Ok I’m not 100% convinced with the interrogation scene I wrote. I think that will be something I revisit in revision. There are parts I like, parts that I worry don’t pass the logic test, and parts that I’m unsure whether it’s correct characterisation. I mean I 100% think that Helen could be that ruthless but I don’t know.

Anyway, I had another think today about all the Oxford flashbacks I still want to weave in and I decided on the POV for them. I actually don’t think it’s going to be as hard as I thought because I need them to start thinking in the direction of their relationship. They are fighting it because they’ve running from their feelings for over a century. I think that’s why I’m struggling to get to it.

Right so tomorrow I think we have to make a return to Helen’s office *sniggers* I know, I know, we were trapped in there for most of a week at the start of the month but it’s necessary. They need to discuss the information they got from Kate and form an attack plan. After that? Well I think it’s time these poor characters got some sleep, they’ve been up over 48 hours. I know source blood enhanced stamina but still they did die, that has to take it out of you.

So James alone in his room, struggling to sleep because his mind doesn’t switch off, he starts thinking about John and Helen and then flashback to the first time they meet Helen at Oxford. Technically that comes after the flashback where John and James get together but it’s the beginnings of The Five so it makes more sense to me to do it first. I don’t know, I can always alter it in revision.

Words Written: 1,719
Current Total: 36,562 

Start of week three. Wow. This has been a quick month.

Usual story, intended to write more, struggled to start and then it didn’t happen. Sunday is a bad day for it anyway as I have family dinner. Plus on Grand Prix weeks I often get time with mum, which is lovely, but obviously means less writing time. Anyway, not so many words but still some. There’s forward momentum.

Kate is now tied to a chair inside a containment cell. The team are discussing how to get her to betray the Cabal. Nikola just suggested threatening her with John hehe. I guess tomorrow I’ll need to resolve that somehow ??? (I don’t know). This part is very vague. No more scenes, just ‘ehhh this needs to happen somehow’ so that’s helpful past!self (no it’s not).

I have compiled a list of everything I want to include in the rest of the story. I don’t know how to weave it together but at least I know what it is. Hopefully, one word in front of another, and I’ll make it happen somehow.

Words Written: 1,661
Current Total: 34,843

Adventures in writing battles continue kinda?

I mean I tried to do the banter thing with John and Nikola as they dealt with the SHU outbreak, but then I swapped to James who just thought about what to do as he awaited the Cabal agents (that may have ruined the tension). Right now I’m pondering how to write the James vs Kate battle so James can show off his sharpest weapon – his mind.

So no I did not spend all my time on that gifset hehe BUT I am going to bed super late because I couldn’t stop fiddling once I started. Honestly this ship needs a name as I wasn’t sure what to tag it. I don’t think #this ship is pain is very unique however true it is.

So tomorrow James fights Kate and then I get to the part I did not plan particularly well – the dismantling of the Cabal. Hope that doesn’t confuse me for too long. I’m tempted to leave it a bit vague like they did in the show and spend my words on flashbacks instead. There’s a still a lot of the Oxford days I want to explore. Hmm.

Words Written: 2,510
Current Total: 33,182

Did better today.

I did struggle to start a bit because the scene was so complex in my head I wasn’t sure how to write it. Basically you know in the movies when it’s action and they swap between groups of people rapidly? It’s like that but it doesn’t work so well on the page.

In the end I started off with the ‘villain’ breaking into the Sanctuary and destroying containment in the SHU. I then swapped to the alarm sounding in the lab where James and Nikola were. I managed to have some back and forth with Helen and Henry who were in different places over the radio. Now I’m kinda stuck again because I want to follow Nikola and John into the SHU where they have to subdue the ‘worst of the worst’ but I don’t know which POV to use.

I’ve already used Nikola as a POV character so I’m comfortable with that. But on the other hand I’m overdue to use John. I’ve heard from Helen and James, it’s John’s turn BUT I’m trying to hint at something with John and if I go in his head then it won’t be a secret anymore – oh the dilemma!

I guess I’ll think about it and try and decide before the morning. If I don’t decide then I’ll struggle to start tomorrow out of indecision. I don’t really need more excuses to procrastinate heh.

