Filling the Trunk

Without much fanfare, NaNoWriMo came and went for me. I wrote as much as I could and managed to get within 5k words of the 50k goal. With the words I had written since the beginning of the year, I reached 64k words with the climax and ending to write.

And it's sat as such since Nov 30.

I have a couple of trunked novel. A dark fantasy trilogy. A thriller set in a BDSM communitee. Countless started novels and short stories that have fallen by the wayside for one reason or another. I hit a deadend, got bored of the story, ran out of free time for writing, or started another project.

Initially, I have tried to think for these trunked stories as the writing dues every author owes their audience. The practice that leads to improvement. Then I hear the voice of my Sensei, 'Practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.'

For the first time in almost a decade, I mapped out a novel with several charactesr and subplots along with the main murder mystery. The first draft is under 10K away from being finished. And I don't even want to look at it. I broke the dam and wrote. Yet I'm not sure the plot works. I am frustrated by my short comings as an author. I know that unless I write something unique, timely, or well-craft (preferrably all three) that the chances of achieving a print publishing contract is about as likely as getting struck by lightening – twice.

I like the advice 'Write when you are feeling inspired, read when you are not.'

Ursala K Le Guin's 'Steering The Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story' seems like a way forward to improving my writing craft. I'm looking forward to reading her thoughts on the craft and doing the exercises within.