Update on My Novel: Month 35

This was the first full month for work on my novel after I took a brief break. I admit that I felt daunted going back to this large project, but once I got going on the narrow slice that I had selected for each individual day, everything seemed much more manageable and enjoyable. Or, at least, it seemed so on the days that I actually did it. All told, I only gave nine days to the novel this month.

Before discussing the number of days that I worked, though, I want to review what was accomplished during this month. I continued developing the backgrounds and conducting the interviews with each of the main characters, trying to find a clear and distinct voice for each of them to speak with. Previously I had done this only for William, but this month I went through the same process for John and Clara. Filling out these background and interviews has proved to be very helpful. I have found new details to round out the characters’ personalities, and I have identified ways that their voices need to evolve throughout the story to reflect their growth, something I had never considered before.

Now for the matter of how many days I actually did this work on. I’m very glad to have started on the story, but even more than before I feel stuck trying to find time for it and also the story blog. For a long while I have had a notion that I could make all the different things I want to do fit if I just figured out the right strategy. Over these last months I have finally given up on that notion, and now I know that something needs to change.

Exactly what that entails I am not going to discuss just yet. April will continue the same as before, with me posting to this blog at my regular schedule, while also trying to get in some story work in here and there. At the end of April, I will then unveil the next phase for this blog and the novel. I’m excited to implement those changes, and I hope they will be intriguing for you as well.