It's NaNoWriMo But I'm Already Done...

Granted, to say that is a bit of a cheat. I did not start writing this month alone. I've never taken part in NaNoWriMo, and I don't think I'll start. Nothing against the idea, but my brain and my muse don't quite work that way.

I did finish my new book that I've been working on and thinking about since last fall.

Finally!

I wrote close to 200 pages in a month (that's about 60,000 words for me). So I had my own, skewed, NaNoWriMo. And it was amazing. But it would take too much planning to force my muse to start on the first of a given month and end on the 30th of a given month. I'd rather have a continual NaNoWriMo of get it done now you lazy writer.

The incredible thing I discovered is that when I started actually writing, and stopped messing about, I got way more done in a much shorter amount of time than I thought possible. I haven't written this much this quickly since I first discovered my love to write.

What helped was having my beta readers urging me on to keep chugging out chapters. What helped was having a plan in my mind for when I wanted to finish the book. What helped was having a fire under my butt to actually meet-- and surpass-- my deadline. What helped was having had a massive read-off the few months previous where I poured through a good 6-10 books just for fun and to catch up on feeding my muse. Also having my MP3 player with me at just about all times.

Since I finished my book last week, I have also written my query letter (and edited it), written my synopsis (and edited it), and researched about a dozen potential agents. I shall research more agents before I send off any official packages. The more the merrier, in point of fact.

It feels so good to be writing again. I'm already excited to start the next project. I also want to revamp the submission materials for the first book of my trilogy, but I will wait until my editor is done with my second book of the trilogy before I do that. I'll get that puppy caught up all at once.

And I think I've found my niche. The type of story I just completed has potential for a whole serial of different books, not part of a series, per se, but all part of a similar 'universe' of tales. With maybe one, two connecting characters who flit in and out like unintentional fairy godparents. And I can't wait to see where it goes.

In the next few weeks I'll be sending materials off to agents. We'll see what happens. I really think this could be the book that does it for me. Everything has just felt so right about it-- the chapters just flowed out, the query letter was done in two days, the synopsis was done in one. I wrote it almost entirely from memory, all 15 pages of it. This book is like a well greased machine, and all I can wonder is how I managed to end up driving it.

Of course, I doubt I'll get any traction right off. Unless I'm supremely lucky, or just that good. If I do, you'll be sure to hear about it. It won't wipe out the 60+ rejection letters I've already gotten in my entire career, but it would be amazing to see this book go for it without any rejections on its own slate. But I'll keep trying. I'll keep writing books until someone publishes one.

That's the only way I know to do it.