Instead of boring you each day, and I really have had to stop myself, I thought I would do a weekly post to let you know whether I have managed to accomplish what I wanted during this creative month of August that I have named, #RiNoWriMo! (Ritu’s Novel Writing Month).

It’s not been easy, getting back into the swing of a WIP that was started so long ago!

As it is set in 2000, I need to strip 17 years away to think what I wanted, to remember the way things were then, to keep the time authenticity too!

Day 1

Well, all my organisation and planning didn’t allow for a pair of kids who have recently been sleeping until 9 or 10 am to decide that it was the day to wake early! Lil Princess was up at 5 am! I managed to get her back down until 6, but then she was hungry!

To stop Hubby Dearest getting disturbed, I trudged downstairs with my book and phone, to feed her and check my notifications. By 7 am Lil Man had joined us. He was starving too apparently (what is the matter with these kids? do I not feed them enough?!)

After giving everyone their food I resigned myself to not being able to write today. Hubby Dearest was suffering a headache and was off at home too.

But in the end, I decided that I had to do this, even if it was only to read through my old pages and notes.

I read my scrawly notes (just about) and my manuscript so far. Hmm, not bad, even if I do say so myself! In currently has 13304 words in it. I know that in #NaNoWriMo, there is a hope that writers will reach 50,000 by the end of the month. Would I be able to do that?

1667 words a day over 30 days. Now I know that August has one extra day, but the thing is, I have a life too! We have weddings and functions to attend at the weekends and there is also the week I will be spending in Birmingham with my parents.

If I discounted the weekends and worked on the premise of 20 weekdays, I would need to be writing around 2,500 words a day to reach that 50,000-word mark. Eeek! Well, I can but try! Reach for the moon, they say, you’ll always land among the stars!

I managed to tap out 1000 once I started, before stopping at 10.30 am for a cuppa.

Then I decided I needed to rewrite my notes, so they were legible!

A skeleton timeline was etched out, character profiles for the main characters that have already entered into the action. Then I thought it would also be a good idea to actually plan the rest of the story, so I knew what I was aiming for,

You see, 17 years ago, when I started this, I was a total novel writing virgin (not that I have popped that cherry yet, but I feel like I am much more knowledgeable now, due to all the wonderful input from my author friends!) so I started writing and let whatever wanted to happen, write itself on my screen, via my fingers, of course!

I had an idea. I knew where it started, what I wanted to happen, kinda, and where it would go. There was even an element of an ending too, but there was no real detail.

So pre-lunch, that was what I did. Gave my story a real frame to work on! Oh my I wish I had a huge wall to stick my post-its all over!

I may go into town tomorrow and buy a huge bit of card to make a storyboard!

Anyway, after lunch, I carried on. And wrote a quick ‘advice needed’ post too! (About how to handle a different language in my story… brackets, footnotes or glossary!)

I also took down the original chapters from my blog. If I am going to finish this, I want to to be as fresh as possible, with no remnants of the old version!

And my word count was… 2503!

Day 2

Kids slept in finally, Hubby Dearest was at home, again, but I got my writing done before lunch!

Been into town and bought a HUGE whiteboard to use as my working storyboard too!

Check it out! I started with taping lines on the whiteboard side but it wasn’t working…

Then DayI remembered I had some blackboard film, so I covered it and used some of my prized patterned gaffer tape to make this!

Word count today … 2500!

Day 3

No kids, they stayed at the grandparents today. Hubby Dearest still working from home.

I started a little later, thinking I wouldn’t hit my limit before I had to go and get the kids for a play-date, but look!

Word count today… 2597!

Day 4

Finally, I had the house to myself. Kids still with grandparents, and Hubby Dearest went into work!.

But I had a little pal who wanted to snuggle on the bed, so we had a change of writing location today!

And the promise to myself of a quiet sit at a cafe with my book later, got me writing again.

Word count today… 2599!

Over 10,000 words in four days! I am gobsmacked! I think I deserve a weekend off!

Day 5

Yes yes, I know I said I deserve a weekend off, but when all is quiet and there is a chance to write… why not!

Snuck in another writing session in between doing the grocery shopping and going to a function at the temple! Then again in the evening when Hubby Dearest was out and the kids were busy watching a film!

Word count today… 2049!

Day 6

I didn’t think I would have the energy to even look at a screen today. Slept really badly, and plus, being Sunday, I thought I would take a back step.

But you can’t hold words back when they want to be written! I managed another hour or so of writing, interspersed with some research, before heading off to the cinema for a girlie afternoon out, watching Girls Trip!

Word count today… 1053!

So, this brings me to the start of another week. I don’t know how much will get written, given that I will be at my parents, but they are very supportive of my writing, and my mum has set a space at the dining table for me to write, while she keeps the kids occupied for an hour or two a day! Bless her!

Oh, and so you know… I wrote a total of

13307 words

this week! That is more than I started with six days ago! My WIP is now over 26,000 words long! See, if you put your mind to it, have supportive people around you, and have the time, you can do it!

I’ll be back with an update next week Peeps!