I just barely met my goal yesterday. I was scrambling to get my last couple hundred words in but I managed it with about 20 minutes to spare. Fortunately, it wasn't too difficult since I am still working mostly on character profiling. I need to get an earlier start today but I am kinda at a loss as to what to write. I can write more background for the love interest whose first appearance is several words away still or I can try to write narrative until I get to his scene. There is just a big section at the start that is kinda intimidating me because I decided to write about two sets of circumstance I'm not quite as familiar with as I probably ought to be.

- If your mostly still working on backstory and profiling, I think the logical thing for you to write next would be the love interest's backstory, even if it never makes it into the main story, it's still a nice resource to have.

My muse seems to agree, mostly because I've already got it mostly figured out... Just need to write it down so that I don't have inconsistencies in the story.

Honestly, I am kind of annoyed at myself because I haven't made a whole lot of progress on the narrative. I still haven't closed out the opening image and moved on. I have bounced around a little bit, getting a few lines in for other scenes.

I think what bothers me the most is that I have a list of what needs to happen already blocked out. I just can't seem to figure out how to make it interesting. I keep letting myself get distracted because this other stuff is just plain easier.

- I have the same problems :( I have in my head all these things that need to happen, but it always takes too long to get there, and when I do, it's ends up getting rushed through because I don't know how to make it more interesting.

I don't really rush through scenes I have trouble with, per say. I either skip them completely or I let them grind the whole story to a halt. LOL

Anyway, I've decided to just physically write down the list of events in the first scene. I'm putting options for each point in parentheses and I think it is helping, at least a little bit. I probably won't actually write any actual narrative for now but it will give me something to work with when I am ready. After I get this done, I am going to work on that backstory. In fact, if I can finish all the backstories and/or motivations for important characters in the first few beats/chapters today, I'd be very happy. Most of them will be super short... Some of them will be a solid paragraph. None of them will be as in-depth as those of my MC and his love interest... Unless I finally figure out my big bad. That character's backstory will probably need to be reasonably in-depth.

- Hrm, I don't know which is worse. :P I've been trying to do that, but even as I've been reading through the older parts (which I've pretty much finished now) I've been lax about writing down the key events and stuff. Ugh. I decided to write for my RP character today instead of my nano. I feel good about it, but now I'm just another day behind.

Skipping it completely is probably worse. At least if you rush through it, you have something to work with when you edit... or re-write. I worked up very basic "sketch" for the next few steps in my story and it's starting to fill out. I'm always happier after a few revisits to my scenes anyway. (Not to edit really... Just elaborate. Put a little more "show" to what tends to mostly be "tell"...) This is just more basic than I usually like for a first go.

I made some progress on my story and managed to just barely get my word count in for the day. I may have broken apart some contractions to get it... And added in a little bit of mostly unnecessary stuff labelled "Inspiration"... It wasn't very many words so I don't feel too bad, but I just need some time to not think about my story. I feel like I have a few free hours now. It's so nice! LOL

- Sometimes you just need some time to think about not your story. I feel really good about what I wrote for my RP character. Unfortunately that means I have to more than double my word count on my actual novel still in order to be caught up today.

Damn, I'm on EST so I'm already at work when you're getting up. XD

I somehow managed to get caught up yesterday, it's so easy to fall behind. Hopefully I can stay caught up. Or even get a little ahead. But that's probably just wishful thinking. XD

- Congrats on catching up! I almost made it there last night (only 600 words behind now) Just gotta keep up the writing!

Well it's safe to say I'm pretty flipping behind, I had three exams this week and my brain was just not having it after the first two days. So three days worth of writing here I come, because for the rest of the week and the weekend I have no homework and plenty of time to get some writing done.

I have to say I'm actually quite fond of my piece thus far. Which in itself is a scary concept. We will see if I have to escape to the confines of the library or if my dorm is sufficient enough a creative zone for today's escaped of catch up.

I'm typically behind so I'm trying to be better this year. XD Yup, just keep writing! Never surrender! falls over

I'm sure you'll be able to get caught up! Especially if you're enjoying what you're writing. ^.^

I've stalled out a little bit again but I'll get through it. I have to get my minimum today.

, well I have already written at least one days worth so I'm down to two. I am I'm really enjoying my characters. I feel like the beginning is a little scant, but the amazing thing about the beginning being scant is that I will be able to go back and beef it up if I feel like I'm getting stuck.

That's actually what I do when I feel like I'm getting blocked, I go back and re-read, I don't let myself delete unless I'm adding extra sentences and making them better. I feel like it helps me make my characters more meaty!

Oh and, I'm sitting her dancing because I'm about to kill my second character. The frist one was sad, this one is going to be a oh yeah...jerk died...kinda moment.

- You are about where I'm at based on your progress bar. That's not too far behind! Just a couple hunderd extra words the next few days and you'll be caught up again!

- You and me both. I can't remember a year where I didn't have to do a 5000 word day to catch up. Hoping to not have to do that this year! It makes my family worried when shut in and turn off my internet and phone for a day so that I can get writing done. I was really good about writing every day my first year I did nano. I was about 3000 words ahead by the end of the first week, and then my computer died. Like totally fried. I had an older version backed up on a thumb drive, but I lost about 10k words.

I'm actually planning to get caught up today. I'm doing pretty well as far as idea flow goes so I don't see any reason to stop.

- Nice. It will be difficult for me to catch up today, yesterday was supposed to be my catch up day (if I count the 1700 words I wrote for RP, then I did catch up) I work weekends, so it's mid-week I usually use to catch up. It makes me a bit sad though, cus I can never go to my regional write-ins.

, we don't have any write ins where I'm located, tiny little college town. But I'm luckily very not busy this weekend, so I plan to catch up today and then this weekend really get some writing slammed in and get ahead. I get scared during the week that my professors will randomly decided to slam us into a wall with material and I wont be able to write.

- Oddly enough, my little university town's region had more write-ins and events than the big city I live in now, and since it was a smaller town I could usually get to them by walking or bus, here, both of those would take too long.

, yeah it's weird. I looked and apparently no one does that here. Yay me, only have today's words to write and I have written three days worth!

I'm doing NANO this month! It's my third time participating, I think, although it will be my first time winning if all goes well. I always seem to be so darn busy in November. I'm excited about the new novel I'm working on. :)