I did not have a definite goal this time - I think my aim was to complete my novella and just see how far I could make it to the end line. Although, I didn't end up completing my story within the month, I still made considerable progress and am currently working on the last couple of chapters.
2. Did you manage to write every day?
No, I think I missed a couple of days in between. Maybe 3-4 days in total?
3. Which was your favourite scene to write?
I can't pick a single one but my favorite ones to write were those that included Lily. Because she is much younger in age than my protagonists, she brings about a very interesting shift in dynamics between the characters. I believe that my characters got to grow and change because of the new and unfamiliar situations that Lily presented them with. For example, one of the scenes I really enjoyed writing was when Jake was tasked with taking care of Lily and he realized how unaware he is of the people in his life and their contributions.
4. Who was the most difficult character to write?
Jake was the character I struggled most with. I think it was mostly because I was very conflicted about my personal opinion of him and unless I am really sure about a character and understand what I want to present through them, I cannot bring them to life properly. So while I could understand where he was coming from, I was also unable to empathize with him at times which ended up impacting my narration through his perspective. I might need to work on that later and make some edits.
5. What would you do differently next NaNo?
Set a more definite and approachable goal? I think this time, my goal was to just write and while that does allow a certain kind of freedom to take things at your own pace, it also leads to gaps in writing where you lack the motivation to continue because yoh have no goal to achieve. Therefore, next time I will definitely try to set a goal that is challenging yet achievable so that I don't lack the motivation.
“Life’s under no obligation to give us what we expect. We take what we get and are thankful it’s no worse than it is.”
