NaNoWriMo - Day 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11

 

Day 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11 - 16th November 2025

Small personal story is complete. The Toastmasters Debate is done. Time to get back in the saddle.

After taking a 48 hour break to remove the before mentioned distractions, I've been struggling to match my earlier output. I've been managing roughly 500 words a day, with my current word count at 5532. I need to increase my output if I want to have at finishing this novel.

Time to consult experts!

I searched and found a somewhat reputable site with a 10 tricks and tips. Here's the link for those interested.

1.  Ask yourself what your character wants
2.  Follow your obsessions
3.  With a map in hand, you’ll be able to write in any order
4.  To start well, allow your brain to do inactive work
5.  For the first draft, trust your subconscious
6.  There is no need to edit as you write
7.  Use outside inspiration to avoid losing momentum
8.  Focus your efforts on times when you can keep the world at bay
9.  Remember your motivation
10.  Focus on your successes, not your failures

The ideas I've highlighted in green are the ones I feel like I have already implemented into my work. The ideas I've highlighted in red I will give some thought and see if I can use them to help keep writer's block at bay. 

I think Point 3 is an interesting idea. I have a rough outline of how the story is meant to progress in my head, but I've deliberately kept the continuity and rules of the world loose because I thought that would help promote creativity. Still, I imagine being to write the chapters in any order would allow me to work on what I want, when I want to. So maybe I'll post some sort of narrative timeline in my next update. 

I have included a few lines of dialogue for your pleasure. I originally wrote the head maid as a meek and somewhat inexperienced servant that had immense responsibilities thrust upon her due to staff shortages (people fleeing due to all the rioting and fighting), but it might be more fun to have the character just fed up with everyone and everything. It's something I may need to revise further down the road.

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“Can’t believe they left him like this… told them to check every hour… simply no excuse… the Emperor will have all our heads…” The Head Maid muttered, shifting between half a dozen different lines of thought as she lay her head against the prince’s chest, his dark skin looking sweaty and flushed, she looked somewhat relieved but no less fretful from whatever information she gleaned from the an act, and immediately motioned for Tristan to kneel beside her.

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