NaNoWriMo Winner!
Posted by | Filed under My Life, Writing
So
today I won the contest, NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, if
you haven't heard of it. Basically, I wrote 30,000 words in 30 days-
through the month of November. Some courageous folks attempted (and
possibly succeeded) in writing 50,000 words in 30 days, but as an
astonishingly busy 11th grader trying to make my way in life, I settled
for a thousand words a day. And I succeeded. Three days early. So
I'm proud of myself, because even though it isn't 50,000, it's still a
lot of words, and I now have a hunk of my novel written.
In celebration, I thought I would post a synopsis of my novel, Ashes, here:
I was thirteen when it happened. The fire that burned down my home, killed my little sister, and destroyed everything I thought I knew. Thirteen year old kids shouldn't have to worry about the loss of a sister or how to respond when people try to offer empty words of support that don't make anything better. But that's how it happened. I lost both my home and my sister in a few hours.
Horrified, I fled my old life and lived on the streets, more willing to face the trials of homelessness than the harsh pain of my past. Over time, I found a group of kids that lived together in an abandoned building. They called themselves a Family, and offered to let me stay with them until I got back on my feet. I agreed to join the Family, but my past continued to haunt me, building walls of protection around my every thought, and causing me to wake up, screaming, in the middle of the night.
Life sucks, I realize that now, but just because that's true, it doesn't mean that you have to stop living. You can enjoy what little goodness there is out there. You can find a Family in places you'd never think to look. You can heal from the pain of your past, even when it seems impossible. Sometimes it's okay to run from your past, but in time, you will have to face the truth.
Well, that is the basic outline of my story. I will probably post an excerpt of Ashes on here later on, when I begin my real editing.
In celebration, I thought I would post a synopsis of my novel, Ashes, here:
I was thirteen when it happened. The fire that burned down my home, killed my little sister, and destroyed everything I thought I knew. Thirteen year old kids shouldn't have to worry about the loss of a sister or how to respond when people try to offer empty words of support that don't make anything better. But that's how it happened. I lost both my home and my sister in a few hours.
Horrified, I fled my old life and lived on the streets, more willing to face the trials of homelessness than the harsh pain of my past. Over time, I found a group of kids that lived together in an abandoned building. They called themselves a Family, and offered to let me stay with them until I got back on my feet. I agreed to join the Family, but my past continued to haunt me, building walls of protection around my every thought, and causing me to wake up, screaming, in the middle of the night.
Life sucks, I realize that now, but just because that's true, it doesn't mean that you have to stop living. You can enjoy what little goodness there is out there. You can find a Family in places you'd never think to look. You can heal from the pain of your past, even when it seems impossible. Sometimes it's okay to run from your past, but in time, you will have to face the truth.
Well, that is the basic outline of my story. I will probably post an excerpt of Ashes on here later on, when I begin my real editing.
Tags: ashes, contest, excerpts, nanowrimo, national novel writing month, november
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