The Aftermath

"Avian Resurrection" isn't my first NaNoWriMo novel but it's become very special to me because it's the first time I felt that I had the plot under control from start to finish. I feel I've earned the right to call myself a "real writer" with this novel. Part of the reason is that I blogged it "live" as I wrote it so I felt a responsibility to get the words in. This was the first time I put my fiction "out there" and the resulting feeling was nervousness, exhilaration but also intense achievement. People knew I was writing and frequently asked how I was doing. When I went on a residential, I brought the laptop with me and got my words in. I also I felt so relaxed as I wrote it. There was the feeling that a potter must feel when the clay is first thrown. I was in control of my novel.  I never really felt any pressure (except towards Day Twenty Nine when I was worried how it was going to end!) and I always looked forward to doing my 1667+ words each day. I wrote every day even if there was one or two days I didn't quite reach my target and there were days when I had to make myself stop.

As always, the "perfect" title came to me well past the halfway mark. I tried not to proofread--unless I forgot a character's name and had to go back--because that's a time waster and even a little demoralising. Stuff like that should come after the basic story has been generated. It's easy to get bogged down with little details and before you know it, you've wasted two hours shifting commas around.

I had no plan for how the novel was going to start. I didn't intend to kill off Alfie in the first sentence and I certainly didn't know I was going to resurrect him until the perfect title came to me. I did have a little "to do" list for the last day--just characters I needed to kill off (Janie and Julie had to go) and subplots to resolve. I also made sure I planned ahead for the other stuff--I did the grocery shopping, the cleaning and all the big jobs I needed to do before November started. Oh and I get to boast I did 3 Last Post gigs, attended a MLT residential, did two late night lectures and got an "outstanding" on an observed lesson during the month of November. So I didn't just shut down my life to write.

"Avian Resurrection" is also the first time I kept in touch with the NaNoWriMo community. Although I didn't get to any write ins (but I am planning to attend the TGIO after party), I had my word count verified daily. When I finally reached 50,000 words, I got a surprise victory reception via you tube which was the perfect finish for such a task. I felt very well supported by the real and virtual world every day.

 So the most commonly asked questions?

1.  Where do you find the time? I make the time. I set an hour or two aside every day so I could get my words done. I remember when I was a kid I saw an interview with Barbara Streisand with Geraldo Riviera. He asked her: "How do you hold a note for so long?" Her response was: "Because I want to." I loved that and I think that was pretty much my attitude from start to finish.
2. Will you publish it? I'm going to have a think about this. I'll make a few enquiries and maybe I'll self publish "Avian Resurrection" and possibly "The Holey War". Not because I think I am the next Maeve Binchey but because my work represents a time in my life and I think that's worth honouring. Besides, the grandkids might get a kick out it.
3. How does it feel to be finished? Cracking! I feel like I've done something worthwhile. And I can't wait to do it all over again!
4. Advice for younger authors? Stop procrastinating, set yourself a target and get on with it. I really do recommend the NaNoWriMo method (and it doesn't have to be done in November!). You can buy the kit via Amazon or just go to the NaNoWriMo website.
5. So will you be leaving the teaching profession to become a full time writer? Not yet I don't think. I need the security of full time, steady employment. But the day is coming when I won't need it. But I am going to get the NaNoWriMo certificate printed off and get the assistant principal to give it to me during assembly. I want my pupils to know I do things outside of school.