The Sense Of A Beginning...

So, day seven of NaNo begins and I'm sitting neither pretty or ugly on 9,165 words.

A few facts to put that tally in perspective:

• By the end of the day I need to hit 11,666 to remain on course for the standard 50k NaNo target;
• Not wishing to make excuses, but I only effectively started writing on Sunday, so the current ~3k words per day is looking promising. Although it's worth remembering that...
• 50k is unlikely to bring me anywhere near a complete first draft;
• 50k words in a month remains an achievement; a complete first draft in that time would constitute a miracle.

I'm fairly happy with what I've written so far. The main characters (I've four central protagonists) have been established and the darker undercurrents of the narrative hinted at, though even the darkest reader's thoughts won't have anticipated what's to come...

One thing I hadn't anticipated is how sleazy some of the contents has panned out. I'm talking smut here, people. Good, honest, slightly graphic filth. 

Now, before you go thinking "Fifty Shades Of Laven", I would point out that Book Two (aka Dysfunctional) is not a story about sex in itself, rather that these scenes provide a dramatic lens through which we can examine the characters. These scenes are fantastic ways of revealing the insecurities and conflicts of the protagonists' personalities. They are tools. They are also intended to revolt the reader than excite them, though that does rather depend on how twisted a mind the reader has. I certainly know that I find them challenging to write!

So why include them at all?

Well, bar the obvious explanation that they are integral to the plot, it's worth pointing out that sex is a great 'hook'. It captures the imagination like few things. That's the hope, anyway.

With that half-glimpsed detail, I'll leave you with a link to my NaNo page, where you can track my progress on 'Dysfunctional':

 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/therealedwardlaven

Till we meet again.

Edd