a alternate world fantasy writer. Steampunk is something that I even have not read much of. This is a way for me to learn to become better in writing, better in my craft. I will revise this "short" (it's nearly 2,000 words) story tomorrow, as well as work on the NaNo full novel part of it. Plot will be first. I will struggle with it, but the plot must be done. I will get it done.

NaNoWriMo '10

I have decided today that I will be participating in National Novel Writing Month this year. I have thought and attempted it a few times before, but have never been truly serious about it. I am determined to win this year, if nothing else to get a good first draft on a story I will be creating today and writing on November 1st. So, as this blog also needs to become a bit more active, I will be posting my journey through NaNoWriMo, as I attempt a novel outside of my normal genres.

So here's for NaNoWriMo '10. Time to plot.