Update on the Novel, Take 2

I'm sequestering myself away from the world today. Only stepping out into the internet for a couple of moments, to post on Facebook and give you guys, my amazing group of blogfriends, a much-needed update on the progress of the novel.

For those of you that aren't aware, I've been working on my WIP for several months now, and am nearing its completion. It's been an exhilarating and exhausting experience. This is my first full-length novel and I'm scratched and bruised but have escaped serious injury so far... and I'm having the time of my life. I've learned a lot of things about myself as a writer with this project. Like the fact that I'm not really a short story writer and have been long-distance writing all this time without even knowing it. Or the fact that I'm an extremely linear storyteller and want to plow through the story scene by scene instead of skipping around to write the parts I'm excited about. And the knowledge that my characters have stopped being words on a page and have started being thinking, breathing creatures which I created with my own mind and determination... now that was a killer realization (no pun intended, heh).

I set my book in the South, because I live in South Carolina and I'm frickin in love with this place. It's got a deep mystery which has barely been hinted at in fiction, and I thought it would be the perfect place to set my horror novel. The story is about a man who's trying to reach his dead wife through an old woman who has supernatural abilities. There's a lot more to it than that, of course - like the telepathic cop who's the brother of the dead wife, the peach orchard which was a second home to the bereaved husband, the mysterious murder of a local on a stormy summer night, and the dark entity which manipulates and influences the old woman to stir up a horrifying situation - but that's the basic gist.

Now I'm to the most important part of the book - the next three or four chapters are going to be pivotal and critical to the story. To be honest I'm intimidated by them. There's so much I have to put out there, and I want to get every bit of it right. (Perfectionist much? Sigh.) Really, I just want to make sure I do the story justice. This is the point which people will have been reading the whole book for, and I want it to be as scary and as riveting as it is in my imagination. I'm hoping I can carve out quite a bit of it today and tomorrow during my little writer's retreat in my bedroom - no TV, no phone, no internet, etc - and if you guys get a chance today, send me some positive vibes, ok?

I have 290 pages and 84,000 words. My goal is to reach 100,000 by the first of May. I still think I can do this. I don't believe the story will be finished by 100,000 words, though - I think it'll surpass that by at least a few thousand words. The initial goal I set was to have reached 100K by May 1st, though, so I'm not going to worry too much about whether or not it's finished on the first. I will have it completed sometime in the month of May. And believe me, there will be a PARTY when it's done. All of you are invited too. Hell, I just might throw a contest as well.

Thanks to all my blogger friends who're continually offering support and encouragement through this crazy project. You guys keep me going and you're invaluable. I wish you the best and major success with all the projects you're working on.

All that being said... happy Saturday, y'all!