The Lilac Linett Guest Post

Hello there! I have one of Love the Here and Now's sponsor's taking over the blog today. Sit back, relax, and let Llinos from The Lilac Linnet tell you more about NaNoWriMo. Intrigued? Read on!


At about this time last year, I heard about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) for the first time. It intrigued me from the word go - a challenge to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. At the time, I was writing my non-fiction book about my experience as a teenage cancer patient, but I made a mental note to participate in 2014.

So here I am, participating in NaNoWriMo for the first time! I have been planning my novel on and off for a few months now, but I have been struggling to actually sit down and write it. I'm completely engrossed in the story and the characters, but it's very different to writing my cancer memoir - that book just flowed out of me. NaNoWriMo seemed like a great opportunity to get me on track with my first novel.

Why had my novel failed to get off the ground? Life! Spending time with friends, blogging more regularly, crochet, my new running routine, and (of course) work... these all ate into my writing time. Instead of being hard on myself, I decided to refocus with the help of NaNoWriMo.

My novel is called 'The Grand Duchess of Aquaserene', and it is a fantasy which is also inspired by history. Aquaserene is a realm filled with mountains, lakes and waterfalls, mermaids and magic. But its duchess, Nerina Coral, is a young woman grieving for the loss of her father, a towering figure in her life. Unable to trust anyone in her court, and facing marriage to a stranger, a threat from within her own family threatens the stability of the realm. Can Nerina find a way to lead Aquaserene to a prosperous future?

So, armed with a cup of tea, some music and obviously my laptop, I sat down on 1st November and began to type. The fact that the month began on a weekend seemed like too good an opportunity to miss! I tried not to think too much, and told my inner editor to be quiet, and just typed away, letting the characters live their untold stories.

The first weekend got me off to a good start, but I knew that weekdays would be more of a struggle. After the day job, making dinner and doing some essential chores like washing up, going for a run and showering... my willpower and energy levels were flagging. But I am still managing to type away for an hour or so. 50,000 still feels like a way away but I am making progress and I can feel the novel coming into fruition.

Even so, doubts can creep in at times... Like, "Why did you think this was a good idea?", and "Are you sure this is any good?", but I have swept those thoughts away and kept on writing!

I either write sitting on the sofa, or at the dinner table, both of which are in the living room. I like to be able to chat to my boyfriend as I write, or listen to the guinea pigs chattering or eating. I'm lucky that I don't need silence to write; I feel that life going on around me spurs me on to work.

Writing my novel
Writing is a sedentary activity, so I am making sure that I am not missing out on going for a run or a walk. Exercise time is a great opportunity to think some more about the plot aswell! After a writing session, I make sure to switch off the laptop and read a book or watch a favourite TV show. I like to leave the book behind and focus on something else, then get a good night's sleep.

Now that the month is advancing, I'm starting to think ahead to editing this first draft! But, I'm trying not to get ahead of myself too much and be intimidated by the prospect. After all, having a novel to edit will be such a huge achievement for me.

Also, I'm enjoying the fact that my characters are surprising me! They're slipping into scenes that I hadn't planned for, and developing traits that I hadn't originally imagined. I'm planning to profile the characters on my blog soon, so I do hope that you will join me to learn more about the story.



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