New Novel Started

Last night in the wee hours of the night I started writing a new novel. I wrote about 124 words, including the title and my name so really only 120 words. All I really had was an idea (the bad guy uses a game like Words for Friends to leave clues) for the story and a name (it was John Holmes then it was pointed out to me that there was already a famous John Holmes and he was in 2200+ adult movies, so my character's name is now John Hamer) and that he could pick pockets.

Over the course of today, I wrote 4100+ words (as of right now, I hope to get more added after I finish this post!) and am on chapter three. I guess you could say I was a bit inspired today. It was also further truth that I am truly a pantser.

As I said, I knew very little about my character when I started writing this morning. Over the course of the first chapter I discovered that he was 17 and living on the streets, that his mother was dead and he was still quite angry at her for deserting him, that he and his father were both drug addicts, he had been arrested three times, and that he had an invisible friend named Sam. It was fascinating to watch this character develop before my eyes and the story that he leads. As John develops, I will start writing down things about him so that I can refer to it later in the book but for now I am going to reveal the character like an onion being peeled, exposing one layer after another.

I've challenged myself to have it written in less time than it took me to write my novella A Mystic Romance, which was written in 39 days. That would mean by August 14th, I would have to be done. I only have one class in college this term and the kid is off at college until the end of that week. It might actually be do-able.

Could you write a novel in just 39 days (without it being NaNoWriMo!)?

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