Well, this year’s NaNoWriMo challenge has proved especially
tough, and it is only my second attempt at the contest! It was easier to write
last year partly because I was writing the sequel to my debut novel and the
story was already planned, and partly because my daughter was under 1 and
therefore easier to entertain.
This month, in NaNoWriMo 2012, my novel has literally been a
surprise to me. My title is The Vampire of Blackpool. It probably won’t
stick, but it was all I could come up with in time for the challenge. My story
has literally developed every time I sit down to write. I have no prior
understanding of my characters or the plot. All I knew in the beginning was
that I had a female vampire living in solitude on the outskirts of Blackpool.
She was a traditional vampire, feeding and killing humans with no sense of
remorse. It was supposed to be a horror story.
It hasn’t quite turned out that way, but I am still happy
with the developments. My vampire, Meredith Hanson, has been on a killing
spree. A vampire hunter is also chasing her and they have so far battled to
near-death and then engaged in conversation, albeit brief. She feels something
for him, but she is confused. Meredith has also become intimately acquainted with
a young nurse who just happens to be a witch, and this sub-plot has taken me by
surprise during the last couple of days.
The icing on the cake for NaNoWriMo 2012 has been the
arrival in my story of a familiar face from the Redcliffe novels. Detective Jack
Mason has arrived on the scene! He has travelled up from Cornwall to
Lancashire, and it seems that he and Meredith have a history. We might learn a
little about it soon enough, but I am not sure. I will give Meredith free reign
to tell her story. My muse has suddenly woken up and seems very eager to share.
Wonderful!
So, as it stands, I am now at 38,493 words. I have to write
another 11,507 words in just 8 days. The estimate is to write 1,439 words per
day, according to my stats on the NaNoWriMo website. This means I will finish
my novel on 29th November. Perfect! And, a little early but I’m
feeling generous, Merry Christmas!
