SOPHIE LI

Hello everyone!

It’s day 11 of NaNoWriMo… How is everyone doing?

I had a tough week last week, mostly because of work which really affected the rest of my life, including writing. I was working 10hr, 12hr and sometimes even 16hr days, and that left barely any time at the end of the day to write. And even when I had time, it was hard to get into the mindset of writing!! When writing on weekdays, my time is often fragmented- an hour here, half an hour there- and I feel like the quality (and volume) of writing is impaired.

There was also a point late last week (on Wednesday or Thursday) when I really lost confidence in my writing. It was that horrifying writer’s doubt: “gosh, my manuscript sucks, this idea is terrible, the prose is garbage, there is no point to this scene, the characters don’t have chemistry,” etc, which was also amplified by the fact that I didn’t have much time to write. SOOOO overall it was a rough week.

Anyway! Over the weekend I was able to finally relax, forget about work, delve into my novel, and finally found my groove again. I find that my strategy would have to be to try to get ahead over the weekend, knowing that I will fall behind during the weekdays. Overall, I am starting to feel better about my novel although I know there are a few (ahem, more than a few!) things that need to be fixed. OH WELL, that is what editing is for!!

Did I mention that I went to a write-in last week? (I did plan on going to more write-ins… but some of them just didn’t work with my schedule haha.) The write-in that I attended was in the morning before work, in a cafe that was close to my workplace, so the place and timing really worked out. I appreciated that the other writers were quiet so that I got a lot of writing done that morning. We chitchatted a bit towards the end of the session- I met a fellow writer who is working on a fascinating industrial fantasy!! Overall it was a great experience and I hope to continue attending this one in the upcoming weeks.

About My NaNo Project, “Fog”

No one knows where the Fog comes from. All they know is that those who enter the Fog never return.

Luna and her twin sister Treya live in a town on the coast of Suni. Luna is the quiet one, while Treya is charismatic, powerful and the pride of the Delphinus Clan. Treya has already decided to be a Sorcerer and join the Queen’s Army, just like their mother and father. But Luna doesn’t know what she wants to be; also, joining the Queen’s Army seems like a lot of work.

On the day of their graduation. Luna rescues a boy from the edge of the Fog. His name is Caio Amadeus Vladimir and he looks nothing like anyone in the country. Caio wants to go into the Fog and map out the lost regions of Suni, and he asks Luna to be his bodyguard. Luna thinks he is delusional.

Until Treya disappears on a misty day. Luna will do anything to bring her back.

My NaNoWriMo Progress: 22989 words / 50000 words

A Snippet from “Fog”

Dear Mom and Dad,

Hope you are both doing well in Baiyunshan. Tell me more about where you are staying. Is it cooler than Ruxia? Is it true that there are different temperatures depending on the time of year? Do you have time to play rakugan out in the market? Do they lay gouya pieces out to dry on sunny days to make snacks? I hear that gouya only grows in Southern Suni, so maybe next time you come for a visit, you can stock up on this delicious fruit!

Do you have festivals over there too? I took Ning and Shuer to the Warrior’s Festival last time, just over at the Market Square. It’s a small event here in Ruxia but we had good food and played some games. I heard the one in Taisun is amazing though.

Treya and I are graduating soon. I am excited to see Treya compete in the Sorcery division in the Tournament. I am sure she will know everyone out. As for me, I don’t know which discipline to choose yet. If you have any brilliant ideas, it’s not too late to let me know!

Love,

Luna

P. S. Please visit soon.

P. P. S. If you are in the area, come drop by the Graduation Tournament. Treya and I will be so happy to see you both.

How’s NaNo going? Have you attended any write-ins? Any tips for work-writing balance?

Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash