Starting word count: 51606
Ending word count: 53641
Total words: 2035

Mind the gap between my brain and the resulting writing.

(That joke doesn’t really work, but I’m sticking with it.)

I spent my morning listening to the 10hr tube ambience I mentioned yesterday (obviously not the whole ten hours) and, finally, writing the middle of the novel! I started (and made it about halfway through) chapter 13 today and now I know why I’ve been avoiding the middle — I have literally no idea what happens next.

This is what I get for not being one of those people who plan properly.

I know, like, in broad strokes what is going to happen — I have a list of the highlights that will take us through the story — but the highlight that I’m currently working towards is literally just like…. basically the middle of the novel? The next milestone I have to hit is the scene towards the end of the book where everything goes completely tits up. So, you know, not really a lot to work with. Even in this chapter, I feel like I’ve basically hit a wall plotwise. Like how do I finish this chapter? WHAT THE HELL HAPPENS NEXT?

I made myself sit down and draft out a list of things that have to happen as we move between those two points, and I do think it’s helped. It’s still not a lot of detail, but things were definitely starting to come together as I was writing it. Like I was starting to see the throughlines more clearly than I was before.

It’s moments like this where I wish I could do nothing else but write all day because, honestly, now I just want to sit here and type away all day. But, alas, work.

I did have about five hundred words to type to meet my goal at the end of the day, but after a walk in the crisp evening air, my brain was feeling significantly less hay-like (though definitely still like hay, especially because I had so many meetings today) and I managed to make it through. And all before dinner if you can believe it!

Tell me how your Friday the 13th writing went — I hope it went well for you x

Let’s be friends on NaNo! Or listen to my project writing playlist!