Nanowrimo - Day Five (Compromises)

So far I've been able to keep up my commitments to both work and Nanowrimo without too much anxiety.  Today, the shit hit the fan and threatens to spill over into tomorrow.  When I woke up this morning, I finished my words for yesterday, then went off to have a day with the family.  Well, this wasn't to be exactly the way the day played out.

I was able to hang with the family for a bit, but I was soon off to the grocery store to get bagels and lox for breakfast (my idea).  After that, I had to head over to Toys 'R Us in order to take advantage of a limited time sale (we're traveling the week before Christmas, so we have to be forward thinking). 

When I got home I played a couple of games with Shea and Tracy which soon devolved into a tickle fight where Shea and I tried to, "Get Mommy."  When we were done with that it was time for Shea's nap.  We snuggled for a little bit, but, once she went down, I knew I had to get to work. 

I sat down with the intent of working on the novel, but I made the mistake of checking my online class.  There were two assignments to grade and two weeks worth of discussion posts to grade.  I got through all of that work by the time Shea got up from her nap.

Once Shea was up and snuggling with Mommy, I reentered my office with the intent of finishing my words for the day.  I did.  I got it done and I feel victorious.  I'm having to compromise a little bit of my family time, but it is worth it.  I think I finished another "chapter" of the novel. 

I'm finding that my chapters are working along a braided structure.  The first chapter dealt with John as he was hanging out with Willy, but it was centered around John.  In the second chapter, it was about the aftermath of the river incident.  In this chapter we got to meet Katie, the third main character of the book.  Now that this second chapter is finished, I think the third chapter is going to follow Katie as she goes back to check on John after work.  The characters are all leading me to each other.  It's kind of a fun phenomenon.  What it is allowing me is a chance to have three POVs within the novel, which is kind of what I want from it.  I want it to be a tapestry of the times, of a generation, who grew up in the shadow of post-9/11 wars.  So far, the story is working itself out.  My greater fear is that it will be come overly complex and I'll struggle against the structures of the braided format, BUT that is a revision concern.  For now, I'm writing.  And writing a lot.  Here's todays figures:

Word Count: 1721
Total Word Count: 9298 (I break 10,000 words tomorrow!!!)
Sample Sentence/Sentences (the chapter's final sentences):

                “Let him sleep.  It’s a rough day for him.”  Willy drifted off at the end of the sentence.  He wanted to check on John too.  If there was a way he could sneak into the house and check on him without being discovered, he would.  He imagined John sleeping there in his boxers, one leg out of the covers and drooling on his pillow.  His alarm clock radio would be set to 101.1, but he wouldn’t even stir when the mix turned to AC/DC.  That’s the image Willy wanted to believe in, but he suspected it wouldn’t be the case.  He was suddenly grateful for the fact he had John’s car.