Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Tropical heat. Scattered clouds. Intermittent drizzle.

I've written more than 28,000 words on my middle grade historical fiction. My current thinking on the project: 1) I don't know enough culture and history. 2) My main character needs to have more fun. 3) I don't have enough story to make it to 50K. 

On culture and history, I don't think I'll ever know enough. Part of the fun of writing is learning new things. But it's also frustrating to realize how small the drop in the bucket is. 

On fun, I'm writing a story in a dark time--smallpox epidemic, people dying in droves, decimation of a people/culture. So fun isn't exactly what I was looking for. But tweens need something humorous, even dark humor. Not my strength. Need to look for opportunities for the macabre, I think.

On length, it isn't a middle-grade genre problem to be shorter than 50k, but it makes it hard to meet the NaNoWriMo challenge. Maybe I'll add some true history notes at the end.

I'm really grateful for the NaNoWriMo challenge that focuses my writing energy.  Now, I have to get to my dinner, and my novel writing.

#NaNoWriMo2020 #WritingCommunity