Reached 50,000 but the story ain't over yet...

I reached 50,000 words on the 25th. I should have felt proud, relieved and happy that I fulfilled the requirements for Nanowrimo 2012. After all, my novels in my past 2 Nanos barely scraped by the word count. This one surpassed those two by a bit.

Yes, I finished Nano, but I'm still working on the story. To my surprise and delight, I'm finding that my characters still have so much to say. "Don't edit until December." as the maxim goes. Since 'Shadow of the Queen' is technically the third in my "Four Lands" series, events in this one influences all the other stories in the series. I gave one major character a brother that didn't exist before, and to make things interesting, the brothers are on opposite sides of a brewing war.

I've made notes on what has changed (character names, place names, timeline changes, etc.) so I can keep my details consistent through the series. I've read stories where things didn't make sense with what came before and it's one sure-fire way of pulling me out of the story as a reader.

'Shadow of the Queen' introduces a new world that is a blend of ancient Indian/Arabian/Persian elements. I thought I could fit in all the descriptions of the festivals and rituals in 50,000 words. I was pleasantly mistaken. During Nano, I touched on the major plot points, but skimped on the little details. Now I have the time to expand on those details that make this alternate universe seem more real.

So November is nearly finished, and Nano 2012 is nearly at an end. But my writing journey is still (and always will be) ongoing.

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2012