Day One: I officially hate everything I’ve written so far. Correction: I’ve written just over 1700 words and like approximately two sentences.
Day Two: (Didn't journal that day. Must have been on a snack run or something.)
Day Three: My NaNo does not pass the Bechdel Test.
Day Four: I’m far ahead of my daily word count, but I feel like I’m doing nothing but writing rough character sketches or notes on a novel, rather than a novel itself — even a shitty first draft of one.
My story could be subtitled cis, het, white guys and the women who find them insufferable.
Day Five: Okay, accepting that what I’m writing is total shit. Dialogue is not my strong suit: it’s mumblecore, bad SNL skits, and mostly word padding.
Day Six: I’m taking a page from Chris Baty’s book (literally), and using other novelists as research: Jonathan Franzen for the way he seamlessly blends several narratives together (I KNOW! Yes, he has major lady problems but I still like his writing) , and Alan Hollinghurst for the way he turns smut into literature. (Unfortunately I’m currently reading The Spell.)
My other inspiration is the wealth of 80s and early 90s indie on my iPod. I am an aging gen-x’er. Can’t help it.
Day Seven: Okay, I'm doing better than I could have ever expected. Yes, it's a boring piece of shit with lots of filler dialogue, but I haven't broken the fourth wall yet, which I think is a first for me. Changing the setting to the late-80s was a big help (because apparently I don't live in the modern world?), as was starting the part of my novel that I like. The biggest issue is trying to seamlessly weave these disparate narratives together to make a cohesive story. I think I may have made my story's structure a bit too complicated. One good thing about NaNo, once you get into that "flow," it's a good exercise in making a deadline.
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