Yes, I made it to 50K (total of 50,257 actually) on my NaNoNovel, Wight Knights. No, as usual I didn’t actually finish the thing. I will admit to doing some cut and paste from my 2010 novel, Tales of the Spruce Moose, so yes, I cheated a little. Much of what I cut and pasted needed editing anyway to fit my current storyline, which has morphed somewhat from last year’s series of short stories.

Some of what I counted (about 7K) belonged to the “Prologue of Interminable Doom”, which I cut on the 25th. After two long weeks of trying to slog through this description of how Lord Alain ended up with Juliana’s medallion, I had an epiphany, and chopped it all out, using it as a basis for a much shorter bit showing Alain actually receiving the amulet, and leading more organically into chapter 1. Truthfully, in looking at what I have and what I left in Spruce Moose, I didn’t use a huge percentage of that story, and there’s not much more stuff that can be lifted. Spruce Moose turned out to be backstory for this longer work.

However, I did get farther into the story, and I have the direction I’m going in my head. I do have to figure out what the scoop is with my three major groups: the Hex Majestorum, the See, and the Parlemient of the Fae. The last of these is the least developed as far as who belongs (other than the elves) and what its purpose is. I’m finding that world building is a pain in the neck, especially if you want things to have any internal consistency.

I have a few people reading it for me to give me some feedback, including Boy #1’s gf, who really doesn’t get into fantasy. (She mentioned to me that our family is really “artsy”… a connection her dad made a few months ago.)

So, what about August? I’ve told people that I want to finish Moonstrike! and I do. I just can’t let go of this now that its got its claws in me. Will I be able to switch muses and minds back and forth from original to fan fic? I’m going to try. It should mean that I’m on the social sites less often (which I should be anyway). School starts for the kids mid-month, so I’ll be responsible for the dogs again… and they have been very needy this summer! But it does mean that I’ll have quiet time with no one in the house for most of the day.

Tally ho! Forward into August!