NaNoWriMo 2011: Day 6 Update and an Excerpt!

NaNoWriMo is going really, really well this year. I'm on track with my own personal goals (2k words per day, which is a bit higher than the 1,667 words per day required to make the 50k goal), and I'm almost halfway through book three of The Steam and Steel Chronicles. I'm really, really enjoying writing this one so far. I've had some surprising plot twists pop up without any planning, and I've introduced a new main character who will be in the third and fourth books. I've also brought back a favorite element from the first book that will play a major role in the conclusion and solution to the books and their central arc.

So as it stands right now, at 12:12pm on Sunday, November 6, I've written 12,487 words. I'm going to try to get another 1-2k words done today (probably this evening), because my word schedule is a little bit hectic right now and weekends are the best time to try to build a little buffer into my word count.

I also wanted to share an excerpt from what I've written so far. Now, there's no guarantee that this will make it into the final version of the book, and this is completely unedited, so please excuse any awkward phrasing or typos.

The sky was clear and the ground below was a patchwork of yellows and orange leaves and still-green fields. It wouldn't be long before the ground was covered in snow and the air at that altitude would necessitate not just a coat but a full mask, gloves, and fur-lined boots.

But for now, Stig was on deck with his coat open and his head exposed to the elements. He could see the coal mines of eastern Wyoming as he flew over, great black expanses uncovered by steam shovels the size of which were unrivaled the world over. The American West was the most prosperous land he'd ever seen, with what seemed like limitless supplies of oil, coal, and gas, with mines for every precious metal and mineral he could think of between the Mississippi River and the California coast.

He needed to check his heading, to make sure the winds over the plains wouldn't throw him off course. The winds were unpredictable in October, and he didn't need any delays.

Twelve hours later he was docking at the St. Louis airfield. He paid the fee, an exorbitant amount considering he wasn't picking up freight, and asked for directions to the hotel Gunnarr had mentioned in his telegram. With any luck, he hadn't missed him.

This is from relatively early in book three,  but not the first chapter. I may post another excerpt later on, when the third book is finished. As it stands right now, the third book should be out sometime in late January, and the fourth will likely follow a month or so later. I'm also planning a big launch for the final book, and will be giving away some prizes!