Greetings dear Reader,

This month is NaNoWriMo (National Nominated Writing Month). For those who have not heard of NaNo, it is a personal challenge to write like the wind (gratuitous YouTube link here) and aim for 50K words in one month. For me, it is a regular kick in the pants and anti-procrastinating tool.

The first week is now behind me. How did I fare?
The Good: This time round I had actually pre-planned the basic plot points of the story. This is a big thing for me. Usually start with without the vaguest hint on where the story will take me and no plan to guide me.  I have pulled myself out of the non-productive hole where my muse had tossed me, and with a maniacal grin, had forsaken me for the past few months.

The Bad:  I am 7000 words behind the ideal word count for a 50K target. I have been sidetracked by research – into autopsy procedures of the nineteenth century and The British Museum of the nineteenth century…

The not-so-Ugly: I have written 6439 words. That’s 6439 words I had not written last month. Or the month before that. It’s 6439 words of my 35K word novella – two and a half scenes, with several hints laid down, characters introducing themselves and two new subjects to add to my trivia knowledge lists.

I have also written rough outlines for the accompanying short stories for The Adventures of Viola Stewart Journal #2: Eye of the Beholder and Other Tales. A new cover design is already coming together.

Here’s the blurb:

Eye of the Beholder

Viola Stewart is dectectiving again. With her friend, Doctor Henry Collins, at her her side, Viola runs foul of mummies, curses and the paranormal. But this time, the threat of Bedlam hangs over them all. Eye of the Beholder and Other Tales: The Adventures of Viola Stewart Journal #2 is due out in 2016.

Check out my Pinterest page for more hints on what I am working on.