NaNoWriMo: Week 3 Update

Nov 19

Hey guys! This month I’m going to be doing some general updates on my NaNoWriMo progress. You’ll see how I’m progressing, get some insider looks at what I’ve written each week, and see some of the stuff that goes into creating a book!

NaNoWriMo: Week 3

Projects: Star Supernova (Blue Star Series, Star Trilogy #2), Prequel to The Curse of Broken Shadows

Word Count: 43,534 / 50,000 (updated count on the NaNo website)

Details: So, this week I can finally tell you all why I’ve been spending so much of my day distracted, sleeping, or hurling over a toilet. It’s not hellthorn poisoning. The newest character in our household is coming May 2022 and pregnancy brain is a real thing. That’s a big reason I pushed a lot of my work to the front of the month when I was able to sit for a little longer and get more stuff done. Still, I’m slowly making my way toward the finish line, which I am really hoping can come before or shortly after Thanksgiving next week. I did end up finishing one of my prequel stories so that was a huge relief, and having that ending in sight helped me knock out some good words! The daily count being under 1K is somehow still a challenge, but I’m hitting it (which is good because I don’t write on weekends).

Music: I’ve found a few new songs that range from getting the emotions going to just rocking out. Enemies by Shinedown is an old favorite and one of the best songs from the Soul Obscured playlist. A new one that hits me in the feels is Just My Soul Responding by Amber Run. So, if you need a new music selection, I clearly have a whole range.

When I’m not writing: I’m doing a lot of wedding planning! Okay, I’m already married, but my hubs and I didn’t get to have a big party with our friends (we went to UPS on Star Wars day 2020 mid-COVID) so we postponed the festivities. We’ve been making book page table runners for our “book launch” theme (he launches rockets, I write books, it’s a win!) and we have coloring pages and space-themed mad libs for everyone to play! And when I’m not napping or throwing up, I’m doing my best to keep up a workout regimen so mama and baby can be healthy.

Distractions: Obviously, baby has been a big distraction, and now that we’ve announced, I’ve got lots of messages and notes to go through. This is always a challenging time to focus with holidays coming up, but it’s been nice to have a supportive hubby and lots of help from friends and family. Sadly, that means writing is a slow pace, but the stories are still in my head. Hopefully they will benefit from a concentrated mind once I get the focus to sit down and work on them!

Excerpt (from prequel):

“There you are,” Lenni panted, her voice hoarse as if she’d been part of the singing and dancing going on around them. “We’ve been looking all over for you!”
Brela grunted as the sand sprite tugged her through the crowd. “There are only two humans in the desert. It couldn’t have been that hard.”
The woman hiccuped. “Okay, I got a little sidetracked.”
She chuckled, finally catching up to the woman. “Where are we going?”
“You’re Oni’s guest of honor. They’re about to start the festivities.”
“Start them?” She glanced around at the partying sprites. “How is this not considered the party?”
“Your Crown Prince only comes of age once,” Lenni purred with a grin, weaving them around a pit. The same pit Brela had seen a week ago, with obstacles of crystal and sand scattered below.
“How old is he again?”
“The rough equivalent of your age, only in sprite years.”
Brela rolled her eyes. “That’s not an answer.”

Excerpt (from Star Supernova):

An evil grin crept over her face as I groaned. “You’re about to hit a lot of touchy subjects, aren’t you?”
“You need to practice with distractions.”
“This is totally unfair.”
Isobel retreated to her part of the circle, lifting her palm as she created sparks in the air. “Okay, a game, then. Just like we did at the library your first day. Trading questions.”
I shrugged. “Slightly more fair.”
“Start with the lights, since that takes more energy,” she instructed. I shook out my shoulders and focused on the wisps of light again, watching blues and greens fill the room. Iz nodded. “Good, you go first.”
It was more challenging to think of questions while also focusing on my energy, so I fumbled over the words. “What’s your favorite color?”
Isobel stifled a laugh, momentarily stopping her fingers from poking the ball of energy that floated above her hand. “Blue.” She continued along the circular path. “When did you start playing football?”
“Middle school. I had played baseball for a while, but it was too boring.”
“Don’t let Kiya hear you say that. I think she misses softball the most,” Isobel replied.

Meme of the week: