Nano update
In tonight's writing I've made (or revealed that) my main character Nell is the daughter of the main character(s) of my nanowrimo novel last year. I had been considering this for a while and I suppose that's why I left Nell's background vague this time round. It means a bit of jumbling round of dates in what I've written so far but that isn't really a problem. I just have to remember that Nell is 23ish in 1964 rather than 18/19ish. She herself was quite self-concious of acting like a teacher towards her housemate/bandmate Steven's 18 year old pregnant Scottish girlfriend so Nell actually being several years older is not out of the question.
I am amused by how Nell's back story (which wavers between vaguely and more specifically connected to the other novel's characters) has just completely ploughed straight through the middle of the scene I was intending to write. I've both excused it and steered back to the actual scene by saying that the three of them have been deep in thought while drinking tea and chomping biscuits. Adding this aspect to Nell's back story also helps shape her views on adoption a lot more three dimensionally. She knows that it can be a good thing because she's had a settled life with her 'Auntie' Lydia but she has also been left with a lot of questions about her parents. Nell is worried that Steven is going to end up marrying too young (he's probably about 19 or 20) but she can't bear to think of him, his girlfriend, Mary Anne, and their child spending the rest of their lives being tortured with questions similar to those she had growing up.
I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how this aspect of Nell's character and the novel develops, though I'm also curious about how it will affect my perceptions of last year's novel when I pick it up again to finish the first draft. I love the surprises and challenges that nanowrimo writing throws my way. :-)
I am amused by how Nell's back story (which wavers between vaguely and more specifically connected to the other novel's characters) has just completely ploughed straight through the middle of the scene I was intending to write. I've both excused it and steered back to the actual scene by saying that the three of them have been deep in thought while drinking tea and chomping biscuits. Adding this aspect to Nell's back story also helps shape her views on adoption a lot more three dimensionally. She knows that it can be a good thing because she's had a settled life with her 'Auntie' Lydia but she has also been left with a lot of questions about her parents. Nell is worried that Steven is going to end up marrying too young (he's probably about 19 or 20) but she can't bear to think of him, his girlfriend, Mary Anne, and their child spending the rest of their lives being tortured with questions similar to those she had growing up.
I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how this aspect of Nell's character and the novel develops, though I'm also curious about how it will affect my perceptions of last year's novel when I pick it up again to finish the first draft. I love the surprises and challenges that nanowrimo writing throws my way. :-)