Eureka! In the early morning of November 1st, aka the starting day of NaNoWriMo, I finalized what I want to write about, and I am beyond excited. Let it be known that I will tackle—“Haunted Darlings.”
If you’ve followed me on Twitter, you’ll know that I was extremely underprepared—as in “oh god, what the fuck do I write about? Do I craft up something new that I haven’t really thought about for weeks? Or revisit an old project?” The answer is: I revisit an old and loved project with a new spin to it.
| WHAT IS YOUR STORY ABOUT? |
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Project Name: Haunted Darlings!
Plot: In my previous NaNoWriMo posts, I talked a bit about my past projects, specifically one I called “Ghost/Detective” story, which was about “an agoraphobic main character who is forced out of her apartment to figure out why a ghost is haunting her.”
I wanted to put a different spin on it because I’ve been feeling stuck, yet again, with this project because I didn’t know where I was going. (I’m a terrible plot person.) I decided that I want to put the Seven Deadly Sins into this—have my darling main character deal with them. Maybe these Seven Deadly Sins will embody bodies. Sure, it won’t exactly have ghosts (still debating that, to be honest), but I’m hoping this will pull my story back onto its feet.
| THE INSPIRATION |
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This project will be an ode to the things I love to read: high society with dumb rich people who hide their feelings behind a fortified steel trap bubble, and the ominous foreboding and the supernatural gothic elements in books such as The Lynburn Legacy by Sarah Rees Brennan and The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand, and in podcasts such as Welcome to Night Vale. It will hopefully have all those things and the delightfulness of The Thrilling Adventure Hour podcast.
| THE WORRY |
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I’m entering NaNoWriMo by the seat of my pants, not exactly sure where I’ll be going. It can be exciting, but the problems and worries remain:
- I don’t feel extremely prepared.
When I go into NaNoWriMo, I like to know where my plot is going, or scenes I want write out. I don’t really have that since I hadn’t decided on this particular project until the early morn.
- The story’s not a flushed out idea.
It doesn’t feel solid, like there’s things I still need to do before I can feel it panning out the way I want it to.
- There’s no discernible plot.
I’m a terrible plot person (but a wonderful character development person). I know how to begin the story, but where it goes is beyond my imagination. It kind of sucks.
| . . . |
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YAY CEE! I know you can do this. I BELIEVE IN YOU. And Haunted Darlings sounds AMAZING! I would definitely want to read it based on your pitch alone, and I really think it’ll be something special. I started out planning to write a story inspired by Swan Lake, and while it’s still that, it’s also become something more. ;)
So I was where you were in 2012. I found out about Nano a week before it started I just went for it! I reached 50k in 18 days! I had no plot…. You address that in your revisions.
As far as not being prepared… for my first time it was better… winging it I think is what got me through.
You flush out your idea as your writing. Just vomit on the paper! Magic is in the revision.
This is my third Nano and I feel like I’m perfecting my approach every time. Every year brings different challenges and time constraints but I make it through. I am rooting for you!
I’m not participating this year, but I’ll be cheering everyone on!! I’m so happy you figured out what you wanted to write :D And there’s nothing wrong with pantsing a plot ;) 50K words of meandering will at least give you something to edit!