NaNoWriMo 2023: Weekly Update #4

Hey y’all,

So, I lost. And I think we can say I lost by a couple different measures. There’s the official one: write 50k in 30 days. Nope. Didn’t do that. Edged up to about 30k. I have hit 50k before—many times, in fact. I’ve written 100k in a month. So, it’s not a problem of ‘can I do it?’ or anything of that sort. Then there’s the matter of my own goals: 1) write the 65 key missing chapters; and, 2) wrap up the major plotlines. How’d I do on those? I didn’t even come close. On either. Well, maybe I did come close on the “Who Killed Wendy Glass?” plotline. I only have a few chapters left on that one. But, said another way, I only wrote one major chapter on it this month, so. Maybe not.

But! Don’t get it twisted: I still wrote a lot. Thurdy kay ain’t nuthin’, and I’m pretty proud of what I did. A few of the chapters from this month are among my favorite things I’ve written—including one from this week, “Way Down, In The Underground.” And by ‘among my favorites’ I mean, you know, of recent things. Say in the last four or five years? So it was totally worth it. For me. I hope you feel the same way.

Having said that, jfc, am I glad that it’s over, tho. I felt less pressure this time than in previous years, but it’s still a lot of pressure, even with that dial turned way, way down. The body and the mind retain what needs to be done, even when you’re reassuring them that it’s fine to not do it, to rest instead.

So that’s the what’s what on TVS NaNoWriMo 2023. Thanks so much to those of you who cheered me on. And, as always, thank you for sharing your life and time with me as we do here.

Below you’ll find the chapters from week 4. After that, a brief bit about what’s next, and a word about pain.

New Chapters

This is a dream. Like, I actually dreamt it. But it is also a secrets school chapter. I guess I adapted it? From the dream. Anyway, it introduces another character (I’ll say it for you: Fuck you, Tee!) named Lily, who might be important later. I never know about these things.

This one is locked now, but I sent it out to you before locking it, so. You should still have a copy in your inbox. Be warned, though, it contains smutty stuff and references to self-harm. If you’re new to our menagerie and would like me to unlock it for you, just ask!

Continuing the Dreamwar subpath within the Dream story path <rolls eyes>, herein we actually go to the island of Taruma Kivuli and see the fearsome Death Cage.

I have several ‘pathless’ chapters, and this is one them. I think of them as ‘interstitials’ or some such shit. Anyway, this one is about the hair everywhere but the head.

This is one of those stubborn-ass chapters that takes just, like, so many sessions to get out. I often abandon them, they get so frustrating. But I saw this one through. It felt necessary. I can’t back that up with logic. It’s just a feeling. You decide!

What’s next?

Well, obvi the book isn’t finished, so I will need to return to work on it in January, as well as restructure my 2024 plans for publishing. That’s fine. It’s a bit disheartening, but okay. I must take December off from it, tho, or I shall go mad. So no new chapters in December.

And! I must say that even though a few of you say you like the summary of chapters better, the metrics tell another story. So I will dispense with the summaries and go back to sending out issues a few times a week. That has worked best so far. Open to feedback, and note that your silence is tantamount to assent!

Crossover withand forty+ other newsletters

Ben came up with this cool idea (that you can read about here) whereby we write a prompt about a transformative experience in our life, then anonymously trade with another writer and write a story to the prompt we get. We’ll publish those under the subtitle “Same Walk, Different Shoes” all at once on Friday, December 29, 2023. So mark those calendars!

Pain, pain, the name and the game

This has one hundo been the worst month for physical pain that I’ve had in a while. Like a long while. I’m probably not exercising enough. It feels very cold rather suddenly here, and that is definitely part of it. Meditating on the pain helps, breathing into and around it. And I take aspirin and ibuprofen. I rest. I encourage you to, as well. Be kind to yourselves, y’all. Our bodies need us.

Okay, I guess that wraps her up for this week, the month, and the whole NaNo shebang. Stay as healthy, kind, and beautiful inside as you can, lovelies!

Xoxo,

T

AiS0075