Camp NaNoWriMo Updates

I’ve just reached 40,265 words on my Camp NaNo manuscript, Reflected (Mirrorland #2), which basically means…I’m nearly there. This story turned out nothing at all like I first expected though.

For starters, it’s told from three different viewpoints. That means that each of the characters has about 15k-20k screen time by the time the book is finished (which I estimate will be at around 55-60k). In that sense, I don’t feel like there’s a lot of development, but there is. The character development, especially for one of the characters is huge. Because we have all these characters doing different things but building up to the same goal, it’s easier for me to switch between POVs when I get bored of one POV, or am stuck somewhere.

Surprisingly enough, it’s the POV of the MC in the first book that’s giving me the most trouble. I’d expected this to be easiest, but I only have about 2-3k written of her POV right now. The second MC is actually the most fun. She’s awesome. I want to write an entire book from her POV. Alas, maybe later. I’m not that fond of the third MC, but mostly because at this point in life she isn’t that much fun to be around. But it’ll change though.

The downside of writing a book from multiple POVs is that you need to know each person’s personality through and through.

MC1 is your typical girl next door. She likes hanging out with her friends, watching horror movies and going to antique shops with her Mom. MC2 is less confident in herself. She’s a perfectionist, willful and determined, but she also think nobody really likes her just for who she is. She cares a lot about people’s opinions – which is completely different from MC1, who couldn’t care less about what people think. MC3 is eccentric and different, cynical and harsh.

The main topic in the first book was guilt, and it still hasn’t changed. Guilt and betrayal, and how people cope with those, are still the main topics of this book. But the characters and circumstances change, the stakes are higher, friends turn to foes and the other way around. It’s fun to write, but I find it surprising how different the writing experience may seem when you’re writing from multiple POVs. And I never imagined MC2 would suddenly become my favorite.