Words Written: 2,308
Current Total: 30,672 

The inevitable happened 🙁

I’ve never been very good with consistency so maintaining 11 straight days of NaNo pace (1,667+) is possibly a personal record. I can’t say for sure but I wouldn’t be surprised.

Today I just wasn’t feeling it. I don’t know why but I just couldn’t get started. By the time I did start, I didn’t then have enough time to write the needed amount.

So I still got words but not quite enough. Still I suppose the fact that I wrote anything is good as it wasn’t a zero day (usually I’ve had at least one by now) so I’ve still maintained a streak – just not the 1,667+ one. I mean that’s a positive but got to be honest still feel kinda bummed. There’s no reason why I couldn’t have written more I just didn’t. 🙁

Words Written: 1,347
Current Total: 28,364

So I’m still doing this thing.

I was singularly distracted today and I only partly blame Death Rising in Warcraft for it. I lost a good chunk of my morning to that but then with the transmog not sharing between characters of the same armor-class I lost interest. It’s quite a lackluster event at the moment to be honest. I wonder if when the zombies get going it’ll be better?

Anyway, today I wrote two scenes and they both included dialogue from the season 1 finale. Basically Ashley calls for an evac, John goes and saves her and Henry from the clutches of the Cabal, Ashley promptly collapses. Duh, duh, duh! But then it differs because as I said yesterday James Watson is still alive to wreck the Cabal’s plans.

Tomorrow will be James explaining his deductions, finding out what the Cabal did to Ashley and then … a wild Kate Freelander appears. Poor John, he almost managed to tell Helen and now I don’t know when he’ll next get an opportunity :/

Words Written: 1,805
Current Total: 27,017  

I woke up this morning and decided I was going ALL IN.

I used to be a walking advert for NaNoWriMo, especially in November. I have the hoodie, I have winners t-shirts from previous years and I have wristbands. Looking around my room actually I have a fair bit of merch (I’ve never been subtle about the things I love). Anyway I haven’t worn my NaNo gear for a few years as NaNo hasn’t happened but I dug it out today.

Then I decided on today’s goal. I wanted to get to 25k for the month (requiring a bit over 3k). It took me longer than it should have but yes I did do that thing 🙂

We’ve also finally left Praxis! We’re back at the Sanctuary, in the lab working on the blood to produce a cure for the Lazarus virus. I’ve had to quit for the day but any second the phone is going to ring and it’s going to be Ashley saying she needs a quick exit from the Cabal stronghold. Oh I wonder what will happen next haha.

Oh and I’m now five days ahead of pace. Sanctuary is simply the best.

Words Written: 3,291
Current Total: 25,212 

Today I finally confessed to my mum that I was doing NaNo. As I wasn’t sure how it would go I’d avoided mentioning it prior to the 1st and then it had just felt awkward. Today I went to help with a chore and my mum asked whether I was too busy. I assured her that I wasn’t and that she came first anyway, but she asked what I’d been doing. Very hesitantly I confessed that I’d been writing, but that it was just a silly fanfic and no big deal.

My wonderful mother told me to go straight back upstairs and write more words 🙂 She said she didn’t care what I was writing, just the fact that I was writing again after having panic attacks over it all year was enough. I am so damn lucky. I really don’t deserve her.

Anyway, today we finally just about reached the running and shooting portion of escaping from Praxis (still haven’t quite made it out). I made a reference to The Five being ahem rather close in the past haha, which I might go back and edit out. I’ve never quite decided my preferred headcanon for that. In terms of love I 100% ship Helen/John/James no question. I’ve always seen Nikola’s regard for Helen as being unrequited, and that while he flirts incessantly it’s without any real expectation, more like friendly banter than anything. But that doesn’t preclude some group bonding sessions so to speak back at Oxford. Can’t decide.

Tomorrow we should finally leave Praxis and return to the Sanctuary where things will kick into high gear. John will have to go and rescue Ashley and Henry from the clutches of the Cabal but with James Watson on the case, the Cabal aren’t going to have such an easy time of it.

Words Written: 1,914
Current Total: 21,921