Gearing up for NaNoWriMo

ook how many whip hands it takes!

Back in 2007, I took November off. I'd already done the 70 Days of Sweat. In 2008, I was back to following Sven. All of that to finish one novel, The Face of A Lion.

Last year was my first National Novel Writing Month year, and I told myself it was more about "developing consistent writing habits" given that I failed abysmally at meeting the 50,000 word goal. Even more hilarious, I thought I'd have my SFD finished by the end of 2009 - ridiculous, considering everything that's happened to my protagonist since then, which I hadn't foreseen at all.

And how things change! Now that I've finally cracked my comfort zone (read: gone back to my first love, romance), NaNo seems like a piece of cake. After all, I wrote 39,400 (in less than two weeks) for the Cherry Hill Writers Houseparty in July, over 40,000 words for the novel in August-September, and 44,682 words (in two weeks) for the Constantinople Houseparty.

I keep telling myself I only need 10 scenes to finish Out of the Water. Only 15 scenes. Okay, 25. Well, 25 scenes at about 2,000 words each is the NaNo challenge!

Compared to last year, I'm this close to finishing the first draft. Here, in no particular order, are the scenes I need:

Rosa's post-earthquake rounds with Brother Arcturus

stumbling across the slave market and rescuing a young girl

Rosa preparing to dress as a boy and petition the Sultan

Rosa's audience with the Sultan

the wedding

more details about Rosa and Senora Isabela (an antagonist)

post-meeting with French knights

conversation with her Jewish family re their settling in France

Rosa and B discussing their pasts

backstory/flashback re Santiago

burial of Tia Rita

visiting the hamam for the first time

visiting the hamam on her own for the first time (hears of how anyone might petition the Sultan)

assisting Brother Arcturus at almsgiving (at the monastery)

further details on Santiago's voyage with Columbus, when he returns

proper descriptions of first impressions of Constantinople

how they find a ship at Marseille

That's only 17, but I know that nearly half the scenes I've already written have a "need end" tacked on to them! And then there's the matter of The End itself - whether Rosa's lover/husband passes away or not...

Maybe by the end of NaNoWriMo I'll have an answer to that!

Don't forget to enter my Middle Grade Contest - just leave a comment here.