NaNoWriMo :: Day 18

Word Count: 30,684
Morale: Off the charts

What a great writing night.  Everything just flowed. Some nights I worry so much about the structure of it all.  Worried that people are talking too much, worried that flashbacks are cliche, worried that this whole effort is nothing but a playful whim that won't be fit for human eyes at the end of it all.

Tonight, there was no worrying - just amazing writing. I learned lots of new things that I didn't plan for.  For example, Maggie's grandfather died of cirrhosis due to his alcoholism.  He was an alcoholic?  Didn't know that until tonight when I was writing.  And in Maggie's recollection of him from her childhood, I wrote what is possibly my favorite scene so far.  All of the writing advice out there talks about "show, don't tell."  That statement is always drumming in the back of my head while I'm writing (along with Fall Out Boy and Single File drumming in my head while I'm writing, too).  This seen tonight was the epitome of "show, don't tell" and I didn't even have to think about it while I was typing.

Maggie and her sister are now on a quest for a hidden pond on the family farm, and Maggie's had some huge discoveries about these voices that she's been hearing.  I could keep writing all night, but I'm afraid if I go too far tonight, it will be like pulling teeth to get the words out tomorrow. I'd prefer to stop while I'm in the groove and go watch "Glee."

Happy writing to all.  As I said before, the good golf shots are the ones that keep you coming back.  This shot tonight was a hole in one.  I'll definitely be coming back to the NaNo game tomorrow.